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Kale Hearthward	There isn't a warning this time. Kale's contact sends him a message - and the protest group sends roughly the same message to everyone - the Gale Empire is pushing back. Literally. "They've deployed the army." That's Larkspur the mole, who's greeting the group just outside the warpgate plaza (once they get through the usual bureaucracy (or lack thereof, in Aidan's case)). "They've got wind walls up. We're being pushed back. Kettled. I was lucky enough to be taking a break from the picket line when things started, but most of everyone else..." "... Honestly I don't know what the situation is myself. We've been scattered, disorganized. I'm not sure why today of all days, after letting us march up literally to the front door of the factory for weeks before now." "But we need to have a response, fast."
Ishirou	Once through the bureaucracy, which Ishirou is starting to get tired of, he's there meeting up with Larkspur.  "Wait really?  They've deployed the /army/?!  Have they declared martial law or anything?  This is against their laws too!" More than that, it's unprovoked.  They haven't done anything but protest peacefully until now, but it seems that... Perhaps they've decided that this has gone on long enough.  Ishirou dashes from the group and starts heading towards where he can see people being pushed back.  He's looking for someone in charge.  Someone who can speak for the army.   He doesn't even think about transforming into his armor yet, that would only provoke a response.  Right now he's just in civilian clothing, aiming to try and get to the bottom of what's going on.
Aidan Proudpick	Aidan isn't as fast as he used to be. But he also doesn't have to travel in straight lines. He flashes his ID and is ready to burst into a full speed when he sees Larkspur. Aidan wheels to a stop. He's back into his cloth armor, bandaged, mussed, and shaved in a few places from the emergency room. "I'm surprised they just did it now." He frowns, looking over at Ishirou as Ishirou takes off running, "Something... something changed." He tries to think of current events. Well, beyond him getting his ass kicked on elitetube and a new Breakfast Boy being announced. He shakes his head, patting Larkspur on the shoulder with a smile, "Thanks, see what you can find out from a safe distance, but stay away from guards. If you think you are in danger," he hands Larkspur a contact for Cole, his own engineer in charge of breath weapon care. "Give him a call, he knows where all the shelters are." Aidan takes off again. He takes the high road, leaping onto the side of a building, scurrying much like a furry slinky, pausing only to leap across buildings and scramble towards the factory. He wants a squirrel's eye view of the situation.
Kale Hearthward	Kale's also here, though he's lagging behind a bit. He's not looking 100% today. The routes taken, whether going high or staying on the street level, converge at around the same place - which happens to be just before the kettling point, with a view of the factory in the distance. It also has- "Ah ha! I had a feeling you would show up! A very feeling feeling." It's Perry Talon. The new East Wind, with the flying snowboard. "It's very predictable! Shake the crowd a bit, like shake them up shake them, and the heroes come running," he crows. "(Not a hero,)" mutters Kale. "I heard you got your fuzzy butt kicked," he adds to Aidan. "Thought you could come here and have an easier time of it, huh? Well sorry to say, the Gale Empire is *lot* tougher than a pair of girls, like, girly girls. You should have stayed in that oh-hi-oh place, right? Do your HOA meetings and water your lawn." "But anyway - great - now you all wait *right* here, I've gotta send a message saying that I've got you trapped trapped right here," says Perry, who reaches into a pocket and pulls out a cell phone, going to tap on it awkwardly. "Let's see. New message - okay, I gotta pick a contact, okay - uh, is this the right number..." "... Is this really easier than just sending a letter? Like, easier easier?"
Ishirou	"Are you being serious right now..?" Ishirou says to Perry.  Crossing his arms over his chest and walking towards the new East Wind.  "What part of 'they have the right to protest' is too hard to understand?  I can show you the very specific part in your law books if you want..." Ishirou looks flabbergasted right now, not sure where this is going to go, and wondering if this were truly all done by this moron, or if he was being played as a pawn for someone else, to distance themselves from it and claim deniability.   "Who ordered this, Perry?  Who ordered you to actually go out there and punch peacefully protesting /citizens/ of your empire?  Specifically to... draw us out?" he asks, deciding to hack the phone while he was at it so that he could listen in on the conversation, and see who it is he contacts, just in case he decides to be cagey.  He looks over at Kale, during all of this.   "Are you going to be alright?  You don't look so good..." he says concerned.
