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Post by Raven8 on Aug 17, 2018 19:38:48 GMT -8
Bayside, a city of great beauty that seems cursed to see conflict at a constant and brutal rate throughout its lifespan. Throughout the city, alarms sound in unison, warning of a coming threat. Under normal circumstances, these alarms would only be active for a scheduled storm that slams into the coastline once every month or so on a fairly loose schedule, depending on what the populace wants to see. Today, however, they have a much more ominous reason or being active. Off in the distance, a set of blurred figures line the horizon, far off in the distance. Based on their distance and relative size, it's obvious that they're all quite massive... and there are what appears to be hundreds of them, all headed towards Bayside.
With the ONB crushed, the defenses of Bayside are down, and the unknown invading forces will be on the shining aquatic city within the hour.
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Post by Gaia on Aug 18, 2018 9:29:00 GMT -8
Hollow.___
Turning away from Kajira, Hollow looked to the horizon as the alarm suddenly flared. Without any notions of fear within his systems to express, he remained the very picture of composure, not so much as flinching in response to the loud noise, nor the figures on the horizon.
He was a being of war, and sirens of that caliber resonated in his mind like the sounding of war drums and horns; calls to battle and action. A shame, that he did not possess the same bravado as the soldiers, who would rise up from their tents at that noise in a moments notice. Empty fields and unarmed men would take their armored cuirass and move with spirit, knowing it was their time to defend their land.
Hollow? He knew that it simply meant it would soon be time to act, and to prepare for battle. He looked about at the Navi he had saved from the ONB headquarters under the guise of Xion, knowing that none of them would be prepared to fight any time soon. Some of them looked worst off than others, and even Kajira was compromised by her emotions.
He willed a void of space underneath him, through which he fell into. Another dark void appeared on a high rise closer to the shore line, and he quickly rose back up from the void within his being. Truth be told, he had no desire in the slightest to protect this area - he could just as easily leave it to these monstrosities, or just as quickly help them tear it to pieces. The siren he heard, however, and the image they portrayed as they marched towards the shoreline did awaken something within Hollow, and it wasn't an emotion. It was a simple memory, a very portion of his being.
The calm before the storm. The crashing wake of battle. War.
He wanted a new enemy to study.
Energy rippled across his body as Hollow raised his hands, attempting to dismiss the fog that hid his approaching adversaries from view. Moving one hand to disperse the fog, he used the other to command the waters, raising them up and rapidly freezing them into a large wall along the edges of the city. He didn't have much time, but, he was efficient of nothing else, and continuously opened up vacuums into his personal network in order to travel, popping back up somewhere else along the shore to add to his barricade of thick ice from the digital ocean. Once satisfied, he returned to his place on the high rise, and created a small pedastal on the top of his now much higher ice wall to make his observatory.
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Post by Raven8 on Aug 18, 2018 17:58:21 GMT -8
The fog cleared by Hollow's forming of frosted ramparts opens vision to the true scope of the line; beyond what had been visible just moments before, a new sight unfolds. In the wake of the troubled sea, literally hundreds of ships, each designed in a manner similar to a whale, break through the evening sunlight. And to make matters worse, from the shore line those with exceptional eyesight would notice a few disconcerting facts about the oncoming armada.
First, each of these whale-like ships were occasionally releasing small, helicopter-like vehicles into the air, which proceed to buzz around them in a defensive formation. Second, the ships are not alone. Strange wakes in the waves before the armada reveal hidden forces within the blue abyss below. And to add to all of this, as the armada grows even closer, one final detail comes into view for those looking on.
Each ship is branded with a large, red "W".
In a move very unlike its normal attacks, World3 is bringing forth huge numbers against Bayside, and soon they will be in range to strike.
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Post by Nightshade on Aug 19, 2018 8:47:33 GMT -8
  Oh boy, one after the other! There wasn't just one moment to relax!
A blue, yellow streaked shark fin climbed up to the highest building of Bayside, a shark figure popping up at the very top. Sharkman observed the massive ice formations and
the approaching threat. "Ice uh?" The old navi scratched
his chin, showing a row of sharp teeth as he frowned.
"This ain't kraken nor a whale. Ergh, those perpetrators
are at it again, this time a full on attack. Ice alone won't
be enough to stop all of them. Well then...if they want to dance, I'll glady cut em all to ribbons, aye!"
