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Post by Gaia on Dec 22, 2020 9:29:35 GMT -8
Vanguard.EXE
Vanguard turned the corner and saw the carnage, first. The signs were unmistakable - powerful, brute force smashed through some of those present, and others were dismantled by explosive measures. As Genesis rounded the corner, it seemed that he at least recognized the work done - he lingered a little too long on the details, and made it clear that he saw a connection.
"I take it you recognize this handiwork?" Vanguard asked simply, as Genesis directed his attention to the imprisoned preon. The surrounding debris did not interest him as much as they did Genesis, but he did look beyond the corridor on either side to see what else may have been easily missed among the wreckage. He left the door to Genesis' more than capable strength, and began piecing through the rubble, peering through the piles of trash with his keen vision to see if other jewels or hints about their situation could be found.
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Post by xoDeathy on Dec 25, 2020 6:16:33 GMT -8
Now that Genesis was the one preoccupied, Rosary looked around curiously. She saw many things. She knew many things. She.. was bored.
"Vanguarderino, how much longer till we outta here? I got people waiting for me."
As Genesis decided to play with the door, Rosary decided to sit down to take a breather.
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Post by Raven8 on Jan 4, 2021 20:46:48 GMT -8
Genesis successfully downloads a large amount of data from the debris pile, but nothing seems particularly standout among the bits and pieces. His attack against the cell gate is also successful, as it blows apart the lock and allows the cell door to fly open with a squeak. The preon immediately springs to life and begins hopping out the gate, past Genesis, and towards the large door, bringing the total up to four.
Meanwhile, two other preons hop down through the broken elevator shaft and make their way towards the door. However, they both stop as they reach Faith, one on either side of the human-Navi.
Preons: INTRUDER!
The preons then begin to poke Faith with their spike-like hands, not relenting as they seem to completely forget about their apparent mission.
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Post by Genesis on Jan 5, 2021 0:10:27 GMT -8
*This time it was relatively successful. While he didn't get anything impressive from what he gathered, he would be able to use a fair bit of it for later intentions at the very least. As for Vanguard's question after he had ignored Rosary before, he did have an answer, albeit one that he had to consider for a moment after he began.*
"It's certainly reminiscent of an... what do I refer to him as at this point? ...A bother. It's reminiscent of a long term bother that I know. He's a force to be reckoned with in his own right."
*They weren't friends or rivals or acquaintances. What they knew of each other wasn't much aside from the talent the other posessed. They weren't enemies as Genesis only had a select group that were labelled strictly as such until a few stood out from that large mass. And then there was the category of those whose existence couldn't be tolerated. So in short, he was a bother that he had yet to settle things with and that was very largely secondary compared to his direct goal right now. Even then he didn't have an idea of where to even begin on that one, something he would start to formulate after they got out of here first as he started to make his move.*
"Nothing here that isn't us or the warden could slow him down, so let's get a move on."
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Post by Gaia on Jan 5, 2021 6:13:55 GMT -8
Vanguard.EXE
He turned to address Rosary, first, still abhorring the nicknames that she generated for him seemingly on command. "We don't know how much longer, Rosary; although, the majority of the preons are gathered, and I am certain Mistair will have us a way out without the missing preon by now."
Vanguard listened to Genesis' explanation of the 'bother,' and how he insisted that the bother was very likely still active. While these thoughts were not shared, Vanguard, too, understood the difference between a bother, an enemy, and one whose existence could not be tolerated. It was what made this entire situation feel so fraught and uncertain, because those very same lines seemed to switch up on Vanguard with every step. While he initially joined the Reaverkings on a selfish search for power and advancement, he felt that he had forged true bonds of some manner with them in his time, and now that they were pit against one another? What did War's Apprentice have to show for his efforts, now?
A broken eye and a very confused state of mind, not to mention the constant flux in power he witnessed from the gathered enemy force. It was still a puzzle that he was putting together, and it frustrated him that it was so elusive and yet so plain at the same time. He couldn't rest on these thoughts for too long; they infuriated him.
Instead, he began retracing his steps, using his memory of the map to walk back down the corridor, towards the elevator shaft, and fall through to head back towards Mistair, Faith, and Centurion.
Centurion.EXE
Centurion hummed within Faith's hand as the Preon approached, sparking with electrical energy. He understood enough to know that the Preon was important to progressing, but he also did not want it to get any certain ideas about the Lady Nymphra. He had long been quiet, but it seemed this act alone was enough to prompt him into activity. While harmless, he began wreathing Faith's form with a cloak of electricity to surround her, the black and white bolts arcing back and forth across her body to dissuade the Preon from its distraction and back towards its directive.
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Post by Warrior on Jan 5, 2021 7:25:21 GMT -8
#s://i~imgur~com/stQVi94~png Mistair remained silent; perhaps she was too preoccupied after all.
