Super Smash Quest - Story - Chapter 258: Magitek Fueled Madness
Date: March 10th, 13th & 15th 2006.
Metal Man (GM): The group is at the pier; the city behind them is exploding, and they all have strange Magitek necklaces equipped. These necklaces expand to cover the whole neck and sink under the skin, leaving only a pendant sticking out at about the middle of the neck.
Julian: "In the lake! NOW!" *Julian dives into the lake.*
Digifanatic: "Alright..." He quickly follows Julian and heads on in.
Metal Man (GM): And... yeah. If you don't jump into the lake quickly, you'll probably be hit by flying debris.
Spyke: "Yes, mom..." He rolls his eyes and leaps in after Julian.
Aetos: "...My DVD Player! ...Please let my Kuja-cell be waterproof." *jumps in.*
Metal Man (GM): *Leap.* *Plunge.* *Etc.* You all sink to the bottom... and realize that you can breathe the water as if it was oxygen.
Nodal dives in. "Where did everyone go?"
Digifanatic: "So, Julian, where did you get these necklaces?"
Spyke: "I was about to ask that..."
Julian: "Some cave. I had to answer some stupid riddle, but that doesn't matter, c'cause I goit them..."
Metal Man (GM): You guys can see, up ahead, what appears to be a ruined space ship. It's mostly destroyed, but you can see the distinctive red bulge of the front of an ancient ship.
Julian: "And I believe that's our destination..."
Metal Man (GM): There's a hatch close to the ground, and it's half-open.
Nodal: "You answered a riddle? Somehow you do not seem the riddler type."
Dex: "It consisted of him screaming at an antiquated computer."
Julian: "And yet I got these necklaces. Amazing, neh? Now c'mon, we got some Magitek to smash."
Nodal: "Now that is more the Julian I know." *chuckles.*
Digifanatic: "Yeah..."
Julian: *heads on over towards the Ship.* "And someone be on the lookout for a weird fish. I wanna pay back that Dave fella if he's still alive."
Spyke follows a bit behind. "Weird fish?"
Metal Man (GM): You walk towards the ship. It strikes you as odd... faded yellow paint is on the red plating.
Aetos growls. "I didn't get my ice cream."
Metal Man (GM): Do you enter the crashed ship?
Nodal smacks Aetos on the head. "You almost got us all killed. You're on ice cream probation."
Digifanatic: "Who here besides you gives anything about ice cream right now?"
Julian: "Just look for the fish, alright?" *ENTAR.*
Aetos: "Me?.. How did I get you all killed?! III -- Garrick, nearly saved the city..!"
Digifanatic: "Exactly."
Aetos frowns.
Digifanatic follows Julian.
Julian: "And yet you didn't. Now c'mon! I wanna get this over with!"
Digifanatic: "By the way, why did you take that stuff from the shop, Aetos?"
Spyke follows Julian, still confused by the whole ordeal. "I may never understand this place."
Aetos shakes his head looks around the ship before going in.
Nodal: "Probably because it was shiny." *looks around the outside of the hatch thinking that it must be better defended than this.*
Metal Man (GM): You enter the ship, and discover something a bit unlike what you were expecting.
Nodal then swims in.
Metal Man (GM): You can walk up a slightly sloped floor and out of the water, for one;
Julian: "...That's a relief..."
Spyke looks around slowly at the interior, his heavy, metal body clanking with each step...
Metal Man (GM): For two... this isn't quite a Magitek factory. It's a ship... and an old one, at that. You can see a sparking control panel, and what appears to be the remains of... a bridge. The glass in front of the bridge still holds; it shows the ocean well.
Nodal: "Wow. Ocean. It looks almost as if we were right in the water."
Metal Man (GM): The control panel has a ton of buttons. A red one, a blue one... a golden button, which appears to be worn out from pressing.
Julian: "...The hell is this! Who crashes a space ship into a lake!"
Spyke: "Extraterrestials."
Nodal: "A teenage alien after a kegger?"
Digifanatic: "It must have been attacked."
Metal Man (GM): A screen on the control panel announces in bold letters "DEATH RAY FULLY CHARGED."
Aetos: "Ooo... shiny buttons..."
Digifanatic: "Heh..."
Metal Man (GM): And next to it, "ENERGY at 10,000%."
Aetos walks over to the panel.
Julian: "Touch 'em an' die, Aetos."
Metal Man (GM): It's all worn out; rusted. The buttons barely have any colors left on them.
Digifanatic: "Step away from that..."
Nodal: "Get back here skippy."
Aetos: "You're threats haven't stopped me before, "Big man"."
Spyke: "Aetos, touch those and feel my bea-porcupine rath!"
Julian: "Yeah, but I end up delivering on those threats more often than not, neh?"
Metal Man (GM): The control panel continues to spark and beep.
Nodal: "Touch those and never eat ice cream again."
Aetos circles his fingers around the blue button... looking for a door further in.
Metal Man (GM): This is the bridge; any further is back into the ocean. A staircase to the left leads to... a submerged area below.
Digifanatic: "Aetos, you touch one shiny thing and I'm telling Metal..."
Metal Man (GM): You can't go any further on this level, that's for sure; the only door back is buried and broken.
Spyke: "Well, seems... we are diving again."
Digifanatic: "I say."
Aetos looks out into the ocean, looking at anything in the water, straight ahead.
Nodal walks over to the buttons however and tries to at least glean some idea of how they work.
Metal Man (GM): The buttons appear to control functions of the ship, but lack labels. Aetos see nothing but water.
Julian: "...Man, forget this. If we get stuck, we'll come back. C'mon Digi..." *heads down the staircase.*
Aetos: "Wait..." *takes out his Kuja-cell and checks to see if it's functional.*
Metal Man (GM): Julian walks down the staircase, his steps splashing. Aetos: It is, indeed, functional.
Digifanatic starts to walk over to the stairs, following Julian back down, but... "Aetos, what the heck are you doing?"
Nodal scans the buttons with his 'Dex'.
Aetos: "I have ideas."
Dex: "...DING!"
Digifanatic: "Knowing Kuja, he may have sent samples of your voice to every corporation on this planet!"
Aetos: "Only if I call him again."
Metal Man (GM): Nodal points an imaginary smash dex at the control panel. He then says "Ding!" Alas... no data.
Nodal looks around for the Dex that talked to him.
Digifanatic: "You should know how bent he is on destroying us..."
Aetos eyes Nodal, then examines the cell-phone... pushing several buttons, working his way through menus, etc.
Digifanatic: "So chances are that after that scuffle with those guards, he's probably telling everyone to watch out for your presence."
Metal Man (GM): Meanwhile, Digi and Julian reach the bottom floor.
Nodal: "When you're done with that can I download the new cell game? Kill the Questers 3.0."
Metal Man (GM): They see... broken crates, and 13 black robots... fashioned in the shape of Denon Supersoldiers.
Digifanatic: *heads down after discussion.*
Metal Man (GM): With supreme luck, Aetos gets all that he could glean;
Julian: "...Good thing we're underwater. Otherwise I'd be worried..."
Metal Man (GM): 'SHIP CRASHED BEFORE KUJA. '
Julian: *Continues on.*
Metal Man (GM): The 13 robots stand there, almost as if in standby.
Julian: *Wait...*
Metal Man (GM): You walk amongst the crates... and notce the dead-endedness of this area.
Digifanatic: "Careful, man..."
Julian: *Nevermind.*
Aetos: "Seems like Kuja didn't have any information on this thing. I'm gunna guess it's not going to kill us, much." he pushes the blue button with a smile at Nodal.
Metal Man (GM): Aetos activates the windshield wipers.
Digifanatic sees Julian apparently turning around and begins to walk back...
Metal Man (GM): Which... don't work very well underwater.
Nodal: "Press that one next!"
Aetos: "Sweet! Nothing exploding yet... this is a record!"
Metal Man (GM): Remaining buttons: Red, Gold, Silver, Yellow.
Julian: "I know what I'm doin'. It'd be a miracle if these things worked safter being submerged so long." *Canceled the walk back. He's going on.*
Aetos wonders what one Nodal is referring to.
Nodal: "Eenie meanie mynee..." *press the Yellow one.*
Computer: "SELF DESTRUCT ACTIVATED."
Aetos frowns.
Spyke: "Press the silver. It's the least obtru..."
Digifanatic: "Huh... nothing more than--DUDE..."
Nodal: "Dude it totally wasn't me."
Metal Man (GM): Alarms go off and... then something worse happens.
Julian: "...AETOS!"
Nodal points to Aetos!
Aetos cries.
Metal Man (GM): The 13 droids, underwater... appear to awaken.
Digifanatic: "I am going to kill whichever one of you did it."
Julian: "...Son of a *CENSORED!*!"
Droid1: "Thirteen Gentlemen defense Droid activated. Questers detected. Kill. Kill. Kill."
Julian: "Run!" *heads down the hallway as fast as he can.*
Aetos: "Who are they?"
Metal Man (GM): Julian runs before they can truly activate. The control panel might not be completely far gone; why not try short-circuiting it?
Nodal walks/runs out of there.
Spyke sprints at the words of Julian's beckoning.
Aetos pushes the red, gold, and silver buttons quickly, respectively. "Maybe they will overload?"
