Super Smash Quest - Story - Chapter 338: The Melodrama of The Betrayer
Date: 7:01:34 PM, October 23rd to 11:19:15 PM, October 23rd, 2006.
Metal Man (GM): Mission Time
You're all in the big room, yet again. Wow, the floor's getting worn.
Anyway, Metal is at his desk, now having finished reading a relatively large pile of paper.
Metal Man: "Hm... hm. Not very good."'
Julian Sawyer's in his usual chair, feet up and all "What's the word, Mets?"
Gibby notices that the stacks of paper are taller than him.
"...Seems like quite a bit of work there."
Metal Man: "Well, Sephiroth has switched to something else since yo deterred his first attempt."
The Wraith: *The spirit is hovering off to the side from the desk, arms folded, lookin' to da boss.*
Dragoshi: *Wonders where Jim is, and mutters* "...Needed to talk to the new guy 'bout somethin, but he ain't here..." *Then speaks up* "...What's this something ekse?"
Alexia: "Sephiroth again... what's he doing this time? Gesundheit, Dragoshi."
Metal Man: "According to these complex calculations, he is using some otherworldly power in an attempt to resurrect the Dimensional cannon... but not as it was. That's all we can tell."
Julian Sawyer: "...Fan fuckin' tastic..."
Gibby: "Well he ain't making tea cozies I'll tell ya that much."
Charles Magellean lets out a slight yawn outside the Big Room. Keeping one's foot on a wall for five days straight is not easy.
Dragoshi: "Simple. He-...Again, with this Dimensional Cannon crap? And, this one's for real, you say?"
Julian Sawyer: "Ain't they all been for real?"
Metal Man: "It's not really the Dimensional cannon, though. It's weird stuff."
Dragoshi: "...Such as...?"
Metal Man: "Anyway, it's unguarded, and only Sephiroth is there."
Julian Sawyer: "All we need to know."
Metal Man: "I can't tell. Scans only show bizarre energies from another realm involved."
Alexia: "Elevator up?"
Traon is just standing off to the side.
Metal Man: "It smells like a trap... but you know how that goes."
The Wraith: "...I don't like that sign of confidence." *He nods to Metal...*
Gibby nods.
Azure: .oO(Only Sephiroth) ;_; *He thinks as he walks into the room.*
Gibby: "We'll deal with it."
Dragoshi: "...I can only guess what realm it could be..."
Julian Sawyer: "We always do... but I'm gettin' tired of walkin' into blatant traps."
Metal Man: "You're free to approach it any way you like."
The Wraith: "If he's decidedly standing alone, then it most likely means he's got somethin' up his sleeve... We'll have to be cautious. Can't simply barge in and start throwing grenades around..."
Metal Man: "You can run right inside, or perhaps try some sneak attack, or even wander into Toad Town. Just make sure the weird stuff stops."
Alexia: "So shoot him from here using Gunicard."
Traon: "From the sky and come in through the roof? Sounds like a plan..."
Julian Sawyer: "Or maybe we can. Maybe it's that kind of mission, Ghost."
Metal Man: "That would be nice... only it's being reconstructed from... ...that is odd."
Dragoshi: "...Wut?"
The Wraith: "We'll see."
Julian Sawyer: "Like we gonna be able to sneak up on a demi-god in a godforsaken desert..."
Metal Man: "The damage to it corresponds to it being useless today. And it's only offline for a small amount of time. But how would Ivo Robotnik know what would happen today?"
The Wraith: "A distracted demi-god, but you may have a point."
Metal Man (GM): *Shakes his head* "Probably just a coincidence."
Charles Magellean puts down his foot. He gets the most unsettling feeling. It has to be the sign.
Dragoshi: "What's this 'bout Ivo?"
Julian Sawyer: "Hello? The whole Time Stone fiasco?"
Dragoshi: "Right. That."
Metal Man: "He didn't get this far in time, or else we would have seen him. He'd have also known how to avoid his own demise... I'd think."
"Geh. I hate time travel."
Dragoshi: "...That... Actually makes sense."
Gibby: "Indeed. It's painful on the brain."
Julian Sawyer: "No kiddin'. All I'm sayin' is that Naw Ransur armor or whatever better notta survived the trip."
Alexia: "The past is the future, the future is the past, the present doesn't exist. Gives me a headache."
Metal Man: "Anyway, you're free to think up any plan you want... just be warned that this doesn't seem right." *Raises the warp elevator.*
Dragoshi: "Amen to that, man."
Charles Magellean raises his head up, opens his eyes, and uncrosses his arms. He takes a step to the left, walks a few steps, and turns left again; facing the doors of the Big Room.
Gibby: "Right-o!"
*He makes his way into the elevator.*
Dragoshi: "...Metal. Does anything seem right these days?" *He slowly steps into the elevator.*
Charles Magellean: "I'm coming with you people this time."
Alexia walks into the elevator.
Gibby stops.
Dragoshi: "...Wha-?"
*Stops.*
Azure: "Hmmmm." *Azure folds his arms walking into the warp elevator his eyes give off that gaze of deep thoughts*
Metal Man: "I... see."
The Wraith: *The spirit nods, and drifts into the--...space a few feet short of the warp.*
Julian Sawyer: "...Great, now I gotta deal wit' TWO condescendin' bastards on this mission."
Gibby: "...Waaaaait a minute. Why are you coming with us? I thought we weren't smart enough for you!"
Charles Magellean steps inside the Big Room. "I've been waiting here for a time for a sign."
Gibby: "A... sign?"
Traon: "I get the feeling that I'm going to die..." *He follows after into the elevator.*
Charles Magellean: "I got it just now. Someone that I've been looking for is also at Kuja's ruined tower."
The Wraith: *He chuckles.* "...Welcome aboard, Charles."
Gibby: "Who's that?"
Dragoshi: "...A sign? ...Okay, then..."
Charles Magellean: "In due time, Gibby."
The Wraith: "An old friend, you could say..." *He drifts into the warp.*
Gibby: "...Humph. More riddles. Well do what you wish."
Charles Magellean looks to Metal. "Illian, I ask that you come with us this time."
Gibby steps into the elevator.
Dragoshi raises the hood of his cloak up, and-Stops. Again.
Charles Magellean: "This matter... is that important for you to come. If you must be payed for your services, I will take it out of my own account to do so the Questers will not not be docked pay."
Metal Man: "Uh. No problem, the money for here usually comes from whoever requested the mission. In this case, Ivan."
Charles Magellean: "Good. Let's get going."
*He looks to Julian.* "After you."
Scott Gibson walks in with an open beer... late again. Unintentionally though.
Azure: "Hmmmm. I sense another wave..." *His blue orbs glance at Charles and then Metal as he stands in the elevator near its center.*
Dragoshi: *NOW Dragoshi heads into the warp, at the left side of it.*
Julian Sawyer: "Ladies first."
Scott Gibson: "I missed the whole damn thing? Shit..." *Downs his beer and whistles.*
Metal Man: "This IS quite odd, but I guess I'll join in at your request."
Dragoshi: "You only missed the briefing, Scott."
Roxy barrels into the room with Scott's guitar on her seat, balanced carefully.
Charles Magellean: "Ahh, but Miss Alexia has already left."
Dragoshi: "...I think he means you, Charles." >_>
Scott Gibson: "Mission time, kiddo."
Roxy: *B-beep!*
Charles Magellean: "I know of his sarcasm by now, Dragon."
Metal Man: "He better not mean me, or else I'll take a bite out of all his sandwiches." *Sticks his tongue out.*
Dragoshi lets out a small chuckle as Metal says that.
Charles Magellean: "Now I'm not holding you people back now. Enter the warp as you see fit, but Sephiroth must be stopped."
Azure: *Silently awaits being warped.*
Metal Man marches into the elevator.
Julian Sawyer: .oO(You been holdin' us back since I got here...) *Shall we just assume everyone warped then?*
Scott Gibson heads with Roxy into the warp. "Thanks Drag."
Metal Man (GM): Y'all appear in front of the ruined Dimensional Cannon, which is glowing all sorts of phreaky colors.
Editor's Note: Even the Dimensional Cannon is not immune to the psychedelic mushroom effects of Season 8.
Gibby: "Oooo... pretty."
Dragoshi: "...Woah. Did someone stuff herbal brownies in there?"
Metal Man (GM): The doors have been used so many times they're gone, and you can walk inside... but you're relatively sure that's a trap of some kind.
Julian Sawyer: "This is jus' gonna end in tears. I know it."
Gibby: "Alright, so what's the plan gentlemen?"
Metal Man: "I dunno. We need some way in that isn't obvious. But I've never looked for one before."
The Wraith: "Shall we run a search, then?"
Alexia: "What about a back door?"
Gibby: "OOH! I know! We could dig like moles and sneak up underneath Sephiroth!"
Alexia smacks Gibby.
Metal Man: "Okay, Gibby, you start digging, I'll set up a tent right here."
Gibby: "Ow..."
Julian Sawyer: "He's gonna know we're comin'-...You do that."
Charles Magellean turns his head left and right slowly several times.
Azure glances around. "I doubt that would... be possible."
Dragoshi: "...Don't see why not." *Gonna take 20, seeing as we aren't heckled. Unless someone gets a good result.*
Gibby: "Nobody appreciates my creative ideas..."
Metal Man: "Back door?" *Opens up a dex* "I don't really see any in these diagrams stolen from Kuja's systems."
