Multiverse Crisis MUSH - User contributions [en]

Anniversary (Admiral Merlwyb)

2015-07-22T00:17:50Z

Paladin348: Created page with "{{Cutscene Header |Date of Scene=2015/07/21 |Location=The Mizzenmast - Limsa Lominsa |Synopsis=Chief Admiral Merlwyb Bloefhiswyn leads her people in honoring the past while lo..."

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2015/07/21
|Location=The Mizzenmast - Limsa Lominsa
|Synopsis=Chief Admiral Merlwyb Bloefhiswyn leads her people in honoring the past while looking ahead to the future.
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=595
|Tinyplot=
}}
The main hall of the Mizzenmast is buzzing with the gathering of Limsa Lominsians upon its wooden floor, the outfits of various pirate, Maelstrom, and civilian peoples all mixed together. While harsh looks and words are often exchanged, not a fist or weapon is raised for fear of invoking the ire of the soldiers who stand guard around the room.

The echo of a single step on the high wooden stage is all it takes to pull attention in that direction, and the black-clad figure of Chief Admiral Merlwyb Bloefhiswyn advances to the banister separating her from her people. Her stance is straight and proud, full of confidence and military bearing, her hands at her side. "Brothers and sisters of the sea, harken unto me!" She calls. Though she scarcely seems to raise the volume of her voice above the normal conversational level, the hall immediately falls completely silent.

"We have gathered this day in remembrance. One year ago, the Calamity befell Eorzeans and Garleans alike on the fields of Carteneau, devastating lands across Eorzea under Bahamut's wrathful fires. The Warriors of Light disappeared, purged from even our own memories, and the Eorzean Alliance threatened to break beneath the onslaught. While many of us survived to tell the tale, so many more did not." Her voice wavers slightly. "Join me in recognizing those who fought for our freedom, and paid the ultimate price to uphold it. May their souls be returned to the sea." She salutes in a few moments of silence, and many within the crowd do the same as the rest bow their heads respectfully.

"But 'tis not all that day wrought." She rests her hands on the banister, her arms straight as if holding up her torso at the shoulders. "While we reeled, blindsided and taking water, we became part of something far bigger. On that day, our world merged with the Multiverse. In the first months that followed the Calamity, as we nursed our wounds and plugged the holes in our hulls, our eyes turned out beyond our own shores into the strange waters beyond."

She lifts one hand to roughly face-level. "'Tis not been without incident. Rebel pirates have sought to destroy what unity I have created under the banner of Limsa Lominsa. The Garleans have allied themselves with the Confederacy, and such allies have harried Maelstrom forces." Her hand tightens in front of her face. "Even the beastmen have recovered," she snaps that hand out to the side, "calling forth their Primals in an attempt to finish us off in a moment of weakness."

She straightens, clasping her hands behind her back as she slowly walks from one end of the banister to the other. "I reached out to the Union, joining our great nation with their alliances. While the Warriors of Light are lost to us, the outsiders of the Multiverse have proven to be worthy allies. They protected the wooden bones of the Victory from rebellious pirates and helped defeat Leviathan on our own shores. They have even proven instrumental in the battles against the Dravanian Horde and the remnants of the Garlean Seventh Legion."

She lifts one hand, seeming to point up to the ceiling. "Make no mistake. These are turbulent times, and I do not make choices lightly. While the Navigator reveals the path ahead, it is still my sworn duty and responsibility to ensure a tight ship and a united crew throughout the journey. My policies are strict, but for good reason. Why would I allow those who fly our great standard," she sweeps her hand to the crimson banner to her side, "to steal and kill indiscriminately, harming ally and enemy alike from our world or beyond? No, my brethren. We are better than that."

She stops at the center of the stage, spreading her hands out wide and palms up as if to beseech the crowd. "But I cannot do this alone. From the pirate crews to the Yellow Jackets, the Barracudas to the civilians -- we are all the beating heart of Limsa Lominsa. No matter what may yet come, no matter the technologies or magics we adapt as our own, our unbreakable resolve and dedication to freedom will drive through whatever storm is set in our path!" She drives a fist towards the ceiling as the first swellings of a cheer echo through the gathered crowd. "'Till the sea swallows all!"

The cheer roars to life and echoes throughout the Mizzenmast, all those present united in one moment under their Admiral. The Roegadyn smiles faintly as her arms fall to her sides, and she dips her chin in a nod before turning and walking away from the banister. Though she knows well that this display of unity may only last as far as the doors to the outside, it is proof that it can be done at all. That alone is a reassuring hope for the future.

2139/Open Heart - Closed Eyes

2015-06-10T22:32:44Z

Paladin348: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2015/05/01 |Location=Foxtrot Ranch |Synopsis=Duke tries to distract himself by remembering the Digital World's alphabet(s), but this ends up being ..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2015/05/01
|Location=Foxtrot Ranch
|Synopsis=Duke tries to distract himself by remembering the Digital World's alphabet(s), but this ends up being an exercise in frustration. Fortunately, Doran and Alexis help out in their own ways.
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=459, 695, 718
|Tinyplot=
|Tinyplot2=
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:718|Duke (718)}} has posed:''' Alexis has brought Duke back and thanks to Sanary's healing ability, Duke was in /far/ better shape then he probably should be, but he'll still need recovery time, energy wise. This meant when they did get him back, he was out cold in his corner of the barn. Sleeping away. Though over there he also had some scattered papers of the DigiCode including seeming to be trying to remember the alphabet. It seem it was indeed some type since the Digimon here had used their home language, makes one wonder if they still do... those like Gaonoir... Yet Duke would not remain asleep forever and by the time night had came, the child Digimon was awake and he was fussing over the DigiCode again, including seeming to be rather frustrated look on his face as he kept scribbling out letters, crumbling papers, and snarling at some. Becoming a bit to /involved/ with it? Perhaps. 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' "Y'know, I don't like paperwork any more than you do, but getting frustrated with it doesn't really help much." Involved enough prehaps to not even hear Alexis come down the steps into the barn. Idly she picks up one of the half crumpled sheets and opens it as she leans back against a support post. Though after a moment of looking at it she goes a bit cross-eyed and snorts. "This makes even less sense than Unown cyphers. You sure it's not just jibberish?" 

:'''{{#var:718|Duke (718)}} has posed:''' "DigiCode is not jibberish." Duke says as he scratches the side of his face. "I'm... just having trouble remembering the whole alphabet." He points at what he does have. "I remember A... C... E... H... Everything past P." "Then I remember... some of a, e.. i..." He tilts his head, yes Alexis may realized that has a different sound from the a and e he said earlier. "Ka.. chi...wa..." Duke sighs and shakes his head. "There is just more letters to it then what is found in English. I guess if you look at the Multiverse translator...and if you were to ignore its speech ability to take what we say... so everyone understands it. Digimon's language break down into something between... English... and Japanese." "It a cross between the two." Duke rubs his head. "...which gives me a bigger headache then I already have...Mmmm." The Guilmon X then shakes his head gently, his ear fans slumping completely back. "I thought I could translate it easily... but its harder then it looks, Alexis." Duke then lowers his head. "...maybe everyone is right and I /can't/ learn...because there is no room /to/ learn. It always feels like I'm treading old ground. Like I've done steps a thousand times before." Duke's eyes flare brightly as he tosses the pencil to the ground, "Its frustrating!" 

:'''{{#var:695|Doran (695)}} has posed:''' Doran was padding in for some well-deserved rest post-hunt when he overheard a bit of the conversation. In fact, he pokes his nose around the doorway just in time to see Duke throw the pencil. "Now what'd that pencil do to you?" He asks as his ears flatten and he fully enters the barn. He doesn't look any worse for wear physically, most of his injuries (and re-injuries) over the past week having pretty much healed by now. He leans down to study the characters on the papers, eyes narrowing briefly as his tail sways in thought. "Oh! I see the problem." 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' Alexis huffs softly. "My japanese is rusty. Guess some of us have gotten too use to the whole translation effect. That and, well, it doesn't translate 'dead' languages. So maybe it considers it one, seeing as.. y'know." With her own sigh she recrumples the paper and tosses it into a wastebasket. "Bullshit ... hey Doran ... there's no such thing as nothing new to learn. Or we wouldn't be standing here having this conversation because I wouldn't be going out getting into my own trouble from time to time." 

:'''{{#var:718|Duke (718)}} has posed:''' Duke growls gently and just cuts a look over to Doran. Someone woke up on the bad side of the bed-- or maybe it was the headache. He huffs softly and just plops his dragon-dino bum back on the bed. "I'm... frustrated. Very frustrated. I /know/ this. I know it maybe says... Acc...access I think... but...." The Guilmon X shakes his head. "...and about dead..." His eyes narrow. "...not sure how dead... is really dead." What is that suppose to mean. 

:'''{{#var:695|Doran (695)}} has posed:''' Doran waves to Alexis at the greeting, but snorts over at Duke. "Death aside." He kicks aside a few papers to clear the dirt floor and grabs a decent-sized stick. "Look, Duke. You're trying to remember two seperate languages. That's why everything's so messed up." He begins using the stick as a pencil, carving crisp-looking symbols into the dirt floor. You can easily tell one from another, and Duke would be able to notice that Doran is indeed writing out the alphabet. As he writes, he speaks without looking up from what he's doing. "There are two languages, DigiCode and DigiMoji. DigiCode translates perfectly to English, so that's probably why it's usually automatically translated, and it's the most commonly known. DigiMoji is... more complicated. Older." 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' Alexis takes a few steps back out of the way when Doran starts scratching at the ground. Good thing the barn still has a dirt floor for the most part. "Well that would explain why it wasn't making much sense." She doesn't want to step all over the scratchings so she just sits down on the stairs instead, resting one arm across her knees to lean forward a bit and watch. "Considering were you all come from, this Moji mojo whatever wouldn't have some kind of basis in a computing language I wonder." 