" Yeah, I'm not feeling too talkative either. "
She didn't sound bothered in the slightest; this even presented her with the opportunity to discretely dispose of Genesis' ethereal sword that he had thrown at her earlier.
Stepping away from the wall and behind Mistair, Faith used some spare fingers of the sword-wielding hand to remove the blade of her dagger as if it were a sheathe. Underneath it was revealed to be... well, something Mistair certainly couldn't see with her back turned, much less anyone else since they were much deeper into the complex by now. But whatever it was, Faith began slowly "stabbing" the ethereal sword into it, as if pressing a stack of papers into a shredder, until it was fully absorbed or inserted into "whatever it was".
When she reattached the glorified sheathe that was the dagger's blade, it seemed completely unchanged; no sound really emitted from the whole process either.
" So! You and Vanguard, huh? "
She was talkative again rather quickly, it would seem. She definitely picked up on the subtle hints between the aforementioned persons, but to be fair, subtlety itself spoke in volumes.
Her prodding was interrupted by a more literal kind of prodding as the two new arrivals bestowed upon her blessings of sharp pokes. The preons were endearing to her at first, as they came hopping toward her seemingly harmlessly, but that quickly changed when they swapped focus and went to town with their spike-like hands.
With one of her legs, she placed her foot on the "forehead" of one of the preons and used the length of that leg to keep herself out of its arms' reach while she used her own arms to try and force the other preon's hands into the keyholes on the door like the others had been seen to do previously, mostly to determine if it would still be able to flip the switch even while they were set to attack-mode.
Naturally, it's twin would be following suit if that worked.
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Post by xoDeathy on Jan 5, 2021 20:56:20 GMT -8
"Aw, that's a shame."
With that, Rosary playfully followed Vanguard as he lead her back to the others.
"Hey what if we never make it out of here? Wouldn't that be upsetting? I'd miss my date, my sweet sweet Inori, there would be a bunch I'd miss out on! Tho, as long as my friends would be able to move on and be happy, I guess it wouldn't be all bad! Isn't that right Vango?"
Whether this harassment was a hate crime against Vanguards or out of boredom from not being able to relentlessly punch something within the last 24 hours, well, who knows. The answer just may be obvious
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Post by Raven8 on Jan 17, 2021 9:19:45 GMT -8
The Preons try to continue poking Faith for some unknown reason, but prove to be less than strong enough to stop her attempts to manipulate their positions. They are successfully registered, and take their place next to the others. Meanwhile, back at the elevators, a single Preon emerges from the empty shaft... in a less than pleasant manner. With a metallic crash, the small, round guard face-plants onto the top of a hanging elevator and crashes through the ceiling. There the little guard lays lifeless and surrounded by rubble, obviously knocked unconscious by the impact.
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Post by Warrior on Jan 18, 2021 4:06:08 GMT -8
#s://i~imgur~com/stQVi94~png " Well, glad that worked. "
She did like them better when they stood there calmly. The loud crash near the elevator echoed in the hallways and caught her attention, making her turn her head to see what had caused it.
" Hmm... "
The unconscious preon was too far out of sight, though, so it was just up to her imagination to tell her what it was at this point. The others had been gone for a while, and any sound of damage in this possibly declining underwater facility was enough to cause worry.
" I'm going to check that out, Mistair. Don't have too much fun without me. "
And what an exciting time they had spent together, too -- to think that it was being interrupted was just heartwrenching. From Mistair's perspective, it was probably a fortunate outcome that this freed her from Faith's otherwise ensuing attempts at small talk.
" That goes for you too, Centurion. "
He was still in Mistair's possession since the whole exchange with the second preon, but she'd be lying if she said that his weapon-form didn't cause her to neglect giving him much attention before this. With her quips out of the way, then, she made her way to the elevator shaft to where the clumsy preon had landed -- but assuming it was just another casualty alongside the other carcasses she'd passed, she kept on going until she crossed paths with Vanguard and Rosary, noting their fine conditions as she waved during her passing by, and eventually proceeded to catching up with Genesis to finish up on her self-assigned status report of the group.
All were present and accounted for, and seemed quite fine for that matter.
(Faith -> Genesis' location)
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Post by Gaia on Jan 22, 2021 12:52:39 GMT -8
Vanguard.EXE
Vanguard listened to Rosary (what more could his keen senses be forced to do, right then?) and was only all too relieved to see Faith walking towards them. He nodded his head to respond to her coming by, and moved to make it easier for her to come through the corridor between him and Rosary. As he moved, he stooped down by the collapsed and motionless Preon. He had heard it fall and knew what it was, their last missing piece, and picked it up to attempt carrying it back towards the door.
