Super Smash Quest - Story - Chapter 293: Sands of Deception

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Date: 6:34:46 PM, June 29th, 2006.

Aetos uses his wind flow attack from high above to burst open the main doors, hoping to spook someone nearby.

The Wraith happened to be drifting by the main entry as it bursts open... It looks at the doorway and lofts an eyebrow, pausing in the middle of the hallway.

Aetos: *Wind merely gushes in through the doorway before it ends.*

The Wraith tilts its head to the side a bit, a dark barrier forming around itself as it drifts out the door, looking about.

Aetos peers down from the roof, and gives a snort and snicker.

The Wraith turns around and looks up, raising an eyebrow and folding its arms... Aetos would then find a shard of magical energy flying toward his forehead as the wraith drifts back in through the door.

Aetos cowers his head back over the roof like a turtle, giving himself some cover. "Hm... I hope that guy didn't notice my bright vibrant sign."
He flicks a little rubble from that Nuke off the roof... "Hmm... when will he arrive..."
He ends up just sun... or moonbathing on top the roof. "Maybe another mission will start soon before he arrives." he sets his spear to play Pepsi Cola when a mission or CAL fight is to start.

The Wraith once inside, would begin wandering... down the hall, rather than passing between walls and such. Pacing down the main passageway, pondering, thinking, musing...

Metal Man (GM): So... we have ourselves those who picked to fight Ganondorf instead of check out the ruins.
They're in the big room, as always.

The Wraith: *Poof!*

Aetos is suddenly in the Big Room.

Julian Sawyer: "Alright, we got a crew fo' this?"

Dragoshi: *Poofeth!*

SIMBER: "Simple enough... just go to the Spirit Temple and oust Ganondorf."

Dragoshi leans against a wall "...Yep. Sounds simple enough."

Julian Sawyer: "Mets, how much you want--how much should I pay you to come on this mission?"

Aetos: "Pay him? Pfft... you should be paying me!"

Editor's Note: Nobody should be paying Aetos, given how he behaves.

SIMBER: "...Metal, and The Void, are at the ruined outpost."

Gibby enters the big room with his gear all prepared for battle.

Dragoshi: "...Huh."

Gibby: "Well I'm ready!"

Metal Man (GM): *Record scratchin'*

Julian Sawyer: "Everyone here?"

SIMBER: "You may step on the elevator when you are ready."

Gibby: "Well... not everyone... but most."

The Wraith nods silently and drifts to the elevator...

Digifanatic has walked back into Big Room..."Yes."

Gibby skips his way into the elevator.

Julian Sawyer: "A'ight. Let's go!" *Walks into the elevator.*

Digifanatic gets on in there...

Dragoshi walks into the elevator.

Aetos trots onto the elevator-nator-wator-cator.

Metal Man (GM): The elevator takes on off with all o' yeh aboard.
You soon find yourself far out in the desert, in front of a newly rebuilt spirit temple
...However, it is surrounded by darkness.

Gibby: "...Well... it's better than the arctic."

Digifanatic: "Well, here we go, guys... Yeah."

Dragoshi: "...Woah."

The Wraith tilts its head to the side, reaching into its torso and pulling out two stones as a dark barrier forms around itself...

Wolfman arrives.

The Wraith ...Purple and Grey stones, that is.

Julian Sawyer: "Alright, get in, Beat the **** outta Ganondorf, then get back out. Everyone know what to do? Good." *Heads in.*

Digifanatic: "Sir, yes, sir."

Wolfman: *Quietly* "For once, I'm in agreement."

Gibby: "Sounds easy."

Wolfman: .oO(...WHY must I be back in Gerudo territory?)

Dragoshi follows behind Julian "...Understood."

The Wraith just smirks mildly at that, for once not having any arguments against Julian's beat-em-up strategy, and follows...

Wolfman follows carefully.

Metal Man (GM): The front door, a giant stone, does not open for you.
Hmm... it appears Ganondorf is intelligent enough to lock the front door.
What do you do?

Gibby: "Anyone got any explosives?"

Dragoshi: "..."

Wolfman observe the door... and the massive temple...

Aetos: "I hate heat..." *Pant.*

The Wraith tilts its head and reaches a hand out to touch the door, to pass through an inch... Any effects?

Julian Sawyer: "Ain't a problem." *Julian takes out Vendetta, and uses the Jedi Door Opening Trick.*

Wolfman: "...perhaps there is another way in..."

Dragoshi: "...Knock it down?"

Digifanatic stands back so Julian can have some space.

Metal Man (GM): Your hand, and Vendetta, stick through the door... like it's a portal.

Julian Sawyer: "..."

Dragoshi: "...Interesting."

Wolfman observes this strange feat.
"I agree Dragoshi."

Aetos: "...DARK WORLD?!" *he leaps at the door.*

The Wraith tilts its head to the other side and goes to pass through fully, reinforcing that barrier...

Julian Sawyer: "...So much for that."

Dragoshi: "...An illusion, maybe...?"
*He follows the Wraith.*

Metal Man (GM): Aetos quickly reappears out a portal a few feet behind you guys and lands where he last stood.

Digifanatic walks on.

Gibby: "Could be a trap."

Digifanatic: "And hello, Aetos."

Metal Man (GM): So does the Wraith... and Digi.

Aetos: "...Huh..."

Wolfman turns around...

Gibby just shrugs and enters.

Wolfman: "...weren't you guys ahead of me?"

Metal Man (GM): Gibby also reappears where he last stood.

Julian Sawyer packs Vendetta back up "...A'ight, looks like we're gonna hafta find another way in."

Gibby: "Darn!"

Wolfman looks to see if there is an area he can climb up the temple.

Metal Man (GM): Ganondorf also apparently learned how to make portals which go in circles.
No windows; who'd want to let this heat in?

Julian Sawyer activates his Rocket Boots and looks for another place where he could carve his way in...

Wolfman looks for etches or grooves to climb up.

The Wraith backs up and looks around for any other methods of entry...

Dragoshi does the same as the others.

Metal Man (GM): There's sandstone walls on the base floor. They look the safest.

Wolfman observes the sandstone walls...
"I think we've found our way up. But tread carefully."
*He approaches the sandstone walls slowly.*

Gibby: "Uhh... ok."

Julian Sawyer: "Alright, got an entry point." *Julian takes out Vendetta again and carves in a hole with his Jedi Door Opening trick.*

Dragoshi approaches them slowly as well.

Gibby starts following Wraith.

Metal Man (GM): Julian carves open a hole...

Wolfman quick draws his claws, not planting them in just yet... Julian already made his action.

Metal Man (GM): ...A BIG LOOKING SWORD JUTS OUT

Gibby: "Woah!"

Aetos: "AHHH STALFOS?!"

Metal Man (GM): You hear something huge walk through the hole... it's an Iron Knuckle!

Dragoshi: "...What the-"

Metal Man (GM): And it looks... ANGRY

Aetos: "Aww... what..."

Julian Sawyer: "FJUZTS!" *Julian immediately boosts backwards as the sword carves through.*

Metal Man (GM): It stands in the hole.

Dragoshi: "Dang. That's one irate bugger!"

Julian Sawyer: "...Aren't Iron Knuckles 'sposed to use Axes?"

Wolfman sees Julian fly out, and an Iron Knuckle blocking the gate.

The Wraith backs away from the Knuckle, gripping its grey & purple magical stones as it faces the opponent...

Metal Man (GM): You can't even get past it, because it enlarged the hole to fit itself.

Wolfman: "Not all of them."

Digifanatic: "Oh man."

Julian Sawyer dexes the monstrosity to see if they can fight past it.

Metal Man (GM): This... is clearly an upgraded Iron Knuckle.

Dragoshi: "...Yeah."

Gibby: "Hmm..."

Metal Man (GM): ...You should wait a few moments for me to actually make the stats. >.>

Editor's Note: The true enemy that exists across time and space, sheets not being ready in time for the session!

Dragoshi: "...The 'ell is up with THIS?"

Wolfman: "I advise getting your weapons ready... this is going to be one ugly matchup."

Julian Sawyer: "You a master of the obvious, Wolf..."

Gibby: "I recall fighting iron knuckles before... but nothing like this one."

Digifanatic: "...Yeah."

Wolfman: "Glad to be of service Julian."

Aetos slaps The_Wraith around a bit with a large trout.

Metal Man (GM): BATTLE
Questers vs. Iron Knuckle +
Inits?
The Iron Knuckle towers over you. It is 20 feet tall, and wields a 10 foot long, 3 foot wide solid blade of titanium.

Gibby: "They're always... so tall."

Aetos: "That... IS one big knuckle..."

Metal Man (GM): It wears almost as much armor as Metal Man.

Wolfman gets a good look... from being a not so tall creature himself.

Dragoshi: "...Yeah. Seriously."

Metal Man (GM): Order: Julian, Dragoshi, Digi, Wolf, Aetos, Gibby, Wraith, Titanium Knuckle

Julian Sawyer: *Dex Attack!*

Wolfman tunes his ears to the Dex.

Smash Dex: "...DING!"

Metal Man (GM): Iron Knuckle
Level 100

Superhuman Enemy
HP: 0/2000
SP: 0/50
STR: 40
END: 40
AGI: 10
MNT: 10
AC: 10
DR: 41
Weapon:
IRON KNUCKLE SWORD
Huge Superhuman Deathsword+10
72 damage
Attack: Use Sword d20+15, 110 damage

Digifanatic: .oO(Ohhhhhhhh crap.)

Smash Dex: "The newly upgraded defender. After losing repeatedly, Ganondorf decided to go all out with this model, making it tougher than all his other soldiers combined."

Wolfman: .oO(...fight smart, team up with others)

Julian Sawyer: "...Yeah, I'm thinkin' run."

Wolfman: .oO(...or run?)

Smash Dex: "It's all or nothing against this... resources indicate he has heavily fortified his temple with them. End of entry."

Digifanatic: "Oh MAN... fortified the temple? We've gotta be nuts to do this..."

Julian Sawyer: "Not good..."

Gibby: "Since when did he get smarter all of a sudden?"

Metal Man (GM): It clutches its sword, ready to smash Julian into the ground.

Dragoshi: "...Oh, come on."

Metal Man (GM): Better make a move of some sort.

Wolfman bides his time... instead of yelling out cries of help, he chooses to drown it out... try to find an alternate path or idea.

Metal Man (GM): It readies to attack as Julian stares at it.

Wolfman: "Julian, move!"
.oO(if this doesn't save him, I don't know what will)

Julian Sawyer: "C'mon, think..." *Julian defends to start off, needing some time to plan... Turn ova!*

Metal Man (GM): Oh, right.
All Questers' turns

Wolfman awaits to see if anyone is worth teaming up with this early.

Aetos makes to not do anything but watch this turn...

Julian Sawyer: "...Ghost, try possessin' his sword or somethin'! We gotta get that thing off him!"

Metal Man (GM): It makes powering up noises, as it gets ready to attack.

The Wraith just silently cracks its neck as it drifts toward the Knuckle... It considers that sword, briefly pondering whether it looks enchanted or not... If not, it goes to dive at the sword to do as Julian suggested...

Metal Man (GM): You hear... huh... that's odd. How many Iron Knuckles made the sound of a robot powering up?

Wolfman changes his "formation" within the group... assuming we're in a semi pyramid formation... he moves towards the right.

Gibby unsheaths his sword and goes straight into defense mode. His attacks wouldn't do any damage, so all he could do was defend for the time being.

Metal Man (GM): It's a giant hunk of scrap metal, not likely to be enchanted.

Digifanatic: "Screw this, guys. I can get us outta here... this is gonna be too nuts otherwise." *With that, he takes out his Dex and his Digivice, connects the latter into the former, and sets a coordinate into the temple, hopefully Digiporting himself and the rest of his fellow Questers inside.*

Wolfman then hears... what the?

The Wraith possession time!

Wolfman: .oO(...are there other reploids here?)

Metal Man (GM): Digi attempts his thing... but he does nothing but bounce off of the Titanium Knuckle.
It's apparently so thick as to block teleporting.

Dragoshi gets in a defensive stance. (Defending. End of turn)

Digifanatic: "Oh man..."
*He just defends as well.*

Wolfman just defends after he gets into his new formation position.

Metal Man (GM): The Wraith possesses the sword... only to find the grip of the Titanium Knuckle to be greater than that of his ability to move it.
In fact, the grip is probably one of the toughest things he's encountered. Ever.

Digifanatic of course, has put back his stuff.

Metal Man (GM): It finishes powering up, and then slashes in a downward arc at Julian.

Julian Sawyer blasts to the side, avoiding the huge cut!

The Wraith: *The sword would be jerked around a bit, but... wouldn't end up going anywhere. The wraith would then leap out of it... I'm guessing that'd take my whole turn, ne?*

Metal Man (GM): NEW ROUND--Questers' turns
You're lucky... it has somewhat low accuracy.
It pries its sword out of the sand, into which it sunk rather deeply.

Gibby: "Hmmm..."

Metal Man (GM): It then pulls it backwards, charging up some sort of stabbing motion.

Dragoshi still stays in his defensive stance, just in case... (Defending. EoT)

Julian Sawyer: "Lucky its slow..."

The Wraith would then just go with the plan it had originally; BLAST! It holds both stones out in front of itself as it blasts a massive barrage of magical energy at the Knuckle...

Gibby: "Did anyone else notice what I just saw?"

Dragoshi: "...What did you see, Gibby?"

Metal Man (GM): It is hit, as it literally stands in the way.

Wolfman attempts to search for... wait a second...

Julian Sawyer looks around for something he could drop on the thing, like a big rock or a giant TV...

Editor's Note: This ain't the Dark Ages, Julian, and I certainly wasn't going to put a giant TV over THIS enemy like a certain past GM did...

Gibby: "His sword... when it went into the sand, it sunk in deep into the ground. If there was some way to take the thing of its feet... perhaps it too could sink down."

Wolfman: .oO(...wasn't there supposed to be... maybe...)

Metal Man (GM): The attack damages it some.

Wolfman attempts to search for any cracks on the walls NOT directly by the temple.

Dragoshi: "...Interesting method, Gibby."

Metal Man (GM): In fact... a rather large amount of armor falls off of it from that attack.

Digifanatic figures that this'll be the best chance he has to attack the guy: he attempts to unleash a Celestial Fury at him, hoping that he's somehow lucky enough to do something...

The Wraith looks to Gibby and nods a bit, agreeing... End of turn.

Metal Man (GM): Wolf finds nothing but the cracks already right next to the Knuckle.

Dragoshi: "...Oh. NICE ONE."

Metal Man (GM): It's brand new.
It is hit by Digi.
It is almost finished charging. Julian finds nothing.

Wolfman needs to work on his vision...

Metal Man (GM): The attack bounces off.
Apparently its HP is also its armor. It only drops in damage reduction after severe damage.

Gibby: "Solo attacks aren't going to work. We'll have to combine moves in order to knock it down."

Wolfman turns to Gibby. "I'm all for that."