Raising his fin-hand, it took a moment for Sharkman to
take control of the surrounding waters, someone else seemed to be intruding in his domain, possibly the one
who created wall. They seemed on their side, so he shouldn't worry about them for now.
The sky clouded almost immediately, obscuring the sun as the king of the sea bent nature to his will. Pouring rain began to fall, the wind picked up speed. At the center of the forming hurricane, Bayside and Sharkman...standing atop the highest tower, observing the now swirling waters around the city on the other side of the ice wall. The thunderour roars of the sea muffled the sirens from time
to time. He would love to see just how those things would manage around or through those strong swirling currents.
If they wanted to reach the city, they had first to get through the unforgiving sea and its many hazard.
"Alright my mateys! It's time to protect this place from World3. Let's show them what we learned in all this time!" He called out, a multitude of shark fins appearing, searing though the currents as if razor sharp. Hundreds upon hundreds of Shark Viruses responded to the call of the
King. "Once again, through the howling winds, we make a stand! Should this be our final bout, It's been a honor fighting with you lads. But we shall not give, not before
we toss these clankers deep in Davy Jones' Locker, Aye!"
Two bigger shark fins, one black and one white, with scars of millenia old fights emerged. It had been a while since
he summoned even one of the Megalodons. But ye have to fight monsters with monsters. As one of the two massive beings surfaced, exposing his snout up towards World 3, Sharkman jumped off past Hollow, past the wall, past everything. Landing ontop of the beast he had called, he proudly faced the enemy. He wouldn't shy away, he would stand his ground in the front lines. They would have step
on his dead body and the wrath of the seven seas if they even wanted to lay a finger on Bayside.
"We're ready...here they come." He muttered, dead
serious, staring in the face of danger in the eyes. The sea level rose further, as the navi gathered more power, ready for the impending doom. Huge colums of sated water spewed up high in the sky. The sky above began swirling at a faster pace. Admittedly, he had lost his touch from his golden days, but his power was still mostly intact if
slightly dimished.
The shark navi grieved. It looked like no matter the times, war was always on the horizon. He was no longer here,
so it was Sharkman's time to honor the peace he gifted them many, many years in the past. Even if the situation looked grim. Even if he in the end wouldn't make it. He couldn't do much when Element City and New life fell, but he would no longer allow destruction. It was time to
remind World3 that you don't anger the forces of nature and get away with it. Especially by mocking it with
clanking contraption shaped as Nature mightiest creatures.
"...We're ready. Come." |
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Post by church on Aug 20, 2018 17:55:31 GMT -8
"Well now, looks like the party started without the guest of honor."
From within the clouds that had formed, ice crystals rained down towards the vessels, as a Navi emerged, standing on a trident, as if she were riding it. This was no illusion, however. As the Navi rode downward, spiraling from the sky, she made no effort to stop before reaching the water. Upon breaching the surface, she leveled out, and began to absorb some of the natural aquatic energy.
"So, who is this that would knock on my door? Friends of yours?"
The navi spoke with a gentleness that was almost motherly, yet there was also a slight hint of power behind her voice as well.
"In any event, these guests are unwelcome. Let's be rid of them, shall we?"
With this said, Leviathan raised her hand towards the water spouts that Sharkman had generated, and caused them to spin faster before riding into the middle of one, which caused the rest to begin closing in on it as she rode around inside.
"You know, it's funny how people think that attacking Bayside from the water is a good idea. It's like they think that there wouldn't be any aquatic navis to defend the place. Name's Leviathan, by the way, Sharky. Nice to finally get to work with you. Ready to show these guys what two aqua navis can do with this much water?"
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Post by Gaia on Aug 21, 2018 9:30:46 GMT -8
Hollow.___
The tactician narrowed his gaze as more and more of the coming armada became visible, noting the sinister red W as well as the whale-like ships, coming alongside the titans. Their defensive array was impressive, for a striking battallion, and, still, he wondered: How did they find the time to set something of this magnitude up, without anyone becoming the wiser? Something like this simply had to have entered the network from a noticeable entry way.
As he expected, others arrived and took command of the sea side where Hollow had decided to leave be, taking it upon himself to further fortify the defenses rather than immediately turn on the offense. It was always better to wait and see what the enemy had to offer before attempting to show them all of your own cards - with each of the other two setting the sea into a rage alongside the storm that they called, the whirling typhoons of water, their minions; all of it was a nice show of force, sure, but, it was also made too early. Never did you want to be the first to put all of your pieces on the board at once, and it appeared that they had practically splayed out their entire strategic notebook for display. The enemy knew what they were marching into.
