The General Roleplay

Doctor Flashback wrote:
((Tl;dr, the Master worked with the Doctor when he first got to the Dark Future but they had an argument which resulted in the Master falling and regenerating, only his body was technically his 13th and final one meaning he could not regenerate and is turned into a skeletal corpselike being, living on through malice against the Doctor, crash landing in the city and waiting for vengeance.))

Now, Lynne doesn't know a lot about Timelords and Daleks and that World-Ender mumbo-jumbo. However, what she can glean from the conversation is that the skeleton man here is not an ally. At best, he's a backstabber. At worst, he'll probably stab them right from the front, with 50 knives and a ninja star or something. That alone is enough to make Lynne snap to alertness. She draws her gun... But of course, it's been dismantled. 



(Ungh...! Now, of all times...!)

Change of plans, then. She takes a stance. Maybe those mandatory self-defense classes they make you take at the academy will come in handy for once?



"Listen, I don't know what's going on here, but if you want to fight, maybe don't. Those 'Dalek'-things that helped doing you in the last time are swarming outside. Maybe you'd appreciate a little help in getting out of here? I mean, I don't know about you, but I wouldn't wanna be stuck down here for the rest of my life, would you?

The diplomatic approach. Don't aggitate the aggressor. Trying to reason first is always important. At least that's how the force is supposed to do it... This was an alien though... Was it going to work?

*Seeing Frisk at the door but not wanting to leave the Master unwatched, the Doctor hands something over to Lynne.*

It seems our friend has returned to us Lynne. Could you possibly let them in?


Just hold the button down and press it to the control panel by the door to open it. Then after everyone's inside again, the same button held to the control panel should lock it.

It won't hold forever, but it should buy us some time.

"Huh."
Lynne took a closer look at the item the Doctor had handed her, turning it in what little light there was in the room in order to get a better look at it.

"Sure, I can try. Even if I don't exactly know how this is supposed to work..."

She made her way for the controls to do as he said. And she did.

---

"Hmmm..."

Well, although the Mighty Plumber hadn't seen any other Dandelions around, of either the flower or the person variety, this sounded like a grade-A sidequest. And he never turned down an extra star or two, or whatever reward there happened to be in store this time around. 

He needed something to do anyways, given that this was the closest thing he'd seen to a plot. 
Now then, where to start looking... 

"Okey, let's-a-go!"

Turning on a dime, the world's jumpiest man promptly began diving (and somersaulting) off in a seemingly random direction, confident that the plot would revolve around him as always. But he seemed to know where he was going?

Oh! Why, would you look at that! Seems like he somehow actually understood what she meant. Well, that was progress. Finally this was going somewhere! Her Keyblade hidden away, she chased after the averagely mighty plumber and his surprisingly fitness-indicating speed. 

---

Marisa:

"So here's the bit that's got me really confused. If this ink isn't harmful to squid things, how do you fight with it?"

Byakuren:

"I think, just perhaps, maybe that's not the most pressing issue at hand. And isn't this sort of your fault?"

Marisa:

"Huh, well... I guess you're probably right."

Marina didn't react too much to being called a "squid". Honestly, at this point she was kind of used to being mistaken for an Inkling even back home, even though her and Pearl weren't exactly making a secret of her heritage. Still, this whole situation was so confounding. She was with people who didn't grasp the concept of a turf war. When had there last been anything like that in the world?




"Umm... How do you explain that? Well, ink can contain different chemicals, I guess, and we can control what sort of ink we produce. That changes the color of the ink, too. But if you're inked- that means, covered in a kind of ink that you're not producing yourself right now - it messes with the ink-pressure of your body and you'll get splatted... That's when you're body despawns, you know? And well, that *is* kind of lethal, usually... But we have precautions to make sure people don't get seriously hurt during a turf war! I mean, that's what the spawn-points are for... Ungh... I'm such a mess here..."

Marisa:

"Doesn't look like I've got any magic for making spirits come back to life - but that ain't surprising, since dying is kind of a big deal, even here."

Marisa:

"You acted like you can do that, though, where you're from. Is that right?"

Marisa:

(A sustainable, clean way of coming back from the dead? Duh, no way I'm gonna miss a chance like this.)

Marina's ghost nodded its tiny octopus head. 


"The spawn points are charged with one specific kind of ink. If your body gets splatted, your ghost can still  come back there and reform the body from the ink. It takes a bit of time, but that only adds challenge to the sport, you know! Though, I hear the spawn-points were originally developed as a medical tool to counter mass-destructive ink weapon during the Great Turf War... Well, nowadays they're mostly used for sport in Inkopolis, in any case. It's safe if there's an active spawn-point around, for the most part. Save of anybody destroying the point, of course. But that's against the rules. Duh."

She really kind of was getting into explaining the mechanics here. in fact, her eyes shone and gleamed a bit as she went on about the spawn-points a bit as

"Spawn-points actually need to have an electric charge in them at all time, or the ink-pressure will collapse and render the point unusable. Isn't that fascinating? That's why mobile spawn-points are so volatile! If you don't know how to mess with them right, reprogramming them can really cut their life-span short! Oh, and that's not even talking about the logistics of powering the point in the first place, and the humming noise it makes, which can tick off enemies with sufficient spy-gear to locate them quite easily, and---"

Careful, you guys. Super nerd here. This rant could go on for a while. 