:'''{{#var:718|Duke (718)}} has posed:''' Duke watches as Doran starts to write it out and the Guilmon X more calmly, reaches down to reclaim the pencil, grabbing a sheet with a book-- and starts to copy what Doran is putting down. "I'm just hoping if I can translate that image that you cleared up for me Alexis, I may be able to... you know... maybe try and remember more." "I still don't know what happened at the end of that fight. How I got back here... just Doran got knocked back... and Beelzebumon-- then everything went black. I remember cycling up power and just... blacked out." Duke shakes his head softly. "...Then that stupid pup shows back up and almost kills me... he could have... but he didn't." That seems to actually bug him. "Why didn't he kill me? He told me he was the shadow of everything I tried to forget..." Duke eyes narrow sharply, before he growls softly. "...but I don't want to forget anything... I want to remember... but his words... they made no sense... they would imply that... that the Royal Knights..." This is where Duke stops following along and he closes his eyes, however he shakes his head, as he sniffles his nose and falls silent, before looking over to Alexis about then. There was mixed emotion in his eyes. Fear, anger, sadness, and simply being at a loss of what to do. He does try to smile though, as fake as that smile may be on his muzzle. "...and I don't know if you could use the language to code... maybe...." His eyes go blank for a moment, before he shakes his head and looks down at what he has written so far. 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' Alexis bites her lower lip softly as things about pasts and forgetting comes up, as tends to be her nervous habit. She might of been planning to make a smartass joke based off the code comment, but it faulters when things start taking a more solemn turn again. "That the Royal Knights what? Had someone to do their dirty work for them, and he's managed to escape here as well? We did kinda expect that to happen eventually." The hard part is that she can't really say most of the reasons she can think of, because that would involve having to explain the things they've been hoping he'd pick up for himself. 

:'''{{#var:695|Doran (695)}} has posed:''' Doran looks up at Duke sharply as he finishes with the first alphabet, but Alexis asks the question for him. Well, better not pin Duke too terribly hard on it. He starts writing again, this time slower and more intentional, and more complex symbols appear -- some are single, like DigiCode, but most are a paired sequence. "DigiMoji is the first language, based on sounds instead of letters. Only older Digimon really remember it anymore." He grins a bit. "It's been a while since I've written it out again. It's good practice." His grin fades gradually as he writes. "That black Gaomon... something is OFF about him. I can't put my finger on it yet." He doesn't want to say something akin to 'familiar', though that would be admittedly more accurate. 

:'''{{#var:718|Duke (718)}} has posed:''' Duke follows along and snorts softly. "Yeah... I don't like him. At all." His eyes narrow once more in thought. "...I am also starting to wonder how true my dreams are... because I saw him in my dream last night... and it went much like today... only he went to block and leaped over me... and then..." Duke stops following along and closes his eyes. "...I saw Royal Knights in my dreams... and one of them was most vocal... I couldn't escape from it... the questions... the doubts... It hurts... down to the core." "...and I can't help but wonder... if Yggdrasil is still alive, but that would mean," He looks at Doran. "...that would mean that the Digital World is still alive." 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' "That or he kicked out even his own once he didn't need them anymore." Alexis leaned back against the stairs, resting her elbows on one of the steps. "I'm just shooting the dark on what you guys have told me here. But it could be he's acting on whatever programming or whatever for you guys he had because he doesn't have someone looking over his shoulder telling him what to do." She flicks off on her fingers as if counting. "Attacking you guys. Attacking other Exiles. Stalking you and Beelzebumon fighting. It's like he's doing these things because they feel like what he's suppose to do." 

:'''{{#var:695|Doran (695)}} has posed:''' Doran snorts. "Of course it's still alive, Duke. Yggdrasil wouldn't have released that X Program without taking measures to protect what it wanted to protect first. The whole point of that /thing/ was to end the war by any means necessary. The old world is gone, but Yggdrasil's new paradise is still out there." He inhales deeply, a sad look crossing his face for a moment. "I guess that Gaomon wanted to keep us from searching for it. Make it sound like there was no hope of going back." He growls softly as he finishes an arrow-like symbol with particular flourish. "Not that anyone needed to tell US that." At Alexis' analysis, he looks up at her with his eyes widening. "That's what the Royal Knights did in the Old Digital World." He snaps two claws together -- a gesture picked up from humans, no doubt. "They're just continuing where they left off. They don't care whether we're in a Digital World or not. We still exist, so the mission hasn't changed!" 

:'''{{#var:718|Duke (718)}} has posed:''' Duke finishes just as Doran does and hrms softly as Alexis and Doran seem to agree that this guy is maybe just following lost cause. Doing all he knows how to do. "Its kind of sad if that is true. I know we Digimon are not like computers... even if we come from one. We grow, think, feel... so the idea that one is just--- following last standing orders, is kind of sad." "I wonder if all the Royal Knights are like that... and if there are /any/ others actually around." Duke grumps. "If there is. I'll make sure to beat them in the face, like I plan to do to that pup if he shows up again. I /almost/ had Beelzebumon. I actually /broke/ his nose!" Duke sounds oddly... happy about this. However when Doran brings up the X program, Duke's eyes seem to go distant.     'It will not fail.'     'How will it protect the Digimon?'     'Yggdrasil will let no harm come to those who are prote     'cr">Protected? Protected by who's will? By who's judgment?' Duke closes his eyes tightly and shakes his head, before placing away the paper and pencil almost shaky, with the pencil almost falling out of his claws, before he actually /hides/ himself under the sheets. All but his tail with twitches side to side. 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' "If they have a specific purpose like that, they'll keep chasing it no matter how irrelivant the Multiverse may make it. I mean, for crissakes, Jesse and James are still chasing Ash for HIS SPECIFIC PIKACHU when they could of caught dozens of wild ones by this point." She makes an exaggerated gesture of no other choices. "But nooo, it has to be that one, because that's the one they specifically set out to capture." Granted there's other reasons they've been stuck on Ash as fair as her world goes, but let's not muddle the subject in extra details. Particularly when Duke goes to hide under the blanekts. Alexis frowns. "I think we hit a sore sport," she mutters, more for Doran's sake to hear than anything else. 

:'''{{#var:695|Doran (695)}} has posed:''' Doran nods to Alexis. "I think so..." He puts the stick down and pads over to Duke, poking at the Guilmon-X through the covers. "Come on, Duke, talk to us." Poke. Poke. "Don't hide yourself away /now/." 

:'''{{#var:718|Duke (718)}} has posed:''' Duke mutters under the blankets and doesn't come out. His tail moves side to side with more agitation as he is poked. "Bad things... dark things.... Project D.... Project A.... projects..." He hisses as if trying to not growl or snarl. To not just Digivolve in frustration, before he sticks his snout out, not his whole head, just his snout as his tail snakes back under the blankets too. "I know they are bad... that is what my heart says... but if I listen to my heart... then my dream was true.. and...and I don't want that to be true." He goes to tuck his snout back under. "This is all the shadow pups fault." Says the muffled voice. 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' Alexis sighs softly and shakes her head. It was starting to feel, to her at least, that she was overreaching her affinity for dealing with 'monster' types. Duke's probably was quickly reaching a point where the dam is going to break so to speak, and there's not going to be a lot she can do about how things go from there. This new factor was just pushing it to happening a lot faster than she had hoped. Than they have had to get Duke ready for it. "You said it yourself, Duke. You guys aren't just programs. You can learn, change.. but just like us humans, one has to -want- to. Cerberumon didn't want to change, she was soooo hooked on revenge. Look at where it got her." One hand grabbed the railing so Alexis could pull herself back to her feet. "To know your past is one thing. But that doesn't change that it is -the past-. In the end, regardless of what you find out, it's going to be the here and now that counts. Not the what and win so many people get stuck on." 

:'''{{#var:695|Doran (695)}} has posed:''' Doran's expression changes when Duke mutters those project initials, as if he knows exactly what Duke's referring to. He's just a little more open with his reactions since Duke can't see him. His mouth presses into a thin line, eyes downcast, before he hops up onto the bed as well. He sits there for a while, letting Alexis speak, then closes his eyes completely. "'I'll do my best to be honorable, just, and protect those who need protecting. And strong enough to protect my friends and all they hold dear.'" He sounds like he's quoting. 

