Chaos Sonic

Two down...next on the docket was the Gibbons, the one that their boss told Morgan exclusively to avoid. Truth be told, the negotiations...or at least them getting the gangs to sign off went easy enough. However, now he and Aeon had a favor that they'd end up having to cash in with the Fates if and when the time came, as well as pass information towards the Zodiac in regards to the situation they found themselves in. Either way he looked at it, it was them giving something to those they would call their enemies...but in a situation like this...desperate times called for desperate measures. "P.I.X.E.L., bring up the next individual's stats." Override simply said, soaring overhead once more. "Aye sir." Just like before, the information began to show up on the side of his HUD... Name: Augustine Edwards Cape Name: Caesar Active for: 7 years Power Classification: Trump Current leader of Gibbons Gang, overseeing several operations personally along with attendants Legion and Hellhound. Of particular note are the Battle of Graceland and the Chicken Nexus Heist Job (see attached files). Goals: Caesar ascending to power has caused a paradigm shift with regard to Gibbons Gang as a whole. Previously, Gibbons was comfortable becoming, in their words, “The most influential organization in Scarlet City.” Caesar, however, seems determined to achieve nothing less than domination and rule over the entire city. Various truces and the occasional bout of overconfidence have held him in check so far, but it is clear these are still temporary measures until either the man or the gang he controls become S-class threats. "Ah right...he was the one that led the heist job on the Fried Chicken Nexus..." Override nodded, remembering hearing about some strange and criminal activities occurring at this intersection where three fried chicken establishments at the corners of said intersection. "Continues to boggle my mind at why they even attempted a heist job in the Chicken Nexus..." "Criminals such as these tend to have motives beyond some's comprehension." "Be that as it may..." Override sighed. "It's obvious that Augustine here simply wants nothing more than domination...but a chicken establishment." "Perhaps look at it within the bigger picture, sir." P.I.X.E.L.'s Scottish cadence spoke. "If one controls the Chicken Nexus, that would be a monopoly on that corner and thusly, possibly reduce food services to others aside from his gang." "...that's a fair point and assumption." he nodded, touching down in front of the Hell's Inferno Casino. There's more to it, I can feel it... Brushing that aside, he made his way inside once Aeon arrived. Override wasn't a gambling man, but he had to admit, this casino was a happening place for others. The general aesthetic was an impressive one...it was a sort of Hell, in every sense of the word. Regardless, he ended up seeing Hellhound, Augustine's assistant...right-hand person...something along those lines. “Caesar has been expecting you for a good while now. Come with me, please.” Override simply followed, his clunky armor making noise with each step he took as he was led into the elevator and into a...receptionists room...with a secretary who seemed to pay them no mind...he wasn't thrilled about this. “Please, wait here Caesar will be right with you. I’m going to go on ahead and tell him that you’re here.” And then...they just left. Override grew a tad bit concerned, but thankfully his armor allowed him not to be noticed as being worried. But with no windows or clocks, it seemed they were just going to be waiting here without the knowing of the passage of time. That would be the case, if Override didn't have anything to say about it. "Been real busy today haven't really had a moment to really rest. All this diplomacy is hard work! If I actually fall asleep lemme know when the Big Cheese finishes his crossword or whatever he's doing." At least someone's having fun... Override thought, looking around and surveying the area. It was just the normal receptionists area...but he took his chance to do something. Looking at the computer the secretary was on, he began to make a move. Without her knowing, he began to establish a link with it...not with his suit...no...this was his own abilities. He stood there like a sentinel on the outside, while inside, he was communicating with the computer itself. Of all things he could access, ironically was the calendar app. Hmmm, guess it's not willing to allow me to go deeper...no matter...the fact that I can get any information at all is good. he thought, seeing what the app said. The boss of the gang had them down for a meeting fifteen minutes ago...and he hadn't shown up. Hmmm...so our meeting is all. No tricks, no plots...nothing. Override thought, breathing a small sigh of relief. With this information in hand now, Override casually made his way (or roughly made his way due to armor) towards the secretary. "Sorry to disturb you, miss...?" She looked up from her screen but kept typing and didn't say anything. She simply acknowledged that she's the one Override was talking to. This perplexed him, but regardless he cleared his throat and kept going. "Right...Caesar" -- he pronounced it ˈkae̯ sar, -- "was scheduled to meet with us fifteen minutes ago...and yet he nor Hellhound have shown back. Is everything okay?" The secretary leaned over and pushed a button on her desk. "Sorry to bother you, sir, but one of the heroes out here wants to know if you're okay?" It took a few moments for the intercom to crackle back to life, and the response was a single word. "Peachy." "Hmmm, simply peachy? I must say, he seem to be taking this meeting in a different direction than I originally thought." Override sighed, before backing up, his gaze going from the intercom back to the secretary. "Thank you for your assistance..." "I'm sure he'll be with you in just a few moments." Hopefully... Override thought, continuing to survey the area to the best of his ability. Was he seriously going to have them wait here the whole time until he saw fit to meet with them? He surely hoped that wasn't the case.

1st District, 11:15 AM - Outside the Perimeter “I will be entering the scene, but I won’t need to tear through the tape. I have a plan. Are you prepared? We’ll have to avoid the police in there.” “First sign of trouble and we’re leaving, right? I know you want to dig up more information, but like… It’s one thing when it’s a rogue tower, but there are actual people with authority here. You could get into a lot of trouble if you aren’t paying attention.” “I know. We will keep a low profile… I would like to hear what the investigators inside of the remains are saying.” So they were practically breaking and entering an area with the cops and taped off from everyone else? That wasn't a great idea...it was an idea, but not a good one. Jeremy sighed as he watched Elita and Kiyoko vanish into the shadows, while Kess and Leo were bickering back and forth...which would DEFINITELY cause some unwanted attention with the cops and even Seigi if she came back this direction. And of course...there's the gentleman on the rooftops... Jeremy thought, noticing the one with the translucent wings. It was more or less like the man in question was sitting in wait for something stupid to go down at which point act...and if he was correct on the specifics on who this man was...he was RICH in history, just with the weapon at his disposal. Nevertheless, he kept an eye on him before returning to face April with the others. "Anyway, as I was originally saying... Maybe we should try to investigate elsewhere? I don't think waiting for them here is an option, with the state of the city right now. Maybe there's somewhere else with clues for us to find, like the police station or the mayor's home? Any thoughts, shopkeep, beastman, girls?" Jeremy let out a heavy sigh, before slowly lifting his head upward. This wasn't a situation he was really prepared for, namely due to him being out of his element. If this had something to do with history and old trinkets and antiques, perhaps he could immediately give some input. However, that wasn't the case. What was more, he had a djinn at his disposal, but not even the djinni could do much of anything, especially not without a wish being used. ...and I only have one left...I can't just waste it. he thought. While in his thoughts, his eyes carried over to the one skyscraper that was emblazoned with that mural...and he blinked a few times, staring at it hard. The mural or graffiti, whatever one wanted to call it...he'd seen that style before. "Ibuz...you seeing the mural?" he muttered. "A vague glance about it, master. Why do you ask?" "The style look familiar to you?" The djinni was silent for a moment, before finally piping up. "Aha! Wasn't that the type of art style that was present outside your store walls?" "The exact same. Aside from this being void of little devils being at a shop counter and handed candy..." Jeremy said, adjusting his glasses some. "However...that bird is still a remaining factor. We're going to need to make a note of that. I doubt it'll be as of importance, but even still..." It was at this moment that Jeremy had some sort of inkling to work on, though he did notice Kaede and that other one...the cultist, April called her, trying to investigate and look at the mural. Best leave that to her...can't always be there to hold her hand. he smirked, before nodding. "Miss Soleil..." he spoke up, adjusting his glasses again. "Firstly, I do want to address the mural. It's of the same style as whoever decided to vandalize my shop with...albeit, the only difference is no little devils and there's a titan there...but the bird is seemingly the same one. Hard to forget something you've had to spend time to scrub off the walls..." He noticed her glance at the mural and then back at him. "Kaede is currently looking at it...so that should present us some answers. Anyway, secondly..." Jeremy paused as his eyes drifted upward towards the building's rooftops. "...I'm going to speak to the gentleman up there." "And... how do you plan to get up there?" At first, he wasn't expecting that question being poised at him, but regardless...he gave the best and honest answer he could. "I'll...walk? I mean, I'm not going to draw attention to myself like some..." Jeremy glanced in Leo and Kess' direction, saying it in a hushed tone. "If anything there's some scaffolding that I can use and simply talk to our resident gargoyle up there." "That's an idea, I suppose?" Her brow raised questioningly. "I can sense a bit of doubt in your tone, though." "If you wanna risk your life, be my guest." Well that was reassuring and supportive, but alas, Jeremy took this as a sign to stop and just go do the business. He turned on his heel and made his way towards the building in question, generally doing his best to find some scaffolding to climb up to the roof. "You realize I could've just flown you up there myself, right master?" Ibuz' voice cut through his concentration. "I appreciate the gesture Ibuz, but I would rather us try to not draw too much attention to ourselves." Jeremy explained, finding a scaffolding ladder hanging down. He hoisted himself up with a grunt and began his ascent upwards. "After all, remember, miss Soleil did say we're most likely already known at this point due to the situation that occurred. If I can avoid any necessary conflict, I can...and if things go south..." "Then I'll make my presence known. I have to say master, despite what others say, you can be quite a smart cookie." "...I'll ignore that comment for now..." Jeremy muttered, finally cresting the rooftop of the building where he stood. There, the ornate sheathed blade sat on his side...yeah, this was the one that he had heard a lot about. "Excuse me...mister Apollo is it?" The man known as the Fount of Brilliance turned toward Jeremy, his grip on the sword sheathed at his side tightening. Though his expression was casual, his muscles were visibly tensed, ready to leap at the potential threat. "The one and only. Looking for an autograph?" "I'll definitely take one, and maybe a closer look at the legendary holy sword...but..." Jeremy rubbed the back of his head with a nervous smile, before finally composing himself with a clearing of his throat and an adjustment of his glasses. "...My name is Jeremy Shelby. I wanted to have a chat with you for a moment."

