Super Smash Quest² - Story - Chapter 78: Threats from Ael


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Date: 4:22:24 PM, May 21st, 2009.
Metal Man (GM): Recap recap: The Questers, in the aftermath of the session where they accidentally gave the time device to Schatze, then sent Schatze to another realm, went about fixing this. So they found Schatze's still-twitching, prismafied body, warped it away, and retrieved the device. Unfortunately Deloth removed the field on it, then went back to the normal world, causing a wild chase over it, in which Ael told everyone and their brother Deloth had it and where he was.
Panzer: *That is what he gets for smarting off to me.*
Metal Man (GM): The Questers continued their work, however, and persevered, giving the device to Metal Man. Metal Man fled, and so did the Questers, as Zero took out his rage at Ael. Metal Man promised to return once he had fixed the device. We return to the Questers, who are at their HQ. A new newspaper has arrived, saying 'Tensions cool between Neo Repliforce and GUN' and 'Large battle reported in desolate area over Time Device'
Digifanatic reads the NR/GUN article.
Metal Man (GM): 'IN a new deal announced lately, GUN and Neo Repliforce have announced their non-aggression pact. It has been written between them that they will not attack one another; hence, tension over a potential war has vanished. No mail men have been able to reach the Neo Repliforce, however, and GUN told us to keep correspondents away from Neo Repliforce.'
Digifanatic: "Okay, that's a good sign... that particular crisis is down for now..." *Reads the Time Device article, mainly for information that happened after the Questers fled back to HQ.*
Metal Man (GM): It says what you already know--you were there fighting over the device. Nothing else, it's rather vague. You put down the newspaper and suddenly Metal Man is before you.
Digifanatic: "Hi again, Metal Man. I hope you're not attracting the war over here to the second Stadium by using it as a shelter..."
Dragoshi: *Is leaning against the wall, nodding off.* :x
Metal Man: "I will be honest. If I was going to do that, you'd have already been dead. Merely you gave this to me." *He holds out the device, covered in wires.* "And it is with your help only that I can complete my plan."
Digifanatic: "Alrighty, so what have you accomplished since we last parted?"
Metal Man: "Rewiring it together I have rebuilt a 75% functional device."
Aribar: "That sounds both good and bad."
Metal Man: "The device indicates Time Cops are inbound and Ael is likely to be disqualified for failing his mission utterly."
Digifanatic: "Okay..." *Having heard the rest of the life* "So how do we fit in to the remaining 25%?"
Metal Man: "Well, luckily, the 25% is the ability to go back in time. We don't need that. Now I'll get this right out--I'm a rogue who travels time now, so don't look to me for all the answers. I don't have them. But I do have specific things with this." *He takes out an image of Ael.*
Metal Man (GM): It's a younger image of Ael.
Metal Man: "Ael was dispatched long ago to chase me by the actual people I betrayed. That is why he never caught me. And I'm fairly sure they knew that as well, for they could see the future."
Digifanatic: "True..."
Metal Man: "They were... waiting for me to get a hold of this device, is my guess."
Digifanatic: "Okay."
Metal Man: "For what I did isn't exactly a high enough crime to get their actual vice squads after me. Especially since it failed and nearly destroyed my mind."
Aribar: "But making that device is?"
Metal Man: "Close." *He holds it up.* "But they would actually be unable to charge me of anything with that if I handed it, mostly fixed, back to Ael. I'd have actually done them a service!"
Rinith: "Controlling Time..."
Digifanatic: "But we don't it back in Ael's hands, am I correct?"
Metal Man: "To cut to the chase, there's this long running, insane history that I'm not going to try to explain, but there's these guys above Ael who want me to use this device to escape into another realm, thus making me in trouble for stealing and using another Time Cop's device. Which would then free funds for them to send their highest stuff after me."
Rinith: "And would they not predict you'd do otherwise?"
Metal Man: "The plan is instead to intercept the new Time Cops, and send to them this and Ael, and cause them to all fly into their HQ. Then using one of many Red Text or other devices we can seal them off entirely. Of course. But there's the trick." *He holds the device.* "Using this device I can deviate from the predicted outcome."
Digifanatic: "Ah, right... what is the predicted outcome?"
Metal Man: "This thing is incredibly dangerous. I will only use it once, then send it and all the potentially time-wrecking devices away. They predict I run for the hills, as I did through over one hundred dimensions before my device broke down. It's all red tape, I wouldn't even pretend to explain it all."
Digifanatic: "...That makes Dragoshi's tribulations look like nothing!"
Dragoshi: *Has woken up by now and is listening* "Fair enough."
Metal Man: "Now, for where you come in." *He points, then goes silent for a moment.*
Metal Man (GM): He fiddles and takes out a sticky note and stares at it.
Dragoshi: "...tribulations? what?" .oO(Okay...)
Metal Man: "...Ah, yes. You lure Ael into the trap."
Metal Man (GM): He presses a button. It locates Ael just off to the side of the Maverick Continent Coast.
Metal Man: "You cannot fight Ael directly. You cannot fight him directly. That is suicide. Instant death. Horrifying death."
Dragoshi: "And hilariously stupid. ...well, not hilariously, but you get the point."
Metal Man: "But insult his pride and run here--" *He points to the Mav Hunter base* "And I will take advantage of a resonance there to create a cascade, which will send him towards the incoming agents. ...Although..." *He puts a hand to his chin.* "I haven't tested it. You might wind up facing some Time Cops before they vanish. ...But not Ael, I can guarantee that."
Dragoshi: "Better some than a metric crapton."
Digifanatic: "And we've presumed those other Cops are as strong as Ael, or at least Pandora, right?"
Dragoshi: "I doubt they'll be as strong as Ael."
Metal Man: "They range. Odds are they've sent a wave of mooks to mess up the works and scare me away. Of course. A Time Cop Mook can take out much more than your Chinese dinner." *He raises an eyebrow. What a horrible pun.*
Dragoshi: "...If I had any tomatoes, I'd be throwing a couple at you right now"
Metal Man: "So, are you in, or are you out? I can't promise rewards, and if you do your job right, no one will ever knew you did anything important at all. The... effects of these are such that once you do this, it will be as if Ael and the Time Cops all vanished. Thus, excepting any high level Time Cop breaking protocol to get here, we'd be home free."
Rinith: "I get a feeling that somehow they may manage to get here, just not for a long time."
Aribar: "And if we don't do it, then I assume that we are all in some hot water. I believe that we can hold out against some Time Cops, even Ael if need be, for a while."
Metal Man: "Well, if we fail, we have a... Time Cop war... and it would require... a large army to destroy them... So... good luck?" *He chuckles nervously.*
Dragoshi: "...yeah, in all honesty I'd rather not have that occur."
Deloth steps out of the ship, yawning. "Sorry I didn't wake up earlier. I had a weird dream and I wanted to write it down before I forgot it."
