Scene #5744: MDCC: Tempting Topaz

Owner	Pose
Lexicon	It starts with a simple voice message from Lexicon. On recievers with displays, all it comes paired with is a still image of the brunette DCC in her usual tired-looking expression. In receivers without audio (What are you even doing with your life?) it's converted accurately to text. But they all say the same thing. "I've been keeping a close eye on the Guild's activity and it looks like you've been a big help to my fellow DCCs. I set them up with the contact info needed to reach out to you, and I guess some of them took the opportunity to show off a bit." "I don't feel any need to show off. I'm Lexicon. People from outside the System have been visiting Britannica for a while, now, so I'll let that speak for itself. What I'm reaching out to you for is just to request an extra set of hands. Especially if those hands can carry a weapon or cast some magic. I've got a Dragon God virus whose ego is getting bigger than its resource intake." -- Welcome to Britannica, the Silver City of Knowledge. The cablerail deposits visitors on a platform not unlike a gondola station, as the Drive is mountainous and snowy. The city itself sits in the distance, amidst foothills and forest and the imposing peaks of the Drive's more wild territories. This isn't a tourism visit like the previous Drive invitiations, though. A short, petit brunette in white is here to meet those invited, her arms folded. Lexicon, the Silver DCC who has been involved in the Multiverse for the better part of a year. She certainly looks better than her last big get-together, since there's no longer a gaping hole in her back and all. As people begin to arrive, she dips her head slightly, "Welcome. Let's get started." There's no real ceremony to it. She simply turns and immediately disembarks the platform, leaving the plowed road to cross the Drive's snowy wilderness. Despite her choice of clothing, Lexicon doesn't seem bothered by ankle-deep snow. "The Dragon God is holed up in the Uwii Ruins, this way." Her arms unfold, hands disappearing into too-large sleeves, "The sooner we delete it, the better."
Krusty	Krusty has put a lot of effort into the Drives of the System so he's not about to turn down this request. Especially not when given the opportunity to fight a Dragon God. Virus or not, it's bound to be an interesting fight. So with that in mind, Krusty is eagerly anticipating the battle as he steps off the cablerail. He's still just in his uniform right now. It's not often Krusty gets to see snowy mountains, taking the opportunity to admire their surroundings for a moment. But then Lexicon greets them and begins to lead, Krusty following her. He comments, "Dragons are quite a challenge in my own world. I'm assuming they are here as well. Is there anything you can tell us that might be useful in fighting it?"
Arthur Lowell	Arthur approaches, clearly intending to try to foist one of those handshakes on Lexicon before she can get walking, but he's foiled before he can even lay a pound on her knuckles. Damn! Well, the drifting, weightless space-mage transitions that motion into a quick snap, and with a quick flash, he's swapped to another set of cosmetic unlocks, something a little more comfy for the snow with fur-lined robes instead of the thiner ones. "Yoooooo homie! Jeeze, didn't get a MOMENT of WARNING. What's this guy's DEAL? CORRUPTION, SUBVERSION, TROJANERY, what are we gonna be DEALIN' WITH up in this BUSINESS?" He rambles, of course, the way he always rambles. "We talkin' a GOD that happens to be a DRAGON, or like, a GOD of DRAGONNESS, or a standard-workin' DRAGON-SHAPED THING that gets all DIVINE on ATTACKS? Gotta get that CLARITY, dog." It continues like this for a long while. As he drifts weightlessly at various inconvenient and possibly obnoxious angles nearby, he sorts cards on an inventory interface, seeming like he's slotting mods and other preparatory things.
Theurgus	Two people step off the monorail car. A young looking woman in gothic-style attire, and, less stepping and more floating, is a small fairy-like creature on an open tome. Arcana and Charta approach Lexicon, and bow politely. "Lady Silver Soul. I am afraid Lady Diamond Soul could not come herself," says the fairy, straightening. "A virus proved too much for the LDF, and she had to deploy, but your message was received and we decided to come to your aid."
Asterios	Dragons are jerks. Asterios knows this because one blew up most of his home. There are a few dragons who are not jerks, like the one in Lordran for example. But a lot of dragons ARE jerks! And so he is here! Asterios, the minotaur, his expression about as blank and neutral as it always is. He's brought his axes, as usual. What else does a minotaur really need? Aside from 'headpatting Arcana and Charta.' He totally does that, too.