Julian Sawyer decides to swerve in low then, attacking its legs with a One-Two Cut!

Digifanatic defends again for the time being.

Dragoshi turns to Gibby as well "As am I."

Metal Man (GM): It, of course, cannot dodge either.

Julian Sawyer: *CRIIIIIIIIIITICAL!*

Metal Man (GM): It stands there as you slash it.
It takes more damage... but less than what Wraith did.
While the others discuss... it moves to stab Julian while he's nearby.
*STAB* 110 damage... that hurts worse than Vendetta. Ouch.

Aetos raises an eyebrow.

Metal Man (GM): The atatck sends Julian flying 3 TP away from the battle and out into the sand.

Julian Sawyer: "Uagh!" *Julian's sent far away by that one.*

Aetos: "It doesn't like Julian..."

Gibby: "I say we do the ol' one-two attack. A couple of us attack at the top of the head in order to push it back, and then the others will attack its legs from behind. This should trip him easily."

Metal Man (GM): It wipes its sword on the ground and turns to face Wraith.
New Round

Aetos: "Shall we throw it onto the sand then?"

Metal Man (GM): Its sword is suddenly hit by a convenient ball of lightning...

The Wraith: *...* *Sweatdrop.*

Metal Man (GM): Thus electrifying not only the sword... but the entire thing!

Wolfman attempts to team up... what the?

Digifanatic: "Oh man."

Gibby blinks and looks over.

Metal Man (GM): For this round, the Titanium Knuckle is electrified.

Wolfman: .oO(Okay, what's going on? This is too convenient...)

Dragoshi: "...How contrivedly cheap."

Gibby: "...I swear, we have such bad luck."

Wolfman: "Doesn't mean we're out of it."

Metal Man (GM): The Titanium Knuckle powers up, readying to attack.
Questers' turns

Aetos: "Did anyone hear me, or are they all just wallowing in self hate?"

Wolfman: "Dragoshi: I got a good idea here." *Goes to him.*

Gibby: "Well we can't touch it now. We'll get shocked."

The Wraith ...backs 1 TP away from the Knuckle as its barrier takes on a shiny sheen with a metallic clang sound.

Aetos: "Who needs to touch him to throw him?..."

Dragoshi: "...Indeed."

Digifanatic has got a chance to do something... he backs off a bit and fires off a Hyper Beam Matrix at the guys.

Julian Sawyer decides to catch his breath where he is... Headfirst in the sand.

Gibby: "...Well... maybe you guys don't."

Metal Man (GM): The Titanium Knuckle now sounds almost electrical.

Digifanatic has got a chance to do something... he backs off a bit and fires off a Hyper Beam Matrix at the guy's head... hoping to mess around with him a bit...

Metal Man (GM): It powers up like a giant refrigerator.
You hit it twice... but can it penetrate the massive armor?
The Hyper Beams bounce off his head.

Wolfman stands next to Dragoshi... team up move coming!

Aetos shrugs, "Fine, looks like you don't need MY help..." he leaves to fetch Julian, using jumps to hopefully shorten the time.

Metal Man (GM): Takes 3 TP to reach Julian.

Dragoshi: "...Okay, then."

Digifanatic isn't dealing anything yet... but at least it seems his accuracy is boosting confidence.

Wolfman will fire his Tophead Buster when Dragoshi fires his move.

Dragoshi fires his Ice Tornado when Wolf fires his Tophead Buster.

Wolfman: *Description!*

Metal Man (GM): As you team up, it's almost ready to slash at Wraith.
You hear laughing... but from where?

Aetos is at Julian, and tries to pull him out of the sand.

Gibby looks around.

Metal Man (GM): Listen check, Gibby.

Gibby: "What's with the laughing?"

Wolfman: *The Ice Tornado helps funnel the Tophead Buster, causing an intense focus of power and energy. aimed right at the iron knuckle. TOPHEAD TORNADO!*

Julian Sawyer: "What the **** You doin' here?! Get back to the battle!"

Digifanatic: "Probably G-Dorf as usual."

Aetos: "They aren't any good."

Metal Man (GM): Gibby... believes Aetos is chuckling!

Aetos: "It's futile to help them."

Metal Man (GM): Now roll to-hit for the teamup attacks.

Gibby: "What the heck's so funny, Aetos?"

Metal Man (GM): Wolfman's buster attack flies off far away.
Helped by the tornado, it flies very far away.

Julian Sawyer: "An' its a waste to come all the way over here to check up on me! Now go BACK!"

Metal Man (GM): The tornado then swerves into the evil Iron Knuckle.
Damage for the tornado alone?

Aetos: "I'm here to HEAL you, fool."

Metal Man (GM): With the power of teamwork... it scratches the armor a little.

Aetos waves a hand toward Julian, and a bright light gently flows over and into him.

Dragoshi: "...That... Was just inanely bad luck."

Wolfman: "Sorry about that; I'll work on my aim next time."

Gibby: "Oy..."

Dragoshi: "...Eh. Don't worry 'bout it"

Metal Man (GM): The Titanium Knuckle then swings at Wraith.

Julian Sawyer: "I'm FINE. Don' need no HELP! You jus' left the ones who DID!"

Metal Man (GM): *SLICE* 110 electrical damage.
Wraith would be sent even further... 6 TP away, beyond Julian.
The electrical damage is also magical.

Gibby watches him fly off. "Holy..."

Digifanatic sees Wraith just fly over Aetos' and Julian's head...

Metal Man (GM): NEW ROUND

Garrick Fy`aar: *That's one hell of a physical attack... O.*

The Wraith lets out a keening noise as it flies back, the barrier shattering to pieces as it goes.

Digifanatic: (quietly) "Oh man..."

Metal Man (GM): Questers

Aetos watches Wraith fly overhead... "They could use you much more."

Metal Man (GM): It faces Gibby, preparing to turn him into a marshmallow on a stick.
More chuckling is heard.

Gibby meeps and is quick to go into defense mode.

Wolfman really wonders where that's coming from... there has to be a trick.

Digifanatic: "I swear it's Ganondorf."

Julian Sawyer: "Jus' GO!" *Julian gets back up, looking to see if the Knuckle's still electrified...*

Wolfman attempts to pick up on it. .oO(Alright... who is it?)

Aetos: "I'm going when you are."

Metal Man (GM): Wolfman hears it... like a wolf.
It's... the armor.
The armor is making Ganondorf's laugh.

The Wraith spends most of its turn... drifting back toward the fight...

Metal Man (GM): The real Ganondorf's laugh.

Digifanatic takes a stare at Wolf..."Got anything?"

Wolfman: "...guys... I think Ganondorf is inside that Knuckle."

Metal Man (GM): The Knuckle is no longer electrified.

Dragoshi looks at Wolf as well.

Digifanatic: "Inside?!"

Dragoshi: "..."

Gibby: "Buh??"

Dragoshi: "...That cliched *Draconic*!"

Aetos: "Shall we return to them?"

Julian Sawyer: "Time to throw down!" *Julian jumps up and BURSTS towards the Iron Knuckle, his hands glowing blood red as he goes to grab it!*

The Wraith is now 20 feet away from the Knuckle, turn over.

Wolfman has 2 TP left... might as well defend.

Aetos slowly chases after him, back into the battle.

Dragoshi defends, as per usual (EoT)

Digifanatic decides to keep trying to chip away at this guy's armor... a Fire Punch this time... and defending regardless...

Ganondorf: "How dare you listen to my laughter so closely... I'd slash you in two if I hadn't already activated Robotnik's targeting sensor on Gibby."

Metal Man (GM): You grab the Knuckle... it's too big.

Dragoshi: "..."

Wolfman wasn't that close...

Metal Man (GM): Digi crits.

Gibby: "Robotnik's?"

Digifanatic: .oO(That's more like it!)

Wolfman backs away slowly...
"Alright Ganondorf... what do you want?"

Digifanatic: "That's..."

Ganondorf: "I will kill you all for trying to take MY temple... no discussion."

Dragoshi: "..."

Metal Man (GM): It is also wedged into the walls.

Wolfman: "I thought the Spirit Temple was for all Gerudo... not necessarily yours alone."

Metal Man (GM): This calls for... opposed STR checks.

Wolfman: "If nothing else, perhaps you should share a little."

Ganondorf: "The Gerudo abandoned me. Only I and my elite thieves deserve this temple... with the help of Ivo Robotnik, none shall stop me!"

Aetos: "He's the King of Gerudo, pup."

Metal Man (GM): He shoves Julian off with little effort.

Dragoshi: "...Who cares?"

Ganondorf: "My armor is too heavy to be picked up. Take that, wimp!"

Metal Man (GM): Digi: 62 fire before or after crit?
Either way, it melts a bit into the armor.

Julian Sawyer: "So I'll just CUT IT OFF!" *Julian whips out Vendetta again, aiming to cut off some of the Knuckles' armor with a One-Two Cut!*

Metal Man (GM): It has taken some damage... you could defeat it if you kept this up.
You hit him twice.

Digifanatic: "Nice, Julian."

Metal Man (GM): Not enough to affect the DR of it yet, as it finishes charging up and swings at Gibby like a golf ball.

Ganondorf: "Take this, puffball! This is for defeating me over and over again!"

Gibby is quick to dodge it.

Digifanatic: .oO(Hey, I'm the golfer!)

Metal Man (GM): He slices the ground. The sword sinks in the sand... it's heavy.
He rips it out.

Gibby: "Nice try, Ganondork!"

Metal Man (GM): New Round
Questers

Wolfman awaits to see if anyone wants to team up with him again.

Metal Man (GM): He takes his sword and charges up at Julian again. His sword becomes icy now.

Ganondorf: "I might as well use some of my magic..."'

The Wraith just shakes its head, growling a bit as it blasts off another barrage of intense magical energy. Thrashin'!

Metal Man (GM): BLAM

Dragoshi: "...Element switcher extraordinaire, huh?"

Aetos crosses his arms. "Well... I'd like it if your magic sent me to the Dark world."

Digifanatic: "Ice... that makes this a bit more interesting..."

Dragoshi: "Indeed."

Ganondorf: "You? In my perfect domain? NEVER!"

Dragoshi: "...Nothing is perfect."

Aetos shakes his fist. "Mark my words, I'm GOING to get there!"

Wolfman: "You even have a willing volunteer... you don't get that often."

Julian Sawyer tries to pull off a Hulk Hogan, trying to grab and Focus Slam the Knuckle! Is the entire thing ice now?

Digifanatic goes for the Fire Punch... again... and then decides to screw around w/the Knuckle even more by Fire-izing a Light Ray!

Dragoshi: "...Not even a utopia would be considered perfect. It is a mere delusion created by all. But, enough with my inane ramblings."

Metal Man (GM): You run up and grab at it slowly. Opposed STR checks.
Meanwhile, it is hit by fire punches and rays of fire.

Dragoshi blasts out a huge gout of flame at Ganondorf (Charged Flame Breath)

Metal Man (GM): What sort of damage is the fire stuff?
As Dragoshi burns the wall.

Dragoshi: *LUCK.*

Wolfman goes for a Tophead Buster solo from the distance then...

Dragoshi: *NEVERMIND.*

Metal Man (GM): That attack already did major damage.

Digifanatic: "A battle of elemental manipulation..."

Dragoshi defends (EoT)

Wolfman can't defend: not enough TP. :(

Aetos: "Elemental manipulation? Huh?"

Metal Man (GM): Wolf: Damage? And I'm missing Julian's STR check.

Aetos: "You need me or something?"

Julian Sawyer's knocked away before he can lay his hands on the Giant again, so he defends, because HE'S up next.

Gibby just defends.

Metal Man (GM): He is shoved again.
The projectile bounces off of the Titanium Knuckle.

Wolfman has 1 TP leftover if it matters...

Metal Man (GM): It finishes powering up... and goes to stab Julian's bandaged ankle.

Aetos: "Ganondork, do you only target people attacking you or what?"

Julian Sawyer: *And Julian isn't there! Miss!*

Metal Man (GM): ...He only shoved you 5 feet.
Did you move or something?

Julian Sawyer: *...It means he dodged.*

Metal Man (GM): Oh.

Julian Sawyer: *Flavor text.*

Metal Man (GM): Higher AC. I gotcha.
It freezes the sand it hits... in fact, the entire area is slippery.
Your feet stand on ice.

Wolfman quick draws his claws to get some traction on the ice.

Ganondorf: "I just thought I'd grease your shoes, hot-shot."

Julian Sawyer's flying! Nyah!

Metal Man (GM): He spins his sword and faces Aetos

Ganondorf: "I target those who deserve terrible deaths."

Metal Man (GM): NEW ROUND

The Wraith just keeps up, knowing it can wear this monstrosity down eventually... Just gotta keep it up. Wrack!

Metal Man (GM): Questers

Wolfman waits to see if anyone wants a team up again.

Julian Sawyer: "How 'bout I use you to break this ice!" *Julian again tries to channel the spirit of Hulk Hogan and tries the Focus Slam again!*

Dragoshi flies as well, and stays still, ending his turn.

Metal Man (GM): The wraith blasts it again.
It's taking serious damage from him.
It is lifted... then...
Julian sinks into the sand... and so does it.

Wolfman waits before acting... he sees Julian lifting... nevermind.

Ganondorf: "...Ahhhhhhh!!!!!"

Julian Sawyer: *Oh how it burns! 53 magic Fire damage from the grab... Julian is flying Mets.*

Dragoshi: "...What the-"

Metal Man (GM): Apparently it's too heavy to stand atop the sand.

Aetos: "Yeah! I knew you loved me!"
*He goes to help if he can?*

Gibby decides to finally attack the thing. He makes a running leap straight at the Knuckles and hits it with four horizontal slashes into a vertical slash!

Wolfman attempts to scan for Julian's life signs under the sand... maybe he can Rocket Tackle himself towards Julian and then dig us out... (it's a thought)

Metal Man (GM): Well, you were. Until you picked it up.
That's what you do with most throws.
If you tried leaning it, it'd fall on top of you for the same result.
It's too heavy for its own good... or yours.

Aetos snaps his fingers. "Just tell me when you want my help."

Metal Man (GM): Gibby slashes it over and over again as it sinks under the sand.

Wolfman will proceed with the scanning action DEX.

Ganondorf: "I'll get you for this... Questers!" *Vanishes underneath the sand.*

Metal Man (GM): Julian reappears, -1 life.

Gibby lands on his feet and pants.

Dragoshi: "..."

Julian Sawyer: "...What the hell was that?"

Editor's Note: A typical SSQ session.

Metal Man (GM): Ganondorf: DEFEATED

Gibby: "Boy that felt good."

Dragoshi: "...No damn idea."

Aetos makes a shadow puppet in the sun. "Rawr... I'll get you yet, Go-Go-Gadget!"

The Wraith looks to Julian, arms crossed an eyebrow raised...

Dragoshi: "Though, that was nuts!"

Wolfman: "Congratulations... I believe you defeated Ganondorf."