Aidan Proudpick	Aidan looks right at Perry. He walks across the roof top towards Perry, purposefully. He has two bucklers on either arm, scrabbling for every inch of extra juice that he can. He has a determined look on his face. He flashes Perry a smile. "Hey Perry! Perry Talon! I see you found your snowboard." His smile becomes sheepish, "I'm really sorry for hitting that snowboard out for under you, I was really just trying to... you know, make sure everyone knew I was a hero. And that wasn't fair, I don't even know you!" "I heard you got your fuzzy butt kicked," "Yea, I got my butt kicked. But you probably aren't the new guardian of the Empire without being strong yourself, right?" He passes over the HOA line. Perry is NOT Petra or Lilian, not by a long mile. He just wears his smile, "Ishirou's right. We aren't here to start a fight. Just protect people."
Kale Hearthward	> "Ishirou's right. We aren't here to start a fight. Just protect people." "You know, same! You think we don't have everyone's best interest in mind?" Perry floats upwards a bit more. "You know - I talked to the emperor. He said you talked to *him*, right? That's impressive. He barely talks to anyone in person." "Of course, he also was saying you weren't willing to compromise with him on anything. That you've got your own way of wanting to do everything and you just aren't going to accept any other way." "That you'd sooner see both the Empire *and* Quicknest fall and fail than accept the reality: that we're suddenly in a multiverse full of bigger fish, and the only way to survive is, well, to *be* a bigger fish. Bigger sort of bigger fish. And sure it's gonna suck for the people in the robots, but if it's that or eradication, which will wipe them out or *worse* anyway... well, there isn't really a decision, right? Really not really a decision." "So if you can't understand that - I think you *are* here to fight. Maybe you just don't know it yourself yet." The text message is being sent to... Zephyr, the chief engineer. The phone is, also, connected to the factory intranet, it looks like. "Pff. They're just getting roughed up a little. Nothing they won't be able to walk off," says Perry. "Like, walk off walk off." "They *got* to protest. They got to do plenty of it! Like, plenty plenty of it. They got to give little speeches, and march around with chants, and wave the little signs around, and we've been very tolerant of it all. Like, tolerant tolerant, even!" "But now that they're actually getting in the way of progress, we gotta get them to back off. Entirely reasonable, like entirely entirely. Don't get me wrong - it's fine if they want to have their free speech when and where it doesn't matter, though." > "Are you going to be alright? You don't look so good..." he says concerned. "I'm... managing," says Kale. He might not be telling the full truth.
Ishirou	Ishirou looks at Kale seriously, placing an arm on his shoulder.  "It's alright if you can't be here today, I'll handle this and support you the best that I can, alright?" he says earnestly to Kale so that he doesn't have to feel like he has to shoulder all of this by himself.  Taking a breath, he notices who is being contacted.   He'll fold that away for later.  "Looks like your ex is the one he's taking orders from.." he says to Kale, softly.  He doesn't respond much to Perry, at least not at first, but something with how he speaks gets to him, and he can't help but speak up. "He didn't talk to me, or else I'd have a lot more to say to him, and a lot to do with cooperation.  The issue is that you don't want cooperation.  You want domination.  If you wanted cooperation, you would have asked the Paladins for help, and we would have taken the Quicknestians from you and freed them.  We would have provided them housing and a place to live until their home is restored." "But to me, it looks like that's not the case...you want to dominate what's around you, and face the multiverse like that.  Unfortunately, that'll only invite bigger powers to try and take what you have..." With that, he decides to create back doors and ways into the intranet of the factory so that he can remotely come in and check more of what's connected later.  Right now, he doesn't think this is going to continue peacefully for very much longer.