Metal Man: "So... go to the Maverick Continent and lure Ael to the Maverick Hunter base. I'll be there."
Metal Man (GM): As if to contradict what he said, Metal Man presses a button and vanishes into thin air.
Digifanatic: "Okay..."
Deloth: *Absently* "...So what's our goal today?"
Dragoshi: "...Alright, then."
Digifanatic: *To Deloth* "Do tell once we're done with this--we may be approaching the end of the Time Cop crisis. We've got to find Ael and have him follow us to the MavHunt base."
Aribar: "I'd like someone to remind me of something after this is over; we should go to Ael's base on the moon and, ah, scavenge what he leaves behind."
Digifanatic: "And then Metal will set up him the bomb."
Deloth: "Gotcha. ...I'll be right back. I need to try something." *He steps into the ship.* "Alright, let's see if this works..."
Digifanatic follows Deloth it, piloting as typical.
Deloth: *Summon: Flaredrake!*
Digifanatic: "And uh, what is that?"
Metal Man (GM): Deloth takes 30 damage and a miniature dragon thing appears by his feet.
Digifanatic: "Oh, like a temporary Raena-like aid?"
Deloth: "I think so... hang on one sec." *Minor Heals himself twice, back up to full HP.*
Metal Man (GM): The ship is ready, doth thou take off?
Digifanatic: *Yes, Maverick Continent, please.*
Metal Man (GM): The ship flies towards there.
Deloth: "...Alright, here's the thing. While I was sleeping, I had this really vivid dream of a summoning ritual. Something about... Homunculi? Something like that."
Rinith: "How did you just do that Deloth?"
Digifanatic: "Uh, if this is going to involve strange proper nouns, you might want to hold out on those until we return home."
Metal Man (GM): You see Ael down below, as you near the edge of the coast.
Deloth: "I managed to write most of it down, but I only remembered two of all the ones I saw."
Digifanatic: "Ah... hang on, we should fire some warning shots at the guy."
Deloth: "And this little guy was one of them." *Grabs the Flaredrake and puts him onto his shoulder.*
Digifanatic takes a look at Ael down by the shore and strafes some gunfire into the ocean... he doesn't want to hit Ael right now, unless someone objects, but to just do something and rile him up.
Deloth: "You could take a look at the paper later, Rinith. Good luck, though, it's all a bunch of arcane symbols and gibberish."
Metal Man (GM): Your shots hit some sort of barrier.
Digifanatic: "Yeah, I don't want to hit him intentionally unless you guys think it's necessary."
Metal Man (GM): Then the ship begins to be hit by endless hail. Ael's voice echoes.
Ael: "Get me the device, before I rip your ship to pieces."
Digifanatic: "Uh oh..." *Starts to turn it around towards the MavHunt base, listening in...*
Rinith: "Hail? Really?"
Dragoshi: "...Huh."
Metal Man (GM): You listen to crackling. It is hail. The hail keeps getting heavier.
Dragoshi: "I'd suggest speeding up."
Ael: "I can continue bombarding you unless you plan on leaving this content."
Deloth: "Yeeeah, might wanna punch it, Digi..."
Metal Man (GM): The shields begin to report energy loss...
Aribar: "If the hail starts to damage the ship then I can attempt to repair it, but not for long."
Digifanatic starts to accelerate it if possible, guiding it towards the MH base. "Ari, perhaps you could use a fire-type spell to melt the hail..."
Metal Man (GM): You fly there, but it just keeps on coming.
Ael: "Ignore me? Fine, then ignore THIS."
Digifanatic: "I don't think rain will hurt the ship much... or even if it's sleet."
Metal Man (GM): The ship is rocked by five bolts of lightning. Then a giant ICE STORM spell smashes into it. Shields are at 50%.
Rinith: "Heh, that's more like it."
Digifanatic: *To Ael* "We have it--daaah. It's elsewhere on the island!"
Metal Man (GM): And he's casting it from the beach all the way on the other side.
Ael: "Bring it to me."
Digifanatic: "Just follow the ship..."
Ael: "Bring it to me.."
Digifanatic: "We will! If you give us a chance to land it, we will..."
Metal Man (GM): A bolt of lightning hits the ship, the shield now at 40%.
Dragoshi: .oO(I hope he means once we make it to the base...)
Ael: "Very well. But if you take off again without it, your ship will be sent to the realm of corrosive acid."
Digifanatic: "Thank you."
Metal Man (GM): So you go to land at the Repliforce base. It's close, actually. The Repliforce base is just nearby.
Deloth: *Sighs* "So, what now?"
Aribar would cast Panel on the ship to repair the damage that Ael's stormy magic caused.
Digifanatic: *Radio, Metal Man* "He's coming, let us look for you or warp to our position, whichever's more convenient."
Deloth gets out and follows Digi, Flaredrake hanging on to his shoulder.
Metal Man (GM): *R* "Then why is he standing on the beach, waiting impatiently? I can't say anything more. He might pick it up." *Radio cut.*
Digifanatic: "We told him to follow us..."
Metal Man (GM): Apparently, he won't follow your instructions.
Digifanatic: *To the Questers* "Hey, as long as the ship never takes off..."
Deloth: "And... he said no, Digi."
Digifanatic: "Okay, so Ael will not lave the beach, but I think Metal said we need this base in order for this trick to work, right?"
Aribar: "Tell him that his magic damaged the ship too much to take off again." *The mage would exit the ship to await Ael.*
Digifanatic: "Alright..."
Metal Man (GM): The ship is repaired.
Deloth: "Won't work. If he scans the ship, he'll see it's fixed."
Digifanatic: *Scoffs* "Arrrriiiii..." *>_< face.*
Rinith: "We could fight him and continue to back off tell getting here, though it might take some time..."
Deloth: "Yeah, Ari, real nice plan." *Flaredrake growls.*
Digifanatic: "That's the last thing we need to do, Rinith."
Rinith: "It is a half way decent last resort plan though, I'm all open to a better one"
Aribar: "Hope that a mage doesn't know much about technology then, he who told me to repair the ship in the first place!"
Digifanatic: "Well, that was before you suggested me the idea. I just wanted to land this thing without crash landing it... Okay, so if we quickly tell Metal to find us and we all board the ship back to the beach, will that work?"
Deloth: "No, he said it had to be here."
Digifanatic: "Dang it..."
Aribar: *How far away is the beach?*
Deloth: "...Maybe we could intentionally damage the ship?"
Digifanatic: "Yeah, what are we gonna use? I don't know if we can just set off our own missiles or what... But hang on, I have an idea."
Metal Man (GM): The beach is about 20 miles away.
Digifanatic: "I'm pretty sure Ael still thinks Deloth is the last person that has had possession of the Time Device."
Deloth: "So what do you want me to do, break my own leg and claim I can't walk back?"
