2454/EoT: Upgrades

EoT: Upgrades
Date of Scene:	14 June 2015
Location:	Midnight Shrine Tokyo <MST>
Synopsis:	A Life Gear in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government! Shirou, Golden, Miko, Kiko, and Madeleine gather to confront the agent of the Epoch Saints!
Cast of Characters:	560, 589, 782, 806

---

Miko Fujimoto (589) has posed:
    The nature of today's operation: To locate a Life Gear operating inside of Tokyo's Metropolitan Government. Time Magic has been detected all throughout the city, transferred just about everywhere in small amounts and messing with local time something awful. The trains in Japan are always on time. But lately, it's passengers who have been late, as they stay standing at the station long after the train has come and gone, unaware of the 'time' they are losing.

    And that's just one example. Via analysis of the patterns and data, Libra, the quiet and studious leader of the Witching Hour, has determined the source of the disturbances is the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. It's an impressive structure, like a combination of towers, skyscrapers, and a castle, all of modern materials. Somewhere inside is the Life Gear: a magical parasite granted to someone desperate to keep living that steals 'time' from everyone around them before transforming that person into a monster that steals even more 'time'. The longer the Life Gear is integrated, the harder it is to separate without damaging the host. But usually just defeating the Life Gear after it transforms is enough.

    This time, however, all they know is that there's SOMEONE in the government building who is a host, using the government itself to distribute Time Magic items throughout the city. A vast amount of 'time' must have already been harvested.

    And that means that some additional help is going to be needed. Miko Fujimoto is here in her civilian identity, not her Magical Girl form. The other Witching Hour girls will be meeting them here in their civilian forms as well, for the very first time. This is a huge step forward in their level of trust. They'll identify each other by a pin in the shape of a clock somewhere on their clothing.

    'Nondescript civilian' is the order of the day in infiltrating the building. But someone is needed to stir things up as well and to get civilians out of the area so they don't get caught up in some big mystical battle. So, after the Witching Hour + Miko + Shirou and Golden, some hired help is going to make an appearance.

    They're likely already nearby, ready to act at the radio signal.

    Miko is dressed in simple summer wear, not trying to stand out. White Rose, a tiny white-haired and red-eyed fairy, is hidden in Miko's bag to provide magical sensing and advice, though that's Libra's specialty as well. She's just standing out in front of the building. In front of the government building is an odd place to find a teenager waiting to meet someone, but there's probably a perfectly valid explanation...

Golden (782) has posed:
    Golden is more or less just hanging out in plain sight on one of the concrete retaining walls on one side of the building's entryway, looking for all the world like somebody's robotic pet that was told to stay put. He lets people assume that, looking around more or less like he was waiting for someone (which is true) and occasionally shooing off a bird that decides to try and perch one him.
    "Go away you flying rat! Find a convertable or something and harass them!" He mutters at his latest winged assailant.

Jai-006 (806) has posed:
Miko requested for aid in this mission and it was aid that the Gray team was willing to assist with. Adriana-111 was going to act as the female security officer in order to make sure people were to get outside. Mike-120 inside the armored van was going to hack the security system in order to make sure people did what they hope they would do and as for Jai-006?

Jai-006 was the only one armored up in his Gen 2 Centurion suit and was on stand by nearby. Once the signal was given, they would all be on the move.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    'Nondescript civilian' is what Emiya Shirou almost always looks like anyways, so this is not difficult in the slightest. He's in his usual casual clothing - blue jeans, a shirt, tennis shoes... anything at all unusual? Nope. Well, the concerned and anxious expression he's wearing isn't standard and nondescript, but oh well.

    He meets up with Miko near the building, hands in his pockets, and meets her gaze with a face full of momentary warmth and friendship.

    Hard to believe he flipped out at her at their first 'meeting,' huh?

Miko Fujimoto (589) has posed:
    Golden hasn't met Miko in her civilian form, but was likely told who to look for, just like the Witching Hour girls. So when she notices him, she casually approaches and crouches down next to him. "Thank you for coming, Golden-san. Your help is really appreciated!" The unseen fairy in Miko's purse just lets out a muffled, "'Sup!" in greeting. She can't even see who she's talking to.

