Super Smash Quest² - Story - Chapter 75: Island of Darkness
Date: 6:10:34 PM, May 11th; 4:27:42 PM, May 14th, 2009.
Digifanatic: "Like a Bermuda Triangle."
Deloth: "...Rinith, you do realize that every job we've ever done has that same chance."
Rinith: "Well, I'm sure there has been a few... safer ones, though all of them seem to end in someone dying, another wonder is the whole thing where the group can't seem to die... though I wonder what if we all died."
Digifanatic: "Oh wow... we don't get warped back to base, yeah..."
Deloth: "I wouldn't worry too much. You're technically talking to an undead, after all."
Aribar: "If I recall correctly, we came dangerously close a few times."
Metal Man (GM): You arrive at a nice, round island, in the middle of nowhere. It's filled with palm trees and tropical plans. It has a nice smooth beach with plenty of space to land. You see overhead a sort of burnt up, ruined lab in the center.
Deloth: "Pretty nice-looking place for a lab."
Natalie: "...This place doesn't seem innocuous at all..." *She says in a sarcastic voice as she carefully steps out. Raena leaves before her, though, drawing the digi-sabre and getting ready for a fight.*
Metal Man (GM): It's empty, and a path leads straight into the lab.
Panzer walks out after the ship lands.
Metal Man (GM): Nothing remotely appears bad or dangerous, except for the lab itself, which looks to have been burned horribly.
Deloth gets out, taking out his blades and cautiously approaching the lab.
Panzer stays on the beach a moment and scans the island, or what she can of it.
Digifanatic takes a cautious walk towards the lab as well...
Metal Man (GM): The island gives off very faint signs of radiation, not lethal but suspicious.
Rinith: *follows along, a single sword drawn for now.*
Aribar follows the others out onto the beach.
Digifanatic: "Ari, do you think you be able to figure something out, or even do something like use Panel?"
Metal Man (GM): The lab itself can be walked right up to. The front door is an automatic opening type. Only without power. It slides sideways and is half-open.
Panzer lifts a brow and walks off on a different tangent, down the beach and into the woods, effectively disappearing.
Metal Man (GM): It is made of steel.
Panzer is looking for the source of the radiation, and it's type.
Deloth heads through the door, preparing to block an attack, if needed.
Aribar: "A spellbook that I recently had could have taught me a spell that would have instantly solved this island's mystery; however, I ran out of money and could not learn the spell."
Dragoshi: "What spell was it?"
Deloth: *Flatly* "Thanks for telling us that, Ari."
Metal Man (GM): Panzer: Strangely, all other exits have been sealed off, including windows, with boards and welded-on pieces of steel. And the windows have bars on them.
Aribar: "It was called History; its use should be obvious. You are also welcome, Deloth, because I did not want to become a drain on everyone's resources."
Metal Man (GM): The others head into the first room, which has a checkerboard floor and some wrecked table in it.
Panzer is wandering the woods, not inclined to get near the building yet. She smiles. .oO(Well now. You only want one entry point so it's easier to slaughter them. That works for me.)
Metal Man (GM): There's only one door ahead and a girder is leaning on the ground, held by a chain on one end.
Digifanatic: "Hmm... I'm thinking everyone stand to the side of the door, and I suppose I'll be the guinea pig and open it?"
Metal Man (GM): Yes, although it has apparently spread across the island a bit, like it was spread by an explosion.
Deloth: "Up to you."
Digifanatic: "Actually, take that back. I'll still open the door, you folks stay away in case something spreads..."
Aribar looks about the room for paperwork or anything of importance.
Panzer filters some of it through to determine what isotope it came from, only remotely suspecting U235, it would have been a bigger blast with a more concentrated level of radiation.
Digifanatic grabs the handle of the sliding door and opens it the rest of the way from the side.
Metal Man (GM): Search check, Aribar. It's a strange type of isotope, you can't directly identify it but it has a half-life near 1000 years.
Panzer pauses in the woods, curious. She waits on something or other, looking around in place.
Deloth: "...Am I the only one who thinks that this girder here looks suspicious?"
Metal Man (GM): Aribar finds some paperwork. It appears the scientist was feeding you a likely story. Search check, Panzer. The paperwork says... 'ULTIMATE POKEMON -- The containment chamber's power is failing. Planned enhancement is to go into effect in 3 days. The date will be--' *Paper is ripped off at that point* Panzer: Nothing much to comment out here. It's eerily quiet though... no wildlife???
Deloth walks over and looks at the paper Ari picked up. "...Great. Yet another liar."
Metal Man (GM): Meanwhile inside the door deeper inside remains locked, sitting there.
Digifanatic: *Walks over to Ari, noticing the paper* "Okaaaaay..."
Panzer scratches her chin. She looks at the ground and taps it with her foot, looking to hear an off-camber pitch, a tale tale sign of hollow ground, or at least a shallow bunker or something under it.
Deloth then heads over, trying a Lockpick on the door and preparing for an attack.
Aribar looks through the documents he finds. "I think we now know why this place is dangerous."
Digifanatic: "Yeah... what they said about Pokemon species isn't... and this sounds like one mean daddy if it doesn't want to be fed."
Aribar looks up for a moment and notices something is missing... Something he missed while searching, or rather, someone. "Where's Panzer?"
Dragoshi: *Shrugs* "No idea."
Digifanatic: "I'll ring her."
Deloth: *Lockpick successful?*
Digifanatic: *R to Panzer* "We found a letter about a Pokemon they've been hiding. What do you have?"
Metal Man (GM): Panzer: Search check.
Panzer: *R* "You don't need me."
Metal Man (GM): Deloth: The door's lock appears to have been melted shut.
Deloth: "Hrm..."
Metal Man (GM): Panzer: Nothing... out here, at least. The door further in to the lab appears to be solid steel--and half-melted. It is definitely airtight.
Digifanatic: *R* "So be it..." *Click.*
Deloth: "We'll need to break this door down. Ari, maybe you can Kinesis that girder into it."
Metal Man (GM): Suspiciously near it is a girder on a chain.
Panzer: "You've made that clear, if you want to fuck it up, I'm outside. I've got lots of good data to help confirm things of my suspicion."
Digifanatic: .oO(Best to not tick her off right now.) "Understood."
Aribar: "Well, I suppose I can try that..."
Panzer continues wandering the woods, searching and noting everything within capacity, something isn't right here. She notices everything from sounds of the earth, sudden composition changes in soil and debris, tree and plant life, recent signs that animals used to be here, everything. (Hopefully)
Deloth: "... Wait, something doesn't add up here."
Aribar: "Hm?"
Deloth: "This is way too convenient."
Metal Man (GM): Panzer: Of course, you would... ...if you mean to say you'll be doing the equivalent of 'taking 10' with that, right?
Digifanatic: "Like a trap, huh? Wouldn't be surprised..."
Deloth: "You don't see many ready-made battering rams these days, I hear."
Metal Man (GM): That's what I mean. If you take a while you can be sure to find them.
Deloth walks over to the door, tapping on it suspiciously.
Metal Man (GM): It is thick.
Deloth: *Can I radio the scientist?*
Metal Man (GM): Deloth: You're probably too far away now. Also, you heard him speak of how he was 'too busy' earlier.
Panzer: *R* "I will give you one tip, if any of you are particularly weak to radiation, take breaks in the ship."
Digifanatic: *R* "Well, that is a help."
Aribar: "I don't believe I have any spells that can peer through the door. Hm..."
Deloth: "...I think we need to keep this door up and still get inside, somehow." *He looks upwards. Any possibilities in the ceiling? Tiles, ductwork, hollow ceiling?*
Metal Man (GM): You can get on the roof but the area ahead appears to be seriously contained. There's plenty of holes in this room's roof, plus that girder-on-a-chain.
Deloth flies up to those holes, checking to see if he can fit into one of them.
Aribar examines the door. "I could attempt to fix this lock with some of my stronger magic, but it might just be a waste."
Metal Man (GM): Oh, sure you can, but they only lead to the top of the roof--and the roof over the sealed area is equally sealed like the door.
Rinith: *smell anything?*
Metal Man (GM): Search check, Rinith. A slight smell of burnt things.
Deloth: *Flies back down* "This is hopeless. That room's locked up tight."
Aribar: "I think we should just take our chances and use the girder as a battering ram; we've headed face-first into worse danger."
Deloth: "They even reinforced the roof."
Metal Man (GM): Panzer would see that, after taking plenty of time to check, some event destroyed all the wildlife on the island, corresponding to the radiation.
Digifanatic: "Seems like they want to kill us..."
Metal Man (GM): Some craters and man-shaped shadows indicates some people came here later and then were killed by something sinister.
Deloth: "Or they want to let something loose."
Digifanatic: "Probably both."