:'''{{#var:718|Duke (718)}} has posed:''' Duke hears Alexis, but doesn't respond to her. Instead he just seems to curl up more. Even as Doran speaks to him. he doesn't respond right away. There is just a long moment of silence, before he does speak up at last. "I want to be strong... honorable... brave. Like the Royal Knights were before they became corrupted, twisted, dark as the Demon Lords." The Guilmon X raises his head out from the blankets, looking at them both, covering the blanket around him in some strange semblance of comfort. "Just... Honor... Valor. Mm. Valor. Knowing truth... truth... is very important." Duke says as he closes his eyes and lowers his head. "Truth... Valor... Honor... protect those who can't protect themselves. Give strength to those who need of it... that is what the Royal Knights were suppose to be... not murders. Slayers of lives." A tear runs down the side of Duke's face. "If they... If they haven't killed... If they haven't had turned their back on /everyone/. None of this would have happened.... and it /hurts/." The Guilmon X tries to hold back his tears, trying to be strong-- at least in face. "I /want/ to move on... but something keeps dragging me back to the pain. I keep seeing /him/. White armor... wolf head... dragon head... All Delete.." Duke looks at Alexis. "I'm worried.... I'm scared... that Yggdrasil will come for you. For protecting /me/. I'm scared that me being involved with others... will get them /killed/. Sanary almost got /killed/ today... and it would have been my fault." Duke lowers his head after he says this, his ear fins going back. "....Yet I know I can't run scared... because fear... fear like this... will get me killed sooner, but I... I feel like I'm being haunted by not only the white one... but by another... lance and shield-- mocking me. That is what he did in my dream last night. Mocked me." He looks at Doran. "Kept asking me who I was... and told me that Yggdrasil's decision was finite... that he would come back for me." "...so what will happen to everyone else, if he does, Doran? If I /don't/ get stronger, if I /don't/ solve who I am... I /can't/ do what I /want/ to do." The Guilmon X then lowers his head. "...but I also know... I don't...I don't think I can handle that truth either." 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' Alexis snorts. "Wouldn't be the first high and mighty entity I've had to deal with." Though her bravado isn't quite the bluster it would normally be, if only because of how upset Duke has gotten. "I dunno what the mutt's game is, but trying to play games with your head seems to be part of it." For all the tough girl act she always put up, it hurt seeming the poor guy so choked up like that. "The first step to overcoming fears is admitting you've got fears to overcome. There's nothing wrong with being scared, Duke. You just can't let the being scared -control you-. That's what they want. For you to be too afraid to do anything." That's about the best advice she can give without... you know... going into the things she and Doran agreed they wouldn't until he was ready for it. "I'm goin' to bed. I know it's still hard, but you should get some rest too. Both of you." 

:'''{{#var:695|Doran (695)}} has posed:''' Doran's eyes turn strange as Duke speaks. Older, wiser, remorse, deep betrayal. Duke may not notice it, but it is certainly there. "You can handle it." It /still/ sounds like he's quoting, but from what? "You may not see it now, but you're stronger than you think." He curls up at the foot of Duke's bed, just one big purple pillow. "I know your fears. Believe me, I get it. It's been a driving thought for me every day since we escaped our world. Maybe why it wasn't until we went to Ponyville that you saw another side of me." He smiles a bit. "Listen to Alexis. You're not alone, and you're not shoving any of us away. No matter how hard you try." 

:'''{{#var:718|Duke (718)}} has posed:''' Duke looks over to Alexis as she says speaks her own wisdom, then Doran says his. The Guilmon X looks at the written Digimon Language for a moment, before scooting himself ever so slightly, carefully, to eventually cuddle himself into Doran. It actually might be cute if Alexis was to look back as she goes up stairs, this purple fluff ball, being snugged into by a red dino-dragon lizard. It was only the question that now remained... how much longer--- --- Till Duke has to face himself? 

}}

1405/Diamonds Are A Girls..

2015-05-26T21:27:24Z

Paladin348: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2015/01/24 |Location=Slum Urbania |Synopsis=Though the slums of Urbania is maybe not the best place to have a Jewelry store, some people do try to ..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2015/01/24
|Location=Slum Urbania
|Synopsis=Though the slums of Urbania is maybe not the best place to have a Jewelry store, some people do try to give some quality life to the broken down area of the big city. Just this one has attracted some heavenly attention.
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=197, 477, 513, 694, 695
|Tinyplot=
|Tinyplot2=
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:694|Wally West (694)}} has posed:''' The Slums are well, slums really. The buildings are not holding together to well. Some areas are a bit better then others, but people struggle to live here. Stores sell on the cheap and that means not exactly the best things in life. Yet some places try to be value to the slummy area. Bring maybe a smile or two too some people's faces. That is what this Jewelry store does. It sells some really nice pieces, some even hand crafted, to those at a rather reasonable, if not cheap price. Best of all, many of those stones are actually /real/. The name of the place-- Heaven's Jewel. The owners? A family actually. Two kids and their parents that run this shop. The only problem is-- someone has their eye on these jewels and she is probably a bit bored. Maybe even the name amuses her. Its always hard to tell what is going on in a villain's head. 

:'''{{#var:477|Tenshi Hinanai (477)}} has posed:'''     It's not every day that rocks fly.     This is one of those days.     A pyramidal stone, upside-down with the flat surface facing up, floats through the slummy city streets about four stories up, almost lazily. Sitting atop this flying rock is a blue-haired girl in a blue dress, her booted feet hanging off and kicking boredly. Upon her head is a distinctive black hat decorated with peaches. There's no doubt, this is the troublesome Tennyo from Bhava-Agra, Hinanai Tenshi, descended to the mortal world once again.     "This place is so BORING~," the girl complains, flopping back across her stone transport. Rolling from her back to her stomach, she dangles her arms off opposite her feet, "Guuuuh. I'm so tired of this dirty place. I should just level it so they can build something nicer here, that'd be fun... ...hm?"     JEWELRY     "Well, that's something at least. I'll just shake it up a bit." Tenshi rises to her feet and then stomps on her stone, promptly dropping it out of the sky to slam into the street, completely ignoring any vehicle traffic that might have been using it at the time. Simply hopping off, the angel produces the hilt of her sword and approaches the Heaven's Jewel store, twirling her blade-less sword by the decorative rope hanging from its pommel.     As if the giant rock wasn't enough of a problem. 

:'''{{#var:197|Steve Rogers (197)}} has posed:''' Captain America doesn't hang around Urbania all that often, perhaps surprisingly; he's usually busy elsewhere, on one mission or another for SHIELD or for the Union. Today, though, he's in between missions, and his route home via warpgates just happens to take him through Urbania ... Right in time to notice somebody carelessly parking her floating rock in the middle of the street, barely five yards ahead of a (fortunately slow-moving) car. It's probably just as well he hadn't had the time along the way to change out of his 'superhero' uniform; among other things, it means he's already suited up and his shield is conveniently slung across his back, rather than having been stuffed into the sturdy rucksack that serves as his luggage. Cap quickly swerves his motorcycle out of what traffic there is, parks it, and heads for the store behind Tenshi, unslinging his shield as he goes. "Excuse me, miss," he calls out, "but your rock is blocking the traffic." 

:'''{{#var:695|Doran (695)}} has posed:''' In a back alley nearby the Heaven's Jewel jewelry store, a large furry creature is digging around the trash bins and bags undoubtedly looking for something to eat. There hasn't been reports of any strange animals, but Slumurbania is a Multiverse to itself. It undoubtedly wouldn't be the first time that animals have merged alongside whatever world's gang they originated from. The beast largely ignores the confrontation brewing near the jewelry store, much more interested in the smell of something edible in a pile of garbage bags. If anyone happens to look that way for one reason or another, they might catch a glimpse of its bushy purple-and-white-tipped tail swishing from side to side from amongst the refuse. 

:'''{{#var:694|Wally West (694)}} has posed:''' It was fortunate enough for one family in a car under the giant rock happen to be path of a black steak with red electrical lines. As the Pyramid comes down, the two parents and young son were sudden deposited right outside the smash zone of the massive structure. As for the streak, he was a young man in a slightly tight, aerodynamic suit. The reflective visor hid his eyes and that fiery red hair was a bit wild from all the g-forces it has to put up with while he is running. He placed up his index fingers up at the family and then pointed at them, "Stay here-- alright?" Before the family could even reply to the young man, he was suddenly gone again. Police meanwhile were sending out the calls for aid and the speedster ran up a near by building to watch the woman walk toward the store. He also had his hand on his comm as he observed her. Watching her walk, twirl that blade-less sword. Man-- why did it have to be a /woman/. >"Do we have a deal, Drift?"< The voice says over his comm as Drift snaps his attention back to work, "Huh-- what? Yeah, yeah. Don't worry none, I'll deal with the problem." He then takes his hand off his comm, "..even if she does have some fine legs.." He mutters to himself softly. That is when he notices a man in red, white, and blue going after what is, well, his paycheck. "Seriously?" Drift huffs out as he crosses his arms over his chest and hrms, "..could let him handle her and I just cash it in..." He says to himself as he glances up in the air. "...but who am I kidding." Just as Cap is talking to her, there is a sudden snap of wind right behind her and someone going straight into the store, almost taking the door's hinges off really by how fast the impact was. While Cap was being 'hero', Drift was-- trying to get the family to go out the backway before something nasty went down. Though very unware of a critter out back rummaging through garbage... 

:'''{{#var:513|Finna (513)}} has posed:'''     A red-tailed hawk, seeing the commotion and behaving not at all like a red-tailed hawk normally would... comes swooping down out of the skies to perch on a nearby streetsign only a few dozen feet from the jewelers.     Things just keep getting weirder in these parts, don't they?     Especially if anyone of extremely sharp mental defenses looks upon that bird... 

:'''{{#var:477|Tenshi Hinanai (477)}} has posed:'''     "Eh?"     Tenshi halts mid-step, glancing towards Captain America with a bewildered expression. Lowering her foot, she turns a bit to look back at the rock she arrived on, then shrugs with her eyes closed, "Yeah, that's a rock all right." A shrug, eyes closed and shaking her head, "Sure couldn't get one past someone as sharp as you, huh?" She completely misses the presence of the speedster, having not noticed what amounts to a colorful blurr that dashed out of sight.     Also unnoticed are the critter in the dumpster and the hawk on the sign. Animals come and go, a tennyo isn't going to worry about that. But this here in front of her is pretty colorful and interesting.     Sword hanging from its strap, Tenshi rests her hands on her hips and leans forward, "Say, you wouldn't happen to be one of those hero types, would you? It so happens I'm an angel sent from heaven, you see, and this here is a front for an angel supplier. So I gotta go in and pick up the wishes I'm supposed to grant today."     LIES. 