Metal Man (GM): A 20 on what?
Julian Sawyer: "Creative don't exactly translate into practical, Gibbs."
Metal Man (GM): Ah.
Scott Gibson: "I haven't seen colors like this since I last visited Hendrix's."
Gibby: "Bah..."
Scott Gibson: "Talk about Purple Haze, man..."
Metal Man (GM): Dragoshi begins plotting little squares in the ground, and looks all around them, and repeats... it's gonna take him hours.
Julian Sawyer: "Can we stop commentin' on the color of the damn base? It don't make a damn bitta difference."
Metal Man: "Perhaps when it is blue, it tastes like coconut."
Editor's Note: For some reason that unlocked a core memory of strangely flavored ice cream.
Alexia: "What about an air duct?"
Metal Man: "I dunno. Can you see one from here without getting spotted by whatever's inside that entrance?"
Julian Sawyer: "...Yeah, 'cause Kuja REALLY had concerns about makin' this a long-term base."
Azure: "With that man there's a chance our presence is already known." *he looks at the thing for a bit.* "I know I'm not the usual one for matters like this. But maybe the damage it has taken has opened up new paths in areas that once may have not even been a path?"
Alexia scans the place for an entrance, keeping her distance as she walks around the cannon.
Charles Magellean: .oO(Each time I come with these people, I become more convinced that leaving has always been the better lifestyle.)
Editor's Note: And yet you are still in this RPG, where these 'people' you hate are the main characters. Strange.
Metal Man (GM): You find... a bag of diet Cheetos.
Empty.
Alexia: "...I'm afraid to ask why these are here..."
*She shakes her head and looks again.*
Gibby: "Are there any cheese flakes left?"
Julian Sawyer: "Wow Azure, thanks for stating the obvious. Now I can see the light..." *Julian decides to search around for a back entrance, making sure to keep out of range of whatever may sense him. Search Check!*
Charles Magellean: "I'm just wondering why she would be here..."
Metal Man (GM): Alexia finds... an empty can of Kuja Cola.
Alexia grabs it and flings it out of the way in frustration.
Gibby: "It's good to see you're cleaning up the earth."
The Wraith: "...Sounds like a possibility. I'll see if I can scout the perimeter of the cannon." *He dives under the ground's surface to keep out of sight while he gets near and to the side of the building, and starts searching around...*
Metal Man (GM): Julian finds... a panel with some weird screwholes in it.
If only you had a screwdriver.
A screwdriver with a K-shaped bit.
That's right. Kuja even redid the screwdriver technology.
Julian Sawyer: "Bingo." *Signals to everyone he found something.*
Dragoshi stops, and looks at Julian. Then walks over to him.
Azure: *Casually walks over.*
The Wraith: "...?" *He looks up, and drifts over to Julian...*
Alexia walks over with the others.
Metal Man looks at it. "Odd, but how can we open it without waking everyone up for miles?"
Julian Sawyer reaches into his vest, and pulls out a switchblade "Mighta found a way in... anyone got a Kujahead screwdriver?"
Metal Man: "Nope."
Charles Magellean walks at about 3/4 the speed of the others. He now keeps his distance at about a solid 25 feet from them.
Dragoshi: "Only kind of screwdriver I DON'T have. So, nope"
The Wraith: "There might be one in the area, though I wouldn't recommend searching too far for it..."
Dragoshi tries to search for a Kujahead screwdriver then...
Metal Man (GM): You find... a slotted screwdriver instead. Dang.
Dragoshi: "...Damn. Only a slotted screwdriver."
Julian Sawyer: "Hmmm... Might be able to work somethin' out with my knife here." *Flips it open* "I can put the blade in the long part of the K, an' try and twist it open. It works on Phillips heads... that is if you guys don't find anythin'."
Metal Man (GM): And... John finds another one of those slotted screwdrivers. They appear to have fallen from above when the tower exploded.
But why would Kuja stock them?
The Wraith: "Worth a shot. Go ahead."
Azure takes a step back. "This is clearly not my forte..." He walks off a bit in the distance for a moment, briefly noticing Charles being distant.
Julian Sawyer puts his Master Plan into action! He fits the blade of the switchblade into the long, flat part of the K, and tries to twist the screw out...
The Wraith: *The spirit strokes his chin as he looks at the slot of the screwdriver head... Is it offset to the side of the shaft at all?*
Metal Man (GM): Just slightly.
The switchblade stabs it... fitting neatly into any one of the three long slotted parts of the K.
It's a bit odd to twist, but it comes out eventually, breaking apart from being unscrewed but unsealing the panel slightly. 3 more to go.
Charles Magellean looks to the Questers. He crosses his arms and lower his head slightly. His left hand's fingers tap his right arm.
Julian Sawyer: *And again!*
Metal Man (GM): You open the next one.
The Wraith: "...Hmm. Interesting..."
Alexia glances back at Charles curiously.
"Why are you staying so far away from us?"
Julian Sawyer: *Twice more!*
Dragoshi: "...It's prolly' none of our business, that's why."
Azure pulls out a book and starts reading it briskly flipping threw its pages.
Metal Man (GM): The other two come out; the plate falls down, along with a skeleton in a labcoat.
Hm. Looks like he tried to claw his way out.
Alexia: "...EWWWWWWWWWW!"
The Wraith: *He hears the thud, and turns around, lofting an eyebrow as he sees the skeleton...*
Charles Magellean picks up part of the sentence. He looks to the Questers with his head at normal height and speaks a bit loudly. "Could you repeat that?"
Alexia: "Why are you standing so far away from us?"
Julian Sawyer: "Everyone in."
Charles Magellean: "So I stay a safe distance out of your way."
Dragoshi: "'Kay." *Gets in.*
Alexia: "..."
The Wraith: "..." *He simply gives a gesture involving a small bow to the skeleton before moving onward...*
Alexia turns back to the plate and enters it.
Azure gets up closing his book and enters.
Charles Magellean waits a few seconds until the last Quester enters the shaft. Then he approaches it himself.
Metal Man (GM): But the way inside is clear; and it leads through a room you haven't quite seen.
Julian Sawyer enters after everyone else.
Metal Man (GM): A bunch of consoles connected to the weapon itself, which are all offline and yet, untouched.
Dragoshi enters el roomo.
Alexia enters the room and looks around
"...Control room?"
Metal Man (GM): There's another door which enters into the familiar cannon room and devastation; but this room's been sealed for years.
Charles Magellean finally enters the shaft now. He climbs through it until he hears the voices of the others. He stops then.
Julian Sawyer: "You're just a master of the obvious today, aren't you?"
Metal Man: "Wow. Never seen this ruined junk before. Eh. I doubt it's much use to us."
Alexia ignores Julian and walks over to the other door.
Metal Man (GM): It's been locked; the LCD on it faintly says 'PERMALOK ENABLED'
Charles Magellean would be about 15-20 feet away from climbing out the shaft.
The Wraith: "I'm assuming nobody has a keycard for this thing..." *He looks around for methods of unlocking/opening the door.*
Azure: *looks into the shaft* "Aren't you taking this a bit far?" *He might as well talk to someone: it's not like he could disable whatever that screen was saying.*
Metal Man (GM): The door's LCD is a control panel for it, of sorts, however it still proudly displays Kuja credentials, and thus, was never infected by the Gerald Virus.
It also looks very tough, enough to withstand blasts from space ships.
Charles Magellean: "I'm going to involve myself in your actual mission as little as possible."
Alexia checks the LCD for buttons, dials, keypads...
Metal Man (GM): There's a hand-scanner.
Alexia: "Anybody have one of Kuja's lopped-off fingers?"
Julian Sawyer: "Hmmm... That scientist guy mighta had somethin', but he's missin' all his flesh."
Azure: "There is a difference between not being involved and making one self look completely out of place..."
Alexia: *Mumbling as she hears this* "Or completely insane..."
Charles Magellean: "Whatever traps that are tripped in the same room that you people are in, I want to make sure I'm not caught in it."
Metal Man (GM): It is, of course, a small computer, so it can be messed with... just not easily.
Julian Sawyer's all over that computer like a hobo on a ham sandwich.
Metal Man (GM): Well, what do you do? It only has a palm scanner for input.
Azure: "Why do you continue to say 'You people' Charles? Have you removed yourself that far from us?"
Editor's Note: Yes. Yes he has, Azure. Why, no one knows; he makes the same mistakes Questers do, but pretends that somehow when he does it, he is special and not as foolish as anyone else is. It's kinda his shtick.
Charles Magellean does not respond.
Metal Man looks at the Questers. "Hm. They'll be fine." He turns to Azure. "He never did really stick with us. Even in the Wolfman days, he was an outlier. Just that now, it's his choice to be."
Editor's Note: Damn, now my comments are being sniped by my past self in-character in the session.
Julian Sawyer: "Someone go get a hand from that skeleton. We ain't got anythin' else to go on."
Metal Man snatches the hand and gives it to Julian.
Julian Sawyer: "...Right." *Julian tries that hand on the scanner.*
Charles Magellean crawls back 10 feet further.
Metal Man (GM): The scanner powers up... and shorts out. Hm. 9-volt batteries don't last very long.
Azure: *glances at Metal briefly, then looks back into the shaft.* "That is a hard road to walk. My continued prayers remain with you. I'll ask no more." *Azure turns, learning against the wall, seeing Charles withdraw even further.*
Julian Sawyer: "He ain't distant. He's a coward wit' no business bein' around base."