Digifanatic starts running down...
Nodal: "Cmon 'tos!"
Computer: "Intruders have been detected. Ship self-destruct disabled. Death ray activated. Comms activated."
Metal Man (GM): The ship fires a GIGANTIC beam of energy out of the water... which, conveniently, is aimed at the fleet over Port Destiny.
Nodal walks back...
Computer: "57 unknown ships annihilated."
Digifanatic: "Whoa..."
Aetos: "MAYDAY! WE NEED HELP!.. It came from the direction of that giant laser beam!!"
Nodal: "Well thanks to my amazing skill and technichal know-how..."
Metal Man (GM): The comms light up; you get... Kuja.
Digifanatic: "Aetos, shaddup!"
Kuja: "...What is the meaning of this? I thought Ivo's ship was dead! Who is this?"
Aetos: "Ivo's... this is one of his droids, the others are malfunctioning and they need to be... destroyed."
Nodal doesn't say a thing.
Metal Man (GM): Meanwhile, the droids are heard walking up the stairs.
Nodal motions to stay silent!
Kuja: "What is the meaning of this?"
Julian has been previously trembling with rage.* "...Aetos... Nodal... whoever PRESSED THAT BUTTON..."
Digifanatic: .oO(*Boston accent.* Jahst a couple a treasure seekahs ahtside of the paht...)
Metal Man (GM): The droids walk into the room. They look at you guys... and then Kuja.
Aetos falls backward... "Dude... you just notified Kuja we're Questers in here."
Droid1: "Ivoryos. We are here to follow your command."
Julian: "AND YOU PRESSED THE *CENSORED* BUTTON THAT SUMMONED HIM!"
Droid2: "It has been 13 years since we were abandoned here."
Julian: "TWICE!"
Aetos whistles... holding up his Kuja-cell.
Julian: "WITH TWO DIFFERENT KINDS OF TECHNOLOGY!"
Digifanatic: *slight alteration of voice.* "You know what... give me the phone..."
Kuja: "...You're all giving me a headache... I think I'll let you off with being killed by the indestructible droids of the Thirteen Gentlemen. Send Ivo my regards."
Metal Man (GM): The comms turn off, and the droids raise up their laser guns at all of you.
Aetos: "Psh, it's My Kuja-cell phone! I stole it from that city shop fair and square."
Digifanatic: *still altered.* "And nobody gets hurt."
Spyke: "...Why don't we walk around with TARGETS painted on our foreheads?!"
Digifanatic: "Yes, but it's your fault that we're screwed right now."
Metal Man (GM): While you argue, you are all shot at by the droids.
Aetos: "We aren't screwed."
Digifanatic: "Didn't you hear the word 'indestructible'?"
Nodal: "For us indestructible just means it will take a little longer."
Aetos: "Didn't you hear the word... No?"
Metal Man (GM): Their guns are relatively low power to you guys, but still annoying.
Julian casually sidesteps the lasers. "Forget this! You two take care of the mess you made, I'm gonna go look for that fish!" *heads outside.*
Aetos watches Julian.
Spyke ducks under the shots and rolls, before standing... "Julian is the only one who doesn't blow stuff up... I'm with him." He follows behind Julian.
Aetos examines the console and looks for an openable panel to mess with wiring.
Nodal wonders to the ceiling. "What fish?" Nodal then gets in front of Aetos to block the shots coming to him.
Metal Man (GM): Aetos may do so, but the robots don't seem pleased with being awakened. Aetos open up the panel; wiring is the difficult part.
Digifanatic follows the others. "No time to lag behind..."
Metal Man (GM): We now have two groups. We'll start out with Group A, which is Digi, Spyke, and Julian. All three are back outside... and would just now realize their actual destination. Off to the left is what looks like a massive dome. Under it is a giant... base... thing. It looks like a factory.
Julian: "There we go..." *heads towards it.*
Spyke looks around slowly... "Woah... Yeah..." He follows Julian.
Digifanatic heads out towards the factory as well...
Metal Man (GM): *Insert a few moments of walking.* You reach the front door. Which is, obviously, unlocked. Why? This place was supposed to be secret, of course! And it's like any other X-naut base. Using magitek powers, it dries off anyone who enters and repulses the water.
Digifanatic opens the door and starts to walk in.
Julian: "Alright, back on the right track..." *heads inside, eager to get this over with.*
Spyke: "...I... am baffled... No key? No barrier?" He sighs and follows. "It has to be a trap..."
Metal Man (GM): You enter... and see before you the massive interior of the factory.
Digifanatic: "Seems like now'd be the perfect time to have a Dex on you..."
Julian: "You'll get used it it."
Metal Man (GM): MAGITEK FACTORY. The first room is roughly square in shape; two doors dead ahead, one East, one West. They're all unlocked.
Julian: *East SIDE!*
Digifanatic: "Alright, let's not split up..."
Spyke: "...East? But that is almost tooooo obvious... Fine..." He follows Julian.
Digifanatic follows Julian. "We don't need to make this even more complicated... or insane."
Metal Man (GM): East side it is. The door slides open, and there is inside a giant machine, which apparently keeps various vials of radioactive-looking poitions stable by spinning them. The room is hot; the machine has a control panel and a keycard slot. The panel has the following buttons: 'Cooling OFF' 'Cooling ON' 'Emergency Shutdown' and 'Withdraw Mode'
Spyke: "..." He instinctively looks for Aetos... "Phew... No one press those..."
Digifanatic: "I wasn't going to."
Julian: "Alright, all in favor of cooling this place off?"
Metal Man (GM): *Crickets--err... sound of vials spinning around.*
Spyke: "...Not really... Why don't we see what. *'s in the other direction?"
Digifanatic: "Sure." *starts walking back and into the west room.*
Julian: "Sounds good." *exits and tries the West Room.*
Spyke follows.
Metal Man (GM): You go on and enter that room, and inside it is a massive computer. It appears to be holding data on all the magitek here. It has a keyboard, a mouse, and a keycard slot.
Spyke looks at the rather large computer... "Now, this is more like it... Do you think we can use it without the card?"
Julian: "Check and see."
Spyke walks over to the computer and moves the mouse to see if it will respond.
Metal Man (GM): It doesn't respond.
Spyke: "Doesn't look like it..." He presses the Enter Key just to be sure.
Metal Man (GM): Nothing.
Julian: "Anything?"
Spyke: "Nope..."
Julian: "...Alright, let's try the East room again. Cool it down so we can be in there without overheating..." *heads on over.*
Metal Man (GM): You walk on back. Same buttons.
Spyke follows again, casting a quick glance at the computer. "I want to know what secrets you store... I shall return."
Julian: *Hits Cooling ON button...*
Digifanatic has walked back.
Metal Man (GM): Nothing happens.
Spyke: "Need a keycard for this, too, it seems..."
Digifanatic: "...yeah..."
Julian: "...The hell? How are we supposed to find a keycard?"
Metal Man (GM): It appears the factory is automated and has great security.
Digifanatic: "They really don't want anyone screwing around with these things?"
Spyke: "...Ummm... Dunno..."
Julian: "There's only two rooms!"
Spyke: "Maybe we missed one."
Metal Man (GM): Well, that, and the two doors you walked by. The ones facing North.
Julian: "..." *Facepalm.* "Everyone out... Try the two doors to the north..." *Follows his own advice and takes North Door 2.*
Metal Man (GM): You go to exit...
Digifanatic walks back again and follows...
Metal Man (GM): And walk right into the door. Face-first. Digi walks into your back. The door's lantern (right above the door) is now red. The machine behind you begins freaking out.
Digifanatic: *BONK* "Oops, sorry... oh, great."
Julian: "...I can't believe I did that... Or that you followed. Back up."
Metal Man (GM): It's... shooting sparks... and glowing dangerously.
Digifanatic starts running back to the east room!"
Julian: *Quickly tries the other North Door...*
Digifanatic starts to run but his eyes catch a quick glimpse of Julian... he slows down but is still in motion...
Metal Man (GM): You're stuck in the East room; only one door out here.
Julian: *FSIHONSG! East room!*
Metal Man (GM): That door is the one you walked into. The machine doesn't explode, though. West Room|Middle room(Has2 doors to the North)|Eastroom(Only one door)(All of you in here)
Julian: "...Alright... So how we gonna get this door open?"
Metal Man (GM): The machine behind you, with the vials, suddenly explodes. Or at least, it appears to.
Spyke: "Ahhh! What did you guys do?!"
Metal Man (GM): It morphs into what appears to be a 10-foot tall stick figure made out of metal supports.
Julian: "I didn't do nothin'!"
Metal Man (GM): For a head, it has all the vials in one big vial containing device.
Spyke turns to look at the... thing. "Hello, there..."
Metal Man (GM): It responds to Spyke by pulling out a vial and drinking it.
Julian: "..."
Metal Man (GM): It has a mouth too, apparently. With the vials being like an afro.
Digifanatic: "Weird..."
Metal Man (GM): It suddenly starts moving faster. BATTLE!
Julian: "Alright, looks like we gotta kick this thing's *** to get out. So be it!" *Gets ready to rumble.*
Metal Man (GM): The monstrosity glows fiercely... you can be sure it was created by the intense magitek radiation of the factory.