Smash Dex: "...Ganondorf has apparently been sunk to the bottom of the desert."

Gibby: "Heh... hope he likes it down there."

Dragoshi: "...Well, that'll keep im' at bay for a while... I hope"

Smash Dex: "Trapped inside that armor, he is unable to use his magic except to power up his offensive capabilities. Even if he remains alive... it will remain deep beneath the sand."

Julian Sawyer: "...Still wonderin' how I sank. I was like, 20 feet in the air, then next thing I know I'm under the sand..."

Gibby: "...Gravity?"

Dragoshi: "...It's really friggin' heavy."

Metal Man (GM): +3000 EXP for surviving Ganondork's self-destructive armor.

Dragoshi: "That's why"

Aetos 'cha-chings'

Metal Man (GM): Because if you hadn't done that... well. It'd have powered up and killed you all.

Julian Sawyer: "And I got two Rocket engines strapped to my feet. Think that'd count for something..."

Aetos: "I didn't even have to use an attack, save for healing Julian..."

Dragoshi: *LEVEL-UP!*

Wolfman: "Now... since I'm usually behind on the briefings... were we asked to go inside the temple? Or do we leave it be?"

Metal Man (GM): ...But, even with Ganondorf under the desert... you've got a temple full of those.

The Wraith opens its dex; the others' beep.

Julian Sawyer: "All we was told to do was take out Ganondorf..."

Dragoshi: "...Yep."

Metal Man (GM): In fact... another one marches to take the place of the previous one.

Dragoshi opens his dex up
"...Oh, COME ON!"

Wolfman uses the Radio version... he sees another one...

Aetos's spear would be talking like Wraith's voice through the Dex...

Wolfman: "Make it quick."

Metal Man (GM): Apparently... Ganondorf can still control the place, as long as he has those.

The Wraith: "...We should eliminate all resistance. Whatever soldiers of Ganondorf's we kill now, he won't have for later."

Metal Man (GM): A meter appears on your dex.

Smash Dex: "19 of 20 Titanium Knuckles remaining."

Dragoshi: "...20? ...Oh, gaw dammet!"

Julian Sawyer: "..."

The Wraith: "...Oh, fun. 19 more of them. Let's get to killin'."

Gibby: "...Damn."

Metal Man (GM): It raises its sword... ready to attack.

The Wraith then shuts its dex and prepares to start blastin' again...

Dragoshi: "...Quite. I'll be sure to toss them like salad."

Metal Man (GM): What do you do?

Aetos: "Let's see..."

Wolfman: "...do we fight now, or later guys?"

Metal Man (GM): Prepare to Attack? Okay....

Aetos goes back to the entrance with the trippy door.

Metal Man (GM): BATTLE 2 of 20
Questers vs. Titanium Knuckle 2
Julian, Dragoshi, Digi, Wolf, Aetos, Gibby, Wraith, Titanium Knuckle

Aetos: *Went back to the entrance with the weird door.*

Metal Man (GM): Ah. Aetos is 3 TP away from the battle.
But he may still hurl projectiles if he wants.
It raises its sword... ready to attack Julian.
Questers' turns

The Wraith just flicks its wrists and holds those two stones forth... and KERBLAM! Massive barrage of magical energy, again.

Wolfman never really used his TP last time...

Metal Man (GM): It's hit easily.

Julian Sawyer: "**** this." *Julian moves 3 TP out of the way as well, deciding to spend his time thinking of a way to take them out all at once...*

Aetos taps his foot upon the sand. "Wonder if they'll WANT me to help sometime. Let's see this, first..."

Dragoshi attempts to hit the Darknut with Cyclone.

Metal Man (GM): Julian moves out of range of it. It swivels to face Dragoshi.

Aetos turns to face the door, and fires a stream of wind through it.

Metal Man (GM): And Dragoshi somehow misses it.
The wind re-emerges out of the portal behind Aetos.

Wolfman decides to try a different tactic... hopefully the Questers won't mind...
He gets out his Dex, and attempts to make a call... to the Mage Council.

Dragoshi then defends, if he has the TP for it (EoT)

Gibby runs up to the new knuckle. He running slashes it once and then horizontally slashes three more times.

Digifanatic hopes that he can keep a decent streak going... but defends twice for now...

Aetos is... struck in the back by the wind?

Smash Dex: "The Mage Council will not take your call now."

Digifanatic: "Wolf... what are you doing?"

Wolfman: "Can they take messages?"

Metal Man (GM): Gibby hits four times.

Smash Dex: "You may add a voicemail message."

Metal Man (GM): And yes, Aetos.

Dragoshi: "...Huh."

Gibby leaps back to the others.

Aetos shimmers a bit as the wind smacks him. "Ah... neat trick... too bad I'm not damaged"

Wolfman: *Beep* "This is Wolfman, calling the Mage Council. Right now, we're currently fighting what seems to be a line of Titanium Knuckles. Ganondorf is trapped in one of them beneath the sand, but the others are slowly coming out of the spirit temple. Advice on this situation would be appreciated. Thank you." *Click.*

Metal Man (GM): It decides to attack at last against Dragoshi.
*WHOOM* 110 damage; Dragoshi is sent flying 3 TP away.

The Wraith spends its last TP to drift a bit closer to the Knuckle... or more like, the wall right next to it.

Dragoshi: "...Ow."
*He is sent flying away.*

Wolfman has 2 TP left... he saves for the next round.

Julian Sawyer: "Yo."

Metal Man (GM): New Round
Questers' turn

Dragoshi: "Hiya."

Metal Man (GM): It faces Wraith, and charges like before.

Dragoshi: "...Guess I'll stand back for now."

Julian Sawyer: "Alright, think think think..." *Julian tries to think of a way to take out all of the Knuckles at once that doesn't include collapsing the Temple... Luck Check!*

Wolfman now has 6 TP... what do to though...?

Gibby rinses and repeats. He charges at the knuckle and combines a leaping slash into a horizontal slash and two vertical slashes.

The Wraith tries to drift through the wall, quickly checking to see if there are any more waiting on the other side... If not, it drifts behind the Knuckle's knees, and goes to blast it from there!

Metal Man (GM): You decide making Gunicard think the Knuckles are foes and nuking the temple is juuuust sweet.
The wall blocks your entry.

Digifanatic decides to try to give that Knuckle another Fire Punch for now hoping that he can do something after everyone else has attacked.

Wolfman: .oO(Okay Wolfman, think! What do you have that can stop these Knuckles? Not much... can you think of something though?) (MNT check here)

Metal Man (GM): You're forced to blast the front of its knees.

Aetos moves 1 TP away from the knuckle.

Julian Sawyer: *Shakes his head* "That ain't gonna work..." *Try Again!*

The Wraith does that, then.

Metal Man (GM): Digi hits. Wolf thinks of nuclear bombs.
Julian thinks of hurling Gibby at it.

Wolfman: .oO(...let's NOT use the obvious... nevermind...)

Dragoshi attempts to think out the situation to see if he can think of anything that would get rid of ALL the Titanium Knuckles WITHOUT destroying the damn temple.

The Wraith then drifts back away again, to 2 TP distance.

Wolfman stores 4 TP for next round.

Digifanatic doesn't think he's done much, but he's still hitting...
He saves 1 TP.

Metal Man (GM): Dragoshi thinks... of hurling seawater at them.
Too bad there's no seawater nearby.

Julian Sawyer: "...Definately not that." *Julian sits down in the sand, placing his head in his hand... Turn over.*

Dragoshi shakes his head. .oO(If only I could switch my elemental attacks to water...) Rethinks.

Aetos twiddles his thumbs. "I could make a sandstorm, but no one thinks of that..."

Metal Man (GM): Dragoshi thinks... of hurling sand at it.
Or perhaps food from El Pollo Loco. That's pretty sticky.

Dragoshi shakes his head... Again. "...Now, That's just freakin' stupid. Though the food... That might work if there was one near by,"
He does the same as Julian (EoT)

Wolfman went EoT awhile ago.

Metal Man (GM): Iron Knuckle
It swipes at Wraith.

The Wraith had backed 2 TP away at the end of its turn.

Metal Man (GM): It... hits the wall where he was.
Making a hole large enough... for another Titanium Knuckle to stand.
Which then stands there.

Aetos snickers.

The Wraith raises an eyebrow...

Gibby: "...Double trouble!"

Wolfman sees the new Titanium... slag it!

Digifanatic: "Oh, you must be..."

The Wraith then smirks, getting an idea...

Dragoshi sees the T. Knuckle "..."

Wolfman: "...this just isn't my day."

Metal Man (GM): They both power up, now aiming at... Digi and Gibby, the only people in range.

Dragoshi: "...Titanium Knuckle... Or Tyrant Knuckle? Sheesh."

Metal Man (GM): Questers' turns

Wolfman doesn't make another Dex call yet... he wants to see if anyone has a crazy idea or a teamup up move idea.

Gibby: "Not good..." *He goes straight into defensive mode.*

Digifanatic backs off about 2 TP in distance and defends.

The Wraith just drifts down to knee level, between the Knuckles as it forms that dark barrier, looking up at both of them... and waiting.

Julian Sawyer: *And now, Deep Thoughts, with Julian Sawyer...*

Metal Man (GM): Julian thinks... thinks...

Digifanatic: "Gib, think about making them lose time by backing off?"

Metal Man (GM): He could kill them by making them listen to Yellow Submarine music! No...

Dragoshi: *And now, good idea, bad idea, with Dragoshi Leucrocuta Helldusk.*

The Wraith drifts closer to their knees, not quite up to them yet.

Metal Man (GM): LASERS FROM OUTER SP... darn. No satellites that do that anymore.

Gibby: "Good call..."

Metal Man (GM): Dragoshi thinks of flying the Dauntless into them.

Wolfman backs up about 2 TP to the safe range... and then tries a different think. Good idea to call Metal or a former Smasher for backup?

Dragoshi shakes his head"...That's just Friggin' stupid." Luck Check 2!

Metal Man (GM): You think... you should definitely call Bowser for backup.
Dragoshi thinks of killing the Knuckles through the power of loooove! By hugging them!

Dragoshi facepalms "...No, no, a thousand goddamn times NO!" EoT.

The Wraith's turn has ended, to note.

Aetos whistles.

Digifanatic: *End turn a whiiiiiile back.*

Metal Man (GM): Uh-oh...
The Titanium Knuckles must have seen Wolf.
They're teaming up!

Wolfman will save his 4 TP for 8 next turn...

Aetos looks over to Wolf.
He waves.

Wolfman: "...Dragoshi, over here NOW!"

Metal Man (GM): They combine their deadly power in an attempt... to smash Wraith into the ground.

Digifanatic looks up..."Wow... they avoided us."

Metal Man (GM): They have only 10 MNT... so they don't appear to notice.

Dragoshi: "...Huh."

The Wraith is incorporeal... And unless they somehow switched their attacks mid-charge, those swords pass right through the specter.

Metal Man (GM): They slice the air where The Wraith should be for 500 damage.
The air is KO'd.
But not The Wraith.
NEW ROUND

Julian Sawyer: *Second Installment!*

Metal Man (GM): They hit the ground, and then are pulled out.

Wolfman: "Guys, serious question. Think a former smasher can help us?"

Dragoshi: *Installment 2!*

Metal Man (GM): Drink alcohol, dance to disco...
Then ask Skyhigh for help.

Digifanatic goes for a Luck check...

Metal Man (GM): Dragoshi believes the answer is to hurl rocks at them.

The Wraith drifts a bit closer, just beckoning the stupid metalheads... Right at their knees now.

Wolfman is waiting for an answer from his fellow Questers...

Metal Man (GM): Digi thinks they hate broccoli, and thus, will melt if touched by it.

Editor's Note: I must have been starving when I did this session or something, so much food...

Digifanatic can't get anything good either!

Dragoshi: "...Huh. Works on stupid velociraptors, but no... Oh, and to answer your question, go for it."

Digifanatic: "Broccoli? What am I thinking?!"
*He decides to fire off a Light Ray and then back off 1 TP.*

Gibby would rather not plan anytime soon. He attacks the Knuckle that he had attacked the previous two times with six slashes this time.

Wolfman turns to Dragoshi. "Thanks... hope this works."

Metal Man (GM): Digi hits one of them.

Dragoshi then stays still (EoT)

Metal Man (GM): It bounces off of its armor.

Wolfman makes another Dex call... this time... hits buttons.

Digifanatic backwards scoot, END O' TURN.

Metal Man (GM): Hit x6

Wolfman: *To Dex* "This is Wolfman calling Bowser Koopa. Are you available?"

Dragoshi: "..."

Metal Man (GM): They appear to be, yes... at Wraith. With teamwork, so instead of hitting one another... they hit him!

Dragoshi SUPRA-FORCE-FACEPALMS!

Bowser: "Oh, yeah! How can I harm--errr, help you? Where are you?"

Metal Man (GM): Meanwhile, Gibby continues wearing down the Iron Knuckle.

Wolfman: "We're at the Spirit Temple, facing some Titanium Knuckles. I wish to help team up with my allies, but they have... other ideas. I wish to team up with someone to hopefully get this job done faster."

Bowser: "I'll be there." *Hangs up his phone.*

Gibby leaps back.

Wolfman hangs up his Dex.

Dragoshi: "...Weeellll... This'll be interesting"

Digifanatic: "Yeah."

Wolfman: *6 TP remain.*

Metal Man (GM): The Knuckles power up... and slash at Wraith. Idiotically.
*WHIFF*
Hmmm... wonder what other stupid things they do.
NEW ROUND

Julian Sawyer: *Deep Thoughts 3: This time, It's Mental!*

Metal Man (GM): Bowser flies on in his Koopa Kar.

The Wraith was hovering right at their knees... No collision?

Gibby conserves his TP so he can make his ultra sword attack.

Dragoshi: *Good idea, bad idea 3, this time it's mysticalitacious!*

Metal Man (GM): He sees the situation... as Julian decides that he can polish his way through the Knuckles.

Wolfman: "Long time no see Bowser. If you need someone to throw, I'm your Wolf."

Metal Man (GM): Dragoshi thinks of leading them into the sand by walking out of range of them.
In fact, they seem to follow the closest target.
Bowser, however, has other ideas.

Julian Sawyer: "...Everyone, PULL BACK! We can't fight all of these guys!"

Dragoshi: "...Brilliant! Hey, Jules, I have a good idea!"

Julian Sawyer: "Wasted effort!"

Bowser: "Look what we got here! Punks being defeated by my old friend Ganondork!"

The Wraith then just shrugs, seeing that they're at least capable of thinking that much... It then goes to drift into the first Knuckle, in an attempt to possess it.

Bowser: "Let me make life easier for you!"

Metal Man (GM): He begins chucking bombs at the Questers.

Gibby: "What the--"

Julian Sawyer: "...Who the HELL Called Bowser?!"

Metal Man (GM): Sure... at least until a bomb flies at you.

Wolfman: *To Bowser* "...I called you to help me Bowser, not hurt them!"