:'''{{#var:694|Wally West (694)}} has posed:''' As Drift gets the people outside, he then takes notice of the strange beast /outside/. This causes him to stare and watch the purple tail sway side to side. "I-- don't think its dangerous.." He murmurs softly, before he then looks to the older owners, "Just go down this alley and hang a right. Get you and your kids to the police line that should be forming shortly." "Don't worry. I'll handle your shop." That is when he bolts back inside, before he comes back out to smile at the two daughters, "..and if everything goes well-- I may even buy you two dinner." He then finger pistols at them before going back to what he /should/ be doing. Which is the store-- and that means locking the door behind him. He then places his hands on his hips and looks around the store. "...talk about crappy security..." Meanwhile... The family tries to creep by the unknown critter in the alley. Though one of the kid's of the own, though young women they are whispers to her. "..was that guy serious?" "..are you really going to trust a guy in a leotard?" "...was that even a leotard..?" She then pause as they go past the creature and she stares at it. She then pulls out a bag of half a sandwich, "..Hey.. your hungry right..?" Though that is when the father turns around and calls over to his daughter, "What are you doing, it could be dangerous!" 

:'''{{#var:197|Steve Rogers (197)}} has posed:''' Captain America eyes Tenshi. "I would've thought you get those straight from Heaven, or at least go to a church or a specially-consecrated chapel or something." He's also aware of the passing blur, and the hawk alighting on that sign, but he doesn't pay any particular heed to them beyond being aware of them - and, well, listening in case the blur is a troublemaker of some sort. "... besides, if you *are* one of Heaven's angels, why do you need a floating rock to get around? Aren't angels supposed to have wings?" Not to mention, an angel in God's service SHOULD know better than to drop a rock into a street that isn't completely vacant. 

:'''{{#var:695|Doran (695)}} has posed:''' The creature ignores the family as they slip past him, evidently designating them 'no threat'. Though big for a dog or cat, it is only about 4-foot tall at the shoulder, with small bat wings on its back. Its triangular striped ears swivel to follow the humans' movement, though, so it hasn't dismissed their presence entirely. When one of the daughters stops and pulls out a bag that holds FOOD, the beast pauses and turns towards her as it catches the scent. Its square muzzle turns to the side slightly as it regards her with a biiiiig gold eye, glancing from her face to the bag and back again. It only gives the father a baleful stare for a moment at his alarmed statement, as if to silently ask a flat 'really?', but makes no move as if to approach the girl. It looks remarkably calm for a 'starved feral beast'. 

:'''{{#var:477|Tenshi Hinanai (477)}} has posed:'''     Tenshi rolls her eyes, "Oh, god. You're one of those people who thinks there's only one kind of angel." Glancing back, she leans forward again. In the same motion, her feet lift off the ground--the girl is floating now, "If you want to get specific, I'm a Tennyo from Bhava-agra, the Heaven sought by the followers of Buddha who achieve Nirvana."     Leaning back, she closes her eyes, "Oh well. Doesn't matter. Bored now, so we're gonna play a game." One hand lifts off her hip and raises, pointing skyward with two fingers in a sharp gesture. The response is immediate: The concrete slab of sidewalk behind Captain 'Murica suddenly flips up until it's vertical, transforming from Floor to Wall status.     With a playful but somehow also malicious smile, the blue-haired girl asks, "Ever played dodgeball?"     Awful lot of commotion in the alleyway, but Tenshi will check that out later. Unless it comes dashing out to check out the commotion going on in front of the store. 

:'''{{#var:694|Wally West (694)}} has posed:''' Drift stands in the store for a moment, before he starts to lock things down in a snap of a finger, then he bolts outside to put down the final lock. Sure-- someone could probably bend the bars and get in, but at least the family isn't there anymore. Including getting past the bars would buy some time. Though as he comes out he takes a notice as the woman suddenly shifts the concrete slab from the ground to a wall. Drift tsks softly as he then pops his knuckles. "He doesn't look like a dodge-ball type." Drift pipes up as he suddenly rushes over to the now 'wall'. The young man then places his hand against it. As he does so, his arm starts to osculate at a very quick clip, causing the concrete itself to start to shake-- starting to actually break it down. "Hey-- muscles. You going to punch her or what, because I can't hit a lady.. well.. not easily anyways." The only reason he isn't just waltzing up to her and flirting with her honestly is cause there is a paycheck on the line and right now-- as much has he is drawn too.. he could reaaallly use that money right now. Back at the Alley.. The girl opens up the bag and places down the sandwhich for the critter. "There you go, buddy." She says with a smile, before then standing up and going to join her family. "You worry to much dad. Its probably some kind of a dragon wolf from one of the other world's that got lost or something." "That doesn't mean you should go around feeding every stray pet." Her father explains, "Your twenty-- you should know better by now." Thankfully-- they are walking off and making the corner. 

:'''{{#var:197|Steve Rogers (197)}} has posed:''' To Cap's credit, he looks somewhat chagrined at the correction. He may personally be a Christian, but that doesn't mean EVERYONE is - especially in the Multiverse. "My apologies," he starts to say - And then there's a large slab of concrete being levitated behind him. Before Captain America can turn to deal with it, though, somebody else appears to be handling it, and the Star-Spangled Man (With the Plan) just nods thanks to the other superhero. (There may be a nod directed in Finna's direction, too, but it's more subtle - you'd have to be watching for it.) "Been a long time, and I didn't usually do that well at it," he answers mildly, unclipping his shield from his back. "What about you?" He hardly seems to wind up before his shield goes flying straight at Hinanai, aimed to rebound off of her face. (He may be anticipating that she'll block with her arm or something rather than taking the hit *in* her face ... but as much as he tries to be polite to women, he's not going to let somebody stomp him with the curb just because she's female.) 

:'''{{#var:695|Doran (695)}} has posed:''' The creature dips his head to sniff at the sandwich, ears pricked alertly but body language generally non-threatening. It watches the family walk away, then picks up the food in its teeth and swallows the whole thing with a snap of its jaws. There may even be a faint steel trap sound alongside the action. It looks down at itself as if to analyze the state of its coat. Dragon wolf, huh? It grins a bit, baring sharp teeth, and slinks around to make sure the family gets away from the area safely -- especially when the sound of rumbling concrete and whirring metal begin to echo in the alley. 

:'''{{#var:513|Finna (513)}} has posed:'''     Oh now this is a hum-drum, isn't it? The Tennyo is causing quite a fuss. Well, Finna doesn't much care if this store gets robbed of some glittering gems. What do people even use this bling for? It looks pretty... but you can't eat it, can't build a house with it, can't use it to hunt... pretty, but frivolous in her book.     On the other hand, the Captain here is a fine young man whose side she'd rather be on the good end of!     What's the laziest possible way to throw Tenshi off her groove then, and swing things in the Capn's favor?     The red-tailed hawk departs its perch, lazily gliding down towards Tenshi.     And then...     It goes for a gentle as anything friendly landing on her head. Hat, really.     And from there it just hotfoots onto one foot then the other gently, managing somehow to neither perforate the hat or poke Tenshi with those gleaming talons.     It's as though the bird is considering her head to figure out whether it's a comfortable alternate perch or not.     unspoken, of course, Finna is hoping to just utterly befuddle Tenshi into ruining her train of thought. 

:'''{{#var:477|Tenshi Hinanai (477)}} has posed:'''     The makeshift wall Tenshi had pulled up to wall Captain America in crumbles due to Crazy Speed Powers vibrating it to pieces. This draws Tenshi's attention immediately, red eyes focusing on 'Drift' right away, "Hey, what're you doing? Stop messing up the stones!" She lifts the bladeless sword hilt she's holding, but before she can do ... whatever it is she intends to do with it, she's suddenly distracted by a bird on her head. Pausing, red eyes turn upward, "--Eh? What?"     Tenshi doesn't really have enough time to think about this.     With the sound of Vibranium striking something more solid than it appears to be (perhaps Tenshi's head is full of rocks), the Star Spangled Shield ricochets right off Tenshi's face, striking squarely on the bridge of her nose with enough force to knock the tennyo right off her feet and flat on her back with a noise of complaint and a flurry of pettycoats.     Bewildered, she lays there for a few long seconds, staring at the sky with an uncomprehending look on her face.     "...Ow. Cripes."     After a moment, the tennyo gets up, collecting her hat and dusting it off, then placing it back on her head all with her eyes closed. Only after she has dusted off her dress do those red eyes open and her expression change, becoming a big toothy smile, "Okay. Different game, then." The bladeless sword hilt is twirled, suddenly erupting with orange flames in the vague shape of a katana, which she then jams into the sidewalk at her feet. The stone cracks in all directions, then erupts upward in jagged spikes, "Time for the Earthquake Game!" 

:'''{{#var:694|Wally West (694)}} has posed:''' Drift watches as the woman twirls the blade around and then slams it into the ground. It was like slow motion for him. He could watch the ground give way, the spikes start to rise. He was silently thankful he got the family out of here, but more importantly--- --This b**ch be crazy! The red-head speedster moved between the spikes, with each step he moved in closer. It wasn't easy to do and a few of the spikes got dangerously close with slight misfooting as the ground shook under him. He was trying to get closer and just as he was about to get in, he realized where his foot was stepping down on. His eyes went wide under the mirror reflective visor and with a hard back flip, his foot barely managed to become impaled by the very spike that shoots out of the ground. Drift lands back a few feet further then where he like to be and narrows his eyes in minor annoyance. "I know everyone likes a little rock n' roll in their life," Drift then goes racing at her once more. "But I don't like the tune you're carrying." This time when one of the spikes comes up, he times it in such a manner to actually kick off of it, go to land beside her and then does a quick seeping kick to throw her off balance. 