"You did seem like a menace at first. But if that's no longer the case, then we can figure something out. Despite what that ordinary magician said, this place feels like it has too much magic not to have a solution. And the ink helped you, so... maybe if we found some more-"

She did look on to the entrance of Kasen, and when she mentioned she might be able to help, IF brought in Marina closer.

She snapped out of her nerd rant at the mention of getting back to normal and focused on IF. 

"Oh, definitely! If I had some more of my ink color, I could probably reform my body! It'd... take a while tho."

Marina pondered a little.


"Hm... My last color was teal. That's not a very popular color... Then again, ink never lasts long out in the open air in general, so we'd need someone to generate some in first place. And that'd mean finding an Inkling... Well, or another Octoling, but---"

She trailed off back into a mumble.


"I doubt another Octoling would help me... Not a traitor..."

---

"Still... This place is pretty big... But why do they have those oddly dressed guys skulking around like they own they place? You'd think they'd be in well... Uniform?"

Trucy was smiling, of course, but she mentally agreed. The whole thing was kind of... unnerving.



"Hey, Polly... Let's stay on guard." she whispered to her brother. "You know what they say about performing on a new stage for the first time? Be prepared for everything... Like some unexpected cameos."

"That's a matter for another time, for now, you should join me. I can't hold this elevator any longer. Or do you prefer to be left behind along with these mooks?"

"I'll go first!" Trucy skipped over to the man, using her dexterity to get out with ease.

---

The most sexy tan teenager loomed above the beginning battle, sharply training his eyes on the participants in front of him. He strokes his chin, intrigued by the display.



"Huh. Kaiba and Bandit Keith. I always knew the fangirls were into odd pairings, but I have to admit, this one is new even to me! Say, Kaiba, what do you call this matchup? CapistalistShipping, maybe? Pacific Trade Agreement? Or maybe something more tactful like "Really, really big Egoshipping"?"

For this is what card games were all about. Dan Green throwing shade. There is no other way to play card games. Even those Dan Green is not involved in.

---

Regiwi wrote:

Being just a visitor in the past to this place wouldn't be anything you'd need to hide would it Archie? So, why did you lie to us?

"Nothin' wrong with a little shake on the ship to steel them sea legs right? Y'all know that we're in a different world from yer on. Nothing wrong with showing the beauty of Pokemon to all of ya! Heck, the artist here got so engrossed, that he forgot about me..."


"...."


" 'Am just glad all of ya finally got a chance to see this marvel. There's so much water Pokemon in here, its beautiful..."

Maybe someone will notice, or maybe not... but somehow a few Sharpedos swam just behind Archie and glared at the group menacingly...

AmeftoWriter wrote:
"Nothin' wrong with a little shake on the ship to steel them sea legs right? Y'all know that we're in a different world from yer on. Nothing wrong with showing the beauty of Pokemon to all of ya! Heck, the artist here got so engrossed, that he forgot about me..."

They are, well, pretty breathtaking.

Maybe someone will notice, or maybe not... but somehow a few Sharpedos swam just behind Archie and glared at the group menacingly...

*The sight of the sharks made Phoenix take a slight step back, standing closer to Trucy now without really thinking.*

!
(Are... are they looking at us?)
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The Future. wrote:


"Listen, I don't know what's going on here, but if you want to fight, maybe don't. Those 'Dalek'-things that helped doing you in the last time are swarming outside. Maybe you'd appreciate a little help in getting out of here? I mean, I don't know about you, but I wouldn't wanna be stuck down here for the rest of my life, would you?

Escape? No... it's too late for that now. I may have survived this past year, but I hardly have the strength now for long escapades.

The thought of vengeance has spurred me on but... I still have lost most of my stamina now. The Daleks as you mention patrol the sewers, so I have had little chance to move out of this room. It takes a lot of effort to simply get out of this chair now.

So that's all you've thought about? Wasted your time on vengeance? Even for you... it's rather obsessive.

"Huh."
Lynne took a closer look at the item the Doctor had handed her, turning it in what little light there was in the room in order to get a better look at it.

"Sure, I can try. Even if I don't exactly know how this is supposed to work..."

She made her way for the controls to do as he said. And she did.

*The door opens letting Frisk and the rest enter.*

You overestimate your value to me Doctor. That is not... all I've been doing this past year.

*He presses something, turning on a monitor built into the wall. After a brief screen with something saying 'Haltmann Works' or something pops up it then switches to another screen.*

What's this?

Research.

*The Doctor moves over to look at the screen closer. All sorts of numbers and letters most likely incomprehensible to the others run across it.*

You've... been trying to locate the exact point where everything deviated?

You must be able to sense it the same as I Doctor. Everything in this future... is infected. The results of a timeline created by a paradox. By narrowing down the genetic makeup of beings in this time I thought I would be able to pinpoint the exact moment things deviated off course.

Yes, it's rather extraordinary work. How did you study the makeup o-

*He looks over at the pile of bones in the corner.*

Can you ever do anything without killing?

I had little chance simply asking them Doctor. Look at me. But... it was not enough it seems. I believe the only way we can really narrow down the source is to get the genetic code of a being from before the point where things deviated from their correct course.

And being Timelords, our own genetic code would not help.

Indeed. You usually have a few spares around, are any of this filthy group pets who've been travelling with you and are from before things deviated?

