5869/MISC: Seeker

MISC: Seeker
Date of Scene:	10 June 2018
Location:	The System - Locus
Synopsis:	The mystical Viral criminal Seeker has been sighted in Locus. Various news feeds are already blowing her presence out of proportion on supposition of what she is after in the City of Magic.
Cast of Characters:	Lexicon, 6384, Deelel, 1103

---

Lexicon has posed:
    The mystical Drive of the System, the magical city of Locus in all its fantastic, rustic grandeur. With the floating islands and bridges, it's rather easy to get lost in wonder here. But that's not the job for today.

    There is a section of the city separate from the main district, connected by a single arcing bridge. Mosty home to trees, the only architecture is a tower-like structure with a rotating mechanism at the top. If one were to squint, it might resemble a telescope or observatory, with various brass rings oriented around the top, each one mounting a series of lenses at key points. These all seem to focus light into the tower top.

    The resource pathways, those glowing rainbow-tinted lines that are so prevalent throughout Locus, are also quite dense across the bridge, feeding into the structure's base.

    A pale-skinned woman and a healthier looking blonde appear to be engaged in a conversation with some Locus guardsmen. But it's someone on the opposite side of the bridge who's called for assistance. A copper-topped girl in white and blue, sporting a distinctive crown-shaped hairclip, observes the exchange through a pair of red binoculars. With a frown she lowers them. The spyglass is given a twirl, folding back into a communicator, and she taps in an alert, "This is Carta, with Operations Log. I've got a real scoop west of the Lower Hertz district, but it's lookin' real sour. Be a doll an' get the DCC's attention for me? In case she's too busy, might wanna get an emergency Guild quest set up, too." ... "Thanks, you're a peach!"

LOC: Locus, West Side Hertz District
SBJ: Suspicious viral activity
OBJ: Investigate and delete or detain any hostile viruses.
CCT: Carta, Operations Log on-site reporter

    "Wow, that was fast," Carta comments, thumbing the alert up on her Guild missions app.

Orchid (6384) has posed:
     Ever since the last one of these, Orchid has been curious about where her spider went. So when the Guild quest went up, flagged with several terms Orchid had been tracking, she was quick to deploy. And, as the locals seem pretty cool with small flight systems, she can go out there on her rocket surfboard, which is much more fun than she usually admits. Wheee!

     Once she gets to where she's going, which is where Carta is, she rolls off the vehicle, stowing it behind her back. About 1/3 of the energy of the device is used up, so she should be good for a while. "So what's going on here?" she asks.

Deelel has posed:
There was more trouble in the System so here she is once more. Even if there was trouble? She was in good spirits. She was welcome in the drives and didn't need to sleep cycle with one eye open here, she was also moving by light cycle. The bike was fast made a strange noise vs anything made by the humans of her world. She will skid to a halt, the craft will turn transparent, then to wireframes then is gone, she snatches the baton putting it on her hip and looks over to Orchid

"Likely more virial activity."

Theurgus (1103) has posed:
    Theurgus was up in her workshop when Charta came flying in like a comet. "Lady Diamond Soul! Something's happening at the Crystal Research Facility!" The little fairy pants, leaning over... when she looks up, there's a dotted outline where the blue-haired DCC was standing. "--- bwuh?"

    A rainbow trail erupts from the central tower on the main island, arcing up and over towards the small research facility. She comes down, landing hard on the same side of the bridge as Carta and the others.

    Meanwhile, the LDF trooper is shaking his head. "I'm afraid there's no access to this facility. I'm going to have to ask you both to leave immediately." He brings his comm unit up. "Possible 5-19 at main gate. Two unknowns, requesting backup."

Lexicon has posed:
    Carta's already pulling up an older news article on her phone when Orchid arrives. Glancing up, she points with her gloved free hand, "Viruses! Looks like one of the Four Felons, and that new face that was sighted in Vector a while back." Glancing back at her phone, the reporter pouts, "How did Studeo even get that scoop ahead of me, her sources over there are super good..."