:'''{{#var:197|Steve Rogers (197)}} has posed:''' The shield bounces back, and Cap catches it with his usual relative ease, looking down at Tenshi. "If you're quite finished ..." .... which she apparently isn't, as she stabs a fire-katana into the sidewalk and cracks start running in every direction. He steps back from her, staying alert - but not alert enough to avoid a sudden erupting spire. He doesn't get directly impaled by it (thankfully), but it comes up close enough to right under his left foot to dump him on his side; he's able to soak some of the impact on his shield, rolling with the landing and coming back to his feet. "We're in the middle of a city!" he snaps at Tenshi as he flings the shield again, sending it rebounding off of one spire after another like a crazy flattened pinball - - which seems like it deliberately homed in on Tenshi, as the last ricochet sends it flying at her sword-arm's shoulder. If it hits, the rebound is angled to ricochet into the wall and back among the rock spikes to wend its way back to the Captain. "If you're going to fight like this, let's at least get out to the wilderness first!" he finishes. 

:'''{{#var:513|Finna (513)}} has posed:'''     THe bird vacates Tenshi's head as soon as it landed, what with Captain America getting all hurly with that shield!     The beast screeches in protest in fact, and sort of wing-waggles in the air upon gliding past the Cap'n. She lands on a nearby trash can... 

:'''{{#var:695|Doran (695)}} has posed:''' The 'dragon wolf' yelps as Tenshi Hinanai's attack out in the street causes an unexpected earthquake under its paws back in the alley. However, the sound isn't like a high-pitched bark, but more like a kid's shout: "YIKES!" It peers out from the alleyway, taking one good look out at the street before deciding NOPE and backing off. One human throwing around a metal shield, another human wielding a fiery katana, and a third human moving faster than his sight can follow. Definitely not getting involved. The circular nostrils at the end of its muzzle flare as it sniffs the surrounding air. It noticeably turns its head upon seeing the red-tailed hawk alight upon a trash can, giving Finna a curious look as if to ask 'what were you thinking?' 

:'''{{#var:477|Tenshi Hinanai (477)}} has posed:'''     "Nope!" Tenshi kicks downward, floating up weightlessly. This puts her in a prime position to smack the Captain's shield away using the Sword of Hisou--which is not actually fire, despite appearances, "You started the game, now you gotta finish it--or it's Game Over!" A leg sweep under her seems like it wouldn't be effective with the angel floating, but it does knock her for a loop. Quite literally, in fact, as it catches her feet and sends her spinning in midair "-Whoa!"     Pushing out her arms after a few nauseating spins, Tenshi brings her spin to a gradual halt and rises up some more, "Two players? That's fine with me." The Sword of Hisou is raised in one hand, then swept in an arc that sheds off a spray of fast-moving crimson bullets, scattering in all directions along the slash-line created by the scarlet-flamed blade, "My name is Hinanai Tenshi, the greatest Tennyo of Bhava-Agra! My duty is to test so-called Heroes, so don't hold back! Go ahead and punish me!" 

:'''{{#var:694|Wally West (694)}} has posed:''' The crimson bullets come and they come quick. Drift can only process for a moment the direction a few of them are going, while he is also locked onto America's shield. With a quick step, he pushes himself off and reaches out for the shield. For him-- its all slow motion, for others-- its pretty quick reflexes. One of the bullets grazes him along the arm, slashing the polymer fabric and cutting part of his skin. Yet in his hands is the shield. Drift doesn't stop there though, because as soon has his foot touches the ground, he starts to twirl up his body. "Since you asked so nicely there..." His form becoming a black tornado almost as he twirls around faster and faster, red lightning streaks follow the form, from the red lines of his black suit. Then at the apex of the spin, he releases the shield right at Tenshi, sending it at her with all that momentum of speed behind it-- which now may cause it to be faster then a bullet could ever travel. "..Let me try my best shot!" Though as for Drift? After launching it, he almost falls over, cause it is obvious that one of the other crimson bullets got him during that process and it was right in the thigh. Which was the /last/ place he want to be hit really. 

:'''{{#var:197|Steve Rogers (197)}} has posed:''' Well, that's always a risk too, isn't it? Temporarily deprived of his shield, Captain America dives for cover - literally, throwing himself behind what's left of one of those rock spires for cover, as well as trying to flatten himself out and get below the plane of Tenshi's bullet-storm. He glances out of cover briefly to try and see where his shield's gotten off to ... And it's just a blur at first, leaving the black-suited super-speedster's throw. Cap glances around briefly to try and figure out where it'll land - or more likely where it's going to risk embedding itself; that much speed leads to a REALLY hard-hitting projectile. And for all that Tenshi is the opponent right now, Captain America winces, hoping that the shield won't hit her *too* exceptionally hard this time. ... although by the time he finishes that thought, it may have already HAPPENED, one way or another. 

:'''{{#var:477|Tenshi Hinanai (477)}} has posed:'''     "Wait, what are you--"     CLANG     It all happens so fast that the troublesome angel doesn't have a chance to react at all, much less put up a defense. The shield strikes her square in the face a second time, the sound ringing up and down the street. When it ricochets off, there's a solid dark mark across the middle of the girl's face, across the bridge of her nose. The shield flips off, strikes the front of the jewelry store, then tumbles down until it lands on top of one of the stone spikes, spinning like a coin.     Tenshi herself does not fare quite so gracefully.     All of the force of the impact delivered into the girl's face, she hurtles back in an arc, through an apartment window. With a crash, she emerges through the wall on the other side. This, at least slows her down enough to recover, shaking her head violently between her hands. Tenshi's entire world is metallic ringing right now.     The blade of her sword disappears, as do any lingering magical bullets. Rummaging in her pocket, the angel flings out a fistful of waxpaper-wrapped saltwater taffy candies and then whirls around, ascending at top speed towards the clouds. 

:'''{{#var:197|Steve Rogers (197)}} has posed:''' Well, that could have been a lot worse - on both sides. Captain America gets back to his feet, reclaiming his shield and checking it over for damage. Yes, it's supposed to be indestructible, but Howard Stark probably didn't imagine anything like this. As far as he can see, though, the shield lives up to all of the old promises, and he hooks it to his back again before looking at the speedster. "Don't know if you've got a code name or anything," he says, while holding his left arm out as if offering the 'hawk' a convenient perch; his gauntlets should be as good as any falconer's glove, if not even better for protecting his arm. "You can call me Captain America, or just Cap, for now at least. Thanks for your help." 

:'''{{#var:197|Steve Rogers (197)}} has posed:''' As for the candy that Tenshi tossed around before departing, Cap'll pick up a few pieces before he leaves. 

:'''{{#var:513|Finna (513)}} has posed:'''     Seeing Drift take a bullet to the knee-- err, thigh -- the hawk takes flight and... flies out in front of him?     Yeah it's flying weirdly, managing to mimic a hummingbird for just a moment...     Just long enough to change. "Not the best place to take a hit!" Her transformation happens throughout a few confusing seconds of morphing feathers, talons, and wings, her mass shooting up prodigiously until... oh hey, it's a human? A young woman for that matter. Who yes, spoke as a hawk.     And, if one looks really, really hard, has fox ears and a tail. Wally has a great view of her backside at the moment...     But just as she's readying for a redoubled effort from Tenshi, the angel skeedaddles.     Awww, and Finna'd gotten up into an aggressive stance and everything!     "... Looks like I didn't need to butt in after all. Weird foreigners sure frequent these parts! Weeeeird foreigners." Yup.     As if she WASN'T one. 

:'''{{#var:694|Wally West (694)}} has posed:''' Apparently super speed Shield actually works, to Drift's chagrin given the pain he is having to ignore. Though the candy tossed his way is a surprise, one he doesn't exactly turn down either. "Huh. Candy for your troubles." He says over to Cap, as he waves a few of the ones he caught. Not even thinking much about it, he unwraps one and pops it into his mouth. Though he limps a bit, as he makes his way over to the shield, at this point Cap can probably beat him to it, which it seems he does. Curiously, the cut on the arm has already started to heal. It also isn't shortly after that one piece of taffy, that Drift seems to be chewing on the next. Though at least he waits to finish chewing that second piece before he talks. "Drift." He says plain and simply. "Probably one of the fastest men alive." He places out his hands about then. "Though no reason to thank me, Cap. No hero, just doing it for the paycheck." He then goes to unwrap the next piece of candy. "Got to make a living somehow and trust me-- hero business.. isn't my kind of business. To much glory, cameras, and media. To bad she is kind of a crazy chick. At least the candy is good," Nom. Candy. Though he was registering the bird talked-- which wasn't the biggest of surprises when you knew a guy who could turn /into/ animals, however, she was-- kinda different. That and you know, a she. With a nice figure-- and back end. That got him to pause for a moment on his chewing and then goes back to it. What to do-- candy in mouth... 

:'''{{#var:513|Finna (513)}} has posed:'''     "Poo. Did I put myself in harm's way for THAT kind of attitude?" Finna grumps out, ooking over her shoulder again at Wally. His build at least had impressed her, as had the combat tactics. But consternation - if muted - shows in her icy blue eyes, clear as the northern sky, as she yet again looks over Drift.     ".. Weird foreigners." She again states, probably to herself... 

:'''{{#var:694|Wally West (694)}} has posed:''' Drift finishes what he was chewing before he 'hehes' softly. "Well, you did help out there as a falcon. I mean, you lined up some shots for that Cap guy." He shifts his weight off his bad leg and grins, "That is pretty impressive." He then tilts his head to the side slightly, Finna may find her own reflection in his visor clear as day really, "So, who do I have the honors of meeting here and who did put themselves at risk to help out? Cause you do seem like a lady with some style." He then places out his hand, the hand that lacks the candy in it, "My name is Drift, quite the honor." 