Deloth: "But couldn't do it themselves."
Panzer has done about all she can outside. She walks near the back of the building, still in the woodline. She looks along the edges of the building for detection devices, cameras, etc.
Deloth: "This just doesn't add up. I say we abandon this job and go back."
Metal Man (GM): Looking at the trees during the long time you take to look, you finally note even the trees are dying. And so Panzer begins looking around the back of the building from the woodline.
Panzer tries to see if their dying corresponds to the radiation... Though it shouldn't be true.
Aribar: "Any other thoughts on the matter?"
Metal Man (GM): The death appears to be from around the same time as the radiation, but not THE same time. It matches closer to the people who were burnt into nothing. Seems it may have been hit by the same thing indirectly.
Deloth: "That, and we need to corner that scientist and get the real story from him."
Panzer looks at the trees a bit closer, not touching it, trying to scan it's composition and look for dissimilar discrepancies.
Deloth: "...Seems like we're all in silent agreement, then."
Digifanatic: "Yeah, there really isn't much else to do right now that could jeopardize our success."
Metal Man (GM): You'd notice a pattern of dead trees near the places where people and things were obliterated. Some other trees continue to live although mildly irradiated.
Digifanatic: "Especially with how cryptic the area is."
Metal Man (GM): But only a few, as if whatever had this power was bent on killing all life on this strangely remote island.
Deloth: "Then let's beat it for now. We can always come back if we need to." *He heads out, walking back to the ship.*
Panzer tries to figure out what this deathray is made of.
Aribar follows Deloth back to the ship. He doesn't like the fact that this has been a waste of their time; the mage wishes that they would have pressed on.
Metal Man (GM): Deloth heads to the ship, as does Aribar.
Digifanatic: *R* "Panz, we're flying back to Kanto to talk some sense out of the scientist... this may or may not involve combat."
Metal Man (GM): Panzer would see them leave. The deathray, however, is a bit more cryptic. It appears to be an absence rather than an actual beam of energy.
Panzer: *R* "Alright. Are you coming back?"
Metal Man (GM): It leaves no trace, rather what you'd presume to have been hit by this is lacking energy compared to surrounding things.
Digifanatic: *R* "It's a possibility, though I wouldn't be surprised if we don't."
Panzer scratches her head on this one, wondering. She sighs. "This is tough. What makes shit like this." *R* "We need to figure this out, it could pose a threat to us all, and the scientist will feed you more BS."
Digifanatic: *R* "Yeah, that latter part is what's making me think there may be a fight before this is all over... the ultimatum, I suppose."
Metal Man (GM): One final thing of note.
Rinith: "Some of us can stay here, see if a smaller presence means anything."
Aribar: "We have flown this entire way out here, and we aren't likely to get paid for simply saying that the place is sealed up."
Metal Man (GM): The weird chip in Panzer activates upon looking at this for a while. It... 'detects evil'??? Huh? It doesn't limit Panzer's actions--merely seems to be mentioning this.
Deloth: "...May be a good idea, Rinith. Want me to stay here while the rest of you guys go back?"
Digifanatic: "Yeah, if you think we'll be able to fly back quickly enough."
Panzer grumbles. She now thinks she was an experiment. She tries to locate the source of this... EVILLL.
Aribar: "I say we just stay here and continue into the base."
Panzer: *R* "You guys go. I'm still finding all sorts of things."
Metal Man (GM): You walk towards it and see a brick wall blocks access to the source.
Deloth: "I'll stay. Someone needs to be around in case Panzer starts going nuts again."
Panzer stays in the woods if possible, trying to hide/avoid detection as much as possible. "Hmm." She tries to scan around it for sensors or people or things or pokemons.
Aribar sighs and goes back to the building's only accessible room.
Rinith: "I'll stay."
Metal Man (GM): No sensors... no people... no pokemon. So then, who's gonna go back to the science guy? Aribar goes back to the room. The girder continues sitting there, taunting him.
Digifanatic: "Okay, I'll fly back if you think it's necessary..."
Aribar debates continuing on without the others... And decides to do something stupid. He uses Kinesis to pull back on the girder and attempts to use it as a battering ram to the locked door.
Deloth: *Heading back into the building... just in time to watch Ari do his thing.* "What are you DOING?!"
Metal Man (GM): Just the wall of the building, Panzer. By the way, you hear a loud SLAM as the girder hits the door inside.
Digifanatic: *Supposing he hears Deloth yelling that* "Guess we can't fly back now!"
Metal Man (GM): The door opens up, and suddenly the energy levels of the entire island fluctuate violently.
Panzer lifts a brow, recognizes the sound of metal on metal and jumps back and the flux. She moves immediately to the beach, near the water.
Digifanatic: "Or maybe we do!"
Deloth steps back, grabbing his swords and getting ready to battle whatever comes out. "Digi, everyone, get ready! Ari smashed open the door!"
Panzer: *R* "Who did what? You pissed something off."
Digifanatic: *R* "Aribar wanted to see what happens when you open a door in that base..."
Dragoshi: *Nods, and readies his Repeater Rifle.*
Rinith: *o.o>* "That can't be good"
Panzer: *R* "Close the fucking thing. I still don't know what is causing the deaths, it's something I've never seen the likes of before."
Digifanatic: *To Deloth* "You thinking flying away is better, in case we... can't fight what's coming out?!"
Aribar: "I decided to see what would happen if the door was opened; better for us to be here and deal with the problem than some under-equipped scientists letting some all-mighty being loose."
Panzer scans to try and notice what's making the changes.
Deloth: "Ari, you are the biggest idiot alive."
Metal Man (GM): Oddly, the door can be closed. It must take a moment, as the strange energy levels appear to be rising. It's something from within the newly opened lab door.
Deloth: "Go back and get more info? Maybe find out WHAT we need to be fighting?"
Panzer: *R* "The levels are rising and they're not pretty, close the fucking door."
Metal Man (GM): You hear a hum increasing, and hear something moving down the formerly-sealed hallway.
Deloth runs over and slams the door shut, or tries to. *R* "ON IT!"
Metal Man (GM): The door shuts and the levels stall. The energy is a specific weird infrared spectrum.
Panzer tries to see if she can figure it out, switching one eye to IR mode to see if it was going to blanket the island or anything.
Deloth: "Alright, NOW are you ready to leave, Ari?"
Metal Man (GM): Panzer: ...You see ghosts.
Aribar just leaves to go to the ship.
Panzer: *R* "I suggest you leave the fucking door alone... Get on the ship. Leave."
Metal Man (GM): Specifically all kinds of ghosts, Haunter, Ghastly style.
Digifanatic: "I'd like to know how some kind of energy becomes MORE unstable when you give it more space to roam around..."
Metal Man (GM): They are concentrated inside the lab but apparently the energy levels were being caused by an ever-increasing amount of... ghosts.
Deloth: "..."
Rinith: "So, where are we going now?"
Metal Man (GM): They aren't doing anything yet, however they appear to be flying outside and... towards the edges of the island.
Panzer doesn't know much of pokemon, ICly, but she doesn't like ghosts. She turns to full IR mode, still near the ocean. "The facility is full of ghosts."
Deloth starts jogging for the ship. *R* "What'd you find, P--WHAT?!"
Digifanatic: "Well, I think there are some Pokemon that behave like ghosts..."
Metal Man (GM): The ship begins to shake abnormally.
Panzer: *R* "Get on the ship and fucking leave, now. They're out and moving to the edges of the island."
Digifanatic: *R* "I think the ghosts are invading our ship..."
Deloth dives onto the ship. "Digi, MOVE IT!"
Panzer: "Get control of it and get lost, go bitch that scientist out."
Digifanatic decides to get onto the ship, hoping everyone else follows in rather quickly. He books it for Silph Co...
Panzer watches for the ghosts, wondering if they feel like bugging her.
Aribar casts Ward on the ship.
Metal Man (GM): Aribar: Will check. The ghosts, oddly, hardly see you, Panzer. They seem to be somewhat repelled by that chip in you.
Panzer stays put, wondering. She slowly advances on the building, carefully, at that.
Metal Man (GM): The building is now empty, as the ghosts attack the ship. Aribar is struggling with them. They overpower Aribar and the ship begins rocking back and forth violently. Aribar is knocked to the ground.
Deloth: "Grrr... What do you WANT from us?!"
Panzer heads for the building.
Metal Man (GM): The screen of the ship has 'DIE' written on it in blood. Then they move at Deloth, who can't see them either... Will check, Deloth.
Aribar: "...I did not know Pokemon were so blood-thirsty."
Digifanatic looks at the screen. "Me neither..."
Metal Man (GM): Panzer: You walk into the building, seeing the door and girder magically restored as if no one had opened it.