    When Shirou shows up, Miko rises from her crouch and bows to him with a smile. "Thank you for coming as well, Shirou-san. Now we just need--"

    "Oh-hooooh~? So this is what you really look like, huh? Not as much pink as I expected~!" a school girl only a couple years younger than Miko calls out as she approaches. Her long, smoke-colored hair is bound up in a complicated collection of braids. Next to her is a 'foreign' teenager of similar age to the first, with shoulder-length blue-black hair. She's pale, with dark rings around her eyes. Both girls have silver clock pins on their outfits.

    "Kiko Kikumura! Nice to meet you in person~!" the smoke-haired girl offers as she thrusts out her hand for Miko to take.

    Miko steps forward and does so, shaking lightly and bowing her head. "Miko Fujimoto."

    The second girl just inclines her head in a casual acknowledgment type of bow to Miko, and says, "Madeleine Beaumont."

    Miko returns the same type of acknowledgement, and then says, "So we're all here... Except I think we're missing our final member...?"

    Kiko waves off Miko's inquiry and shakes her head. "She couldn't make it. Sorry."

    Miko accepts that and then looks around casually but cautiously. "We should head inside now. I have some help ready to make a distraction for us."

    Unless anyone objects (Kiko and Madeleine won't), they all head into the building and should try to mix themselves in with the crowd, remaining unobtrusive and unproblematic. Right up until Miko's fingers blindly bring up an app on her sophisticated Japanese smartphone that lets her use its radio function to send a signal to those waiting just for that...

Golden (782) has posed:
    Golden looks around and thinks that monsters that eat people might embrace the full irony of the term 'human resources' and call themselves that. He nods to Miko and the Witching Hour crew with a smile. "It's no problem." He hops down from where he was sitting and follows the Witching Hour and Miko into the building, staying fairly obscured by their legs and feet.
    "So, if all people do is save time, where do they find time to live?" He asks as they enter the twin-towered building.

Jai-006 (806) has posed:
Once the signal was given, Mike-120 cracks his knuckles and starts typing. "Looks like we are given the green." He says over the private comm to the other two. "Lets make it rain."

Adriana-111 can only roll her eyes behind the shades from Mike's comment, but she was ready and just waits for it. She does spot their 'employer' and can only her the tap comm from Jai-006 in conformation that he too is ready.

Mike-120 then hits the enter button and says with a big grin on his face, "And here we go!" Sure enough the alarm system went off for the fire alarm, followed by the water system. Adriana-111 inside trying her best to hide her Slavic accent spoke up over the security and PDA. "We need everyone to evacuate the building. We repeat. Please evacuate the building as we look into this."

Adriana-111 quickly steps out from where she is and starts directing people. It was hard to miss her. She stood about six and half feet tall!

Jai-006 though waited a bit before moving in, as he had plans to go the backway in and wanted to be sure it was clear before he did or at best, make sure no one tried to ever come in that way.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    "Not a problem, Fujimoto." If anything stopped Shirou from coming to help people in need, he wouldn't be himself again.

    This is quite a mess no matter how one goes about it. Magical mayhem in downtown? Not cool. "Hopefully there isn't any collateral. We don't need anyone getting hurt..." Mutter mumble...

    With Jai setting off distractions, Shirou makes his way into the building despite the chaos and slips off towards the side of the crowds that may be forming, heading for, well, probaly the stairs!

Miko Fujimoto (589) has posed:
    Miko answers Golden's inquiry with, "If we don't return their 'time' to them, 'living' is exactly what they won't be doing. You need 'time' as much as you need 'life'. Take away 'time' and your body has less of what it needs to keep on working."

    "I wouldn't worry about collateral damage!" Kiko offers to the red-haired teen. "It's not like we intend to blast holes in the place! Just stop the Life Gear! They tend to open up special dimensions where they have an advantage anyway, meaning whatever we toss out isn't going to impact normal space. What was your name again, by the way? I'm not sure I caught it."