:'''{{#var:513|Finna (513)}} has posed:'''     Finna twirls around, immediately grabbing the hand with all kinds of energy! Finna Snowdancer, speedy! You have good eyes!" Seems she's energized by the compliment, maybe? Or maybe she's always this hyper! "Not sure about this strange outfit of yours. ... Are you.... ex-PRT or something?"     If anyone's looking, her tail's wagging a mile a minute. 

:'''{{#var:694|Wally West (694)}} has posed:''' Drift grins at the handshake and then tilts his head slightly, "PRT? Don't know them. Nah. I'm just a mercenary metahuman." He then takes a slight step back, though still favoring that leg. Huh-- its stopped bleeding now. "Put an ad out there, nooo idea if anyone is going to take it. Not any of the big branches anyways, probably keep getting small time jobs." Drift shrugs his shoulders about then, "But hey-- whatever keeps meals on the tables," He then smirks, "..and lets me get a chance to meet lovely ladies like you." Drift then shakes his injured leg a bit. Checking to see really how well he can just ignore the pain on a full run. "Hopefully we meet again, Finna. You look like the kind of lady who knows how to have a really wild time." He then gives her a little salute. "Catch you around, babe!" Then where he was standing, he is then gun in a blur of motion. 

}}

2265/MIA No More

2015-05-26T21:09:20Z

Paladin348: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2015/05/17 |Location=Crystaline Jungle |Synopsis=A Slipspace bubble opens into the Multiverse and a Covenant ship tumbles out. The ship's name? The..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2015/05/17
|Location=Crystaline Jungle
|Synopsis=A Slipspace bubble opens into the Multiverse and a Covenant ship tumbles out. The ship's name? The 'Ardent Prayer'.
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=38, 783
|Tinyplot=
|Tinyplot2=
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:783|Jorge-052 (783)}} has posed:''' It starts with a blip. UNSC sensors immediately detect and analyze the blip, registering it as a Slipspace bubble with at least one Covenant ship coming through -- a SDV-class heavy Corvette, cold and apparently lifeless as it returns to real space. What may give them pause is the identification tag that comes with it: the classification tag 'Ardent Prayer'. Scanning, analyzing, repeat multiple times. It's impossible, right? Those who had seen the reports from Reach also knew of Operation: UPPER CUT, and everyone knew how the mission ended. Yet here it is, followed shortly behind by the section of Covenant metal that was gouged out of the supercarrier 'Long Night of Solace'. Only after both are returned to real space does the Slipspace portal close. By the time UNSC forces are alerted and scrambled, both Covenant craft are already making planetfall, tumbling ungracefully through the atmosphere. Their projected point of impact? The Crystaline Jungle, just before it becomes The Marshlands. 

:'''{{#var:38|Noble Six (38)}} has posed:'''     The main ship that is responding to the arrival of the mythical Ardent Prayer is the UNSC Crimson Dawn, an Autumn-class Heavy Cruiser. The ship drops out of Slipspace far enough above the crystaline jungle to not destroy it when it comes into being from the slipspace rupture, and immediately begins to deploy multiple craft. Standing on the bridge of the Dawn is her captain, Jason Reynolds, "I know this is the Multiverse and everything, Lieutenant." He says to the woman standing next to him, looking at the screen in front of them, "But I don't know if we will find anything on that ship. It has been a long time, and there's no telling what might have happened."     The woman standing next to him has her helmet off, blonde hair hanging down around her head as she watches the Covenant vessel tumble through the air towards it's impact site, "There's no civilians in the potential impact zone, is there?" She asks. The captain shakes his head, and she nods, "Good. I'll go in first, have the Marines form a perimeter.." She picks her helmet up off the console nearby and locks it down, sealing it, "And have a medical team on standby."     She turns and heads away from the bridge, moving down to the Pelican bay and mounting up. The ship takes off and begins to make a straight shot towards the impact zone. Once the ship has landed, or crashed at least, she'll be the first one on board. 

:'''{{#var:783|Jorge-052 (783)}} has posed:''' The section of 'Long Night of Solstice' overshoots the anticipated impact zone and slams into the Marshlands at a relatively low angle, soon bogging down in the mix of superhydrated mud and vegetation. There do not seem to be lifesigns, likely all remaining Covenant on board dead. The UNSC will need to make sure of that, but survival is highly unlikely. The 'Ardent Prayer', however, impacts exactly as projected. The two lateral sections of the Corvette buries itself nose-first into the ground, the stressed metal screaming as contrary momentum shears it apart, and the main ship tears apart from its own lateral fins. The nose comes up like a whale in the midst of beaching itself, most momentum halted due to the shearing of its own hull, then it crashes down to an utter halt. The body of the ship seems to settle on the forest floor, tilting to one side at almost a 45-degree angle and exposing its underside in particular. The 'Ardent Prayer', or what's left of it, is finally still, silent, and by all rights... dead. Even the forcefield-like protection over the hangars seem to be offline along with the usual bluish-green lights. 

:'''{{#var:38|Noble Six (38)}} has posed:'''     As soon as the ship finishes it's impact and they can move in on it, Noble Six directs the pelican pilot down. She lands the vehicle a safe distance away, and Six dismounts along with a squad of Marines, "Sergeant, establish a perimeter. We have to assume any Covenant forces that may still be on the ship are hostile. If they survived the crash, they'll probably be hurt. Make sure they don't escape."     The Marines fan out and Noble Six moves into the wreckage. She turns on her VISR system on her helmet and the light on her shotgun. She is pretty sure her and Jorge had killed everything on this ship, at a massive cost. The Savanah had gone down during the fight. But they thought it would make a difference. She shakes the thought off as she maneuvers through the damaged vehicle, making a bee line for the hangar bay where the pelican had landed all those years ago. 

:'''{{#var:783|Jorge-052 (783)}} has posed:''' Noble Six would find that the interior of the 'Ardent Prayer' is indeed not picking up any Covenant movement, or Covenant lifesigns for that matter. In fact, there are signs of combat throughout the ship -- blast marks, blood splatter, scattered plasma and UNSC weaponry alike. Though the bodies have moved to new places due to the crash, they're still here as well, just as if the battles had recently been fought. The doors may take some strength to get open, some partially jammed if not left open or closed, but lack of power also means any electronic locks have failed. Noble Six has been through here before, she knows the fastest route to her destination -- the hangar bay. She won't be disappointed, and a fast scan of the numbers on the Pelican's hull do indeed match it to the Pelican used for Operation: UPPER CUT. The Pelican has shifted, pinned against the far side rather haphazardly, likely due to the entire crash sequence. This is compared to where it had originally landed close to the hangar door to the outside, which now has an impressive view of the jungle's canopy. The Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine had been partially dislodged within the Pelican's 'blood tray', blocking access to most of the personnel bay and certainly the cockpit. At this point, Noble Six would register a blip on her motion-tracker. Just one, there and gone... but could there be something in the cockpit? 

:'''{{#var:38|Noble Six (38)}} has posed:'''     The sight in front of her makes her fill in the blanks as she stepps into the all too familiar hangar bay. The slipspace drive fires, destabalized as it is, and creates a slipspace rupture centered on itself. It tears the whole smaller ship and most of the super carrier with it through time and space to this point.     The arrival of Reach into the multiverse must have caused the issue, because how else would they have gotten here? She moves to dislodge the drive and try to shove it away from the back hatch of the Pelican, though the sudden flicker of movement inside makes her realize SOMETHING inside is still alive. She quickly shoves the ruined slipspace engine out of the way, then kicks it with a powerful boot to finish moving it.     The GEN/2 armor sure does help a lot more than the old Mk. V, she admits. She moves up to the rear hatch of the Pelican and looks for the emergency release. She knows there's one right about..There. She hits it and disengages the ramp locks, moving out of the way of the ramp so it can drop to the ground. 

:'''{{#var:783|Jorge-052 (783)}} has posed:''' As the ramp drops with a severe crash, damaged hydraulics no match for gravity, there is a large shudder as the Pelican resettles. Nothing major to worry about, really, as the Pelican is pretty much stuck and can't be moved in any true sense of the word. Though Noble Six may notice a deep five-fingered handhold in the edge of the ramp, as if someone had grabbed the ramp and had pulled it up into locking position... The open bay allows light in, illuminating the insides of the dead Pelican. All seems relatively standard, perhaps some scratch marks on the floor -- and a large metal humanoid figure slumped against the pilot's console, squeezed in next to the pilot's chair. Though difficult to tell size at a glimpse, the silhouette is most certainly matching to an older MJOLNIR suit in the broadest of strokes. One arm seems to be resting on an upraised knee, and the familiar glint of a UNSC-issued M6G can easily be seen in that hand. A dull amber flicker passes across the visor, head canting just fractionally. "Identify yourself." The demand is low but authoritative, static of damaged speakers lacing a deep and rough male voice with a faint Hungarian accent. 

:'''{{#var:38|Noble Six (38)}} has posed:'''     The sound of the voice is one that she never thought she would hear again. It takes a lot of restraint tos tand there looking at him as he aims the pistol at her. She doesn't want to do anything too hasty, because she knows he'd shoot her. So she decides to respond to his question.     "SPARTAN Carol-B312. Callsign Noble Six." She says, though he would be able to hear in her voice that she's barely able to contain how happy she feels about seeing him, "It's good to see you again, Five." 