Aribar casts Sensory to attempt and 'sense' the ghosts so that he can better protect against them.
Metal Man (GM): Deloth barely resists them. The controls seem to glow to him. Aribar: You see them, that is good. The bad part is there's so many they blot out your vision of anything else.
Deloth: "Gnnngh... get... get out of my head!"
Panzer lifts a brow. "Odd." *R* "Well, They don't like the fact that you're all good-natured, that is for sure. They're not bothering me a bit."
Digifanatic: *Tries to radio the Silph scientist.*
Panzer goes back outside to the brick wall where the source is supposed to be and scans it again.
Radio: "Die... die... dieeeeee..."
Metal Man (GM): Some sort of energy flies at Digi. Will check, Digi.
Aribar: "Away!" *The mage attempts to once more clear away the ghosts with a Ward spell.*
Metal Man (GM): Digi ducks as purple energy flies around, missing him. They overpower the Ward again, shoving Aribar over.
Panzer: *R* "Maybe if you all act evil, they'll leave you alone."
Rinith: "What kind of spirits are this vengeful?"
Deloth: "What did we even DO to these guys?!"
Digifanatic: *R to Panzer, if he can even pick her up* "I dunno..."
Rinith: "And another question, what did they do to them?"
Digifanatic: "This must be like some sacred burial ground that's cursed or something!"
Metal Man (GM): They attack Aribar with purple energy. Will check, Aribar.
Panzer radios Marley. "Marley, what alignment is your enchantment?"
Metal Man (GM): Aribar is hit by Night Shade. He sees purple flashing lights and takes 50 damage.
Marley: *R* "I can't quite hear you, but you appear to be... yes, that's the signal. It's... ...at least partially holy aligned."
Metal Man (GM): The ghosts try to activate the ship.
Deloth: *Trying to speak to the ghosts* "Look, if you needed help or something, we can provide it! Just STOP ATTACKING US!"
Panzer: *R* "I hate you. I'm not a fucking experiment. You may have just killed me. Or, saved my life."
Aribar casts Cure on himself before lashing out with a powerful blast of wind; he attempts to expel the ghosts through force rather than just a barrier. (Wind Blast, 10 damage, high knockback.)
Panzer tries to bust down the brick wall nearest to the source.
Marley: *R* "I what? Your signal is distant... ...why are you on Death I---*SCHKT*" *It cuts out.*
Metal Man (GM): Panzer: Roll Melee attack check. The wind doesn't even touch them, as Panzer pokes the wall in vain. Digi: No, the ghosts simply turn on the ship for you.
Panzer crashes into it, then.
Metal Man (GM): Then the ghosts try to fly the ship. The ship starts to take off.
Aribar casts Activate to shut off the ship.
Panzer: *R Aribar* "Cast something holy."
Metal Man (GM): Will check, Aribar.
Rinith: *O* *TWILIGHT BLAST targets a cluster of them.*
Metal Man (GM): The ghosts absorb the darkness and become more powerful. They thank Rinith by aiming the ship's weapons at the lab and opening fire.
Panzer walks back to the door and tries to pull it open.
Metal Man (GM): *BLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAM.*
Digifanatic: "THAT WASN'T ME!"
Metal Man (GM): Panzer walks in, then hears the turrets blasting the roof nearby.
Deloth: "NO SHIT, SHERLOCK!"
Rinith: "Gah... they're more attuned to dark then weak to light!"
Aribar: .oO(On that dark island...) *He unsheaths Sunlight and casts Light in the ship!*
Metal Man (GM): The energy levels start going up. Will check, Aribar.
Digifanatic: *R to Silph scientist* "Sir, there are ghosts that have taken over this ship!"
Panzer: "...Oh boy. They fucking hate me." *She starts walking down the hall carefully.*
Radio: "Die die... Diedie die die."
Panzer: *R Questers* "I swear to God, if you don't get the fuck out of here, you're all going to die."
Deloth sheathes his dark sword and tries firing a Holy Ele!
Metal Man (GM): The ghosts overpower the light as they begin to leak out of the lab.
Digifanatic: *R Panzer* "We did!"
Panzer is still in IR mode.
Metal Man (GM): The ghosts ignore Panzer, escaping the lab and now congregating inside the Quester ship more and more.
Deloth: "Seriously, what the hell do these ghosts WANT?!"
Metal Man (GM): The ship goes to turn...
Digifanatic: *R* "And we might die anyways cause they're taking over the ship and blasting things we don't want to blast!"
Metal Man (GM): ...The ship sits there while the ghosts fight with the controls.
Panzer: *R* "Finding out. Apparently this is called Death Island." *She runs down the hallway.*
Metal Man (GM): The ship jerks uncontrollably. Panzer would see all kinds of... weird probes and electrodes, and tombstones. And... a pair of opera glasses.
Panzer: "Well. That would piss anyone off." *She looks at the glasses.*
Metal Man (GM): The room is now empty of ghosts, who appear to be all going to the Quester ship. The glasses are simple IR glasses. They say 'Silph Scope.'
Panzer sets them aside and starts tearing up the equipment on the tombstones.
Digifanatic wonders if he can land this ship somewhere safe, even if it isn't on top of Silph.
Metal Man (GM): Meanwhile, the ghosts in the ship begin to solidify into... a person.
Ghost Man: "Wait a minute... you are not... researchers... ...let us go and you will not die."
Panzer: "People ought to know better than to mess with dead things, I swear."
Metal Man (GM): The electrodes are ripped off, but there's something down the hall giving up even more radiation.
Panzer continues ripping things apart, minus the tombstones, just the probes etc. on them.
Digifanatic: "Rinith, yeah, hold on..."
Panzer finishes and goes on further down the hallway.
Rinith: "Hmmm..."
Deloth: "We will! We never wanted to hurt you in the first damn place!"
Ghost Man: "Let us go... let us... let us go... LET US GO... LET..." *They're not very specific, and apparently poor at communication.*
Metal Man (GM): The ship sits there as they pointlessly speak at you. Digi: Tech check. The ship lands. You might want to leap off of it.
Dragoshi: .oO(Let them go? What are they talking about?)
Panzer: *R* "Guys, they're pissed because those fucking scientists tried to harness their power or something. They've disturbed and violated countless graves."
Digifanatic: *Gets off the ship R* "I see..."
Dragoshi: *Off!*
Deloth sees Digi getting off. "That can't be good..." He then jumps off as well.
Panzer is down the hallway, looking for the source of the radiation. "Let me guess. Ghost-powered generator."
Digifanatic: *R* "Yeah, that really wasn't what we were trying to do... and that's probably what it was, Panzer."
Metal Man (GM): Panzer would finally find herself at the end of the hallway... ...and at what is the source of all of this. Some sort of heavily protected tube containing some extremely dark presence inside it. You can't see nor detect it due to the... nuclear-power plant-powered force field. The ghost powered generators appear to be mostly broken. Your work destroyed what remained of it.
Panzer grumbles. "Well..." R "Call that stupid fucking scientist and get the unlock codes for me."
Deloth: *R Panz* "I think we're out of radio range."
Metal Man (GM): The ghosts continue babbling incoherently in the ship, apparently incapable of making up their mind on what to do, as the others would hear the humming inside the lab.
Panzer: *R* "Try. Or it won't get better anything soon."
Metal Man (GM): You landed about where you took off, right near the lab entrance.
Deloth groans and tries to radio the scientist.
Panzer: "I can't bust this force field without it, unless..." *She tries to find the control panel to it.*
Digifanatic: "Well, Panzer, we're there right now..." *He runs down to the source of the humming, hopefully it's where the scientist is as well...*
Panzer: "Careful, Digi. The radiation is higher here."
Metal Man (GM): Deloth: Out of range. Digi walks right over to where Panzer is. Digi would see... ...why, it's a computer.
Deloth: *R Panz* "No luck. We're out of radio range."
Metal Man (GM): And left logged on, even. It appears a scientist set it to 'MAXIMUM CONTAINMENT'
Panzer looks at it and tries to wirelessly access it, lazy.
Metal Man (GM): These cretins! No wi-fi!
Rinith: *follows the group.*
Panzer walks over to it and starts to type commands in to try and bust the force field.
Metal Man (GM): Tech check, Panzer.
Deloth starts running to where Panzer and Digi are.
Metal Man (GM): Some warnings near the capsule call it 'ULTIMATE POKEMON CONTROL UNIT', and some real ancient tablets are on the walls near it.
Digifanatic: "Whoa, whoa, whoa..."
Dragoshi: *Goes to look at the tablets.*
Rinith: *looks at the tablets.*
Metal Man (GM): They're in bizarre ancient gibberish.
Digifanatic: "Panzer, we might be letting out a serious beast here..."