There it was again...after that last attack, Trevor noticed that strange bar again. It was flashing red this time, almost being a warning to him. ...hmmm...what...could that even be? he thought, before returning to the here and now moment, Grigoriy now rushing him again with his electric cloak. This would hurt for sure...then again, Morgan came through in more ways than one. Morgan, or rather, the fiery spinning wheel that was known as Morgan was barrelling down towards Grigoriy and in truth, Trevor was happy to see that she worked with the fiery limbs like he was hoping she would. However, to the sorcerer's dismay, Grigoriy wasn't going to slouch at this. The old man changed his target from Trevor...now charging towards the fiery wheel. Once both opposing forces collided, there were flames and sparks flaring up everywhere from the impact. Neither side was giving an inch, it was almost like a stalemate in the long run. Eventually, however, the force from the collision finally was brought to a head as between both of them an explosion occurred. Both parties were sent flying...and they'd be landing right into the gravestones. ...alright...catch the teammate, perhaps we won't hit one the gravestones on the way down. Trevor thought, moving quickly as he finally got up. The leg was still tender due to the fire, but he pushed through. He made a mad dash for the flying Morgan, immediately catching her annnnnnnnd his back swiftly made contact with a gravestone. He coughed up a bit, groaning in the process. "...o-okay...gravestone was hit..." Trevor kept his eye on the bar, where it showed and how it was flashing even more now. He wasn't sure before, but now, with how he was feeling...he figured it out. Damn...looks like that's it... he thought, shifting slightly as he moved Morgan to the side, as he moved slightly to have his back rest upon the gravestone. "A-Alright...best time as any..." he groaned, as he proceeded to cast Curaga. Above him and Morgan, a set of bells and green leaves appeared and began to revitalize and heal them. Or at least...it should've. What instead happened was the spell just...didn't occur. What DID occur was a message in red appeared before him that said: No Cheating Allowed. "N-No...cheating...?" Trevor muttered, seeing the message. He glanced over at Grigoriy and sighed, calling out to him. "H-Hey...what's it mean...no cheating...? Under...n-normal circumstances...that Spell...doesn't fail...what gives...?" He shrugged as he got to his feet slowly. "Can't get back points lost." "...s-sounds like a unexplained...aspect of this little training session..." Trevor huffed, using the stone as support in order to get up. "...r-really...limits a person..." However, Grigoriy didn't answer him, though that was to be expected now. The old man was fully standing now, advancing as he moved around the gravestones and towards his right side. Trevor adjusted his hat, his eyes watching Grigoriy continue to make his advancements. It was all or nothing at this point...this had to count. ...for my honor as the apprentice of Balthazar... The sorcerer exhaled before pointing his finger towards Grigoriy again, a finger gun being made. "...Firaga..." he said, as the fireball began to appear at his fingertip. However, the next thing he saw was Grigoriy chucking something in his direction...it was a sword. And suddenly...his world went dark... ...d-damnit...

“Just so you know, because we wouldn’t want you to think we had anything to do with it, your friend got a page or something and had to go on ahead. Nothing to worry about, I don’t think, unless you’re one of those people who worries about everything.” And then there were two...Override wasn't exactly thrilled about losing one of his allies this early on, but duty forever called...so to an extent he could understand. Nevertheless, it was he and Aeon left, which could've been good or bad, he wasn't too sure about that yet. But now they needed to go off towards "Wonderland" and Zodiac...trying to talk with their leader, Ophiuchus XIII. Override was overhead again, soaring in the skies as he had the file and information pulled up on his HUD. Ulmer, Ray Cape Name: Ophiuchus XIII Active for: 5 Years, 5 months Power Classification: Shaker Current leader of The Zodiac gang. No known direct participation in criminal activity but orchestrates the distribution of controlled substances grade C-52 and above. Goals: As the oldest currently active gang, The Zodiac’s goals have shifted from power and expansion to a consolidation of power within their territory and maintaining the status quo. Any improvement is spent on efficiencies of their Just don't add thirteen to his name when referring to him...good to know. But either way, I doubt it'll be an easy one to deal with. Override thought, sighing a bit at how this would go. He just hoped it would be a smooth one. “Welcome, honored guests, and, to our particularly honored guest, welcome back. It is a shame we could not meet under better circumstances, but what can one do? I assume you are here to apologize for last night’s… indiscretions? Let us call them that. Your messenger certainly made it seem as though that were the case.” ........ "Sure I have, I had shorter hair, and it was uhhh red? I think it was red. Anyway, I'd say you haven't changed either but that ain't totally right, is it, Thirteen?" The armored hero could only be seen with his hand on the "face" of his suit. Once again, Aeon spoke up first and now put them in hotter water than they already were apparently. "...the dossier said don't call him by the number marking...that's for archival purposes...Jesus H. Christ." he muttered quietly, to which he heard P.I.X.E.L. speak up. "I believe you may need to talk your way out of this, sir." his Scottish voice broke the silence for a moment in his helmet. "...you may be right..." "But that is two apologies you owe me now." "That's a pretty good one. Well, maybe he's got the apologies on him somewhere. He seems the type." Override simply looked in the direction of Aeon, his suit hiding the fact that he was glaring daggers at her. She was fortunate that she had not on any obvious technology on her, otherwise he planned to use them against her in an instant. But nevertheless, he sighed and stepped forward, hoping to make a better impression. "I don't have the apology, we weren't sent with one. I can tell you if anything, our superiors can give you one at a later date, if you so wish it, Ophiucus." Override spoke. "No, were simply here under diplomatic reasons...coincidentally, in regards to what was displayed last evening." "You are here to ask something of me regarding last night?" Ophiuchus didn't seem the laughing type, but even he seemed bemused by this. "To my knowledge the Zodiac took no part in any of the riots and if you present proper evidence to the contrary the offending member will be immediately excommunicated." "I'm not referring to the riots. Right now all I'm referring to is the declaration that Cassandra made last night and our efforts to prevent it." he attempted to continue, however now the bemused smile disappeared. He tried not to show the fact he was nervous at seeing this, thank God for the suit of armor. "I am referring to the riots because procedure is important. The truces were put in place and have survived this long for a reason." In the corner, Cassiopeia tensed again, and there was no ghostly hand to put her at ease this time. Ophiuchus continued, "Your G3 organization has a different perspective on things. I see that now, and will, in fact, discuss this with your superiors. But you are not exactly in a position to be dancing around the issue. I am already annoyed, so say what it is you were sent here to say." Override thought for a moment, realizing what he was referring to now, recalling what he asked Aeon a moment ago. There was a breach of true at the end of it last night...Spotlight helped Cassandra and he shouldn't have. And G3 seemed to have either swept that under the rug or neglected to mention anything to them. Either option was plausible at this point, but for the time being, he had a job to do. Later...later he would be doing some digging for sure. Override held the file in the hand with the documents for Ophiuchus to sign, glancing in the direction of Cassiopeia. "This is what we were sent here for. Would you mind handing this to him? I'm sure this would be safer than allowing a Cape to just approach your boss like this." he said, extending his hand with the document towards Cassiopeia. "All we need is your signature and cooperation...that said, while I can't physically guarantee any negotiations to occur in regards to the evening prior, I will say that speaking to our superiors and their negotiators may be able to assist in fixing and even apologizing for what transpired." Ophiuchus took the documents himself, manifesting another ethereal hand open and ready to accept them. "Better," he said. He continued to hold the folder with his power as he read. The snake around his shoulders also seemed interested in the document, curling up into the crook of his shoulder to get a better look. Eventually, he said, "This is asking a lot of us, but it is largely acceptable. For my signature, however, I have one additional price: an explanation. I want to know why the events of last night took place. Why then? And why were those helping Cassandra willing to break one of the more sacred truces to do so? Swear to answer those questions for me, and any others that might come up, and I will assent." "...yes, I suppose the hand thing was definitely more simpler." Override nodded, relenting at the ethereal hand. However, Ophiuchus brought up his price for this signature, which made the young man think this was generally a running theme with these villainous leaders, but he digressed. All this one wanted was answers, which was the same thing they themselves were looking for. "Seems somewhat of a simple thing to ask for, Ophiuchus, but knowledge is power in some's eyes, a powerful weapon to wield. In truth, we're looking to learn these reasons ourselves, so I will say right now...the moment we find the answers to these questions of yours, I'll personally hand you the information, either myself or I'll have P.I.X.E.L. deliver it."