Digifanatic: "No. I can go buzz Ael and tell him that him, and maybe another one of us'll pick him up at the beach and fly him back here."
Aribar: .oO(Alas, how wasted these indecisive times are. If I had a spellbook, I could finish it before we even got back to the base!)
Deloth: "...Worth a shot, I guess."
Digifanatic: "I can fake something like there'll be less of an argument with less Questers on board. Now, Aribar..."
Deloth: "Good luck with that--dammit, you, quit chewing on my neck." *Pulls the 'Drake off his shoulder and puts him on the ground.*
Digifanatic: "Do you think Rejoin will work from the distance between here and Ael? And can you only use that on yourself?" .oO(Me, Deloth, Ari, Rinith, Dragoshi... I'm going, we have to keep Deloth here...)
Aribar: "Hm... I believe that I can only use it on myself. I've used it at long ranges before, but they were very difficult transportations. I think that it may be too long of a stretch."
Digifanatic: "Okay, so you're probably not a good candidate to fly with me... that leaves me to Rinith, Dragoshi, or just flying on my own."
Dragoshi: "...Not it."
Deloth: "Up to you, since you're the one with the plan. Want to take Firedrake here along as an escort?"
Digifanatic: "Okay. Rinith, would you like to join with me on this?" *To Deloth* "I'm not sure if Firedrake is a wise decision right now, since Ael might ask too many questions about it..."
Deloth: "Plus, he just dug his claws into my leg, so I think that's a 'no' on his part."
Digifanatic: "Okay then, so it's either me and Rinith, or just me."
Rinith: "I'll go if need be"
Digifanatic: "Alright."
Deloth: "Good luck, then. Don't get shot."
Digifanatic: *Radioing Ael* "We'll be back in a few minutes. We're on a split agenda, however, so Deloth, the one who you know has the time device, is currently separate from my party." *Motioning the others to keep quiet.*
Ael: "...Just don't fly your ship. Remember what I said. I'm waiting for you to come here."
Aribar sighs and sits down. He begins to sketch some random doodles in the dirt and wonders if Ael is going to make the ship simply implode or something.
Digifanatic: "Okay, well, it might be a bit of a walk then..."
Deloth sits down as well, taking out the paper and looking at it again.
Digifanatic: "And if we did fly the ship, we promise we wouldn't leave this continent anyway..."
Deloth: "...Man, I don't get this at all."
Ael: "If you wish to come here, use this portal."
Metal Man (GM): He summons a blue portal.
Digifanatic: "Sure."
Ael: "It isn't actually a warp, as someone BLOCKED all of those... ...but you shall find yourselves here anyway." *Weird.*
Rinith: "Convenient."
Digifanatic: "See you in a few seconds. Thanks." *Click* "Let's go, Rinith."
Deloth: "Maybe I can have Rinith or Ari look at this later..."
Digifanatic walks into the portal.
Rinith: *Nods a slight bit and follows after.*
Deloth: *FWOOM* "...or maybe I can just have it burnt to ash."
Metal Man (GM): The not-a-portal causes time to speed up. Those who walk into it find themselves at the beach in no time.
Aribar: "...Sure, Deloth. I'll look at the ashes." *He continues drawing in the dirt.*
Ael: "So..." *He looks to Digi and Rinith.* "Where is it?"
Deloth sighs and tosses away the ashes. "So, now I know THIS little guy's main ability..."
Digifanatic: "Well, we'll bring it back to you once the whole group is back together."
Ael: "...Then why aren't they entering the haste-path I created?"
Digifanatic: "Rinith and I have just been on a different task for the time being, but since the other Questers understand of our situation, they have been informed to expect your arrival."
Ael: "Well, I am not changing my location, if that is what you want. I have your ship hostage, and can take you as well if no one brings it to me."
Digifanatic: .oO(Ohhhh...) "Ah, what makes you skeptic about the inland?"
Ael: "The last time I followed you anywhere, or met you somewhere I hadn't scanned out, I was hit by a giant robot. I have no reason to trust you in the least, except with a gun to your head. Or as it were... ...a magic spell."
Digifanatic: "Understood. Hang on, let me see if I can contact someone in the separate party and get their opinion." *Radios Aribar.*
Aribar hears the ship's radio. He goes in to answer it. "Greetings."
Digifanatic: "Hello, Ari. We've found Ael while you guys have been off wherever, and he is not content about meeting up with the rest of us unless it's on the beach." *R* "He says he has the ship hostage..."
Aribar: "I see..."
Deloth walks over to the ship's radio as well, holding the Flaredrake's jaw shut. "Why don't you have him come and meet my new pet?"
Aribar: "Well, tell him this, Digi..."
Digifanatic: *R* "Yes, Aribar?"
Aribar: "We've just got back from checking out some disturbances that X was talking about, and Zero's in front of this little portal here. He won't let us through and says that he saw you and Rinith walking through; he expects treachery. I don't want to be one to argue with a beam sword of death. Tell him that Deloth's here with the Time Device."
Digifanatic: *R* "Right... anything else?"
Aribar: "Nope."
Digifanatic: *R* "I see. Well, be careful in there." *Click.*
Rinith: "Treachery? HA, I'll talk to him about that sometime..."
Digifanatic: *Back to Ael* "Hmm... Aribar said his party has been checking some disturbances, and Zero doesn't want them to leave their current location. But Deloth is amongst the members in the party, and he has the Time Device."
Ael: "Then... place the time device atop your ship, so I can fly it to me."
Digifanatic: "I see." *Radioing the ship again.*
Aribar: "Yes?"
Digifanatic: *R* "He wants the Time Device in the ship so he can fly it over to the beach. Yeah, he's very paranoid about leaving the beach."
Aribar: "I mean little offense to Ael, and I assume he's listening, but that's stupid. He should know that even after the battle that occurred yesterday, tons of people are still sniffing about the area, and tracking our ship, for another chance at that Device. How does he expect it to be safe over a twenty mile flight?"
Deloth: "Yeah, all someone has to do is swoop down and grab it."
Digifanatic: *To Ael, not hanging up* "Aribar wonders how you think the Time Device will be protected if you're the only thing controlling it, and not even from inside the airship at that."
Ael: "Tell him to look next to him."
Digifanatic: *R* "Uh, Aribar, take a look around."
Aribar does so.
Metal Man (GM): Aribar sees a ghostly phantasm of Ael, who smacks him across the face.
Ael: "Astral projection is a 1st level spell for Time Cops of my type. Whoever interferes will die a thousand deaths."
Metal Man (GM): The image vanishes. Mercifully.
Aribar: "Then you obviously see that there is no danger here!"
Rinith: "I thought Astral Projection also weakens the user, to the point most have to enter their main body in a state of stasis to support the projection."
Aribar: "I don't want to be on the receiving end of your rage if some random villain with the ability to dampen magic effects happens to come by and steal the blasted thing."