Lexicon	"Dragon viruses are a particular breed of strong and intelligent fire-aspected viruses," Lexicon explains for Krusty and Arthur's benefit, "They're dangerous, but also strong enough to be a hassle and passive enough that they aren't usually a priority. Getting to them is also a pain, so I just leave them alone in the ruins and only deal with them when they really manage to annoy me." Closing her eyes, she hums, "A Dragon God is just one that's gotten fat off my hard work, the strongest rank of dragon viruses. The 'god' part isn't really ascribing divinity or indicating a panoply, they're just the pinnacle of what this virus is capable of. I'm expecting Fire-aspected attacks and the possibility of contamination that might temporarily disable my Digital Divinity, but shouldn't be too much of a threat to you guys." Cresting a hill, the valley between it and the next is occupied by snow-covered ruins, ancient carved blocks forming the hints of structures long destroyed, surrounding an entrance to some underground dungeon. Here, she turns back towards Arcana, "Mm. It's unfortunate Theurgus couldn't make it, but I'm glad you two came in her stead. It's been ages since Charta visited, and this might actually be your first time here that I'm aware of." With a flickering of pixellated light, Lexicon produces her hammer, planting it in the snow between her feet, "On to business, though. The virus' largest threat to non-Programs is going to be its physical strength, claws, and all the fire. Charta, Arcana, and myself will have to deal with the Viral state if or when it becomes an issue. For now, we'll need to enter the Uwii Ruins, search the labyrinthe inside until we find the virus' hideout, and then destroy it."
Lexicon	As Lexicon speaks, though, there's activity in the ruins. A pale-skinned woman with bright violet hair, in twin tails, floats up the staircase that forms the Ruin entrance. Metal wings of black and gold 'feathers' unfurl as soon as she has the clearance to do so. With black modules floating around her hips, legs, and a great spiked ring above her head, the aesthetic is...familiar, to say the least. Once she's clear of the stairs, the woman coasts to a stop and turns, planting the butt of a great scythe into the snow. A cracked crimson sphere is lobbed out, rolling towards her and coming to a stop when she places a foot out to halt it. This is followed by a bulky robotic suit climbing out of the opening, resembling a mobile suit or super robot-- red, white, gold, with wings that unfold once he is clear as well. "You dropped this," the woman states curtly. "Come on, Seeker," the robot replies, "I was busy learning how a TV Dinner feels." "Stop complaining," She turns, fixing a gaze up the hillside at the gathering party, "I'd rather not have to deal with /them/." She glances back, behind the robot, "Where is she? She didn't get lost, did she?" "Eh?" The robot turns around, "She was right behind me." As the mechsuit turns around, from the hilltop, a shock of golden blonde hair belonging to a curvy figure in a white bodysuit can be seen resting between his wings, set apart by the orange-yellow glow of her various Processors. Given his size rivals that of a certain minotaur, with all that armor and equipment, it's no wonder he hasn't noticed. It's the woman called Seeker who draws attention tot he passenger, palming her own face. "...She still is." "Oh for source code's sake!"
Theurgus	Arcana squeaks as Asterios pats her on the head. She crumples a little, then scoots out from under the hand. Ahem... "H-Hello, Ser Asterios." she says, affecting a prim and proper attitude. She adjusts her jacket, then pulls a deck of cards from a holder on her hip, shuffling them as her green eyes look down at the ruins. "Viral... never had a dragon-type show up in Locus... that will be difficult to deal with." as she says 'deal'. she flicks her wrist and tosses six cards out in front of her. They float and glow with the six elemental colours, showing pictures of a green wisp, a red demon, a yellow bird, a blue crystal, a white angel and a black shadow respectively. Charta says. "I wish I could make a visit when there is not danger currently looming on the horizon... much like our uninvited guests down there." she says matter-of-factly, even as Asterios pets her on the head. She's making out that she doesn't notice. The fairy's eyes, a deep blue, shift oddly as she focusses in on the trio in the ruins. "I count three... one female, unknown class. One Mechanical-type, unknown category, and..." she trails, blinking. "Possible Drive Core Controller..."
Asterios	Obviously, Charta has just been headpatted so many times that she's just gotten used to it. Pat. Pat. Pat. It's just kind of disappeared into the background of her perception of the world. Charta has internalized the headpats. They are part of her now. And then she points out the intruders. Asterios squints hard into the distance, and then... Finds something... objectionable. The minotaur yells and leaps, disappearing into a cloud of powdery snow. When it clears, he's already halfway down the slope and getting ready for yet another colossal leap. "YOOOUUUUU THEEEEEERE," Asterios roars, coming down like a great, taurine meateor. He crashes into a thick snowdrift, scattering it into a flurry of whirling whiteness. "You. With the spikes," Asterios grunts, "You are. Not trustworthy." Because of the spikes. And the redness. Beat. "Who are you? Why are you here? Where is... dragon god?"