    Deelel is acknowledged, but it's Theurgus' arrival that really gets her attention, "Lady Diamond Soul--! Oh jeez, good timing..!"

MEANWHILE
    "Aw, really?" The blonde tucks her hands up under her chin, eyes big and round, "Not even a peek? But I heard it's supposed to be super cool inside."

    The less healthy looking half of the duo cradles her chin, staring past the soldier at the structure itself. After a few quiet moments, she turns her head just enough to glance back across the bridge. Eyes narrow.

    "I had hoped to resolve this with a minimum of violence, and therefore, unwanted attention. However," Violet-tinted smoke wafts from her body, solidifying into the black Processor-like equipment she wears. Blade-shaped wings unfold as they appear, fanning out behind her, "It looks like you've managed to delay us to the point where that is now an impossibility."

    "It's time to play, then!" Topaz Soul suddenly grabs on to the soldier obstructing her. Whirling, she throws him towards the gathering of opposition, "You can go hang out with them!" She then snaps her hands out, producing her own weapon-- the clawed gauntlets and stubby Wing processors iconic to herself-- in flashes of digitized light. Beside her, the virus floats upward towards the tower itself.

    "Delay them. I will get what we came for."

Orchid (6384) has posed:
     Looks like things are about to get exciting! After nodding to Deelel, Orchid is forced about half an inch into the air by the impact of Diamond Soul's arrival. "Somehow I doubt this can be resolved eaily," she comments... just in time for one of the guards is thrown at them. Delilah would have some criticisms of the approach being used by the virus; not about avoiding violence, but how that can be achieved. Orchid, on the other hand, is less skilled in stealth. What is she good at? Well, she can provide a relatively soft landing spot for the guard being tossed. "I hope this doesn't hu-" *CRASH* It's less about trying to catch him, so much as breaking his fall, and taking some of the impact herself.

Theurgus (1103) has posed:
    Diamond Soul nods towards Carta, then turns her attention to the pair across the way. Mismatched eyes go wide when the LDF trooper is unceremoniously tossed aside like a ragdoll. He tumbles through the air, lands on Orchid... but the Reploid would find another figure skidding to a stop a few feet away, holding the trooper. "I'll round up more LDF units, Big Sister." says Diamond Sister, Arcana, before setting the shaken trooper down, and darting off again.

    Theurgus nods to Arcana, then to Orchid, before summoning her weapon. "The DCC is mine. The rest of you, try and stop the Virus." she says, twirling her staff and aiming it at Topaz Soul. "If you wish to play. Then I will gladly indulge you!" she calls, lifting off the ground and launching a volley of magical bolts, cycling through elements to see which one does the most damage.

Deelel has posed:
Deelel seems unarmed though there is what seems to be a throwing disc on her back mounted into housing built into her clothing. Orchid reacts to catch the guard before she can move and she quickly has summoned her keyblade. She quicky casts a low level healing spell on both of them then turns her attention to Topaz Soul.

"You functionless null unit!"

Is all she's got to say to Topaz and she'll now be springing into action.

Lexicon has posed:
    The guard's landing is helpfully softened by Orchid. But he served his impromptu purpose as a distraction, with Topaz Soul charging right behind him. At least, she was, until Theurgus' magic throws off her attempt at closing. She responds quickly, throwing her gauntlets up in front of her face and arresting her motion. Spells impact the sturdy casing of her weapons, bursting into flames, ice, and lightning. Topaz Soul bunches her legs up under herself, floating back several paces when Deelel's disc strikes her guarded stance. A piece of metallic code chips off, amidst the elemental conflagration.

    "I'm not Null Unit!" she objects, "I'm Topaz Soul!"

    A disc of code appears beneath her, briefly, and she springs off this like a platform. Weighing on the sudden change in position, she spins at the apex of her jump, then descends upon her rival DCC, one leg extended and wreathed in light.

    "HEARTBREAK KICK!"