Metal Man (GM): The door opens 1-10th of an inch.
Julian Sawyer: "...Fuck. Well, 'least we know the hand works..."
The Wraith: "...This is lovely. Hmm... I'll check out the other side, hmm?" *He goes to peek through the door.*
Dragoshi: "Very much so."
Alexia: "..."
Charles Magellean is actually back outside the base then. Go fig.
Alexia takes her gun and pops the power cell out of it.
Julian Sawyer: "Now we jus' need some... I hate it when he does that."
Alexia: "Will this work?"
Metal Man (GM): You can see through it without going through it. Sephiroth is facing the cannon, charging and summoning energies at it.
The door remains unopenable, though... it seems jammed. Or heavy.
Julian Sawyer: "Hell if I know." *Julian looks for the power source...*
The Wraith: *He backs out.* "...Well. Our target's right there. We just need to get past this blasted door."
Metal Man (GM): The panel has a fried Kuja-brand 9-volt battery.
You can take it out, but you need a new battery. And possibly a new brand without Kuja's name on it.
*rimshot.*
Julian Sawyer: "...Masters of the obvious, all 'a ya. Take a bow..." *Julian pops that one out, and swaps it for the power cell from Alexia's laser.*
The Wraith: *And he bows with a flourish!*
Metal Man (GM): It doesn't fit very well.
It also glows dangerously.
Do you put the palm on it anyway?
Dragoshi shakes his head while he leans against the wall.
The Wraith: *He then starts scanning around for another 9-volt.*
Dragoshi decides to make himself useful and help.
Metal Man (GM): You find somebody's dentures.
Julian Sawyer: "...This ain't gonna work." *Julian pops it out and hands it back to Alexia, and tries looking for another, compatible source.*
Alexia slaps the cell back into her gun.
The Wraith: "...Nope, that won't do..." *Continue searching!*
Metal Man (GM): Dragoshi finds a clock battery in a computer.
Alexia: "Can't say I didn't try."
Metal Man (GM): Julian finds a flashlight on the floor.
Dragoshi: "...Why is there a friggin' CLOCK battery?"
Metal Man (GM): John finds the 9-volt battery in his dex.
The Wraith: "BIOS battery, probably... ...And I've got a 9-volt. In fact, we all do."
Julian Sawyer pockets that flashlight for later... Always having to use the light from his Dex, that's just embarrassing
"A'ight, Smash Dexes in."
*He holds out his palm.*
Charles Magellean has one of his ears in the direction of the shaft while looking outside for potential dangers to his own life.
The Wraith: "We'll only need one." *He goes to take his battery out, but stops.* "...Might do better with a physical one."
Alexia opens the battery compartment, pulls out the 9-volt and tosses it to Julian.
Julian Sawyer: "You kiddin'? One battery didn't even get it open a full inch." *Julian catches it and pops it in.*
The Wraith: "One really old battery."
Metal Man (GM): It glows normally.
Charles Magellean turns to face the other way.
Julian Sawyer places the hand on the pad.
Metal Man (GM): The door opens, allowing you a back way inside.
Dragoshi: "...There we go..."
Metal Man (GM): Sephiroth, facing the front door, has no clue you're using this way.
Alexia: "Cool. Let's go."
Metal Man (GM): He appears ready to blast it at any time.
Julian Sawyer: "Someone get Charles."
Charles Magellean hears the voices of accomplishment. He climbs through the shaft.
Metal Man walks out, looking over the situation. "Not pretty."
Charles Magellean gets through the shaft and now stands in the ruined room.
The Wraith: *He simply nods, and silently starts moving forward, at the ready...*
Metal Man (GM): You're about 40-50 feet away; Sephiroth's noisy magic appears to be... rebuilding the cannon in a new form.
From here, you can do what you want.
Dragoshi: *Just follows John. Sneaky like a thief...*
Azure looks at Charles briefly as he gets out there. He looks strange, but then again, what else could you expect from someone with an azure iris? Respecting his wishes, Azure advances, following everyone, not happy with the scene before him.
Charles Magellean stands perpendicular to the door as far as he can against a wall of the room.
The Wraith: *The spirit eyes around for any weak spots... Either in Sephiroth or his magic.*
Alexia starts flying about an inch off the ground while following the others. Can't detect footsteps if there aren't any in the first place.
Metal Man (GM): Sephiroth himself is using all his energy on the magic, and would probably be hit by anything you threw at him.
Dragoshi looks behind himself, and notices Alexia... He then does the same as her. 'Cept, he's using his wings...
Azure: *Those irises glow briefly as Azure uses true sight, looking around the area from themselves to Sephiroth.*
Charles Magellean: .oO(This... is their battle. Remember why you're here.)
Metal Man (GM): Sephiroth can be seen channeling his very soul at the cannon, with white light from above aiding him, with true sight.
Dragoshi curious, he looks at the area in Eye-of-Truth-o-vision!
Metal Man (GM): Nothing else seems to be happening; probably why you weren't urgently needed.
Azure: "He's using his own soul energy. Whatever his goal is. Its worth his life."
Metal Man (GM): Sephiroth's work is both slow and careful.
Metal Man: "Interesting. Now... how to stop him."
Dragoshi: "...That... Yikes..." *Whispers to everyone else* "...So... Do we all attack him at the same time, or what?"
The Wraith: *He speaks in a low tone, so that his voice doesn't carry too far.* "We could open up on him with a sudden, heavy assault... However, the problem is, that may not be enough, and he'd then be able to retaliate..."
Azure: "There's one thing. One other force is present... what is that I wonder..."
Dragoshi: "...Another force...?"
Julian Sawyer twiddles his thumbs as he waits for everyone that doesn't have 10 MNT to formulate a plan.
The Wraith: "...Force...?" *He lofts an eyebrow, his right eye gleaming as he views the area with the same Eye that Azure used.*
Azure: "Can you see it? Along with his soul energy there's a white light also aiding him."
The Wraith: "...From above... A god, perhaps. This doesn't bode well..."
Charles Magellean patiently waits. He raises an eyebrow at what the monk said and begins to walk to the middle of the room, looking to the ground as to not step on broken stuff.
Dragoshi does the same as John, his eyes turning purple, possibly using the same powers as the others.
Metal Man (GM): Same light, as usual. Nothing else.
Dragoshi: "...I see."
Azure: "There are a lot of unknowns, but it all goes back to how do we advance..."
Alexia silently gets the binoculars from her pack and looks through them.
Metal Man (GM): Blinding energy from Sephiroth and above.
Dragoshi: "...So, what's the plan?"
Alexia puts the binoculars back, blinking a lot.
Charles Magellean glances all around, especially to Julian. Then he looks back to Sephiroth. .oO(Strange. Usually he goes with fists flying, but he actually waits for a plan of attack? Evidently, this mission must mean more to them than I thought.)
The Wraith: *The spirit's stones begin revolving around their center.* "...Perhaps the most effective course would be a unison, heavy surprise assault... Unless someone has a better idea... Gather your strongest weapons."
Dragoshi: "...Amen to that, my friend..." *He starts charging up his Ice Tornado to it's strongest...*
Azure: "There's a large distance gap between himself and us. That is good for us but not for the offensive we want to mount. To advance, however, also opens up the idea that he may realize our presence. But with the level of concentration on what he's doing, there's also the possibility that is also not true... " *He looks to The Wraith* "That appears to be the case."
Julian Sawyer: "That's the kinda plan I like to hear." *Julian starts fishing around in his vest, eventually pulling out a Sledgehammer O' Fun.*
Metal Man powers up as well.
Alexia charges up a Mindblast.
Charles Magellean stays true to his own oath of non-involvement, no matter how good intentioned he intends what he wants to advise. He goes back to perpendicular side of the room, still being careful not to step on the crap of the floor.
Alexia: *Low voice* "Sephiroth is beyond all hope..."
Azure: "Julian will you be alright? You have a long run my friend." *Azure holds his palms out as his soul energy begins to burn outward.*
The Wraith: *The stones begin moving slowly, but gradually increase in speed, beginning to glow faintly.* "...Are we ready...?" *He begins drifting forward...*
Dragoshi: "...glad you're finally seein' it my way... ...Ready as I ever will be..."
Metal Man (GM): You may roll for them... now.
Julian Sawyer: "Eh. I done somethin' like this before."
The Wraith: *He moves forward, holds one hand high up, waiting for everyone to get into position... then tosses it forward, signaling to LAUNCH!*
Charles Magellean pushes against the wall some, making sure to avoid a counterblast.
Metal Man (GM): You're all able to move in.
The Wraith: *As he does so, all seven of his stones erupt into magnificent fountains of energy, causing the spirit himself to glow brightly as he sends a gargantuan blast of energy toward Sephiroth...*
Alexia flings her Mindblast at Sephiroth.
Metal Man points at Sephiroth, and a satellite beam flies at him from outer space.
Dragoshi charges forward along with the others, and when he gets into range he sends forth an Ice Tornado, but not any Ice Tornado, one that's not two times, but THREE times larger than a regular one!
Julian Sawyer waits for everyone to get their ranged attacks out of the way, then charges in behind the waves of energy and Smashes the sledge into the back into Seph's head.