Metal Man (GM): Rinith: Interesting observation. Unfortunately you would have to ask someone who saw Ael on the other side what they saw.
Digifanatic: *R* "Well, uh... Ari, what happened?"
Aribar: "He created an illusion of himself and smacked me; completely proving that he's competent enough to do this."
Rinith: "Just an illusion?"
Deloth: "No, I think that was a real slap."
Aribar: "Aye, and now I see no reason for him to just come here and get this over with!"
Metal Man (GM): Deloth's fingers begin to heat up from holding the mouth shut.
Digifanatic: *To Ael* "Well, Aribar says that there is no danger whatsoever in coming over here... your projection set off no alarms or security breaches."
Deloth: "Excuse me, Ari, this little pyromaniac's attempting to set the ship on fire..." *He unclamps the Firedrake's mouth and heads outside.*
Aribar: "You must learn to housetrain your summons, Deloth."
Ael: "It's mine. I can demand whatever I want."
Deloth: "Yeah, yeah, it's my first time, Ari."
Ael: "In fact, to show that I am growing impatient..."
Metal Man (GM): Aribar's hair starts turning to stone.
Ael: "Take all the time you want. If you want an elf statue."
Deloth looks around for something both flammable and somewhat non-threatening. Tree branches or something like that.
Metal Man (GM): Deloth sees... a bunch of wooden debris in a sandy desert area.
Deloth takes the 'Drake over there and sets him down. "Here. Go burn that."
Aribar frowns as he reaches up and discovers the petrification. "What time is there to take? You're the bloody mage standing there when you could warp here in an instant and take the damned thing!"
Rinith: "What did you just do?"
Metal Man (GM): A giant fire begins. But in the middle of the sand. So it's just a bonfire.
Deloth: "There. Happy?"
Aribar would look for a pen and paper and write down instructions to take the half-elf to Central City's hospital if he becomes completely petrified.
Metal Man (GM): The creature is happy for now. But every couple minutes it will probably try to ignite something if not kept close.
Ael: "Nuh-uh. I can wait forever. Unlike you. In fact, I'll check your place out."
Metal Man (GM): The Ael Phantasm appears and looks around for Deloth.
Aribar: "Your superiors will wait forever for their watch to be returned?"
Rinith: "And your superiors?"
Deloth starts heading to Mavbase, carrying the Flaredrake. "Maybe they've got some fuel sticks or something to give to this little nut."
Aribar turns to this Ael. "Deloth's out attempting to keep his little fire hazard from melting the device."
Ael: "So you know of my superiors. Hmph. I'm going to make a house and live on the coast then."
Metal Man (GM): The phantasm vanishes.
Rinith: "Fun."
Aribar growls out through the radio, "And perhaps I could simply cast a spell to send the damned thing straight to your masters! Then you'd get no credit at all."
Rinith: "..."
Deloth: *Knocking on Mavhunt's base door* "Hey, anyone home here?"
Metal Man (GM): Zero opens the doors and stares Deloth in the eyes.
Zero: "Still can't bring the target here?"
Metal Man (GM): Aribar is now 30% stone.
Deloth: "We're working on it. In the meantime, do you have anything flammable that you can spare to keep this guy happy?" *Holds up the Flaredrake.*
Aribar: "What about that, Ael?"
Ael: "Go ahead, then. You will have done so under my orders. I will not be punished."
Zero: "Not specifically. Bring the mage here soon, however... we can't wait forever. Otherwise the advisors of his may arrive."
Deloth: "Told you, we're working on it." *He heads back to the ship, rather surprised to see Ari slowly petrifying.*
Aribar sighs and attempts to think of other ways to goad Ael into coming here. He can't make him angry, and other threats aren't working...
Deloth: "..."
Metal Man (GM): Digi: The scarf was all the way back from SSQ 1. There's nary a bit of it left. The magic of SSQ 1 is gone. Aribar: Perhaps you would want to move him by force, as Metal Man suggested.
Aribar: "Fine, if you're not stupid enough to take the simple way out of this then maybe a treat can be added to entice you."
Rinith: "... I have a feeling that if we stay here any longer, others will soon know."
Deloth: *Radio* "Alright, look, Ael, two things. One, it's gotten stuck in my body and I really don't want to have to do a damn open-heart surgery to get it back. You, however, have more experience with things like that. Two, I have a rather grouchy summoned dragon here that doesn't want to leave and will set things on fire if he's forced to."
Ael: "No problem, a well thrown slicer spell will slash you in half, therefore revealing the device."
Aribar: "How would you like Metal Man along with the device?"
Ael: "Perhaps you have learned more from the last encounter." *His voice tone changes.* "If you could give me Metal Man and the device... then yes. ...But I must make sure the device is not in his hands. You claim to have re-obtained it, despite how I saw Metal Man run with it. If it is in his hands as I suspect, then it should be removed from his hands. Otherwise I cannot consider it safe."
Aribar: .oO(How much can I give away here...)
Metal Man (GM): Time ticks as Aribar becomes more and more rock-based.
Aribar: "Ael, think here and bear with me. The Time Cops could have used a great deal more force to apprehend Metal, especially since he's been riding through time on his watch. Why haven't they done so yet? Any answers?"
Ael: "I requested this case for myself, of course."
Aribar: "Okay. Now, you are Time Cops. It seems easy to assume that SOMEONE in your organization knows what is going to happen in the future. They know of your failure here, so why would they allow you to take the case? Why would they allow Metal to get your device?"
Ael: "Because they know I will win anyway."
Metal Man (GM): Strangely, the statueation slows down.
Deloth: *Radio* "Excuse me for a bit, Ael, while I go find something else flammable and non-hazardous."
Ael: "Take all the time you want. I only want to know what he is saying." *He, apparently being Aribar.*
Deloth steps out of the ship, with the Homunculus, of course, trying to think of an answer to this situation. And partly looking for something else that can burn.
Aribar: "You've chased after Metal for a very long time. He's a horribly slippery, and insane, individual. Lately, I've been trying to think about why omnipotent Time Cops who could be anywhere and anywhere couldn't solve this simple case."
Deloth: "Know better than to summon YOU again without a good pile of firewood on hand..."
Aribar: "I figure that it is because they know that Metal would somehow find a way to squeeze out of his current felonies. He must know some loophole in the rules, but something that he is going to do soon will cinch him for good. Why would they allow Metal to get your device?" .oO(Where am I going with this?)
Metal Man (GM): Deloth finds plenty of wood.
Aribar: "I figure that there must be some serious infraction for using another officer's time device; something worse than using their own."
Ael: "So... if I catch him, that won't matter. And if he does, I can keep chasing him. What's the point of your speech?"
Deloth: "There. Go get 'em, tiger." *Sets the Flaredrake down again.*
Aribar: "What happens when you catch him, Ael? Despite all that he has done, doesn't he still have to have a trial? Doesn't he still have to appear before his superiors to explain why he did the things he did?"