Julian: "Alright, I'm not gonna touch that thing up close... Hmmm... Try this!" *reaches up to grab his fedora... then realizes it had to be left at base.* "...*censored*. Plan B!" *Julian jumps up as his Rocket Boots activate, flying at the Monstrosity's 'midsection' and tries a Snab Jab!*
Metal Man (GM): It's too huge to dodge. *SMACK* You jab it all right... then your hand is burnt by the energy. You take damage, but you damage it too.
Julian: *bsh.* "FFF-OW! Mother.*CENSORED*! This is why I didn't want to touch it upclose... but I got no choice!" *Julian follows up with a Gut Kick!*
Metal Man (GM): Hit. *Burn again.* More damage to you. This goes through DEF, Digi. Damage?
Julian then lays into it with a flurry of punches and kicks. Speedbag!*
Metal Man (GM): All hit; and damage from touching it.
Julian: *BSH!* "Dammit! I need some kind of protection..." *backs off...*
Digifanatic: *Realizing that a lot of his repertoire has been removed due to various items and such, he just takes the normal Fire Punch into the middle of the machine, not concerned with being burned... hitting or not, he defends after the attack.*
Metal Man (GM): Hit. Damage to you.
Digifanatic is just singed by it as he heads back... "Not worried."
Julian: "We need to find an elemental weakness or some ranged weapon..."
Digifanatic: "Elemental weakness is no problem for me once we find it... weapons I'm not sure of."
Julian: "I can't keep hitting it up close if I want my gear to be intact after this."
Digifanatic: "Yeah..."
Spyke reaches for his hip, for a saber that isn't there. "... Dangit!" He hops a bit, wraps himself over himself so he's protected in a ball of his own body, sort of, and rolls into it with his quills extended.
Metal Man (GM): Hit, hit, and hit. The radiation penetrates everything, including your body. Damage just from hitting it.
Spyke unrolls and bounces back a bit, grinning.
Metal Man (GM): It drinks two more vials of... stuff. It grows bigger... then bigger again.
Julian: "...Aw HELL."
Spyke: "...Dang!"
Metal Man (GM): It then walks up and wildly begins smashing at Julian.
Julian: *FWAPOW! wiff FWAPOW! FWAPOW! whiff.*
Metal Man (GM): The machine's first potion wears off.
Julian: *WOAHRGH! Julian's knocked back quite at bit, backflipping in the air a few times before righting himself.* "Damn! Gotta find something..." *scans the room for something he can use to hit the beast long-distance..*
Metal Man (GM): You discover the clean, empty state of the room.
Julian: "*censored*..."
Metal Man (GM): The machine does look plenty damaged, though. It probably couldn't take too many beatings... that, and it's only got about 27 more potions to drink.
Julian: "Alright big ugly... Let's see how you like this!" *Julian dashes up to face level with the giant, flattens his hand, rears back, and PUNKSLAPS it across the room.*
Metal Man (GM): Hit, damage, and you knock it backwards... into the wall. It stands right back up again.
Digifanatic continues to keep a careful mind on the machine's radiations. He starts the turn off with a leap and kick to around the neck (Aerial Attack) and then, upon landing, attempts another Fire Punch to the middle.
Metal Man (GM): Hit and hit. The machine looks pretty badly beaten up.
Spyke rinses and repeats his last action, using Storm Mace on the enemy.
Metal Man (GM): Hit, hit, hit. The machine drinks yet another potion. It speeds up. Again. Then it runs up and tries to smash Julian into the ground some more, while gigantic.
Julian: "Fu-" *CRASH SMASH whiff whiff.*
Metal Man (GM): It returns to normal size.
Julian remains, airborne, quickly righting himself as he draws his fist back.* "Getting tired of this..." *His fist quickly gathers enough energy to be engulfed into a sphere of white, which quickly expands into a larger sphere of yellow upon the gethering of more.* "Stop coming at ME!" *Julian flashes his fist forward, aiming to connect with the monstrosity's 'face' with a second-level Charged KO Punch.
Metal Man (GM): Damage from touching it, yet again. But it's nearly dead anyway. One good hit or two more should kill it.
Julian: *Knock Out Avoided.*
Digifanatic starts the turn by attempting to try and use a Running Charge on the machine, and then following it up afterwards with another Aerial Attack, making sure that he can still try to smack it around...
Metal Man (GM): Digi finds a way to miss it, and then Aerial Attacks it. One hit, damage to him. Spyke takes a breather. The machine drinks another potion. Then another. And another. It becomes coated in another layer of armor, and then becomes even faster than before. Then it runs up and attack Julian.
Julian: "...This has to end THIS ROUND." *braces.* *gets knocked around quite a bit.* *then rights himself in midair AGAIN, then goes horizontal and quickly boosts towards the monster...*
Digifanatic wishes he could give Julian a shot of Healing Spray, but... oh well...
Metal Man (GM): Hit.
Julian: *GRAB! Julian grabs the thing by the head upon contact, sending them both into an overhead spin, which ends ubruptly with Julian holind both of the thing's arms with his feet on its chest. Julian angles it towards another wall, then overdrives his Rocket Boots as he lets go, sending it BLASTING towards the wall.*
Metal Man (GM): It explodes, hurling potions everywhere.
Digifanatic: "There ya go..." *ducks.*
Metal Man (GM): +600 EXP to you, Digi, and Spyke. Plus there's a few potions laying on the floor. 12 of them, to be exact. You don't know what they do, but they powered that machine up nicely. Also, the door opens.
Spyke hrms and snags four of them, and then looks at the other two. "Shall we?"
Julian: "And that's how to end in style..." *Julian floats to the ground, gathers up another 4 of the potions, and heads through the now opened door.*
Digifanatic takes the last 4 of the potions and moves on.
Metal Man (GM): You go on into the main room. Same alignment of doors as old.
Julian: *entering the main lobby, Julian heads towards North Door 2.*
Spyke follows Julian obediently.
Digifanatic does follow Julian...
Metal Man (GM): North Door 2 opens up, revealing Main Factory Production Center 1. At the center, a massive machine is making Magitek and passing it on conveyor belts to rooms on the left and right. There's doros to the left, right, and North again; the North one is locked.
Julian: "...Y'know, this would be a perfect place to use my C4 brick if I was allowed to bring it... Spyke, Digi, you guys go left." *heads right.*
Digifanatic: "Alright... Whatever..."
Spyke: "Well... North isn't an option... Okay." He heads left, ahead of Digi.
Digifanatic heads left...
Metal Man (GM): The left door slides on open. Inside can be seen... pure evil. I mean magitek being tested and stuck in boxes... which are then stuck into a transporter. Why is the factory so empty? Julian goes on to the right, where he sees a different story; the Magitek in here has something new and deadly done with it.
Spyke: "...Why do I feel like stealing one of those..."
Digifanatic: "I dunno..."
Metal Man (GM): It is being crushed and turned into powder, then concentrated in high quantities. This is then stuck into glass spheres and electrified. The resulting, deadly looking spheres are sent into a teleporter of their own. No controls are seen for either of the two machines and their rooms.
Spyke looks around the room slowly to make sure noone is watching, be it living or a camera device.
Julian: "...Daymn... Looks like they're doing something new..." *heads back to the main room.* "Guys, other room!" *exits and tries North Door 1.*
Metal Man (GM): Nothing... of either kind. North Door is locked. Spyke could snatch a box easily.
Digifanatic heads back and waits for Spyke.
Spyke looks at Digi. "What do you think about me tak... Thanks for leaving me alone in here..." He walks over to one of the boxes and looks around again. "Eh, might as well." He picks one up cautiously.
Julian: *No, the other North Door in the main lobby.*
Metal Man (GM): That one also goes into the same room... they're redundant doors.
Digifanatic: "Well..."
Julian: *Alright, nevermind... Looks around the North Room closely for a *CENSORED* KEYCARD!*
Metal Man (GM): Spyke takes a box; no problem.
Digifanatic also tries to search around...
Spyke walks out with his acquired box. ^^
Metal Man (GM): Julian finds... a key card. It sits in the upper right corner.
Julian: "Bam! To west room!" *heads that-away.*
Metal Man (GM): You pick it up... and then you suddenly feel weird.
Julian: *totally picked it up.*
Metal Man (GM): The card obviously is not a normal one; rather... it feels as if you picked up a card made out of magitek. What sort of security measure is that? Your hand begins to burn.
Julian: "Magitek keycard... weird... and pain!" *drops it.*
Metal Man (GM): You drop it. Guess you're gonna have to find a better way to pick it up.
Spyke heads into the North Room now? ^^;;
Julian: "...Spyke, can you feel pain? Being a robot an all?"
Metal Man (GM): Spyke goes into the main room; he sees Digi, and Julian, and a card sitting on the floor. One which looks radioactive.
Spyke: "...Yes. Being I'm not a normal robot. I'm a reploid. Why?"
Julian: "We needs some tongs or somethin'..." *wonders if he could gerry-rig something out of the VialBot's limbs...*
Spyke eyes the card. "Oh... Place it on the box or something." He tilts his head briefly to indicate the one he's holding.