Azure: *Spirit charms appear, flowing off his neck, and slowly flow around the palms of his hands, where his energies are, and he slowly begins to walk forward, his eyes glancing to Charles.* "Be safe." *His spirit charms all glow one radiant white hue before he fires a massive flurry of blasts toward Sephiroth.*
Metal Man (GM): Sephiroth turns... he is shocked, and holds up his hands. But it is too late as he is blasted back hundreds of feet, into a wall, which falls on him. With most of his soul already being used on the cannon, he falls over, pretty much everything but dead.
It appears even a slightly decent attack could have taken him down in this state; this surprise attack turned what could have been an endless battle down into nothing.
Alexia: "Whoo! We rule!"
Metal Man (GM): ...But... then you hear the sound of a machinegun loading.
Dragoshi: "...Rot in whatev-...Shat."
Alexia: "..."
The Wraith: "...Don't give him a chance to recover." *He swerves to the side of where Sephiroth was standing, and goes to close in on Sephiroth's landing point, putting up a barrier if he has the time...*
Charles Magellean: "A machinegun?"
Metal Man (GM): Behind you... it's Shadow.
He gives you a golf clap.
Dragoshi does the same as John, minus the barrier.
Alexia slowly turns to face the newcomer.
Dragoshi: "...Wha?"
Shadow: "Well done... Questers."
Azure: *Head slowly turns looking to shadow.*
The Wraith: *Then he stops upon hearing the loading, and turns around to see that Chaos-driven hedgehog...*
Alexia: "Who the heck?"
Dragoshi: "...Ahhh... Crap." *Spnis around to see Shadow.*
Julian Sawyer steps back from the wall Seph cracked into, half a sledgehammer handle in one hand, the other buried somewhere in Sephiroth's face was. Julian rode the wave and drove him in... then he hears the machinegun "...It never fuckin' ENDS."
Shadow: "But you only pushed over a peon... and not a very valuable one, either. I'm afraid you're all going to have to die now."
Charles Magellean walks to the center of the ruined room that the Questers had to open up.
Dragoshi: "...Well, that explains why he didn't endure that."
Alexia: "Like hell we will."
Metal Man (GM): You hear more walking, and various IIF agents, loaded with high-tech armor AND machineguns, march in from all sides.
Dragoshi: "...It's Shadow the Godd-..."
Charles Magellean: .oO(Why in the world---?!?)
The Wraith: .oO(...Alright, this is officially fucked up.)
Julian Sawyer: "Yeah yeah yeah, everyone says that..." *Julian tosses the other half of the sledgehammer at Seph's body and turns around, dukes ready to be put up... then sees the IIF agents.* "...GodDAMMIT."
Dragoshi: "...Correction. Shadow and a bunch of IIF agents."
Shadow: "Oh, of course like hell. We were able to send Julian there, after all."
*He laughs.*
Dragoshi: "...YOU?"
Metal Man (GM): They don't seem to be surrounding Charles. They ignore him.
Julian Sawyer: "...Great, now you gonna tell me your'e the fuckers behind 4LY."
Alexia: "Rotten luck today..."
Shadow: "Oh... is that who did it?"
Metal Man (GM): He looks up.
Dragoshi: "...Apparently so."
Shadow: "I'm afraid we're both terrorized by that person."
Dragoshi: "...Hmm, is that so?"
Charles Magellean: "..."
The Wraith: "...Hmm."
Shadow: "That was... our ring they stole..."
Julian Sawyer: "She WAS the one flyin' that damn helicopter."
Shadow: "And possibly our helicopter, too."
The Wraith: "...Have ye any insight to her motives?"
Charles Magellean: "...She has to be nearby."
Alexia casually puts her hands in her pockets to muffle the purple glow of an Overload in progress.
Julian Sawyer: "So you guilty by association. Fan-fuckin'-tastic, now I got even MORE reasons to kick your ass."
Azure: *His spirit charms go up and float surrounding him they seem to be moving on there own for the time being.*
Shadow: "Constant reflection of 'You are no match for a true Quester', allegations we are cowards... oh... and that you're also not Questers."
Dragoshi: "How are you terrorized b-...That was yours? Well, then why, if I may ask was it able to turn into an MTA with the HEARTLESS insignia on it?"
Shadow: "...We don't know what that person is capable of. I am even willing to let you live, if you would assist us in demolishing them. You have no clue of what trouble it has given us... and we rule this worthless world."
The Wraith: .oO(Normally I'd be all too eager, but...) He simply strokes his chin...
Dragoshi: "...Hmmm, you make a good proposition..."
Metal Man (GM): He taps his machinegun; the IIF guards drop their guns.
Charles Magellean: "So much for his claim of not interfering with the Questers." *He senses around.*
Metal Man (GM): Well, not onto the floor.
But they are no longer pointing at you.
Charles Magellean: "...!!!"
Shadow: "I've never seen one person destroy entire facilities... trick all of you... and also slip through my grip."
Charles Magellean is in pain. His senses are overloading. .oO(She's coming. But I can't sense where.)
The Wraith: *The spirit, unfortunately, is too intently watching Shadow to notice what's happening to Charles at the moment...*
Charles Magellean looks all around the room he's in, a bit in a panicked state.
Dragoshi: "...YOUR grip? ..." *His eyes widen* "Then... This is far more serious than I originally thought..." *He keeps one eye trained on Charles, curious.*
Alexia: "Zelk--" *Claps a hand over her mouth and groans.*
Dragoshi tries to understand what Alexia was about to say. Just for fun. >_>
Editor's Note: Alas, we never did get a dragon-to-human-speak dictionary, as I often wonder what half of Alexia was saying in that dialect meant too.
Charles Magellean regains his composure. He just lets out a deep breath.
Shadow: "I do feel..."
Metal Man (GM): *BLAM* A huge I-beam falls from above and onto Shadow at speeds beyond even his acceleration. Atop it, stands 4LY... carrying some sort of slashing implement.
Julian Sawyer: "...JESUS! It never fuckin' ENDS!"
Dragoshi: "...What he said!"
4LY: "Oh... but it does. I am the end."
Charles Magellean looks. The time has come.
The Wraith: "...Hello, warrior of old... What brings you here...?"
4LY: "He could have saved you... but I smashed him to render him useless for now."
Alexia: "Cripes, what NOW?"
Dragoshi: "...Ah hayell."
Charles Magellean looks to '4LY.' His eyes focused on her.
Dragoshi does the same as Charles.
Alexia: *Only Dragoshi had managed to untangle the syllables enough to understand her.*
4LY: "It is about time I took you all down. As insults to Questers AND Agents."
Julian Sawyer: "That fuckin' DOES IT! I've had it up to HERE with people bargin' in from nowhere an' revealin' they behind it all!"
Azure sighs. "It appears that wave of events I felt has come..."
Dragoshi: "...Again with this blathering?"
Charles Magellean proceeds to enter the room of the IIF agents and the beam with 4LY on it.
He looks up and down a couple times, observing the body of this person.
Metal Man (GM): They all are there; they aim at 4LY and one of them gestures to the Questers.
Charles Magellean: "Seems you've been able to keep fit after all these years."
Agent Bill: "This is our only chance. We must kill it before it can fight!"
Julian Sawyer: "C'mon! I know if we ALL team up, we can put her on ice!"
Dragoshi: "...Sounds like a plan..."
Charles Magellean puts his hand in the air. A motion for all of them to stop.
Dragoshi: *Looks at Charles* "Yes?"
Julian Sawyer: "...Oh what the fuck NOW, Charles?"
Metal Man (GM): They do not heed Charles. 4LY looks at Charles.
Charles Magellean: "4LY, your facade has gone on long enough. When are you gonna tell them the truth?"
4LY: "When they are all dead... beginning with you."
Charles Magellean: "Well now..."
4LY: "I'm going to do what I should have done a long time ago..."
Dragoshi: "...Oh, god. Wonder what his guess on this fiends identity is..."
Charles Magellean puts his finger to his chin, rubbing it.
The Wraith: *The spirit silently nods as Charles speaks... then shakes his head as the other responds.* "...Honestly, I cannot see why you see us as insults... Please, elaborate."
Metal Man (GM): You see dark magic appearing around 4LY's right hand.
Dragoshi: "...She'll prolly' be too lazy to d-...Yipe."
Charles Magellean: "This isn't a way to treat an old sparring buddy."
Azure: "Dark Arts..."
Julian Sawyer: *Facepalm* "Why do they keep tryin' to reason with the crazies and the homicidals..."
Agent Bill: "You, Questers! Ignore him... we only have one good shot left! It will become too powerful if we let it charge up!"
Julian Sawyer: "It never works."
Agent Bill: "Somebody revive Sephiroth! Don't you have a mushroom between all of you?"
Charles Magellean: "The leader of the Fallen Questers..."
Dragoshi: "...If that's what I THINK it is..." *Shivers*
"Dammit, you fool, it doesn't work that way!"
The Wraith: "...Because -this- particular one was a hero once..."
Azure: "For once I agree with Julian. This situation will not resolve itself by peace alone." *He casts his hand aside as a spirit charm floats away from him toward Sephiroth*
4LY: "I will relish undoing the curse on myself... and transferring it to YOU!"
Julian Sawyer: "He AIN'T dead, Dragoshi!"
Charles Magellean: "Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the Betrayer that belongs in the triangle of Kuja and Zio... ... ALYS BRANGWIN!"
Metal Man (GM): It shows the runes for Dark Energy Wave, aiming them squarely at Charles... and firing it at him.