Sarracenia	Aidan walks across the rooftops. A certain princess in her usual red dress and currently sporting a raccoon ears and tail floats down slowly to land beside and start walking with him. "Why is the empire so certain it will fall if it does not do this? Has someone with that capacity actually threatened the empire? The Sundew Kingdom still stands, and we have stood alone for many years now as part of the Multiverse without falling or failing. And if your emperor pays as much attention as he seems to, he must know that there are a few powerful entities that would happily destroy it."      She crosses her arms, her tail flicking lightly. "What have they done to get in the way of progress? Stand in the street? You are using robot labor instead of their help so it could not possibly be because they are not working."
Aidan Proudpick	That you'd sooner see both the Empire *and* Quicknest fall and fail than accept the reality. Aidan grips his fist. "Tha-!" He slowly wiggles his fingers out, lifting up his hands. Think about it from Perry's side. He's a new hero, he wants to protect everyone, "Yea. Imagine if all your friends and family got put into robots, Perry. The only family you got put into a robot. That'd be hard, I GOT mad. I'm trying to be a hero for my people. And you are trying to be a hero for yours." I don't want the Empire to fall. No. That's a lie. He's always wanted that. Out of petty anger. He grips his fist for emphasis, "You gotta be a hero to your people. Inspire them. Listen to what they want." Aidan is earnest. Trying to reach Perry. Seeing something of himself in Perry. Someone awkward, a bit dumb, getting in over their head by trying to take on everything at once, being too aggressive. He turns slightly towards Sarracenia, smiling to have her support, then shaking his head, whispering, "I don't think arguing is going to help here." 'You shouldn't push yourself to the de-' Aidan thinks at Kale before he catches himself, listening in on Kale and Ishirou with SQUIRREL hearing. Then a smile, "Guess I'm about in the grave myself," he says outloud. He still isn't preparing for a fight. He has both hands loose at his side and looking at Perry.
Kale Hearthward	Ishirou can start accessing files... the security isn't stellar, but the network isn't really labeleld or organized enough for him to easily find his way to anything useful yet, including the backdoors. > "Looks like your ex is the one he's taking orders from.." Kale nods. "Yeah. I would have guessed. Zephyr speaks with the voice of the emperor, and has his ears." > "If you wanted cooperation, you would have asked the Paladins for help..." "Yeah - if you want to make a pitch like that, you should go give it to the Emperor. Not that you can get an audience with him anymore, though." > "Why is the empire so certain it will fall if it does not do this?" "Uh - have you looked across the border recently? Quicknest? Besides, your kingdom? That's just a couple years so far." > "You gotta be a hero to your people. Inspire them. Listen to what they want." "Hey, that's what I'm *doing*. You think they don't want this? You think they won't be on board?" "That reminds me, though." Perry stands up straight on his board. "Gotta make sure none of you sneak off. Including the raccoon." Wind walls go up, boxing the group into the intersection Perry's confronted them in. "So how about you just sit and be all comfy, and watch the show." Off in the distance, part of the factory roof is moving.
Aidan Proudpick	White air forming. He knows the exact currents, the feeling of it. "MOVE!" He shouts at everyone else before it snaps on anyone. He dodges rolls forward, breaking into a run. His side hurts. His head hurts. He's been beaten, battered and bruised. But He's ALWAYS wanted to do this. And he's not going to give up a chance. He's NEVER gotten to fight another Breath Weapon wielder one on one. And not having his shield cheapens this a little. "So how about you just sit and be all comfy, and watch the show." "Sorry, Perry." Come on, he can get excited for this. He's going to fight one of the Winds finally! "But you KNOW that's not how this is going to work." Without flight, wounded, Aidan has to run support. And that's fine with him. "Pretty good trick with the walls. But I'm pretty good at that TOO!" He flashes out his hands, inward, then back, up and down, making a sort of goalie box to keep Perry from moving too far so the other two can get a good shot on him.
Ishirou	Ishirou dives forward, avoiding the edge of the wind wall, but still being trapped on the inside of it.  He sighs, of course, this is how it was going to go.  It's depressing, but it can't be helped now.  They'll have to consider what to do going forward, but first... getting out of this with their skin intact.   Ishirou transforms into RESCUE, a black suit washes over him, a helmet covers his face, and a small jetpack-like attachment connects to his back.  He dives forward again, aiming to get away from the wall before connecting to his subspace pocket.  From it comes out the pieces for the flight unit, which connect to RESCUE and, he goes up flying towards Perry.   He flips up and over him, pointing down as POD connects to the back of the flight unit, and the two fire down a barrage of shots, aiming to try and force Perry down onto the roof and keep him peppered there... but also within striking range of his two allies.