*The Doctor pauses from a moment, looking away from the screen to the group before looking back.*

...No, everyone here I've met in this time, no one travelled here with me.

....A pity, it could be the key to stopping all of this.

Yes well, we'll just have to find another way.

Alexis could tell that it was time for Archie to spring his trap. He grasped the grip of Breidablik carefully, running over possible Heroes to summon. He did have his old standby team in the event that these sharks were pretty strong, so he was ready to summon them when needed. He knew what was going to come next, and he was going to be ready.

---

Vespus grimaced. It was true that there could be more intel here. "Well, looks like we have work ahead of us," he declared. "I doubt there will be much intel in here, so we should try and escape this room when possible."

Archie wrote:

"Nothin' wrong with a little shake on the ship to steel them sea legs right? Y'all know that we're in a different world from yer on. Nothing wrong with showing the beauty of Pokemon to all of ya! Heck, the artist here got so engrossed, that he forgot about me..."


" 'Am just glad all of ya finally got a chance to see this marvel. There's so much water Pokemon in here, its beautiful..."

"Yes, nothing wrong indeed. But aren't we missing the point here?"

"The question isn't what you wanted to show us here," Mia eyed the shark lookalikes, "but whether you knew what was waiting for us here. And I don't mean only these strange creatures.

So, Archie? Are you telling us the reason why you needed to lie about never being here before, or do we need to break the truth out of you?"

Weiss took a more passive stance for the moment in the interaction involving the Doctor and the Master. While she had followed enough of it earlier, it would be far-fetched to say she got much more than Lynne by the end. She still made sure to be with rapier in hand and mostly in front of line at all times. The latest statements, however, did produce a reaction.

Regiwi wrote:
I had little chance simply asking them Doctor. Look at me. But... it was not enough it seems. I believe the only way we can really narrow down the source is to get the genetic code of a being from before the point where things deviated from their correct course.


And being Timelords, our own genetic code would not help.


Indeed. You usually have a few spares around, are any of this filthy group pets who've been travelling with you and are from before things deviated?

*The Doctor pauses from a moment, looking away from the screen to the group before looking back.*

...No, everyone here I've met in this time, no one travelled here with me.

"...!"

Research. On how to stop all this from happening? He had admitted there was no way he could escape, but he was still interested in knowing what caused the world to end up like this in the first place. And they were supposed to be able to go across time, or at least she knew that the Doctor was, based on his ship. So was there hope? Or was he just clinging to whatever was at hand while descending into madness.



Yang... Ruby...

If there was a possibility to have changed their fates, she'd have jumped on it.



... Come to think of it...

Flashback wrote:

"Plus, you've already made it pretty obvious to me that you're not a normal human, so why would you age like one? I don't think that's a big mystery."

Lynne's insight is truly marvelous.

"Also, we're time traveling, so... that's a thing too," she added mumbling.

-------------------------------



"Oh my gods, what is going on!? Why did we even come here? We can't change anything like this! Sissel isn't even here! All we did was get someone killed! There's nothing we can do! N-Nothing...!"

That hadn't been exactly behavior of someone from this time. And Lynne hadn't seen her before... or it had been so long ago that she didn't remember.



"..."

She looked up to the Doctor. She didn't want to call his attention so much as look at him. And think.

---

"Hey, I see someone!"

Tenshi was en-route, and her approach actually gave her a decent view of someone standing in front of the shrine.

Regiwi wrote:

Unusually, it was a guy. She couldn't tell what race just from looking, but it definitely seemed inhuman.

Tenshi slowed her pace, still trusting Shion to be right behind, and hovered towards Arlon with a condescending smile.



"Wow. First person from this mysterious new shrine looks real weird. Classy style, though! The mustache really makes the whole visual!"



"But let's get to business! I'm not in the mood to fool around when there's new, creepy people around!"



"I'm Tenshi Hinanawi, and I represent the celestials! You are tainting the soil of Gensokyo with your presence! In the name of the sky, we shall alleviate you from your riches as punishment!"

Despite the aggressive tone, she didn't move before hearing Arlon out. She seemed genuinely curious about hearing what so strange a man was like.

---

The Spy looked on as the non-human left their presence with a smirk on his face. He did follow along as the woman in the group joined and completed the cure much better than he could. He was no Medic, after all. He gave her a short bow.

"Mademoiselle, your efforts are appreciated."

Regiwi wrote:
...Well guess that answers your question about the others. So what now? Do we even know what we're meant to get from this train?

In response, the Spy checked his cigarette case once more.

"This operation is unique in that it doesn't state the end goal. That is, if you received the same contract as I have." He snapped it shut and pocketed again, gesturing slightly to his friend. "If you have, then I suggest to stick with the best plan for it. My instructions were just to hold the perimeter once the train stopped for as long as possible. Our furry friend may be jumpy, but he has the right idea."

Usually he was more discrete about what his work would entail, especially if there was a possibility of another Spy involved in the endeavor, but he was very curious himself about whether the discrepancy was a thing or not.

"If the train has any important cargo, however... It'd be good to check, wouldn't it? If we're dealing with explosives, for example, we shouldn't dally inside the train."

*Meanwhile, above ground*

Looker did the best he could to direct the Doctor around the roads. The car was bustling with energy, which was always encouraging, and it'd have been a pleasant drive of a few minutes despite whatever dread awaited them in the other side... Had it not been for whatever the Doctor done on the dashboard. No Man's City was a big and lively city, yet suddenly there were no cars in the streets, and the speed at which they were going was just barely slow enough that he could give directions before having to issue another one in the next seconds.