:'''{{#var:783|Jorge-052 (783)}} has posed:''' The chin lifts slightly as Noble Six identifies herself, and there is about a three second pause with no further reaction. His hand soon relaxes, twisting at the wrist so the palm is up, and the pistol easily shifts off focus so it's quite clearly pointed at nothing. Still ready, in case something else pops up, but that's neither here nor there. "I knew you'd make it back." The warmth in his voice, like meeting an old friend, is certainly something that couldn't be faked. "Though I swear I just tossed you out of this Covenant barge. You've gotten new kit awfully fast." A moment of confusion, perhaps? His head shakes and he slowly shifts to a crouch, resting the pistol on the floor, then rises to his full 8-foot height. His movements seem sluggish, quite unlike him. Possible damage to the MJOLNIR system from the Slipspace event or the crash -- or both? He doesn't sound like he's injured, though. 

:'''{{#var:38|Noble Six (38)}} has posed:'''     "You did." She says, as she moves over to help him, though he's soon able to rise up without her assistance, "At least...As far as you remember." She frowns behind the helmet, "Are you okay to move? I have Marines securing the wreckage and a medical team on standby. I have a lot to...Explain." She says, though she trails off a bit after the last word.     Internally she keys her helmet comm to make sure she can keep the Union aprised of the situation. Boy how is she going to explain that one. 

:'''{{#var:783|Jorge-052 (783)}} has posed:''' Jorge-052 rests one hand on Noble-Six's shoulder, a silent thanks for the offer of support. He flexes his free hand, staring down at it before rolling his shoulders. He takes a few hesitant steps, grabbing one of the bars for the Pelican's jumpseats mid-stumble. He cycles in a breath, visor flickering. "I'm fine. Shaken and bruised, but I can walk it off... or could, if the suit was still good." Low growl. "Which it isn't. Shields are down and unable to recharge, I think motor relays are shot, and I'm getting errors on everything that can get errors." He sounds very annoyed by this. 

:'''{{#var:38|Noble Six (38)}} has posed:'''     With the suit shot, Six knows that they'll have to get out the old fashioned way, "Well we can't peel you out of it in here." She says, "I can see if we can't get a field tech to come take a look and at least get you moving again.." She muses, as she keys her radio.     She helps him at least get out of the back of the Pelican. It'll be easier for the tech with the Marine escort to work on the suit outside of the troop compartment of the wrecked bird than inside it. If he can't make it further than that she'll help him sit, "I don't know how you survived the slipstream explosion, but I have a theory." 

:'''{{#var:783|Jorge-052 (783)}} has posed:''' Jorge-052 is in no position to try to refuse assistance, and wouldn't think about it anyways. Something is wrong, he can feel it... and every time he looks at the crystaline rainforest beyond the hangar bay, he already knows that he isn't on Reach anymore. And there are other hints as well... 'you did, at least as far as you remember', was it? Patience. Answers will come in due time. With Noble Six's help, they exit out of the ruined Pelican and he takes a knee, letting gravity settle his weight. He removes his helmet and sets it down next to him, finally revealing his face -- which looks utterly unchanged from the last time Noble Six would have seen it. He folds both arms over his upraised knee and cants his head over at the SPARTAN-III. "I don't know either." The memory is still fresh in his mind, only minutes old to him, especially the part about being ready /to/ die. "What's your theory, Carol?" 

:'''{{#var:38|Noble Six (38)}} has posed:'''     "We're not on Reach anymore." That much she figures he's worked out. Jorge was always way smarter than anyone gave him credit for, "We're in a place called...Well, it's generally just called the Multiverse." She looks out through the hangar bay's empty opening.     "My theory is that when you touched off the Slipspace Bomb, it interacted with the Multiverse. In fact it very well may have been the reason Reach unified when it did." She has to think about that for a second. Was she saved because of the way the slipspace bomb went off? 

:'''{{#var:783|Jorge-052 (783)}} has posed:''' Jorge-052's brow furrows as Noble Six explains. Multiverse, unified, what? He doesn't pretend to understand any of it, and his lips purse beneath his facial stubble as he tries to parse this as best he can. "So..." He speaks slowly, choosing his words carefully. "You're saying... that Operation: UPPERCUT suceeded... but created an effect nobody could understand at the time? Leading to here and now?" Being reminded of Reach makes him at once eager to find out more information, but wary of what that information may hold. It's quite obvious to him that everything has changed in the seconds when the Slipstream bomb had gone off. "What happened to Reach after Operation: UPPERCUT?" 

:'''{{#var:38|Noble Six (38)}} has posed:'''     A question she knew was coming sooner or later. She wasn't looking forward to it, "Operation: UPPERCUT destroyed the Covenant supercarrier orbiting Reach...Unfortunately soon afterwards the bulk of the invasion force arrived."     She knows he'll find out sooner or later so best hear it from her, "Noble Team fought them off as best we could, but during the course of the battle, Two, One and Four were.." She pauses, "Listed as MIA." 

:'''{{#var:783|Jorge-052 (783)}} has posed:''' That pause. Jorge-052 knows that pause all too well and his stomach twists, though his expression remains as unreadable as ever. "I see." It's a flat delivery which probably says more than if he'd reacted more like a human. It's a bitter reminder of 'SPARTANs never die', once again. "And Three?" He knows he's going to regret asking this, but he has to know and damn the consequences. "What about Reach itself?" 

:'''{{#var:38|Noble Six (38)}} has posed:'''     "Last time I saw Three he was escorting Dr. Halsey off Reach." Replies Six, as she frowns behind the helmet, "Reach fell, but our objective to bring Cortana to the Pillar of Autumn was successful. Without getting her to the Master Chief, the Covenant would not have been defeated for good."     Six looks down for a few moments, before she reaches into a pouch on her armor and pulls out something, "I believe these are your's. I was holding onto them..Just in case." 

:'''{{#var:783|Jorge-052 (783)}} has posed:''' Reach fell. Jorge-052's eyes close as soon as those words left Noble Six's lips, his expression as blank as ever. Jun and Dr. Halsey likely getting off of reach in time is a cold comfort, as is news about Cortana and Master Chief. He does allow himself a small smirk in unfelt mirth, though. "He always was the lucky one." The mention of Covenant being 'defeated for good' doesn't go unnoticed, but he elects to hold further questions as the familiar jangle of metal emits from Noble Six's hand. "You kept 'em." He chuckles softly as he lifts one hand, palm up, ready to accept them back. "Guess I'll need 'em back after all." 

:'''{{#var:38|Noble Six (38)}} has posed:'''     Noble Six puts them back into his hand, and holds her hand against his for a moment before closing his fingers around it, "Now I suppose we get into the weird part." She says, "For me it's been about two years since UPPERCUT. The way the Multiverse works...Time isn't always straight forward." She laughs faintly.     It's about now the tech shows up and begins to work on Jorge's armor, "Haven't seen one of the old suits in a while, sir. You'll have to bear with me." He's young, probably some Lance Corporal who joined up after the war ended. 

:'''{{#var:783|Jorge-052 (783)}} has posed:''' Jorge-052 doesn't seem to notice Noble Six's hand lingering in his as the dog-tags are transferred, or at least he doesn't call attention to it. SPARTAN-IIs can be notoriously thick about such things (well, stereotypically speaking). He fiddles with the chain to tie together the two broken ends, then pulls the chain over his head and tucks it within his armor's neckseal. He blinks at her in obvious incomprehension at the passage of time involved. "Two years?" He can barely understand facing death one moment only to find himself NOT dead the next, much less the fact that in that very moment a full two years passed. "This is going to be a long debrief." As the tech finally arrives and starts fiddling with the Mark V/B's back panels, Jorge simply turns his head to look over his shoulder and appraise the kid. "Understood." There he goes, slipping back into military protocol as appropriate by SPARTAN standards. "Focus on my motor functions. The rest can wait until it's put back in the labs." 

:'''{{#var:38|Noble Six (38)}} has posed:'''     "Of course sir." The tech replies, as he keeps working. Six hrms a little bit, as she considers where to go next, "We'll transition onto the Crimson Dawn which is above us right now, and from there make our way back to the Union HQ. The Union is...Well, they're a faction within the Multiverse that does what it can to protect it's citizens and unaligned worlds. ONI and the UNSC have an alliance with them, and I've been serving with them as well. I think you'll fit right in." She smirks behind the helmet, "They'll give you full debrief." 

:'''{{#var:783|Jorge-052 (783)}} has posed:''' Jorge-052 shakes his head with an exaggerated sigh. "Yup. A long debrief." Union, Multiverse, alliances... one step at a time. And here he thought the manual detonation of the Slipspace engine was the trick of that mission. He'd almost be willing to believe Mendez never imagined a trick like this! "Ah well. So be it." He chuckles quietly. "Least it sounds like boredom won't be an issue." 

:'''{{#var:38|Noble Six (38)}} has posed:'''     The tech finishes up what he needs to do and stands up. Jorge can move without the armor hindering him now at least, "Come on, Five." Six says, as she motions for him to follow, "There's a Pelican waiting outside."     Once on board the Pelican, it's a short trip back to the Crimson Dawn and then off to the Union HQ. 

}}

Something Old, Something New (Jorge-052)

2015-05-26T20:56:07Z

Paladin348: Created page with "{{Cutscene Header |Date of Scene=2015/05/19 |Location=UNSC Base |Synopsis=After Jorge returns to familiar surroundings, he's confronted with new tech -- whether or not he want..."

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2015/05/19
|Location=UNSC Base
|Synopsis=After Jorge returns to familiar surroundings, he's confronted with new tech -- whether or not he wants it.
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=783
|Tinyplot=
}}
Jorge-052 studies his ruined MJOLNIR Mark V/B armor suit with a critical eye. He's already been fitted with the newer black uniform -- the black suit with silver armor attachment points, black cargo pants, and black lace-less boots. He still feels naked without the armor as his second skin. "You're certain?" He asks the nearby techs without taking his eyes off of his suit.