They were being foolish, and it was too late to temper their rashness of action with caution and discipline. What Leviathan said was likely true - they, of course, knew that aqua-based Navis would come to the aid of Bayside. It was more than likely that they were prepared for this, and, with SharkMan and her both already on the offense, they didn't have much left to wonder for their capabilities.
Hollow watched carefully at the churning waters, expecting that, even with their collected onslaught, it wasn't a defensive array. All their enemy had to do was release a stronger force than they had presented, and their efforts would be for naught. What did they expect of him, then? To support their onslaught, when he knew better than that?
He wouldn't.
Instead, Hollow spun on his curtails, rapidly increasing the space he had to stand on atop his tower of ice into a larger platform as the glacial substance spluttered out from his cloak at his order. Stopping his movement in an instant, without a single worry for the treacherous ice beneath, Hollow instead focused on a point in the opposite horizon.
For this much of an effort on one side of the coast, there was hardly any way that it wasn't a distraction.
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Post by Raven8 on Aug 21, 2018 18:45:27 GMT -8
?: In range within a few moments. Permission to... hold on.
The voice of a Navi, one somewhere out in the vast armada, looks on to the distance. Due to his position and the armaments around him. his voice is impossible for those on the front-line to hear, or even know of. However, his words and actions would be exactly what they all fight against this day.
The being begins his work, seeing the first volley of attacks on the way. Before the fleet, a large barrier of bright orange energy rises from the sea and spreads out, covering the armada's position. As the attacks from the shore come near, their effects are fully negated, leaving the sea as if nothing had happened.
?: The induction was successful; objective #1 complete. Permission to begin operations?
...roger.
Still far from shore, the armada takes up its position, halting its advance just beyond general reach. One by one the ships line up with each other, taking on a full line along the horizon. Then, far in the distance, a set of flashes take place. From the great distance to shore they appear as nothing more than tiny sparks, but the more observant Navis in the area would realize that these tiny sparks are nearly the size of the ships that they're coming from. A few seconds later, a distant sound similar to drums being eaten wildly concusses across the beach-front.
Artillery fire.
About this time, streaks form across the sky in a tell-tale arc. The first volley of cannon-fire had been loosed on Bayside, and it would soon make land-fall, dealing untold damage to the sleepy shore-front city! |
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Post by church on Aug 21, 2018 19:39:20 GMT -8
Avoiding artillery fire was nothing new to Leviathan, a quick dive below the surface was all that it would take to avoid being hit.
"If they focus on the city too much, they might miss the real show."
Saying so, Leviathan began to spin in place, creating a rotating conical shape around and in front of herself from condensed water data.
"Hey, Sharky, wanna give this a spin?"
Above the surface, all would seem normal as Leviathan continued to build up aquatic data into what she was creating. Still, she was getting an odd feeling about this particular enemy. That they had the ability to calm such raging seas so easily was troublesome. However, she could not lose her composure at this point. After all, she always had a few extra tricks up her sleeve.
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Post by Gaia on Aug 22, 2018 17:40:08 GMT -8
Hollow.___
His search unsatisfied, Hollow turned back to the situation at its forefront, just in time to watch the orange barrier rise up from the waters. As the orange barrier rose, the assault of the aquatic navis fell without harm, the seas calming and the raging storm passing around without worry.
He had to wonder if the field of energy was truly a barrier against all forces, or simply a mechanic allowing them to abate the rage of the sea. For an armada approaching the shoreline, it would make sense to prepare for the possibility of an unkind sea - especially from a Network known to be capable of controlling the nearby weather format. Outfitting their ship with a simple defense from the weather would also defend it from any navi that used the very same elements as their point of assault.
Then, the drum of war sounded, and Hollow saw the first sparks arcing across the sky. His keen vision saw them even from this vast distance, realizing that the projectiles were easily the size of the vessels releasing them.
They weren't planning on assaulting the city - they were planning on leveling it.
The sheer number were going to be difficult to handle, but, it may be better to try and reduce the damage than prevent it. He locked his gaze onto the one he could see most clearly, and raised his hand, his robes falling back onto his arm to reveal his blue fingers beneath. A small red eye opened on his palm, his personal access to his personal server, and the slight glow of the eye cast upon the world a dark shroud.
A small outline appeared in the air before the portal solidified, the black disc floating in the sky accompanied by one right next to it. As the missile of his interest flew into the first, it immediately reemerged from the second, firing back their impressive missile at them.