Krusty	Krusty carefully takes note of the information they've been provided. No doubt his ability to take damage will be an important part of the upcoming battle. And then everything is thrown out the window as they encounter not a dragon, but three unknowns. Looking down at them, he asks aside to Lexicon, "Are they viruses?" A couple of them look more like DCCs to him, which Charta seems to agree with. Even while waiting for an answer, Krusty is preparing himself for battle. He equips his weapon and armor from his inventory, the large suit and two-handed axe appearing on him with brief flashes of light. Krusty inwardly sighs as Asterios just goes charging straight in. Considering the unknown of their situation, that might not have been the best move. But too late to do anything about it now. Krusty calls out to the threesome, "Identify yourselves and state your intentions."
Arthur Lowell	Arthur is clearly /immediately/ intrigued. "Lookin' like SOME HOMIES already got up in the BIZ." He says, drifting forward. "YO! What's those HAPS? You gettin' that TEAMKILL going, dog? Lookin' all HELLA MENACING for some dudes poaching a HEROISM QUEST in this. What'chu REAPIN' there, RADIO TOWER? Your SWAG'S got a hint of the BIG DOUBLE-C on it. You jackin' some CORES, dog?" Arthur immediately dives headfirst into his traditional nonsense. "CLAWS and TALLS over there are lookin' PURE KITTED for a SLAYING, fo'real. Hit me with that LOWDOWN on your ROLLDOWN." He gestures at their spherical prize, that core(???) The translation effect weeps. Arthur's casual drifting takes a pushy, somewhat obnoxious posture, no doubt one that could inspire an immediate dislike when coupled with his emphatic curiousity.
Lexicon	"Eh?" Lexicon turns at the waist, glancing down the hill at the emerging trio, "There isn't supposed to be anyone else here, I closed off the area..!" Asterios leaps in, prompting her to flinch, then look up, following his trajectory. With a heavy sigh, she brings her hammer up, "Damnit..! Arcana, come on. Charta, keep your distance in case it gets heavy." She steps forward, then, surrounding her body with pixellated light. When it gives way, she takes flight in the distinctive white suit and processors of Silver Soul, trailing the glowing blade of her axe. Asterios' entrance is the first thing to respond to. Seeker throws an arm up to shield her face. More immediate, the mechanical warrior immediately positions himself between the Minotaur and the woman he's with. A sword hilt emerges from his bracer, and he draws it out-- producing a great, jagged blade. The hilt's teeth snap out into position, and the entire sword ignites with flame, "Stay where you are!" The woman closes her eyes, rolling her shoulders with a sigh. The scythe is pulled free, swung around, and then placed at rest over her shoulder, "You're right, We're /not/ trustworthy, but considering we just deleted a virus for you, a little gratitude would be welcome." An eye opens, regarding Krusty, "I am Seeker. This is Blaster and our noble leader Topaz. One half of the Four Felons, the Magi-kon Interdrive Syndicate of Crime. As for this," She presses her foot down on the oversized virus core, "This is loot legitimately earned." A round face hauls up over Blaster's shoulder, eyes closed, "Man, you guys are noisy~..." Eyes blinking open, she glances from Asterios to Krusty, then to Arthur, "Huh? Is it another fight?" Her face brightens from that 'just woke up' sort of dozey look to a big, eager smile, "It's another fight, isn't it?! Wow, two big fights in one day..!" She pushes off, floating upward as Processors wink in around her hips and legs. Stubby, glowing wings peek just past her shoulders. Unlike other DCCs, this girl's processors include wrist parts--immediately clear why when these extend hooked talons of gleaming orange-yellow light, "If you really wanna, I'll play with all of you! Mom an' bro are probably tired, but I can go all day!" "Ah, such a good girl," Seeker comments. She dismisses her weapon, crouching to collect the core in both hands with a grunt of effort.