Metal Man (GM): Well, sure, if you walked on back. You'd probably find one of the vial-handling tongs from it.
Julian: "...That works too." *quickly places it on the box, then heads back to the east room to grab a pair of tongs.*
Metal Man (GM): It is placed on the box.
Digifanatic: "Hope nothing reacts weird."
Metal Man (GM): Oops! Spyke apparently forgot something. What was inside the box.
Spyke looks at it. "Me, too..."
Metal Man (GM): Julian walks into the other room. Meanwhile, the card begins to glow extra bright. The box does too.
Spyke: "...Digi, flick the card off, now!"
Julian: *tongs?*
Digifanatic: "Yes!"
Metal Man (GM): Damage from the increased radiation; alarms go off.
Digifanatic carefully tries to toss it off to the ground, away from both of us.
Metal Man (GM): Julian walks over into the other room and picks up a pair of tongs. Digi takes damage from touching it; but it stops glowing too much.
Spyke hisses and sets the box down slowly, looking at his hands. "Owowowow..."
Metal Man (GM): It's back on the floor again.
Julian: "Awesome..." *heads back.*
Digifanatic: *SIZZLECRACKSIZZLE* "Yow..."
Julian: "Found some tongs!...What happened here?"
Spyke: "Card on box was a bad idea... Reacted with eachother."
Metal Man (GM): Julian sees smoke off of the card... and burns on Digi and Spyke.
Julian: "...Right... Anyway, found some tongs. Let's get a move on." *picks up the card with the tongs and heads into the West Room.*
Digifanatic: "Careful with it..." *cautiously follows Julian onward.*
Spyke slowly picks up his box again, shifty eyed, and follows.
Julian: *West Room, Main Lobby.*
Metal Man (GM): Just need to slide it...
Julian: *does so.* "Alright... Digi, you take a crack at this one."
Digifanatic assumes the position of heading the computer...
Spyke: "So, Digi, get cracking at this thing..."
Digifanatic: "Right."
Metal Man (GM): The computer is online. It appears to be active now.
Digifanatic sees the computer booting up and at the welcome screen or whatever...
Metal Man (GM): It's already booted up; you just needed to activate the controls.
Digifanatic tries to figure out how to make the controls work.
Metal Man (GM): Digi discovers the keyboard and mouse are fake. Instead, you must control it using your mind. Which is easy, at least if you can think hard enough.
Digifanatic: "Hey, this is weird... They set us up with false equipment..." *tries to get some background on this factory...*
Metal Man (GM): The screen seems to fill with knowledge.
Spyke: "Figures..."
Metal Man (GM): Underwater construction machines are shown building it; an entire army of X-nauts building it from scratch.
Digifanatic: "Okay, this is impressive."
Metal Man (GM): Grodus making a speech, too.
Grodus: "From this day on... Magitek shall rule the planet!"
Digifanatic: "Okay..."
Grodus: "All of Kuja's minions, as well as Kuja... shall never run short on it again!"
Metal Man (GM): It continues, showing the date.
Digifanatic: "Yikes..."
Metal Man (GM): Year 3, A.Q.
Digifanatic: "Alright, so this is still fairly new."
Metal Man (GM): It shows blueprints by too fast for you to read; then it degenerates into a bunch of symbols and returns to the background screen.
Julian: "7 years ain't new..."
Digifanatic: "Eh..." *tries to find a map of the factory.*
Metal Man (GM): You try to access it, but it shows distorted lines... encrypted, apparently. Only a machine could decode it.
Digifanatic: "Ack."
Spyke: "...What was that?"
Digifanatic: "Hmm... some weird set of lines. I'm trying to find a map of this."
Spyke: "Hm... Try finding out where they are shipping this stuff to."
Digifanatic: "Alright..." *tries shipping destinations on this system...*
Julian: "And what the hell was was we fought."
Digifanatic: "That's not quite as important... after all, we've had to deal with those three-item things."
Metal Man (GM): Images of Kuja's tower, Maxamillian's base in Hyrule... And the worst of all.
Julian: "And what the the hell that was that we fought."
Metal Man (GM): A giant, dark, corrupted Exor, stabbed into the remains of Peach's castle.
Digifanatic: "Oh my god..."
Julian: "...That's a new one."
Spyke: "...What? What are those places?"
Digifanatic: "Yeah. Where this stuff is going to."
Metal Man (GM): In fact, a list scrolling down reveals something dire.
Julian: "Various evil dwellings..."
Metal Man (GM): It has been requesting ever-increasing shipments of the power-filled orbs... for 'Project X'
Digifanatic scrolls through the list... "Project X... isn't that a cliche name?"
Metal Man (GM): Over time it has increased production quotas 10%, 100%, and even 1000% recently.
Spyke: "...Indeed it is..."
Julian: "...Nothing called Project X can be good for us, that's for sure..."
Metal Man (GM): It also shows an old facility. The one you guys destroyed... which was by the lake. It was apparently shipping high-grade magitek for Magitek-Xnauts to be made with. However they appear to have been discontinued.
Julian: "Damn right they did..."
Spyke: "What is all of this stuff?"
Julian: "Ain't you been readin'?!"
Spyke: "Reading tells me nothing if I don't know what any of it means..."
Digifanatic: "The buildings in which the Magitek being furnished is going to."
Metal Man (GM): It is a wide variety of weapons, bombs, power sources, and unholy world-harming machines.
Digifanatic: "Like what you're holding."
Metal Man (GM): You can see a direct link between magitek and destructive power.
Spyke: "Okay... And what does Magitek do exactly? Besides be radioactive."
Julian: "Bad stuff."
Digifanatic: "Do a lot of damage."
Julian: "Powers all kinds of weapons 'n *censored*."
Digifanatic: "Ever hear the phrase 'Weapons of Mass Destruction?'"
Spyke: "Yes, of course... Ooohh..."
Digifanatic: "Yeah... that's basically what this is."
Metal Man (GM): The machine puts a simple equation up, reading Spyke's mind.
Julian: "Death in a crystal..."
Digifanatic: "You have WMDs in your hand."
Metal Man (GM): The equivalent of 1 million nuclear bombs' worth of magitek has been made.
Spyke: "Awesome... So, why don't we... Daaaaamn... We need to set off some charges in here or something. Blow it all up."
Julian: "Good idea. 'Cept we left the C4 at base. Digi, find out what we just fought."
Digifanatic: "And just how would do that and escape alive and without excessive radiation poisoning..."
Metal Man (GM): According to its calculations, the weird sword-thing (Exor) has enough of it to destroy the entire solar system.
Digifanatic: "Right." *tries searching up vial monsters of sorts...*
Spyke: "And what if we used this stuff to set off a chain reaction?"
Metal Man (GM): Digi finds nothing but information on X-naut vials.
Julian: "You got any idea how?"
Metal Man (GM): Which do similar things to these vials... they make people bigger, faster, nastier.
Digifanatic: "Light something on fire?"
Metal Man (GM): And shorten their lifespan.
Spyke: "...Nope..."
Digifanatic: "Shorten... uh, you sure ya wanna use these things?"
Julian: "We'll sell 'em."
Spyke: "Was what I was thinking."
Digifanatic: "And they'll probably be used against us to power something huge."
Julian: "Alright, anyone else got anything they wanna ask the computer?"
Digifanatic: "Hmm... maybe dump it into the lake after we're done? You know, right after all of us get out of here and when we're returning to the Stadium?"
Spyke: "Yeah..." He thinks hard, trying to get the computer to give him information on anything that might neutralize Magitek when it comes into contact with it...
Metal Man (GM): Spyke: It says, in bold letters... MAGITEK IS UNSTOPPABLE.
Spyke: "Well, that answers that... Guess we'll just have to shut this place down."
Julian: "We could always puncture the hull and flood the place..."
Digifanatic: "Perhaps..."
Julian: "Alright, we done here? We still gotta check the East room."
Spyke: "Yeah. I guess so."
Digifanatic: "Yeah. Julian, get the tongs."
Julian: "Good." *takes the keycard out with the tongs and heads for the East Room with it.*
Digifanatic follows Julian over.
Metal Man (GM): To the East room you go... and there is the remains of the Vial Machine. Nothin' you can do now; that used to be the big thing with buttons and vials. On the plus side, the room is cool.
Spyke: "Dang."
Julian: "...Right, forget I said that..." *North Room!*
Digifanatic heads back into the North room.
Metal Man (GM): The big ol' Magitek making machine chugs away as usual. The door north is locked.
Spyke follows. @_@
Julian: *Keycard slot near it?*
Digifanatic: "Try looking for a card slot near the door."
Metal Man (GM): You find one... on the machine.
Julian: *Insert Card A.*
Metal Man (GM): You insert it. The machine beeps. And the door to the North opens... MEANWHILE... Aetos was at the controls of the long-crashed Egg Carrier MK 3 underwater. 13 Thirteen Gentlemen combat androids, the prototypes of the feared Infantry of today, were about to shoot him and Nodal into a billion pieces. Nodal bravely blocking the way... so that Aetos could attempt to use the ship (and its huge energy reserves) to defeat the supposedly 'INVINCIBLE' robots.
Nodal looks around the area for something he can quickly use to make a barrier.