"After the next curve, stop! We'll be as ready as we can get safely. If Zinnia had said anything, maybe we could go further, but-"

As he said so, the vision of the entrance might be apparent enough that they had a plainer view of someone who seemed proud enough to hold the high ground over his opponent. And was apparently trying to smash into him with her Pokémon of choice.



"Is Zinnia fighting? Did she get discovered?"

---

Marina's long rant about the sport was informative, but hard to follow, mainly because IF felt contradicted in some points. She did admit that splatting could usually be lethal even to themselves, but they take precautions on her turf. That still would mean she willingly shot poisonous ink against them. The whole sport seemed more like a blood sport- kind of like a coliseum. Then again, those were still entertaining enough: there were arenas in Gamindustri as well.

For now, IF decided she could believe Marina still had no malice on what she did. Though their chances of healing her body weren't looking high.



"Teal, huh. I wonder if Dogoos would work... But yeah, no way is there going to be someone out there with buckets of teal ink to spare. I think it'd be easier to find someone like that which you mentioned. Unless, like me, you and your kind are... very new to these surroundings. In which case, I dunno what to tell you."

Thinking about it for a while, IF shifted her gaze to Lonk.



"Hero? That thing which you gave me to drink... It managed to heal me to full health. What was that, exactly?"

Aliucon wrote:

"Wow. First person from this mysterious new shrine looks real weird. Classy style, though! The mustache really makes the whole visual!"



"But let's get to business! I'm not in the mood to fool around when there's new, creepy people around!"



"I'm Tenshi Hinanawi, and I represent the celestials! You are tainting the soil of Gensokyo with your presence! In the name of the sky, we shall alleviate you from your riches as punishment!"

Despite the aggressive tone, she didn't move before hearing Arlon out. She seemed genuinely curious about hearing what so strange a man was like.

A celestial? Interesting. I am Arlon the Serene. On behalf of the Goddess Viridi and the forces of nature I must humbly apologise for encroaching upon your territory.

We were left with little option, a rip in the very fabric of reality it seems dragged our whole temple to this land. Gensokyo did you say?

We have been through a lot of trouble recently and we do not seek any more, so I must ask you to not attempt to plunder this temple. Besides, we have little in the way of the riches I believe you would be considering to 'alleviate'. Mistress Viridi does not collect jewels or trinkets.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In response, the Spy checked his cigarette case once more.

"This operation is unique in that it doesn't state the end goal. That is, if you received the same contract as I have." He snapped it shut and pocketed again, gesturing slightly to his friend. "If you have, then I suggest to stick with the best plan for it. My instructions were just to hold the perimeter once the train stopped for as long as possible. Our furry friend may be jumpy, but he has the right idea."

Usually he was more discrete about what his work would entail, especially if there was a possibility of another Spy involved in the endeavor, but he was very curious himself about whether the discrepancy was a thing or not.

Wonder what the hell he wants with this train? I thought we'd at least be told something specific to look for. Well, as long as we get paid whatever.

"If the train has any important cargo, however... It'd be good to check, wouldn't it? If we're dealing with explosives, for example, we shouldn't dally inside the train."

Good point.

*He walks towards a door into the rest of the train. He raises his arm.*

I built these things to crack safes. Should be able to force the doors open without causing a mess as long as I set the pressure right.

*He places one of his gauntlets up to door and with a small blast he breaks away the lock, heading further into the train.*

Might as well see what else is here.

As he said so, the vision of the entrance might be apparent enough that they had a plainer view of someone who seemed proud enough to hold the high ground over his opponent. And was apparently trying to smash into him with her Pokémon of choice.



"Is Zinnia fighting? Did she get discovered?"

*Bessie draws to a sudden immediate stop. Noone would find themselves thrown forwards however despite how fast they had been going.*

Glad to see the minimum inertia hyperdrive is working still, or else that could have been an unpleasant result.

*He gets out of the car beckoning the others to follow.*

I can't say I recognise her Detective. It is rather difficult to see from here however. Perhaps it would be best to get a closer look?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thinking about it for a while, IF shifted her gaze to Lonk.



"Hero? That thing which you gave me to drink... It managed to heal me to full health. What was that, exactly?"

That was water of life. I got it from some magic fairies when I saved them from Ganon!

*As he said this, he naturally started flexing.*

((Double post, but I wanted to try and rekindle this. I'm going to sort of skip a little bit in a few scenes in order to keep things from needing a lot of posts to proceed, but these won't be large jumps. Some scenes for now will be left on the backburner till people who were involved in them want to start them up again, so basically I want to try and streamline things so we don't have to pick up every plotline immediately. That said, I don't want to dissuade people who want to return to certain plotlines from doing so.))

*The Doctor with the group starts edging closer to the site of the stopped train. The Doctor pulls out his sonic screwdriver.*

I'm going to try and board that train to see what exactly is going on here. Be careful, I have a feeling there are quite a few dangerous fellows here...