He wasn't much of a pessimist, but he couldn't deny that he had pointedly ignored Rosary's question in part due to the memories of what had happened. He didn't want to consider a world where they never made it out of this prison, back to those that were counting on them, but also didn't have any real plans for what to do about the ever-impending threat once they were out. The goal of what had been done was to crush their morale entirely, but it had to have another purpose - what was it that Rosso had said? This is the last time I play by his rules. Even if he was mostly unconscious by this time, Vanguard remembered those words, and yet even now he was struggling to come to terms with it all. Everything had an ulterior motive, no plan was done haphazardly, but why were they left alive? What more did they plan to do? What insights were they hoping they would receive from their time with Silverhorn?
Why would they stage whatever event was going on to let them be free, and just what was their escape doing to play into their hands?
He also couldn't help but stay quiet whenever he considered the name of the date that Rosary was looking forward to. He remembered that name from a news report that had been broadcast and knew that it may very well be a dangerous thing to bring up that conversation right now. If that was motivating Rosary to get out of here, then he would hate to see what would become of her if that was taken from her.
Vanguard took a deep breath, heaving up his strength, as he attempted to bring the Preon to the door to complete this mission of theirs, once again keeping all of his thoughts to himself.
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Post by Genesis on Jan 25, 2021 20:20:57 GMT -8
*And that was another one to add to the tally, beaten as it was. Seeing Faith here made it clear enough that she probably had nothing but inactivity over on her end. That was fine seeing as having a clear path to the goal here was more than sufficient enough. With how long this had taken he was given time to consider his next move. In reality there wasn't a way to come after the people he wanted aggressively. It was nothing new to him, so that part hardly brought him despair as he moved to follow Vanguard to finish with the door. Every person he wanted always made it their business to stay as out of sight as they possibly could until they showed up, so he was used to biding his time. The Armored Destroyer, Caliga, and even now with Rosso, Nero, and whoever else worked with them. They always would hide after their bare-successes. While the previous two could be looked upon that way, the latter two was an overwhelming defeat. With nothing gained from the venture, he was no closer to defeating them than he was the next time if he encountered them immediately. So he would have to consider what to do after getting out of here. Sharo had signs of them being active, so attacking Sharo, much like Netopia, would lead to results. But attacking it now would be pointless given the results from last time. ...Was the option they veered away from to come to Sharo in the first place the next possible move then? But what would that accomplish?*
"Hm."
*This was his latest issue. The solution he came to for all his old problems would often entail growing himself and dealing with whatever he wanted. That was probably still the case here, but with a lot more restrictions than he usually had to contend with. It didn't deter him in the least as much as it made him aware that he should be cautious now and again. It had been a long time since he had to be completely wary of what he was up against. It wasn't as though he were reckless as much as he was aware that there was nothing that could halt him as much as he had been in recent events. Everything he had and was had been accomplished through effort or someone forcing something upon him. He had lost the curse forced on Fate with her missing now, which was fine by his own regards, but getting her back was imperative. Then like he did in the past he would have to grow himself as he always did whenever he needed more power. He only ever had himself to rely upon in the past for that and no outside avenues, this was still the same as every time before this. The more he convinced himself of this, the less he had to worry about.*
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Post by xoDeathy on Jan 31, 2021 7:34:45 GMT -8
"Hm.."
Everyone was doing a lot of thinking. Serious thinking. Rosary could tell. They were all probably hungry and really couldn't wait to eat. Or maybe they were jealous she has a date and they don't? Nah couldn't be it, she was stood up. Hungry is what its gotta be then. When she gets outta here she'll hit up the flower shop. Inori's friends would be more than happy to make a nice hot meal for everyone. In the meantime she continued to follow Vanguard to the goal and tried to think of more serious stuff to make her seem like the cool beauty of the group.
Mr. Warden seemed on edge lately. More than usual! He's always so high spirited, well except when he was nearby Rosary but it's less than usual. Maybe he knew what would happen.. or maybe he was also hungry! He probably went up to the surface to get some food he will probably be back soon. What if he actually got pizza for the rest of us?! Mmm.. pizza...
As they reach the door, Rosary chills against the wall with a stupid, fulfilled smile on her face
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Post by Raven8 on Feb 17, 2021 18:18:04 GMT -8
It was finally time to bring this side-quest to a close.
Vanguard brings the final Preon to the doorway and forces its spiked arm into the hole, causing the last lock to disengage. Slowly, the door slides open with a burst of hot air, as the scene slowly comes into view. The interrogation room, still shadowed with the exception of the dim, central light, is now battle-scarred and damaged. Craters and scorch marks litter the area, and tell the tale of a battle that had gone on for some time. As the doors open farther, the final throws of this battle can at last be seen. Standing near the back of the room is the warden, Silverhorn, and in his massive, metal hands is the obviously battered form of a Navi that would be familiar to some for various reasons. His armor cracked and battered, and a dim "W" shining on his helmet, the form of the nameless Armored Destroyer even now struggles against Silverhorn's might, yet the warden's power proves far too much to overcome.
