Scene #5529: ICoT - The Secret

Owner	Pose
The Kid	Burstone Quarry is an oddity in this particular journey, in that rather than taking place on the surface of a floating rock, it takes place within a floating rock. This particular hunk of skyborn earth has its surface etched with tunnel halves and openings leading deeper within. Perhaps the wooden struts that support the holes and gaps are responsible for the place holding together so well. Upon leaving the warpgate and descending down into the tunnels, light becomes scarce, but not as much as one might think. Coming from the walls, ceiling, and floor is a faint, ghostly blue light that makes walking through it and eerie experience. Occasionally, one can almost hear a faint whispering emanating from them, but there's never anything there. Kid awaits them all in a vast open chamber just past the tunnel. Gaps in the wall allow sunlight to stream through, cutting through the faint blue glow and casting genuine shadows. The young man stands tense and poised, already battered and faintly bleeding. He puts a finger to his lips as he glares at the foreigners. There's a long moment, before something beneath the rocks disturbs it, and the Kid lunges. Slamming his hand through the thin surface, he grabs something and pulls it free. It's a plump white bird, with a wide yellow beak and faint purple plumage down its breast and belly. Instead of pinions, it has a long, segmented tail that rattles anxiously as Kid wrestles with its owner. Finally, he gets his arm around its neck and begins twisting until a loud snap echoes through the mine. With a grunt of satisfaction, he tosses the body onto a pile of similar corpses. "Sorry 'bout that. Runnin' out of food at the Bastion, an' the old man says Rattle-tails make good eatin'. Remind me to come back for 'em." He retrieves his gear, the Galleon Mortar and the Brusher's Pike this time, and straps them to his body. "Hope y'all brought the big guns, 'cause somethin' grand is likely to be waitin' for us today. If ya see the rocks move, that'll be a Rattle-tail. Take 'em out, else they'll fling rocks at ya. See any Windbags, they're still' minin' away, just leave 'em be." And true to his word, problems arise due to them not even 30 feet in. Before the group lies a mining elevator, and upon it is a Rattle-Tail. Upon seeing them approach, it lets out an offended squawk before its talon lashes out at the cable suspending the device. Both it, and the bird, are sent plummeting down the shaft, drawing angry grumbling from the Kid. "Birds're gonna be the death of me," he fumes as he wrenches open the doors and peers down into the dark. "Guess we're doin' this the hard way."
Alexis	Alexis walks up to the gathering just in time to see The Kid deal with the bird-snake, explain what it is, and how to watch for what's going to be an ambush from them. She raises a brow slightly but in all honestly looks more amused than anything else. "And here I was just wandering what sort of 'goddamn Zubats' you would have in this place No need to ask now." Sure enough, not five steps in and a Rattle-Tail proves how obnoxious they can be. She pauses next to the Kid to peer down the now elevator-less shaft. "Obnoxious local wildlife - check.... Got any suicidal bomber boulders while we're at it?", she asks offhandedly while debating how to handle the downward descent with no platform.
Kotone Yamakawa	The kid and the other surivors at the Bastion where people she considered friends stll was would be happy to help out, this broken world suffered a fate akin, what almost claimed her world as a child. She also hoped to find a soultion with the Ura somehow too as dim as the hope of that some times seemed to be a distant hope but she'd yet to lose all hope int it as she arrive she's clad in stealth gear, and she wondered if her friends here thought that might be all she wore. "It's not a problem I'm glad to help out when ever I can. I don't leave friends hanging in the lurch if I can help it." She also looked over to Alexis for a moment then back. "Crazy Wild Life that's going to be interesting..but pretty standard for here." she moves ahead and she looks down the shaft. "If I have to I could likely climb down, I have some mods thanks ot the Folitilla that will help."
The Kid	Kid produces a length of rope and secures it around a nearby rock before tossing it down the shaft. "I got it," he says before free-climbing his way down. There's the sound of a struggle at the bottom, before another snap echoes up the shaft. Upon reaching the bottom, there is another dead Rattle-tail for the collection. On this level is where the mine proper begins. Windbags, those large, floating, humanoid creatures work the walls with large pickaxes. With each swing, a shower of tiny blue stones scatters into a pan that separates them from dirt and smaller rocks. "Cores 'n Shards came from here," Kid says. True to his word, the Windbags ignore the group as long as they don't draw attention to themselves. "Used to belong to the Ura, but they didn't know what they had. Caelondia bought it 'n used the stones to make the City great." Then, further down the tunnel, a scuffle. Rattle-tails leap upon a large Windbag, using beak and tail to nip and tear at its rubbery skin, trying to wound it. "Ah damn. Mind givin' it a hand?"