Metal Man (GM): 50 fire damage; threatens everyone.

Digifanatic walks back into range, sees Bowser, and then has to defend... barely missing...

Gibby is blasted and roasted.

Julian Sawyer's outside of its range! AC dodge.

Bowser: "I hate your guts, Wolfy! You're too dumb to realize that... so, yeah, I took advantage of you. Just this one time, I'll burn you to a crisp!"

Julian Sawyer: "...Wolf... YOU... IDIOT!"

Wolfman: "I'm past what happened."

Julian Sawyer: "Fall back!"

Wolfman: "I'd pardon you if I had the power."

Gibby: "Yeah... did NOT need Bowser here."

Bowser: "Do ya think I'm past it? Huh? Huh? You're a stone-cold idiot, Wolfy!"

Julian Sawyer: "...What was your plan, Dragoshi?"

Bowser: "You and your super punks... hurting poor innocent lil' Ganondorf..."

Dragoshi is possibly out of it's range, so he could prolly' dodge "...Wait. Draw them out into the sand! They seem to try and attack the closest target!"

Wolfman: "...and so are you for standing so close to fangs!" *Bite attack!*

Julian Sawyer: "...That's what I'm doin!"

Bowser: "Where is he, anyway? I need to help him."

Metal Man (GM): You bite his arm; it's thick, and too thick for your teeth.

Dragoshi: "...He's under the desert sands ..." *Draconic.*

Julian Sawyer: "EVERYONE! GET OVER HERE! NOW!"

Digifanatic follows Julian...

Gibby doesn't argue, and rushes towards Julian.

Aetos shrugs.
"I never hurt anyone here, yet..."

Metal Man (GM): The Wraith attempts to possess it... but it's a magically-controlled machine.

Aetos: "And I get bombed for it..."

Wolfman: "...we'll have a more civil meeting next time Bowser." *Goes to Julian.*

Metal Man (GM): Attempting to posses it requires dissipating the ethereal darkness in it.

Bowser: "Ha-ha-ha! Run, ya little punks!"

Gibby: "I hate having to run..."

Bowser: "I'll strafe you down from the Koopa Kopter!"

Julian Sawyer: "We ain't runnin'. We drawin' fire."

Dragoshi: "...Yep."

The Wraith lets out a bit of a growl as it is bumped away, and singed a bit by the fire of the bombs... Then it starts drifting away, as per Dragoshi's suggestion.

Gibby: "...huh?"

Julian Sawyer: "Jus' wait..."

Gibby scratches his soft little head and waits.

Wolfman: .oO(Jeez... obviously teaming up is harder to do than I thought... I'll need to speak to Metal about this.)

Aetos: "So... Knuckles, Bowser... Bowser, Knuckles... How y'all doing?"

Metal Man (GM): So... is everyone away from the Titanium Knuckles?

The Wraith is.

Aetos: *I'm 1 TP toward the main door.*

Digifanatic is as well...

Gibby is with Julian.

Metal Man (GM): 1 TP away from them or 1 TP from the door?

Wolfman: *Head hung low, bitter to an extent, quiet to an extent* "...where is the team work with this group?"

Aetos: *1 TP away from them.*

Wolfman is with Julian.

Metal Man (GM): They team up to attack Aetos.
It's another Winter Ham Massacre! AHHHH!!!!
250 damage and Aetos is thrown 10 TP away.
Per hit.

Julian Sawyer: "..."

Gibby: "Ouch..."

Julian Sawyer watches Aetos fly far overhead.

Dragoshi: "...Damn."

Wolfman isn't looking at anyone really...

Metal Man (GM): Then....

Julian Sawyer: "...Took care a' that problem..."

Metal Man (GM): They turn to face the other Questers.

Wolfman: .oO(...things have REALLY changed since I was gone...)

Metal Man (GM): And march into the sand.

Dragoshi: "Yeah, seriously."

Metal Man (GM): ...And sink into it. ...More Titanium Knuckles walk out...

Dragoshi: "...Yes! It worked!"

Julian Sawyer: "Ya see?"

Metal Man (GM): And sink into the sand.

Gibby: "...Sweet!"

The Wraith raises an eyebrow, watching the Knuckles...

Wolfman turns around... and sees... success?!?!?

Metal Man (GM): ...You see them all do it, one after another.

Dragoshi: "...Frikkin' sweet!"

Gibby: "My sand sinking idea actually worked!"

Julian Sawyer: "Like the Pied Piper or somethin'..."

The Wraith checks its dex, watching the gauge go down...

Wolfman looks to Bowser, and gives a smirk.

Julian Sawyer: *High-fives Dragoshi.*

Aetos lands on some sand, and slides a ways still... "Agh..."

Dragoshi: "Your idea?"

Digifanatic: "Oh that's beautiful..."

Metal Man (GM): The entire place is emptied... leaving Bowser.

Wolfman: "...I think you did your job after all Bowser."

Julian Sawyer: "Man, we came up with it."

Dragoshi high-fives Julian on the return.

Bowser: "Thanks for the base, kids!"

Gibby: "Well sure... I thought about it in the first place."

Dragoshi: "That we did."

Metal Man (GM): Bowser flies into the temple.

Julian Sawyer: "An' now all we gotta do is take out Bows-...GET HIM!" *Julian boosts after him.*

Metal Man (GM): The mission description changes.

Wolfman rushes towards him as well.

The Wraith then starts... laughing? as Bowser enters the temple...

Dragoshi: "...No way in HAYELL we're lettin' ya off that easily ya DAMN tortoise!"

Metal Man (GM): 'Stop *Crossed out Ganondorf* BOWSER'

Dragoshi dashes into the temple.

Gibby: "Oh joy, a new enemy."

The Wraith contacts the others' dexes...

Metal Man (GM): You chase him inside.

Digifanatic runs back on in.

Gibby runs to the temple.

Julian Sawyer: "Wolf, you just HAD to call him up, didn't ya?!"

Digifanatic: "Everyone ditto Julian's orders!"

Wolfman: "Considering I had no one to team up with, I was running out of ideas."

Aetos struggles to get up to them, after using Divine Wind on himself.

The Wraith drifts along, shaking its head as it tries to get the other Questers' attention via the dexes...

Wolfman: "I hoped that he had reformed a bit, since he mainly just had a grudge on Mario."

Gibby: "Yeah, but... BOWSER? Come on..."

Julian Sawyer: "You coulda just waited! Instead'a callin' up someone who you KNEW was an enemy!"

Metal Man (GM): Bowser is cornered... in a broken hallway.

Julian Sawyer: "It's -CENSORED- Bowser! When is he NOT EVIL?!"

Wolfman: "...I'll explain later."

Digifanatic: "Wolf does have a point, but Julian has a better one."

Wolfman turns to Bowser.

Bowser: "Hmmm... shucks... I coulda used my own Koopa Troop... why did you have to kill them all?"

Gibby: "Well arguing won't help us now. We just have to beat Bowser instead now."

Wolfman: "I try to do a good thing here... and yet you wish to still hurt us. Why?"

Julian Sawyer: *To Bowser* "Don' think for a SECOND we gonna let you take this place!"

The Wraith obviously getting no attention, just sighs and shakes its head, putting its dex away and pulling the stone back out...

Bowser: "I've been out of the business... for a while. But then your idiotic former leader called me up... boy did he make me angry!"

Dragoshi: "..."

Wolfman: "I called in the name of peace and alliance. If you wanted coins, I could have provided them."

Bowser: "...What do you think I am, a hippie?"

Julian Sawyer: "Wolf, jus' Shut up, and let's FOCUS!"

Dragoshi glares at Bowser "...Whatever."

Bowser: "You stole my moves and gave them to people! Wait a minute... yes! That's how I will win!"

Digifanatic: .oO(Yeah, that'll work.)

Wolfman: "...you did agree to the contract. ...don't tell me you still have... that NECKLACE?!?!?"

Bowser: "...Under current APN rules... you broke the rules!"

Gibby nods.

Dragoshi: "...Necklace?"

Bowser: "I can have those Mage Council hooligans arrest you! And all for free! FREE!!!"

Julian Sawyer: "Like hell you WILL!"

Aetos finally makes it in, his wounds healed up a bit now, he points at Wolf and "Ha-ha's"

Wolfman: "Julian, stand down, NOW."

Bowser: *Takes out a phone* "Hit me... and they can hit you!"

Dragoshi: "The *Draconic* you will!"

Wolfman: "Everyone, stand down THIS MOMENT!"

Gibby hasn't done anything.

Bowser: "No... come on. Hit me! I dare you!"

Julian Sawyer: "Wolf, in case you hadn't figured it out at this point, YOU AIN'T IN CHARGE!"

Wolfman: "...I made a bad judgement call, and Bowser caught notice."

Dragoshi: "...Indeed."

Bowser: "You sunk an innocent man beneath the sand!"

Julian Sawyer: "An' you ALREADY messed up once! Why should I follow what YOU say?!"

Wolfman: "Return to our base... I have atonements to make."

Gibby: "Innocent? Like hell he was."

Julian Sawyer: "That 'innocent' MAN tried to kill us!"

Wolfman: "I wouldn't call Ganondorf innocent though!"

Bowser: "But... now that he's dead... he's been unlawfully executed!"

Wolfman: "Besides stopping Ganondorf... which I didn't even do..."

Bowser: "Think... he could have had a trial and everything..."

Dragoshi: "...Unlawfully?"

Wolfman: "What other rule did I break?"

Digifanatic: "Oh my god..."

Julian Sawyer: "Self-mutha****in'-defense!"

Aetos: "Tell me, what did Wolf do to break the rules?" *He wields his spear.*

Dragoshi: "...What are you, nuts?"

Bowser: "...You attacked a temple he legally owned, punk!"

The Wraith growls and takes its dex out again, the others' beep more loudly.

Gibby notices, and takes out his dex.

Bowser: *Takes out his Koopa Phone* "Uhh. Right! APN dudes! The Questers broke the rules! Arrest them!"

Digifanatic takes a look...

Wolfman: "I wasn't aware of that; I missed the briefings."

Julian Sawyer: "Show me the document!"

Bowser: "I have footage of them unlawfully killing someone who should have had a trial!"

Digifanatic: .oO(Dudes? Oh man.)

Gibby: "This... won't looks good."

The Wraith: "...Let's go. We can let Bowser hold this place until Ganondorf decides to return..."

Bowser: "And then... they aided and abetted a bad guy! Me!"

Wolfman: .oO(...this was NOT how I meant for this to take place)

Gibby: "Doesn't seem like we have much of a choice anyway."

Bowser: "I got this voice message right here... Wolfman asking me for help!"

Aetos is recording this...

Gibby: "Stupid technology."

Bowser: "Right... they won't be arrested peacefully. Send the IIF to kill them."

Digifanatic figures someway to be able to steal Bowser's phone.

Bowser: "Roger..."

Metal Man (GM): Bowser closes his phone.

Wolfman: "...the IIF?"

Bowser: "Now get out of mah temple!"

Aetos sends what Bowser is saying, to the Mage council as well, but adds: "Aetos didn't hurt anyone though."

Bowser: "The IIF will kill you when you get back... hyuck hyuck hyuck!"

Gibby: "Come on, guys... lets go."

The Wraith: "...Let's. Go. Now." The wraith starts drifting toward the exit...

Digifanatic: "They ain't gonna listen to that, Aetos!:"

Julian Sawyer: "Who the hell is the IIF?"

Gibby heads to the exit with his head hung low.

Julian Sawyer: "How do I know you aint' makin' all this UP?!"

Wolfman: "...just understand that I'm not aware of all that took place during my absence."

Aetos: "Listen to what?"

Wolfman: "I was willing to let bygones be bygones."

Bowser: "Attack me and we'll see who's making things up?"

The Wraith: "If you *BLEEP!*ing idiots would LISTEN to me, we could avoid a whole lotta trouble here!"

Wolfman: "...I guess I was wrong."
*He turns around and starts to leave.*

Julian Sawyer: "Tell me what rule we broke. TELL ME!"

Dragoshi flies towards the exit, and turns back, giving one last cold-hearted glare at Bowser before, leaving.

Bowser: "Never, Super Moron!"

Metal Man (GM): Bowser chuckles again.

Wolfman leaves the room LAST, behind the other Questers. (I insist on that)

Gibby: "Oy... this won't look good on our resumes."

Julian Sawyer: "So how do I know you aren't bluffing?"

Wolfman turns to Julian.

Bowser: "Attack me. It'll show the truth!"

Aetos is giving video recording now.

Wolfman: "Julian, this isn't the time."

Bowser: "I'm right here... cornered... what am I gonna do? Confuse you?"

Julian Sawyer: "Nah! I ain't gonna fall for one'a your ****in' tricks! You refusin' to show me evidence that I done wrong!"

Bowser: "All my army is dead... you unlawfully killed them too! They all needed a thousand trials!"

The Wraith doubles back and floats in front of Julian, giving him one hell of a death glare...

Aetos slowly speaks to his spear. "Gasp... only criminals have foul mouths like that."

Wolfman: .oO(...jeez... this is getting out of hand...)

The Wraith: "GO!"

Bowser: "Now... you can go sue me for the temple, but hylian law shows it belongs to Ganondork."

Julian Sawyer: "I ain't goin' NOWHERE 'less I'm convinced he's right! An' so far, I ain't."

Digifanatic slowly back away and off...

Wolfman just leaves Julian to his thing... and then sends a Dex message... to Metal, APN, Mage, etc. (more)

Bowser: "Now... I was in his will... so it legally belongs to me. Thanks to you shoving him to a sandy grave.
Don't worry... I have no soldiers. All I want... is a nice retirement house."

The Wraith: "...I would leave you to fend for yourself if you wouldn't be tarnishing my own title by doing so."

Julian Sawyer: "Show me the rule I broke is ALL I ASK."

Bowser: "I'm too old to fight you... so the law... I studied it. Hyuck! It's messed ya up good, too! Hit me first!"

Aetos chortles.

Julian Sawyer: "You're makin' me want to, but I ain't fallin' for whatever trick you got planned!"

Wolfman: *Dex Message: Wolfman from Questers. I may have unintentionally broken a rule due to poor judgement and alliance with both Questers and a former ally/enemy. Please send someone to pick me up, and I will tell all I know. My Radio will be emanating a tracking signal.*

Bowser: "Then go run home and get killed already! I have... a house to make."

Metal Man (GM): He begins taking out stuff and putting it in the temple...

Wolfman leaves, message sent...

Metal Man (GM): Like... a big screen TV...
Right where the holy spirit medallion altar is.

Bowser: "Bah. This spiritual nonsense isn't needed anyway."

Aetos: "Wait!!"
*He runs up to Bowser.*

Wolfman is outside the temple... waiting to be picked up by someone or something.

Bowser: "Huh?"

Aetos: "Do you want help?"

Gibby stands alongside Wolf.

Bowser: "It's... you! Betrayer man! Yes! You can kill them for me!"