Metal Man (GM): You find nothing.
Nodal scans the area again. The must be something.
Metal Man (GM): Nope. Nothing.
Nodal sighs and just steps in to defend against the creatures with his own body.
Metal Man (GM): Aetos gains 50% cover.
Aetos starts fiddling with the console wires, trying to obtain his objective, which is to short circuit those robots...
Metal Man (GM): Hmmm... computer. You advance one step forward in your goal; ONE STEP, mind. You discover there is an automated self-defense system; if it could be powered up, it'd be enough to destroy them. You locate the leads for the defense system; but not to the power... continue and try to find the power wires?
Aetos checks to see if his Kuja-cell could be connected to the defense system wiring, to power it up.
Metal Man (GM): You discover that cannot be done. Unless you have more TP, turn over.
Aetos scratches his head and sighs. "I need some more time... I really have no talent for this stuff... now... if I had to search for things... that is no problem."
Metal Man (GM): The infantry point their blasters and open fire, regardless of what's going on. They aim at Aetos. You notice how clunkily they aim. Damage; machinegun. Aaaand there's 2 crits on Aetos.
Nodal smirks. He manages to deflect all of the weapons into harmless areas. "Did you say you were no good at Computers? Come over here give me a crack at it."
Aetos gets blasted by 6 shots... but two of those hit him pretty hard in the back... Aetos then steps out of the way for Nodal.
Nodal pushes Aetos behind him and leans over the computer. "Lets see here. Hmmm... the power wires?" Nodal searches around.
Metal Man (GM): You find them immediately. Now you just need some way to connect them to the security systems..
Nodal looks around. "Now I just put this... here!"
Metal Man (GM): You stick your hand in the power leads and light up like a christmas tree.
Nodal: "Hmmm. Perhaps not." *lights up like a Christmas tree and dies.*
Metal Man (GM): You can tell that it isn't that easy to manipulate so much power at once.
Aetos tears up, "Damnit! WHYYY Nodal?!!? I NEED you!" he pushes the fried corpse away (provided he's not touching the wiring still) and tries the same thing himself. "Even if this brutally explodes me... there isn't a more noble way to die."
Metal Man (GM): What are you using to route the power source with? Okay then. Nodal's corpse. You stick his corpse into the control panel and get zapped by his corpse. Luckily, he blocks for you. Sorta. Damage and Nodal's corpse takes damage.
Aetos 's head pops off and blood oozes everywhere nonetheless.
Metal Man (GM): The machines sorta stare at your corpses.
Droid1: "Targets have committed suicide through act of stupidity."
Droid2: "Mission complete."
Droid3: "Next objective: Take over Nintendus for the Thirteen Gentlemen."
Metal Man (GM): They (all thirteen) walk out of the ship, leaving both of you dead on the controls. Well, sorta dead. You obviously still have lives. Unfortunately, there's now 13 droids wandering around Nintendus... You're both revived, though you get no EXP. The droids are gone; the computer systems indicate it so.
Aetos regenerate his exploded head. "Well, they are gone... Now... back to business, Nodal?" *examines how much power is left in the ship.*
Metal Man (GM): The power is still off the scales.
Aetos: "I wonder if we can redirect the gun, point it somewhere useful..." *pokes the blue button again.*
Metal Man (GM): Aetos took all of the wires apart. You're gonna need to put them back together.
Nodal just sighs.
Metal Man (GM): This continues to not appear to be a Magitek factory. *drip.* *Drip.* ...*Drip.* It's boring down here, for sure.
Aetos: "Good time to figure out what the Kuja Cell's purpose is. *Fiddles with it, trying to find what it was built for, until Nodal sugests something better to do."
Metal Man (GM): Comptuer. You barely manage to discover it's a cell phone. Somehow the fact 'CELL PHONE' is written on it in silver letters makes it hard to discover. Sure, you can find out it's a cell phone over and over again.
Aetos: "Cmon... you gotta have something cool about you... the others were handy in blowing stuff up... the Kuja brand... the top dog... I bet you can do something way cooler... besides calling Kuja." *rubs his chin..*
Aetos grins. Aetos then dials in 5852.
Metal Man (GM): It picks up.
???: "...It appears Aetos was not killed after all." *click.*
Metal Man (GM): You hear robots walking towards the ship. The androids. Again.
Aetos snickers. Aetos then lays the cell phone in front of the door and goes to hide.
Metal Man (GM): All thirteen walk in, dripping wet. They look at the cell phone and destroy it with lasers. Then they walk on in, in formation, shooting lasers everywhere. Blowing random stuff up.
Droid1: "Destroy abnormally long-lived suicidal Quester."
Droid2: "Eliminate unknown powersource."
Metal Man (GM): They stop firing after setting most of room on fire; they advance on the panel. What do you do?
Aetos waits until they stand near the panel, then leaps out and fires a flurry of Divine Wind spheres at the console. Aetos then laughs the whole time.
Metal Man (GM): No need to; they don't even stand to move. You blow up the console, causing an insane amount of damage to them. When the smoke clears... they are still there.
Droid1: "Defense systems are at full power."
Aetos: "Wow... that can't be good."
Metal Man (GM): They turn to face you, unscratched.
Droid1: "We are indestructible. You are not."
Metal Man (GM): They open fire on you en masse.
Aetos eeps around.
Metal Man (GM): Damage, machinegun. Two crits in there. Nodal is behind the droids; he witnessed Aetos dialing 'Kuja' on his Kuja cell phone and luring all the androids in here. The androids walked up to the control panel, which Aetos blew up on them; but they were unharmed. They are now trying to laser Aetos into a billion pieces.
Aetos starts to bleed, unfortunately. He manages to sustain consciencous.
Metal Man (GM): Nodal can run right out of the ship, unlike Aetos.
Nodal wonders where the others have gone and runs to get help.
Metal Man (GM): Nodal escapes; a short pause on him. Aetos still has one turn's worth of action before they try to mow him down again.
Aetos: "Hey, can a brick of c4 destroy you?"
Droid1: "Crashing into an energized pyramid at 700 miles per hour has failed to destroy us. We were built to be indestructible by the Thirteen Gentlemen."
Aetos: "Fascinating... can I take one of you home with me, to show Professor Gerald?"
Droid1: "Professor Gerald is on our side. You won't be coming home."
Aetos: "Why not?"
Metal Man (GM): They open fire on you again.
Aetos becomes 213 health over-dead.
Metal Man (GM): Aetos loses himself another life; but the androids wait until he regenerates. They aim at him again.
Droid1: "You won't escape us, fool."
Aetos regenerates once more. "Oh, how did you know I had another life still? I thought you may have heard about my encounter in Port Destiny."
Droid1: "We have fought Questers before. We know your kind."
Droid2: "You are far weaker than Charles Magellilian."
Aetos shrugs. "Tha... what? Magellilian?" he starts laughing. "So, before you destroy me, will you tell me your master plans?
Metal Man (GM): They decide to kill you instead. Look at all those pretty crits. For the sake of logic I'll just assume that's deadly. Okay then. You get another attempt to save your life. Since I can't continue the other half quite yet anyway.
Aetos shrugs and points out into the water. "Hey, what... is that thing out there, anyways? It looks like a giant turtle with spikes."
Metal Man (GM): That'd work, but you have a problem.
Droid1: "Death to spiked turtles."
Metal Man (GM): They shoot at the window, flooding the area; and the water is electrified... with you in it.
Aetos tries to slip out and away... quickly.
Metal Man (GM): You could escape them, but not the electrical current you exposed earlier. The water becomes electrified with the power, and, naturally, you're the first person to get zapped. *DEATH* *GAME OVER.* Nodal would see the ship explode as he walked away from the ship.
Nodal: "Well *censored*"
Metal Man (GM): Hmmm... thanks for reminding me game overs existed. It has been at least a season since someone lost all their lives. *Insert cinema of unscratched invincible robots rising from the water, Terminator style.* Oh! I almost forgot. The robots leave the scene; Aetos remains dead. And staring over the destruction... is the mysterious guy in his dark clothing.
???: "Such a pity. If he had just left those old relics alone, he would have been able to help his fellow Questers."
Metal Man (GM): He walks over to the ruined control panel and flickering monitors, and at the electrified water. He seems unaffected by it; rather, he sticks his fist in the control panel.
???: "I wouldn't want this accidental leftover to be gobbled up by anyone, now would I?"
Metal Man (GM): The last of the energy is dissipated; the mysterious man walks off into the endless oceanic distance, the monitors turning off behind him.
???: "So ends the Egg Carrier 3's usefulness."
Metal Man (GM): *Fade out.* Meanwhile, Julian, Digi, and Spyke enter the main room of the factory. However, before they can go anywhere, a trapdoor opens up and they fall into a warp pipe... which leads back to HQ. The trapdoor closes back up as Mr. Garrick enters the main factory room, having been close behind the trio before they vanished. Main Factory Room I.
Garrick: "...jeez..."
Metal Man (GM): This is a massive place, here; three large machines cranking out Magitek and dumping it through a chute that goes down through the floor.
Garrick: "...Julian... Digi! Spyke?"
Metal Man (GM): Your voice echoes across the main floor... you hear nothing.
Garrick: "...well, they're gone... guess it's just me."
