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Post by Xypher on Jan 8, 2023 10:25:25 GMT -8
"The gift of words, huh?"
Merrill smiled while stroking the non-existent hair on his chin. So much to think about, so much to learn. No time, as usual.
"Aye. Plenty of hot-headed folks out there. Everyone always choosing power or strength, instead of choosing to talk and communicate. I'm not a betting man, but I bet much destruction could be avoided by talking and communicating."
He sighed, scratching his head and looking down.
"I will keep your words in mind, Dynamo. I appreciate it. I will reach out once things have calmed down about that Job I have."
He bowed as Dynamo spoke and offered the other areas and brought up the destroyer of Creamland.
"Aye. Not my intention to."
He raised a finger before continuing.
"Whoever did this will have to repent, in some fashion. There is always judgement for life taken... And it Scales with the amount of lives..."
He then turned to face Joker as the giant Wizard spoke to him. He recognized the seriousness of the situation.
"Great.. If other areas are this dangerous..."
He let out a tired sigh.
"Alright. A mission in Electopia eh?"
Merrill turned to look at Dynamo.
"Again, I appreciate your company. It has been a pleasure. I'll let you get back to your own mission of helping others. If you find survivors or people in need of healing/help, let me know."
It was already likely that Dynamo knew some things about him, and it wasn't like the knowledge of a healer was too important if he didn't.
Turning back to Joker and Ace, he nodded.
"Before we go, Give me a minute to top off."
Without waiting on a response, he jumped up, causing a small cloud of dust as he went towards a nearby spot from damaged rubble. He sat in the sun, and assumed a meditative pose. Light expanded outward in a large circle...
****************************************************
In the Soulspace, everyone listened to Apollon speak. But before anyone else spoke out, Merrill spoke first.
"Just because you were created for destruction and rulership, does not mean you don't have the ability to think and make decisions for yourself. I respect that you believe in your mission, but you have the ability and capacity to grow beyond a mission."
He gave a small smile.
"As you have seen through me, growth is a possibility. you have seen the changes that Joker has made. From just an "advanced computer" to more. He's begun to evolve beyond his programming."
He sat down, and began meditation. A tendril of light emanated upward and spread out. His one eye opened and he looked at Apollon
"I will say, I have never met your mother and cannot make any... judgements? or assumptions, for lack of better words, of her character. So I mean no disrespect. Let us be clear on that."
He shut his eyes, increasing the focus.
"You can reach out and feel through the energy. Lets see if we can quickly search this area... I can understand your curiosity and relate, Apollon. I am willing to work together."
Death instantly reached out and placed his intent in, looking to feel and follow a path of the destruction with a signature similar to the one from the sun god next to him...
**************************************************
To everyone else, Merrill's energy field looked and felt like he was absorbing energy. The added bonus for effect that he was showing off, however, that was near the base of the rubble on the ground, one could tell that through the destruction, life was there. The destroyed grass was slowly repairing/returning towards being healthy, and where there was desolation, grass and other signs of life began to show.
The energy would pass through the group for a split second. Within that moment, Merrill and Life deftly hid a scan to scan everything in the path, that would be undetectable to those without an affinity for life.
Death used a path below to hide his own trace and began his search underground, and gave way for Apollon to join... should the stubborn god choose to do so.
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Post by Gaia on Jan 8, 2023 12:47:49 GMT -8
#s://cdn~discordapp~com/attachments/858178610224562196/1049866352405532782/JokerAcidCard~png
Hearing Merrill agree with Dynamo surprised Joker in a way he didn't quite expect, but then Merrill went on to say the very same things that Warrior had first said to him; the opportunity to make up for the harm that he had done still existed.
Neither of the two knew the full story, however. They heard the answer he was willing to give and made assumptions about the rest. He wasn't ready to fully admit what had happened, here, but, staring down Dynamo, he knew, in his heart, that Dynamo knew what had happened. What was Dynamo trying to do, then?
As Merrill moved off, Ace went looking around on his own, more than able to fend for himself if something were to show up. Always the adventurous type, he at least gave Joker the space to look down at Dynamo on his own for a moment.
". . . You search for things at other people's behest, and you know much. You have a way with words that allows you to get what you want done without having to hurt anyone. It seems too good to be true; to be able to accomplish all of your goals without harming anyone in the process. It doesn't seem possible.
"Why are you doing this? What are you really here for?" he asks pretty plainly, his voice low, glaring down at Dynamo.
Apollon was tired of entertaining this set of baser creatures. Were he able to absorb more energy, he could awaken, here, but Merrill was controlling it all too well. This infuriated him, in truth, but as Merrill opened himself up to the energy in the space around him, information flooded into Merrill's understanding of different energies. It was useful, to be sure . . .