The Wraith: *He simply nods, this not being news for him...*
Julian Sawyer reaches into his back pocket, fishes out an Ultra Shroom, and floats it over to ol' Sephy, who he just graciously smashed a sledge into moments ago. What a turn of events.
Dragoshi: "...I DAMN WE-" *Falls over ass-over-teakettle.*
Julian Sawyer: "...Who?"
Metal Man (GM): This being undodgable by even Kuja himself.
It strikes Charles, knocking him to 1 HP and poisoning him with the deadly darkness. Of course, it isn't an insta-kill move.
Dragoshi: "..." *He trembles, his eyes widening with fear...*
Charles Magellean comes to his knees.
Metal Man (GM): The IIF agents begin firing at her, but she takes out her slasher and hurls it at them; it flies through them like a berserk lawnmower.
Julian Sawyer: "...I dunno whether to be angry or thank you for finally shuttin' him up."
Dragoshi: "...One of you take care of Charles!"
The Wraith: *The spirit visibly wavers as that wave of energy passes by... Even proximity of it causes his very existence in this realm to waver...*
Charles Magellean: "But why, Alys? There has been evidence that your soul has appeared in front of the Questers several times!"
Julian Sawyer: "FUCK Charles! This is all about US!"
Metal Man (GM): She herself reveals her dark angelic wings and flies above them, raining death upon the IIF agents, and then momentarily looking at Charles.
Alys: "You were right, Charles. The Questers are garbage, vile people who harm this planet. They must all be destroyed... to make room for the true Hunters."
The Wraith: "..."
Dragoshi: "..."
Charles Magellean: "How can it be?? If you don't have a soul and you are dead, how can you be here now???"
Julian Sawyer: "...Magic?"
Metal Man (GM): Alys smirks, as Charles himself begins to waver.
Julian Sawyer: "Voodoo? Hell if I know..."
Charles Magellean finds it more difficult to breath.
Alys: "I never did come back to life until I transferred my curse unto you. Undead... do not count in those rules."
Azure dashes to Charles' side in a defensive stance, his spirit charms growing in number. His spirit charms try to float around Charles to form some sort of counterspell against the curse.
The Wraith: "Alys... You were once a Quester yourself. You once pursued our same goals. You once fought the battle we fought. So why have you chosen to fight against the same...?"
Dragoshi: "..." *His brownish-orange eyes are still widened...*
Charles Magellean: "...What... what about your soul...? Were they just... lies..."
Metal Man (GM): Alys turns away, ignoring Charles and then facing the Questers.
Dragoshi: *He's trembling slightly... He'd try to look at here with the Eye of Truth but decides against it... For the sake of his sanity.*
Julian Sawyer: "...So who're you again? Alys... oh, you had that really long section I skipped over because I didn't feel like readin' that much about a chick..."
Azure's spirit charms literally are sent flying back toward him, glowing black themsleves briefly. Whatever that curse was, its level of dark power was amazing. His attention turned back to Alys.
Alys: "I originally planned to fight you when you were weaker. Thanks to that dark chaos creature, though, I now must fight you on... even ground. But this will end it... and stop this madness which plagues the planet. For the evil and the Questers were always in phase. It was the moment I forsake my Quester allegiance that the curse became filled with loopholes."
Metal Man (GM): Meanwhile, Sephiroth stands up, having been healed slightly by a mushroom from whoever gave him that one. If nobody did give him one, feel free to say so.
Julian Sawyer floated over an Ultra Shroom to him.
Metal Man (GM): Shadow himself remains KO'd, with little xs in his eyes.
Julian Sawyer: "So, are you done?"
Charles Magellean: "Daa... damn you to hell, Brangwin! I once had... respect for you, but all you have now... all you have done is gai... gain.ed weigh... t not just on your own physique, but your... own life as well!!"
Dragoshi: "...E-Even ground? ...Thi-this... What... How in the-This is just too confusing."
The Wraith: *He simply shakes his head, filled with endless questions...*
Sephiroth: "I am afraid all talk of curses against her is in vain, now; she has become more powerful than they."
Azure: "I refuse to believe I can do nothing at all... for him..." *The monk clenches his fist, calling back the stray spirit charm orb he had sent toward Sephiroth.*
Sephiroth: "Even for my evil I became half a dark angel; she has done what I could not."
Charles Magellean has now lost enough energy to even speak now.
Dragoshi: "...That... Is most definitely not good."
Julian Sawyer: "Can we jus' STOP ALL THE DRAMA? Jeez, can't do ANYTHIN' straightforward with any a y'all..."
Metal Man (GM): Alys laughs at Charles.
Azure: *He sends another toward shadow and for the time and tries to start healing him as well.*
Alys: "Is that all you can do? Ridicule something which has long since lost all relevance? You deserve your grave."
Dragoshi: "...Thank you for snapping me back into a slightly-non dramatic stat, Julian. I needed that. Seriously."
Julian Sawyer: .oO(Amen to that.)
Metal Man: "Ah, but this fight is not yet lost; there is but only thing left; to fight!"
The Wraith: "..." *The spirit simply floats back a few feet...*
Julian Sawyer: "...What the HELL have I been sayin' for the last 5 minutes?! Jesus, no one listens..."
Azure: "Sadly myself and Julian said that several moments ago..."
Metal Man takes out his pistol. "We shall determine the true extent of this cursed corruption with the sword and pistol, rather than words, which seem to fail now."
Dragoshi: "...Amen to that." *He lets out a small sigh, and readies his scythe.*
Azure: "Agreed..."
Metal Man makes an aside to Julian. "Heh. They only seem to listen to me, for some reason. I dunno why they ignore you."
The Wraith: .oO(...To battle Alys Brangwin... in unfriendly terms... This can't be right.)
Metal Man then snaps back into combat action. "For all we know this is a fake."
Julian Sawyer: "Jus' kill her already."
Alys: "It is you who shall die, pretty boy."
The Wraith: "...But there is no choice." *The dark sphere around his form refreshes itself, and he charges forward, stones a-spinnin'.*
Charles Magellean: .oO(The Dark Energy Blast is... real enough pain for me.)
Julian Sawyer follows up his usual simple eloquence by putting up his dukes!
Metal Man (GM): EXTREEEM BATTLE
Dragoshi: "...Can I eat her wings if, or wh-...What did she just say?"
Metal Man (GM): Questers vs.
DARK ALYS BRANGWIN
Julian Sawyer: "...I dunno if that's a complement or not. Either way, you gonna die."
Metal Man (GM): Metal himself props up Sephiroth and leads him into the battle.
Metal Man: "Uh... I know we were, all ready to kill you, and stuff, but then not one, but TWO jerks came in and claimed they controlled or overrided you. Could you forget that we blasted you over there for a moment and tell us if there's any way to beat her?"
Sephiroth: "Ugh... I should have stayed dead in the first place."
Julian Sawyer: "Yeah, no hard feelings right?"
Dragoshi: "..."
Sephiroth: "I can't really feel anything right now."
Dragoshi: "...Uhh... Any advice though?"
Sephiroth: "None that I can... think of... through the stars which appear to be spinning in my eyes."
Metal Man: "I'll work on that. You guys distract her!"
Dragoshi: "...Dammit."
Julian Sawyer: "Whatever. KILL HER ALREADY!"
Metal Man (GM): Order: Alys, Dragoshi, Azure, Julian, John
Charles Magellean begins to build madness in his mind right now. He's laughing manically inside, but is just suffering eternal torment on the outside.
Azure's eyes glance to Sephiroth. "Sephiroth, that power that was aiding you moments ago. What was it?" *He says in a rushed tone ready to attack*
Alys: "Kill me? Kill me? You're all talk and no action... worse than Aribar."
Dragoshi: .oO(I don't know what's weirder though. The fact Alys prolly' called Julian a pretty boy or Julian broke the dramatic tension)
Metal Man (GM): Alys grabs her slasher, then quickly hurls it at Julian. It flies at his neck, aiming to sever his head.
Julian Sawyer ducks! It's amazing!
Metal Man (GM): It flies right past him, cutting down a big ol' door, destroying a piano, and then you hear a trash can somewhere explode ..But then it comes back! Ahhhh!!! Boomerang!
Dragoshi: "..." *Keanu Reaves-style woah.*
Julian Sawyer: "Looks like the shoe's on the other-" *GODDAMMIT.*
Metal Man (GM): I think Julian didn't expect that, as it deals 200 damage to him.
Julian Sawyer's one weakness! Two-part attacks!
Metal Man: *Raises a finger* "That is why I never want to own a boomerang."
Metal Man (GM): Then she turns to The Wraith.
The Wraith: "..."
Julian Sawyer: *And Julian's on the floor! KO!*
Alys: "Hm. I should kill ALL of the people who knew me, just in case they think they can outsmart me. Not even Zio's curse kept me down!"
Metal Man (GM): She holds out her hand, and John begins glowing with white light.
Alys: "GRANTS!!!"
The Wraith: "Nngh...!"
Charles Magellean: .oO(What shred of Alys is left doesn't exist anymore. This is merely a caricature of the old one!)
Editor's Note: First one to notice it. Although I hate to say, no particular incarnation of the character in SSQ was ever on-model. So that was always the case.
Metal Man (GM): A huge amount of arrows of light instantly fly at him from all directions. The only hope is... MNT check!