"The bear is in trouble!" Oh no... "Stop, villains! You, uh, will not harm this, er, innocent...creature?" Gene let out an audible sigh, seeing Sabrina rushing headlong into the fray of battle to protect the bear. And after her, Abby followed suit, to which he was just slowly lowering his head even more. This wasn't how he figured this was going to go...especially since that was probably the natural order of things with animals. Then again, these Drengr weren't really something he would've considered as 'animals', but it was too late now...two out of the group were already rushing to save this bear. And to him...he was looking like a pretty big idiot at not only just killing the previous conversation like he did but also just ignoring the bear like he did. That wasn't something he would've done in his dreams. He was a warrior, a hero to all...so why couldn't he just translate that to here and now? It honestly seemed harder and harder to do...but THIS was his life now, not whatever life he had prior. ...alright then...embrace the you from your dreams...that's who you need to be now... he exhaled slowly, before making a quickened rush towards the other two, bear and the Drengr. Within his hand, the faint glow appeared again. "Release!!" he shouted, as the sword once again materialized in his grasp. Gene's quickened pace got him to where the other two were, seeing the one Drengr rushing towards Sabrina with the handaxe. Gene bit his tongue for a moment, trying to figure a general plan out. Right now, he had Abby healing the bear, but at the same time was a sitting duck there, while Sabrina had a Drengr barrelling towards her, weapon in hand. He had not a lot of options to go with...but he knew something he could do. I have to be quick about it...block one, then strike and immediately defend the other... he exhaled slowly, shifting the sword from his one hand to the other, activating his Runes again. The rune covered his hand like before and before the Drengr that Sabrina was dealing with, a wall of water emerged, hopefully halting it's attack. "Alright, here's hoping I'm just in time...!" Gene muttered, immediately getting behind the Drengr and proceeded to slash at the back of the creature's legs...it worked before, he hoped it would work again. "And now..." he muttered, having the wall of water dissipate and he immediately lifted his hand towards where the bear and Abby was, now having it form around them. "...t-there...do what you can to help it out. That wall should protect you for now..." Gene gave a weak smile, huffing a bit, turning his attention towards Sabrina. "This one should be off balance now..."

General Studies Homeroom Naranja Academy, Mesagoza – 9:30 AM BGM "I know today is a very late day and we don't have much time to cover anything substantial...With the end of our classroom time coming up, I really thought we would be able to cover a bit more than we did..." Aruto glanced in the direction of Jacq, moving his chair back on all fours and shifting his head forward, his pencil rolling off the bridge of his nose as he did so. It was unusual that Jacq would be late for class like that, but it was never unheard of...especially if the director was involved...which, surprisingly...he was. "You could say that. The Director is going to go over it in more detail, but as usual... We'll be allowing you all to go on your own studies. Some of you may stay here, but I know many of you will choose to head out into Paldea to explore and forge your own path... I just hope some of what I've taught you will help. Let's review instead of covering anything new." Hearing this, a wide smirk began to creep along the young man's face, his leg bouncing up and down in excitement. He was pumped to hear even this news, and was even watching the clock the entire time. Of course, one of the students would've actually nudged him to try and pay attention and take notes, but even then...he couldn't help it. Then, at 11:30...the bell rung out. It was time for that big announcement and Aruto was 100% ready for it! "Before you leave, we have two guest speakers. One, you all will likely know well. The other is associated with the Pokemon Activities Committee. Please, welcome Top Champion Geeta and Mr. Raoul Contesta to the stage." "This is a momentous occasion, not just for you all, but for me. It isn't every day the Activities Committee is able to expand contests to a new region, so I look forward to seeing what any of you who chooses to participate can show me... I'll turn it over to your champion now, but I'm ready to be dazzled by you upcoming stars!" "I greatly looking forward to seeing who wishes to challenge the Champion Assessment. The Gym Leaders across the region have been working overtime to be sure to make this the most interesting Gym Challenge yet, and I cannot wait to see the shining results. For now, however... Go, students. Your journeys begin here." Aruto saw them both...Raoul Contesta and Champion Geeta...those two there...those were his goal. With a quick turn of his heel, the young man made a combee-line straight for his dorm room, grabbing his stuff (after he quickly packed things into a backpack) and immediately grabbed one of his PokéBalls, tossing it up into the air. Out of it emerged his partner Pokémon, Hongo the Nymble, who ended up hopping right onto the shoulder of the young man. "Today's the day, Hongo! We're going to finally start this journey of ours!" he said, making his way from his dorm room down the stairs as he made it towards the Entrance Hall. "You as pumped as I am?" Hongo simply made a few buggy clicks and chatters, with a simple nod of his head. "That's what I figured." Aruto smirked, walking out the doors...or at least he would've if he didn't notice something with brightly colored headers on the bulletin board. "Huh...? ...Group 13...western PokéCenter...ladder..." he muttered, before nodding and punching a fist into his open hand. "Awright! Looks like we got a meeting to attend, buddy! Let's kick this into high gear then!!" Without another word spoken, Aruto rushed out the Entrance Hall's doors, making his way straight towards the western side of Mezagoza. ...he did have a bit of an issue out the gate however, namely the tripping under his own feet and sort of falling the last flight of stairs, but the best starts for any aspiring "Hero of Justice" was obviously going to have a bit of injury. Aruto groaned, finally getting up from the fall as Hongo hopped back on his shoulder. "...ow...not the best start, but c'mon...let's get going! Hopefully we aren't late!" Not breaking his stride whatsoever, Aruto made his way towards the western PokéCenter, skidding to a halt as he turned his head just in time to see a small group of three students gathering by a...ladder!! "Hey, I think that may be the crew, buddy!" he said, seeing Hongo nod a few times, making a few happy noises. Aruto smiled, finally approaching the three, with a wave. "H-Hey there...sorry if we're late! Aruto Takeshi and Hongo, at your service!"

A simple, yet effective plan. A casting of invisibility on him and his allies in order to make a move out towards the exit. It took him a while to really think through this, but he was glad it finally kicked in. It was probably because Ziun didn't want to rely too much on his illusion magic without the use of his music, after all, illusionists were seen as bad anyway. But nevertheless, the bard came through. Unfortunately, now Chris and Lana were out of the cover he had made, leaving only him and the dread pirate. Ziun cursed under his breath, trying to get the next plan of action. What could Ziun the Illusionist do this time in order to keep his newfound allies out of the line of fire and sight? He kept thinking, trying to survey the area and situation to the best of his ability. Wait...keep them out of the line of sight? That's it...if I can get something distracting to the others...yes! Ziun thought, a smile forming on his face. With a slight shake of his hands, the young man began to turn slightly towards the area behind most of the zombies and even the eye. Once he found the right spot, he made his move... If the others took notice, they would see a visage of Ziun slowly appearing in from the nothingness...just popping into existence. Once it did, it began to pull out it's lute... Now...for the next part of the plan...don't fail me now... he thought, pulling out his own lute and he started strumming it. However, the sound never came from the lute that the real Ziun had in his hands...no, it came from the illusory bard. Then, the illusory bard opened it's mouth... BGM Sweet dreams are born o' this Who am I to sow displease I travel'd the world And its dangerous seas O! The common folks are in seeking Some desire to use thee Some have want to get used by thee Some hath want to mistreat thee Some wouldn't take pleasure where torture be... Ziun smirked, knowing this would be enough of a ruckus and distraction for the opposition to take notice of. He also figured Chris and Lana would take this as a sign to get back in cover and they could continue to towards the exit. He glanced towards Robin, and proceeded to mouth: "The moment the two get in, we'll keep moving...I'll hold it as long as I can." Nevertheless, the bard and illusory bard was getting into this little distracting performance as best they could...after all, their lives were at stake.