He sent the portals into motion across the sky, trying to catch as many of the many missiles as he could, less concerned about whether or not he hit a ship with the return fire and more focused on getting the missiles out of the sky.
There were simply too many to try and handle them with just two portals, so, Hollow went for a different approach. If the water was accounted for, he had to try other methods. His other free hand opened, and his Navi Symbol appeared beneath him, four different circles brandishing his summoner's glyph. Raising his hand, raging typhoons of elemental energy - fire, leaves, swirling winds and electricity, each - sprouted up from the circles around him. He swung his hand, each of the typhoons taking off from his platform, keeping to the air as they chased after the artillery strikes alongside his orbitting portals.
Until he knew more about their defense, there was no point in launching a return assault against them. Instead, as the elemental typhoons roared away from him, it would be revealed that sequestered within each one was a slightly smaller one. Each of these tinier typhoons of fire, leaves, ice and wind sputtered towards the barrier directly, and Hollow watched to see if they would find entry.
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Post by Nightshade on Aug 23, 2018 2:50:39 GMT -8
The shark jumped down ontop of the water. So that was their plan. Clapping his fin hands, he riled up
the waters once more. Slamming his hands down,
he summoned a colossal wall. From there on, he watched as any shell the wall cought got submerged in water and detonated safely, the only aftershock being a little spluttering of water.
A signal, and the multitude of the smaller shark viruses diappeard underwater, ready to strike at a moment's notice. Meanwhile, Sharkman himself turned over as he heard someone else call for him. There on he noticed a lady doing something he couldn't quite understand what it was for.
"Yeah. Just make sure you don't damage Bayside. I need to find a way to break that barrier, or we won't be able to touch them."
The wave wall, once fulfilled its purpose, came crashing down a few moments after the first volley of artillery ended. |
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Post by Raven8 on Aug 23, 2018 6:53:32 GMT -8
The sea responds to SharkMan in kind, churning into a massive wave that surges across the water's surface in a show of power and fury. It takes roughly 30 seconds for the wave to reach the distant armada, but reaches the armada it does. At the moment of truth, the wave crashes into the barrier and... disappears. There is no splash, there is no crash. Instead, it seems as though it's going through the barrier without interacting with anything. In similar fashion, the elemental cyclones close the gap behind the waves and disappear in the same manner, fading away as if they're still moving when they make contact with the strange field.
The attack once again has no effect.
?: Threat level zero, continuing assault.
Mere seconds after the wave dissipates, the first round of shelling closes its final gap. Like a rain of meteors, shells fall from the heavens with explosive force onto Bayside City behind the defending force, devastating it with a wave of explosions that level most of the first 50 feet or so of the city beyond the beach-front. However, not all of the shells make land-fall. Some are swept up into the vortex of water generated by Leviathan. These shells detonate moments after, breaking apart the vortex entirely and knocking the aquatic Navi back from the force. A few others are successfully re-directed by Hollow's warping powers and thrown back towards the fleet at a trajectory nearly identical to how they'd initially been launched. At this point, only the coming moments will be able to tell if the return-fire is able to land true as it streaks along the sky towards the fleet.
Meanwhile, out on the ocean's horizon, another set of sparking flashes reflect off of the water's surface, and the blustering concussion of artillery-fire resounds. The clouds part in streaks as a second volley of shells screams across the sky with an obvious intent in mind.
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Post by church on Aug 24, 2018 19:11:06 GMT -8
"Right, then. I guess I don't have to hold back, anymore."
Recovering from the blast, Leviathan raised her trident high above her head with both hands, and began to spin in place. As a current gathered around her, and formed a massive whirlpool, something began to change. Her trident began to glow softly.
"I was going to play nice, let you have your moment in the spotlight, but I suppose it's high time I get serious."
As the light glow from her trident began to radiate down her body, the water within the whirlpool began to rise, eventually becoming a water spout.
"I'm not going to go easy on you anymore. You just signed your lives away."
As the water spout reached it's peak, and water began to rain back down from the top, the middle of the tower of water began to glow a bright blue.
"It's time to end this."
After a few moments, the blueish glow faded, and the spout went dark again. Shortly thereafter, a fearsome form emerged. It had the appearance of a sting Ray, complete with a barbed tail. The coloration was dark blue with black details, and one would hardly notice Leviathan in the middle of it. She did not stop. There were no more words to say as she dove into the water and barrelled towards the nearest ship at breakneck speeds.