Wolfman: .oO(...I no longer understand this world... how things were like in the past)

Bowser: "Make sure to harm Wolfman!"

Aetos: "Kill who wha?"

Julian Sawyer: "...Say, there some law 'bout desanctifying a sacred place or object?"

Bowser: "It's legal for me to defend myself... I'm just bad at that."

Aetos: "Oh, yeah, I got everything that happens on my spear's video memory."

The Wraith just shakes its head and floats away, fuming... Red-tinted with anger again.

Wolfman: .oO(Bowser has been an ally and enemy before in history. His records are disputed)

Bowser: "The Gerudo King is allowed to do what he wants... and guess what? I'm the king now!"

Digifanatic: "Oh boy..."

Bowser: "King of the Koopas... King of the Gerudo... King of positions involving being King!"

Aetos: "Hmm. Well, I did mean help unpacking."

Julian Sawyer: "...Since when are YOU king of the Gerudo? Think the entire RACE might have somethin' to say about that."

Digifanatic: "Yeah."

Bowser: "Ganondorf was their leader... you killed most of them in that fight there."

Digifanatic: "And Aetos, stop screwing around like that. You know we don't like it."

Julian Sawyer: "We were fightin' robots."

Wolfman: .oO(And yet... when I hoped against hope, trying to get help to defeat the Knuckles... I was wrong)

Bowser: "Nope! They were all the remaining Gerudo men!"

Julian Sawyer: "...There's only ONE Gerudo male born every 100 years!"

Wolfman: .oO(...are the Questers now supposed to be evil mercenaries?)

Bowser: "The rest were robots, yeah. But you killed the other one good."

Gibby just sighs over the whole ordeal. It was supposed to be a simple mission. Go finish off Ganondorf for good. What the heck happened?

Editor's Note: The Noir Introduction Scene for this mission can begin like this.

Aetos examines the Altar for a minute, looking if anything is takeable.

Julian Sawyer: "An' there's a buncha Gerudo back at the Outpost. Think they might have somethin' to say about you claimin' THIER temple and declaring yourself THEIR king!"

Bowser: "It's all in this."

Metal Man (GM): He takes out a paper written... by Ganondorf.
'My Will
I give the Spiritual Temple and Kingship to my good friend Bowser'

Wolfman isn't here for this Will thing.

Metal Man (GM): And some other boring stuff.

Aetos remains searching on the altar.

Bowser: "This here is legal property! And all mine!"

Metal Man (GM): Aetos looks at the altar... it's a giant statue.
It can be taken.

Bowser: "Help yourself to that, my man. I hate objects like that."

Julian Sawyer: "Lemee see that."

Digifanatic: "Yeah, but do you think his fellow Gerudos would ALLOW him to do that?"

The Wraith is gone, dex closed, a stream of incomprehensible curses flowing out of its mouth.

Bowser: "Nope! You'll rip it!"

Aetos: "Hey, can I have that Altar, if you don't want it?"

Bowser: "Yeah, it's ruining my reception."

Aetos: "You could... beam it to the roof of Quester HQ? I've got a giant sign up there saying 'DROP OFF/PICK UP'"

Julian Sawyer: "Aetos... Don't MAKE me angrier than I already am by takin' that."

Aetos tilts his head. "It may be just too large for me to plain carry back."

Bowser: "Do I look rich? Ask Metal to warp it in there."

The Wraith gets impatient, takes out its dex again, and presses the "Warp" button to try to get the losers out of there before they can do any more damage.

Julian Sawyer: "I jus' ridd'a that big bunch of anger during that Cage Match, I don't want it buildin' up again!"

Wolfman is still outside, waiting for some authorities or something to come...

Aetos: "Hrm." *he looks at the terminal on his spear.* "Send a message to Metal, requesting a teleport of this altar, to the roof of HQ."

Gibby looks at Wolf.
"So... will our punishment be rough?"

Dragoshi: "..."

Wolfman: "Yours will probably be light. Mine or Julian's will be the worst."

Gibby: "That doesn't seem fair. We're all involved... we should all receive the same punishment."

Bowser: "Yup!"

Dragoshi: "...Yes. Probably. Mine will be light... Even though I came up with the 'bright' idea of drawing those Knuckles all out into the sand"

Metal Man (GM): A warp home appears.

Dragoshi: "...Or not. Regardless."

The Wraith floats into the warp, growling and grumbling...

Wolfman: "...I'm taking a walk back to base."

Aetos shrugs and tries to grabs the altar and drag it into the warp.

Wolfman: "At least if I'm to be tried, I'll be caught faster than directly warped into HQ."

Dragoshi floats towards the warp and enters it.

Gibby notices the warp, and nods to Wolf. "Right... see you later then." He runs into the warp. Boy, what a day...

Digifanatic wants to send a text to perhaps Garrick or so, depending on where he was at the time, but decides to just play the warp instead.

Aetos: "Goodbye Bowser, I hope you enjoy your new landscape."

Wolfman: "I don't know what's going on inside... what seems to be Bowser's new home..."

Digifanatic: *Facepalm* "This is bad."

Wolfman starts his long journey back to HQ...

Metal Man (GM): ...Long as in 3 steps into a portal?
...That's a very hot and deadly route home, but considering what Bowser did, it might actually be a way to escape the IIF.

Julian Sawyer takes a deep breath, then takes out Vendetta, slowly hovering over towards Bowser. "My mission is to stop you from takin' over this temple. I don't care what some phony Will says, this ain't YOURS to have or Ganondorf's to give away!" Julian holds the tip of Vendetta to Bowser's throat. "Now, I ain't actually TOUCHED you yet, so I'm givin' you one last chance to show me concrete proof I done wrong. 'fore I kick your ass."

Bowser: "You're a moron, chucklehead! Hurt one hair on that and I can have the IIF get you right now."

Wolfman: .oO(...then I'll face trial at HQ) *WARP.*

Julian Sawyer: "WHO THE HELL IS THE IIF?!"

Editor's Note: The irony is, I, too, have no clue who the hell the IIF is, and I wrote this log!

Aetos might still have this on his spear... the altar might take a bit to drag into the warp.

Bowser: "Don't look at me... I only know their abbreviation!"

Editor's Note: *Faceplants*

Wolfman awaits at the front door lobby, NOT the Big Room or R&R.

Julian Sawyer: "So how do I know you ain't lyin'?" *Julian says through his teeth as he pushes the tip of Vendetta closer to Bowser's throat, not actually touching him yet.*

Bowser: "You forced my hand, pretty boy!"

Aetos stops and keeps watching Julian and Bowser.

Gibby decides to wait alongside Wolf. He felt bad for him, and perhaps being close by would help a little bit.

Metal Man (GM): He presses a button, and a laser projectile outta nowhere hits Julian in the shoulder, shoving away Vendetta.

Aetos: "Oh oh oh..."

Metal Man (GM): A near-invisible figure runs up with high speed and kicks him in the head while he's surprised.

Aetos: "Julian!!"

Julian Sawyer: "GAH!" *Julian drops Vendetta, his hand going to his hit Shoulder... and then he's kicked in the head.*

???: "Step away from the subject and put your hands up! This is... the IIF. You've violated Wholeness of Nations #2!
IF you retaliate, you will be killed!"

Aetos tilts his head. "...You're... bah..."

Metal Man (GM): The invisible figure makes only a vaguely human-shaped image.

Bowser: "This was a sting operation, punk! And you've failed!" *Laughs.*

Aetos gives Bowser a thumbs-up.

Julian Sawyer's sent crashing to the ground with the kick, his Rocket Boots cutting off. He lands prone on the floor, and puts his hands above his head "...Wholeness of Nations #2...Since when are YOU a nation?"

???: "I may yet be able to book him on #5 too... Vendetta is a weapon of mass destruction."

Aetos: "It... is?"

Julian Sawyer: "..."

???: "And... #7... taking too much land!"

Julian Sawyer: "I was liberating this land for the ****in' Gerudos!"

Aetos blinks. .oO(I think I'll stop talking... this is serious now...)

???: "Enough talk. Put your hands behind your back! We'll let a jury decide your worthiness to live...
The Gerudo are a nation, and their head chose to take this place. Bowser then ascended to the throne when you illegally killed the leader.
Attempting to assassinate him means you definitely are out to kill anyone who attempts to lead the Gerudo, and thus, are invading them."

Metal Man (GM): Aetos rolls the thing into the warp.

Julian Sawyer: "I was following my orders..." *Julian, having dealt with the police before, knows to just cooperate and puts his hands behind his back.*

Aetos: "Hah... there we go."

Metal Man (GM): He arrests you and warps out with you. *PAUSE on Julian.*

Julian Sawyer: "...You got flawed logic."

Metal Man (GM): MISSION FAILURE: 0 coins, +IIF ATTACK

Editor's Note: I like how the IIF attack is a 'mission reward.'

Aetos waves to Bowser. "Don't worry, I'm a witness." he winks.
He enters.

Metal Man (GM): +1000 for killing Titanium Knuckles
Back at HQ... everyone is back. Even Garrick.

Digifanatic goes to the library (or Metal) to find out what rule they broke (AKA brings up Mfsto) and what the IIF is, curious about what Bowser meant.

Garrick Fy`aar: "...so, how was Ganondorf?"

Digifanatic: (kinda quietly) "Ah...'Questers may only hire mercenaries approved by the Quester staff'? Maybe that's it if Metal considers Bowser unapproved..."
*He brings up Metal on his Dex while researching...*

Garrick Fy`aar: "...is no one going to talk to me?"

Dragoshi: "...We defeated him."

Garrick Fy`aar: "Oh. Good. I figured you'd come ba--...where's Julian?"

Aetos looks to Garrick. "Hi."

Digifanatic: "Metal, this is Digi. Would you consider Bowser to be an unapproved mercenary according to the Manifesto?"

Dragoshi: "...It appears he used the body of a modified Iron Knuckle."

Wolfman is still waiting in the Quester lobby.

Dragoshi: "...And I have no idea what happened to Jules from the point after I exited the area."

Metal Man isn't in the library. Instead, he's in the Big Room, staring at all the people.
"Hmmm..."

Dragoshi: "...Yes?"

Metal Man looks at, not Digi's message, but other ones.

Gibby: "Don't worry, Wolf. You're a good guy. So you made a mistake... it happens."

Wolfman already sent his Dex messages to Quester HQ, APN, Mage Council, etc.

Garrick Fy`aar: "...well, that's crazy..."

Metal Man: "Looks like we have some corrupt government officials."

Dragoshi: "...Go on, boss."

Wolfman: "Yes Gibby... mistakes do happen."

Charles Magellean gets up from the chair. "This is truly a sad day. The Questers aren't even functioning as a unit anymore." He disconnects the Garrick's dex from the ToadVo, thus severing the satellite hookup from the other dexes.

Wolfman: "My ignorance is partly to blame for this one."

Digifanatic continues looking around, searching "IIF" in the database.

Metal Man: "You defeated Ganondorf... opening up another can of worms when you let Bowser in on it."

Metal Man (GM): You get nothing.

The Wraith is just... fuming, arms folded, actually glowing red now...

Digifanatic: "What the heck... there's nothing here..."

Metal Man: "Now we must carefully deal with the mess Wolf created."

Garrick Fy`aar: "...this is crazy. I didn't know Bowser was still around."

Gibby: "Well we've all done stupid stuff before. I mean look at Julian... he's a walking encyclopedia of stupid stuff."

Editor's Note: Damn, that's harsh. I'll never underestimate Gibby's capacity for cutting remarks again.

Metal Man: "He's an old man now."

Garrick Fy`aar: "Yeah, I can SEE that."

Metal Man: "He's resorted to legalese and corrupt APN officials to harass us."

Dragoshi: "...How underhanded."

Wolfman: "...when I was back in the Hunter realm... ...I saw something I didn't want to see.
...my sister's grave."

Garrick Fy`aar: "See, I knew this was going to happen. Whenever there was a government, there will always be corrupt officials."

Digifanatic sighs and walks back to the Big Room...

Aetos: "Uhh... I'm gonna be right back, don't do nothing to my Altar." *he goes off, submits all the video and audio and such that happened in the mission to the APN, and then returns.*

Metal Man: "We're all gonna be dead if we use your logic, Wolfman. Allow me to be your leader."

Digifanatic: "Hey Garrick. How did you and Charles' thing go?"

Wolfman: "I was then reminded... in a harsh way... that peace and alliance was the right way to go."

The Wraith opens its dex, message going to Metal. "...Is there something around here that I can destroy? I need to let off some steam..."

Metal Man stands up, interrupting Wolfman.
"SIMBER, red alert. Kill all IIF agents on sight."

Garrick Fy`aar jabs his thumb to the sitting table in the center of the room. There's a small data pad there...

Dragoshi: "...Red alert?"

Digifanatic: .oO(Whoa.)

Dragoshi blinks for a sec.

SIMBER: "All sectors secured."

Digifanatic: "More like code blue for a moment."

Charles Magellean sits on the couch of the R&R, looking at Skyhigh over yonder. "I can't believe that some are starting to resort to your tactics."

Metal Man: "FOR A MOMENT? No. We're going to have to kill the entire IIF."

Gibby: "I see... well I like that idea as well. But I guess we can't trust many people these days."

Dragoshi: "...ALL of them?"

Digifanatic: "You know where I'm going. This is a crisis here."

Dragoshi: "...Holy hell."

Metal Man: "They've been sent after us... and my confidential documents say they were made to kill us if we went Maverick."

Digifanatic: "This is probably my worst case of innocence I've probably been in. I've done nothing."

Wolfman responds to the leader thing...

Metal Man: "Nah, you've done something... just not nothing to deserve this nonsense."

Wolfman: "...as long as I can tell my side to you in the long run."

Garrick Fy`aar: "...this is insane, Metal."

Metal Man: "Now, Garrick, this is your time to be important. For anyone with a weapon, really."

Wolfman goes to a corner in the Big Room.

Charles Magellean begins to quietly stare at the turned off TV. He yawns and stretches.

Metal Man: "We must kill them all and attack their headquarters."

Dragoshi: "...Maverick? Pfft. Those imbeciles are merely parasitic pawns in the greater pl-...Nevermind. I should probably hold my peace, seeing as I know nothing."

Gibby sighs again. What a predicament.

Wolfman glares at Dragoshi.

Metal Man: "That will be your next mission."

Wolfman: "...you have NO idea."

Digifanatic: "Metal, just what is the IIF?"

Aetos moves over to Charles...

Garrick Fy`aar: "...you want me to do this? Alone?"

Dragoshi: "...Understood."

Metal Man: "...Not even my paperwork says what they're about."

Digifanatic: "Ah."

Metal Man: "Alone? No, we work as a team. I'll be there the whole way this time."

Charles Magellean: "That's a mighty big statue you warped on top of the building, Aetos."

Metal Man: "If anyone tries to pull a Wolfman... I will shoot them. DEAD."

Gibby: "Then this really IS big."

Digifanatic has a weapon.

Garrick Fy`aar: "Then what's the deal with 'anyone with a weapon'?"