Krusty	Krusty is a little disappointed for a moment as it seems their dragon prey has already been dealt with. He was looking forward to it after all. But it seems like these three may be a potentially interesting alternative. So to that end, Krusty follows the others down the hill to meet their competition, "I'm afraid your reputation does not precede you." He's not heard of this group before. This does make it harder to judge their capabilities, but then the thrill of the unknown is part of the fun. Krusty actually swaps his weapon out with a few finger swipes. The large two-handed axe on his back is replaced with a large two-handed sword. He reaches back to draw the weapon, but for the moment simply spins it around to stab it into the ground in front of him. Standing there behind his sword he introduces himself, "I am Krusty, a simple knight responding to a request for assistance. It does seem that you've dealt with our intended bounty though. To which I do thank you." Even if it has deprived him of the fun of hunting the dragon himself, it does save them the effort. As the one in white asks about another fight, Krusty can't help but smile at her enthusiasm and adorableness combined. But he says, "A fight may not be necessary." He looks at Lexicon, "Unless you have some reason as to why we should?"
Theurgus	Arcana blinks as Asterios leaps in, then sets her face in a serious expression. "Right! ACCESS!" Like Lexicon, a circle expands around her feet, rushing up her body and leaving a transformed Diamond Sister in its wake. Processors wink in and her sword appears in her left hand. The deck of cards appears and begins to orbit around her, a rainbow of magic cards as large silver wings lift her into the air. "I am with you!" she calls, boosting to catch up with Silver Soul, she looks to Krusty, then back at this 'Topaz' who's entirely willing to throw down. "We may not have a choice here." she says to the Guild Leader, coming up a bit short and waiting to see how things play out. Charta hangs back, ducking behind some cover but keeping her eyes and ears open, analysing the trio and processing the incoming information, trying to classify and correlate against known factors.
Asterios	'The Magi-Kon Interdrive Syndicate of Crime!?' Why, that sounds... That sounds...!! POSITIVELY. UNFORGIVABLY. EEEEEEVIIIIIL. Asterios snorts in a manner not dissimilar to that of a particularly nonplussed horse. "You. Are thieves." Asterios says this matter-of-factly, as if it were utterly obvious to all the world. "You stole. Our kill. And our loot." The minotaur casts an uncertain stare toward the strange, white-suited, clawed, round-faced... ... ...... Oh. He's patting her head. W-what is this strange compulsion the minotaur has!? "Can't really. Let you leave with that. Too dangerous. So. Will have to take it from you. By force, if need." Asterios' mind is made up, it seems! At least he's smart enough to draw his headpatting hand back before the girl claws it off of him, though.
Arthur Lowell	Arthur does that typical thing that Arthur does, which is to pretend that he's not the one being an obnoxious shit and surely it's everyone else being irrational. "HOMIE," Arthur starts, with a broad and relaxed grin. "Far as I care, you KEEP what you KILL, but my HEROISM BIZ goes in a BAD WAY when it comes to CRIMERS doing CRIMING, and I'm kinda here to help SOMEONE ELSE." He glances to Lexicon, cocking his head in a questioning way. A sort of silent, quiet, "You want me to break kneecaps for ya boss?" Kind of subtle motion. Arthur actually doesn't know the value of the core, or what the others could do with it, but if anyone does, it's Lexicon. "I mean, shit, dog, you wanna get your DOWN straight fuckin' THROWN, I'm all kinda down for it. I bring that POWER where I go, I'm just not about to keep it on the OFF-SAFETY, bro. You wanna take a swing, bro, HIT ME, I'm not gonna SALT on it." He jams a finger towards the core as if making an accusation about it. "But if that's some DANGEROUS BIZ, I gotta start doing the FELON-FIGHTING biz. Looks like your CHUM there's hella HYPE on it." He draws his broom from nowhere in particular and leaves it over one shoulder, a casual acceptance of battle without intention to seem hostile.