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Post by Raven8 on Aug 24, 2018 19:34:50 GMT -8
As all of the shells released thus far had been at a high trajectory, Leviathan finds herself largely unopposed as she flies across the water's surface, screaming towards the armada at break-neck speed.
?: Volley two soon to reach land-fall. Prepare to begin se-hmm?
The Navi hidden away narrows his eyes and begins to calculate the situation, looking on to the next phase.
?: Threat level one confirmed.
The ships begin to lower their weapons, bringing them level with the sea, but it's already too late. Leviathan closes the gap at blinding speed and encounters the orange field... but the result is something less than expected.
Leviathan's form passes through the barrier as if it were nothing but a veil of light, while all of the power she'd amassed, including her altered form, disappear as they meet it. The loss of momentum and force leaves her initial strike against the nearest ship virtually nothing, but she had successfully passed through without even the slightest issue.
...and to make matters stranger, she would notice that she's now moving and thinking slightly faster than just a moment before? It would make no plausible difference in the battle, but the change is definitely there.
?: Enemy induction confirmed, preparing counter-measures.
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Post by Gaia on Aug 25, 2018 19:58:33 GMT -8
Hollow.___
He watched with intrigue as the events unfolded on the shoreline, all the while keeping his hands in motion. One hand remained at his side, magical energy arcing around him as yet more glyphs and circles were scrawled into the growing platform of ice underneath him, as Hollow built up power and stored it away for practical use in the future.
At the same time, he kept up on his already amassed efforts, keeping the larger cyclones going after the artillery as well as his flying portals to keep them at bay for as long as possible.
As he heard the debris behind him crumbling upon the city beneath, he turned his attention for the breifest of moments. Debris caused pressure, and pressure caused further collapse and damage. He moved a portal out of the sky just then, and set it up under the falling debris, quickly porting the debris to avoid any more collateral damage. Thankfully, when just managing the two portals, he could work quickly and efficiently, dumping the debris back into the ocean as quickly as he could.
Beneath him, his hand at his side continued working, the wall of ice constantly rising, thickening and hardening, becoming an ever potent defense. He was also focusing on the sygils beneath him, and, as he completed his latest set of summoning circles, raised his hand for but an instant. A flash of light, and his Twins virus, Twi and Twa, appeared next to him in accompanying circles. He looked at them, displaying his message through pure thought as he set yet another portal beneath Twa. In an instant, Twa was on the front lines, and was attempting to slip into the barrier.
So long as Twi was next to him, and safe, Twa would be able to infiltrate the enemy lines and cause much trouble without any worry for deletion. So long as one survived, he had the source data necessary to recreate the other.
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Post by Blazewind on Aug 28, 2018 16:46:09 GMT -8
"Well well. It's been some time since I've seen that insignia." Legacy observed the spectacle from a nearby building. It hadn't taken him long to spot the bright red WWW, even at a long distance. Silently, his optics continued to scan over the fleet, confirming that they all flew under one banner.
He was never one for heroics. Even if World Three succeeded in leveling the area, it didn't exactly affect Legacy on a personal level. Still, he had to admit, he was curious about what suddenly brought them out of the skunk-works. From what he understood, there was a bit of a global stalemate going on. Perhaps they were so sure of themselves that they decided a brazen approach wasn't a problem? Where had they even built up such an arsenal? So many questions.
He was prepared to leave the area, seeing a salvo of artillery fire heading towards his near vicinity. Even if they didn't strike him directly, that could of gunfire couldn't be laughed off if they hit anything around him... Not that he couldn't deal with it. Fortunately however, the problem took care of itself.
"Hoh, that's quite something." Legacy remarked, watching the shells largely stopped by a wall of water. A dramatic showing, but certainly effective. Still, another question was raised: The nature of that barrier. The fact that the barrier withstood the attack would have been fairly impressive, but there seemed to be more about it than a mere wall. It piqued Legacy's curiosity.
"How interesting... Orbital Familiars." Legacy uttered as a set of eight small spheres, no larger than the size of a baseball detached themselves from the armor on his spine. Before hitting the floor, each sprouted a set of bat-like wings, and also opened to reveal an array of beam guns and sensors."Optic Transmission Link... Established. Go." He pointed at their destination, sending them flying towards the barrier at high speed. Their diminutive size stopped them from doing fatal damage on something the scale of a battle ship, but they would make a perfect way to gather information while the others engaged in battle.
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