Metal Man loads his pistols.

Charles Magellean: "Think it'll fetch a pretty penny or two?"

Wolfman: "...then kill me now."

Aetos: "Don't you love it?"

Wolfman: "I made a bad judgement."

The Wraith nods firmly to Metal's statement, at least partially satisfied with that...

Metal Man: "No, I mean with me around."

Charles Magellean: "A bit tacky for my tastes."

Wolfman: "If being shot is the punishment... I'll take it."

Metal Man: "I can see these sorts of things and tell you if you're doing wrong."

Gibby: "Metal, please... he feels bad about the whole thing."

Dragoshi nods, and leans against the wall "..."

Metal Man: "I wasn't there to do anything, so obviously you just made a bad decision."

Garrick Fy`aar: "...Metal. If we're going to attack something like this... then I request a quick stop to the Stadium."

Charles Magellean: "Who knows what'll happen next. Me? Who knows."

Aetos turns and glares at whoever else is here, and then types through the spear to Charles.

Digifanatic: "But, yes, Garrick was mentioning about anyone with a weapon. Practically all of us do."

Metal Man: "...We're inside it, Garrick. Knock yourself out."

Digifanatic: "What's that about?"

The Wraith puts its dex and stone away, and crosses its arms, focusing on something as it glows a brighter red...

Wolfman goes back to his little corner... facing away from everyone...

Metal Man: "..." *Facepalms* "Are you all like Wolfman? I meant everyone."

Wolfman turns around.

Metal Man: "Since almost all of you have weapons."

Dragoshi: "...Huh."

Gibby: "Well I'll fight... if it's the right thing to do. I don't even know now."

Metal Man: "It is. And I'll tell you why."

Wolfman: "...All I tried to do was use strategy and teamwork."

Charles Magellean opens the dex to see it. He closes it.

Digifanatic: "Oh..."

Metal Man takes out a late-typed report... from a man inside.

Charles Magellean: "Nah, I'm good. I saw it on ToadVo."

Metal Man: "I have a man inside on there."

Aetos: "We have that program?!"

Metal Man: "He told me of it all..."

Garrick Fy`aar: "...a man inside this IIF?"

Aetos leaps on the couch next to Charles.

Dragoshi: "...Seriously?"

Charles Magellean: "Not *TiVo*, ToadVo."

Metal Man: "Yes."

Garrick Fy`aar: "...who?"

Charles Magellean: "Metal's too cheap to get the real thing."

Editor's Note: And/or, embezzling Stadium funds. ...Same result.

Gibby: "So there IS information on the IIF?"

Metal Man: "We may be wiretapped even here."

Aetos: "...Ohhh..."

Dragoshi: "...Interesting."

Digifanatic: "Oh boy."

Metal Man: "You will find out when you rescue him. And Julian.
And possibly Ivan... these people are nuts."

Gibby: "Julian? What happened to him?"

Garrick Fy`aar: "...jeez... Metal, I want my gun."

Digifanatic: "Ivan?"

Dragoshi: "...Don't tell me Julian went and got himsel-...Ivan? Whozzat?"

Wolfman: "...another Robotnik."

Dragoshi: "...Ah."

Garrick Fy`aar: "I want to blow stuff to bi--Ivan? What did Ivan do?"

Wolfman: "But a kinder one."

Dragoshi: "...Huh."

Metal Man: "...Ivan did nothing, buuut he's a good guy. Corrupt guys hate him."

Dragoshi: "...This is just getting inane."

Garrick Fy`aar: "...I can see that."

Metal Man: "This is obviously a power grab."

Digifanatic: "I can imagine."

Charles Magellean: "Using Garrick-like thinking, I was able to find out what you guys were doing by connecting the smash dex to the ToadVo."

Wolfman: "...so does that mean we're stuck in the middle of it?"

Metal Man: "They want to take us out, and then Ivan."

Garrick Fy`aar glances over to Charles and chuckles...

Metal Man: "Hmmmm..."

Charles Magellean: "Satellite feed and all that."

Digifanatic: "Ah yes."

Metal Man suddenly gets an idea.

Dragoshi: "...It seems we'll have to flat-out slaughter these corrupt parasites... With extreme prejudice, right?"

Gibby: "I see..."

Digifanatic: "Yes."

Metal Man: "I'll need two teams. I have a backup plan. Gunicard... was made for situations like this."

Digifanatic: "Backup? Shoot it."

Gibby: "Well I'm up for whatever you want me to do. For the good of the Questers after all."

Garrick Fy`aar: "Gunicard?"

Wolfman: "...name the plan."

Aetos: "Ohh... what do you have to say about it?"

Dragoshi: "...Do tell, boss."

Metal Man: "Get him on your side, and we can threaten the corrupt ones with nuclear annihilation."

Dragoshi: "...Do tell."

Digifanatic: "Yeeeeeeeeah... whazzat? Err, whozat?"

Dragoshi: "...That may work."

Wolfman isn't familiar with Gunicard much...

Metal Man: "In case it backfires, we can annihilate Eisnaught, destroying the APN before it turns evil."

Gibby: "How are we going to do that? The last time we met... wasn't exactly on friendly terms."

Metal Man: "...This is assuming the team in Eisnaught dies."

Garrick Fy`aar: "...whoa whoa whoa whoa... ...you want to DESTROY the APN??"

Charles Magellean: "After watching it... I'd say... that for the first time using ToadVo like that, there was a good amount of static."

Metal Man: "Only if... the team in Eisnaught fails."

Dragoshi: "...Ah."

Aetos: "It was quite sandy... That might have effected it."

Garrick Fy`aar: "...Metal, is the underground vault still around?"

Charles Magellean: "Quite."

Dragoshi: "...Will they be warped out before the nuking?"

Metal Man: "Which one?"

Garrick Fy`aar: "The one we used before the fight with Kuja."

Metal Man: "Ours, yes. Theirs, maybe... but Gunicard was designed to nuke Eisnaught in mind."

Charles Magellean looks at Aetos. "...Why aren't you chained to Julian?"

Metal Man: "...Maybe."

Garrick Fy`aar: "...maybe?"

Metal Man: "The tower crashed into it from above."

Dragoshi: "...Wait, wait, wait. ...It was designed to do that?"

Metal Man: "It's all pancake and blendered into the old stuff."

Garrick Fy`aar: "I mean the one where we stored our stuff. You know, E Li Three was down there?"

Metal Man: "Of course we have that here. Just without E Li Three."

Aetos: "Metal never put us back... I'm only staying for the benefits, though... don't get me wrong."

Dragoshi: "...E Li Three?"

Garrick Fy`aar: "Good."

Digifanatic: "Another old guy, Dragoshi."

Garrick Fy`aar walks over to the appropriate cabinet and pops it with his foot a few times...

Metal Man: "That reminds me... We need to even out an old dispute. We're all gonna have to be Questers... or dead."
*He walks to the room where Aetos is.* "...Garrick, being a Quester in spirit, doesn't have to worry."

Garrick Fy`aar: "...I don't?"

Charles Magellean: "You are still aware that your trustworthiness is still broken. However, I may have another test... one that both of us can partake in."

Metal Man walks into R&R. "Bad times galvanize us all."

Gibby: "Well you know I'm in till death."

Metal Man: "I'm going to settle this question once and for all... there are... about three possibilities."

Charles Magellean: "Oro?" *Looks to see Metal* "Why hello."

Digifanatic once again heads back to the library to look up Gunicard... as Metal has said, he's been encountered but he doesn't know much about it.

Garrick Fy`aar had followed Metal...

Metal Man: "...Aetos becomes a Quester for real and must adhere to my rules. Aetos becomes Charles's ward. Aetos is gunned down and his corpse bured in a covert place."

Aetos blinks...

Metal Man: "Aetos should think carefully about his options."

Aetos: "...A test, for both of us, Charles?"

Wolfman: "...so I was right to attack Aetos early on in our first mission?"

Garrick Fy`aar: "Basically, what he's saying is you have three choices."

Wolfman remembers the Ivo battle with the time stones.

Garrick Fy`aar: "You become a Quester, you become a baby for Charles to sit, or we kill you."

Aetos turns to him.

Charles Magellean: "Before the ritual. You've noticed that Aribar has been missing for several days... I was going to suggest we look for him with permission."

Metal Man: "I'm not able to answer that, Mr. Wolf. I only look at the here and now. ...You walk out that door and the IIF will kill you."

Wolfman: "...understood..."

Metal Man: "We gotta gun them down first."

Charles Magellean looks to the guys who came in. "That is... before they walked in. Now I don't know what to think."

Aetos turns back to Metal.
"I'm technically still a Quester... an enemy I'm not... but I only stay on Charles' behalf."

The Wraith is still just hovering in a corner of the Big Room, glowing cherry red at this point, arms folded, eyes closed...

Garrick Fy`aar: "But you're breaking the rules."

Aetos: "I've broken 0 Rules."

Wolfman attempts to message... that ghost thing if possible... more.

Aetos: "Ever since they've come to pass."

Garrick Fy`aar: "From what I heard, helping a known felon is a rule."

Wolfman: *...I don't know if you can hear me... but can you forgive my poor judgement?*

Metal Man: "You've been the biggest weasel ever since Ruvyn and co."

Charles Magellean: "You went against the decision of the group when we choose not to initially open the sealed vault in Ivo's old base."

Metal Man: "And Ruvyn had to have the snot beaten out of him before he gave up being a bad guy."

Garrick Fy`aar: "Technically, I have every right to kill you right now."

Gibby: "It doesn't look good for you."

Aetos raises an eyebrow.

Metal Man: "I won't talk flim-flam for you. I can do whatever the hell I want in these circumstances."

The Wraith slowly opens its dex, and types a response: '...Give me time. I regret to say that I hold anger toward you now; but I do not hold grudges.'

Metal Man: "Because we may die anyway."

Wolfman: *Message to Wraith* *Understood.*

Charles Magellean: .oO(What is causing so much tension?)

Metal Man: "So, I repeat my question. Make a choice or be considered a member of the IIF."

Wolfman looks to Charles...

The Wraith then puts its dex away again, closes its eyes, and resumes concentrating...

Metal Man: "And the IIF... is to be gunned down for treason."

Charles Magellean: "!?"

Aetos: "Wha..."

Wolfman: "...I'm partly to blame for this one."

Garrick Fy`aar: "So, what's it going to be, slick?"

Wolfman: "Your face was... a puzzling one. I figured you might as well know now."

Charles Magellean: "I saw the footage... partly. It shorted out after Bowser entered the temple."
*He looks to Aetos.*

Wolfman: "Then you saw enough of my end."

Aetos: "An enemy to the IIF, and an ally, I don't want to be either."

Wolfman changes his position... think a dog, trying to lay down, but head sort of down and upset.

Gibby sighs.

Metal Man (GM): *Cocks the gun* "You can be dead, that's neither."

Gibby: "You're not making this easy."

Aetos: "I'm going to be with Charles, like I've said just a moment ago... like I have been."

Metal Man: "So you choose to be his ward?"

Charles Magellean eyes widen.

Wolfman: .oO(...I'm actually glad Mewtwo released me from the promise... there is no way in hell I could keep it in this day and age... I wonder if he knew that.)

Metal Man: "That is acceptable... should he take the responsibility."

Garrick Fy`aar: "That's up to him, I'd imagine."

Charles Magellean: "He will be accepted, pending the credibility in a ritual he shall participate in in the future."
*He looks to Aetos.* "You had already agreed, so you are still a ward... without trust."

Garrick Fy`aar sighs and turns to Metal...
"I've got something you should have."

Charles Magellean: "He has chosen to be with me. I am his mentor."

Gibby: "Then that's that."

Wolfman: "...what's the plan then?"

Aetos: "Now... excuse me... I've got a package from Ivo that should be waiting for me hopefully... and maybe I can give him a good smack for breaking MY law."

Metal Man: "Okay. Keep him in line. I give you the authority to do anything to him, Charles. And..."

Aetos goes to exit the room.

Metal Man turns to Mr. Garrick. "Huh?"

Garrick Fy`aar reaches into his pocket and places a datapad in Metal's hand. Written at the bottom is a neat, fine signature.
"Consider it official."

Charles Magellean takes out Garrick's dex. "Perhaps you would want this back?"

Metal Man: "Hmmm... excellent, then."

Garrick Fy`aar: "...don't need it for more than a second."
*He pulls a cord out of his suit and connects it to the Dex.*

Wolfman turns to Garrick.
"...are you sure of this?"

Garrick Fy`aar: "Mark, record and store all data that makes you an official Dex."
*He glances at Wolf...
* "...I found what I was searching for.
...and I didn't like it.
...so, I figured the best way to get it is right back here... where I belong."

Wolfman: "Next time, care to let me come without sneaking off without me?"

Charles Magellean: "You done?"

Wolfman winks.

Garrick Fy`aar: "Soon as Mark is. And I'll tell you next time I'm leaving secretly, Wolf."

Mark: "Action completed."

Garrick Fy`aar: "There. Done."
*He pulls the cord back into his suit.*

Wolfman just nods... can't quite chuckle yet.

Charles Magellean disconnects the dex. "Guess I'll be calling this mine from now on."

The Wraith eventually creates a bright, red flash of energy... When the flash subsides, the wraith's form is back to its normal shadowy composure, and in front of it floats a small, violently red stone... which then drifts into the wraith's torso, joining the other two stones.

Charles Magellean puts it away.
"This matter seems to be settled. I give you all my blessings, as well as Lord Bahamut's, in your endeavor of confronting this allegedly corrupt organization."

Gibby: "I still don't know..."

Garrick Fy`aar: "I'll need it."

Wolfman turns to Charles.

Garrick Fy`aar: "Which reminds me... back to that vault."

Wolfman: "Thanks... I think."

Garrick Fy`aar turns and goes back to that closet door or whatever in the Big Room, trying to open 'da vault.

Charles Magellean: "I can only wonder what will happen when all of you begin your assault."

Metal Man: "About the vault?"

Charles Magellean: "You seem a bit obsessed about... what did you call it?"

Dragoshi is still leaning 'gainst the wall of the Big Room. listening curiously. Even though he's almost nodded off a few times.

Charles Magellean: "What was this organization you called?"

Wolfman: "The IIF I believe."

Gibby: "I wonder what that stands for..."

Editor's Note: I don't remember, and I'm the one who invented it! Geez!

Charles Magellean: "Again, I give you my blessings for all you attacking it for the earliest time that you will be ready to do so."

Wolfman: "International Immobilization Forces maybe?" *Making it up.*

Dragoshi: .oO(...That'd be an interesting name...)

The Wraith pulls the new, red stone out and looks it over... It then opens its dex with its free hand, messaging Metal. "...When do we start the destruction?"

Metal Man: "We start... in an hour. We shall find out who these... IIF... are..."
*He walks out to get things ready.*

Charles Magellean is subtly hiding what he means in his words. For those who care (probably only Gibby, Dragoshi, wolf): Etymology checks.)