    With Topaz Soul so deeply entrenched with the enemy, her companion floats up and back in a gentle arc. A black-handled scythe appears in her outstretched hand, and she sweeps this in wide, lazy arcs. Light left behind gathers into orbs, which scatter from their initial positions into randomly spaced points where they hover, "Swarming Photons."

Orchid (6384) has posed:
     Orchid was expecting the struggle back to her feet to involve more struggle, but instead, "Ah, thank you," she says to Arcana, for helping both the guard and the reploid. She shakes her head, the visor appearing in front of her eyes as she unleashes her spiders, sending the tiny drones across the bridge. They are not trying to engage Topaz Soul, but to find the other miscreant. Orchid's main function is gathering information. Still, there's an outside chance that, knowing where they are going, Orchid's spiders MIGHT be able to beat Seeker there, and be able to weave a sticky web, enough to slow the virus. "Function is overrated," she mutters to herself, having changed her own in the past.

Theurgus (1103) has posed:
    Theurgus was expecting an atteck directly at her. She smoothly sweeps her staff up, and aims to block the kick. But she doesn't tank it like Lexicon or her own little sister would. Instead, she parries, using the momentum and angling her weapon to deflect the kick.

    Fragments of broken code flake off the staff's shaft, but as she turns, she pirrouettes and uses the head to smack Topaz on the back as she passes. "You're too predictable." she remarks conversationally, jinking back and away from the other DCC, loosing off fire and ice bolts alternatingly with little sweeps of her staff.

    Meanwhile,
    LDF team members begin to set up hardpoints within the facility. Crates set up as cover, and larger automotons taking up entire hallways, their blades crossed defensively in front of them to weather damage for as long as they can. "Team three, in position!"
"Team four ready!"
"Team Six prepped."
"Team one, we've secured the Crystal, preparing it for transport offsite."
"Team two, supporting Team one!"

    The chatter rattles off over local radio channels. This is what the LDF do best. Entrench and delay.

Deelel has posed:
Deelel is moving in, springin and making suyre to catch her disc on the way back.

"You are."

There is almost a hint of disgust in Deelel's tone as she replies,. She notces that Ropas is moving to attack, with her ID disc again while she holds her keyblade in her off hand. She will take a chance to get up close when she's bake to but for now? She's caught in the aftermath of the kick and damn that does hurt. Deelel is going to need a moment to recover from that hit.

Lexicon has posed:
    Topaz Soul is too busy with Diamond Soul to notice spiderbots crossing the bridge. What seems like it's going to be a solid hit instead is parried, robbing Topaz of that satisfying impact. She almost seems to lose her balance when pushed aside by Theurgus' staff. The strike certainly didn't help. She throws her arms out to stop herself against Deelel, only to get pummelled with elemental attacks once again. Damaged code fragments flitter out before she can turn herself around and present her gloves to protect herself again. Trailing thin wisps of smoke, Topaz Soul floats aside, glowering through her claws at the other DCC.

    "That idiot," Seeker mutters to herself, craning her head to observe the way the fight between melee and ranged specialists is unfolding. Her eyes wander down, though, with a curious "Hm?" sort of noise. A hand is held out. One at a time, the accumulated Photons that Seeker had set up lurch into motion, each one seeking out a different spiderbot. She'd set up a minefield.

    Turning in place, the virus rears her scythe back, then slashes it down across the tower's face. Without wasting time, she uses the resultant hole as an impromptu entrance, emerging amidst a defensive formation of LDF soldiers.

    With a tired sigh, the virus holds one hand out, the other gesturing with her weapon, "I don't suppose we could negotiate your lives for what I seek here."

Theurgus (1103) has posed:
    Diamond Soul just smirks. It's cocky, self assured, and probably very familiar if Topaz ever looked in a mirror when really excited about fighting. it's also got no 'soul' behind it. This DCC is attacking her Drive directly. That hasn't happened in Megacycles. She twirls her staff, then levels it to unleash a stream of fire bullets in a wide spread pattern.