Sarracenia	'I don't think arguing is going to help here.'      Sarracenia hmphs softly but smiles lightly. "Maybe not, but never let it be said that Princess Sarracenia Sundew does not offer a chance at negotiations first. People try to make it seem as though I have no brains and attack without reason, but I have always endeavored to talk first and avoid needless fighting."      'Uh - have you looked across the border recently? Quicknest? Besides, your kingdom? That's just a couple years so far.'      Sarracenia scoffs at that. "That is your reasoning? You should be building bridges with other nations, not building whatever weapons you think will defend you against people like Dr. Eggman and Petra."      She looks around at the people protesting, then hmphs again. "You say people will be onboard, but they are not even onboard now. I find it doubtful people will suddenly be onboard after whatever you built is..."      The roof of the factory starts moving, and Sarracenia blinks in surprise. "...revealed...?" she finishes just before getting buffeted by the wind. She yelps as she is knocked off her feet and smashes into the side of a building. Her ears and tail disappear in a puff, but she braces against the building and leaps to land on another.      'Gotta make sure none of you sneak off. Including the raccoon.'      "Good! I am quite tired of sneaking about, anyway! I much prefer the dire-...did you say raccoon?" Sarra can't help a bit of a giggle at that, and is smirking after. "Well, anyway...I guess we are doing this, so..."      Aidan and Ishirou help coral Perry, and Sarracenia calls out, "Thank you Aidan! Ishirou!" before she reaches into her satchel purse and pulls out her DK Hammer, then reaches in again and tosses a trio of Bullet Bills upward one after the other. She goes into a spin as they come back down and each one is hit on the flat, firing it off with the speed and rapport of a cannon shot. "You know, a true hero would not be okay with using slaves trapped in robots to build his people's future!!"
Kale Hearthward	Off in the distance, the factory roof is opening up further, and something is starting to lift up out of it. The parrot gets forced downward, and ends up boxed in a bit by Aidan. The bullet bills slam into him, one after the other, and there's not much he can do to dodge. > "But you KNOW that's not how this is going to work." "It could. You all could just sit there, then turn around and go home. But then where would that leave me?" "I'm the newest hero of the Gale Empire. *The* East Wind. I'm going to keep you from ruining our glorious, glorious future that we're working so hard for. I'm going to stop you from getting in the way of our salvation." "I'm going to beat you all senseless and then drag you off to jail. Because that's what heroes do!" "So thank you all... for being such evil villains. Your hatred of the Gale Empire is everything I could have asked for!" > "You know, a true hero would not be okay with using slaves trapped in robots to build his people's future!!" "And they aren't slaves! They're conscripts." Perry shreds on the flying snowboard. Anyone who doesn't get out of his way is going to get battered!
Ishirou	"So what is the difference between a slave and a conscript, Perry?  I want you to tell me what the difference is," Ishirou fires back at Perry, but looks towards the building.  Something is coming, and that doesn't seem like a good thing.   Ishirou dashes back away from Perry, leaving his sick shredding manuever to hit air instead of his armor, and he turns to face the opening factory roof.  He takes a moment to use his connection to their network to try and jam the opening mechanism.   This is before he turns back to charge up an energy sword, swing it in a wide arc around himself, and try and batter Perry back towards the ground again.  Once more, attempting to deny him the air so that Sarra and Aidan will have an easier time and make his life pain.