Digifanatic has basically given the conversation to Aribar and Ael at this point... anything that he adds will likely be to try to back up Ari's point of view if he feels he can make it convincing enough.
Aribar: "They must know that he'll find some way to prove all of the transgressions that he's done to this point have been for the better... Something! He'll find some way out!"
Rinith: *Under his breath* "Trials are lies..."
Aribar: "Now do you see, Ael? If you catch him now, then there is still the possibility of him escaping justice."
Ael: "..." *He goes silently for a moment, then chuckles slowly.* "What, so the worst he can do is escape me? Seriously. You don't know him and you never will--it's impossible. He's probably using you as his pawns right now. I will take him and I will be exonerated, if you will bring both him and the device to me. Otherwise, my superiors will arrive and take him instead. Either way, I win, you lose. So this is your last chance. Because you have only ten minutes left."
Metal Man (GM): True to his word, Aribar will become a statue in that amount of IC time.
Aribar: "Think! He has YOUR Time Device! Are there not any laws out outlines against using another officer's device? If any of my late-at-night ponderings are truthful, then I believe THIS is a crime that he cannot talk himself out of!"
Deloth: *Starts heading back to the ship after Pyro Puppy here finishes turning more stuff into charcoal.*
Digifanatic: *R* "Alright, so what's our plan? We'll try and find Metal and the device, then bring them to Ael?"
Aribar: "Now, I'll finish this up. Catching him now will do nothing in the long run. You will get your honors, maybe, and then he will use his words to escape again. And then everything is back at square one. However, what happens if we bring Metal here, you come here, and you attack him? He runs away, USING your device! I can only imagine that if there are rules for dealing with things as powerful as these time devices, then there must be some law about only using their own! If you allow him to break this one, then not only will you pick him up, but he will have no legal defense against it and he will remain behind whatever bars your jails have. Now... If I am correct and catching him now is ultimately fruitless, then you just get to spend eternity chasing him again. Nothing lost."
Ael: "So you want to make this about catching him, when it's about the time dev..." *He ponders for a moment.* "But I want the time device. Metal Man will convict himself regardless. I want my device, so I am not the one in trouble, see?"
Deloth: *Stepping back into the ship* "How are negotiations go--oh, shit, Ari."
Aribar: "Dammit, how can a mage be so thick-headed?" *Turning to stone isn't making the elf any nicer.* "Right now, he must know a way OUT of his convictions. Let him have the device, let him escape, then follow him, because it surely can't be that hard to follow a trail this fresh, and then you will surely get him! And he will be convicted of something he CANNOT escape."
Ael: "If he has the device he may run through a hundred realms, then my superiors will obtain the device, then--"
Metal Man (GM): It cuts out suddenly as all of reality shakes.
Rinith: "I'm sure otherwise he may just find a way of blocking things of-"
Digifanatic: .oO(We've pushed him.)
Aribar: "...Uh oh."
Deloth: "...Dammit, we're too late..."
Metal Man (GM): A man in a black suit walks out of the portal. His skin is slate gray and he looks vaguely unimpressed.
Rinith: *o humph* "Portals."
Metal Man (GM): He takes out an all silver machinegun and points it at Aribar's head. Maverick Hunter HQ.
Rinith: *o humph* "That, that was strong."
Aribar attempts to turn his head to look at the man. "I assume you're also a Time Cop?"
???: "Ael has failed his mission. Please, turn and face me. You will not be turned to stone any longer."
Metal Man (GM): Aribar's stone effect vanishes as the man continues pointing at him.
Aribar: "...Thank you, sir." *He would make no sudden movements. He doesn't like that gun.*
Rinith: "Don't think I've ever pulled off a whole reality shaking event even when I could teleport, so Ael, I now you know what that means"
Gray: "My name is Gray, and I will be handling this case from now on. As is the normal procedure, I will ask where Metal Man is."
Aribar: "We stopped knowing where Metal Man was at when he stopped being our boss; apologies, sir."
Gray: "Those who call him the 'Time Bandit' are merely new to the case. Ael... was nothing."
Metal Man (GM): As for where Ael is... ...he's suddenly warped out.
Gray: "None needed. I have scanned your mind. You hide nothing."
Aribar: "Can I assume that you have been listening in on this conversation?"
Digifanatic: *R to Aribar* "Uh, Ari... Ael just vanished."
Gray: "No. But I know its contents now."
Metal Man (GM): He turns away and walks.
Aribar: .oO(Damn you mind reade... Er, no offense, sir.)
Gray: "The device has a homing device in it. I will deal with it now. Do not assist Metal Man or you will be known as the Pile of Dust formerly known as Aribar."
Aribar: "...May I ask what made this case get elevated to a higher authority?"
Gray: "Ael's utter failure."
Rinith: *Looks for the speed warp thing again.*
Metal Man (GM): Gray goes to round the building. The speed warp is gone. Darn.
Deloth: "...So what do we do now?"
Metal Man (GM): Metal Man leaps out.
Aribar gets onto the radio to Digi and Rinith. "... We lost, Digi."
Rinith: "Well then..."
Metal Man: "I have you now, Ae--S#$T!"
Aribar: "Wait, Metal Man's here?!" *He peeks out the window.*
Metal Man (GM): He was hiding. Gray fires a bullet, stunning Metal Man instantly.
Rinith: "*We* don't just lose, if it must be a group." *Gets to running NOW.*
Gray: "No more escape for you. You aren't as high a member as I."
Metal Man (GM): The door opens and suddenly all the Maverick Hunters fire at Gray.
Aribar: .oO(Help him, turn to dust. Don't, completely betray my friend...)
Metal Man (GM): Gray holds out a hand. A single bead of sweat forms on his forehead as he single-handedly blocks all the attacks.
Gray: "You are testing my patience."
Aribar would cast Panel on Metal to attempt to restore the suited man's mobility.
Metal Man: "No... you..." *Metal stands there, still paralyzed. You have no clue whether that worked or not.*
Metal Man (GM): Gray turns to face the Reploids.
Aribar: "Ael's gone, Mets. Things just got bad."
Deloth: "Yeah, no damn kidding, Ari."
Aribar: "I can attempt to port you out of here, disarm him... Just say something!"
Gray: "Cease your tactics. You cannot best me in a fight."
Zero: "What do you think you are, a god?"
Gray: "I am an officer, nothing else." *He opens fire on the Maverick Hunters, filling them with holes. Then, in a mockery of reality, he heals them, and freezes them in time.*
Aribar kicks Metal in the shin, although quickly regretting it. "Wake up, man!"
Gray: "With that done with, the time has come to deal with him... He is quite paralyzed. You can't do anything..."
Metal Man (GM): He walks over to Metal Man, reaching for the device.
Aribar turns back and sees Gray done with the reploids. He casts Plane to send Metal to... Nintendus.