    LDF troops turn and open fire without skipping a beat as Seeker breaks through the wall. "BREACH IN SECTOR THREE! ALL TEAMS CONVERGE! MOVE!" shouts one through a commlink, a large backpack with a crystal antenna rising from the side. He's firing a small side-arm, built similar to the 'rifles' the rest of the troopers are using.

Orchid (6384) has posed:
     Well, poop. The spider-bots are built to not be seen, not to survive attacks. As the first half goes down under the attacks, destroyed or simply disabled, the rest pull back a little, before scuttling to the sides of the bridge, traveling under it to avoid the minefield.
     Orchid herself sighs. Looks like she'll need to go in herself. She pulls out her rocket surfboard again, cranking up the thrust to go around the trapped bridge to follow Seeker in. There's something she MIGHT be able to do, but it's another long-shot.

Deelel has posed:
Deelel gets a breather thanks to her ally, she will rise up now with her keyblade in hand and smirks a little bit. She does not trash talk this time, she moves to engage Topaz Soul, She starts worrying about the Virus, with the warning over the comm she will break off from the fight to go seek out the virus. She mutters something to her self about Virals and she's then gone.

Lexicon has posed:
    Mystic-based laserfire opens up on Seeker amidst shouting of orders and calls for reinforcement. Seeker closes her eyes, jerking as bolts strike her and throw off fragments of damaged code. Her scythe is lifted, a circle appearing around her feet and expanding until it encompasses the entire room. When she brings her weapon down, the runic outline erupts with light, filling the room with explosive force that transforms the narrow gash she'd created into a huge crater in the tower face, "Explosion Array."

    As the smoke begins to clear, she floats gently through the aftermath, amidst unconscious and injured soldiers and deeper into the facility. Pausing at the door, she comments, "You negotiate well." Doubtless these men are either going to heavily defend or possibly remove and escape with the crystal she's after, so she can't afford to waste time.

    Outside, Topaz Soul's face gets more and more flustered. She can't get close to this opponent, and has literally no ranged attack options by the look of it. Pushed purely on the defensive, she keeps her gauntlets crossed while the magic chips away at them. Quick, weak bolts that don't give her the opening she could use.

    When the attack shifts to a wider spread of fire bolts, though, this gives her something she can work with. Gauntlets are dropped to either side, legs bunching up and placing her feet against a spinning magic circle as if it were a solid surface. Timing the act, Topaz Soul springs forward, once again closing her range on Theurgus by weaving through the fire bolt cluster. The ones that hit her leave black marks on her body and processors, though she seems to ignore them, going straight for the source. Her claws rotate, and once she's close enough, Topaz Soul rakes boht claws upward in a scooping motion, "You're no fun at all--! Go away!"

Theurgus (1103) has posed:
    Diamond Soul just smirks a bit wider. "Like I said, child." she breaks off the firestream, and brings the staff up to clash with Topaz's gauntlets. "You're predictable." She's being pushed back, and it looks like Topaz now has her where she wants her.

    Except it's the other way around. A magic circle expands out under her and Topaz, orbs of magical force forming at the cardinal directions, before, with a flourish, spalling broken code from her weapon and arms, she kicks Topaz in the midriff to break the deadlock. "Begone."

    She swoops backwards, as the spell explodes, energy beams intersecting with Topaz at the center. "Emergent Domain!"

    The squad is taken out quickly, but other squads are moving into position to slow the Virus down.

    Team One finishes packing the crystal, a large, lumpy diamond-like thing about the size of a grapefruit, pulsing with System Resources, into a transport case and sends it off with their fastest runner. She makes a break for it, surging away from the oncoming Seeker and toward the other exit and hopefully, where Orchid can get the thing away from the tower before the Virus catches up.