Metal Man (GM): Panzer gets a look of 'ACCESS DENIED' messages, nothing else.
Panzer growls, tries once more. "We need to lower this, those ghosts are pissed... Maybe I should talk to them."
Deloth: "Whoever it is is still in our ship... what the hell are these tablets?"
Rinith: "How does healing magic work on pokemon ghosts?"
Digifanatic can't read the tablets, but 'ULTIMATE POKEMON CONTROL UNIT' sounds pretty dang important.
Deloth: "... I don't think we have a choice. If we take off, we die."
Digifanatic: "PLEASE. Nobody touch this computer..."
Rinith: "If we don't were stuck here tell we die as well"
Panzer: "Well, let's ask them what it's all about, then." *She walks back to the ship and looks for the ghostie man.*
Rinith: "And I don't touch computers at all"
Digifanatic: "We can tell the ghost guy we don't mean no harm, fly back to Saffron..."
Deloth: "I don't think he understands us, Digi."
Digifanatic: *Exhales* "I guess..."
Metal Man (GM): Tech check again, Panzer. Or... not. Panzer walks into the ship.
Ghost Man: "Let us free... let... let us free... let let let..."
Panzer: "Hey, Ghosts... Listen to me a moment. I need a piece of information please. I've destroyed all the containment units but one, all the probes and shit too... I need to know what is behind that massive forcefield."
Deloth: "I think our only option now is to let whatever-it-is loose and hope our luck holds."
Rinith: "I take it here no one knows much on pokemon ghosts... or... ghost pokemon, or what ever they are."
Deloth: "But---wait. Wait, wait, wait." *He facepalms and takes out... his Pokedex.* "Stupid me."
Digifanatic: "Stupid? I forgot we had those."
Metal Man (GM): Lessee...
Deloth first tries scanning the containment unit.
Ghost Man: "Let us go... let it go... let... go..."
Pokedex: "...Please obtain the National Dex and try again."
Deloth: "National Dex?"
Pokedex: "Available from Professor Oak with three low payments of 59.99 coins."
Panzer: "Look you. I know you can fucking speak. I can leave you captured if I want. Talk to me or I'll walk over there and fuck with you."
Rinith: "..."
Pokedex: "Warning: Does not include Shipping and handling."
Deloth: "Dammit."
Pokedex: "Warranty not valid in Nightmare Island of Death. Does not cover damage by Jack the Widowmaker, that wizard guy who kills people, Gary, Team Rocket, or Time Bandits."
Deloth sighs and puts his Dex back. "So much for that."
Ghost Man: "Let... go... go... let... go..." *It seems stupid.*
Deloth: "Digi, I really don't think we have a choice..."
Panzer grumbles and walks back inside and to the computer and tries to lower the force field again.
Digifanatic: "Fight it off?"
Rinith: "I'd try to blow that forcefield to bits or something, but again, I don't know anything that may happen, does healing magic heal ghost pokemon are harm them though?"
Dragoshi: *Shrugs, not really having any idea.*
Panzer: "I'd go for more or less not pissing it off. We don't know what it is. It's big... This force field is powered by a nuclear power plant."
Dragoshi: "Yeah..."
Metal Man (GM): 'Access Denied' You could blow apart the force field on it. But it's pretty powerful.
Panzer: "Someone unlock it before I bash the computer into little tiny bits."
Metal Man (GM): Wires lead into another room just beyond, which you hadn't noticed earlier.
Deloth: "I... wait."
Digifanatic: "Okay, okay..." *Notices the other room and slowly walks over.*
Deloth follows those wires into the other room.
Dragoshi: *Stays behind, letting Del and Digi go ahead.*
Metal Man (GM): Walking into the other room, you see a small generator. It is filled with an unknown element. Taped to the wall next to it is a disc. Labeled 'VERY IMPORTANT'
Panzer walks in after them, waiting to see what happens.
Deloth: "Digi, can you read that disc with something?"
Digifanatic: "I don't think I can read it using what I have on me..." *Looks around for another computer.*
Panzer: "Give me that."
Rinith: *slightly taps the containment thing with his sword.*
Digifanatic takes the disc off the wall, waiting for Deloth's response before handing it over to Panzer or not.
Panzer taps her foot.
Metal Man (GM): Digi: You find no other container. Rinith's sword bounces off of the containment thing. The disc is an old floppy disc.
Digifanatic: "Wow, this is definitely old..." *Hands the disc to Panzer, hearing no response from Deloth.*
Deloth: "...Please, Panz, promise to read the data on it instead of breaking it..."
Panzer pushes the little metal back and rotates the little black plastic disc inside and passes a type of scanning beam over it "I don't have a floppy drive, but this beam does the same for floppies, CD, DVDs, that archaic stuff."
Metal Man (GM): It's the data the scientist wanted. Highly suspect, highly encrypted. The few decrypted things simply give it a name.
Panzer lifts a brow. "This stays with me."
Metal Man (GM): 'ULTIMATE POKEMON ENERGY READOUT LEVELS' Clearly they were reading its energy. And... doing random nonsense in some attempt to understand how to replicate it. And it apparently worked, due to the number of inexplicable deaths. Only... ...now it seems to have infested your ship.
Panzer: "It is the data the scientists want. I'm not giving it to him." *She pockets the disk.* "They're working on something beyond their comprehension, and they need no information on it. Obviously, if it's something this bad, that is."
Deloth: "Good idea. Now how do we leave?"
Panzer: "We have to make that ghost happy. Apparently the replicated some process that killed everything on this island, somehow..." *She tries to see if her crack radio will reach the scientist.* "Details."
Metal Man (GM): The radio cuts out, and the ghosts suddenly fly over the ocean.
Panzer: "...Fuck."
Deloth: "What the... Uh, Panz, what's going on?"
Metal Man (GM): The ship's free though.
Panzer: "Get on the ship, go to the scientist and force him into telling you what they were doing here. I need to know."
Deloth: "...Right."
Digifanatic: "Alright. Sounds like you're staying?"
Deloth starts running for the ship.
Rinith: "Can ghosts follow radio signals?"
Panzer: "I think, that, in trying to get my friend to decrypt the data, something has gone wrong. I will remain here."
Digifanatic: "Ahhh." *Runs for the ship FF -> everyone on the ship -> Taking off for Silph Co.*
Rinith: "Perhaps we should break this thing first, or something though."
Deloth: "Not yet, Rinith."
Panzer waits impatiently, trying to decrypt the disc herself, maybe it'll be safer since they don't care for her anyway.
Rinith: *follows to the ship for now.*
Panzer: *Marley* "Can't hear me still, can you?"
Deloth: *Already on the ship, ready to head for Silph Co if they aren't already there.*
Marley: *R* "...You're breaking up."
Metal Man (GM): You get on the ship and go towards Silph Co. Panzer: You try, but you don't have the processing power available.
Panzer: *R* "Because of what these pokemon morons were doing. Let me move away from the generator." *She walks outside.* "Better?"
Deloth: "I don't believe this, guys..."
Metal Man (GM): Ship people arrive at the Silph Co. building. The scientist walks out and looks, holding a meter.
Scientist: "Ah, yes. You have been to the island... now... where is the data?"
Deloth growls. "We know your secret."
Panzer: *R* "You would you know anything about this replication, or have you recorded unusual, unexplained activity near my location?"
Deloth: "What the hell were you doing on that island to kill all those people and Pokemon?"
Scientist: "Experiments to do with, er, nothing. This is a mercenary job, so I'd simply want the disk. How much would it cost to make you stop asking questions... 100? 1000 coins?"
Deloth: "And you really should tell us, because a horde of angry ghosts is homing in directly at this building. Now, I'll ask you again. What happened over there at the island?"
Scientist: "Oh really?" *He points the detector about.* "It doesn't matter, the data is worth more than this entire building, and the secrets being kept secret a similar value. An experiment went awry and some people died. Nothing else of note."
Digifanatic: "And how did they die?"
Deloth: "What experiment?"
Panzer tries to replicate the signal that caused the ghosts to flee earlier, to make them all come back.
Scientist: "No data, no money. That's all." *He goes silent.*
Deloth tries reading his mind.
Metal Man (GM): Panzer: Tech check, you got a vague sample of it while you were talking about it...
Digifanatic: .oO(Right now, we could care less about the money...)
Metal Man (GM): Deloth: You read his mind, but it would seem to be filled with fear of some shadowy figure killing people. To peer too deeply might drive you insane.
Panzer: *R* "Guys, you got the answers yet? I might be drawing them all back to me here in a moment... I need the answers."
Deloth: .oO(...Guess it's time for some manipulation...)
Metal Man (GM): Panzer determines the signal, but--the radio can't seemingly reach out there, the line's still filled with ghosts...
Deloth: "I know your secret. I can smell your fear."