Lexicon	Lexicon settles down a few meters above the ground, not nearly making as dynamic an entry as Asterios had. She glances back as Arcana catches up, then fixes a harsh look on Seeker, over Blaster's enormous shoulder. Her axe is lifted up, at the ready, "Killing your own kind? That's a low I wouldn't have expected from a virus as advanced as you." It's right about then that Charta's scan identifies pair, or at the very least their classifications, as the same rank of virus as the typical Dragon God the party had come to fight. Though, the blonde... Definitely resonates with System Resources. It's undeniable to the Oracle's senses: This girl is a Drive Core Controller. "We have our reasons," Seeker responds to Lexicon, "Mostly financial. A Controller like you wouldn't know how valuable this is, even in the condition it's in we can get a lot for this." She floats upward, then, "Blaster? We're leaving. Let her have her fun." A giant hand menaces, and Topaz reacts by floating down and then back with a laugh, "Catch me..!" It's Seeker's statement that causes her to stop, bouncing lightly when Asterios finally succeeds in patting her head. Her head tilts, and then she grins, showing the fangs that accentuate her smile, "I really get to?!" Lifting her arms, she frames her head with the enormous claws projected from her gauntlets, "Let's play!" "Like fuckin' hell I'm letting you just run off..!" Lexicon shouts. Bracing, she produces a circle of force behind herself from which she leaps, surging forward and bringing her axe up to strike, lunging directly at the back-stepping Blaster. He brings his sword up defensively, but winds up not needing it-- weapons clash. Topaz Soul has moved from where she'd been floating, and now presses down with the claws of her guantlets, which bite into the haft of Lexicon's axe. Forcing the Silver DCC on the defensive. With a laugh, Topaz Soul shifts her hands--independent of her claws--and grabs on to the axe haft. Giving it a yank, she twirls, dragging Lexicon into a spin. When she releases, the timing is such that the Silver DCC is transformed into a projectile aimed straight at the monolithic Asterios. Bringing her claws up into a ready position, Topaz Soul licks her lips, then grins again with a chuckle, "I won't let you beat up my mama or brother, so you have to play with Topaz Soul instead!" Meanwhile, Lexicon attempts to invent a new curse by shouting every one she knows at the exact same time, while trying to regain control of her ability to fly versus the force she was just thrown with.
Arthur Lowell	Arthur's eyes go wide and gleam bright. "Oh HELL YEAH. You wanna have some FUN? You wanna PLAY THIS GAME? You wanna feel that REAL HEAT, launch those SPARKS, get straight fuckin' CONTUSED up in this motherfucker?" He takes his offensive stance, his broom already roaring mechanically. "Let's DO IT! Name's ARTHUR LOWELL! And you're 'bout to wish you'd taken the ESCAPE, CLAWS!" He slams one foot hard into the ground, cracking it beneath his feet as a surge of power blasts out of him in the form of gleaming white light, and roars a battlecry. "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Then he charges forward, going for an absolutely massive overhead strike with enough downward force that any impact, be it against claw or against terrain, produces a wave of wind and light; his intent is to move in close and engage her directly. He did that hlf because he's already close and trying to get distance for ranged attacks would be pretty ineffective, and half because she seems really /excited/ about getting to fight, and on some level, Arthur has a tough time denying that compulsion. He's intending to attempt to lock weapons with those claws and make a proper, exciting, blender-grinding, spark-spewing, starlight-bleeding impact. The kind that gets his blood boiling! The kind that keeps both him and his foe in one place, giving others ample opportunity to maneuver for their optimal opening attacks! And definitely putting Arthur in a vulnerable position if it turns out that her weapon loadout is indicative of her strength, because his actual overall physical strength is only /mildly/ superhuman, and those weapons she's got are definitely the kind he'd expect on someone with more physical power.
Theurgus	Diamond Sister grits her teeth as Silver Soul gets turned into a projectile. She brings her sword up. "I will finish this with my Blaze-magic sword deck! FOURTH IFRIT!" At her command, five cards with red halos 'deal' themselves in front of her. She cuts through them, then jabs forward with the tip of her now blazing sword, aiming the beam of flame at Topaz Soul. "Everyone, stop the viruses! Lexicon and I will handle this upstart!" she calls out. Charta narrows her eyes. Definitely a Drive Core Controller signature, no doubting that. The other two are clearly viruses, so... why is this DCC colluding with them? A mystery, and not one to be answered soon or quickly. She relays her findings, then continues to monitor the battle as it plays out.
Krusty	It seems that battle is to be joined. Krusty doesn't have quite the same opinion of the group that some of the others seem to have. But he is here to assist Lexicon. It may not be their intended target, but these three will still do. So as the others dive in to battle, Krusty removes his sword from the ground and prepares, waiting for an opportunity to act. That opportunity comes when Arthur attempts to weapon lock Topaz Soul, joined by Diamond Sister's fire magic. As the latter suggests, Krusty moves to give chase to the other two, "Understood. Good luck!" Seeing Seeker attempting to flee, Krusty moves to try and prevent it. Thankfully he has something he hopes will make the virus's escape more difficult. Skidding to a stop within range, Krusty moves to hold his sword vertically in front of him as he calls, "Heavy Armor Stance." An aura briefly lights up around the knight and a chain of light launches out from him towards Seeker. It's not a physical chain, but can be avoided. Failing to do so though will result in it 'attaching' to Seeker and suddenly preventing her from moving too far away from Krusty. At least so long as the skill lasts.