Metal Man (GM): Doesn't work. There is no such thing. Metal's finger is pointing at the ship for some reason. Rinith: You find a discarded Maverick bike.
Aribar glances back to the ship.
Digifanatic: *Clicks off the radio as he continues running.*
Metal Man (GM): Aribar: You see a button beeping on the console.
Deloth blinks, starting to back away to the ship and following the point...
Rinith: *so grabs that bike, just barely remembering how to drive* "Digi, get, NOW!"
Deloth: "C'mon, Ari, we gotta get out of here." *Turns and runs for the ship.*
Aribar dashes towards the ship, hopes he doesn't get blasted and would go to hit that button.
Metal Man (GM): The button is for the thrusters.
Digifanatic: "Well, alright, we'll see if I can pilot this..." *Hops on, straps in and books it for the MHHQ.*
Metal Man (GM): The ship happens to be pointing at Metal Man, facing Gray's back.
Digifanatic: *Any check on the bike?*
Metal Man (GM): No, the bike is normal. You both can fit on it. It's not a missile, it's a thruster. You press the button.
Gray: "Now, I shall take tha--"
Metal Man (GM): *VOOOSH.*
Deloth jumps into the ship, going to hit the button--or not.
Metal Man (GM): Metal Man leaps aside, having faked remaining paralyzed. Gray is smashed in the back and is now stuck on the front of the ship. Alarms go off as the ship heads upwards. You get comms from Metal.
Metal Man: *R* "Fly into space with it! Now!" Gray begins to turn around, stuck to the front of the ship. He is struggling to get a hand to his device.
Aribar: "Del, Fly!"
Deloth gets into the pilot's seat, praying silently that he can fly this thing. Up, up, up, and away to space!
Aribar attempts to cast Disarm through the window!
Gray: "You... can't... stop... me..."
Deloth: "FLYING!" *Lights this damn firecracker for space.*
Digifanatic: *Well, he's just riding him and TW to HQ...*
Metal Man (GM): He goes to press the button. Then Aribar's spell rips his finger away from it. He's not a mage. Those idiots! He turns to use the only thing he can do--shoot at the ship, point blank ...
Rinith: *is ignoring speed restrictions on the bike, HP damage or no.*
Metal Man (GM): He pings the ship with one bullet. It does minor damage. Finally, a tech check to fly it into space!
Aribar: "If that's the worst he can do, then I think we're in the clear, Del!"
Deloth: "Don't be so sure. I'm not a good driver..."
Metal Man (GM): Yes, but autopilot doesn't compensate for people stuck to the front of the ship. Deloth activates the windshield wipers. As you are now plummeting towards the ground.
Aribar: *Panel, autopilot.*
Deloth: "SEE?" *Tries again.*
Metal Man (GM): The ship jerks suddenly and the man is flung off. He flies into outer space, before vanishing.
Metal Man: *R* "That was weird... he was WEAKER than Ael."
Aribar: *R* "That usually means he has some other power, Metal."
Metal Man (GM): *R* "What do they expect to do by sending office men after us?"
Deloth: *Radio Metal* "Alright, we got rid of him. NOW TELL ME HOW TO GET THIS THING DOWN!"
Metal Man: "...Uhhh... I saw it had an autopilot."
Metal Man (GM): You hear crackling from Metal's side of the link.
Deloth: "...Right."
Metal Man: "...There's more incoming Time Cops! Come quickly!"
Deloth activates the autopilot. "Dammit! Alright, going!"
Metal Man (GM): You fly in, while people on the ground see a massive energy portal opening. And Metal Man cursing, while unfreezing the frozen reploids.
Metal Man: "Oh god... oh god! They're all coming now... we have no choice but to fight them all!"
Deloth lands and jumps out, whipping out his swords and growling.
Zero: "Frankly, that's a stupid idea."
Aribar: "Metal, that doesn't seem like a realistic goal right now!"
Metal Man (GM): Signas walks out, looking around. He's a reploid in black armor and vaguely humanoid.
Digifanatic just keeps at 100 MPH as the bike approaches MHHQ.
Signas: "This madness will end now." *He holds out a hand.* "I have formulated a much better plan."
Deloth: "Fine! DO IT ALREADY!"
Rinith: *almost crashes the bike until realizing there's a handy break* "That's what that does..."
Digifanatic: *Getting off the bike* "Well, this is where this crises might end."
Signas: "This is one huge portal. But it requires tremendous energy to keep open. Therefore..."
Metal Man (GM): He motions and a large ship is flown into the portal just as a hand comes out.
Signas: "I would advise you prepare for battle in the time I have given you. And have a real plan this time. Or we WILL be destroyed."
Deloth: "Hey, we DID have a real plan, Ael just didn't follow it."
Aribar: "..."
Metal Man: "...And count me out for planning, because it appears my plan failed. Bah! I knew when I couldn't lure him, no one could... but I thought maybe some of that magic that made the Questers always win was around."
Rinith: "That portal takes a lot of energy, right?"
Signas: "Yes."
Aribar has a stupid idea! He attempts to cast Drain on the portal to sap some of its energy.
Signas: "By blocking it with large portions of matter, it shall take longer to port over its contents."
Deloth: "Could I possibly draw enough energy from the environment using shapeshifting to keep them from opening it?"
Metal Man (GM): Aribar catches on fire. Blue fire.
Rinith: "Any chance of us being able to funnel it now? from this end? Preventing anything from going through it so long as they don't start using even more."
Aribar: "Gah!" *Stop, drop, roll!*
Metal Man (GM): He isn't harmed but it burns all his HP out, then heals it after he rolls it out.
Signas: "Maybe. Perhaps make your plan to stop the portal while you have this time, too. I will coordinate--"
Aribar: "I highly suggest you don't drain energy from that portal."
Metal Man (GM): Another weird guy runs out with a medical uniform on of sorts. He's another reploid.
Signas: "Lifesaver, what is it?"
Rinith: "Just don't drain the energy for health"
Aribar: *Wall and Ward on Deloth, Rinith, and Digi.*
LifeSaver: "Vile's attacked a supply convoy out somewhere! Our men sent to investigate are being blown up!"
Signas: "At this time? Damn! Now how will we deal with this portal AND that?"
LifeSaver: "I don't know, but I rate their survival over some problem which isn't even ours!"
Zero: "I must admit, these invaders haven't been trying to control us. More them." *He points to Aribar and the Questers.*
Rinith: "There trying to blow up the dimension."
Aribar: "...Metal, can you go back in time, deal with Vile, then come back here?"
Signas: "...Fine. Re-allocate the troops to deal with Vile, while keeping the portal blocked."
Rinith: "So, go if you want."
Metal Man: "Didn't I just tell you how broken my device was?" *He points to the missing 'back in time' button.*
Deloth: "You never answered my question, incidentally. Will draining energy from THIS environment keep the portal from forming?"
Aribar: "Does it have a 'and they lived happily ever after' button?"