*The Doctor rushes over to the train, trying to avoid being spotted as he does so by any of the odd characters who seem to be watching the area. The train door opens as the Doctor climbs in, beckoning to anyone behind to follow. He overhears voices in the driver's cabin which has had it's door forced open.*

Nothing. I dunno what the point of this all is, but there's nothing worth anything on this train. Hell I don't think it even carries passengers.
*The Doctor ducks beside a wall out of view of the doorframe listening in.*

Hmm...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Two figures fly across the city, or rather one flies, the other swings as fast as he can.*

So, according to that Colress guy we'll find some answers on the outskirts of the city.

Don't get me wrong, this is definitely a trap Tuslo, but in my experience springing the trap is sometimes the best way to get answers.

*They reach the outskirts of No Man's City, an area known as Ground Zero to some. Strangely, a group of people seem to be frozen there, looking as if they'd been in discussions, with some arguing, and others bartering over machines. Still, none of them were the person the pair were looking for. No, that was...*

Wow, you know, for a secretary you sure seem to be out of the office a lot.

Jessica Ilha wrote:

"The question isn't what you wanted to show us here," Mia eyed the shark lookalikes, "but whether you knew what was waiting for us here. And I don't mean only these strange creatures.

So, Archie? Are you telling us the reason why you needed to lie about never being here before, or do we need to break the truth out of you?"

The Sharpedos swam away quicker than anticipated.

"Nothin' worth yer time, lass. The only thing breakable is this here glass!" Archie smirked, he liked a challenge like this. "Just yankin' yer chain there. This here is reinforced glass, only thing strong enough to break em is a nuclear explosion!"

"So why not just stand there, and enjoy the fun eh?"

AmeftoWriter wrote:
The Sharpedos swam away quicker than anticipated.

"Nothin' worth yer time, lass. The only thing breakable is this here glass!" Archie smirked, he liked a challenge like this. "Just yankin' yer chain there. This here is reinforced glass, only thing strong enough to break em is a nuclear explosion!"

"So why not just stand there, and enjoy the fun eh?"

" 'Stand here and enjoy the fun', you say? Funnily enough, I see nothing to be enjoyed here... Sharks aren't my favorite kind of sea creatures, you see.

But perharps you're expecting something funny to happen? Something we don't know about?"

"A trap, maybe?"

----------------------------------------------


Nanami suddenly got the feeling someone approached the group. She glanced at the door, but saw no one. Perhaps it was someone outside the train? Another member from the group she just joined? She wouldn't know; she had no idea how many members there were.

So she stayed silent, waiting for her next orders. It was all she ever did anyway.

Jessica Ilha wrote:But perharps you're expecting something funny to happen? Something we don't know about?"

"A trap, maybe?"

(A trap. That's a bold claim Mia, and I have a feeling you want me to back it up...)


There's something I noticed Archie. Regarding earlier when you ran from us. The staff blocked off the area you'd vanished to, barring us from entry, yet none of them showed any concern over you.


The reason you've been hiding that you knew this place. It's all starting to make sense now.

You're the one in charge here aren't you?

Regiwi wrote:*The Doctor with the group starts edging closer to the site of the stopped train. The Doctor pulls out his sonic screwdriver.*



I'm going to try and board that train to see what exactly is going on here. Be careful, I have a feeling there are quite a few dangerous fellows here...

"I'll follow you, my good man. We need to get to the bottom of this."

He sneaked behind the Doctor, stopping by the same wall that the Doctor would, and perking up his ears for listening what was happening in the cabin.

Regiwi wrote:
Nothing. I dunno what the point of this all is, but there's nothing worth anything on this train. Hell I don't think it even carries passengers.

"I see," the gruff voice and visage of the train driver answered. "Interesting... I'm sure our benefactor has some design to this for themselves, and it is not for us to question. Time's almost up, eh? I'll see to our escape route. You all play nice."

Steps would be heard, getting closer to the door. Looker would tense up at this, and look for an alternative place to hide.

Outside, however, Zinnia was panting and being held up by Red, making her Goodra return to the Pokéball. Their opponent had been the same since engaging in combat, but even with Pokémon on her side, she couldn't match up to him.



"W-What is it with this guy...?"

Regiwi wrote:
There's something I noticed Archie. Regarding earlier when you ran from us. The staff blocked off the area you'd vanished to, barring us from entry, yet none of them showed any concern over you.


The reason you've been hiding that you knew this place. It's all starting to make sense now.

You're the one in charge here aren't you?

"Feelin' high and mighty are ye? But can't lie to yah when you tell that to my face. Then lets just say that I am the owner if this here place. What are ye gonna do 'bout it?"

If the group notices it, the pokemon inside the tank seems to have swam away as they can't be seen in the glass....

Aliucon wrote:"I see," the gruff voice and visage of the train driver answered. "Interesting... I'm sure our benefactor has some design to this for themselves, and it is not for us to question. Time's almost up, eh? I'll see to our escape route. You all play nice."

Steps would be heard, getting closer to the door. Looker would tense up at this, and look for an alternative place to hide.

Outside, however, Zinnia was panting and being held up by Red, making her Goodra return to the Pokéball. Their opponent had been the same since engaging in combat, but even with Pokémon on her side, she couldn't match up to him.



"W-What is it with this guy...?"

*With the battling outside, someone or something was thrown against the train, the impact could be heard from within.*

W-woah. Sounds like we have company!

I think you should stay here, secure this train.

*As he says this his gauntlets begin to buzz*

I'll see what's going on out there.