Alexis	Alexis grabs the rope and climbs down after the Kid. Good thing she's got training gloves on, or rope burns would be a nasty thing. Seems like she's done this sort of thing before, being the adventuereous sort. Okay, so it's some kind of mine... And the mining miners won't bother them as long as they don't bother the miners. Like those Rattle-Tails are doing. "Good thing I came prepared for subterrainean problems." Alexis grabs one of the pokeballs off her belt and flings it in the direction of the beleaguered Windbag. "Mawile, I choose you!" The ball pops open and from its flash of release a small tan humanoid figure with what first looks like a big black ponytail. "Use Seismic Toss on those winged critters!" On command Mawile turns around so her back is towards the creatures instead, and the 'ponytail' opens up to reveal a pair of huge toothy jaws instead that go to clamp down on one of the Rattle-Tails' namesake tails. Then twist around hard to yank it free, and with a tremendous amount of force for it's seemingly small size throw the beast into the rock surface of the cavern.
Kotone Yamakawa	Kotone Yamakawa looks at the rope for a moment nodding. "Hopefully it will hold me..." She is heavier than a normal person of flesh and blood of her build. She would make sure the others got a good head start before she was moving down the afte rthe others as they made thir way down she also had her bounce mod active,m in the event she fell or had to let go. She would get to know what an old pinball was like but should be all right regardless. She did seem in fairly good spirits as she is able to make hr way down thankfully. "I see a case of a resource someone had no idea what it was worth. A ... sadly common story back home for my world." She notes a she makes her way down the Wing Bags do ignore them and she'll happily not pervoke em either. She also trusts in Alexis pokemon for the moment to handle any hostiles.
The Kid	Mawile finds that Rattle-tails are quite crunchy as it savages them in its powerful jaws and slams them against the walls. They slump in her mouth, dead as the Kid tosses his pike into the thick of the birds, skewering one through the breast. The Windbag happily goes back to its mining as the Kid tosses the bodies aside. "Caelondia knew what to do with 'em. Old man says that the stones could work miracles once the Mancers got hold of 'em," he says to Kotone. "That's why the Bastion needs 'em. He says they can make it right. He says the stones... remember how things used to be. Don't really know what he meant though." They come to a massive iron gate. The Kid looks to it, then checks a map in his belt. "This is it. A Shard we never got to claim 'cause of the local. Get ready." He jams his palm against a button that slowly causes the gate toc reak open in a way that suggests it was neglected long before the calamity. Finally, it squeaks open, revealing a single, gigantic, bulbous eye leering at the three. Kid cries out and jabs at it with his spear, causing the owner to squeal and leap away, making the whole mine shake as it lands deeper in the dim blue. "Sir Lunky. Biggest Lunkhead we ever knew," Kid breathes as the figure waddles into clearer view. It has the fair green skin of a frog or other kind of amphibian, as well as the general leg structure. But much of its face has been taken over by a great mask of black stone and orange quartz. "Let's go!" Kid bellows as the Lunkhead shrieks before taking to the air again! It clings to the roof, waddling around before launching itself down at the party, intent on crushing them!
Alexis	Alexis takes a few steps back at the shriek from the eye-stab, and then the thing comes strundling out of the gate, only to go for the ceiling. "... I'm ALMOST missing the goddamn zubats now," mutters the tomboy, watching the thing. When it drops she growls and turns to leap out of the way, grabbing her Mawile to roll out of the way of the impact. Yet the Lunkhead slams to the ground with such force than the shockwave alone is enough to turn the defensive roll into a painful tumble into the wall. Good thing Alexis is wearing padding and Mawile has a metallic hide. "Maaaaw.." "Yeah, that was a doozy." Setting the steel fairy aside Alexis got partway up, reaching for a different Pokeball. "Think we better let one of the bigger boys handle this baddie, Trowel. Go, Mudslinger!" This time the flash of energy releases a larger form that, much like the monster obstacle in their path, has a definate amphibious vibe to it. The blue creature has the smooth damp skin of one, though it stands on its four limbs more like a gorilla would. Two dark grey fins arch back over it's head, while a third on his rear serves as a rudder-like tail. "Swaaampert!" This is where Alexis does the Dramatic Point(tm) Trainers seem to favor. "Show him how you got your name!" "Swaaaa--" The call is briefly muffled as he closes his mouth and cheeks billow out, only to compress again when he opens up "PRRT!" and spews a glob of sticky mud at the Lunkhead's face while it is getting up from it's death drop.