[smear:FF5555]
. . . My power is not currently here, but it was used, here. Should it return, I will warn you in advance . . . if you wish to survive such an encounter, you will submit.
. . . The human is detestable. I wish to see them destroyed.
[/smear:ffff66]
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Post by Genesis on Jan 8, 2023 17:13:52 GMT -8
*Someone seemed like they were getting upset about what he was talking about. Had he said anything to offend him here? It looked like they had made themselves a plan to get out of here and make way for Element City. Merrill was taking care of something for a minute, and given his mission of helping others here, it stood to reason that Joker doubted that very notion. In a way, he couldn't blame the giant if one looked at it from his own dealings with the world. But the world was a pretty big place, and often times you just had to look past the pond you lived in to start seeing how others swam in it.*
"Well, one word of advice is that trying to intimidate others usually has a way of not getting the real answer from someone. But I'm a nice guy, so since you asked in such a straightforward manner I can answer in an equally straightforward manner."
*After all, it probably didn't hurt to be straightforward with Joker here. Far as he could tell, he was able to calculate things more directly when you told him it for what it was. He would point up to Merrill, though kept his eyes on Joker in the event the glaring him down devolved into more aggressive things. They could avoid that here of course as always, but it didn't hurt to be mindful of the things that were consistent.*
"For starters, despite the disbelief, I haven't told a single lie here. I haven't once had to hurt anyone to get my jobs done. My reasons for doing it have been the same as always; my job. I receive the proper payment and I go and give it my best efforts to see the job done. And what I'm really here for is helping people just like I said. I found the survivors, and now I just need to defuse the bomb that Merrill has inside of him. Now before you get belligerent, there's plenty of reason to believe this is the case. And there's no reason to dismiss it without at least getting proper confirmation, right?"
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Post by Gaia on Jan 8, 2023 17:31:12 GMT -8
#s://cdn~discordapp~com/attachments/858178610224562196/1049866352405532782/JokerAcidCard~png
Joker kept his eyes firmly on Dynamo, and noticed that Dynamo kept his eyes on him. The two were staring each other down, Joker because he didn't trust Dynamo to be able to do what he said, and Dynamo because he expected Joker at any moment to follow usual procedure and begin attempting to destroy Dynamo. It wasn't an unfair assessment of Joker's habits, however unfortunate that may be, but Joker felt more and more justified in his assessments each time he came across someone that meant him or his fellows harm.
Thinking of Dynamo's words, Joker considered what he had done, here, and tried to reason whether or not there were any survivors. The only ones that would've made it off were the ones that jumped from the islands, but the radiation that followed should've done them in, as well. Nothing should've survived . . . or, he supposed, it was more accurate to say that nothing should have survived pleasantly.
He wasn't sure how that realization made him feel, but didn't comment on his knowledge of those events to try and contradict Dynamo. What he said next is what caught his attention far more. He followed the finger to Merrill, looking at him, and narrowed his gaze. Merrill . . .
He furrowed his brow and clenched his jaw. Energy began to roil off of him in response to the shift in his mood, as he realized that Dynamow as right. He had just seen it - Falzar, a creature that was in the holding of the NIA, which was obviously somehow involved in all of this by now, had been outfitted with a bomb to contend with Forte. Merrill had absorbed Pandemic, of which there was little to be known aside from the fact that it was encountered in a strange space unlike the Net at large. That could only mean it was somehow connected to everything else on a much larger scale, but how, Joker had yet to connect.
Even he had been turned into a bomb, then. He looked back at Dynamo, his brow still furrowed. "No. I believe you. I am not, however, in a position to trust you. How do I know what you intend to do will not bring harm to Merrill?"
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Post by Genesis on Jan 8, 2023 18:17:35 GMT -8
*It was nice to see that they were on the same page. Of course, after everything it made it perfectly clear that he wasn't in a position to just offer his trust out to just anyone. Especially not to someone he met for the first time who was here because someone else hired him to be. Though that was a matter all its own as well, all he could offer up there was his own take on the matter.*
"That's a good reason to doubt me! Unfortunately, I got nothin' to persuade ya on that matter. I don't know the manner of how it works, and the guy who asked me to pick him up before it bit you all in the behind later would have to be the one to figure that out. All I got is that harming him wouldn't be the first option."
*After all, it was never the intent to do any harm here as much as it was to do what he said right from the start. The objective was helping people, and this one to help in the long term. If they ignored it now, which they could, they would rightfully deserve whatever harvest was reaped from the crops grown in the neglect. Things were sort of dire for them to take their usual approach on things, which would have been for them to ignore it if the past was any indicator.*
"Other than that, the best I've got for ya is that wearing an explosive collar that has either potentially a remote detonator or a timer is harmful in and of itself."