Dragoshi: "..." .oO(How is money gonna hurt a gho-...Wait, wrong Grants)
Metal Man (GM): You just manage to lessen the impact somewhat.
You take 56 light damage.
It pierces it like candy.
In fact, the arrows fly through you and then through the floor for a couple feet.
Dragoshi: *Speechless* "..." *EoT. Yea...*
The Wraith: "Gyah...! DAMMIT, woman!"
Metal Man (GM): Azure
Azure's eyes go true sight and he begins to look around. (2 tp) He checks if the soul energy Sephiroth was putting out and that light that was around is still lingering in the area.
Metal Man (GM): The light is gone, and Sephiroth looks about as powerful as a candle. However, the Dimensional cannon is still glowing funkily.
Azure's spirit charms float around him as his eyes go full azure as he invokes his presence into the area around him. *environment sync*
Dragoshi: *He notices the dimensional cannon STILL looks like it's been stuffed full of herb brownies and magick kool-aid.*
Alys: "You cannot know what pain I went through, after my sacrifice did nothing but lead you hand and feet to Kuja's iron rule. To make that worse... you perpetuated it by giving him the power with your incompetence, and went forth to destroy your own salvation on the planet known as Turion. Then you killed thousands of people in fixing your mistake... and allowed time itself to be nearly destroyed by a crazy man in a red jumpsuit!"
Azure's soul energy changes and becomes more like that of the cannon. Actually exactly like the glow of the cannon. *No TP, EoT*
Alys: "If there is any good in this world, it is not with the Questers."
Dragoshi: "..."
The Wraith: "Then forgive us for not having the insight to deal with those situations most effectively... We could not see all, you know." *Those stones spin rapidly as he prepares a Revenant's Roulette... A dark blue beam bursts from the same colored stone, aiming for Alys' forehead.*
Metal Man (GM): Alys flies to the side, almost as if she's seen you fight before. Of course; she has.
The Wraith: *The center stone then flies forward to follow up, whirling at her thrice...*
Alys: "While it is better than what I've seen, it lacks speed."
Metal Man (GM): She shields herself with her wings from all three of those.
The Wraith: "Mmm... You want speed?" *The center stone returns to him, then suddenly bursts forth like a cannon-shot at her.*
Metal Man (GM): It hits her.
However, for this battle, knockback doesn't really matter, unless you're trying to send her somewhere in particular.
Alys: "Yes. That is what I was talking about."
The Wraith: *EoT.*
Metal Man (GM): New Round
Alys: "You may seem pure of heart, but I know you're all in it for the money."
The Wraith: "I have no use for money..."
Azure: "I have no use for money..."
Dragoshi: "...How stupidly shallow..."
Alys: "Then you are wasting your time here!" *She hurls her slasher, and it travels at everyone currently fighting her.*
Metal Man (GM): 50 damage if that hits; it does NOT come back for a second time around.
Dragoshi: "..." *Oof!*
Metal Man (GM): Then she raises a hand at Dragoshi.
The Wraith: *Gyah!*"" *Reflect attempt!*
Alys: "ZONDE!"
Azure holds an X guard as it smashes into him.
Dragoshi: "..."
Metal Man (GM): It bounces off the reflect, not harming you, but continuing its path to hit others. If the reflect succeeds.
The Wraith: *The spirit's barrier shatters, then.*
Metal Man (GM): Anyway, she shoots about 10 bolts of thin lightning concentrated into one beam at Dragoshi.
While it is fast, and even lucky, it isn't overly powerful... but the crit is bad.
100 damage with crit.
Dragoshi: *Killed by cheapass attack.*
Metal Man: "Hm... this is bad. I'm going to have to get involved." *Shoves Sephiroth onto the ground* "I can't help but wonder if I've done that in another dimension before..."
*He takes out his TT33 and faces Alys.* "Once I envied you. Twice I saw you. Thrice I kill you."
Azure begins chanting as his spirit charms drop to the ground and start rolling around, forming the seal he uses to call up his offensive powers. He then slams his palm into the ground as he invokes the powers of Energy, Fire, Lightning, and Ice. 2 dragons emerge: one of Lightning and Fire and one covered in in Ice with a radiant energy. He sends them both up toward Alys unaware of the power if any he has.
Metal Man (GM): The weird energy causes time to freeze when Azure attacks. He auto-hits.
Alys: "What?!?" *Hit.*
Sephiroth: "Oh... that... the Time Catastrophe energy... it seems to have rubbed off on him. That might help..."
Azure: *EoT.*
Metal Man: "What is that? ...That's the second person to be related to that."
Alys: "I see. You are not only known for evil, but you now use its energies for ill gain against me. Where did the originals go? ...To their graves." *She clenches a fist, now angrier.*
The Wraith: .oO(...What has caused this...?) The spirit looks on with an utterly perplexed look on his face...
Alys: "It makes sense now... you are the clones the Slytock made... and the real ones were killed by Kuja!"
Charles Magellean: .oO(Hahahaaha! I leave the Questers and above all else I'm chastised like this?? Geez, talk about ungrateful hypocrisy!)
Editor's Note: No one actually considered Charles leaving the Questers to be a 'good' thing except Charles, much to his own shock.
Azure: *Has nothing to say in defense; the monk didn't even think his words of peace and redemption could possibly ease her soul.*
Julian Sawyer: *And Julian's back on his feet. I bet he's mad.* "...Y'know, I've had just enough'a your crazy talk." *Julian rushes Alys with his gloves glowing blood red! He goes in for the grab...*
Metal Man (GM): You grab her. She decides to fly while you hold her.
Alys: "You didn't think your great plan through, did you?"
The Wraith: "...While, indeed, something killed me... I'm still unsure what... I have returned... Though without a body, I am the same Quester as I was before... The same that looked up to you as many others did..."
Metal Man (GM): You're now a good ways up, and likely to fall.
The Wraith: "I remember... The only Quester who could really keep up with you was Gibby..."
Alys: "And now none of the Questers can keep up with me. Those who looked up to me are dead! I am sure of it."
"This thing holding onto me has no relation to those Questers you speak of."
Julian Sawyer: "Your right. I'm better." *Julian uses his opportunity to be up and close with Miss Alys to let that energy disperse, while he reaches into his vest! He's got a...*
The Wraith: "Julian there is a more recent fighter... However, I assure you, I am the same as was those many years ago..."
Metal Man: "Something is fishy... in fact, with all these freaky coincidences, I couldn't be sure of anything now."
Julian Sawyer: *...BRICK! GODDAMMIT AT THE EXACT TIME I DON'T NEED ONE!*
Metal Man (GM): Well, it's now or never, even if you are equipped with only a brick.
Julian Sawyer: "...This'll have to do." *As Julian hangs on with one hand, he goes to smash the brick over Alys' head!*
Metal Man (GM): You smash it... into the air. It falls down and blows up on the ground.
Alys: "Your swing is not only slow, but in the wrong direction."
Julian Sawyer: "...How the hell... Think it's time I left." *Julian lets go of Alys, and activates his Rocket Boots! He floats down to safety and ends his turn.*
The Wraith: "..." *He simply shakes his head, that center stone charging and glowing red for a moment... then going all CANNONBALL on Alys' face!*
Metal Man (GM): Hit.
Alys' face takes the damage.
The Wraith: *EoT; the rest of my TP was spent on that failed Reflect.*
Metal Man (GM): New Round
Alys' turn
Alys: "You can pack a punch, but you cannot survive my fury... not even the Slogzilla could do that."
Metal Man (GM): Alys holds out here hand and fires an unending barrage of white streamers of energy at everyone. MNT checks, everybodeh.
70 damage on fail; 35 if you got a 20 or higher.
Alys: "Resta!"
The Wraith: "Nnnggh..." *He shudders as the streamer slices through him; he's lookin' pretty beat up now.*
Metal Man (GM): Alys regains 50 HP.
Dragoshi: *Only takes 35 then.*
Metal Man takes out his pistol and aims it at Alys. "Count this among your honors; the first former Quester administrator to be shot at by another Quester leader."
Metal Man (GM): *Pew* *BLAM*
25 damage from the second hit.
Alys: "A slytock clone may speak complex gibberish, but still be a clone. This world is not meant for chaos anymore! Why else did the real Aribar leave you beginning your deepest descent?"
Dragoshi: "..." *Dragoshi's wings slowly unfold as he gathers energy, trying to sync with the environment.*
Metal Man (GM): Dragoshi also starts glowing funky colors.
Also, I thought of good music for this; though the title doesn't apply in this case.
Dragoshi: "...I'm getting annoyed by your random gibberish. Be a good little girl and PERISH..." *He concentrates, his eyes turning blood red... ...He lets out a ferocious roar as a mech crashes down, and fires it's ungodly DEATHLAZOR at Alys, as three darts pop out, and Dragoshi suddenly gains an albatross to slash Alys with.*
Alys: "Not even Zio could kill me. You are just another moron, trying to impress the moron you have for a leader."
Metal Man (GM): Hit.
Metal Man: "Hm. That's a bit off, even for Alys."
Sephiroth: "And to think... I allowed those colonists to survive? What madness have I wrought?"
Dragoshi: "...Your stupidity amuses me..." *The mech flat-out BLASTS Alys for 50 damage, as the fate of the darts and albatross arer left to be decided...*
Metal Man (GM): Oh. Miss miss miss hit.