Rinith: "Can plane open a portal of any form? Channel there portal threw another portal. Hell, call up Red Text, he seems to have portal control, and hates these guys to."
Aribar: "Metal, can we win in a straight-out fight?"
Metal Man: "I'm sure it would, Deloth. And no, Aribar. And... Plane could make it go somewhere... Well, you toasted that guy in outer space. He warped right back the way he came. Of course, -I- set that one up."
Deloth: "Hrm... I wonder if I could use enough energy shapeshifting to keep it from opening."
Aribar: "Any Planes that Time Cops particularly hate?"
Metal Man: "The plane of corrosive acid?"
Deloth: "Like retreating to some mountaintop and living the life of a 200-foot dragon or something until they give up..."
Aribar: *Plane, corrosive acid, on portal! Any effects?*
Deloth: "What do you think, Metal? Stupid enough to work?"
Rinith: "Try anything. And Deloth, if you don't eat, how do you get energy?"
Aribar: "I can open two more portals. I can sense stuff. I can activate and repair technology. I can move stuff, light stuff, protect stuff. Is there anything that anyone things magic can do?"
Deloth: "I dunno, Rinith. I seem to get more energy around other people than by myself, but that's the only clue I can offer..."
Rinith: "Life then?... well, focus your sense to that portal, tell me what it's like"
Metal Man (GM): None yet, but Metal nods at the plane spell.
Digifanatic: "Yes, Metal Man?"
Metal Man (GM): You see the reploids run out to deal with the disturbance, and then Metal gestures.
Metal Man: "We have some time now. Now since my plan failed... ...you make up one on your own, and... come back in a moment. Then we shall try it. I don't care what it is."
Deloth: "Of course, to use that much energy in a place like this, I'd need to shift to something big. Massive."
Metal Man: "My plan failed, so my input isn't useful anymore. To this battle."
Deloth: .oO(And I'm not even sure if I could do that...)
Metal Man (GM): In OOC terms this is a setup to the big kahuna, the mega scene, the Saturday mayhem session. So, brainstorm among yourselves plans. Don't tell me, don't bother Metal Man--your ideas will be good enough as they wind up. Yes.
Deloth: "I could give it a shot."
Metal Man (GM): Then we shall see if they can compete with the Time Cops... and determine the fate of the singleverse!
Rinith: "Still, try to focus on the portal as if it was a person, tell me what it's like"
Metal Man (GM): Metal Man walks off, apparently to arm himself. +1 EXP to all
Deloth stares at Rinith. "It's a portal to a plane of acid. It wants to dissolve things."
Digifanatic: "Yeah..."
Rinith: "The bigger portal." -.- "The time cop one."
Metal Man (GM): The plane of acid and ship blocking the portal shall hold out until sometime next session.
Deloth: "I can't get anything off of that."
Rinith: "... never mind then."
Deloth: "Ari. Can you tell how much energy this portal's using? Then I'd know how much to use if I tried shifting..."
Aribar casts Sensory to attempt to see how much energy the portal is using!
Metal Man (GM): Too much. Tons and tons. Just under that of an entire star. You detect Red Text's energy trying to crush it in from all sides.
Aribar: "You know, Deloth, I'm really glad for something."
Digifanatic: "This oughta be good."
Aribar: "When I was reading over the Sensory spell, it didn't have some lame detection method like 'the more magical, the brighter it is.' If it did, then I would have gone BLIND from all the energy this portal is using right now!"
Digifanatic: "Ohhhh wow."
Deloth: "Hrm..."
Rinith: "That dark orb."
Digifanatic: "What can we do with it?"
Deloth: "Still, maybe I could draw at least some of it off to go past my limits..."
Rinith: "Somehow energy is lost in conversation, if at least more stall time."
Deloth tries shapeshifting a size or two larger, trying to draw energy from the portal for use.
Rinith: "And maybe I can do something with the dark energy it becomes."
Digifanatic: "Yeah... and so far that'd involve a few of our tools..."
Metal Man (GM): I am away. And you can't really draw energy from the portal. It just sets you on fire ala Aribar. But as I said, plan for the next session. I'll be away.
Deloth yelps, doing the stop-drop-roll routine to get rid of the flames.
Digifanatic: "Alright then, so what else could we possibly do? We could try to hire every ally we know of that isn't preoccupied with something else, but even then we'll still be outmatched."
Rinith: "Even Red Text is trying to hold the portal."
Deloth: "Find a fallout shelter?" *He sits down tiredly, Flaredrake probably scampering around setting blades of grass on fire and watching them smolder into nothingness.*
Digifanatic: "Hmmm... speaking of Red Text, doesn't he still have some control over the energy supply of this planet, or did he give it up?"
Deloth: "I think he got rid of that. ...If we could build up enough magic power to dispel this portal, maybe?"
Digifanatic: "Besides you and Ari, though, who's got enough power to unleash and add to the pot at once?"
Deloth: "I dunno... maybe if we had an energy source of our own."
Rinith: "Dispelling will only make them start another, though sealing it... they have a lot of energy at there disposal..."
Deloth: "...Didn't the Echidnas say that they had the Chaos Emeralds?"
Digifanatic: "Yes, but they also said they could be unstable if used by non-Mobians."
Rinith: "Though... if they don't use it so freely it may be a limited source at so-- Chaos Emeralds?"
Aribar: "I know of a spell that can energize something! ... Unfortunately, I have no idea where it is at and I can learn it."
Rinith: "Damn it, that one guy useful for something, and he's gone." =/
Deloth: "What about Tails? Or Knuckles, for that matter? Having a Super version of even one of those would be a big asset..."
Digifanatic: "Yeah. Problem is, I think Neo Repliforce doesn't want Tails to leave the island... and I don't think we've encountered Knuckles in a while. Sonic's always off somewhere."
Deloth: "And even if we can't reach any of them, there's still the Emeralds themselves. I know what they said, but, y'know, lesser of two evils and all..."
Digifanatic: "Yup."
Deloth: "...Geez. We're sitting here around our potential doom and we can't even think of a good plan. This is pathetic."
Digifanatic: "Well, it's us versus the Time Cops and we've basically run out of every stable Deus Ex Machina..."
Deloth: "Wish I had summoned that other homunculus so that I could've illustrated some of our plans." *Half-smile.*
Deloth: "I just wish I hadn't snapped awake before I saw how to summon more than two."
Digifanatic: "Do you know if the guy can do anything besides set stuff on fire?"
Deloth: "Yeah, but it's not much. He can sneeze a really bright flash of light to screw up a person's eyesight for a bit." *He gets up and drags the Flaredrake away from the portal, holding him in his lap.*
Digifanatic: "Ah."
Deloth: "And annoy me a tad."
Digifanatic: "Well, I had one idea but that'd basically break one of the significant binds of the planet in its current state..."
Deloth: "And that would be?"