What was with this guy? He had fought so many others before during his time in the Ever and never once did his feelings and ever betray him like they were now. Not only that, he was seemingly outclassed by this man...his strongest Fire spell was weakened by the swing and now he was on him, continuing his assault. "I don't get you kids. They insist on telling their life stories in the middle of a fight but honestly, Mne fioletovo!" Trevor ducked back some noticing that strange bar getting more and more narrow by the moment, but he was already in Grigoriy's sights, unfortunately. His short sword heading for his chest. ...so that's it...? Everything I went through in the Ever...finally coming back to life...and even my first battle here. ...did it all amount to nothing? Am I still...just a fai-... "Who cares about the past!?" Trevor was knocked from his stupor as Morgan rushed in, apparently...baiting a swing. He was simply dumbfounded for a moment or two, now seeing Grigoriy stopping his thrust at him just before impact, and doing just as Morgan was hoping for, swung but stopped and simply sent out electricity towards her. Right now...she had him on the defensive. Wait...the defensive... "And you back there! Stop being afraid to hit me too! I'm a tough girl built to last!" The young sorcerer watched in awe at the zombie girl, quite impressed with her at this point. ...right...I have to remember, I'm not in my own universe and world anymore...people like him who are foreign to the rules and laws of my world wouldn't understand...however... Trevor regained his footing, sighing with a bit of a smile. "...one thing hasn't changed, no matter the world...a person's heart...and hers is telling me she's not ready to quit yet." he muttered to himself. "Right...let's get back into the fight, Masters." Grigoriy brought the flat of his longer sword up to connect with Morgan's swinging arm, then he stepped forward to thrust his shorter sword forward. "Aerora!!" Trevor shouted, casting the defensive spell around the undead girl. "Fira!!" With a quick point of his finger, he fired off the Fira spell right at the extra arms that Morgan was using as a weapon. "Here, try and use that to keep him at bay, partner! I'm going to take after your lead and keep at him. Just find a moment in the dance and cut in!" He then proceeded to try and whip his chained grimoire around Grigoriy's legs, attempting to keep him in place. Grigoriy's blade struck the wind shield and couldn't pierce it. He began to back away as Morgan's arms caught fire. As the chain got close Grigoriy reversed his grip on his shorter sword and slammed it down, staking the chain into the ground. "Like a little thing like that'll stop me?" Trevor laughed, now getting in a position to approach Grigoriy's side. The man was crouched, with the sword in the ground, that was obvious. But...he'd have to release his grip on the sword to get up. Don't give him an inch...take Morgan's lead and just keep him defending! He proceeded to deliver a kick straight to the side of the old man's head. "FIRA!!" he shouted, watching his leg and foot catch on Fire for a moment he proceeded with the kick. Grigoriy pushed off against the ground, leaving his blade stabbed into the ground, to just barely dodge the kick. He glanced between the two opponents and chose to move towards Trevor. After getting back to his feet he rushed forward and swung his free blade at him. Trevor smirked as he seemed to be Grigoriy's chosen target now as the one blade was stuck in the ground still and his other was being swung freely at him. The sorcerer did his best to dodge it, surprisingly diving around the old man's side and immediately attempting to sweep kick him. And if the old man leapt over the kick, like he hoped, the quick and subtle casting of Blizzard on the ground would result in a bit of a slippery landing. Grigoriy took the hit, letting Trevor's leg connect, but he hardly buckled as he reached to grab onto the mage's leg while he continued his swing. Trevor grimaced at his plan not initially working like he wanted, but decided to simply try and keep going. He attempted to push himself upward, firing a point blank Blizzara right into the old man's face, attempting to disorient him. With a grunt Grigoriy's head moved back by the sudden impact. He shoved back on the leg that he had grabbed and pushed Trevor back while taking a few unsteady steps back himself. "THUNDAGA!!!" Trevor shouted, not even landing properly as he watched Grigoriy happen to be unsteady and uneasy. He let this be the moment where he could get enough damage and stuff done to him where Morgan could come in and start assaulting him with the fiery arm flails. Plus, he was feeling a bit heavy...exhausted even. He was doing a lot of magic and not only that, his leg was still tender due to the fire on it from earlier...he'd have to cast Curaga soon. Even still, he was wondering if any of this was helping right now...

Moments Before Daichi sat in the locker room of the stadium, his duffel-bag with his costume on the bench. In his hand, he went through his deck one more time...he needed to make sure everything was in ship shape for this. It would be his redemption Duel...he had to make sure this counted. After a sigh, the young man looked down at two of his cards, giving a soft smile. "It's the first Duel with you both in my performance. I'm hoping it'll work out!" he said, putting them in the deck and shuffling it. He shifted slightly to reach into his bag, before seeing two other cards fall out of it. Curious, he looked down at them and the gears started to turn for a bit. He began to ponder these two for a moment...before a smile appeared on his face. "Hmmm, actually...these two might just be what I need..." Not another thought was given as he tossed these two right into the deck box as well. It was a gamble with those two cards, but he had to try. Present Moment “In the Action Duel, we have Lance Sheridan against Daichi Raimu! Daichi lost his first match, and Lance has a pretty good record. Can he do it!?” As the announcer spoke, Lance strode onto the field, wearing a suit of armor and adjusting into place. He scoffed at the announcer’s antics, simply giving a small nod to Daichi. Or at least…he would've if his opponent was standing there on the field. BGM “LADIES ANNNNNNNNNND GENTLEMEN!!!!” The lights cut off the moment this rang out in the arena, with the spotlights turning on one by one in a rhythmic fashion. “I hope you’re ready for an exciting and heart pounding Action Duel, because we’ll be serving one up for you!” “A stoic knight, donned in his beautifully shining armor, a visage of a true servant to his highness…truly fit to be the Vice Captain of Team Shining. Please give mister Lance Sheridan a round of applause!” Whatever applause for Lance, if any at all, would follow this introduction as a few spotlights trained themselves onto Lance. “Yes, truly this Duel is straight from the pages of the medieval age…a time of swords…and sorcery! But I won’t back down from this formal challenge…” The last of the spotlights trained themselves on a spot in the arena where once again, a purple explosion of smoke emerged and once again, Daichi stood there in his outfit. “The Moonlit Magician makes his appearance once more!” “Quite gaudy, honestly. Though I suppose I look much the same to you…" Daichi simply took a simple bow. "Thank you. This is the first time my show has been classified as gaudy. Perhaps I'm finally hitting my stride?" he laughed. "It would appear that I am the one chosen to go first, so good luck to you.” Lance drew his hand as the field spell activated above. ”Our field today is… Action Field: Virtuous Castle!” As an ornate castle appeared, its halls lit bright, a red carpet rolled out from Lance to Daichi. Behind the knight, there stood a grand throne, and behind the magician a throne room to accompany it, with tables and adornments fit for a luxurious banquet. “I summon Noble Knight Borz. Then I activate the equip spell Noble Arms of Destiny, equipping it to him.” A knight with ornate armor appeared [Normal Monster; LIGHT Warrior; Level 4; 1700/900], standing at ready, only for a gleaming silver shield and blade to be offered to him. Arming himself with them, his stats showed up once more, changing his qualities to [Effect Monster; DARK Warrior; Level 5]. “Borz is a normal monster while it is on the field, but it becomes an effect monster when it has a Noble Arms equipped. It also becomes Level 5 and DARK. Next I use its effect. I reveal three Noble Arms from my deck- Gwenhwyfar, Caliburn, and Excaliburn, then you randomly choose one for me to keep. The others go to my grave.” As the explanation wrapped up, the three cards and their effects briefly showed up on Daichi’s disk screen, before flipping face down and shuffling themselves around, waiting for him to click. “By your leave.” "Hmmm choices, choices…" Daichi hummed, before finally picking one. "I choose the leftmost card. Let's see if Lady Luck chose to shine on your first turn with this!" The cards flipped back around, revealing that Noble Arms - Caliburn was the card Daichi selected. Nodding, Lance took Caliburn, sending the other two to the grave. “Then I’ll go ahead and activate it as well. This will give Borz 500 ATK and…” As Borz’ attack changed from 1700 to 2200, Lance’s Life Points also changed, raising from [4000 -> 4500]. “Once per turn, I can use Caliburn to gain 500 LP. And then, I activate the effect of Gwenhwyfar, Queen of Noble Arms. I can equip her from my grave to a Noble Knight I control. With that, I will set 1 card… and end my turn. Your go, sorcerer.” Borz’s attack went up once again, capping at 2500 for the turn as Lance’s turn ended. "Too kind, Sir Knight." Daichi chuckled, drawing for turn. "And I must say, truly a stunning start for this Duel. So let's see if I can attempt to top that…" Alright. It's a home field advantage with this. he thought, looking at his hand. Noble Knights, as expected, but an Action Field that which happens to be used as a backdrop for his knights to truly shine. However…despite all this, I'm still not going to lose! Daichi smiled as he shifted slightly, tossing two cards into the air before catching them and immediately placing them on the disk. "The curtains raise upon this little magic show! I set the Pendulum Scales!!" On his left and right appeared two magicians…as they rose high into the air. "Stargazer and Timegazer Magicians! Now the Scale has been set to 1 and 8…monsters Level 2 through 7 are fair game! And now…" he smirked, watching a dowsing pendulum appear in the middle between Stargazer and Timegazer. "Metronomic Pendulum, swing and sway to mesmerize the audience! Give way for the magicians to take the stage! PENDULUM SUMMON!! Now, put your hands together!!" Out from the hand appeared Oafdragon Magician [WIND Spellcaster; Level 6; 2100/1400], as he slowly descended beside Daichi. "My partner and assistant, Oafdragon Magician has arrived!" he smiled, before tipping his hat slightly. "Now, let's have some fun!" He turned on his heel to venture around the throne room, searching for an Action Card. Just as the magician thought he found one, he was met with Caliburn flying through the air just ahead of his face, spearing the Action Card into a nearby wall. Not far behind was Lance, shoving Daichi out of the way as he took the card, immediately activating it. “I activate Action Spell - Holy Blade! By targeting Borz, he gains 1200 ATK until the end of the turn!” "A-Ah…so this is what she referred to…" Daichi muttered, but simply nodded. "However…that will not deter this wizard one bit! It's an Action Field, after all…" he leaped out the way of Lance, grabbing Oafdragon's hand to make sure he was descending slowly. "There's bound to be more!!" Once he touched down, he made a mad dash towards another Action Card he fixed his eyes on. “Gwenhwyfar!” Before Daichi could snatch the card, the spirit of the Noble Arms’ queen took it from right before his eyes, holding it up just long enough for Lance to dash over and take it, once again activating it. “Another copy of Holy Blade! Borz is now at 4900 this turn!” "Now that was a bit more entertaining than shoving me after almost stabbing my head." Daichi laughed, sighing as he placed two more cards on the disk. "Alas, I feel that'll be the same end result for the rest of this turn…so I shall set two face downs and I'll relinquish my turn to you." “Hrm. Entertainment is fine, but depending on Action Cards to fish you out is… I must say, I do not like it.” "It gives some excitement and drama to an Action Duel." Daichi wagged his finger slightly. "But alas, to each their own, Sir Knight."