Metal Man (GM): This area is rather simple to manuever through; the path goes around each machine and in between them.
Garrick shoves his hands into his pockets and moves onward, glancing around for doors or people or terminals or anything else of interest.
Metal Man (GM): You can walk down the right side of the room or the left. The machines have control panels on them.
Garrick moves left, going to one of the machines and looking it over. He has a vague knowledge of magitek, but it's rusty since that book disappeared ages ago.
Metal Man (GM): They, however, have key card slots... and the last card you saw vanished with the others. These are vaguely normal computers; though they glow unnaturally.
Garrick: "...well, at least I know if things go sour, I can always blow the place to bits with that pull apart command phrase thing..." *goes to one of the terminals, looking it over... seeing if he needs the key card to do anything or if he can get somewhere without it.*
Metal Man (GM): It needs a key card, of course.
Garrick: "...well, so much for that." *shrugs and keeps moving left around the room, looking for anything interesting*
Metal Man (GM): You discover some sort of oversized key with a skull on it. The skull has two red beads of Magitek in them for eyes.
Garrick: "...skeleton key?"
Metal Man (GM): You can see the door at the other end of the room; it almost seems to fit in there, at least it looks like it should.
Garrick leans down and scoops up the key, moving toward the door... Seasnain then moves toward the door, walking up to it and fitting the key in the lock, turning..
Metal Man (GM): Nodal walks on into the main factory room behind you before you can open the door. You hear the door open and the sound of dripping feet.
Garrick glances over his shoulder... "...Nodal.....take a shower?"
Nodal looks down. "Yes. But er. Aetos met the evil shower squeegees. He didn't make it." *tells them of all that transpired.*
Garrick: "...this does not bode well for us... ...come on. Let's bust into this place and finish up quickly."
Nodal: "Sounds good." *looks around.*
Garrick nods, then makes to open the door.
Nodal: "Oh look. A door. How convienant." *walks over to Garrick.*
Garrick: "Found this key that fits all nice like."
Nodal: "Good job. Want a cookie?"
Garrick: "Nah, had one." *guesses the door is unlocked?*
Nodal: "Then get on with it."
Metal Man (GM): The door is unlocked, indeed.
Garrick pockets the key, since he likes it... then moves through the door and onward..
Nodal follows afterwards shaking his head.
Metal Man (GM): Aribar manages to catch up at the last moment. Lucky him.
Garrick: "So... mind filling me in on what we're supposed to be doing? They just told me to follow the oth--oh, hey Ari."
Nodal: "Follow the oth--oh, hey Ari?"
Aribar huffs and puffs.* "'allo... Sorry for getting lost."
Garrick: "Yeah. follow the oth--oh, hey Ari."
Nodal: "Oh. The coward elf. Come to leave us in trouble again?"
Metal Man (GM): Right up ahead is... a very weird room.
Garrick: "Nah, no worries. Maybe you can fill me in on what we're supposed to be doing... and hush up, Nodal, or I'll have to thump you."
Metal Man (GM): It's the same room you just got through, but entirely devoid of machines. A balcony overlooks it.
Nodal: "Bring it on. And what the devil?"
Garrick: "...now, this looks like a room that we would fight in..."
Aribar: "I've still plenty of magical spells left..."
Metal Man (GM): The windows up in the roof give it a nearly cathedral-esque atmosphere.
Nodal: "Garrick whats a room the Questers wouldnt fight in? And/Or blow up?"
Garrick: "...touche."
Metal Man (GM): They appear to be... some sort of being. They're hard to see, but they depict something watching you.
Nodal: "Well that's creepy enough."
Garrick: "...on guard..." *activates his armor and wrist guns... then moves into the room...*
Nodal backs up a bit and holds his arms out defensively. Nodal then then walks in looking around everywhere.
Garrick moves in with his fists raised, then...
Aribar follows the others, wondering where exactly they're at.
Garrick is going straight forward..
Metal Man (GM): You reach the center of the room. It seems awfully silent here. A shadowy figure appears on the Balcony.
Nodal: "Anyone else feeling those little hairs on the back of their neck?"
???: "Well well well. If it isn't the wonder putzes back for another butt-kicking."
Aribar looks towards the figure, ready to sling spells if need be.*
Garrick: "...wonder putzes? Odd choice of words."
Nodal gets into a defensive stance knowing he would be useless here.
Metal Man (GM): The being opens up a small console on the railing and presses serveral buttons.
Aribar: "Who are you?"
Nodal jumps to the side.
Metal Man (GM): A force field appears around the balcony, and then the door slams behind you. The floor tiles suddenly glow, and you feel as if you can't move anymore.
Garrick: "...ah, crap."
???: "I made sure you'd come without weapons, or anything that could actually save you."
Nodal: "Well this isn't good."
???: "I'm a lot more intelligent than those boneheads Kuja keeps on flinging at you."
Aribar: "What trickery is this?" *The elf tries to move about, but fails...*
???: "Now then... I think I'll kill you all." *Throws a switch; the floor tiles begin floating up to the ceiling, which sprouts out spikes instantly.* "Good riddance to bad garbage."
Metal Man (GM): He crosses his arms and watches silently as you start floating up to your doom.
Garrick: "...coward."
Nodal cannot look up. "There's Spikes isn't there?"
Garrick: "Must be. It'd crush us anyway."
Metal Man (GM): You're 1/6th of the way to the ceiling.
Garrick tries his best to move... if we can...
Nodal: "So? Aren't you going to taunt us? Tell us your genius plan?"
Aribar frowns, still trying to strain against the unseen bonds that bind him.*
Metal Man (GM): You can't seem to move. It's almost as if the air itself was solid. The mysterious figure stares at you without saying anything.
Garrick: "...okay... let's see..."
Metal Man (GM): You reach 1/2 of the way up. You begin to see the spikes, even if you can't look up.
Nodal: "Oh! Called it."
Garrick looks down at the ground as best he can, trying to figure out what force is holding him down..
Metal Man (GM): You can't look anywhere; your eyes seem fixed in place. As you reach 2/3 of the way... The figure begins to laugh... but then suddenly flies into his own force field.
???: "Oof! Who dares intrude upon my master prank?"
Nodal: "Hurray! Its last-minute man here to save us!"
Garrick: "...master prank..."
Aribar: "... At least we take you with us..."
Charles: "I said it before, and I'll say it again." *walks out of the shadows of the balcony.* "Do not show off in battle."
Nodal: "E Li Three if that's you you're getting my weapon back in a place you will not enjoy!"
Aribar: "Locos?!"
Metal Man (GM): The figure gets up, turning his back to the three of you.
Garrick: "...frickin hell... Charles fricken Magellean... once again, having to stand out and be noticed somehow..."
???: "I must have Magitek on the brain. You're dead."
Nodal: "Charles Magellean? And Locos is here? I thought he died."
Garrick: "...they're the SAME PERSON, NODAL!"
Charles sheathes his Onyx Sword.
Garrick: "Charles, I swear to whatever god that ISN'T Kuja, if you let us die, I will haunt you for the rest of your life!"
???: *Looks over his shoulder.* "You're all going to die anyway." *Looks to Locos.* "So then. Are you going to stare at me and hope I go away or something? They're not gonna be alive for long."
Nodal: "Well sooorry! I happen to have been away for a while! I wouldnt even be here if it wasnt for unpleasent holes in existance. Hey Locos! Its me!"
Metal Man (GM): The tiles are now 3/4ths of the way up.
Charles: "I've been tracking you down for some time. You've grown sloppy... Doopliss."
Nodal: "Could you stop the floor? The controls are on that monitor."
Garrick: "...you've got to be kidding me... how the hell is Doopliss still around?!"
Charles: "Has ten years really did a number to your tactfullness?"
Nodal: "Oh. So it isn't E Li."
Doopliss: "Well, at least I'm alive. Kuja supposedly killed all of you... at least, your base died."
Aribar: "Doopliss?! He did this?"
Nodal whispers. "Whos Doopliss? I'd want some popcorn if I wasn't about to die."
Doopliss: "What shocks you so much, slick? I'm too smart to let some pyrotechnics kill me."
Metal Man (GM): He leans backwards as the Questers near their doom on the spikes.
Aribar: "Uhhh... Less talky, more savey!"
Nodal: "Hey Locos. Charles. Whatever. The spikes?"
Garrick: "He won't do it."
Charles nods. He looks to Doopliss.
Nodal: "I saved you once. Please return the favor?"
Doopliss: *click.* "Oops... my finger slipped."
Metal Man (GM): The tiles fly into the spikes at maximum speed.
Nodal: "Oh that is some *censored* There."
Garrick: "Too busy drinking Coca-Cola and flaunting around to care..."
Metal Man (GM): Aribar is impaled on the spikes and fails to survive; -1 life. As does Garrick. Nodal survives with 10 health left.
Nodal: "Well ow."
Metal Man (GM): The floor tiles move down, and Doopliss prepares to fight.
Nodal concentrates to restore his health.
Metal Man (GM): Nodal is impaled on the ceiling. He cannot concentrate :p
Doopliss: "Now I'm gonna do the same to you."
Metal Man (GM): BATTLE.