Dragoshi: *Cue multiple shots of Dragoshi slashing Alys with an albatross. A bloody ALBATROSS for 15 damage.*
Alys: "Oh, goody. Now you're all imitating Metal. Just what we need."
Metal Man: "I resent that!"
Dragoshi: "...Metal attacked people with seabirds?"
*Looks at Metal* "Dammit man, why didn't you tell me!?"
Azure: "I assume she means the use of out of nowhere objects."
Alys: "Traffic cones, vases, rubber balls... it's all the same when you look at it closely."
Azure casts a barrier around himself and then another around Dragoshi. EoT.
Dragoshi: "...Thanks, man."
Julian Sawyer's back in the air after the barrage of streamers, and tries to repay Alys by smacking her around like a red-headed stepchild! Haymaker after Haymaker After Haymaker after Haymaker!
Metal Man (GM): Hit hit hit hit
Julian Sawyer: *EOT.*
Alys: "What next, are you going to go 'Nobody messes with a New York Brawler?'"
Julian Sawyer: "You like hearing yourself talk, huh?"
Alys: "You like hearing yourself get crushed, punk?"
The Wraith: *The spirit lofts an eyebrow at this.* "...Trying to find someone to replace Aribar, are you...? That's two comments now that would normally have been directed toward him..."
Dragoshi: "...No. He's prolly' gonna say something along the lines of *In an astonishingly GOOD Julian impersonation* 'Primetime, motherfucker!'"
*Coughs*
"...Bleh. I hat playing living voice modulator sometimes."
Alys: *Laughs* "Yes. Exactly... that pathetic."
The Wraith: *He waves one hand, refreshing that dark barrier around his wavering form before those stones spin, taking a chance...*
Dragoshi: .oO(...Go look in a mirror.) >_>
Charles Magellean just cannot stand a slow moving battle OOCly, so now he just... becomes surrounded in darkness and goes to hibernation.
Editor's Note: Well yeah, technically the point of the Dark Energy Wave was that Charles could bow out for a bit, but he had to think exceptionally loudly at us a bit for... some reason... before realizing that battles take a while, heh.
The Wraith: *Two small, purple bolts fly forth... with slim chances of hitting.*
Metal Man (GM): Miss, hit.
She gets ready to attack, this time powering up to her fullest, and glowing blood red.
John: *EoT.*
Alys: "You haven't SEEN anger until you have---"
Shadow: "Been blown apart by me." *BZBBZBZBZBZBZBZBZBZBZ.*
Metal Man (GM): You see the girder busted in two; Alys gets hit in the back by a horde of bullets and Chaos arrows.
Dragoshi: "...What the hell, Shadow?"
Shadow: *Sigh* "I'm only saving your lives. Harm me for it later."
Dragoshi: "...No. I was just surprised."
Alys: "Grh... gah... ..." *Alys straightens herself up, but seems visibly weakened.* "I'll have to try this again later."
Metal Man (GM): She flies through the ceiling, causing a huge chunk of it to crash just inches away from all of you.
It's on fire, too.
The Wraith: "...Guh..." *He looks up at the hole for a moment...*
Metal Man: "That was close... we would have all been dead if she managed to access Trance."
"As it is, she took Shadow's entire attack without being killed thanks to it... and he killed Aetos with a few shots."
Shadow: "Now... there's a matter of unfinished business."
Dragoshi: "...Yes?"
Metal Man (GM): He looks at Charles and calmly pushes his body under some rubble with his foot.
Shadow snaps fingers.
Metal Man (GM): Sephiroth is healed... and then resumes his work on the cannon. Shadow then points his machineguns at all of you.
Shadow: "In return for that favor, I ask you let Sephiroth destroy all of time. Simple, really."
Dragoshi: "...Ah, yes. That. Wait, WHAT?!"
The Wraith: "..."
Julian Sawyer: "...It never fuckin' ends..."
Metal Man: "...I'm getting really sick of people and their deus ex machina today." *Facepalms.*
Dragoshi: "...I second both comments" *00ber-facepalm.*
Azure sighs. "Quite frankly I am tired of this. Does anyone actually care about good and well being of all? No, seriously..."
Julian Sawyer: "...That's kinda our JOB, Azure."
Shadow: "No. Nobody. That's why she attacked. Everyone hates you all. I'm just going to be nice and let you experience infinite life forever."
Dragoshi: "...Thank you for reinstating the obvious, good sir."
Azure: "If its our job Julian, then you should see the problem..."
Julian Sawyer: "...Mets, what's our latest approval ratings again?"
Dragoshi: "...Technically, I'm already experiencing I-...Sod it."
Metal Man: "The people of Eisnaught and the Koopas and so on seem to like us. It's the bad apples who want to kill us."
Julian Sawyer: "There you go."
Shadow: "As for The Wraith, he's welcome to go to the Astral Realm. It doesn't have such... chronic problems."
The Wraith: "Mmm..."
Dragoshi: "...Ten coins to a shroom says he says they don't count or some other... Yea, I'm just gonna shut up now" :X.
Shadow: "Face it. People like us control everything. There's nothing you can do. We will always come from behind and destroy you."
Metal Man (GM): He laughs evilly.
Shadow: "Me, Kuja, the others... what can I say?"
Charles Magellean groans a bit.
The Wraith: "It is my eventual goal to become one of the ascended... I accept this."
Dragoshi: "..."
Metal Man (GM): You hear some sort of hole in reality.
Dragoshi: "...Does anyone hear that?"
Julian Sawyer: "I'm gettin' tired of every two-bit villain name-dropping Kuja to try an' gain some respect."
Metal Man: "Uh... yeah. Who ordered that ominous vacuum noise?"
The Wraith: *He looks to the source of the 'sound'...*
Julian Sawyer: "Face it, if you ain't beat us now, you ain't gonna beat us ev-...The hell?"
Metal Man (GM): It comes... from behind Shadow.
It's like a vacuum cleaner.
Dragoshi: "I sure as hell know I haven't played that card of mine yet..." *Pulls out the Ace of Dominoes, puts it away and looks at Shadow.*
Metal Man (GM): Shadow faces it, and shoots at it.
Azure: *even for the monk his patience was growing then.* "What now..." *.*
The Wraith: "...?..."
Dragoshi: "Also, that is the nastiest case of pa-...No time for joking. Right."
Shadow: "Nothing can defeat me. I am entirely prepared for this. Watch!"
Julian Sawyer: "Watching..."
Metal Man (GM): He shoots at the hole... it does nothing.
Dragoshi: "You are entirely insane is what you are."
Shadow: "...Chaos Control!!!"
Metal Man (GM): It does nothing.
Julian Sawyer: "Still watching..."
Shadow: "..." *He hurls the girder at it. The hole rips open.*
"Damn it! You're like those chaos emeralds!"
Dragoshi: "...Look, for all I can care you can do Chaos fucking BLAST, and it STILL would do JACK SHIT."
The Void: "I've had enough of your perfect plans! You and controlling reality! DIEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!"
Julian Sawyer: "Those who name-drop Kuja get sent in the hole."
Metal Man (GM): You see an extremely large explosion hit Shadow.
Julian Sawyer: "...Or torn to pieces. Whateva."
Dragoshi: "...Holy hell!"
The Wraith: *The spirit blinks, looks at the hole, looks at Metal (if he's there?), then back at the hole again...*
Metal Man (GM): Metal is still there. He looks confused.
Metal Man: "But I didn't..."
Dragoshi: *Is also confused*
"...Hello, other boss."
Metal Man (GM): Shadow is blasted away, to the extent he runs into a white light and vanishes.
Julian Sawyer: *Notices that Metal is still there...* "...Mets, if you're there, an' the Void is there... Two plus two equals fish."
Metal Man (GM): Sephiroth turns, with his great, now fully-charged cannon.
Sephiroth: "Ah... but it is too late... all time will be destroyed!"
The Void: "Go ahead. I dare you."
Sephiroth: "...You dare me to destroy time?"
The Void: "Yes."
The Wraith: "..."
Sephiroth: "...Whatever you say..."
Metal Man (GM): He summons the full power of the device... and you realize why it was taking so long.
It wasn't becoming time-controlling at all.
It was becoming energized enough to EXPLODE.
*BLAAAAAM.*
The Wraith: "...I say we--"*LOLSPLODE.*
Metal Man (GM): Sephiroth is blown away by the explosion... apparently to the death.
Julian Sawyer: *LOLLSPLOSION.*
Dragoshi: "Oh, ho-"*LULZEXPLODAJA.*
Metal Man (GM): The entire tower itself is blown away; you're all shoved outside of it, ala Mission Impossible 3.
Charles also flies out and lands alongside you, saved from any fire due to the metal plate he was shoved under.
Julian Sawyer: *WHOAAAAA!*
Dragoshi: *HOOOOLYYYY SHIIIIIIT!!*
Metal Man (GM): You all land in a pile outside the now gone hole where the dimensional cannon was.
The Void looks over at you, and then the pile.
The Wraith: "...Well, then..."
The Void: "Sorry about taking so long. The jerk who was orchestrating that insanity was another Phantom Lord."
Julian Sawyer: "...Did we win?"
The Void: "I'm afraid he hasn't been beaten, and Alys is still a rogue agent."
Azure gets up slowly before looking to the blast, slightly stunned by its power. He then rushes over to Charles, first removing the metal plate, then trying to use the last bit of that strange energy if it was still there into the healing power of his charms and then into Charles. Anything?