Asterios	Asterios has learned something about his foe. That something is 'oh no, her head is so soft and pattable!' He is learning this terrible truth about many people in this world. What is with all of these blobs? These... these... moe-blobs...!? But. Battle is soon joined. The minotaur grunts in surprise when Lexicon suddenly charges in ahead of him. That's usually /his/ job. He grunts again, a little more loudly, when the little drive controller is suddenly transformed into a projectile and hurled bodily right at him. If the minotaur is taken aback at the display of power, he doesn't show it-- he's much too busy catching Lexicon out of the air with his tremendous meat. "Lexicon," Asterios grunts to the girl in the Lexicon-shaped bruise on his torso, "Are you... okay? They're... Trying to get away." Asterios' eyes flash briefly. A wave of complex lines weaves suddenly across the landscape. Walls rise, space bends, the Chaos Labyrinth expands across the rolling, snowy hills. Mighty stone walls erupt around the villainous duo, seeking to pen them in to deal with later. And of course, the rest of the party similarly finds themselves transported from a snowfield... To the interior of a vast maze. "Will try to... Slow them down. Focus on... The fight for now."
Lexicon	Topaz Soul is immediately attacked by one Arthur Lowell! She brings her claws in defensively, intercepting the swung broom in a clash that sends her hair flipping wildly behind her. Sparks fly from the energy blades of her weapon, and the hit even shoves the yellow DCC back. She compensates, however, and starts leaning in and over the Mage of Space, the power sigils in her eyes gleaming, "Oh yeah! You're lots of fun!" She leans forward, lips curling into a slightly too narrow, less eager grin. An expression that's interrupted when Arcana's flame beam strikes her side. There's an explosion, and the blast hurls Topaz Soul away from Arthur, tumbling head over heels with a shout of surprise. She actually slams into one of the walls of Chaos Labyrinthos as the maze forms. Though before the dust has even settled, Topaz Soul erupts from the top, arms held out, and laughing despite the singed mark on her white suit. Krusty's skill goes off before these walls start to rise, though. Spotting incoming, Blaster interposes his metallic bulk in the way, bringing an arm up to present his bracer as a makeshift shield. This is what the chain buries itself into, and Blaster immediately raises his arm upward, pulling on the skill chain as the walls rise to obscure--and entrap-- him and Seeker inside. Topaz Soul glances back at the maze that's erupted from the surrounding countryside, then back at the party opposing her, "Whoa! Did you do that? Super cool, you can build stuff an' I can break it!" Lexicon, once caught, floats up immediately and brings her axe up, "Tch... She's pretty damn good at close combat.." Tensely, she dips her head, "And counter-attacks. She's stupid strong, grappling is gonna be rough for anyone but Asterios." Topaz Soul, to her credit, drops altitude to float between the walls of the maze once more. Hefting her claws to either side, her head tilts, that same wide smile on her face, "C'mon~! One at a time, all at once, I can endure anything if it's fun!"
Lexicon	"Tch..!" the mechasuit hisses. Explosive bolts erupt at his elbow, and he jettisons the ensnared arm. Now in the relative privacy of the maze, he glances back towards his companion, "What now?" "They have, helpfully, provided us a cover for our escape," Seeker states. She hefts the sphere, which Blaster catches with his remaining hand. His sword flickers, then disappears back into his inventory. Seeker brings her hands up, and the spiked halo above her rotates, then expands, producing a vortex within itself. This lowers, taking Seeker with it. Once it's at ground level, Blaster steps forward and then hops into it as well. When the vortex closes, all that's left behind is the mechsuit's discarded arm, slowly dissolving now that its digital 'owner' is no longer present to sustain it.
Theurgus	Arcana huffs softly, flicking her blade to disband the remaining flames. The blades clack back together, and six cards pull from the floating aura. "Spirits of The System. GIVE ME STRENGTH!" She slashes through all six, and the blade of her sword becomes engulfed in prismatic flames, showing each and every element. She then gathers herself up forming a wall of force behind her which she kicks off with. "EX-Caliber! Behold the power of my long sword!" She bears down on Topaz Soul, tossing all caution to the wind and moving to engage in close combat.
Krusty	Krusty's skill connects even as the world around him errupts and transforms into a maze. But it was not his intended target that was caught. He would have accepted Blaster as an alternative, however the clever machine-virus had to go and purge his arm. Krusty manages to navigate the maze quickly enough to catch sight of the two just as they disappear. He's a little disappointed at not being able to fight either one of them, reporting to the team, "The other two have escaped. Some form of teleportation, I gather." Still hearing the echoes of battle from nearby, Krusty starts running as he begins to try and navigate the maze to join the fight.