Seeing the door open, Silverhorn steps into the light. While his armor has some scorch marks, he seems largely unharmed. His titanic form casts a shadow over the party that now meets him as he speaks out through the shaded room with his gruff, booming voice;
Silverhorn: Aah, you're all safe. Wonderful, I'd worried that this one had deleted you in your weakened state.
Silverhorn holds up the Destroyer, who even now continues to struggle against the grip of the behemoth.
Silverhorn: Thank you for coming to give me your aid. In appreciation, I'll immediately inquire about having you all released from this place as soon as possible.
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Post by Genesis on Feb 17, 2021 19:15:25 GMT -8
*Looks like this was the final push after all. And seeing the room now it was clear that a fight had taken place for some time. It made sense for this to be the case as engagements against the Armored Destroyer were many things, but brief was not one of them in almost every situation that an encounter had occurred. That being said, it looked as though the outcome of the fight had gone differently than he would have expected, causing him to reassess the Warden himself. It was good of him to not immediately begin attacking when he first arrived due to keeping his outward composure well in check.*
"Destroyer though he may be, he would be out of luck if he was trying to delete me."
*This was discounting his own failed attempts at the very same treatment to the very same Armored Destroyer. It hadn't exactly ended with him succeeding in his attempts, but the time that the Destroyer was taken by the ONB due in part to struggling against Rikaru and then getting taken by Xeel was a stark contrast between the two of them. She may have been an accomplished bounty hunter, but there wasn't a time she'd be able to take him down whether he was weakened or not after fighting something else. While it could be said that both had ended up in a prison now, the circumstances behind them were vastly different. So he was still confident that the next time they would be trading blows, later rather than sooner given priorities, he would bring about a decisive conclusion so long as another outside interruption didn't occur. ...That was very likely to occur in their world, however. Either way... the tone in his voice changed from its usual calm to a somewhat aggressive undertone. His intentions were to be made plain now.*
"As soon as possible would be now, seeing as we are already out and about. I don't have time to stay hospitable anymore."
*Being delayed like this had been fine at first, as it gave him time to sit down and think. His options were limited when he arrived and limited even still, but he at least got to consider things while he was forced to sit here. And he had come up with his next step, whether it was a good or bad one. Working with the hand that was dealt after all. And the first step toward that was getting out of here now that they had gone to the trouble of that fetch quest all on its own. So whether or not the Destroyer was still in range of him pressing past the last obstacle to that wasn't an issue for him one way or the other.*
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Post by Raven8 on Feb 17, 2021 19:52:24 GMT -8
Silverhorn takes an additional step forward at Genesis' challenge, looking down at the the Overlord in silence for a moment. His eyes gaze with a tense stare, unblinking as the moment seems to stretch on for an eternity. And then his voice, always calm and thoughtful, bellows out once again.
Silverhorn: You don't seem to understand.
Silverhorn's understanding voice is now laced with malice and booming with a powerful arrogance, as evidenced by the slight laugh in his tone. At this, he lifts the Armored Destroyer, whose face suddenly turns to shock and worry, level with Genesis.
Silverhorn: The weak ones have no choice, they should just obey the strong ones!
Silverhorn's gigantic, metal hands begin to apply pressure onto the Destroyer's body as he begins to torque and twist. With a painfully slow motion, the sickening cracking of bone and shattering of armor echoes out as Silverhorn rips into the destroyer, severing his right arm with one final twist and yank. The purple-clad Navi screams in pain and tries his best to fight back, flailing desperately as the cruel warden continues his brutal show of cruelty, letting cry another nauseatingly loud crack as the destroyer's left leg follows suit. Now silent and in shock from the damage and pain, the nameless Navi is cast aside thoughtlessly with a laugh while Silverhorn continues to look on with a deep, guttural laugh.
Silverhorn: And now that I've turned him into so much scrap, it's time to deal with the vermin that have been scurrying around my camp.
While Silverhorn speaks, the door to the main room snaps shut, trapping the group in. Then the lights finally turn on in this room. On the outer edges, a river of frigid water silently flows, but soon it's silent no longer. Ports open up on the sides of the room, and a torrent of icy water begins to flood into the prison and travel along the river, where it falls into the floors below. The room grows cold, and the only thing louder than the rushing waters is the laugh of Silverhorn as he looks on.
Silverhorn [17,000/17,000]: Soon this entire prison will be taken by the waves of the abyss that is the Sharo ocean. The pressure will crush your bodies into nothing, and nothing will be able to save you. Make your peace now, because this is where you all die.
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