Panzer: *R* "Beat him to pieces if you must." *She grumbles. She looks at the generator, apparently Marley didn't care to answer her. She goes back and tries to peer through the forcefield.*
Deloth walks forward, popping his tentacles out and transferring his swords to them. "You know things. We NEED your information. And now that you've pissed me off, giving it to me now will be your only lifeline."
Panzer: *R* "If it helps, tell him that I've crosswired the generator to blow up the entire facility, and I'm about to if he doesn't cooperate."
Scientist: "Do you really think Silph Co is not without its own weapons, ignorant cretin?"
Metal Man (GM): He presses a buzzer and a door opens. What look almost like storm troopers with large guns stream out and aim for Deloth.
Deloth: "This is a matter of life and death. If you don't give this info over, even more people will die than the group out there on the island."
Scientist: "The only reason I needed a mercenary was the ghosts killed our men on sight. As suspected they did not kill you."
Panzer gets radio silence and sighs. No one feels like listening or answering today. She starts playing with the computer again, to try and get it to deactivate the field.
Scientist: "Pah. Keep the data then... just get off of our roof before we destroy you."
Metal Man (GM): Tech check, Panzer.
Deloth: *R Panz* "He's not telling us."
Panzer: *R* "Well. I'm just going to beat the shit out of the generator, now aren't I? Stay away from the island a moment."
Deloth: "Also, we have someone over there trying to crack open whatever's sealed up there."
Panzer walks off, yanks up the steel girder and starts to bash on the generator.
Scientist: "Good." *He chuckles.* "The generator was only meant to protect us while we were on the island. Now if you would leave already, I have a better mercenary who shall obtain the data for us, since you seem to be too dumb to do a job."
Metal Man (GM): The men with guns point at Deloth and open fire on him.
Deloth: "Did you not think this through? This thing knows who killed everyone and caused it so much pain. And it's coming out." *He immediately dives for the ground.*
Metal Man (GM): The generator begins malfunctioning, as Deloth takes 50 damage.
Deloth: "Nngh!"
Panzer continues beating the shit out of it.
Rinith: *draws his swords, and goes to heal Deloth 30 HP.*
Scientist: "I am a scientist. I think it through all the time. You, on the other hand, are an idiot."
Panzer keeps a continual scan up.
Metal Man (GM): The generator begins to overheat and shut down. The men open fire on Rinith as well. He takes 50 damage.
Panzer steps away from it and she walks over to peek out of the room at the forcefield.
Metal Man (GM): The force field is failing.
Panzer keeps the steel girder in hand, scanning the area.
Scientist: "Hm. Mere force is not enough. Oh well. The other mercenaries are coming."
Deloth returns the favor by casting three Minor Heals on Rinith for 45 HP of healing. *R Panz* "Hurry the hell up, we're being shot at!"
Metal Man (GM): He walks inside as the men stand by. A familiar type of craft appears overhead.. ..It's one of those transports Trevor's men use.
Panzer: *R* "The force field is coming down as I speak... Hold your breath."
Metal Man (GM): And it's aiming at your ship.
Deloth: "...Aw, hell naw!"
Panzer: *R* "Tell him I have the data, come and get me."
Metal Man (GM): The force field shatters as the Trevor transport begins firing blue lasers at the Quester ship.
Panzer stays out of the room, scanning and watching, girder in hand.
Metal Man (GM): *BLAM BLAM BLAM* A mere grazing blow, but shields are now 95%. Better launch the ship or something. Man, those are some nasty guys, those Silph people. The container where Panzer is opens, revealing a shadowed figure.
Digifanatic heads outside to see them being double-teamed... and runs into the ship.
Panzer scans it, still and quiet, trying to look more or less like scenery.
Deloth starts running for the ship, radioing Panzer again. "We're being shot at in our ship and they're sending someone after you!"
Metal Man (GM): It looks like this, to Panzer.
Panzer: *R* "Well. The thing is out. Might wanna stay clear."
Rinith: *defending for now.*
Metal Man (GM): Deloth is inside the ship. As is Digi. Rinith, I assume, follows. The dark being stares at Panzer. In fact, it stares through Panzer. Then it merely flies through Panzer like she isn't there and goes to fly over to the coast of the island.
Panzer steps out slowly, putting the girder down. "Greetings."
Deloth: "We gotta get Panz. If they get the disk, we're finished."
Panzer blinks. "Weird..."
Darkrai: "The humans confined me here to control my powers and failed. Now that I am free I shall return them to normal."
Deloth: *R Panzer* "It's out? What happened? Are you okay?!"
Panzer turns and yells to it. "Your captors are in Saffron city, In the Silph Co. Building... They're coming here to get the data on you, I'm going to destroy it."
Darkrai: "It is worthless in their hands anyway."
Panzer: "But, my friends that tried to help me free you are under attack by the other ghosts. They meant no harm." *She takes out the disk and hands it to the pokemon.* "Then do what you will with it."
Darkrai: "The ghosts were operating under the control of the machines set up here. Those machines are no longer here."
Panzer: *R* "I'm fine."
Digifanatic: *R* "Go ahead. I'm not concerned... I'm carrying cash..."
Panzer: "I understand."
Darkrai: "..." *It holds the disc.* "Then I shall give it to them, so they may destroy themselves completely by reading it in their computers."
Metal Man (GM): *ZOOMP* Darkrai vanishes, as does the radio interference.
Panzer shrugs.
Metal Man (GM): The Quester ship takes off, unless Digi decides to sit there...
Panzer: *R* "Well. The thing is gone, and it's not very harmful. It just wanted free, that's all. The ghosts should be returned to normal, too. Some of the machines here were controlling them."
Digifanatic: *No, I'm taking off.*
Deloth: *R Panz* "And the disk?"
Digifanatic: *Back to Nightmare Island of Death.*
Metal Man (GM): Digi's ship takes off. The Trevor ship fires a few warning shots to make sure the ship stays away before landing atop Silph.
Panzer: "It wanted to hand it over, so I gave it to it. It said they will destroy themselves with it. Works for me." *She looks at the area the forcefield covered, arms crossed.*
Metal Man (GM): It was another tablet, which begins to glow and float upwards.
Deloth: *R Panz* "...So all of---rrrgh. Fine, we're coming to pick you up."
Metal Man (GM): The tablets and gravestones all begin doing this.
Panzer lifts a brow, watching it. "Rest in Peace."
Metal Man (GM): They go through the roof, as if to fly off and return to where they came from.
Rinith: "Heh, guess were not getting paid?"
Panzer walks out of the building to wait on the shore.
Deloth turns around slowly and stares at Rinith, a perfect "are you kidding me" look on his face. "...If that wasn't rhetorical, there is no hope for you."
Metal Man (GM): Panzer walks out as the island suddenly no longer glows with the energy of death.
Panzer stands on the beach in silence. *R Marley* "I hate it when you ignore me. The island isn't dangerous anymore."
Rinith: "Am I really that serious all the time? I don't even care for being paid, remember?"
Deloth: "...No."
Marley: *R* "...What happened? It was seemingly impossible to go to without dying..."
Metal Man (GM): The Quester ship lands on the now peaceful island. All that remains is some very mild radiation, although nothing beyond enough to be picked up on a Geiger counter.
Deloth: "...Wow. This place doesn't have that creepy aura around it now."
Panzer: *R* "They were just trapped souls, and a really odd one. I freed them and all the evil vanished, as did the tablets and graves. I assume they are going to be able to rest in peace now. Because the thing we were worried about is gone. It was nice... But it feels funny when something flies through you." *She shudders a little.*
Metal Man (GM): The only thing of note is something left behind by all the ghosts and energy that was here--an orb of pure shadow energy.
Deloth: "...?" *He walks over to the orb.*
Digifanatic: "Oh, that looks a bit ominous."
Rinith: "Interesting."
Metal Man (GM): It could be used in a weapon or something.
Panzer looks at it, lifting a brow. "Well. That is nifty."
Deloth then carefully reaches out, picking it up.
Metal Man (GM): It is not cursed, just a focuser.
Rinith: *Sees if he can manipulate the orb at all with his mind.*
Deloth: "...I'm beginning to rethink my whole view on dark items."
Metal Man (GM): Somehow light sent into it becomes shadowy. Energy sent at the orb comes out shadowy and amplified.
Panzer: "I want to see it, let me hold it a second."
Deloth: "Anybody else think they can use this? Otherwise, I may keep it--sure." *Hands it over.*
Metal Man (GM): Although you can't send spells through it directly without being very careful--it's a small target.
Panzer: "Deloth, not all darkness is bad." *She takes it and looks it over, turning it this way and that.*
Metal Man (GM): It's like a glass orb, only gray.