Arthur Lowell	Arthur was having a tough time with that weapon-locking exchange, regardless of his gutsy bravado, so thank goodness for that interruption. The eager battlemage gets back into an offensive position as his target surges out of the smoke. "HELL YEAH, this motherfucker LIFTS." He declares, his breathing and speaking a little ragged from the exertion. This time it's Arcana's turn to move in close, and so Arthur keeps his distance for a moment; in this case, he's cocking his head to one side and recognizing the absence of Krusty. Is he outside the Labyrinth? Oh damn! Arthur reaches out for the magic of Asterios' Noble Phantasm. With Arthur himself being an expert in redirecting geometry, he tries to lightly "handshake" with the magic of the apparatus, as an ally, and work with it; his hope is to quickly shorten Krusty's path from the entrance to their current location using non-euclidian GEOMETRIC WARPING! It's a subtle thing, and Arthur will probably pretend he wasn't the one doing /nerd shit/ later, if ever asked. For now, he readies his broom in a different configuration, that of a rifle! With the bristles braced against his shoulder, he opens fire with a series of heavy beam blasts. "Hell yeah, I bet you can, huh? Do that LIFTIN' don'tcha, you're bringin' that STRENGTH! 'Boutta wish you'd LIFTED yourself right OUT OF THIS FIGHT in a second, CLAWS, let's see that ENDURANCE too!" The barrage of starlight bolts fires rapidly as Arthur flanks and maneuvers, trying to make sure he exploits Arcana and (likely) Asterios doing the close-range combat.
Asterios	Asterios' maze is more than just a collection of bizarre corridors and confusing hallways. There legendary Labyrinth of the Minotaur was not just impossible to navigate, it was also filled with all manner of terrifying monsters and the greatest feats of trapmaking known to the Greco-Roman world. This latter bit becomes particularly relevant as the mysterious orange spongehead begins her rampage. Certainly, she probably won't be too overly inconvenienced by the frigid spears erupting from the frozen earth, but it might just be the distraction the party needs to... ...To have the minotaur suddenly charge in and go to seize the DCC by her forearms. It's as Lexicon observed; only he can really hope to grapple with this lady. And Asterios is nothing if not willing to grapple if that means everyone else having an opportunity to get their licks in.
Lexicon	With the two Viruses now off the table, the only source of conflict is the unpredictable Topaz Soul within the Minotaur's maze. The peppy DCC floats back and upward slightly, evaluating the party still presented to her. That weird knight guy is gone, somewhere. But what she does have is the sword mage charging right at her. Her posture shifts, one arm drawn back, the other extended, both forming a downward angle. Topaz Soul endures, just as she promised she would, as Arthur's beams strike her. Black marks touch each place he hits, and damaged code flitters off from the impacts. She's definitely taking damage, but she's not flinching from it. "Arcana, wait!" Lexicon calls out, "Counter-attacks!" "GUARD STRIKE!" Arcana's sword finds...nothing. Topaz Soul dashes right past her, coming to a halt several meters behind the Diamond Sister, leaving behind a mote of yellow. As Topaz recovers from her dash, she snaps her claws back, right as that orb explodes. "Tch..!" Lexicon sweeps her axe, "If we're beating her, we have to overwhelm her ability to defend herself..!" And then, as Topaz moves into a new attack formation, kicking off from an eruption of icy spikes while using her gauntlets defensively now from further Arthur beams. Given her build, this has certain unavoidable effects, which have already gotten Lexicon's eyebrow twitching. With a roar, Lexicon thrusts her arms down, "AND STOP FLAUNTING THAT SHIT--!" "Huh?" Topaz glances Lexicon's way. The perfect distraction for Asterios to grab on to her gauntlets. She shoots a look down at her hands, tugging at them, then up at the maned bull man, "Hey, wait, are we wrestling now? I'm not ready for that, so--!" She wrenches on her arms with all her might, not necessarily to pull Asterios down, but to pull herself up. A leg snaps out, leading with an armored heel straight for his chin, "HEARTBREAK KICK!" So long as Asterios can hold her in one place, though, Topaz Soul will be an easy target.
Asterios	What is the sound of a DCC kicking a minotaur in the chin? Well. In this case, that sound is... mofwumf ...As her foot disappears into the minotaur's tremendously fluffy mane. Asterios stares at her with big, uncertain eyes. "...Aa?" He blinks once, then twice, and then... goes to try and pin her arms??? ...Huh. So that's why he has all that fluff.