Aidan Proudpick	"So thank you all... for being such evil villains. Your hatred of the Gale Empire is everything I could have asked for!" That hits Aidan hard. He didn't GET what he was doing wrong with the Emperor. He didn't GET it. But he did. He couldn't show compassion for his hated enemy. Until it came back out of Perry's beak. Aidan's heart aches. Just enough for him to get blasted back by the snowboard, tumbling hard against the ground and rolling. He has to push himself up to one arm, squeezing his eyes shut. Tear it out. Tear out that old hate. Throw it away. "Yer right." He rolls backwards, popping up to his feet quickly. "I need to find out what they want. Not the Emperor. Everyone." I'm the newest hero of the Gale Empire. *The* East Wind. "Yea? Let's go. Don't talk, show me!" Aidan wants to try a new trick. As he feels energy from Ishirou draw into him, it's the perfect time. Because if this guy can't be his friend... Inflate, deflate. Inflate, deflate. All the air out, all the air in. All the air out. All the air in. Out in a rush, pushing everything out of him, draining himself of Lifebreath. He looks at Perry, putting his hands next to his mouth and DRAWS air into himself. It's not as powerful as the Queen's shockwave, but the sudden rush of air pressure makes a low pressure wave before Aidan lets that breath back out in a sudden reverse pulse.
Sarracenia	'And they aren't slaves! They're conscripts.'      Sarra opens her mouth...then closes it. That might actually be true since the citizens of Quicknest were granted citizenship to the Gale Empire. She huffs at Perry, then nods at Ishirou. "There is little difference! Conscription is also done against one's will! And might be worse since conscripts are the first to die in battles!"      Perry shreds by. Sarracenia does not get out of the way. Instead, she leaps up as he is about to pass and pulls her hammer in close, holding it in front of her like a shield. The massive head obscures most of her body. And presents a bit of a problem for a passing flying snowboarder.      Unstoppable force, meet immovable object. When she is hit, the blow lands on the hammer. It knocks her back with a grunt, but she uses the added force to enter a somersault with her hammer being swung in an upward circle with that person-sized hammer head aimed at that board. Perry might just get launched like one of those Bullet Bills from a moment ago!      Sarra lands back on another roof and hmphs. "And besides that, we do not hate the empire! We just do not like its management!" she says, then blinks and looks toward Aidan, then Kale, and finally Ishirou. "Although...I suppose I can only speak for myself."
Kale Hearthward	The factory roof jams. The emerging object stops emerging. The process - whatever the process is - is delayed, at least for now. Ishirou denies Perry air. Aidan creates a shockwave. Sarracenia comes in with her hammer. Perry is knocked down - but not out. "The difference between a conscript and a slave..." "... I mean, shouldn't that be obvious? Like, obvious obvious." Kale, who's trying to unravel the wind wall, blinks - and then his eyes go wide. "Oh no..." "And - you want me to show you how I'm a hero?" He's focusing on Aidan more now. "Snow Peaks isn't the only thing I've got!" He reaches into a belt pouch, and pulls out a... boomerang? "Witness my tools of heroism - go, Mark Maker!" He throws it. Boomerangs *should* be more limited than hollywood suggests, but this one isn't - it's inerringly bouncing from person to person. It doesn't *do* much besides leave bruises and be a distraction, though?
Ishirou	"You don't know, do you?  The answer is that there /is/ no difference!  In this situation, you could call them anything, and it doesn't change the fact.  They're slaves, and the empire is practicing slavery.  Everything else right now is just words aiming to obfuscate what this is!  It's no better than the man who put them into the robots in the first place!  Stop living with your head up your rump and think for yourself!" Not that he will, but... The boomerang flies, smacking into his armor, as he attempts to avoid it.  Sadly, not this time and the armor of the flight unit takes a dent.  Ishirou takes a moment to reach into his spell list, before aiming to release a burst of pressure from a hand.  Electromagnetic forces aim to press down on Perry, trying to crush him into the ground but also leaving a lingering effect.  Aiming to try and make it harder for him to zip around.   Trying to rob him of his mobility and handle the situation before whatever they're about to launch launches.