Rinith: "Darkness can be used for good, the quality of light and lack of it hold no true connection to good or bad."
Metal Man (GM): It, unlike power gems, has no power inherent in it, but alters any power sent through it.
Panzer: "It's like a black hole inside a big marble." *She sends a tiny bit of power into it.* "Ooooh. That's nifty."
Deloth: "Yeah... I never really saw it that way before."
Panzer: "Think outside the box."
Digifanatic: "Well, I guess it's meant to help us."
Marley: *R* "Hm... I'll note this for future occasions... to busy to respond much more. *Click*"
Rinith: "I sometimes use darkness, and I don't see my self evil or good." =/
Panzer: "This little thing is a pretty neat critter... But it's improbable as too much, really."
Metal Man (GM): And with that, the mission has been completed... leaving the Questers to wonder what to use the shadow orb for.
Panzer: "Maybe it will have a cause in the greater scheme of things, or something like that."
Metal Man (GM): +1 EXP to all.
Deloth: "Want me to hang on to it for now?"
Panzer plays with it a moment more before giving it back to Del. "I don't think I could use it now, I'd have to see what it could really do, away from people."
Rinith: "I'd love to look at it sometime, but I don't want to be greedy"
Deloth: *Hands it to Rinith* "Knock yourself out."
Panzer: "Shall we head home?"
Rinith: *O* "You seem very different today Panzer, more then I'd expect"
Panzer: "I don't like it one bit when anyone tries to harness the power of the dead. That is why I have a deep hatred for magic, even if simply beneficial and used by drawing power only from the user."
Deloth: "Would that happen to be why you hate me?"
Panzer: "I don't hate you."
Deloth: *Watches Rinith not do jack with the orb.*
Panzer: "Why you think that is beyond me. You've put that into your mind, so I play off it."
Deloth: "...Because you shot me in the foot with a poisoned bullet?"
Panzer: "I was aiming for the ground near you, actually. It wasn't my intention to hit you."
Digifanatic: *Presumes they're all in the ship and it's flying as they speak.*
Deloth: "I... see." *Me too.*
Panzer: "At any rate. I have research to do on this chip, it's funny how it acts. It's like an evil detector or something. I wonder if it limits me at all, really."
Rinith: *is channeling energy in to the orb bits by bit to see the shadowy aftereffects.*
Panzer unslings her sniper rifle, loads a blank round into the chamber and points it at Rinith and tries to pull the trigger.
Metal Man (GM): Panzer's finger fails to actually fire the weapon, despite feeling like it moved to her.
Deloth: *Looking at the orb* "I guess it's just that all of my past experience with dark stuff has been trouble."
Panzer checks the chamber, looking down, chuckling. "Odd. I think I know the basis it works on now. Easy."
Metal Man (GM): It shows an intelligent readout which shows the orb is 'evil' but Rinith is 'good' therefore not to fire.
Deloth: "Chaos, destruction, all of it... it kind of got a bad rap for me."
Metal Man (GM): I considered having it fire, but the chip's intelligence is limited... at least, to start out.
Panzer shoulders the rifle again and crosses her arms. "Now I just have to skew a few motor functions and sensory outputs."
Rinith: "... hmmm, odd..." *Turns back to Deloth* "Well, chaos and order are more similar then one may think, one leads to the other, order changes all the time based on the person, and chaos tends to follow some form in the long run... and destruction is needed for creation to have room to... create."
Panzer: "Let me see the orb again."
Rinith: *Is ready to jump when he does hear a bang.*
Digifanatic: "Heh..."
Metal Man (GM): Indeed. That's what makes it different--a shock collar or purely fixed chip would probably be circumvented in 5 minutes tops.
Deloth: "...Makes sense, I think. I was never good with following the mystical undercurrents of the universe. My experience is more like 'slash it until it collapses in a heap'."
Panzer grabs the ball and sees if she can stick it with a bit of the Virus.
Rinith: "It's one of the few things I tend to be attuned to well enough is all"
Panzer: "Sometimes you have to be smarter than that, a detective of sorts."
Metal Man (GM): You can send radio waves through it and create shadowy images of the virus, but the orb itself acts as a prism, and cannot be particularly enchanted.
Panzer: "Evil on evil doesn't work apparently. Oh well." *She thinks.* "Hmm. I wonder if I can darken the ship." *She starts to input power into it VIA her hands.*
Metal Man (GM): You land in the HQ. The orb glows, casting shadows all over the ship.
Rinith: "That's a very nice effect."
Panzer: "Ooh. That's awesome. Not very tactical... Could be used as a ploy to scare the enemy."
Metal Man (GM): It is, however, many times more inefficient than a light bulb, taking roughly 100x the watts to darken it as if someone had removed the light a 100W lightbulb would be putting out. Don't ask me the physics behind this, because if I knew that I'd be in university right now and not here. :p
Panzer walks into the garage to settle down for now, having given the orb over to Del.
Digifanatic: *Settles in and walks into HQ.*
Rinith: "How'd you do that though?"
Panzer: "What? Make that shadow? I diverted power from my core to the ball to make it use the power and display the darkness." *She grabs the orb one more time and juices the sucker up heavily. XD.*
Digifanatic: "Hmm..." *Looks for any random Quester available that isn't paying attention to the orb.*
Metal Man (GM): Aaaand I'll add EXP and... you guys can downtime some more. As Panzer darkens the room a bit, but not terribly much. You're at HQ. Lessee, in that session was...
Deloth: "...Could you hand me that orb? I've got a really screwy idea I want to try."
Panzer plays with it for a while, wondering other uses for it. "Sure." *She hands it over.*
Deloth tries focusing a Cat Ele through the orb.
Metal Man (GM): Aribar "F#$% the dice" Hunter, Panzer, Rinith, Deloth, Invisible Dragoshi, and Natalie was a bit too short in appearance to get EXP this time. Dragoshi was in there during the meat of it, just that he sneaked in and then vanished. But that's good enough for me. Hint: To ensure you get the EXP, show up during the part where people are rolling checks and doing things. Well, I didn't notice you so it probably caused you to zone out. As opposed to Natalie who vanished riiight before the action. Deloth summons a black cat which flies into a wall like it's made of lasers, then vanishes.
Deloth: "...Coooooool."
Digifanatic: *Notices that from the corner of his eye* "Whoa!"
Panzer blinks. "Weird." She pokes it.
Deloth: "I'm gonna have so much fun with this thing."
Rinith: "That... was very interesting."
Metal Man (GM): The ele's ghostly remnants vanish; it seems mostly capable of projecting black cats which then vanish after flying at something.
Panzer: "Fling a black cat into me."
Deloth: "...It'll damage you."
Rinith: "How did you summon a cat?"
Panzer: "Try it anyway."
Deloth shrugs and sends another kitty of darkness at Panzer.
Panzer tries to catch it. <3
Rinith: "I wonder... how that would work with a energy sword."
Deloth: "I think this has too many possibilities to use as a weapon base."
Rinith: "Now just weapons too. A crude way of collecting dark energy or refreshing and healing something attuned to darkness."
Deloth: "...There's a thought. What happens if I send a healing spell through this thing?"
Metal Man (GM): The dark cat is caught, then flies through Panzer for 10 damage. Who knows, Deloth?
Digifanatic: "What the heck, I'm still in good shape after that, I'll be your subject..." *Stands on the opposite side of the orb.*
Deloth: "...Although I'm worried it might explode or something. Ah, well, nothing ventured, nothing gained." *Sends a Minor Heal OF DARKNESS at Digi.*
Digifanatic: *braces for it...*
Panzer: "AWESOME."
Metal Man (GM): A magical white cat flies into Digi, healing him.
Deloth: "..."
Metal Man (GM): Must have accidentally kept it set to 'cat.' Oh well.
Panzer: "So it's backwards?"
Deloth: *Wait, I can SET it to different elements?*
Digifanatic: "That looked kinda cool."
Deloth: "Magical. Healing. Cats. This is the best mission prize ever."
Panzer: "I wonder what will happen if I put in my tank a moment."
Digifanatic: "Hmm..."
Rinith: "See, there are a lot of better things then getting *paid.*"
Deloth: "Probably fire cats out of the cannons or some insane shit like that."
Digifanatic flings a Fire Punch into the orb, or at least keeps it close to the orb...
Panzer: "Can I try?"
Digifanatic: *Waits for the flaming cat spirit to leave.* XD
Metal Man (GM): It fires some flaming cats, before the cat magic stickiness wears off.
Panzer takes the orb and puts it in the tank.
Digifanatic: "Oh, right, it's probably fire now!"
Panzer: "Hmm..." *She waits, then takes it out and sends a sonar ping into it.*
Metal Man (GM): It shoots out a bizarre soundwave which causes temporary silence.