Before them stood the tower...their goal. Gene was a bit happy to see it along with the backdrop of the dull blue and gray sea's horizon, matching the sky overhead. To him, he wished it was a bit more livelier in color, but who was he to complain about a new world's scenery? Nevertheless, he wanted nothing more than to rush forward towards this tower...perhaps they could get some more answers on this 'Exalted' business and how they could really help this new world. That is...if there wasn't the two spots he was noticing. The first, was a small stone door and wall built into a hill. Ruminating on this sight for a moment or two, he came to one conclusion. ...gotta be a Hobbit or something of that nature. he thought, squinting his eyes at the door and hill. I've read and watched enough stuff to know that's gotta be what's in there...THAT...or maybe one of those old mentor-type figures that ends up helping heroes on their journey... On one hand, meeting someone akin to a Hobbit would've been amazing, but on the other, a mentor-type figure could be just what they needed. Aside from this, there was the much more obvious issue...an enormous bear fighting off seven or more Drengr...and obviously seeming to win, least from what he was witnessing. ...big bear...avoid that, no brainer there. he nodded, before glancing at the others in his little party. "Sooooo...I take it we avoid the bear?" Gene asked, motioning to go around the little scuffle. "We could let the bear take care of the Drengr for us, in a sense...maybe see what's up with the hill-hut...maybe see if we can get us a mentor to help out..." He started to go quiet at that last part, before clearing his throat and refocusing himself. "A-Anyway...what do you guys think? It's obvious the bear's got this, right?"

BGM He hated how late he currently was at the present time. Crimson_Star, or Crimson for short, was currently rushing through Blue City, trying to get to a rendezvous point that his mutual friend...maybe that was too on the nose...perhaps just acquaintance or future team lead, Teimei, had sent him the day prior. So he had plenty of time to get to the point within a proper time frame...so why was he rushing and seeming like he was running late? Simple: time slipped away from him. He was simply doing his research on a few things before logging into Battle Horizon and thusly, it engrossed him to the point where he was in the predicament he found himself in. While dodging a few of the various players and even NPCs, Crimson began to grit his teeth slightly. "...what's the saying...? My kingdom for a horse? I need to hurry up and get myself a sort of ride around here. Would make travel so much easier..." he huffed, glancing at the message in his HUD again. "Nearly there though...tch...terrible first impression for sure." Well, he hoped he could fix that later on. Nevertheless, he found himself at an office-looking building here in Blue City and there with her Sky Striker avatar: Teimei. "Thank you all for coming. I know we don't all have to be here for the charter being submitted, but we're going to be working together from now on, so I'd like us to all take the first step together, as a unit. Additionally, I'd like to ask everyone a couple of questions, as a group. We're all a team now, and as such, we should make decisions as a team. With that in mind, I'd like to hear any suggestions you may have for a team name. And, also as a team, I'd like to know what you all think is the most important thing that makes a team successful. Not because I plan to copy others who have risen to success, but because I want us to blaze our own trail to victory, and eventually to that mystery boss everyone's getting ready for." Crimson stood there, his arms crossed as he listened intently to his future team lead's query. He brought a hand to his chin, seeming to ponder this question...luckily he didn't have to wait long for someone else to attempt to answer this before he did. The red and black haired user, Ivy9d, spoke up first. "I think we should go with Team Beyond; We're on Battle Horizon, so we should want to fight so hard we go BEYOND that Horizon, right? As for a successful team.... well, we just have to make sure everyone's at the right skill level, shouldn't we? If we can win in any situation then the raid bosses are easy! Teimei's record speaks for itself, and I feel pretty confident about my own. Well? How 'bout the rest of ya? Might have to make sure we're all up to scratch; See what each other's made of!" This elicited a chuckle from Crimson, as he finally began to speak up. "Quite the energetic but encouraging one. However, a record does not a Duelist make." he said, waving his hand in the air to dismiss the earlier thought from Ivy. "If one would recall, not every single Duelist and user that has logged into BH has their records set immediately from the get-go. They had to earn their rights to those stats and records. If we become complacent in just going off of a Duelist's record, we could simply be going in blind and following after an impossible situation." He began to pace as he spoke...one arm behind his waist, the other seeming to make gestures in the air. "That said, I would say we've all experienced Teimei's skill to the point where we can see that she's earned the record she has, rather than simply being gifted that. She has the skill to back that number up." Crimson paused before sighing, pausing his pacing. "However, I feel like I just rambled there rather than answering your question, Teimei. So allow me to get to the point then...what is the most important thing to make a team successful: a good battle plan and strategy. And what do I mean by that, it's simple really..." He turned on his heel, continuing to pace as he was earlier. "The more research and general planning in the situation of any given obstacle we have...say any specific Raid Boss...whatever information we have we can easily use to our advantage. Set the team up in a manner to where everyone shines in their appropriate spot..." He began to chuckle a bit. "It's simple gaming mechanics, honestly. Healers being put in a situation where they heal and support, the tanks take the brunt of the damage and the attackers strike until they win. So a good strategy and battle plan is key in a team, at least in my own eyes. As for team name, Beyond seems like it could work...so my vote is currently on it, although I'll add my own into the mix: Team Frontier. Battle Horizon is a new frontier in gaming, in both Duel Monsters as well as online gaming. It would be fitting for us to blaze through this new frontier on our way to the top, wouldn't you agree?"

New room, new problems...as expected. But while some of the same type of problems remained, for example the skeletons...a new problem emerged...in the form of two floating eyes. It was a revolting sight with the floating eyes that just stared into one's soul, it honestly made Ziun's stomach churn at the sight. "...charming..." he muttered. “That way first, I think...It’s got less of them. Keep an eye on the other ones, though, don’t want them sneaking up behind.” "yeah. I don't want to get strangled by those things. I'll take the lead, and uh, just make sure I don't get ganged up on or something." "I'll cover the two of ye and watch that lot over there. Bet these fellows burn well." "A fantastic plan thus far..." Ziun commented, already enjoying the thought of this. However... The other side with one of the eyes made some sort of noise and a few zombies, who were now shuffling straight towards them, began to move. If he had acted faster, he was planning to use some illusion magic and actually keep them hidden in order to make it through. Perhaps he could still do it, so long as no other surprises were ha-... A ray of dark energy shot towards Lana from the eye...of course there was a surprise hidden in this room still. "Perhaps a bit too close for comfort, everyone...let's try and back up slightly..." he said, already trying to cast an illusion to cover himself and the party to make sure they were hidden. "I may suggest a hasty retreat to the center as quickly as possible...lest we have another situation like the last floor...on top of the eye shooting whatever magic it has going on." Ziun said in a hushed voice, motioning with his head to the center of the room.