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Post by Xypher on Jan 11, 2023 11:39:46 GMT -8
Merrill continued to mediate...
****************************************************************
The sudden sensation of the extra information was a surprise, but instantly appreciated. Information about wave beings, and enhancements to his senses...
"Well, that is very helpful. The knowledge is appreciated."
He was quiet for a moment. He opened one eye and looked at Apollon
"Is that part of your program too? To detest humans? Or is that just due to the fact there are those that don't bow to your mother?"
He sat straight, doing his best to adjust to the new knowledge all at once. The crystal on his forehead gently pulled. He took steady breaths.
"I appreciate the assistance. The universe is a vast place. I admit that there is plenty of things that I don't know about. Considering some of the beings I have met in the past, I can imagine that there are even more that we don't know about that are even stronger."
To him, he knew that at this point, to continue to grow and get stronger was the only way to survive. He didn't want to admit it, or admit that Grom wasn't wrong in the path beings had chosen to use as the determination factor.
"I will get stronger... No... We will. Strong enough to help alter the course of the future to be a better one..."
He kept his eye on Apollon, but Death would also feel his comment directed at him, too.
"I know you don't respect me, nor care to. I accept that. That is fine for now. But just watch... I will surpass your expectations... besides, I know you don't want to prove one of those "Detestable Humans" right, do you?"
He smiled slightly.
"Alright. Lets try this again..."
He resumed his meditation.
****************************************************************
As the knowledge he acquired from Apollon began circulating, he didn't disrupt his little show. Instead, he increased the size, and increased the light, sending a pulse again through, this time accounting for the new knowledge. However, one thing he immediately picked up on was Joker's frustration. It bled out of him, compounded by the angry wave of energy he emitted.
Merrill sighed, but managed to see through the new flow that Joker and Dynamo were having some kind of "discussion. But when Dynamo raised his arm and pointed at him, Merrill had a sudden idea what they were discussing.
"Interesting... That tells me a few things."
He continued to delay, hoping the newfound scan could help them. He hoped that Joker wouldn't start a fight with Dynamo.
He still had his own part to play yet. Based on what he knew and could guess, they needed to stay here a bit longer...
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Post by xoDeathy on Jan 11, 2023 22:10:45 GMT -8
To: Merrill From: Lalonia
Title: RE: Are you safe? Body: Merrill, Im okay! I somehow ended up in Velvet Town, over in Electopia. Where are you?? Is everyone else okay?? I'm currently here with a Navi who knows me in some regard, but I've never met her before. Stay safe please!!
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Post by Xypher on Jan 12, 2023 19:48:13 GMT -8
While meditating, the surprising ping sound brought Merrill back into focus. Doing his best to hide a smile, he saw who it was and opened it quickly. With a sigh of relief, he quickly muttered to himself and responded.
"Thank goodness. I was so worried..."
To: Lalonia From: Merrill Title: RE: Are you safe? Body: Aye. I'm alright. In Creamland where we met Joker. Situation is questionable, but so far have avoided confrontation. I am with Joker, the group has been separated, yet again. Please be VERY careful... Let us try and reunite soon. I hope that this person you met is good and can assist you.
He considered typing more, and paused. He began typing, only to delete it moments later. He sighed, sent it off, and resumed meditating.
*******************************************************************
Meanwhile, Death chuckled, clearly enjoying the boy's struggles.
Life carried a gentle smile.
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Post by Raven8 on Jan 14, 2023 14:18:01 GMT -8
...and then a sound rises above the commotion. Loud and forceful, it explodes out from a distance and is on its way towards the group at a surprisingly quick pace. Before long, it breaks the light of day, and once again releases its battle cry that pierces the very souls of those in the area;
A horn played to the tune of "la cucaracha".
Within moments, a large, green van drives up from who knows where, speeding towards the group as if it has a death wish. It focuses very clearly on Joker as it careens towards him, before coming to a screeching halt next to the group. This is when the large, sliding door on the side opens and reveals several familiar Navis who disembark moments later.
Edge: Alright kids, I'll be back around 9:00 to pick you up for Pizza Hut, so be sure to be good and mind the other Navis' moms. Don't talk to strangers, and remember that I'll have my cellphone, so call if anything happens. Love you!
With that, the van takes off and leaves the Navis with the group, speeding off over the horizon with another resounding encore of la cucaracha.
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Post by Mega on Jan 14, 2023 14:46:27 GMT -8
Before the van...