Panzer lifts a brow. That's awesome. XD She hands the orb back.
Metal Man (GM): It appears I have accidentally created an awesome SSQ 'toy.' I shall consider making more of these over flooding the market with coins.
Deloth takes the orb. "We need to use this to just kill everything in our path with cats."
Digifanatic: *Looks at Deloth, presumably still masked* "Well, when the mask is off at least..."
Metal Man (GM): Good to know, since I did want to give you something useful other than coins since you properly figured out the scientist was not a good business partner...
Deloth: "Hell, mask on, mask off, who cares? CATS, man."
Panzer takes the orb back and puts it in the engine compartment of the tank and fires it up, leaving it sitting on the engine block to draw power but not fuck with the engine workings. "Aww. No dark tank?"
Digifanatic: "Well, Deloth, I presume if you want to take off the mask and fall asleep with a semblance of relief, you should probably go to bed now... unless, of course..."
Deloth: "Unless?"
Panzer: "Mask? What does it do?"
Digifanatic: "Ya know." *Grins.*
Deloth rolls his eyes. "I doubt she's in the mood."
Digifanatic: "Yeah, I think they dozed off on the ship anyway!"
Metal Man (GM): Maybe you need to attach some wires to it--
Panzer tries to. o.o;
Metal Man (GM): You attach it to the systems a bit more directly, causing the tank to be shrouded in darkness.
Digifanatic: "I have no idea how Questers can fall asleep on the airship with all this chaos around us."
Panzer: "Oooooh... That's awesome..."
Deloth: "I think we're all used to it by now."
Metal Man (GM): The only problem is it also eats most of the power, so you can't shoot or much, just move forward. The effect makes the tank a lot more ominous.
Panzer gets in the tank, drives it outside and fires a round at the woods, in the direction of nowhere to hit a tree to see what happens.
Metal Man (GM): Can't seem to fire with the current amount of power it takes. But you can move around, and it seems eerily quiet.
Rinith: *still wants to put the happy mask on it soon.*
Panzer adds more power to the tank, by hooking heavy cables to herself and routing the extra power to the engine to let her fire.
Metal Man (GM): The tank now has enough to fire, barely.
Panzer fires!
Metal Man (GM): It fires shadow-covered tank shells which create explosions of a shadowy nature.
Panzer gets out and removes the orb, puts the tank in the garage and turns it back off. "What's awesome."
Metal Man (GM): The effects are a lesser version of that of whatever killed the Silph goons, eating the energy of what it hits and leaving a black scorch mark and little else behind.
Panzer: "Well. Now I know what caused all that stuff."
Digifanatic: *R Panzer* "How's the test drive?"
Panzer: "I think I'm out of ideas for right now." *She is in the garage.* "It drives the same. Just looks creepy. It'd be undetectable at night... They'd just heard a tank engine, like a ghost tank."
Deloth: "Pretty awesome." *Takes the orb back.*
Panzer: "Well guys. I have things to do." *She gets in her ship and flies off somewheres.*
Deloth: "Well, if everyone's done playing with this, I'm gonna stash it and get some sleep. You can use it if you want, just please put it in my room when you're done."
Digifanatic: "Ahh."
Deloth: "...No takers?"
Digifanatic: "Not yet."
Deloth shrugs, peeling off the mask and heading up to his room for some sleep.
Digifanatic: .oO(Well, that is a neat little device...)
Metal Man (GM): Recap: The Questers tried to do an errand for the mysterious Silph Co., only to discover they were working for creeps who built labs on empty islands and electrified gravestones. They freed the Pokemon whose power they were after and took the disk away from them, earning themselves the hatred of Silph and a weird glass sphere which, when energy was focused through it, it created artificial darkness. However, Silph swore to obtain the data by any means possible... and Panzer was the last one to possess it. The Questers are at HQ as normal, on another afternoon. Continuation
Kenku gets up from his long nap and heads downstairs for a "Dagwood" Sandwich.
Deloth is just chilling out in the main room, mask off.
Digifanatic has no idea what he wants to do for now... where's the mail? *Grabs it if he needs to.*
Metal Man (GM): The mail is a copy of the newspaper.
Aribar sits in a distant corner of the library; meditating.
Metal Man (GM): It has an image of West Island... ...and Reploid transports mysteriously landing on it. 'ROBOT INVADERS TAKE WESTERN ISLAND--POLITICAL TEMPERS FLARE'
Kenku looks up as Digi gets the mail and says with his mouth half full. "Since when have we had a newspaper."
Digifanatic: "Uhh ohhhhh..."
Rinith: *is still reading the book on summoning lost but not dead familiars.*
Digifanatic: "We've had it on occasions, I think, but... not anything strange like this on the front page." *He reads the article a bit more.*
Metal Man (GM): 'WESTERN ISLAND, MOBIUS CONTINENT AREA - In a move which startled GUN authorities, a hereto unknown faction of sentient machines moved onto the Western Island.'
Kenku looks over Digi's shoulder at the article.
Metal Man (GM): 'Proclaiming themselves to be 'Neo Repliforce' and only serving 'ideals of goodness and justice', they then also said they would 'destroy anyone who threatens [their] freedom' and have as of this report built a base on the island.'
Digifanatic: "Yeah, th--ohhh man."
Metal Man (GM): 'Local resident Miles "Tails" Prower had this to say: "In all the years I've been here, I never expected some robots to move in and take over half the island! If only Sonic wasn't so busy fighting Eggman..."'
Digifanatic quickly skims the article to look for the names 'Panzer' and 'Marley'
Metal Man (GM): You only find Marley's name.
Digifanatic looks to see how his name fits in to the article.
Metal Man (GM): 'GUN President Marley issued this statement: 'We are working with these new immigrants to ensure GUN law is fulfilled. However they have rejected all calls for such and thus I must warn all people, regardless of affiliation, to stay away while negotiations continue. In the case of war, I can assure you GUN will triumph.' No mention of Questers anywhere.
Kenku: "Well this is rather interesting..." *Kenku says as he gulps down his sandwich.* "You think Panz... or at least her former self has something to do with it?"
Digifanatic: "I'm... not sure... I'm just kinda wondering considering what Marley did to Panzer... Cause what he did to Panzer is a LOT like what these Neo Repliforce folks fall under."
Deloth heads over to Digi and Kenku. "What's up? You look worried."
Kenku: "I dunno... Wasn't the Repliforce kinda what we were working for at the junkyard?"
Digifanatic: "Not sure..." *To Deloth* "A bunch of reploids invaded the Western Island."
Rinith: *is now walking in to the main room.*
Digifanatic: "They're very much similar to what Marley did to Panzer after her joyrun."
Deloth: "..."
Digifanatic: "Yeah, that whole sort of justice thing and all... ya know, like that mask..."
Deloth: "Well, I was about to suggest we go and pick up our masks that we requested, but shit. I guess our day planner's full. Should we go blow them all up while they're still embryonic?"
Digifanatic: "Might not be a bad idea." *Radios Marley.*
Kenku: "Hmm... interesting..." *Kenku says before looking at Del* "I dunno... aren't we being a little hasty..."
Aribar comes out towards the others; it's mail time and there may be a chance that something good's going to come their way for once!
Marley: *Radio* "Hello?"
Kenku: "I mean, they haven't done anything outside of bust their chops a little"
Digifanatic: "Hi, we just read the article about the Repliforce invasion..."
Deloth: "Kenku, lesson one: in a Quester career, assume everything is against you unless proven otherwise."
Aribar comes upon the others. "What's against us now?"
Deloth: "Lesson two is that you don't argue with Julian, but he's not here."
Kenku: "Ok, I understand that Del, but wouldn't we be seen as the *evil guys*if we attacked them out of the blue"
Digifanatic: "Well, maybe not us, Aribar, but we could be close."
Kenku: "Right now they just are *strange.*"
Digifanatic: *Radio* "Anyways, what exactly is going on? Have they been pretty violent so far?"
Deloth: "...Guess we should do some research first. But at the first sign that something's amiss, it's nuke time."
Aribar: "Close, violent, nuke time... I am unsure if I want to know."
Marley: "Violent not so much, but they have threatened destruction of anyone who got in their way."
Deloth: "See? Peaceful groups, y'know, don't do that."
Marley: "They also claim sovereignty and... with their large amount of weaponry they actually are... ...not a suitable target to argue with from the perspective of GUN."
Digifanatic is now trying to remember if there's anything particularly notable on West Island that the Questers have visited/used before...
Kenku: "Has they spoke of their objectives any?"
Marley: "I officially disavow anything you do, but it would be convenient if they would warm up either to being friends with GUN or be destroyed. Their objectives appear to be to establish a base. Which they have, taking up a lot of space, but carefully leaving Tails' workshop alone. Amusingly, the closest thing to a 'Borne of the Western Islands' commented 'you might see me as crazy, but even if I was Levis I wouldn't hit that mess.' So if you wish to bother with it, please do be careful."