Aidan Proudpick	"Although...I suppose I can only speak for myself." "We can still try. We can still try to reach out until the Emperor cuts it off." "And - you want me to show you how I'm a hero?" Aidan grins. He LOVES seeing new Breath Weapons. He's seen the same FOUR for so long, anything interesting. He watches the boomerang, curious as it bounces about. Aidan rushes forward instead of back, tilting into a full run. He ducks the worst of the boomerang, letting it bump against his head. It's going to leave more than a bruise, Aidan's vision swimming. Damn, if he ONLY had Aegis right now. He could show this guy! "It's gonna do something more than THAT!" Aidan says back as he moves up into Perry's personal space. He's almost jolly right now. He lets Ishirou move in to slow him down, following up. He brings his arm around in an arc, slamming downward before bringing his other up to continue a combo of shield thrusts. Aidan talks back to Kale, "It's all one skein of wind! You have to pull it from the corne-" All of the excitement for a possible new rival leaves his voice as Kale utters 'oh no'. Ice goes down his spine. He whips his head around.
Sarracenia	"...it stopped!" Sarracenia exclaims as the room jams. She is not sure why, but that means whatever bad thing is in there is still in there.      And she's hit by a boomerang. Sarracenia lets out an 'oof' as she is hit squarely in the midsection. It staggers her backward...but other than that it seems to do nothing? "...Mark Maker? Marked for what?" she asks.      She reaches into her purse and pulls out a green turtle plushie with a white helmet. She squeezes it and in a puff of white smoke she is wearing a green a yellow outfit with a white helmet and turtle shell. She rests her hammer over her shoulder and holds out her hands. A pair of white boomerangs with a green stripe appear in them.      "Let us see who throws a boomerang better!" she calls out before throwing them at Perry.      'Oh no...'      Sarracenia looks over, but doesn't see any reason to be worried. "What?" she asks, confused. And once again nods in agreement with Ishirou. "Yeah, what he said!"
Kale Hearthward	Ishirou's efforts serve to keep Perry locked down. Aidan slams his arm downward, while Sarracenia throws her boomerangs upwards - a simultaneous hit that knocks the wind out of him, quite literally. The snowboard sputters out and he drops to the ground. He has, at least, enough wind in him to talk, though. "Mmm? I do know." "A slave is just a worker. Like, a working worker. Whereas a conscript..." The factory roof gets into motion again, evidently through some form of manual override or process as Ishirou isn't able to jam it again. What's emerging is... ... An engine? It's one giant engine block, one that gets lifted up into the air and suspended by a system of hoists attached to other buildings. "A conscript is sent to war," says Kale, staring up at it. From elsewhere, more pieces are being brought in towards the engine. Frames. Infrastructure. Flooring, walls, and staircases. It's being assembled around the massive engine, and while the overall construction has a long ways to go, and likely won't be completed for weeks yet, there's only one shape that it all could be forming up into. "Esteemed villains opposing the Gale Empire - may I present to you the King Castling, the vessel on which we shall take our Great Flight Forward into the future, securing our safety and security not by cowering behind our borders in fear of what may come, but by reaching out and bringing the glorious light of the Empire into other worlds!" It's a giant airship. It's a giant airship big enough that the Empire's existing invasion fleet could dock inside it - a mothership, maybe. "Thanks to the inflow of resources from our newest ally, and thanks in no small part to the *tireless* work of our... conscripts." Perry grabs his boomerang again. "I'll make sure you get a good view, a good good view, of its launch and its maiden flight..." "... from the window of your jail cell!" He brings it up to his beak, and breathes on it. Something inside it spins, and it starts to look... ... odd. Like - the visible shape hasn't changed much, but parts of the boomerang are extending off into unknown directions. The classical way to describe what's happening is: imagine you can only see in two dimensions. One day, a three dimensional object crosses your path. You wouldn't see the whole object, just a tiny sliver of it at a time, intersecting with your two dimensions while it moves through the third. That's what's happening to Mark Maker right now. It's a four dimensional object, while everyone here remains anchored to just three. Perry winds up and throws it - and it vanishes and reappears sporadically, as it flies. It's a lot harder to keep track of, harder to avoid, *and* it's moving faster since it's got a whole extra dimension to path through and pick up speed. Of course, when it slams into anyone's head, 100% of it's mass is fully in the target's three dimensions, and at that point it's also traveling hard and fast enough to knock someone all the way out!