Steve emerged from his little cardboard house somewhere within the Undernet- because where else was a clueless and oblivious little guy with no semblance of understanding what was going on in the bigger world going to be? The only other suitable place for one such as he would be under a rock... but there was already a Pink Heel navi living there. So instead he lived in a simple and humble cardboard box which was actually more spacious once you went inside. Cyberspace was weird. ANYWAY! Steve went to go get his 'totally legally acquired' newspaper when suddenly... a green van appeared out of nowhere and before he had the chance to say hello, he was tossed into the back. Oh noes! He was being Stevenapped... again!
And now back to our regular scheduled programming!
Steve would shoot out of the darkness like a bottle cap after the plastic bottle was twisted too much, landing face first with a honk-sound... no idea where he was other than he was not where he was before. Where was this? Why was he here? Oh noes! Did he leave the oven on?! Oh well, if he did there were Scorching Steves in the neighborhood who would enjoy it.
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Post by Wackoguy on Jan 14, 2023 15:50:11 GMT -8
One of the navis who emerged from the van, bearing an emblem with several glass-like gems in the center of his chest that formed an emblem, stretched both white-gloved hands heavenward for a moment. It felt like he'd been off somewhere for far too long, as was apparent by a few accompanying popping sounds.
Lowering his arms, the dark-skinned navi realized he'd have to thank their driver (and savior) later, if they crossed paths again.
Glassman's tangerine-colored irises then skimmed the area for a bit , taking note of the amazing oceanside view as well as the others there, a truly stark contrast with the last scene he remembered. Almost instinctively, he waved at them in greeting.
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Post by Genesis on Jan 15, 2023 2:13:52 GMT -8
*Joker definitely was contemplating if he should still do what he was probably building a reputation for now. Others would no doubt be unnerved by the sudden music that was blaring loudly across the desolated landscape, but Dynamo of all people still let out a lighthearted laughter at it. Especially when he saw that it was Edge who dropped them off here of all places and then went about his business. And to respond to Glassman he offered up a wave back. Suppose it only made sense they came to the place that looked to be the most peaceful oceanside view around. So long as you ignored everything else, which was pretty easy actually if you just looked the other way.*
"So, what's it gonna be? Leave him in the dark and let him walk into anything he wants unaware of the risks while you're fully aware of them after you were so pressed to get answers?"
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Post by Gaia on Jan 16, 2023 11:41:10 GMT -8
#s://cdn~discordapp~com/attachments/858178610224562196/1049866352405532782/JokerAcidCard~png
Joker was evidently in hard contemplation after hearing from Dynamo, looking over at Merrill and considering what he knew, all the while his clenched fists were gripped tighter. There was no good way to approach this situation, he knew, but he had to do this carefully. Merrill's life was on the line.
He turned to look back at Dynamo, for now ignoring the arrival of the others - he had much on his mind, too much to give them any heed, to say nothing of what he wanted to do to the bunch from Dynamo's assumptions. "I need to know who hired you," Joker finally said, turning his attention back to Dynamo. "You have been bluntly honest with me thus far. If you can honestly tell me a name, I can allow you to move forward. If not, I will ask you to tell me how you intend to disable the bomb, and I will do so myself."
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Post by xoDeathy on Jan 16, 2023 18:27:32 GMT -8
To: Merrill From: Lalonia Title: RE: RE: RE: Are you safe? Creamland? Didn't Creamland suffer severe casualties? I think you need to be more careful than I, haha. I'll keep you updated on the findings of my meeting with this Navi
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Post by Genesis on Jan 16, 2023 23:26:47 GMT -8
*He raised his hands, offering up the peaceful signs of surrender for that cause. Though he had to admit that there was a surprising detail here. He hadn't taken Joker for the surgical type. His knack for headbanging of all varieties worked wonders after all. They could get to the next step beyond the posturing then.*
"Normally I'd be down to spill the beans, but client confidentiality and all that stuff that we professionals have to do. I'll tell you how to disable the bomb instead. First you find a way to isolate and contain what's going to happen in the event you cut the wrong wire. Or skip this step and take yourself, him, and everyone else including me with you. Do you have that on you by any chance? If not, I can just lend you my tools for the job and let you take it from there so there's no funny business. Just put it on his chest and activate it and it should at least buy us the time we need to get to work."
*He would reach behind him and pull out a device, small enough to fit in the palm of the hand. Of course, it was rather obvious Joker would be found lacking in any tools to isolate an otherwise unknown problem, and the next logical step would be to presume that Dynamo should be no different. But his measure was mentioned to be serving as a stopgap measure to buy them time. To which end the next logical step would be to find out whether his device was needed or if Joker could finagle one of his own. Recent events would also be more willing to reveal that, if looked at more closely, that Joker's odds of success might not be in their best interest to gamble now given the revelations he had before about what happened to the space he resided in before this all began.*
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