"Positive, sir," a young tech replies apologetically. Jorge recognizes him as the one who helped recover him from the 'Ardent Prayer'. "The entire system's gone, down to the last circuit and servo. It'll take too much time and effort to repair everything, especially since you need to upgrade to the MJOLNIR GEN2 anyway."

Jorge's eyes shift to the corners, staring distrustfully at the circular metal assembly at the other side of the room without turning his head. "Crewman. I understand it's been over three years since the Mark V/B's were considered experimental and cutting-edge. But to me, I've only had this kit for ten months." His focus returns solely to his suit. "I am not some robot you can update at your fancy simply because new tech becomes available."

The poor tech stutters, ears and cheeks reddening, but approaching footsteps saves him. "That is not the Crewman's implication, SPARTAN-052," the chief technician, a Navy Officer, replies patiently, waving off salutes in a silent 'as you were'. "Your orders are clear. You must update to a GEN2 kit before being returned to active duty."

"Understood, sir." Jorge is back to SPARTAN standard, hands clasped behind his back at stiff 'at-ease'. "I would simply appreciate the opportunity of choice."

The chief technician folds his arms over his chest, studying the SPARTAN-II towering a good head-and-shoulders over him. "The GEN2 is stronger, faster, more efficient, and more resilient than any preceding MJOLNIR generation. Beyond nostalgia, Chief Warrant Officer, why are you so insistent?"

Jorge's brow furrows at the pointed but honest question. "Sir, I don't understand the GEN2's, how they work or their limits. I could put myself and good men at risk because of poor preparation, and whatever advantages the GEN2 offers would be negated by my inexperience." He motions towards his ruined armor. "I know the Mark V/B like the back of my hand, customized it myself. I know its limits and how to safely exceed them if required." He offers a one-shouldered shrug. "There is also the Multiverse itself to consider, where the older tech could be more appropriate for a given mission than the newer."

The chief technician mulls over the counterpoints. "Orders only require an upgrade to the GEN2 system." He almost gets a conspiratorial look in his eye. "It never stated multiple kits were not authorized." He rubs his chin thoughtfully as he studies the ruined Mark V/B armor. "These Mark IV and V parts might be difficult to acquire, SPARTAN-052, between the passage of time and the Covenant. Few of my techs have had hands-on time with it, as well."

"Find me the parts, sir, and I'll put the suit back together myself. The techs only need to help me get it on and off. In the meantime, I will register a Recruit GEN2 as my introductory baseline." The chief technician looks surprised that Jorge had studied the GEN2's to such an extent despite his verbal reluctance. Jorge doesn't seem to notice this. "Once I've been qualified, I will be requesting full customization privileges for my final GEN2 loadout."

The chief technician chuckles a bit. "I don't believe the different GEN2 armors can be intermixed."

Jorge's mouth pulls taunt in a thin-lipped smile. "That's what they said about the Mark V/B's before I got my hands on it, sir." He nods to his ruined suit.

The officer's eyes light up in understanding. "Very well. Kit up, SPARTAN-052. Sooner you move, sooner we can get things done."

Jorge-052 snaps a crisp salute. "Yes, sir!" Only when the officer returns the salute does he execute a perfect about-face and stride straight to the armory. At least he can stay busy...

Sleeping Reality (Doran)

2015-05-26T20:27:18Z

Paladin348: Created page with "{{Cutscene Header |Date of Scene=2015/04/18 |Location=Great Ocean - Vast Gulf |Synopsis=After the MetalGarurumon-X was dealt with in Urbania, most of the participants in that ..."

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2015/04/18
|Location=Great Ocean - Vast Gulf
|Synopsis=After the MetalGarurumon-X was dealt with in Urbania, most of the participants in that battle left for steak and morale-improving fun. Ryuu, on the other hand, had other matters to tend to...
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=695
|Tinyplot=
}}
Some distance west of Urbania, on the bluffs of the Vast Gulf area of the Great Ocean, a golden Eastern Dragon touches down and releases a small purple furry raptor from within a glowing front claw. The raptor almost immediately curls up into a miserable-looking ball, the surface of his fur rustling in the breeze.

"That was risky. And stupid. And --" Ryuu stops mid-rant as he stares down at the Dorumon. "You're not even listening, are ya?"

Doran opens one eye and stares up at the much larger Ouryuumon, fur bristling. "We both know where you're going with this. It worked out for the best, didn't it?" His child-like voice is extremely testy, almost snarling.

Ryuu is hardly intimidated, marked by a deadpan stare and low snort. "Did it really?" The Eastern Dragon-like Digimon coils up like a rattlesnake and crosses his arms over his chest, heedless of the steep drop-off behind him. "You saw how Duke reacted."

"Aye." Doran's voice is very grim, a stark contrast to the child-like tone of his voice, and it even deepens slightly. "Catching a glimpse of his savior was enough to drive him to one knee, and whatever he saw through Finna's strange power almost did him in entirely... though I can certainly guess what he saw..." His jaw clenches with a metallic creak, teeth grinding against each other. "We're running out of time."

Ryuu rumbles an agreement. "In more ways than one. Between Duke and you --"

Doran laughs bitterly, cutting Ryuu off mid-sentence. "There's no helping me, Ryuu -- you know that. There's no replacing what was taken and no getting it back either. The fact I can even be a ruined shadow of my former self is a miracle, but you have to re-stabilize my data immediately after I de-Digivolve from it." He buries his head within the furry ball of his form. "One last twist of Yggdrasil's betrayal, I bet."

The draconic Digimon stays silent for a while, turning his head to look over the beaches below. "I knew I would lose some power when I saved your life. Time has not changed the resoluteness of my decision." He ignores Doran's faint snort of disbelief. "Speaking more constructively, what should we do now?"

"Circumstances have already accelerated beyond what I originally thought possible." With some effort, Doran uncurls and staggers over to lean against Ryuu's form. "Duke's knocking on the door. He just needs to understand what he sees, to accept the past he can barely recall, and to realize that the past does not determine the future."

Ryuu grins toothily down at the Dorumon. "That last part sounds familiar."

Doran doesn't react, except for the corners of his muzzle to twitch in a held-back grin. "Perhaps so. Maybe if the more idealistic of us starts down that path, the other can follow." He closes his eyes as his ears droop, his voice returning to normal. "Can we go back to Alexis' place now? I'm starving."

"'Course." Ryuu carefully unwinds himself and scoops Doran up in his front claw again. "How're you gonna justify your state to Alexis, anyhow?"

"Hunt gone bad. Got chased off by something I thought I could take down by myself. You had to come fetch me after you left the Bar and Grill." Doran grunts as he settles down for the flight. "It's better than the truth."

Ryuu snorts as he leaps off of the bluff as if preparing to dive into the water. "Nothing's better than the truth." He arcs upwards at the last moment, the ocean spray gleaming on his armor as he flies to the nearest warpgate. "But for now, it'll have to do."

Adapt and Overcome (Soundwave)

2015-05-26T19:46:45Z

Paladin348: Created page with "{{Cutscene Header |Date of Scene=2015/05/01 |Location=Decepticon Base |Synopsis=Soundwave explains recent activity while hard-won new hardware is installed. |Thanks= |Cast of ..."

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2015/05/01
|Location=Decepticon Base
|Synopsis=Soundwave explains recent activity while hard-won new hardware is installed.
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=552
|Tinyplot=
}}
Soundwave lies on his back on a metal gurney in a hidden Decepticon base, his shattered chestplate and internal protective plating missing, which fully exposes the vital components and lines of his inner workings. A Decepticon medic is hard at work carefully installing the stolen Holomatter Generator, the black box easily nestled deep amongst the various components within. It is painstaking work, connecting each unfamiliar cable to its proper place.

"I do not understand your thinking, Soundwave!" The Decepticon Tapemaster is immensely glad for his visor and faceplate obscuring his expressions as the familiar screeching voice of the Air Commander rants and raves at him. "You're supposed to be on a very specific mission! Not galavanding all over this 'Multiverse' at the whim of every species within it!"

"-Mission: unchanged,-" Soundwave interjects, ignoring the glare he gets for his interruption. "-Traditional methods: insufficient.-"

Starscream snorts, crossing his arms over his own chest. "Really. Do tell, Soundwave. Explain to me why months have passed with no results!"

Soundwave pins the Seeker with a glare of his own, visor glinting red, noting how Starscream stiffens in response. Good, he's intimidated -- that should quiet him down long enough to listen. "-The Multiverse is too vast and open. We are oversized. Using traditional methods such as fascimile constructs is impossible and detrimental to long-term viability.-" His voice pitches downwards. "-Priority: Adaptation.-"

"So that's why you stole the Autobot tech?" Starscream motions towards Soundwave's open chest. "To 'blend in'?"

Soundwave dips his chin in a faint nod. "-Holomatter technology allows direct integration with minimal effort. More opportunities to gain allies, open exchanges, gather intelligence.-" He hums as the medic finishes connecting the generator into his systems. "-There is a promising lead in the Garlean Empire. Cereleum: possible similarities to natural Energon.-" This seems to really surprise Starscream. "-Avatar required to investigate further.-"

Starscream rubs his chin thoughtfully, making no efforts to hide his thoughts from the Tapemaster. How typical, trying to find the best line to serve his own interests and give him the best image. "Fine. I suppose you're off the hook. For now." He turns on his pede as the medic re-installs Soundwave's chestplate assembly. "Keep me informed of your progress. I expect favorable results!"

"-Of course.-" Soundwave sits up, data scrolling across his vision as his systems integrate and configure the data in the new Holomatter Generator. "-/Lord/ Starscream.-"