*Without waiting for a response, Shocker rushes out of the cabin and hops out of the train, missing the Doctor and Looker hiding.*

Well... that might make things easier. Less of them in there. Perhaps this is our chance to have a look, wouldn't you agree?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AmeftoWriter wrote:


"Feelin' high and mighty are ye? But can't lie to yah when you tell that to my face. Then lets just say that I am the owner if this here place. What are ye gonna do 'bout it?"

If the group notices it, the pokemon inside the tank seems to have swam away as they can't be seen in the glass....

What am I going to do about it? That's not the real question here. The real question is why would you hide this?

I think that brings us back to why we're here doesn't it?

Regiwi wrote:

What am I going to do about it? That's not the real question here. The real question is why would you hide this?

I think that brings us back to why we're here doesn't it?

And in an articulate response, Archie turned around and faced the tank, the three Sharpedos that swam away earlier quickly came back and showed a smile as Archie reached against the glass, smiling back.

He basically completely ignored poor ol' Hobo Nick.

With the two super-powered nuisances out of the way, Kristoph scoffed and took the opportunity to groom himself. Or, more accurately, his nails. He put a bottle of nail polish on the table and leaned back into a chair, glancing occasionally at Colress.


"Are you certain you'll be rid of those self-righteous brats, Colress? I'd rather not have to deal with a unpleasant 'surprise' later."

---

Somewhere, on a bridge-side above a train, a man was fending for himself against a large group of ill-natured individuals. While he was no slouch in a fight, he was vastly outnumbered and backed into a corner. Even so, he kept his fighting stance.



The group of thugs cackled in response. One of them jeered at the man, approaching him with a smirk.

"C'mon now, tough guy. We've warned you over and over. You don't mess with Big P's plans. Hell, the higher-ups would love it if you were in on this and joined us instead, but... I won't complain if I get to put you in the grave myself, Kazuma Kiryu!"

The ringleader lunged at Kiryu, reaching to grab him. Two seconds later, he was on the ground, barely conscious.


"Tell your higher-ups that I refuse your deal."

Another two seconds passed whilst the other thugs collectively gathered what had happened. Then, they charged.

...

A man like Kazuma Kiryu doesn't go down easily. And yet, this time something unusual happened.

"I got him!"
"Holy shit, you knocked him off onto the top of the train! No way he survived that!"

If it's a one in a thousand chance that something goes wrong, then this must've been the one-thousandth time. Whether it was some gravel, dust, a wayward bug or saliva from a screaming hooligan, something had caught itself into Kiryu's eye. At that very moment, Kiryu got hit by a baseball bat and flung off the bridge.

THUNK
THUD

"Ngh..."

The train below had caught Kiryu before he hit the pavement first-hand, but the momentum carried him and he had taken another heavy landing next to the train. Mustering the energy to raise his head to look, he didn't see any of the thugs, but there were still people around. Lifting himself up with his arms, he confirmed he's still able to move. And he would need to; Kiryu could see some strange creatures fighting close by. And, he heard what sounded like intense buzzing...

AmeftoWriter wrote:And in an articulate response, Archie turned around and faced the tank, the three Sharpedos that swam away earlier quickly came back and showed a smile as Archie reached against the glass, smiling back.

He basically completely ignored poor ol' Hobo Nick.

(The way he's looking at those... shark... things... makes me nervous, but I can't back down now.)

We came here to look into the links between this place and Palm Robotics, it being the clue we had regarding the criminal enterprise that's controlling this city.


*Points to the card reader by the door.*

And there's plenty of links here, robotic cleaners, but more importantly, a whole card reading system for the staff created by Palm Robotics. This "buyout" was apparently fairly recent, but Palm Robotics has been involved with this place for a while.

So the question remaining then, is why would you hide your involvement in running this place and come with us here? Almost as if you were keeping track of us. Well, it's simple really.

Because YOU'RE involved in whatever this crime group is doing with this place!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Triplemathics wrote:With the two super-powered nuisances out of the way, Kristoph scoffed and took the opportunity to groom himself. Or, more accurately, his nails. He put a bottle of nail polish on the table and leaned back into a chair, glancing occasionally at Colress.


"Are you certain you'll be rid of those self-righteous brats, Colress? I'd rather not have to deal with a unpleasant 'surprise' later."

*Colress paused for a moment.*

I've sent them to her. What she chooses to do with them is none of our concern now.

We have other business to focus on afterall, wouldn't you agree?

Regiwi wrote:W-woah. Sounds like we have company!

I think you should stay here, secure this train.

*As he says this his gauntlets begin to buzz*

I'll see what's going on out there.

The Spy stops on his tracks, turns and nods. "Very well. Take your position." He observes his companion's leave, and then turns to the panel on the cabin, pensive. He grabs something from the knocked out body of the conductor and pockets it.

Outside, and struggling to her feet, Zinnia surveyed her options. She had one healthy Pokémon, an ally in Red and the Detective, but she couldn't count on Looker or the Doctor. Her hand swayed over Altaria's Pokéball, but before she could throw it, the loud thud and the visage of a falling yakuza made her freeze.

"Ah...!"

She and Red looked up a bit more, the big fall in perfect view. Forgetting herself for a second, Zinnia's heart sank.



"Woah, woah! That guy is in serious trouble!"

She tried to dart in his direction, but met resistance when Red held her forearm.

"Wait!"



"Y-You can't just go helping someone else when you're barely standing yourself! Besides, how do we know he's not an enemy...?"