    White Rose answers for Shirou, finally poking her head up out of Miko's bag, "Dr. Swordopolis." She lets out a puff of air as she rests her arms on the edge of the bag and looks out. "Way too stuffy in there. Anyway, we should--"

    White Rose cuts herself off as Jai's crew takes action. While everyone else is evacuated, the infiltration team slip away, heading deeper into the building. Miko grabs at Shirou's sleeve to try to stop him from heading up the stairs. "Wait. Do you have other magic besides making swords? Anything you're good with? It's impressive magic, but we need every advantage we can get. Also... Anything that's not one of us in here, who you can detect as magical..." She turns to look at the others. "Anything at all, that ANY of us sense, with magic, and is not one of us or made by one of us, should be treated as potentially hostile. There shouldn't be any magic here based on our information. If we run into something, there's a high-probability of it being an enemy or something belonging to one. Don't trust it."

    As people come down the stairs from the higher floors, the clamour can be heard where they are. The staircases aren't going to be usable, it seems... But then Madeleine starts to reach for her own backpack, and the book inside. Kiko stops her though. "Nuh-uh. You need to transform for that. Let me." Then she whispers in a language that has no meaning except to make the universe Obey.

    The stairway entrance ahead of them seems to take on two different colors. Blue and red. The blue one and red one shift in two different directions, like one of those images you need 3-D glasses to see, only drawn further and further apart. "Blue staircase, everyone! Go, go, go!"

    Once everyone is through the blue door and into the blue staircase, the two staircases converge and meld together.

    One is empty except for them, the other has people coming down it, oblivious to there being past, future, or alternate present version of the stairs sharing the same space.

    Spellcasters in this world are kind of scary with what they can do, and Miko is secretly glad she isn't on Kiko's bad side. She doens't even know how she would defend against half the stuff she has seen the Pumpkin Witch do.

Golden (782) has posed:
    Golden glances around and bounds up the stairs. "Great, that means I can just cut loose with Energy Bombs and not worry about collapsing the building!" He thinks the stairs are odd, but not much Golden can say since he pretty much doesn't how to sense magic. Even though the crest is some form of focus for Golden's own capabilities, and keeps him held together despite the horrendous injuries and damage to his digicore that should have killed him. He sticks to the shady places where his smaller form can be of use.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    ACK! Grabbed. Shirou's startled at first, but makes something of an unamused face at White Rose, then rubs the back of his head. The boy lets out a sheepish little snort and... "If I did I'd've used it by now. Sorry, this is about the only thing I'm good at. My magic's super-specialized. There's altering existing stuff. Not very useful right now. I felt the time distortions last time, it was a big boundary field, but small stuff? Either I feel it or not!"

    One really has to wonder how this guy is even classified as a mage.

    Or how he can do such ridiculous stuff as fake up legendary swords.

    Although Kiko solves the problem at hand readily enough. BLUE STAIRCASE.

    "And my name's Emiya Shirou!" Not Swordopolis.

Miko Fujimoto (589) has posed:
    Miko cautions Golden, with, "Wait until they actually open up their special pocket dimension though. Until we're inside of it, the building can still take damage."

    Kiko nods in response to the introduction and says, "Nice to meet you, Emiya-san~!" Then she is running up the stairs with everyone else, stopping at each door on a new floor to stick her head out and try to sense any magic in the area. There are two towers, and the building is 48 floors tall, so this may take awhile. Hopefully everyone here is in good shape!

    ...By the time they reach the 33rd floor, and the main building that links one tower to the other, they are actually probably pretty tired from running up flights of stairs. Or at least Kiko, Madeleine, and Miko all are. White Rose calls out encouragement the whole time. "Pick up the pace, slowpokes! That distraction isn't going to last forever!" Kiko and Miko both glare at the fairy, and White Rose holds up her hands in surrender and sinks slowly back into Miko's bag.

    It would be easier for them physically if they just transformed, but that would be like making themselves into beacons for any monster with sensory abilities like theirs.

    "Kiko... Have you sensed anything yet?" Miko asks between breaths as she's bent over with her hands on her knees. Madeleine is resting against a wall, breathing even harder.

    Kiko replies between gasps, "Not in this tower, and not in the main building yet! If there's... Magic around here... I think it may be in the other... Tower! This is the last floor where we can... Switch towers... So let's just..."