Gibby: "Fair enough."

Dragoshi: "...An hour? ...Wonderful."

Gibby goes back to his room to prepare himself.

Wolfman obviously isn't a subtle guy.

Dragoshi is obviously half-subtle.

Gibby doesn't seem to know what the world subtle means.

Charles Magellean (GM): Wolf, Gibby: Charles is talking about how he wants to wish all you luck.

Gibby: "Uh, yeah, thanks Charles."

Wolfman: .oO(...that's what he thought)
*He just nods.*

Charles Magellean (GM): Dragoshi: It seems there's something hidden... but he probably really only means his blessings.

Dragoshi: "Hmmm... I wonder if he really only means his blessings. ...Oh well."

Aetos scales the HQ with his awesome jumping, and... is his Altar up on the roof now?

Wolfman: *Meanwhile...*

VG: .oO(...Wolfman did WHAT?!?!?) *goes to super secret hiding bunker*
"...I'm scared now." *End VG's mini session.*

The Wraith then drifts out of the Big Room and goes toward the hallway containing the Questers' private rooms, through ceilings and walls as necessary, and goes to its own weird room...

Aetos feels the urge to not go outside, even though he shouldn't because he missed the whole conversation about the IIF Metal spoke of.
*Chat with SIMBER here*

SIMBER: *Bad men keeeel you if you open da d00rz! OMGAW DETH!*

Aetos is now led to believe Metal and Wolf are evil for taking out a giant corporation... he is in lockdown, though.

Dragoshi heads back to his room.

Aetos's eye twitches.
"My list of things to-do grows longer each day."
*He walks back to the big room.
* "ANYONE HAVE CHALK?"

SIMBER tosses a box of chalk to Aetos.
"We keep some handy."

Aetos catches it... "Thank you. Do you have any rooms not in use?"

SIMBER: *Pops up a map full of rooms* "Be careful... even I can't detect all the IIF devices."

Aetos goes to a large room, suitable for a small Big Room.
He starts writing on the wall with chalk...
*1) Acquire mission terminal from Ivo Robuttnik
2)Avoid conflicts with rules.
3)Try to get others to break rules.
4)Get the Spirit Altar in here if it will fit...
4-1) Get that mission terminal in here when it arrives.
5) Assemble a party to explore Link's Treehouse in the Dark World.
6) Figure out who "Leon Yetch" is.

Metal Man (GM): Skyhigh walks on in.

Sky High: "Look at dat! It's a purdy wall decoration!"

Aetos turns to SkyHigh. "Yip..."

Sky High drinks a can of beer.

Aetos: "..."

Sky High: "I should walk outside and kill those IIF people all by myself!"

Aetos: "Or not... how about you go lie down..."

Sky High: *Reads wall* "And... defeat Ivo Robuttnik... by conflicting the Spirit Altar... so that it fights Leon Yetch in the Dark World... and destroys the mission terminal!" *Hic*
"Yup... I just need to conflict the Spirit Altar by staring at it really hard."

Aetos: "Hmm... Do you know who Leon Yetch is, by the way?"

Sky High: "Your mother... zing!" *Hic.*

Aetos writes "7) Make this room more secret. So... why did you leave me before Saturn Valley?"

Sky High: "I decided I would destroy the Questers... by betraying a betrayer! Hah!" *Belch.*

Metal Man (GM): He leans on your shoulder, reeking of Schnapps.

Aetos: "Uhh huh... well then..." *Gag.*

Sky High: "Nothing like stealing a bunch of alcohol boxes from twelve years ago!"

Metal Man (GM): He then touches the wall, getting booze on it.

Sky High: "Look at me! I'm Mario!"

Metal Man (GM): He leaps into the wall at full speed.
*BONK* He makes a Boba-fett sized impression into it.

Aetos twitches.

Metal Man (GM): Then he falls backwards, with the words (7) Make this room more secret stuck to his helmet.

Sky High: "Oh no! I'm blind! I knew I shouldn't have stared at the sun!"

Metal Man (GM): He smeared most of it and has the rest stuck to his armor.

Sky High: "Or... maybe this is Metal's doing! He savagely poked me in the eye..."
*He leans backwards, busting up another wall.*

Aetos: "Of course he did. Darn him."

Sky High: "Now... I will defeat you and win the game!"

Aetos: "SIMBER... How much would it take to make a room only I can enter, about big enough to fit that Spirit Altar and a Mission Terminal?"

Metal Man (GM): He takes off his helmet and hurls it at your head before you can finish your request.

Aetos: "GAH!"

Sky High: "Doo-dee-doo-dooo! I win! Ten thousand coins! My melee moves are stronger now!
And I can survive 3 minutes in lava!"

Aetos rubs his head...

Metal Man (GM): He does a victory dance.

Aetos: "You should... go test that theory."

Sky High: "Metal said lava is only for lava bathers. After hitting me with his shiny guns. How dare he scratch my nose!"

Metal Man (GM): Then he points at Aetos.

Aetos: "What I would give for a useless Sober-machine..."

Sky High: "You're a lava bather. Tell me your secretsssss!!!"

Aetos: "My secrets were on that wall."

Sky High peels some words off his leg and eats them.

Aetos: "The one you Mario-fied."

Sky High: "I hate Mario... he has all the good moves... hey... you ssspear..."

Metal Man (GM): He pokes it with his finger.

Sky High: "Ow!"

Metal Man (GM): ...He pokes it again.

Aetos: "...Don't touch Talon, please."

Sky High: "Oww!"

Metal Man (GM): He continues poking it.

Sky High: "Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. OW! Ow. Ow. Ow."

Garrick Fy`aar: "...SIMBER."
*He is in the Big Room...*

Aetos rolls his eyes.

Sky High: "I shall never--Ow---stop touching it! Hahahahaaa!"

Aetos pulls his spear away.

Sky High: "Hey! You put the shiny carousel horse away! Now what am I going to poke mercilessly?"

Aetos: "The IIF."

Metal Man (GM): He looks at the wall... and sees a light switch.
He runs up to it and begins flicking it on and off every 2 seconds.

Aetos gains this. -.-

Sky High: "Aetos alive, Aetos dead. Aetos alive, Aetos dead. Aetos alive, Aetos dead."

Aetos falls to the floor, motionless, all of a sudden.

Sky High: "Yeshhh! It worked! Now I can steal the carousel horse!"

Metal Man (GM): He runs over and tries to take Talon from Aetos.

Aetos leaps up. "NO NO NO!"

Metal Man (GM): He grabs it and begins poking himself with it.

Sky High: "Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow."

Aetos slaps his forehead.
"Uggh..."

Metal Man (GM): Then it begins beeping to the Diet Pepsi song.

Sky High: "What? Ahhhhh!!!! Ely!"

Aetos: "...What...?"

Metal Man (GM): He drops it and runs away screaming.

Aetos looks around the room briefly.

Metal Man (GM): At least he's gone.

Aetos: "An... item?"

SIMBER: "...It picked up his armor as an item."

Aetos: "Oh..."

SIMBER: "He left his helmet, too."

Metal Man (GM): You see... the legendary Skyhigh helmet, on the floor.

Aetos: "Hm... should I return it to him?"
*He picks it up.*

Metal Man (GM): The one rumored to make the wearer morph into Elton John!

Editor's Note: To be honest, Elton John is way cooler than SkyHigh. Why couldn't we have had him instead of Sky High?

Garrick Fy`aar (OOC): *...**Snort**...*"

Metal Man (GM): You wonder why. Mainly because his face was clearly that of someone other than Elton John.

SIMBER: "...He's only going to use it to ram his head into walls and drink beer. I don't think anyone cares about it."

Aetos sighs, holding the helmet under his arm, he writes: 8)Return helmet to Skyhigh (Maybe)

Metal Man (GM): Meanwhile...
Garrick's in the main big room magic land thing.

Garrick Fy`aar: "...SIMBER."

SIMBER: "...Garrick."

Garrick Fy`aar: "Nice to finally talk to you again."

SIMBER: "I'm a bit busy... what do you need?"

Garrick Fy`aar: "Think you can open the door to the underground vault down here?"

SIMBER: "It's a manual door. Nobody locks it."

Metal Man (GM): An arrow points to an old, rusty, lockless metal door.

Garrick Fy`aar: "...huh."
*He walks over to it and heaves it open.*

Metal Man (GM): Stairs n' lights greet you when you open it.

Garrick Fy`aar proceeds downward, making sure to watch his step.

Metal Man (GM): You hit the bottom... and find an old, old room.
It's the Stadium vault, full of unused building materials...
And Wolfman-era stuff.

Garrick Fy`aar: "...I wonder if I should start building things again..."
*He coughs and walks along the various devices... looking for the one that he left here so long ago...
He cries and slams the empty bottle into Wraith's... grave...*

Editor's Note: So remember. Once rejoined, make sure to drink alcohol, cry, and slam the bottle into the grave of The Wraith.

The Wraith doesn't have a grave; or even a corpse.

Editor's Note: The nonexistent grave of The Wraith. Which makes it even more bizarrely pitiful.

Garrick Fy`aar does it when he's on the ghostly plane then.

Aetos: *It's thrown completely off guard by your lack of skill, and wanders off, shaking its head. Oh noo...*

Garrick Fy`aar coughs and walks along the various devices... looking for the one that he left here so long ago...

Metal Man (GM): Which one?
It sits atop a pile of rubble.

Garrick Fy`aar: "...long time no see, old friend."
*He slowly reaches down and picks up the crystal blue handgun...
He slowly checks it over... he sees if it still is in usable condition...*

Charles Magellean becomes bored of staring at the Arena. He goes to the door leading to the roof.

Metal Man (GM): Well, when did you put it there?
It is particularly aged looking. Nicked, dusty... and a little cracked.

Garrick Fy`aar: "...NOVA helped me make this... perhaps he can help me repair it."
*He sighs and looks around in the rubble for a short while before he heads back up and makes for the warp to take him to Nova's...*

Metal Man (GM): You see, amongst the rubble... something else.

Garrick Fy`aar stops for a moment...

Metal Man (GM): A shiny disk... much like the one The Wraith found.
It lays next to Klumsy's will, the disk of which is dusty.

Garrick Fy`aar: "...huh..."

Metal Man (GM): This shiny disk has a strange label on it.
'...The Secret Purpose of the Quester Hunters'

Garrick Fy`aar: "Mark, can you analyze and play that?"

Mark: "It's a disk encoded much like the will... the dex system indicates it's one of many. A video format made for playback in dexes. You need to pick it up and insert it into your armor."

Garrick Fy`aar: "Ah, well, in that case... I never read his will, though..."
*He reaches down and picks up the disk, looking to the one with Klumsy's Will...
* "Just, let me ask. Did it have anything to do with me?"

Mark: "It appears to have to do with most of us... scattered about for us to find. Some sort of message which cannot simply be expressed by words."

Garrick Fy`aar: "Huh. Wonder if he had something for me to find... I'll have to ask Metal. Anyway..."
*He opens a port on his armor and slides the disk inside.*

Mark: "It... may be a hidden message."

Metal Man (GM): It plays. Crackly sound, horrible codec... but... message-worthy.
Metal appears before you in the screen.

Metal Man: "If you are playing this, you have found one of many disks I recorded while the Questers were saving the world from Kuja. In this disk, I go over an unknown reason for the Quester Hunters."

Metal Man (GM): An image of an evil, black-painted factory in Termina is shown.

Metal Man: "Rupture farms."

Metal Man (GM): It zooms in, showing Zio standing in front of a massive, round ring and a portal inside it.

Metal Man: "Zio, and target Zero-One: Lashiec."

Metal Man (GM): It then turns around, showing obviously Trance Alys."

Metal Man: "A... martyr."

Metal Man (GM): It then goes through to another room, showing Kuja.

Garrick Fy`aar: "..."

Metal Man: "The mole."

Metal Man (GM): It then zooms out, and begins linking things.

Metal Man: "These were all important on their own, but I'm going to explain something most of us never saw. You see... I don't think Kuja is the only person to have assets beyond our comprehension."

Metal Man (GM): It begins lining them up... like a massive conspiracy.
And shows a box labeled ???? over them.

Metal Man: "Someone appears to have set it up. The Quester Hunters were never made to succeed... and Kuja merely as an anomaly. For while Kuja claimed he controlled them... he never made them."

Metal Man (GM): It zooms in to Zio.

Metal Man: "This man did. And he was supposedly a tool. He turned out to be one. This can only mean..."

Metal Man (GM): It links Zio to the ???.

Metal Man: "He was the henchman of someone who never, ever, ever showed his face. Ever. I've asked The Void, even.
I don't know if this means anything. Maybe this is just insanity.
That's why I recorded it on this tape.
I would have asked Alys, but... she died.
I would have asked Klumsy... all I had was his will.
I stumbled upon a key...
And... it was for gates in the desert.
Klumsy's old home."

Garrick Fy`aar: "...whoa."

Metal Man (GM): It zooms in on a really strange key.
In fact... it's more like a keyBLADE now.

Metal Man: "It has changed dramatically in the time I have kept it. Klumsy was the originator from which Alys and Zio came.
This ??? man had to have acted through or around him.
Clearly, he also had access to this key when it was being designed.
I... would not be surprised if he had a hand in Klumsy's lack of dying and disappearances.
This is where the trail goes cold."
*He points the keyblade at the screen.* "See, there's no lock for this here. Anywhere. I've tried. Everywhere.
Nobody talks about it, nobody cares... most people have forgotten all of this.
And so... it remains... a cold case."

Metal Man (GM): The disk image fades out.

Garrick Fy`aar frowns...
"...I wonder..."
*He moves over to where he found the disk and begins to clear the rubble around it...*

Metal Man (GM): You find the following:
Klumsy's disk, the ??? keyblade..
..Star Steel's Star Board, with a note to Metal about it. Actually, it being Star's last will.
Alys' old transformer...

Garrick Fy`aar: "Look at all this stuff... it should be in a museum..."

Metal Man (GM): And to wrap all the weirdness up, you see something of historical value to boot.
The original Sword of Darkness. It's broken all into segments and fragile, devoid of darkness.
But it works... for a display piece.

Garrick Fy`aar: "...wow... I didn't know this thing still existed... it's best left down here, though. All of this... but..."
*He looks at the keyblade...
* "...I've never seen one of these up close before..."

Metal Man (GM): It looks odd. Unlike any you've ever seen.

Garrick Fy`aar slowly reaches down and picks it up...
He looks at it in his hand... this would be an incredible weapon. He'd easily give up his other weapons for this one.

Metal Man (GM): You pick it up... and suddenly see someone over your shoulder.

Garrick Fy`aar: "...let's see... Metal? E Li Three? Ivo? NOVA? So many choices... welp, only way to find out is to turn around..."
*He does so.*

The Void: "That is... Oblivion. It has changed with the world itself, but is still a respectable weapon. Equal to that sidearm, at least. There still aren't any locks it works in."

Garrick Fy`aar: "It's an incredible piece of weaponry."