"The first one for each of you is just a one-on-one meeting right here in the park. We'll split off, one pair goes that way, another goes that way, another goes – back up the stairs, I guess." "Understood. That's fine with the two of you, right?" Override was a bit hesitant at this, namely hearing that they wanted favors from them. Nine times out of ten, favors always ended up in a much more different manner…especially whenever it was time to collect on said favors. But, he knew they needed to play ball and to get them to sign on the papers they had received. He had his orders after all… “Not really in any other position aside from just obliging.” he simply sighed, shrugging slightly. Override glanced over at the Fate called Clotho, which seemed to be the one that he’d be chatting with. He did, however, find it amusing and almost hilarious at Clotho trying to drag him by the arm like she was. It even caused him to stifle out a slight chuckle. “Unsure why you thought that would’ve worked, but I applaud you for at least attempting.” Override could tell she was glaring at him from behind her blindfold. It caused a smirk to appear behind his helmet. Nevertheless, he just followed after being beckoned by the young girl, who led him to a small picnic table…odd choice of location for a simple talk. “You can sit if you want,” “If you insist.” Override moved slightly and sat down at the picnic table with a CLUNK. “I will say up front that part of this favor is contingent on you not recording this or listening to the conversations of my sisters through external means. Obviously, I can’t stop you from relaying our talk through memory alone later, nor can we control your teammates if there’s a particularly loud outburst, but if we find out you stuck a microphone on them or your suit’s got a camera on, well, then you’ll owe us an extra favor, I guess. And it’d probably be a favor that didn’t have those moral protections the first two did, so, you know.” A sharp sigh escaped Override’s lips from inside the suit. He held his hands up slightly, seeming a bit defensive…but not in a mode of wanting to attack…more like, showing he was harmless. Though that didn’t mean much coming from the guy in the mech suit. “Firstly: I didn’t bug the other two. Although I wouldn’t have minded that, it’s against my ethics to do so.” Override started, only to be cut off. “The ethics being the fact that they’re women and he doesn’t want to invade their privacy.” “...thank you P.I.X.E.L…I’d prefer you stay silent for the most part here.” “As you wish, sir.” Override continued. “Despite my reasons and ethics, I don’t make it a habit to bug them. As for the recording of this conversation…I suppose I’ll relent on this. P.I.X.E.L., cut the recording software of the suit until the conversation is done. And while you're at it, take five. If anything happens, I’ll call you.” “Aye sir.” the computerized voice said, before a few beeps occurred. “There. I’ve cut the recording software as well as made sure my A.I. is taking a break. Will this suffice?” “I believe you.” She seemed to respond in a bit of a snarky tone. “We’re not going to check, though. We’re not going to go looking for it, because what I want to spend my favor on is a matter of trust…Do you think I’m actively plotting to kill you?” Well that’s a sudden drop of a question… Override thought, preparing to speak but Clotho beat him to the punch. “I ask because, well, if that’s your primary motivator for trusting villains, a binary ‘Are they killing me? Yes or no?’ you probably should be a lot more trusting in general, and then you wouldn’t need to be dangling this -- out of reach. And if it’s just an ‘Oh, they’re supervillains’ thing, come on. Like, you’re the one trying to get me to sign something. Unless you want me to be trying to kill you. I mean, my schedule’s pretty busy, what with the world about to end and all, and it obviously won’t be right away, but I can probably slot you in if you want that.” Override was silent as he let the young girl speak her mind. Before long, she finally finished and he proceeded to speak. “First off: if I actually thought you and your sisters were going to kill us, then you would’ve done so already by the time we arrived down those stairs. The motivator for trusting villains being as banal as that…you can rest assured that wasn’t the case. Truth be told, intel on you was that you three weren’t to be trusted in general, even if you three were sociable with both civilians and G3 members.” he paused in his explanation before continuing. “My motivator for trusting villains at this moment is the intel. It was said you three show viciousness towards your enemies, and quite frankly, I would prefer to stay on the hilt side of the knife so to speak.” "The one with the knife is my sister," Clotho said. "But okay." She leafed through the folder again, mumbling a long as she read. "...otherwise making their presence known. This is good stuff," she said, in that mocking compliment sort of tone. "You guys worked hard on this even if it seems someone disagrees." She held up the paper with the IT'S NOT MONEY scrawl. "But this intel is in my hands now, not yours, and if you did what you said, you turned off your access to your backups. Everyone else is out of earshot, it's just you and me." Clotho climbed up on the picnic bench and looked down at Override. "Override, tech hero of G3, with your own eyes and ears," she said, "do you trust us? To follow through with this, at the very least?" "First, I'd say your definitely the more dramatic one of the three...at least in this scenario." Override chuckled, seeing Clotho in the position she was now. After a moment, however, he grew silent and simply leaned forward. "If we want to make sure the end of the world doesn't occur, then regardless of what I myself want, I have orders." But he simply placed his hands on the picnic table and almost stared down Clotho. "...that said: I myself trust you. I know to an extent what you and your sisters are capable of. That's more than enough reason to trust you." She smirked. "That's a lot of qualifiers, more than I gave you, but at least you're honest," she said. She pulled a pen out of one of the pockets on her dress, scribbled on one of the papers in the folder, and tossed the thing back. "So, what's the favor then?" Override asked. "Lachesis said you wanted two favors...one of which was simply this conversation before we split up. As I'm aware, this has only been one of those two favors." "I don't know yet." The smirk got wider. "But you'll be sure to know when we figure it out." "Very well...then I guess we've wrapped up then, doesn't it?" Override chuckled, starting to get up from the picnic table. He was worried on what he just got into, but at the same time...with the fact that the world was ending...desperate times called for desperate measures.

"What good does that do you if you fall because you were focused on other things, think, boy, think!" Trevor wasn't fully grasping at what the elderly gentleman was saying here. Focused on other things? "What are you t-..." he paused suddenly, seeing Grigoriy currently now using Morgan as an electrified flail. "Quite the shocking display, I'll say." Trevor gripped the grimoire's chain and watched it wrap around the book before he slammed it down onto the ground, which the force of it propelled him upward over the Morgan flail. "Things are gonna get pretty chilly, Morgan...just hang in there!" Trevor shouted, as his blue gemmed ring began to glow. "Offensive Spell...Blizzara!" He fired off the freezing spell in the direction of Grigoriy's arms. Using the second rank spell, he figured, could still prove helpful without doing overall damage to his undead companion. ...unfortunately...he wasn't expecting the reaction he got. Grigoriy laughed as the freeze reached him, "Reminds me of mother Russia!" He pulled Morgan closer to him as the spell continued with the intention to force her in the path of it. "Using a human...er...zombie shield! How low can you possibly stoop?" Trevor lamented, stopping the Blizzard spell and immediately landed down with as much grace and elegance as he could. "Alright then, let's try this on for size...Offensive Spell..." The young sorcerer immediately took off his hat and pointed it towards Grigoriy and Morgan. "BALLOONS!" Out from the hat emerged a various amount of multi-colored balloons which began to surround the young sorcerer. "If you worry about 'stooping low' you won't make it far out here." Grigoriy said with a grunt. He pulled Morgan a bit closer before letting go and kicking her, a bolt of electricity launching her towards Trevor. "At the cost of one's ally? If that's what it takes to make it out here, then perhaps Mauvache should just send me back then." Trevor simply said, doing his best to keep from having Morgan hit the balloons he had surrounding him. With a swing of his left wrist, he took the Cabanomicon flail, forcing it to grab ahold of Morgan's large arms. And with another yank, he tried his best to force her on the ground, to where she would just skid across the ground. "Again...sorry, Morgan." Now, however, he had a bit of time...at least he hoped...to ask him now that the balloons were between him and the old man. "What did you mean earlier, pray tell? If I fall because I'm focused on other things." "She's not my ally." Grigoriy responded. "That should be obvious." Grigoriy pointed at Trevor. "You can't help anyone if you let yourself get destroyed in the process." Trevor would hear a crackle as a bolt of lightning dropped down from above. Trevor took his grimoire and with the flail moved a singular balloon overhead to attempt to have the two different magic styles collide like they did prior. "You sound as if you speak from experience...but I wonder..." he said, starting to attempt to move out of the way just in case. However, luckily for him the balloon made contact with the lightning, causing it to reflect upward and then just vanish. "...if you've ever dealt with someone who has been destroyed before...or at least...in a sense." "I'm not particularly interested in your past, it doesn't mean anything right here and now." Grigoriy responded, cloaking himself in crackling lightning, and putting a shoulder forward, as he kicked off the ground and charged forward. Bolts of lightning shot out at intervals as he moved. "Means nothing?" Trevor asked, watching the old man, now cloaked in lightning, proceeded to charge towards him. "My past means EVERYTHING! The memories and connections I made in my world, when I died...and even when I was granted another life at the end of my journey and arrived at this point." His red gemmed ring began to flare up brightly, his hand being made to form a gun. "They've made me who I am...who you see before you...and they've made me stronger." Fire began to form at the tip of his index finger, almost like it was charging. "...Firaga..." Like a blazing bullet, the strong fire spell that Trevor had launched from his finger towards the speeding elder.

The Night Prior This world was everything he could ask for...a true escape from the drudgery that he lived back home...and yet...why couldn't he sleep? He was tired enough for sure, fighting strange creatures that wish you harm and to kill you on sight would expend a lot of energy to the point where slumber would come. But for Gene, he laid in this bed, staring at the roof over his head. The sounds of the others sleeping and sounds of the evening filled his ears... Why couldn't he sleep? A sigh escaped his lips as he turned to his side, shifting positions. Could it be his own worries about the fact that he was...by all accounts...dead? That this next life was one away from his mother, the only one in his life that ever gave a damn about him? He attempted to close his eyes, only to have them shoot back open when he saw what was waiting at that moment: the soulless visage of that mugger...the knife dripping with blood...his blood. A shiver ran up and down his spine at reliving that moment again, his fists clenching at it. Was this the real reason he couldn't sleep? The fact he was still haunted by that image and experience...? Gene let out another silent sigh before shuffling himself out of the bed and just stood outside the door to the building. The night's crisp air hopefully would help him...it used to back home... Present Moment "Be very cautious of the Lupardis. They are perhaps the most dangerous beast that you will find out there, as they have the closest connection to Storm. They're most defined by their extremely long necks, and if you get within ones do your best to get out of them as they are incredibly aggressive." Gene listened intently to the information presented to them, though he stifled out a controlled yawn and made sure he hid it from the others. He didn't need to show them that he was still exhausted...not like they'd probably notice him immediately anyway. But nevertheless, they were off to the Storm and Ocean's Shrine. Hopefully that would provide answers to what this world was really about, or maybe give them some more hints and direction. It worked in his stories, games and shows he watched...so if it worked in that, why wouldn't it work here? Conclusion: it had to! Not the best argument for it entirely, but it was the only one that Gene could come up with in his head at the time. The view, however, was amazing! The landscapes, the creatures...Gene was just enraptured by it all, though if only the awkwardness in the air that draped over them like a heavy blanket wasn't around them. It was to be expected though. No one knew one another, not even sure how they'd mesh well with one another. They were just sort of...thrust into this situation like last minute. In any case, Gene wanted to bring up a conversation topic, but nothing immediately came up. Luckily, the one heroic member of the party took that thought and immediately ran with it. "So, uh, have any of you played...er....Pokémon?" Sabrina did happen to bring up an interesting topic and it already seemed like Abby was joining in with it. He figured, maybe he could say something about it? Considering he was behind them, just a bit, Gene finally sighed and hoped he didn't screw this up. "How about the rest of you? Holding up alright back there?" "Um...doing alright...though I remember why I wasn't in track and field..." Gene chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "A-Also...I...I heard the conversation you both were having...wait no...that sounded a bit weird..." He paused, trying to figure out how to word it properly. "...uh...I...play Pokémon actually...started with FireRed and...been playing since." Even that sounded awkward to him. ...why is it so hard to make friends?! Gene groaned in his mind. "...a-anyway...uh...n-nevermind..." Feeling defeated, Gene just avoided eye contact and went silent again.