    Kiko opens the 33rd floor door, and immediately her eyes dialate as an intense wave of dark magic energy flows down the hall towards her, sweeping over her and those behind her. She shuts the door quickly and holds it closed with both hands, breathing even harder than before.

    Miko and Madeleine and Golden all can't sense magic at all. Madeleine has to transform into Libra to do it. But they recognize something's wrong, and even Shirou might have picked it up.

    "Kiko? Is this the place?" Miko asks.

    White Rose pokes her head back up again, and says, "That wasn't Time Magic... I... Don't know WHAT kind of magic that was."

    Kiko says quietly, "I know. And there WAS some Time Magic in there, but it was just carried on the magical current. I think the other two is where we need to be. But to get there... We're going to have to pass through an area of intense magic that's been set up as a barrier. If you have a 'powered-up' form or a transformation of some kind... Anything like that, use it."

    Madeleine nods and lets out a 'hm!' "Are you going to be all right, Kiko?" she asks as blue light shimmers over her, transforming her into an older girl with blue hair and blue clothes, carrying a large book.

    Miko shines with pink light before becoming a pink-haired and pink-eyed woman in knight's armor crossed with a schoolgirl uniform. Her Sacred Scepter is already in hand.

    Kiko nods her head and says a simple chant, transforming her clothes into a frilly witch's dress and hat. Crucia Hex, the Pumpkin Witch, says, "It's just... Been a long time since I've felt this power. Alright... Let's go!" She opens the door again, and Princess Paladin looks to Golden and Shirou to see their reactions and if they're okay. Then the door opens once more, and it's time to head out into a hall with nearly visible black waves of power roiling down it, all emanating from the tower on the opposite side of this floor.

Golden (782) has posed:
    Golden looks surprised at the weird black waves that linger on the edge of his vision. "Huh... " He glances at the humans present, scratching his head, puzzled a bit. "Well, as long as it's not the X Virus." he mumbles with a shrug. He watches as the girls transform, slightly jealous that he can't do digivolve at will. Well, not without risking death anyway.
    Once the humans are prepared for this, Golden hops forward through the hallway, not looking the least bit concerned. He's attempting to lead the way now that things look a lot more dangerous, it seems.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    All of these henshins. Shirou's got nothing like that. But he sure as hell feels the need for SOMETHING when Kiko opens Pandora's Door there. he flinches back a few steps. "Whatever it was feels sickening. ... Trace on!"

    Kanshou and Bakuya are summoned to hand swiftly, appearing in a flow of greenish light. Anyone sensitive can feel that he's circulating as much magic as possible through his circuits, and hoping that the twin swords' ceremonial properties might fend off the blunt of whatever's beyond the doors.

    Both together do confer minor Magic Resistance, after all!

    ONWARDS!

Miko Fujimoto (589) has posed:
    Not being able to sense the magic doesn't seem to fully protect against its effects. The closer they get to the other end of the hall, which is quite a distance away, given it's an entire floor, the less their bodies will seem to want to. The magic-sensitives will just know the reason WHY. To be able to experience the fear spell that is making all of their instincts demand they turn around and run. Those blind to it, are just forcing their bodies blindly, and may even be in danger of damaging them if they aren't careful. Can a Digimon feel fear? The crafter of the spell might not know. But Golden probably does.

    If they all can manage to push through the wall of terror trying to make them turn back, the feeling as though they are advancing directly into the jaws of a beast, the walls and offices on either sides its massive, clawed hands, ready to close on them at ANY MOMENT, they see through the haze of blackness a door. Crucia falls to her knees at one point during the trek and needs to be helped up by Libra and Paladin. But unless one of them flees now, everyone will reach a door that seems to radiate pure menace. The threat of it is clear. The source of the fear, an entrance into hell. And yet it's Crucia, the one most sensitive to the magic in question, who reaches out a trembling hand, her skin pale, her eyes wide, unable to even breathe from the suffocating pressure bombarding them all, and grips the door handle.

    The moment the handle *clicks*, the fear spell is gone. The release as the roar of their own blood (or any equivalent that Digimon may possess) that had sounded like the growl of a titantic monster becomes secondary to all the sounds of the city, of the fire alarm, to the organized panic down below.