Ishirou	The attack comes at an angle that Ishirou can't predict, outside of the dimensions he can search in, and this time he just narrowly has enough time to make it so that it doesn't strike anything critical.  Of course, anything in his head is critical, but he turns his head just enough that it scrapes across the helmet and shatters a part of it.   Ishirou flies from the shockwave, catching himself, just a few feet away but causing a skidmark across the ground from where he lands and eventually stops.  His head is ringing, from the blow, and it's hard to focus.  Thankfully, he managed to do the best that he could in that situation, and not take it head on.   "A warship... you spent... son of a-this was all to build up power so you could use the robots to /conquer/ other lands!" Ishirou curses, of course, this was what the EMPIRE wanted to do.  Eggman is playing them, he's going to watch them fight until they're too weak to fight back.  Quicknest won't ever recover, and any land they attack is going to be weakened.  How long until the Empire is far too weak to defend itself..?   Ishirou uses his sensors to try and lock on to Perry, and parts of the Flight unit open up and release a barrage of rockets towards him, trying to fight back harder, and with more firepower than before.
Aidan Proudpick	Aidan turns with everyone to watch. His eyes track upward, watching the airship come together. He is transfixed, his arm going down to his side. He has to not sag down. He... he was right. He was right about them all along. And he doesn't feel an ounce of pride about it. Pain fills him. Pain for Quicknest, even pain for Kale. Pain for all the people of the Empire who have to be a part of this whether they like it or not. "Hurricanes..." Perry is talking. Aidan realizes that Perry is talking. It seems so distant. Conscripts "Not workers. Soldiers who can die in battle. Soldiers who have to kill whoever you decide. More conquerer shit." Aidan squeezes his fist around the grip of the buckler, turns to side eye Perry. "You ain't the East Wind and you ain't a hero! " He blows out wind as he is facing the other direction, only getting lucky and letting the boomerang slice through the air where he isn't. He knows momentum. Aidan spins around as he is being blasted by his own wind, siphoning as much air into his lungs as he can, letting it seep into his veins. He's going to rip himself to pieces trying to bring Perry down. Fuck Compassion today. "I'm gonna rip that beak off of yer FACE!" White wind filters around his arms as Aidan to bring all of the weight of his wind and his body at Perry's neck.
Sarracenia	"Oh sure! After I gave you the answer! Do not say it like you are wise!" Sarracenia shouts at Perry, then blinks. "Wait...what ally? Are you allied with Dr. Eggman? Like...actually actually?!" Sarra doesn't know for sure, but it would make a lot of sense. Why they were using the robots. Why Quicknest meant anything to them. And where they got all the resources.      "Because if so, that is -literally- the least heroic thing you could do! He's an admitted and proud of it villain! Like...villain villain!" Is Sarra making fun of Perry? Or just picking up his habit?      That boomerang starts doing weird things. Sarracenia can't follow it at all, but holds her hammer up defensively anyway. And it is only by sheer luck that it partially impacts her hammer. So, instead of practically taking her head off...it just knocks her head over heels a few times.      She lands flat on her face, and it takes her several moments to slowly lift herself up. Stars fill her vision, and a large red mark has been left diagonally along her face. She gets back to her feet and grips her hammer firmly. "Alright, that is enough!" she practically screams in a high pitch only a spoiled brat can ever reach.      Perry isn't flying now. Sarracenia's teeth clench. "You dishonor all heroes by claiming to be one. I do not care what others say about heroes being those willing to stick to their ideals. Heroes try to improve worlds by working with the people of those worlds! Not conquering them! Not oppressing people! And definitely not using slaves to build massive weapons!"      The head of her hammer starts to glow with a prismatic light. Sparkles float off of it and the light flows down over it like water. Down over her hands and body. Her hair and the edges of her clothing float lightly like gravity is not quite working right for her. She runs toward Perry as the light fills her eyes. "So, stop!" she shouts before she starts hammering away like a person possessed. Blows fall like rain, and each blow produces a shockwave with its power.