The Void takes out his until-now invisible weapon, the keyblade named... 'The Nothing'

Garrick Fy`aar: "...but... I thought that keyblades needed a chosen wielder."

The Void: "Our world breaks all rules made before. But... you are right. It will only be a normal weapon to you."

Garrick Fy`aar: "...figures."

The Void: "After all... it's a magical implement... and you are not."

Garrick Fy`aar: "Yeah, being from my time has the limitation."

The Void: "My own is limited; I wish I could use this--" *He swings it, making a trail of static behind it* "--but I lack the physical strength to use it effectively that way."

Garrick Fy`aar: "...do you know what this... this Oblivion... what or who it's true wielder is?"

The Void: "I know only what could have been. Sardis Mongul saved all of your lives.
Had things gone differently... Xalron would have wielded not one, but four keyblades."

Garrick Fy`aar: "Well, I'm kinda glad he didn't... I've always considered the keyblade to be a weapon of a true hero."

The Void: "This one... that one... One Winged Angel... Fatal Crest... not at once, but just using them one after another."

Garrick Fy`aar walks over and jams the keyblade into the ground where it once was.
"...I guess I'm not worthy of it."

The Void: "Your chosen weapon is your gun. In that, you can match any keyblade wielder."

Garrick Fy`aar: "My chosen weapon is something that's cracked, old..."

The Void: "This thing is a bizarre perversion of physics. How do you think it works? Not very well. But it damages people very much. Even Julian... it defeated him.
If you, and, say, I, practiced more... we could probably make up for those defects."

Garrick Fy`aar: "Practice... I'd never catch up to the others. In my travels, I've let myself grow soft."

The Void: "Just be grateful Sardis saved you. I could have ruled all time itself had he not used every last inch of himself to kill Xalron. But... he died. That's all there is to write."

Garrick Fy`aar: "...I might be a Quester again... but I sure as hell don't feel like one."

The Void: *Idly swings around his keyblade* "I work with the Questers after trying to destroy them for years. It's much odder for me. This was made to kill Julian, not defeat him in a fair battle."

Garrick Fy`aar: "...and what about me, Void?"
*He turns to face him completely, his hand holding the old, dusty, and cracked M150...*

The Void: "If you stopped pitying yourself and beat down the opposition with your allies, you might not have to worry about being old, dusty, and cracked."

Garrick Fy`aar: "...would you fight me in a fair battle?"

The Void: "Me? You? I would fight, yes, but your chances might not be so good."

Garrick Fy`aar: "...could I ask you something?"

The Void: "Yes?"

Charles Magellean opens the door to the roof for the night air and to see the statue of tackiness.

Garrick Fy`aar: "...did Klumsy say anything about me in his will?"

The Void begins laughing. audibly.
"He didn't know you or me ever existed.
When he died.
None of us did, really.
Metal did, Aribar did, Charles did... Wolfman did... that's it.
Out of the real Questers, of course. You can ask Bowser and get arrested for harassment."

Garrick Fy`aar: "...it's changed so much since I first came here."

The Void: "It was different before you came, too."
"Can't stop the ball from rolling, no matter how hard you try. You know I tried."

Garrick Fy`aar: "That I do."

The Void: "I tried to destroy the ball with pure insanity."

Garrick Fy`aar sighs and looks down at the gun in his hand...

The Void: "I almost won... then... a man with no incentive to stop me did just that."

Garrick Fy`aar: "...I suppose I'd better give Metal back his axe."

The Void: "He could have lived forever in the Ethereal realm. He won't be using it... heh."

Garrick Fy`aar glances back up...
"I have nothing to do with it."

The Void: "He's got some guns from your time. Some reason, he prefers it to his original equipment."

Garrick Fy`aar: "...from my time. ...I wonder why he bothers himself with it."

The Void: "TT33's with equipment additions in your time. Only a gun collector would bother, and a maniac to use them over laser guns. Then again, I use a keyblade made out of chaos like a ray gun.
Who am I kidding?"

Garrick Fy`aar: "...heh."
"...I don't know. It just seems that everything I've seen is beyond my time."

The Void: "My home dimension was destroyed. Nothing survived it... not even my favorite Dan."

Garrick Fy`aar: "...your favorite... dan?"

The Void: "And I hid him under some neat four-dimensional bushes."

Garrick Fy`aar: "I see..."

The Void: "And I even had the Mushroom King living in an exhibit of past Quester battles. All gone. Even my model of New York."

Garrick Fy`aar: "...I liked New York."

The Void: "And the alternate-reality Questers who were all insane and fought clones of Sephiroth."

Garrick Fy`aar: "They had some good pizza."

The Void: "All of them. They no longer happened."

Garrick Fy`aar sighs and goes over to stand by the Void, looking at the things before them...
"...it's like looking back in time, isn't it?"

The Void: "Sort of... I never moved on from my reason to exist. I just appeared one day for no reason."

Garrick Fy`aar: "You need to start living in the moment, Void."

The Void: "Smack dab in the middle of this set of people. They ruined my life. I wanted to remain nothing.
So I screwed up their fun battles with insanity."

The Void: "Now I'm back to square one. And... you say your time is dead? I can't become nothing when I want."

Garrick Fy`aar: "My time isn't dead. It's just safely placed in a crystal ball that will never be broken."

The Void: "Good for you. I liked my realm that way."

Garrick Fy`aar: "I suppose so."

The Void: "I'd kill for that. I did, too. I killed people named Ivo Robotnik."

Garrick Fy`aar: "I'd kill him too."

The Void: "Sadly, my realm didn't have death in it. So all he did was bounce off my ray of orbital destruction."

Garrick Fy`aar: "Void, I have a proposition for you."

The Void: "???"

Garrick Fy`aar: "I promise to get over my self loathing and repair my gun and go back to work at being what I'm good at being... if you promise me that one day, we can sit back with a brew and forget all those bad things. Like friends."

The Void: "I never liked those Quester punks anyway. You have a deal."

Garrick Fy`aar chuckles and shakes the man's... well... odd shadowy thing's hand.
"Now, let's get out of this dingy room and go get to training, you and I."

Metal Man (GM): He shakes your hand. It feels like shaking the hand of a misty and cold forest.

The Void: "We can learn far more from eachother than a bunch of self-fighting nobodies."

Garrick Fy`aar: "Then let's brawl."

The Void: "I know just the place."

Garrick Fy`aar: "Lead the way, slick."

Metal Man (GM): He floats up... to an area marked 'Off Limits', taking the tape off of it.

The Void: "I personally oversaw the holo-room system."

Garrick Fy`aar: "Ahhh, so Metal rebuilt the holo rooms..."

Metal Man (GM): You see... brand new holo-rooms.

The Void: "I used my reality modifying properties to create higher realism projectors. You want old times... I can make them appear."

Garrick Fy`aar: "...any time?"

The Void: "As an illusion, yes. Anything recorded, or I can visualize, or someone remembers."

Garrick Fy`aar: "...I want to feel like a Quester... I should fight like one."

The Void: "I like to fight impossible scenarios in the HQ of the past for fun. Like... Razor. He's almost as nuts as I am!
All these reality destroying things..."

Garrick Fy`aar: "I want to fight everything they Questers fought. From the begining to the end."

The Void: *His eyes... err... glow?* "...That's... a tall order..."

Garrick Fy`aar: "Indeed. But it's what I want."

The Void: "I can't even get recordings of some of the earliest... you're talking Klumsy's specialty."

Garrick Fy`aar: "Then get as close as you can."

The Void: "I might be able to pirate some of his, but that's not quite everything."

Garrick Fy`aar: "I know it won't be exact or perfect... But as long as it hurts and I can get experience from it and get stronger... it's good enough."

The Void: "...You'll have to give me a while. That's a feature I'm trying to make... when the holo-room is finished."

Garrick Fy`aar: "...alright. Then what can I do now? You said you had something in mind..."

The Void: "Well... if you gave me a moment, you could fight me with my keyblade... with your M-150."

Garrick Fy`aar: "...I dunno if it even WORKS anymore. ...but I guess we sow what we reap... alright, bud, let's roll."

Metal Man (GM): The Void Battle
Garrick vs. The Void
Init?

The Void: "For this battle... I unveil something that is especially good at confusing people."

Garrick Fy`aar: "...whoa."

Metal Man (GM): Order: The Void, Garrick

Garrick Fy`aar: "...why didn't Metal ever think of THIS?!"

The Void: "Because he didn't. In that dimension... ... ...I'm not allowed to say. Ha-ha. All I know is that you're a girl there. Heheheheheeee."

Garrick Fy`aar: "...uhhhh... ...riiiight... now, let's get going."

The Void: "One asphault sundae, coming right up."

Garrick Fy`aar pulls a clip from his gun belt and sets it home, cocking the weapon and dropping back into his old tried and true stance.

Metal Man (GM): He takes the keyblade and twirls it around, firing a ray of TV-static light energy at your head.
Ahhhh! It burns! IT BURNS!!!

Garrick Fy`aar: "Dah!"

Metal Man (GM): Your head fills with static.
76 damage.

Garrick Fy`aar growls and shakes the damage off... he doesn't know what this gun can do anymore... so he just breaks left and runs, aiming and firing.

Metal Man (GM): Es ist ein schlecht aber keine lampe. Das ist, du bist uber kaeiser, und ich bin mach kampf mit die pizza. Ach du lieber gott!
I mean... uhhh...
*whips up the weapon quickly.*
It's just a pistol, right?
Small. Class: Superhuman. +Damage 5x. That means it adds 29 damage, is +5, anduses whatever skill bonuses you have too.
And also +AGI/10 to hit... and if that's a normal attack...
It takes 2 TP and has +AGI mod to hit and damage on top of that.
I'm also charging this out of your coins. Once I figure out the price.
Your shots fly right through him.

Garrick Fy`aar: "It's not fair when you're incorporeal!"

The Void: "There are times I love being unhittable."

Metal Man (GM): Your turn done?

Garrick Fy`aar: *anyway, yes.*

The Void: "Now... behold!"

Garrick Fy`aar ...beholds....

Metal Man (GM): He spins it around... and does nothing.

Garrick Fy`aar frowns and looks around... his own gun won't work on him... bullets would pass right through...
"...so like you to challenge me in a fight with a weapon that can't harm you..."
*He smirks... he brings the gun up and fires a shot...*

Metal Man (GM): You fire it again.
No crit with this gun with a natural 19.
Natural 20, yea.
You have it fly through.

The Void: "You wanted a fair fight? I was gonna have Metal, but you hate him. Don't worry... you can learn SOMETHING from this."

Garrick Fy`aar frowns... then he tries something else. He targets... the keyblade.

Metal Man (GM): *Deflect noise* It's like shooting at Jedi lightsabers!
He twirls the keyblade, then flies over to you and spins it in circles at you. Like a blender.
*VRRR CRIT VRRRR*
45, 90, 45 damage
Oops.
45, 45, 45

Garrick Fy`aar snarls and takes the hits for a moment, leaping out the tornado... .oO(Okay... can't hit him, can't hit his weapon... let's see...)
"...okay, what are you trying to teach me here... come on..."
*He makes a spot check to see if he can see any weak spots or things on his body to target...*

The Void: "Use your mind... or the environment... ...I said your mind, not your earlobes!"

Metal Man (GM): You begin fiddling with your earlobes.
Apparently that is finding his weak spots.

Garrick Fy`aar: .oO(Dah! Okay, think..."

Metal Man (GM): You realize the following commonly available knowledge:
Incorporeal beings laugh at physical attacks but sorta keel over from elemental or magical stuff.
Not a single element? No magic? No MNT anywhere?
Huh... gonna have to pull a Ganon-Knuckle here then.
Well, that axe does work.
If you use it.

Garrick Fy`aar sighs and holsters his gun...
"...it's amazing that I've got to use something of Metal's to defeat you."
*He reaches over his back and pulls out the long metal pipe. With a flick, the axe blazes to life...
"Okay then..."
*He brings it crashing down in a regular attack...

Metal Man (GM): You barely miss, as he sidefloats.
Void

The Void: "Dee dee doo." *Hurls a beam of chaos at Garrick via the sword.*

Metal Man (GM): 76 damage

Garrick Fy`aar snarls and comes it with a pair of slashes, trying to push the Void off the EDGE of this place...

Metal Man (GM): Hit, hit.
He is... harmed quite a bit.

The Void: "Hmmm... that's only two swings, too."

Garrick Fy`aar backs up a bit, bobbing on his feet as he watches and waits...
"And I haven't even let the big dogs eat yet..."

Metal Man (GM): He... sits there and does nothing.

Garrick Fy`aar gives the axe a quick spin as he spins in a circle and brings it around in a massive sort of cleave along the Void's body.

Metal Man (GM): You... miss.

The Void: "Mwahahahaha! And now... to show you how Julian lost!"

Metal Man (GM): He powers up... quite a bit, at that.
ARMAGEDDON

Garrick Fy`aar: "...I will NOT back down from you or anyone else!"

Metal Man (GM): You behold... a cloud of debris flying at you.
He tries to grab you as orange lightning, an explosion, a beam of static energy, and four shoes fly at you.
You're thrown into the storm for 55 damage, then hit by the beam for 76, then hit by three shoes for 10 damage each.
And then the explosion deals 45 fire damage.

Garrick Fy`aar is wailed on by all of that... but he survives...
He slowly stands from all that brutal attacking...
"...is that all you've got, Void?"

The Void: "I can do it again if you want."

Garrick Fy`aar: "I'd rather finish this... NOW!"

The Void: "You would... yeah."

Garrick Fy`aar charges forward and brings his axe cleaving downward along his body...

Metal Man (GM): You barely hit.
Barely barely barely barely
Oh yeah. Charles ain't here.
But... you don't end it here. Instead, you watch The Void recover... and then it be your turn again.

Garrick Fy`aar: "...so that's what you're doing... heh..."
*He brings his axe in another pair of slashes along his flanks.*

Metal Man (GM): Miss and only a normal hit.
He prepares a vorpal beam of destruction so fast the simulator turns off and a 'Garrick Wins' sign appears over the arena.

Garrick Fy`aar: "...what?"

Metal Man (GM): He reappears, staring at the axe.

The Void: "I happen to lack any sort of real defense against it, and my endurance is garbage. It makes sense that Metal's old weapon would beat me up.
Vendetta's garbage against me."

Garrick Fy`aar: "...that was... enlightening... I guess I'll hang onto this, then."
*He spins the axe and slide it back into place along his back.*

Metal Man (GM): +2000 EXP to Garrick

Garrick Fy`aar: "...this is only the beginning... I've got a lot more work to do."

The Void: "To mortals, it is... to me, this could be the thousandth time I've done this."

Garrick Fy`aar: "...if you get that program running, Void, I want to be the first to use it. If I have to go in there for two weeks and not come out, I will."

The Void: "...In due time."

Garrick Fy`aar: "I know, I know..."

Editor's Note: Sadly, such a tall order was never completed. Even current me couldn't make all those holo things! Maybe some day though...

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