Dragoshi: "...Which Lord is it?"
Charles Magellean's body is still motionless.
The Void: "But..." *He looks back as what was Gerald's basement explodes over there.* "I do like me some explosions. Who? Oh, my antithesis. I forgot his name, because one's memory is bad when you have a hole instead of a brain."
Julian Sawyer: "...So we won."
The Void: "...Yes. In a... way that I hope no one will ever have to explain to anyone else. For the sake of their sanity."
Julian Sawyer: "Good enough for me." *Calls in a warp home after getting back to his feet.*
Dragoshi: "...Ah. So, I'll just refer to him as The Antithesis. For now, anyway"
The Void: "Oh. As for me appearing on my own... uh..." *He pulls out a neuralizer and tries to flash it at you, but winds up blinding himself with it instead.*
"Ahhhh!!! It burns!!!!!"
Dragoshi: "..." *Laughs.*
The Wraith: "..."
Julian Sawyer: "..." *Just slowly shakes his head...*
The Void: "You, uh... don't mention it in front of Ivan, I guess. I won't try that again... gh... last time I buy from Metal's junk heap in an alternate dimension."
Julian Sawyer: "...The antithesis? Too much of a mouthful. Jus' call it... The Filler, or something."
Metal Man (GM): He rips a hole in reality and vanishes again, presumably either to Metal's body or somewhere else.
Metal Man raises a finger, now looking frazzled from the insanity.
Julian Sawyer: "That's much more manageable."
Dragoshi: "...Warp. Home. Please?"
Metal Man: "We may have won the battle, but Charles needs a cure! And I need... aspirin..."
Azure sighs. .oO(If you call this a victory. The one named Alys' soul still burns with both confusion in rage. Charles, if anyone cared about their fellow man, is under a dark curse and things can continue to fly in the wind...)
Metal Man: "And... uh... those space ships are still flying out there... yeah."
Dragoshi: "...As do I. And a resolve to lay off the midnight snacks."
Metal Man: "Anyway... good work. Let's get some rest and see what the next mission brings."
The Wraith: "Aye..." *He turns and looks down at Charles, hovering down near the ground now. He looks him over, though really doesn't know what to look for...*
Azure: "I can't do anything for him. I've tried everything. My best isn't good enough." *He picks up Charles' body and puts an arm over his shoulder*
Julian Sawyer: "I said it before, I'll say it again: Fuck Charles. What's he done for us? 'Sides from be a pain in the ass, hoard magical artifacts, an' occasionally fight?"
Azure: "Not only is it not good enough it's far away from even doing anything."
*He looks to Julian* "It's not about what he has done. Its about what's right and this clearly is not."
The Wraith: *He simply shakes his head as Julian speaks, not even looking to him...*
Dragoshi does the same as The Wraith.
Julian Sawyer: "Weren't you jus' talking a minute ago about not caring about what's right an' good?"
Azure: "Again you never listen fully to me. I asked besides us and a few groups of people, who actually cares about right and good. Are you one of those people? Or is it just a job to you?"
Metal Man: "Alys brought up some good points... but rather than condemning Charles, I believe it'd be more like it to let him on his way and hope we don't have another crazy crossover like this. Well. Points as to what one can view our deeds as from an uneducated standpoint."
Julian Sawyer: "Hey, I'm not the one who said it, Azure. An' I don't care what y'all think, you know deep down I'm right."
Metal Man notes the portal back to HQ, and enters it. "This hill gives me the creeps."
Metal Man (GM): (((((( Mission Accomplished (For surviving that insanity) +20,000 coins ))))))
Dragoshi follows Metal and nods.
Metal Man (GM): +3000 EXP
Julian Sawyer: "This whole thing's jus' gonna keep repeatin' itself each time we give Charles sympathy..." *Heads into the warp.*
The Wraith: *The spirit silently drifts into the warp...*
Azure: "Deep down huh? I'm positive that will never be true so long as this remains as is." *He heads into the warp .oO(That's not my decision to make. I help people in need. That's all I can do).
Charles Magellean comes around. He holds his left hand to the left side of his head. "Ohhhh, my head."
The Wraith: "...?..." *He looks to Charles, seeming a bit puzzled...*
Charles Magellean: "Gnnnn... Why is it that only pain comes to either of us in the end each time we meet?"
The Wraith: "A rather unfortunate occurrence, it seems..."
Azure: "A question I wish didn't have to be raised at all. Doesn't really have an answer. Rather unfortunate..."
Charles Magellean: "...So... where do we go from here?"
The Wraith: "The infirmary, I suppose..." *He nods to Azure.* "...Though I'll see to it that the doctor keeps his grubby hands off of your possessions."
Dragoshi: "...Mind if I help with that?"
Azure: "Right..." *He heads up that path*.
Charles Magellean chuckles.
Azure: "I'm glad you can hold some kind of humor in your self."
Charles Magellean: "Don't worry. My friends... on my world... they already know not to give that quack one measly coin without... without my consent."
Dragoshi: "...Nah. I think I'll leave 'em alone. I need to go to sleep..." *Heads off to his room.*
The Wraith: "Good, good..." *He lead the way to a vacant infirmary bed, and nods to Azure again, hovering next to it...*
Charles Magellean: "The problem... is that of all the victims of the Dark Energy Wave... never once did I actually thought I'd become attacked by it, but... here I am, on the brink of damnation."
Azure sits Charles down on the infirmary bed. "Dark Energy Wave? So you know what this is?"
The Wraith: "Mmh... That's what worries me... I've yet to..." *He shakes his head slowly, leaving that statement unsaid, as the rest is known.* "...At the very least, you won't be alone in your last moments, save by your own request." *He looks up to Azure and nods grimly...*
"And if, perchance, there is any way within my power to do the undone... It will be done."
Charles Magellean: "Monk, I have seen its victims. Garrick... Garrick was hit by it. Alys hit by it. Aribar Hunter, the elf wi-with more curses in his body than any of us... any of us combined."
Azure: *looks to The Wraith and nods* "That goes without question for me as well." *He turns back to Charles* "There my be some way... to counteract... somehow. I refuse to believe a curse has no counter. I refuse..."
Charles Magellean clutches his heart. He breath fastens.
The Wraith: "If it does have a counter, not one has been able to find it..." *He looks down worriedly at Charles.* "...My best guess would be nothing short of a God..."
Charles Magellean: "Your eyes... so full of optimism and hope. Baka, of course there's a way to lift the curse."
The Wraith: "...Would you have any idea of what such is?"
Charles Magellean breath slows. "Since I can't transfer the curse to another person, I'm damn outta luck."
Azure: "..."
Charles Magellean: "Why else did you think that... that caricature of Alys was able to live again?"
*He looks up to the ceiling.* "Short of that, I don't know how the others survived."
The Wraith: "...She was animated by the curse... Which would also explain why she became so hostile to us... But what of her now; has she not cast off the curse onto you now...?"
Azure sighs for a moment in thought.
Charles Magellean he looks into the eyes of the Wraith. "To think... any moment I could slip into your exisTENCE!!" clutches his chest again
"I... I don't know what thing is anymore. Is it Alys? Is it without a soul?"
The Wraith: .oO(And, even after having gone through the process... I don't remember what it was like...) "...'Tis a strange prospect indeed..."
Charles Magellean: "All I know...*He looks up again*...is... is that the name of the Betrayer that you found in the Black Mesa mission is Alys."
Azure: "It is... something. I could feel those emotions... they where genuine... but... as far as what she is now... I do not know. The history and nature to spiral of that person is unknown to me."
Charles Magellean: "Something that is nothing like the original... for some reason, I can't, in good conscience, bring that thing to justice. Dracula is now in ...slumber... so now... so now all I have left is this curse and my Young Ward."
Azure: "Young ward?"
Charles Magellean clutches his heart again. "Aetos! Aetos... Aetos is looking for the ty... ty... tyrant's sword on Turion. ...The sword that Kales had wielded."
Azure places a spirit charm above Charles. It could do nothing of the curse but it could at least ease some pain, he hoped.
"So Aetos is there... why is he seeking out such a thing..."
Charles Magellean: "...Atonement."
Azure: "With that sword...?"
Charles Magellean: "Lord... Bahamut; he gave me images of how Aetos... could atone for his misgivings against me when The Void was our nemesis still. Upon his success to retrieve it, he will be officially my Young Ward again."
Azure: "I see." .oO(Even in this world one of the dragon kings' reach goes far.) "But the void isn't your enemy anymore is he? If so... what can Aetos now hope to gain by getting and both using that weapon..."
The Wraith: *The spirit is simply floating there, eyes closed in thought...*
Azure: "Don't the images now change?"
Charles Magellean sighs, though with discomfort.
"Monk, you have your ways to atone for your sins, yes?"
Azure: "In the same sense as most. Yes..."
Charles Magellean: "As I was his mentor... he collaborated with that which was my enemy. He had not shown me the respect that a Young Ward is to show to his or her mentor. He did not follow the duties that come to this organization. He was affiliated as a Quester before becoming my ward, so being a Quester took priority over our relationship."
"That bond was broken. To atone for this, Lunarian customs had to be followed. The only superior I have is Lord Bahamut, the King of Dragons that resides somewhere in a cavern deep in my homeworld."
*He looks to the monk.* "He valued our relationship and accepted it. If he is able to retrieve the sword that we both faced against and gives it to me as a gift from his heart, then the bond will be forged anew."