Kale Hearthward	"You have been listening to what I've been saying? Like, listening listening?" asks Perry. "If we don't go *get*, we're going to be the ones that *give*. That's how the world works." The barrage of rockets harries him, forcing him to get moving again, not watching where he's going - right into Sarracenia slamming her hammer down on him repeatedly first, and then Aidan coming in with the emotional right hook. If his head could literally spin from the force of that blow, it would be, but for now he just goes all the way down. "That's... how heroes work, too..." he manages to get out. The wind walls drop. "Okay. We've got-" Kale starts to say. "... and heroes... don't give up. Heroes spit... in the evildoers eyes." "(Oh he's still going,)" says Kale under his breath. "I'd do anything for my people. I'd honor duel - I honor duel you now, Aidan!" Perry struggles back to his feet. "Fight me! Fight me - honor duel me. You liar. You bully." "You're so strong when you're with your friends, come back here and fight me one on one." He grabs his boomerang and throws it. It's not breath-weapon-supercharged anymore, but it might still leave a nasty mark on anyone it hits.
Ishirou	"You picked this fight, specifically, Perry.  You don't get to go crying that it's unfair when you chose it to be this way..." Ishirou says, bracing himself against the boomerang again, another dent in the armor, but fortunately, it seems to be more glancing across the chest than it could have been if he had taken it head-on.   He holds his hand up and causes the electromagnetic force that he threw out to collapse on him, attempting to crush him in the field and try and drop him before anyone else comes to help him.  That way they can get out of here before anything else can happen.   It was all there, the pieces.  "I'm sorry Kale," he finally says, knowing the truth behind it all must be a bitter one to swallow.
Sarracenia	Sarracenia stumbles forward after her hammer fever and staggers to a stop, panting from all that swinging. "So...give! Give help! Give hope! Not threats and promises of war! People tire of war pretty quickly if they are not sitting secure in a castle!"      That boomerang is thrown again, and Sarra is hit again. She stumbles back, then mmmphs. "But, you are right in one thing. Heroes do not give up! So, at least you have that going for you! Unfortunately, we are heroes! So we do not give up, either! You can have your duel as far as I am concerned, but not until we are done here!"      She plants her hammer head down, then reaches into her purse with both hands. Then...she starts chucking explosives. Bob-ombs, fused bombs, proximity mines, even some missiles she throws like darts. Explosions fill the area around Perry!
Aidan Proudpick	Aidan's hand lifts up, ready to start a possibly lethal combo. Anything to drag him down. To shut him up. To crumple him. Then he starts to talk. Aidan's blood roars to scream shut up at Perry. "Fight me! Fight me - honor duel me. You liar. You bully." He looks down at Perry, head reeling back as if struck. His hand slowly lowers, again all of the air rushing out of him, white wisps of air filtering up from his arm. His skin, where it can be seen, is grey and ashen, his mouth blue. "That's what the Emperor toldja, isn't it? This is how you gotta be a hero? You gotta take? Heroes GIVE. They give everything. Everything they have. Their heart, too. Their pride." Aidan waits, waits for everyone to 'knock him out'. As Sarracenia starts throwing BOMBS, and Ishirou tries to CRUSH him, Aidan throws up a wind wall to prevent him from being fully brutalized down to a pulp. "Hero's duel, Perry Talon!" he agrees.
Kale Hearthward	Bombs go off. Crushing blows go off. Mercy happens. Whether it's ill-advised or not, it happens. Perry's not looking too well, even so. "Well, he's yelling about being a hero, but at least he's not going to run off to Ohio," says Kale, and then regrets saying so. But he doesn't regret it by that much. He looks over his companions, then back at the airship that's being assembled. "The hard part - the engine - is done. But it'll still take weeks to get everything put together, and that's if they even have all the other parts prebuilt and ready to go." "We have some time." He pauses. "We don't have... *much* time, but we have time." "All I ask, is that nobody do anything rash. Yet."
Ishirou	Ishirou dismisses the flight unit, landing on two legs in the RESCUE unit.  Looking towards Aidan, he scoffs but doesn't say anything.  He snorts when Kale makes his comment about Ohio but doesn't add anything more to that.  He regrets laughing at it, but only a little.   When Kale asks nobody to do anything rash, he looks at Aidan and Perry.  Then looks back at Kale and nods.  "Nothing rash on my end," he says, but they already talked about this via radio.   Besides, he's on Kale's side here.