Digifanatic: "I have a few friends back on my Earth that also wound up being involved in the whole Digimon thing, and they have some partners who could pull some real spectacular moves off... but to go there would involve a bunch of warping and whatnot that I don't think would work here due to the typically strong anti-warping principles laid down. Plus, if something goes wrong, they may get stuck on this planet and I'd be the one responsible for all of it, and I think they're at that point where they just want to settle down on their planet and focus on the small skirmishes..."
Deloth: "Guess so."
Digifanatic: *I'm presuming we've flown back and returned inside HQ by this point...*
Deloth: "...I really wish he hadn't burned my notes..."
Digifanatic: "...oh. It's probably something only those from Chorrus could probably pull off anyway."
Deloth: "I doubt it. Nobody else I knew had talents like this. Even my mother, and she was one of the village's top mages."
Rinith: *would have stayed to not eat time.*
Deloth: "Ari said that this portal was using scadloads of energy right now, yes?"
Digifanatic: "I believe so."
Aribar: "Yes." *He throws random rocks and stuff into the portal.*
Metal Man (GM): They are sent into the realm of corrosive acid. Note I won't play portal Pong so please wrap up your inquisitions for now--I'm gonna log, then do TF2 soon.
Deloth: "So what if we kept forcing them to make it bigger until they ran out of energy?"
Aribar: "Personally, I still don't understand how an organization that polices Time hasn't already won."
Metal Man (GM): GM note: Perhaps they have. In the futureeee!!! *Shot.*
Digifanatic: "Probably because they're so thick skulled in the first thing they predict, I guess."
Rinith: "The future changes constantly just by viewing it, at most they probably can only get semi passable predictions, and it would take time to get accurate ones, and I'm sure they can't just go back in time on a whim to find out the future constantly and such. They seem unusually desperate now though..."
Deloth: "I still think we could possibly force this portal to close if we had them keep having to put more energy into it..."
Metal Man (GM): A plausible idea. Now to just figure out that last part.
Deloth: "Or maybe we WE kept putting more energy into it?"
Digifanatic: "Oh?"
Rinith: "Or find a safe way to draw the energy, or the orb."
Deloth: "Only problem is, where would we get that much energy..."
Aribar: "If you can think of any planes that require constant energy then I can help out."
Rinith: "Negative energy plane?"
Deloth: "Positive energy plane?"
Rinith: "They would cancel out at least, drawing energy."
Deloth: "That's actually a good idea, Rinith... Ari, do you think you could do that?"
Rinith: "Again, opposing energy types is a specialty of mine, such as dark and light."
Aribar: "I can cast two more Plane spells before I need to rest for the coming battle."
Deloth: "Try it. Things can't get much worse at this point." *Takes a stick nearby, watches it get burned to cinders.* "Geez, man, there's not enough flammable material in the world for you, is there? Good things these summons only last for a day... ...I'm still not sure how this happened. Usually, I don't dream much, if at all. This time, it was just crystal-clear, every detail that I needed."
Digifanatic: "Things sometimes work out like that."
Deloth: "I know, but still. A full-fledged summoning spell? Doesn't magic like that usually take months to develop?"
Digifanatic: "I guess you just get it from your mother, then... Like it simply clicks."
Deloth shrugs. "She'd probably laugh. I was horrible at magic back then."
Digifanatic: "Your casting skills age like a fine wine, then. And maybe your... whatever your third form was... aided the maturity a bit."
Deloth: "You're assuming that I HAD casting skills. I couldn't even do a so-simple-it's-ridiculous healing spell. ...Never really could cook, either."
Digifanatic: "Maybe that part comes from your father."
Deloth: "NOW I'm agreeing with you. ...For what it's worth, I have another summon that shouldn't be so fire-happy."
Digifanatic: "Ah."
Deloth: "Plus, it can draw. Really well."
Digifanatic: "Oh... That one came across to you last night as well?"
Deloth: "Yeah. I thought I had a third one, but I snapped awake before that."
Digifanatic: "Yup, then you must have not have commanded it to paint all over my shirt that one time."
Deloth: "I'm hoping I can catch some sleep after this and figure it out--hey, I did that MYSELF, thank you very much."
Digifanatic: "Exactly."
Deloth: "And I'd do it again."
Digifanatic: "Problem is, Natalie can't control her threshold of humor! Cause if it weren't for her, you probably would have made it past leaving HQ before I noticed it..."
Deloth: *Straight-faced* "I see no problem in that. Besides, it gives me a chance to think of something even better."
Digifanatic: "I bet you have."
Deloth: "Maybe. And now I've got an accomplice."
Digifanatic: "Just remember, I had beat you to it in that category."
Deloth: "Yep." *He shifts back to a more serious demeanor.* "I think Rinith's got the best plan so far. We don't have enough time to go anywhere else..."
Digifanatic: "Yeah..."
Deloth: "Speaking of which..." *Slips on his mask* "Nnngh... I should probably keep this on to stay alert, as well."
Digifanatic: "Not a bad idea."
Deloth: "...Man, I'm worried sick about this."
Digifanatic: "Well, The Void. Ivan. Giovanni. Borne. The Book..."
Deloth: "Yeah, but a whole army?"
Digifanatic: "It just feels like somewhere down the road we'll find something in the nick of time to give us back the advantage. Not sure what that something will be, but you can never rule it out..."
Deloth: "...Good point."
Digifanatic: "Perhaps through some ridiculous combination of our big moves, we'll find some strange reaction, chemical or elemental or whatever have you that does something completely insane and epic."
Deloth: "...I'd call that utterly insane, but you're right."
Digifanatic: "I'm still wondering what the heck that move would be where I explode someone else from inside... It's a lot like an old move I used to use but it has all these things completely unlike it. I have never been able to float inside someone else's body like that."
Deloth: "Wait, when was this?"
Digifanatic: "Twice since this dimension. It failed once against Jack, I know that... I think that Dark Force dude was the--yeah, that was the first time."
Deloth: "...Huh. I must've been zoned out during that." *He watches the Flaredrake finally time out and vanish in a small puff of smoke.* "Finally."
Digifanatic: "It feels like the Digivice temporarily transforms me into this alternate form of myself where I can just unleash a move like that would otherwise be impossible to pull off... and I swear, it feels like what I've done isn't the most of what I could get out of it. Like if I hit a target square on, things start disintegrating. Which hasn't happened yet, but if I will the explosion well enough, I think I could pull that off."
Deloth: "Yeah... it keeps seeming like I get stuff I couldn't do before as well. Like, again, these summons."
Digifanatic: "Sure. It's like you learn something new about your fighting abilities every time something happens." *Walks a few steps out of range from Deloth, pulling out his golf club* "Whoa, my draw's gotten a bit quicker on that. I might finally start using Aerial Takedown again... Well, we've got ourselves something big coming soon... I'm gonna take a breather."

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