    Crucia is dripping with sweat, inhaling shallowly, looking like she's already fought the battle of her life just reaching the door.

    The rest of them probably don't look much better, though it might be harder to tell with Golden.

    Libra turns to her allies, still breathing hard, unable to even ask if they're okay as her heart jackhammers in her chest, just checking on their condition.

    Paladin swallows, and then swallows again. Unable to get the lump in her throat to go away. Even with her magically-granted seeming maturity and grace, she still appears as ragged as everyone else probably feels.

    Crucia pushes the handle down all the way and pushes the door open. Inside is just a collection of cubicles and offices. Hallways and doors. Computers and file cabinets. An office space. But the feeling of magic can be felt by Crucia to her left. The office right there. And the door is already open in invitation. She looks up after glancing at it, and says hoarsely, as though she'd been screaming recently, "The Time Magic's coming from up there. But there's another source of magic to our left. Which do we check out?"

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    One serious question arises here.

    Has fear ever stopped Emiya Shirou?

    Going by experience, no, if anything he seems to have the opposite reaction. Scary dangerous things that will get people hurt?!

    His first instinct has proven to be 'keep it away from others.'

    Instead of freaking out and running AWAY, he runs AT IT. Oh sure, he slashes at nothing here and there with beads of sweat gathering everywhere on his skin. But a few clumsy swipes or no, he CHARGES, hoping to be ready for WHATEVER IS COMING that might hurt the magical girls here.

    But upon reaching the door, he's still in a cold sweat, shivering where he stands.

    Until the spell's broken, then he just sort of wobbles, catches his breath, and heaves out, "No splitting up. Let's check the nearest thing first. That way if it's somebody they can't flank us."

    He HAS been paying attention to Bedivere's tactics.

Golden (782) has posed:
    Golden is well acquainted with fear. He does feel fear, and is feeling it now. Except that it never stops him from acting, and it certainly doesn't show. After all, in his native world, one must earn a crest by embodying the virtues of that crest.
    As the fear spell affects him, the Crest of Courage begins to glow brighter, beacon-like. There's also a change in Golden's demeanor as the crest acts up, more confidence, a more deliberate bearing in his mannerisms. The visual glitches seem to also become more prevalent and pronounced, like something is readying itself to emerge.
    He turns to his allies and says "If you're afraid, just follow me. I'm going left to take out whomever is doing this." in a very even calm voice.

Miko Fujimoto (589) has posed:
    Libra nods approvingly at Shirou's tactical decision, but also agrees with Golden that they shouldn't leave the office unattended and risk being ambushed from behind. Crucia seems to be on her last legs, so Paladin picks her up in her arms to carry her.

    "Golden," Princess Paladin starts. "You seem to be the one least effected by that spell. The rest of us have had a harder time physiologically. Could you please be the first one to enter? I don't necessarily want to use you as a shield, but honestly, you'd be more likely to be able to defend yourself than we would. We need a moment to recover, and not a lot of time to do it within. We will be RIGHT behind you."

    And they will be. If Golden does as requested, with Shirou most likely guarding their backs, then they will all follow him into the office, where they find... A rather high-quality office, with a big oak desk, and shelves full of books, and a man of uncertain ethnicity seated behind it, wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses on a chain. He is wearing a business suit. His hair is slicked back, but with some loose strands at the front. He is the source of the not-Time Magic. And his hair is the same color as Crucia's... The same color as Kiko's.

    Hair like smoke.

    The man smiles at the robotic-looking Digimon, and then the magical girls and magus that follow after. When he catches sight of Crucia Hex, he smiles wider and squints his eyes.

    "Hello, sister."

    Crucia lets out a shuddering breath as she rests in Paladin's arms, and replies, "Hello, older brother."

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    Indeed, Shirou's one of the last to enter. "..?" Blink blink. The exchange between an exhausted Crucia and this unknown mage(?) does not go unnoticed, nor does the resemblance. "B.. BROTHER?!" He's standing up straight as an arrow now, still clasping his twin weapons and drenched in his own sweat. Darn that ward!

    This just got a WHOLE lot more complicated.