Orchid (6384) has posed:
     Orchid lands at the south entrance, ready for the hand off. "Okay, now where do I TAKE it?" she asks of the air, hopping back onto the rocket surfboard. While her drones haven't yet gotten to the facility, they're close enough to tell her where Seeker is, so Orchid is going to use that to keep in the blind spot provided by the facility and its island as long as possible. Without other direction, that means heading at a downward angle.

Deelel has posed:
There is a virus to hunt down, she's not sure just what the virus is after or planning but it needs to be handled. It has to be hancle she can only hope she can catch up in time. Thankfully she does seem to be making ome very good time here. She keeps chasing the destruction that Seeker has left in her wake hoping to catch up all she can spare is a quick healing spell as she runs by trying to catch up with the virus.

Lexicon has posed:
    When more soldiers move into her way, Seeker pauses. A hand raises, and she pinches the bridge of her nose with a sigh.

    Outside, having finally closed to melee range with Theurgus, Topaz Soul presses her advantage with a stern, displeased look on her face. However, when that staff is suddenly yanked away, the blonde pinwheels her arms wildly to keep her balance, "--Whoa!" This half-second of vulnerability is all that's needed, as the renegade DCC is caught in the crossing beams of the spell. She lets out a cry, unable to defend from so many directions, and the resultant magical explosion ejects her from the spell circle amidst a plume of smoke.

    Obscured by smoke and a cloud of broken code, Topaz Soul slams into one of the lower Hertz District buildings, punching straight into it. She doesn't come out again.

    Hearing the shriek from where she is, Seeker turns back towards the opening she'd created. With a frown, she lifts her scythe and sweeps it in a circle. Promptly, the virus drops out of sight--into a portal of her own creation.

    Carta, to her credit, has been staying out of the way, furiously documenting the events. Though when collateral damage kicks in, she ducks, then shoots a look at the struck home, "--Jeez..!" She glances back at her holographic screen, flipping to a new tab. A quick check later, and the reporter sighs in relief, "The whole cluster is derelict, thank goodness."

Orchid (6384) has posed:
     So when Seeker vanishes off of Orchid's tactical map... she isn't even remotely going to relax. In fact, she's hugging the rocket surfboard, with the crystal under her body. She's EXPECTING to be hit soon, so is starting to work some swerves into her path, as she looks for something that might provide cover.

Theurgus (1103) has posed:
    Theurgus flourishes her staff, then nonchalantly spits to one side. "You should learn some RESPECT, girl." she shouts after the falling Topaz, following alongat a more sedate pace. "I'll teach you respect, then I will teach every one of those Viruses of the Four Felons the same lesson before they are sent to Mordion Gaol to be deleted."

    She's is ANGRY. Legitimately furious. "The Organization has never been so bold before. And after I am finished with you, they will never try again."

    The LDF remain on alert, but for the time being, the facility seems to be secure. "All teams report in. Casualty figures, triage teams, deploy now!"

Deelel has posed:
So the chase is on and Deelel is catching up to Seeker only in time to see that Seeker is getting away through some sort of portal. She makes with her Keyblade. Yet she is a moment is a bit too late to try and lock it. With Seeker gone she pauses looking about for a moment. Is it over? Deelel isn't sure but the portal didn't last long enoughf or her to do anything with it.

"Glitch, where did that virus go?! What did they want?!"

Lexicon has posed:
    Eager to get the details, with Theurgus approaching the destroyed house, Carta likewise approaches with her recording software primed and ready. With an entire wall smashed in, dust and debris settling, it becomed apparant that the derelict building had been squatted by someone just trying to scratch out a living. At least at one point. A ratty bed, some empty food containers, stuff that believably shouldn't be in just an empty building awaiting rennovation and occupation by the usual programs of Locus.

    "...Did she already get away?" Carta lifts her stylus, rubbing at her temple thoughtfully. She did hear that the virus had also somehow escaped, after all, "Maybe she ran out the back way. But what's with all this junk? Is someone living here?" The reporter's voice raises, "Hello!?"

    Rubble from the collapsed sealing shifts, and a dirty little blonde girl in dust-covered black and yellow sweater unburies herself, coughing.