Despite her condition, Zinnia wrestled control back and wriggled out of the grasp.



"Look, see? I'm fine. And I know you got my back. Now, Altaria, help a girl out!"

She chucked the Pokéball on the path she started sprinting at, her ally surging and blocking the view between their assailants and Zinnia's destination, which was next to the fallen man.



"Rrrrrrr!"



"Hoo boy, here we go."

Red also moved to give Zinnia some cover.



"Hey, can you stand?" Was the first question she made.

Meanwhile, after narrowly avoiding detection, Looker is also startled by the loud noise of a fall outside, thinking they gotten to one of their allies.

"Zinnia..."

Regiwi wrote:
Well... that might make things easier. Less of them in there. Perhaps this is our chance to have a look, wouldn't you agree?

Looker composed himself before replying.



"You're right. There is no time to waste. I'm right behind you."

Regiwi wrote:
*Two figures fly across the city, or rather one flies, the other swings as fast as he can.*

So, according to that Colress guy we'll find some answers on the outskirts of the city.

Don't get me wrong, this is definitely a trap Tuslo, but in my experience springing the trap is sometimes the best way to get answers.

*They reach the outskirts of No Man's City, an area known as Ground Zero to some. Strangely, a group of people seem to be frozen there, looking as if they'd been in discussions, with some arguing, and others bartering over machines. Still, none of them were the person the pair were looking for. No, that was...*

Wow, you know, for a secretary you sure seem to be out of the office a lot.

Susie crossed her arms. Although, for someone without visible limbs, it's hard to tell. "Well, well. If it isn't the Spidery Man himself. Don't think I still haven't forgotten about the time you destroyed my business suit. You still owe me for that. In any case, I'm surprised you decided to come here- with company, at that. I see you're doing a good job babysitting that girl over there. What brings you two here to this part of the town?"

---

Meanwhile, back at whatever is left of Palm Robotics...



"Weapon blueprints and the like, seems this place is more suspicious than normal. And that security machine had to be from one of these plans. What if there are more? To what end are they plotting? These things could hurt civilians..."

Tuslo simply observed Susie's behavior, keeping an eye out for what the trap was going to be.  She's going to let Spider-Man do the talking this time, since she's more about punching things than anything else.

---

The Summoner knew that this was going to be the big confrontation. One hand went down to the gun at his side, already calculating which warriors he'd need to summon. He'd need a healer in case anyone got attacked, probably a durable unit to soak up a lot of damage, a heavy hitter...yeah, that would probably be just the right team for the job...

---

Vespus nodded. "Aye, it sure does seem like they're plotting something," he declared. He wasn't a Techmarine, so the technical details were mostly lost on him, but he knew that these machines were dangerous. "We should take some of these STCs with us and get back to the others. They should be made aware of what's going on here, and perhaps they may have some information that could be useful for deciphering what happened with us."

Aliucon wrote:Looker composed himself before replying.



"You're right. There is no time to waste. I'm right behind you."

Very well then, follow me.

*The Doctor gets to his feet and strides into the driving cab.*

Aliucon wrote:The Spy stops on his tracks, turns and nods. "Very well. Take your position." He observes his companion's leave, and then turns to the panel on the cabin, pensive. He grabs something from the knocked out body of the conductor and pockets it.

I do hope we're not interrupting?

The train below had caught Kiryu before he hit the pavement first-hand, but the momentum carried him and he had taken another heavy landing next to the train. Mustering the energy to raise his head to look, he didn't see any of the thugs, but there were still people around. Lifting himself up with his arms, he confirmed he's still able to move. And he would need to; Kiryu could see some strange creatures fighting close by. And, he heard what sounded like intense buzzing...

*Shocker's aim is thrown off by the shock of someone falling down in front of him, he releases a blast that hits the entrance to the subway, causing rubble to fall and block it.*

Oh great! Our escape route!

*Shocker turns his attention to the newcomer.*

You're gonna regret that pal.

Aliucon wrote:

"Look, see? I'm fine. And I know you got my back. Now, Altaria, help a girl out!"

She chucked the Pokéball on the path she started sprinting at, her ally surging and blocking the view between their assailants and Zinnia's destination, which was next to the fallen man.



"Rrrrrrr!"



"Hoo boy, here we go."

Red also moved to give Zinnia some cover.



"Hey, can you stand?" Was the first question she made.

Who are you punks? Man, I don't need this! Fine! Leave and I'll let you get him out of here.

Detective Pikachu wrote:We were looking like sitting Duckletts here. Between that powerful human, this one who could create some sort of giant blasts and the furry creature who hadn't made a move yet, Zinnia was almost completely wiped out. I had no idea if the Hau Kid or Spiky were ok as I'd lost sight of them, and the Fop and Looker were busy playing spies on the train. It looked like if we were to stand a chance, I'd have to try and fight too. I wasn't pleased about it, but I rushed over to follow the Kid and looked to her to let her know I was ready to follow her directions.

Pika!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Peachy wrote:

Susie crossed her arms. Although, for someone without visible limbs, it's hard to tell. "Well, well. If it isn't the Spidery Man himself. Don't think I still haven't forgotten about the time you destroyed my business suit. You still owe me for that. In any case, I'm surprised you decided to come here- with company, at that. I see you're doing a good job babysitting that girl over there. What brings you two here to this part of the town?"