Charles: "Now you have crossed the line. Your treachery ends now."
Metal Man (GM): Doopliss vs. Charles.
Doopliss: "I'll kill them for sure next time."
Charles starts by facing Doopliss and crouches low while extending his right leg parallel to the ground, turning 270 degrees counterclockwise so the leg delivers a nimble leg sweep.
Metal Man (GM): You barely miss; Doopliss sidesteps.
Doopliss: "I think you're the rusty one, Slick. I've sharpened my wit while you've been playing dead."
Charles uses his momentum to turn his body aiming at the ground. Upon landing on the ground with his palms open, moves in breakdance fashion while spreading his legs apart. He gains a high, yet steady, speed after a dozen spins, he pushes his hands from the ground to make a slight jump, retracts his right hand, and puts his left index finger on the ground while simultaneously having his legs parallel to the ground at last. Balancing on the one finger, the spinning Lunarian strikes Doopliss in the midsection.
Metal Man (GM): You hit him both times. He gets a little bruised; he stands tall and faces you.
Charles pushes on his finger. This allows him to jump enough to land on his feet.
Doopliss: "I don't even need your abilities to win! Take this!"
Metal Man (GM): He leaps up into the air and flies like a missile into Charles.
Charles defends by putting his arms in front of his body. He skids back about 10 feet. Upon regaining his balance, he runs at the ghost and just before coming into close contact with the opponent, Charles leans forward and applies slight pressure to his legs allowing him to make a short jump. In the brief time that he jumps, his thrusts his kneecap into the opponent.
Metal Man (GM): He leaps to the left of your attack.
Doopliss: "You move fast, but your mind is still stuck in the past."
Charles turns around in mid-air to face Doopliss. His back towards the balcony, he uses this time to look at him.
Doopliss: "Now, here's a real magic trick!"
Metal Man (GM): He spins around and morphs into Mario. Then he leaps into the air and tries to stomp on you.
Charles uses this chance, while Doopliss in the air, to allow him to land. Upon positioning himself, he let's loose with a rising heavy uppercut to the chin of the Mario doppelganger. *
Metal Man (GM): You knock him flying backwards into the balcony; he hits the controls. The railings crack and the shield flickers.
Doopliss: "Oof... I'll get you for that!"
Charles shakes his fist, slightly hurting from that. He then walks slowly toward bed sheet. "We really haven't battled each other. In the impossible event that I survive, I'd like to talk to you some time later today... but for right now!..." *Charles, having finished, leans forward and to a side, throwing a kick. towards the low side of the opponent.
Nodal moans a little.
Metal Man (GM): Hit. He turns towards you, staring at you with his hollow version of Mario's eyes.
Doopliss: "I'll smash you into rubble!"
Metal Man (GM): He takes out his hammer and steps to attack you... *CRACK.* The balcony, containing both you and him, gets a huge crack in it.
Doopliss: "That isn't goo--"
Metal Man (GM): *CRASH.* The balcony itself falls onto the main floor, as does Nodal. Ari and Garrick are revived. Doopliss gets up, now back in his normal form, his eyes a little dazed from falling.
Nodal: "...Medic?"
Doopliss: "You... won't... beat me!"
Garrick slowly steps down off the revival pad and moves slowly toward Doopliss.
Charles tumbles and falls, but merely lands on his feet from the fall.
Garrick: "Oh, I beg to differ..."
Nodal concentrates to heal himself before jumping in if possible.
Metal Man (GM): He gets up and dusts himself off.
Garrick he cracks his knuckles menacingly before dropping into his usual stutter step stance.
Charles: "I would still like to talk to you some time in the near future before you leave."
Doopliss: "Me? Talk to you? After I beat the Questers down."
Nodal has healing energy ripple over his body. He then steps into a defensive stance and waits for his entrance.
Charles nods.
Metal Man (GM): He leaps over everyone and moves so that he can face everyone at once. BOSS BATTLE. Questers & Charles vs. Doopliss.
Nodal makes as if to do a very impressive move. He then defends seemingly out of cowardice.
Doopliss: "You can't stop me, Questers. I'm too intelligent to be beaten."
Charles: "Then tell me. Are you oblivious to the art known as Tai Kwan Leep? Boot to the Head."
Doopliss: "I don't even have a head." *Ducks.*
Metal Man (GM): *Miss.*
Charles ends his turn.
Doopliss: "Not so tough without your guns, are you?"
Nodal: "I don't even own a gun! How smart are you now?"
Garrick moves in to couple his attack with Charles' attack, not responding to the bed sheet as he Jabs, then follows up with a Windmill Kick.
Doopliss: "Three times more than you'll ever be."
Metal Man (GM): Garrick jabs the floor and windmill kicks Doopliss's face.
Nodal: "Really? Is that why your trap failed?"
Doopliss: "Yes."
Nodal shakes his head.
Charles rolls his head, cracking his neck with his arms crossed.
Aribar decides to cast Magic Armor on himself, a semi-transparent coating of armor appearing over the half-elf's body. The casting takes a good deal of time, leaving Aribar with nothing else to do.
Metal Man (GM): Aribar's magic spell acts weird; everyone suddenly regains their equipment, sans their dexes.
Aribar blinks... "Ummm... I meant to do that?"
Nodal: "Wow thanks Ari!"
Garrick: "...well, that's nice..."
Metal Man (GM): Doopliss stares at Garrick really closely...
Garrick: "...gonna copy me?"
Metal Man (GM): He turns into Garrick, only hunched over and with weird, hollow eyes.
Garrick Fy'Arr: "I'm gonna shoot you all up now! Ha ha ha haa!"
Garrick: "...this oughta be fun."
Nodal: "Well. Now thats creepy."
Metal Man (GM): He lurches forward and runs into Nodal's face, and then tries to punch Nodal with his laser guns. Three times. Machinegun.
Garrick Fy'Arr: "Hyuck hyuck! Taste dem purdy lazers!"
Garrick: "...you could at least try to sound like me."
Nodal staggers. "You... you..." *roars "YOU MONSTER!"*
Garrick: "Hey!"
Garrick Fy'Arr: "Yeah... he is a real monster all right. I think I'll be using this form for a while..."
Aribar: .oO(At least that double... Triple..... Quadruple... At least that multiple-times backstabber didn't use anything from me yet...)
Nodal staggers and collapses on the ground exhausted.
Charles takes his Red Chaos emerald and uses it to absorb the anger but not the power boost. He puts it away. He rolls his neck, and bows.
Metal Man (GM): The anger, it is absorbed.
Garrick Fy'Arr: "Think you can beat me, myself? I didn't think so."
Charles: "The last person to underestimate Doopliss was sucked inside his own cane. Be cautious."
Garrick capitalizes off this new vigor and charges straight at the guy, Jabbing twice, followed by a fully charged up Cross Hook.
Metal Man (GM): He takes the two jabs and then blocks the Cross hook. You notice the HEXS armor on him, which helps absorb the blows.
Garrick: "...everything, huh?"
Garrick Fy'Arr: "I wouldn't be you without it!"
Metal Man (GM): Hit and hit. Nice rolls.
Garrick Fy'Arr: "Dah! That hurt a lot!"
Aribar decides to fire off a stream of purple stars at the dopplerganger before snapping his fingers, causing an explosion to envelope Doopliss.
Garrick Fy'Arr: "I'm going to go out with a bang! Peeew! Peew! PEEEEW!"
Metal Man (GM): He starts punching the ground with fireballs. Then he explodes; fireballs and lasers fly at everyone, but they're aimed firstly at Garrick. Yeouch.
Charles stumbles and is now on one foot.
Nodal leaps away after a particularly agile jump.
Garrick gets nailed... but he isn't dead.
Aribar is barely even scorched by the fireballs.*
Nodal's body starts to knit together and he feels a mite better. He then throws his seeds in the air. "Lets keep it going guys!" He then leaps towards Doopliss and swipes him twice across the face. "For Aetos!"
Metal Man (GM): Hit, miss.
Nodal then leaps backwards into a defensive stance.
Metal Man (GM): Hit.
Charles: "Boot to the Head." After saying this, a whooshing sound is heard and from out After saying this, a whooshing sound is heard and out of nowhere, Charles has already given Boot to the Head to near the top of Doopliss.
Garrick keeps up the heat, striking with a fully charged Cross Hook...
Charles leaps off of the sheet's forehead, and then lands on the floor with his feet.
Metal Man (GM): Hit, miss.
Aribar fires another explosive Bang at Doopliss before sending a bolt of lightning lancing from his fingertips to the dopplerganger.* (Bang and Bolt. Two AGI saves.)
Garrick Fy'Arr: "You're such a wizard, Aribar. I should use your powers to increase my magical forte!"
Metal Man (GM): He scans Aribar...
Aribar: "Again, Doopliss? You already have my mentor's magic..."
Metal Man (GM): Doopliss morphs into Aribar... he looks stronger than Aribar does, though.
Nodal: "Looks like Elfy ate his Wheaties."
Charles looks to a small cube he has and smiles a bit. An old record from his youth.
Aribar: "Hah! This guy's got some sweet moves. Let's see... how about some of this?"
Metal Man (GM): He takes out a fake Moonlight and then goes to slice out Nodal's gut with it.