Orchid (6384) has posed:
     So, did Orchid get away? It looks like that, as she makes her way over to the Cathoderal. She'll enter one of the sub-surface doors, if one exists; her rocket surfboard is nearly out of weapon energy. Once dry, she'd fall all the way down.

Theurgus (1103) has posed:
    Theurgus blinks a bit, both at Carta, and the girl dragging herself out of the rubble. "There shouldn't be anyone down here... This entire section has been condemned and is awaiting a full rewrite." She lowers down, dismissing her staff and looking with some concern at the child. "Did you see another DCC come through here?" she asks, then seems to remember herself. "Are you hurt at all?"

    The LDF are in full triage mode. "Perimeter sweep reports nothing. We've got seekers going through every hallway, but there's no sign of the Virus." says one LDF trooper to Deelel as the Program joins the rest. "Passing the message out to the rest of the LDF cells to keep on alert."

    As Orchid comes close enough, a hidden door opens and an LDF trooper beckons her over, reaching to grab her and pull her inside before the door seals again. "We've got you... it looks like they've escaped, from the reports coming through the network."

Lexicon has posed:
    Nothing stops Orchid's escape, despite the reploid's paranoia and caution. It seems like Seeker gave up when her partner in crime was defeated by Diamond Soul, and left the area. The tracking device on Topaz Soul has also disappeared again, into that weird untracable subspace dimension it was in last time.

    This leaves Deelel to help the Locus defense force pick up the pieces. It seems that despite the force of the spell that Seeker used when confronted, it hasn't actually killed anyone. The purpose seems primarily to stun people caught in the blast, and injuries likely just a result of debris flying around. So there's some small mercy to that.

    The little program starts when addressed, staring up at Theurgus. After a moment, her eyes tear up, and she squeezes them shut, "I don't know! It all hurts..!"

    "Jeez--!" Carta quickly disables her recorder.

Theurgus (1103) has posed:
    Theurgus dismisses her transformation, lifting a small marble up to her ear. "It's me... yes. Yes I know." She then puts the marble back in a pocket, before transmitting out to the LDF. "Need a medical team to Lower Hertz sector three. Injured program. She got caught in the crossfire between me and the rogue DCC."

    Theurgus then crouches down, and very gently pulls the little program into a hug. "It'll be okay. Nice people will be along to make the hurt go away soon." she coos soothingly.

Deelel has posed:
Deelel lowers her weapon and starts looking for injured to heal with the Dual Disc, hopefully she can help stablize people before the full on healers arrive. "I don't like this I have a bad feeling about this Virus. She was smart enough to run...."

Lexicon has posed:
    Even when hugged, the little blonde program continues to cry. Garbled complaints about hurting and questions that don't make sense, like "Where's Mommy?". She seems to be afraid of the DCC at first and eventually just doesn't have the energy to wriggle and squirm any more.

    A few paces away, the reporter Carta pulls up her holoscreen again, "A touching conclusion to a violent evening..! This orphaned program, rescued by Locus' own Drive Core Controller. Ahh, this'll make a great followup article..!" Tapping her stylus to her lips, she thinks out loud, "Maybe it'll help locate her mother? Or at least help her get adopted, if she really is orphaned."

Theurgus (1103) has posed:
    Theurgus knows that having a DCC come crashing through the wall of the only home you know can be traumatic, and seeing another DCC come swooping down can only add to that, but she holds on until the girl stops struggling. "There there, you're safe now... lets get you back to the Cathoderal." just then the medics come up and start working on the little program. Theurgus then looks to Carta. "That would be appreciated, we'll move her to the Cathoderal until something can be done." she says, turning her blue gaze back to the little girl.

    She feels there's something else going on here, but can't put her finger on it.

Orchid (6384) has posed:
     Orchid is making her way back, but her spiders are trying to sneak towards the damaged house. She got some good images of the attacker before, and while she MIGHT be being paranoid, she'd like to be able to confirm or deny.