"Any prior experience with these gangs, you three? Papers and files are great, but there's no better resource than personal experience." "Well, I was part of Zodiac like, I dunno, hundred so years ago? Other than that tussled with em here and there but haven't we all?" "Well that doesn't necessarily help us in the long run now...considering things change between 100 years prior to the present day...rules, regulations and the rest change over time." Victor sighed, standing from his position at the table and proceeded to exit the room, having the nanomachines in his watch start to emerge and cover him once again in the NOVA armor. "In any case, you two can handle the ground...I'll rendezvous with you both at the intended location...I'll just take to the skies. Much easier for me, honestly." Without much word afterwards, Override made it to the area he entered in and rocketed up and out without much of a warning or care. "P.I.X.E.L., bring up the information up real quick one more time." "Aye sir." A few lines of text began to appear in Override's display... Lanthimos, Clotho Lachesis and Atropos Cape Name: The Fates Active for: 2 years, 7 months Power Classification: Blaster, Thinker, Blaster respectively Entry is for all three as despite them occasionally being spotted independently of each other, The Fates are most known for operating as one cohesive unit. Founders and current leaders of the Moray Clan gang. Took part in attacks on branches of Hunter, Fifty-Three, and Boffa banks and orchestrated an attack on an Edison Mk III Armored Vehicle (see: March 15 Incident). Now this was something that Override remembered. The news outlets were all over the March 15th incident, even if the file for the specific incident wasn't provided. But as the armored hero flew overhead, he couldn't help but wonder how this little trio could be able to handle this much and operate as well as they have for two years. However, his mind also had him take another path…eight years ago… ...they did stuff like this in only two years time...how many lives did I ruin and possibly put into jeopardy with my antics? he thought before proceeding to shake his head, to the point where it caught the attention of an artificial eye. "Is everything alright, sir?" "Yeah…yeah, just thinking of some old memories, P.I.X.E.L., nothing more." he sighed. "Very well. We've arrived near the entrance to the Old North District." "Prepare for landing then." Override nodded, as the hero made his way down, landing near his allies and companions. At first, his scanners from the suit's visuals definitely showed quite the interesting ones… A staircase down, posters with the visage of the Fates…albeit slightly defaced…it was just a lot to take in. Plus the atmosphere seemed pretty cold and stale. It was the beginning of a tense moment for sure, but considering the situation, that was a given. Regardless, the sounds of Override's armored boots clunk along the stairs, echoing quite a bit in the open area that followed. If this was a stealth mission, he'd definitely would've blown their cover for sure. Nevertheless, he couldn't help but wonder why these three specifically that they were to recruit. Per information regarding the Fates were that they weren't to be trusted, even IF they seemed sociable with civilians and some G3 Organization members. Same time...he wanted to stay at least on their good side, knowing that these three...despite their stature, would display any sort of viciousness towards their enemies. Nevertheless, they continued to descend the staircase...finally finding them...and there they were…on their phones…of course they were…annnnnd Aeon was already talking to them. Override wanted to have his armored hand meet his face, but it was already too late, she was already into it. "I guess not everyone. All you need to do with your grudges is wait 'til the offending party dies, right?" Lachesis was the only one to respond that time. "Grudges?" Thankfully, however, she stopped short and paused. Now was the moment he could slip in and talk to the three. "If I may…" the armored hero spoke up, starting to step in. "...we should be getting back to the task at hand, as time is of the essence." He held the folder designated for the Fates in particular. "We're here as liaisons for the G3 Organization. So if you three could please allow us to get started…" Clotho reached for the folder and pouted when Override moved it out of her reach. "You're no fun," she said. "Yeah, speaking of grudges," Atropos chimed in, "if you're gonna dangle G3's grudge file in front of us, you can't expect us not to try and see what it says." "Grudges aren't on the agenda...all that's on the agenda is trying to settle our differences for a time in order to keep things from going further into turmoil." Override simply said. "Now while you think that may be alright in the long run, if I've been running numbers correctly...and I have, thanks to my assistant..." "My pleasure sir..." the computerized voice spoke. "...it would be bad for business on your end, am I wrong?" "Grudges are always on the agenda," Lachesis said. "Aeon just said that." "A sign of division, perhaps?" Atropos said. "Grudges of your own?" But she stuck out her tongue. It was more of a tease than an actual observation. "We'll cooperate, sure." Clotho said. "Just gotta see what it is you're making us sign." She made another jump for the folder. Override sighed, starting to slowly lower his arm. His grip was a steel tight one on the folder as he put it forward towards Clotho. "Fine...but I will say this up front: anything happens with this, I have back ups..." he smirked behind his helmet. He glanced in the direction of his companions. "Had P.I.X.E.L. scan and make digital copies, have them stored in my database. It pays to be prepared." "No fun AND thinks so little of us," Clotho said. "Just because we have grudges doesn't we're petty." "You ladies have the wrong idea." Override said, the folder now in front of Clotho. "I'm just covering our bases at this point. After all, you are still criminals at this point...so if anyone is 100% trusting of you, even in these dire circumstances, it would be a bit of a mistake. Caution is all I'm taking with my actions, you understand." "Don't you guy's have a supervillain rehabilitation program?" Atropos said, moving around to be next to Clotho and the folder. "So you're already working with criminals then. You trust them?" The mechanized hero was silent, deathly silent even, when Atropos said this before finally breaking the silence. "Their pasts no longer define them..." he said bluntly, an image in his own mind reminding him of that fateful night. "...it's something a mentor of mine once said when I started at G3. I don't know if that's the case or not...but if they aren't trying to kill me, then they can't be all bad, am I wrong?"

REALxEYEZ

A new PKMN RP? ....interest is noted....

"That's the spirit! Now, would you mind setting her down and leave the protecting to me? Even if I'm down an arm, Ziun and I should be more than enough to guard one person while you and your axe-swinging cohort chop that beast up so we can all get the hell out of here. I'll even give you an opening." "You flatter me, Dread Pirate, with your thoughts of me being highly to be able to guard someone..." Ziun huffed, keeping near Estelle and Robin for a moment. "But truth be told...I don't think I'm doing much at this present ti-...hang on!" He moved slightly, taking his rapier and slashing at a few of the smaller skeletal hounds to their south, making sure his allies weren't struck at more. "...now where was I? ...oh right! I don't believe I'm doing much at this present time. After all, my skills are simply music playing and illusions...rarely have I ever needed to fight." Another few slashes at another skeletal hound, continuing to make sure they were safe. "Alas, perhaps if I stayed and continued my studies at the Bards College in Steelhorn, maybe I could've learned how to do other things like my teacher could...then again he was also an elf...which probably played a heavy part in what he could do, but I digress!" he huffed again, seeming like he was talking everyone's ear off. "If I may suggest, once Chris and Lana take care of the big ones...we make like birds and fly the coop...just push straight through all the dogs that may come when we exit."

Light My Fire

You sonuvabitch...I'm in!