Er, it's Spider-man actually, don't forget the hyphen. As for the suit, hey it's not like I came out of it smelling of roses either, maybe I should bill you too.
(Granted... that was kind of down to me having to dive into the sewers to escape Tuslo's blast... but I don't need to mention that.)

As for why we're here, well I have a complaint I wish to take up with your manager. Could you guide us to his office?
(Probably best not to respond to her babysitting comments, I dunno if she's a robot or what but I'd rather not rile Tuslo up enough to take her head off...)
-----------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, back at whatever is left of Palm Robotics...



"Weapon blueprints and the like, seems this place is more suspicious than normal. And that security machine had to be from one of these plans. What if there are more? To what end are they plotting? These things could hurt civilians..."

General Tommy wrote:Vespus nodded.  "Aye, it sure does seem like they're plotting something," he declared.  He wasn't a Techmarine, so the technical details were mostly lost on him, but he knew that these machines were dangerous.  "We should take some of these STCs with us and get back to the others.  They should be made aware of what's going on here, and perhaps they may have some information that could be useful for deciphering what happened with us."

Plotting? Palm Robotics is only in the business of providing technological wonders to help improve your lives. There are no plots to be found here. I cannot compute what it is that you require, and you have now destroyed our Mecha Knight 3.0. Analysing behaviour.


...


...

Analysis complete. Was this store recommended to you?

"I'm afraid I can't do that. My boss is on a business retreat, you see. He's out of office and I don't know when he'll come back. If you want, I can leave a message for him for when he does return."



A strange figure looms in the distance, arms crossed.

---

Aqua blinked at the cashier's response. Seems it's gotten suspicious. What to say here... She turned to Vespus for a response.

Vespus looked at the cashier and responded, "That information is not required for you to know. I will say, however, that I am satisfied with the results that I have found here. I may have to return another time."

---

Tuslo, given how she wasn't the one talking to Susie, ended up wandering her gaze a bit. When she did that, she noticed the odd figure in the distance. The appearance...no, that couldn't be, could it? Tuslo's eyes widened at the implication of what they would be fighting. Guess this wouldn't be an easy brawl after all.

Regiwi wrote:

Because YOU'RE involved in whatever this crime group is doing with this place!

"Heh, seems the lawyer really is more than he lets out."


"And it also seems you have been caught, Pirate.." Rohan finally spoke as he stepped forward just infront of Phoenix...


"Ya, tryin' to intimidate me, ye scrawny excuse of a man? You didn't do nothin' to find the truth unlike him over there."


"I do admit your point. But... that's not why I stepped in." the artist then let his sketch pad fall on his arm..


"Ah! Ain't that so? Very well..." Archie then pulls out a small remote and pressed the button.

Suddenly the giant glass wall very slowly rises up just enough for a small gap to open and to have water rushing in the floor. Archie then released the button making the glass stop, but the water keeps on flowing. At this point it would be just up to their ankles.


"Now then ye landlubbers... Let's see how I can keep all ya traps shut!"


"Oh no!" Rohan picks up his sketchpad and shoves it into Phoenix and at the same time pushed the lawyer away from him. "Stay back!"


"And keep that Sketchbook safe! HEAVEN'S DOOR!!!" With a flick of a wrist, he summoned his stand ready to strike at a moment's notice.

Of course as it stands, no one could see his stand except for him. But that didn't bother Archie at all. And so he unclipped the Pokeball off his belt and unleashed his first Pokemon, Mightyena

NOW! the Summoner thought to himself, whipping out his pistol and firing four shots.  However, rather than fire actual projectiles, it created a set of four portals, out of which stepped four very powerful warriors.

One was a massive, armored knight covered entirely in black armor with a red cape.  In front of him was a massive, sacred blade that he carried in one hand.

"I have come as you requested."  The Black Knight readied Alondite for battle.  "Let us see what this knave is made of."

The second was what looked like a white-haired human, though he carried a menacing, dark aura to him that seemed to hint at some unknown power, not helped by his red eyes and purple flames dancing off of his body.

"I am the Wings of Despair.  I am the Breath of Ruin.  I am the Fell Dragon, Grima! If you truly believe you have what it takes to fight me, then we shall see how strong you truly are..."  Grima held his hand out, as a dragon's head appeared behind the man.  The head may have been Grima's true form.

The third was a woman wearing massive pauldrons and a hairstyle that looked very '90s, though she carried a regal air to her, and there was a good deal of magical power coming from her.

"I am Ishtar, Goddess of Thunder.  My Summoner has called me here, and I will show you no mercy.  Prepare to face Mjölnir's wrath!" Ishtar pulled out what looked like a magic book, the thing floating in front of her via her magical power.

The last one was a very strange woman, clad in a revealing outfit, though she carried a very knowing air to her that hinted at her being something more than a simple mage, though what it was exactly was unclear at best.

"Oh? You need my help for this fight? Well, I suppose I can help a cutie like you out! Hee hee!" Unlike the others, this woman, Loki, held a staff.  If Archie had any ranged fighters in his party, and they were within a cardinal direction from her, they'd find themselves suddenly afflicted with a heavy burst of gravity that made movement very difficult.

Have some theme music as the Summoner's party advanced on Archie as one.  If Archie struck out at the Black Knight or Grima, he'd find that his attack actually did zero damage against them, as if something warded them from harm.  Loki and Ishtar followed behind Grima and the Black Knight, ready to support them as needed.