Digifanatic: "So, we shouldn't mess around with them unless they mess with us?"
Kenku: "I say possibly send them a welcome visit. See what plans are, they don't seem to be making any sort of dangerous stand, and if this is kinda like before we shouldn't worry, at least right now."
Marley: "Oh, well... if that's how you think it should be. I mean... if you could lubricate the diplomatic situation somehow, I could... accidentally fund you a bit more money than expected. They won't even let our men on the base, saying it is 'top secret' and we are 'intruding on the freedom of reploids.'"
Deloth: "...Can't argue with bureaucratic accidents. Let's go, guys."
Marley: "They're... very neutral is all I can say."
Aribar: "It certainly sounds like any offensive action would be punished. Kenku's idea would probably be the more sensible option; we do not need any more enemies."
Digifanatic: "Alright, so we'll take the ship to the Western Island, if they buzz us, we'll tell them we come in peace."
Deloth: "That reminds me, I still owe Natalie some cash..."
Marley: "Just don't drop our name anywhere. They would most likely attack us the moment they suspect our involvement."
Kenku: "Completely understandable. This is our welcome wagon anyway."
Digifanatic: "Sure."
Rinith: "Well, never was good at politics."
Deloth: "Still need to grab my other mask real quick, too..."
Digifanatic: "Go for it, we won't leave."
Marley: "If you don't have anything else to say, I have to get back to my paperwork now."
Deloth: "No, I mean the one the salesman was making for me." *He holds up the ???-species mask dangling around his neck by its string.* "I keep this one handy."
Digifanatic: "True." *Radio* "Understood. Bye." *Click.*
Marley: *Click.*
Digifanatic: "So you want me to drop by the Mask Salesman's before we meet up with the Repliforce?"
Deloth: "If possible. It shouldn't take long."
Digifanatic: "Okay."
Deloth: .oO(Or so I hope...)
Digifanatic: "So then..." *Heads for the ship.*
Deloth follows, heading on along for le ship.
Aribar: *Ship.*
Kenku finds a seat on the ship.
Digifanatic: *Alright, to the Mask Salesmanmanmanmanman...*
Metal Man (GM): *Fast forward* You are at the Mask Salesman's Observatory, having landed.
Deloth gets out and heads for the observatory.
Metal Man (GM): You walk on out and into the door and nothing happens until you get inside. The Mask Salesman is clutching a mask that looks like Bill Gates' face.
Mask Salesman: "Heeellooo... Deloth... hee hee hee hee!"
Deloth: "... ...I should just turn around and walk out right now, I suspect."
Digifanatic: "I guess..."
Mask Salesman: "I have your maaaask..."
Deloth: "Yes, I can see that... who the hell is that mask modeled off of?"
Mask Salesman: "A very rich, intelligent person from another dimension."
Deloth: "Uh... sure. What's the downside?" .oO(Ggh... I guess I shouldn't have been surprised. I mean, this guy is so obviously a few saltines short of a pack that it's not even funny...)
Mask Salesman: "Well... it extracts money from pain. So you gain more money... from being hit."
-OOC Item Description-
Mo' Money Mask
This is a mask with the image of a weird guy with glasses on it, who appears to be a nerd.
Effects: Every time the enemy hits you, you gain 1 coin. Every time you die, you gain 10 coins.
-/OOC Item Description-
Metal Man (GM): He tosses the mask at Deloth.
Deloth catches it rather listlessly. "Thanks."
Mask Salesman: "All in all, I found it entertaining to make."
Deloth: "Yeah, I'm guessing that you didn't have any other faces to pick from." *He walks out, back to the ship.*
Kenku looks over from his seat "so what you get?"
Metal Man (GM): Deloth reaches the ship.
Deloth: "Disappointment. Let's ride."
Rinith: *looks at his smiling mask.*
Digifanatic: *Heads the ship for the Mobius West Island.*
Rinith: "I still think a reploid out there may love this mask, or a blind child..."
Metal Man (GM): You begin flying there. It'll be a little moment.
Deloth: "Hey, speaking of masks only a blind person could love..." *Tosses his new mask into Rinith's hand.*
Rinith: "Want me to sell this one to? or is it ours?"
Deloth: "Heck, if you can sell it, more power to you."
Metal Man (GM): You see a large base on the island, and no clear landing place outside it. The radio begins buzzing.
Deloth: "Uh-oh, we're here." *Clicks his radio on.*
Digifanatic: *Picks up.*
Kenku looks over to the radio.
???: *R* "Identify yourself, approaching ship. Please do not violate our airspace. Or you will be obliterated."
Digifanatic: *R* "My name is Ian Hoffman, I'm piloting this ship... We're here in peace, we would just like to find a place to land our airship."
???: *R* "Land away from our airspace, and base, or you will be destroyed. No one but Repliforce personnel are allowed inside the base."
Digifanatic: .oO(Dang it, where's Panzer?!) *R* "Yes, sir." *Turns the ship away for now.*
Metal Man (GM): You turn it away, seeing Tails' lab a distance away instead.
Digifanatic wonders if it'd be safe to land at Tails' lab in the first place... can he radio Tails?
Metal Man (GM): Yes.
Rinith: "Well... what now?"
Aribar: "We might as well leave before we make any more diplomatic blunders."
Digifanatic: "I was going to."
Metal Man (GM): Going to make more diplomatic blunders, Digi? :p You can radio Tails' lab.
Digifanatic: *Radios Tails.*
Tails: *R* "Hello?"
Digifanatic: *R* "Hello, Tails, this is Ian... we were considering landing our ship on the island to talk with these Neo Repliforce guys, but they're not letting us through... Is it a safe idea to be allowed to land this near your place?"
Tails: *R* "Oh... someone who cares. Please land. Perhaps you can help me, instead of Dr. Eggman."
Digifanatic: *R* "Ohhh..." *Takes the ship over to Tails' place and lands it there.*
Rinith: "Who's Tails?"
Kenku: "Twin Fox Tailed buddy of Sonic."
Metal Man (GM): You land on the landing strip.
Digifanatic: *Gets out and heads inside the lab.*
Metal Man (GM): Tails walks out to meet you half-way.
Tails: "Hello... I see you've met our new neighbors... robots who make EGGMAN of all people look nice."
Digifanatic: "Oh, so be it."
Kenku: "How So?"
Tails: "They came here one day, pointed a large cannon at my lab, and went 'leave us be or you die.'" *He shakes his head.* "I'd have Sonic stop them, but Eggman of all people is keeping him busy."
Digifanatic: "What did they want out of your lab? Any ideas?"
Kenku: "Yesh... for what is for Justice supposedly they seem to be very much wanting to be left alone."
Tails: "What?" *He looks at Digi.* "I said they wanted me to leave them alone."
Digifanatic: "Alright... I didn't know if they came here looking for any particular resources... I'm not even sure why they wanted this island."
Tails: "They have plenty of resources. I scanned some of their vehicles. It's an entire army. I just don't know what they want." *He sighs.* "You know Eggman, right?"
Aribar: "Unfortunately, yes."
Tails: "He's challenged Sonic to another battle on a now completely machinery-covered island. Sonic's busy fighting him in there, leaving me unable to find out exactly what lies at the heart of the robot base. I suspect Dr. Eggman is behind this base somehow, you see... it's just too convenient. No one else would know to what degree this island is empty."
Digifanatic: "Right..."
Rinith: "Perhaps it's the other way around, the reploids detecting an easy grab"
Aribar: "I imagine that it actually wouldn't take much for some organization capable of building a large base and having a massive army to spare some scouts and do recon missions to various areas for a suitable base."
Kenku: "That's a possibility... Uhh... did the ones that threatened you look somewhat like badniks... or more humans?"
Tails: "Well, I don't know what these self-proclaimed 'Reploids' are, so unless there's some scientists I don't know about, Eggman obviously made them."
Rinith: *W* "The worlds don't intermix too often I take it"
Aribar: "There is actually a whole continent to the south of this one that is populated by Reploids."
Tails: "...Where did they come from?"
Digifanatic: "Yeah. A place simply known as the Maverick Continent."
Kenku shakes his head and whispers "No, usually they don't. The Reps have expanded a little bit thanks to Panzer although I think." *W* "So... this is not unbelievable..."
Aribar: "As far as I know, they've always been there; just like this land was always here, and the Mushroom Kingdom was always to the west. At least, they've all been here since the various worlds came together."
Digifanatic: "Yeah."
Tails: "Who made them? See... if I can get a working model of a reploid... perhaps I can restore the Three Protocols to them so they would not threaten the existence of us all like this."