Theurgus	Diamond Sister's eyes widen as she finds nothing but air, and the orb explodes in her face. She's sent flying, tumbling head over heels in a parabolic arc. Her wings shift, rolling around then arresting her momentum, 'skidding' back in the air as she levels out. Arcana's body is a testament of broken code, red cracks traced over her body. She then drops the rest of the distance to the ground, her transformation shattering as she falls to her knees, wincing in pain. The sword mage is out of the fight, it seems.
Krusty	Krusty is starting to get a handle on things as he runs through the maze, only for things to starting getting a little weird. It's not really noticeable, but then suddenly Krusty rounds a corner to catch sight of the current fight. Was he really that close? Oh well, no time to think about it now! Quickly taking in the situation as he approaches, Krusty raises his sword. Hoping to take advantage of his surprise arrival, combined with Asterios's attempt to hold the DCC in place, Krusty proceeds to try and drive the blade of his large weapon through Topaz Soul's back, wary enough to do it at an angle so that he won't accidentally drive it through Asterios should the blonde dodge.
Arthur Lowell	Arthur sees he likely won't need to flank quite so quickly, and so he skids to a stop over the ground, blasting the rocket-bristles of his broom to force a proper stop. Then he swings one foot back to brace, plants it firmly, and lets out a sustained, rising battle-roar. "HOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!" White roiling fire comes off of him in waves as he begins to unload a sustained beam directly towards where Asterios is trying to pin Topaz, trying to make up for the suddenly-absent DPS from Arcana! This time, since he's staying so still, he can properly run a sustained, accelerating reaction, forcing fusion energy out the barrel of his broomgun in a beam that gets brighter and brighter, while he struggles to keep it forced down to a thiner projectile. This ought to drain some of that integrity! "I dunno what kinda GUTS you got in there to KEEP GOING through this kinda POWER, but I'm 'bout to make you RUN OUT OF THEEEEEMMMM!" He shouts, in an increasingly exhausted, run-ragged, and still even eager voice. "Let's see you TAKE OUT another ONE OF US through THIIIIIIIIIIS!"
Lexicon	Topaz Soul blinks uncertainly when her attack is mitigated by Asterios glorious mane. Her head tilts, and she draws her foot back with a confused noise. Usually that's a lot more satisfying..! Without any further opportunity to kick, though, she plants that foot against his chest and pushes, pulling on her arms as well, "Nnh~! This isn't very fun at all!" She might not even be aware that Arcana's out of the battle, but does seem to be acutely aware of Lexicon descending from above. The girl twists, placing Asterios' hand and her gauntlet in the way, which causes the silver DCC to abandon her attack rather than hit a comrade. When Lexicon attempts a new angle, Topaz once again twists, making use of her grapple with the minotaur to defend herself. And then suddenly Krusty from behind. His sword finds a good place right between Topaz Soul's wing processors. With his strength and the element of surprise on his side, the blade punches right through, erupting through the girl's chest in a spray of crimson code fragments, amidst a shriek of surprise. "Ouch..!" Squirming, Topaz Soul shifts her arms, and then simply pulls her hands out of her gauntlets, abandoning them to Asterios' grip. She floats upward, de-impaling herself in the process. Only to be hit by Arthur's concentrated beam. In the light, Topaz Soul almost seems to disappear, though that's hardly true-- she slams into one of the walls some distance away, amidst smoke and rubble. As the dust clears, she peels loose, striking the ground on all fours. Broken code drops off her extremities, from the hole in her chest. Right about when Charta issues her warning, a circle of light shoots out around the stricken Topaz DCC. Looking up, her constant smile has at last been replaced with a frown, "This isn't fun anymore..!" Her bare hand raises, fingers flexing and then tightening into a fist. She brings it down, then, slamming her fist into the earth. A fissure appears beneath her, which she promptly falls into. The psychidelic colors and erratic code licking at the edges betrays its destination. "The hell?" Lexicon swings her axe up, approaching, "...Did she punch a fuckin' hole all the way down to Duty Space?"
Asterios	Asteros... Is left standing there with a bruised chest, a fresh sword wound (from where Krusty's blade went clean through the renegade DCC) and... ...A pair of cool clawed laser gauntlets? Hm. WEAPON GET: TOPAZ TALONS Asterios blinks at the gaping hole in reality. Uhhh... Hm. "...That was. A thing...?"