"In six months, the world will end." These seven words kept ringing and playing over and over...least in the domain of one Victor McCoy. He sat at his desk down in his workshop for a few moments, glasses in his hand as he listened to the isolated audio, hoping to glean something from it...alas, he couldn't. With a heavy sign, he swiveled in his chair and shut the recording down. "It's been eight to nine hours since that declaration...and yet still no concrete clues on this." he huffed, putting his glasses in his pocket, taking a sip of his morning coffee. "P.I.X.E.L., you up and ready?" "Aye sire...as a matter of fact, was prepping everything this morning, when the Director practically gave an urgent summons." "Gonna be one of THOSE days, huh?" Victor sighed, downing the last bit of his coffee and shrugging. "Alright, best find out was he wants...even though it isn't obvious." He grabbed a few things, before looking in the direction of his workbench with a coffee pot and machine on it. With a smirk, he pointed at it. "By the way...once again, excellent cup...as usual." From the looks of it, the coffee machine let out a little steam, almost in response to the compliment. "Alright P.I.X.E.L...time to go to work." BGM Soaring across the skies towards the G3 Organization headquarters, Override arrived (in his stylish and quite overly extra manner), with the roof of building he knew being the hangar opening slightly. He knew that this was generally for aircraft, but technically...his NOVA suit was classified as an aircraft by all technicalities, so having P.I.X.E.L. opening them was always a good thing whenever he came in. Once he touched down with a loud CLUNK, the suit of armor seemed to slowly vanish/dematerialize as the nanomachines making it started to crawl back towards the watch on Victor's wrist. Originally he was worried about the secret identity thing here, but he knew these people that worked here would uphold that whole thing, so that's why he signed an agreement of not disclosing his secret identity outside of these walls. "Another successful landing as usual. And I take it we're already connected to th-" "The G3 database? Aye..." P.I.X.E.L.'s Scottish voice cut Victor off in the earpiece he wore. "Almost seems like they stopped attempting to block our IP and change their firewall protocols." "They realized it was literally futile...I do it enough and they know my style of power and skill set, so they know it's kind of pointless." Victor wore a proud and smug smirk on his face as he walked into the 'war room'. And of course, he got there a few moments just before Aeon...walked in...singing quite the appropriate song. ...oh and the Director was pissed...as expected. “Fuck! Fucking goddamn piece of horseshit! Cass goes off the grid for who knows how long and then decides to pull this fucking stunt. Did they know? They must have known. Surely they realized what would happen next, right? So they just left everyone else to clean up their mess, huh?” Victor huffed slightly at this, surprised at quite the colorful vocabulary of their esteemed director...especially considering he had an A.I. with a Scottish cadence to their voice...so that was saying something. But the technopath simply held his tongue and let the director continue on. “As you are no doubt aware, the Renegade Cape Cassandra predicted the end of the world at Hallowmas last night. This is so obviously S-Class, it’s practically the definition of the term. Unfortunately, the actual words on the truces don’t agree here. They were written more for singular, concrete threats. A tornado, some supervillain who’s gotten too big for their britches, a bio-Tinker’s experiment run amok. Not something as nebulous and off in the distance as this. If we try to litigate this through the normal channels, that’s precious time lost we could have spent dealing with whatever the fuck this actually is, so we’re hoping to avoid that. We do have some language in our favor, however. We just need the leaders of each of the three main gangs to agree with us, and sign a document saying as much. You three will be facilitating that.” "So you want us to be your liaisons in the matter...?" he muttered to himself, before watching the one hero, Bard, take stage next. “In those folders are our profiles on the three gangs and the leaders. Gibbons’ Caesar, The Zodiac’s Ophiuchus, and, of course, the Moray Clan’s three Fates. Most of it’s common knowledge, but make sure you’re up to date on it. It also has my best guesses as to how the negotiations are going to play out. Unfortunately, it is probably going to be a negotiation. Six months is a lot of time for Scarlet City’s underworld to play nice.” Victor nodded slowly. He knew most of this information already, considering he had access to their database. As such Victor donned his glasses before moving his hand to his watch, already opening up a small holo-pad and pulling up the information that the files had. Once again, as Bard said, it was the basic, common knowledge stuff...but it was what was necessary. But at the same time, it was obvious what was going on here thus far: they were facilitating a whole negotiation with the fate of the world at stake. Heroes and villains alike had to play nice and work together...no pressure, none whatsoever. Whilst reading, Victor's eyes drifted to his two allies in this room: Aeon and Ember. Aeon was as much of a mystery to him...and he tried, oh he tried, to find any file on hand on her, but alas there wasn't much at all aside from her hero name. His only impressions on her was the fact that she seemed...arrogant...and has constantly thought of individuals like himself as simply children. It was already her playing on the complex he had...so it infuriated him even more. On the flip side, there was Ember. She was one who always tackled challenges head on, well-mannered and always "fired up". Unlike Aeon, however, he knew at least the bare minimum and bare bones of her power, which was all he needed. She was basically a combustion engine...which definitely would come in handy in the long run. He was going to be working with these two...so this was going to either be really...REALLY good...ooooooooor... “Ember, you’re not going to that last one as per our existing agreement regarding Gibbons, report back here after The Zodiac meeting instead for a different assignment.” ...really bad. Victor sighed a bit, returning his look at the holo-pad before minimizing and sending it away. "Oh, well then there's no problem! Ya here that? If they do anything I'll be sure to take em all down right there, and you'll get to see it happen! Ain't that exciting?" "As much as I appreciate the thoughtfulness, Aeon..." Victor spoke up, removing his glasses. "...I believe that would take things in the wrong direction. Simply incapacitating them and diffusing the situation might make it easier than an all out brawl. That said..." he paused, before directing his attention towards the director. "...you want us to basically become hero liaisons towards the villains in a manner to which appeals to them and allows us to get extra hands on deck to this mission to save the world. Just how, may I ask, do you intend for us to make this happen without any causalities?" "If there is combat," Director Sekelsky said, clearly thankful for the opportunity to correct Aeon's little outburst, "it means the initiating party will have broken one of if not the most sacred treaty. You don't start fights under a flag of truce." His glare returned to Aeon and he repeated himself. "You don't start fights under a flag of truce. If they start it, they're one more S-class to deal with, one certainly more scrutable and temporary than our current one." "Use of force if the situation calls for it. Only if..." he nodded. "Now, on the subject of the Fates...will they be more of an obstacle or a stepping stone in helping us get these signatures? Be it facts or your honest opinion, we should at least know what we can be expecting." "Of the three major gangs, the Moray Clan are the most likely to play along," Bard said. "Ignoring their willingness in the past to play ball, they stand to lose the most if this alliance breaks down. Their territory is currently in disarray after last night, and while the cleanup efforts have been valiant, it's still in a vulnerable state. Just don't get too annoyed if they act like teenagers in the meantime." "There's more analyses in those folders," Director Sekelsky said, gesturing to them, still on the table. "Make sure to consult them before each meeting to get a refresher on what you need." "Hmmmm so in short we've been given a fighting chance right at the starting line. Good..." Victor nodded, quietly drumming his fingers on the table. "That said, I suppose the next big question would be...out of what has been said about the incident...did anything seem off about Cass' reintroduction to the world last night or is their re-emergence still something you happen to be looking into still? I assume it's the latter, but better ask than assume." The Director's brow furrowed. "We've got sixes banging on our door asking us just that right now. You decided to become a member of the press?" "I'll take that as a 'No'...which would've sufficed." Victor shrugged. "But message received, sir. I suppose that's all my general questions at the present time. If anything else comes up, I'll have P.I.X.E.L. send a direct line to you."

"Hmph." That was all Grigoriy had spoken after Trevor paid him the compliment just moments earlier. It was definitely true that this man was hard to get through, didn't seem to want to reciprocate any banter, reactions, nothing. This was truly something different to any other battles he had up to this point. More so, while Aerora was assisting in protecting him, these aggressive were going to be the "death" of him. Even still...at the same time... ...c'mon Morgan...where are you? This resounding thought still continued to linger in this moment. Was he going to be by himself at this moment in time, or would the zombie pull through? Luckily he didn't have to linger long on this wondering. In the light of the moon, there was Morgan's silhouette...albeit quite unusual to say the least. Regardless, Trevor watched this and knew she'd be able to get the strike on the older gentleman. "You're decent, but not nearly enough to distract me that much." These words made the young sorcerer begin to grit his teeth. Grigoriy turned halfway towards Morgan and threw his hand out in her direction. Unfortunately, Trevor knew this motion by now...the man was calling out another lightning based spell. Make matters worse, the gentleman who was surprisingly spry for his age, was already making a move to get behind him. Dilemma time... "Are you really going to debate this?" Trevor glanced at the Cabanomicon, feeling this from the leather back grimoire. Now wasn't the time for that... He grit his teeth at this. With the way he was moving, it wouldn't be pretty, but right now he didn't care...he wasn't going to let his allies get injured. The sorcerer immediately threw his hand out towards Morgan. "AERORA!!!" he shouted, watching the winds swiftly whip around Morgan, effectively shielding her from Grigory's little lightning bolt strike. Unfortunately, this meant his back was wide open... Grigoriy slashed twice in succession across the mage's back. It didn't hurt as he might have expected, simply a sting as if to acknowledge the blows. In the corner of his eye he saw something, some sort of bar, decrease before vanishing. "Don't try and do everything on your own." He rumbled and Trevor felt the man's boot strike his back and push him forward. "Yeowch...huh...this is so weird..." Trevor mumbled, noticing the stinging feeling as well as the strange bar. It was a strange notion to see, but perhaps this was all having to do with whatever simulation they happened to be in. Very intriguing...but he'd ruminate over that later. He had to focus. "Oh trust me, I don't plan to do things on my own...bu-WHOA!" The sorcerer was pushed forward by Grigoriy's boot, being off balance but only for a moment as he turned it into a full on dodge roll. "As I was saying...I don't plan to do things on my own, sir." he huffed standing upright as he gingerly adjusted his tie and hat. "It's not my first time making sure allies of mine are taken care of...I'm simply making sure they remain as fighting fit as possible."

Computer Blue