Aribar frowns. "Be prepared for some lightning-induced death... Or that."
Nodal sidesteps neatly.
Charles chuckles a little.
Metal Man (GM): Using the luck of two people at once, he manages to nick Nodal with the blade.
Nodal gets zapped. "Ow!"
Aribar: "I just wish he could HIT THINGS."
Charles: "An impersonation is stronger than the original. This is a humorous incident."
Nodal: "This is how you use a sword!"
Aribar: "It's an illusion, Locos. I should hope that I know my own strengths better than a dopplerganger."
Nodal twirls Rush as he races to Doopliss. "Take this copy!" He slices into Doopliss's body twice in each arm. He then goes for a dtrong slice to its neck. He finally ends by backflipping holding Rush in front of him.
Metal Man (GM): Hit miss miss hit hit. You realize why you missed those two times... he's missing an arm!
Aribar: "I can't quite remember the old, two-armed Aribar. But I can still use my strength to make him buff!"
Metal Man (GM): As you hit him, you realize he's still wearing that HEXS armor. Doopliss looks a bit... beaten up.
Aribar: "You keep on hitting me... no fair!"
Charles uses one of his arms, he turns sideways and moves his elbow forward, thrusting with force into the abdomen of his opponent. Charles then turns his body to face Doopliss, then uses a quick, but powerful jab.
Metal Man (GM): Hit.
Nodal: "Hey! How can you keep that armor when you are Aribar?"
Aribar: "He's probably perfected his art... Shape shifting into different forms at once. The answer lies in... BI-BOLT LASER BARRAGE!"
Metal Man (GM): He takes aim at Charles with a barrage of electrified lasers. damageper initial hit, +33 extra electrical damage for every 5 over your EVD.
Nodal rushes towards Doopliss with Rush pointed straight out. The blade enters into Doopliss's chest. He then pulls it upwards and spins around chopping as hard as possible three times to its only arm.
Metal Man (GM): Miss miss hit miss miss. He dodges like an Aribar can.
Charles has taken some decent damage. Charles then chants in Lunarian and thrusts both arms forward with his hands cupped together. A ball of electrical energy zigzags towards the Ari/Garrick combo. It does damage unless he has evasion.
Metal Man (GM): He does.
Aribar fires off a Star Storm and Bolt at Doopliss.
Metal Man (GM): The beaten up 'Aribar' gets up.
Aribar: "Die, impudent elf!"
Charles: "With experience and training, the spells will improve." *says this in regards to his spells.*
Aribar: "Hmp. Just try and touch me!"
Metal Man (GM): He runs up and stabs Aribar with True Strike. While wearing his laser guns. And with Moonlight.
Aribar is hit. He is nicked badly, but his enchantments and experience turn away the brunt of the blow. "Hah!"
Nodal uses his last non-having to regen turn by attempting to finish the task. He does not fool around as he slices right into Doopliss's stomach 7 times.
Metal Man (GM): Hit hit miss hit miss hit hit. You deal the finishing blow...
Nodal: "That is how a real swordsman does it."
Metal Man (GM): He falls down... and you discover that... you just killed Aribar!
Nodal: "Well crap."
Metal Man (GM): Doopliss appears where Aribar was standing.
Doopliss: "Hah! You're such weak twerps. Can't even tell when I'm switching places with your allies!"
Nodal sighs.
Doopliss: "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a plane to catch."
Charles: "Doopliss..."
Nodal chases after him. "Oh no you dont!"
Metal Man (GM): Well, yeah, but it still appeared like it. He leaps out of Nodal's way and then makes some comments.
Nodal throws his sword right at Doopliss with all his power.
Charles: "Doopliss... duck!"
Doopliss: "If you weren't so desperate---" *ducks.* "--I'd perhaps tell you the whole truth. I hate Kuja's guts. And you nearly killed me there. Though instead you mildly injured Aribar."
Nodal: "Well I'm not feeling too charitable to those who kill my friends."
Doopliss: "I thought you were the Fallen Questers! What else would you do in my shoes?"
Charles: "Besides, you are living under a destructive god... for the past 10 years, what else could you think of?"
Doopliss: "Kuja said that you had returned from the grave to take over the realm in the name of Grodus once and for all."
Aribar is badly sliced, roughly half as healthy as he was before, but still standing. "... I'm about ready to throw Terrorbolts at everyone in this room."
Doopliss: "Seeing as the last time I saw you all, it was him appearing to kill you, I had nothing else to think."
Nodal picks up Rush and goes to help Aribar.
Doopliss: "Now then. You still heavily wounded me, and you can be content in my lack of being."
Charles: "Doopliss... wait." *equips the Star Rod. The magic of its powers in his hands.* "Heal!"
Metal Man (GM): You raise it up... and it does nothing.
Doopliss: "I'm undead, you silly sorceror."
Nodal: "Is everyone undead here?"
Doopliss: "I'll be back, give a year or two... see you later, Slick."
Charles: "...I'm sorry, I did not know."
Aribar: "Try reviving him. Perhaps it'll kill him."
Doopliss: *He vanishes.*
Nodal: "Seems like it would be a pretty exclusive club."
Charles: "Doopliss, I want to talk to you!" *punches the nearest wall.* "DAMNIT."
Metal Man (GM): A blue light appears in the middle of the floor... Zelda escape style. +1500 EXP.
Aribar: "Thank Erwin... Let's get out of here."
Metal Man (GM): You also see the control panel, laying on the ground.
Charles: "I was so close... I was so close."
Nodal: "Hey Locos. Why is everyone calling you Charles now?"
Charles: "That is my true name." *pounds the wall with his Mad Fist.*
Aribar: "Just get in the portal..." *The elf heads into the portal, and as a passing thought wonders if it is a trap.*
Nodal: "Huh. Locos is more catchy."
Charles makes a small dent, then turns around.
Nodal: "Cmon. Let's get out of this dump. It will be like old times."
Metal Man (GM): Charles smells... the magitek here.
Nodal: "Que?"
Metal Man (GM): It makes you want to destroy things. Like this entire factory.
Nodal gets into the portal "C'mon!"
Charles: "It took me weeks to find Doopliss!...I can't believe that a potential ally is gone... Nodal, move on. I have ...unfinished business here."
Metal Man (GM): Out of the corner of your eyes, there is the control panel... it looks appealing.
Charles looks to the control panel... his nose twitches.
Metal Man (GM): The panel... it has a note tacked on it. It says...
Charles: "Magitek is here...*he approaches the control panel and observes it... and reads the note."
Metal Man (GM): 'Hey, you. Charles. I know YOU aren't a Fallen Quester, so perhaps this present will cheer you up.' It has a little arrow on it which points to a red button. 'This button will make the factory explode.'
Charles smiles. "Seems he's still a mercenary after all." *presses the red button with his left finger. He walks to the portal and stops. He looks around slowly... and spits blood on the floor. He turns around and enters the portal.*
Metal Man (GM): Charles exits just in time, as the whole place suddenly explodes. Every single room blows up violently; the Magitek's own energy is used against itself, as it implodes. *Camera zooms out.* In some weird room, Grodus watches the destruction on a camera screen.
Grodus: "So... it is as I thought. Kuja hired a traitor in order to let that happen. Just as predicted. The Questers won't be so lucky, though... not even Kuja is prepared for my master plan."
Metal Man (GM): Grodus walks out of sight, and the scene fades. END MISSION.
Metal Man (GM): Oh, yeah, +10,000 coins to everyone who made it through. And yes.
Charles returns to HQ from the portal after weeks of searching for someone not loyal to Kuja. Despite blowing up a most foul creation, he is... disappointed.
Charles: "I was so close to get him to talk about defection... and he got away." *wanders through the hallways of the semi-repaired Stadium. He greets some soldiers here and there.* "I can't keep spending weeks at a time trying to find stranglers in this world... I need help." *has a light bulb over his head light up at the same time he gets an idea. He looks up, quizically at the bulb wondering how it lit. He walks 30 meters southbound through the corridors of the ruins to the leader's office. He knocks on the door.*
Charles acknowledges no response. Illian must be sleeping or can't take part of outside reality of whatever he finds casual. He wanders more around the Stadium to try to find Ivan instead, making sure to avoid one of the most loudmouthed and obnoxious of Ivan's soldiers that calls himself "Vladimir von Varuushkah."
Charles, able to evade Vladimir for one more day, returns to his room after failing to find the scientist in a large building mini-game. Yawning, he returns to his room and sets down the sheathe of the Onyx Sword in on its pedestal. He goes to the center of his room, crossing his legs as he sits. He returns to the dream realm, levitating his body. The red Chaos Emerald gradually levitates out of his pocket, circling him. The 6 other chaos emeralds begin to resonate ever so slightly... glowing ever so slightly. He can now no longer hear the outside world, though the green mist does not come from his room. He cannot even hear the dex beeping, "WARNING: Fluctuating mind waves reacting to chaos energy." The dex beeps over and over... but no one answers. Within Magellean's invisible sphere, it cannot connect to the others. Soon, the madness that he put himself through shall end, making sure he never goes on that path again. Oblivious to what lies around him, the seven keys shall unlock his freedom from that he is bound to: his own madness. *finishes.*