Kotone Yamakawa	Kotone Yamakawa says "I getcha we'll see what we can pull out of here. If we can keep getting the Bastion together hopefully things can be improved, right?" She seems very ntent on making sure they can succeed she look at the gate, and pulls out a rifle of unknown make as she nods to the Kid. Sh4 makes ready and she's also cloaking now to make use of her allei making noise and holding it's attention so she can get a few good hits in before it realizes that she's there.
The Kid	Sir Lunky gets mud in the eye! It clogs the eyeholes on his mask, obscuring his vision, but he's not about to take that lying down. Webbed feet come up to wipe at the eyeholes as Kotone open fires on the beast. Some bullets find purchase in its rubbery flesh, but others plink off its great mask, not even scratching the old stone. "Lunkheads make their masks tough, go for the back!" He takes a running start, planting the tip of his pike in the ground and using it to vault onto Sir Lunky's back, driving the point into it. The great frog shrieks, rolling and tumbling around to dislodge the Kid, sending him flying against the wall. In this state, he's crushing anything that is unfortunate enough to be underfoot. Furthermore, this action dislodges loose stones in the roof, causing them to come crashing down on any unfortunate heads!
Alexis	"You heard him Mudslinger, go for the -- aw shit!" Followed by several more strings of cussing as Alexis is forced to deal with multiple threats at once. Between the Lunkhead rolling around, and the rocks being shaken loose by it's rampage. Both things she is use to coming from monsters fighting, but not necessarily at the same time. Fortunately her larger Pokemon is there to help. Mudslinger grabs her up under one arm to shield the tomboy against his frame, holding up the other arm to cover his own head from the falling debris. Chunks of stone bounce off his slick amphibious hard, but being a combination Water/Ground type he's only getting some moderate bruising from what's approximate to a Rock Slide attack. Better him than the less durable (don't let her hear you say that) Trainer. Trowel, on the other hand, doesn't seem to be the least bit bothered by it. She's a smaller target to hit, and her metallic hide is even less bothered by stones. As Sir Lunky rolls about she tromps right through the bombardment of rocks, and as he rolls in her direction spins around to swing her ponytail-jaws like a massive metal club into the giant Lunkhead and hopefully knock him out of the roll. Mawile may be part Fairy type as well, but that doesn't mean she doesn't know how to Play Rough when necessary.
Kotone Yamakawa	With Sir Lunky going at it with hger allies she scores a few hits but others bounce off it. She hears the warning from hthe Kid. She will take it to hearty anc check the ammo on the gun she's using. It's got some pretty funky rounds from the look of it though. Given they seem to be made for eating through armor but that mask is joke. She has ot wonder what normal rounds would have done. She flanks the thing as she get behgind the local creature as Mudslinger does their thing Kotone is poerfectly set up but she ends up making what could be a mistake she drops cloak, and opens up with a long burst from behind before she tries to flipo away not wanting to sit still.
The Kid	BAM! The Pokemon Plays Rough with Sir Lunky, and he doesn't like it one bit. He tumbles over, and lands on his back, his feet flailing in the air as he struggles to roll over. In this state, there's little he can do about the bullets slamming into his form. The damage is starting to build up now, more and more faint blue blood staining the ground. Finally, it gets to its feet, and its tongue lolls out of its mouth. Unlike a frog's, Sir Lunky has a flat, wide one, more akin to a cow. But it still lashes out over great distances, grabbing at fallen rocks and swallowing them. Until suddenly, it regurgitates them all up as a singlr, glued-together boulder that is struck to the tip of its tongue. Using this as a wrecking ball, it begins flailing it around the whole room, slamming it into walls, bringing down more rocks, and trying to bowl over anyone it comes near! Kid has gotten low and has his Mortar planted. "It's too big to bleed out! Gotta take it down in one hit!" he barks as he starts slamming multiple shells into itss barrel.
Alexis	Okay, we take that back. Having metallic skin may protect from rocks dropping on you, but having one slammed into you as a giant tongue-mace is a different matter. It may not do much direct damage, but the size difference comes into play and it's enough to slam the Mawile into a wall from the force, leaving her dazed. Dazed enough Alexis decides to just recall her, and cut down on the number of targets Sir Lunky has to pummel the snot out of. She glances back to see The Kid setting up, and nods a bit to herself as she pulls free of her larger Pokemon's protective hold. "See if ya can't do something to ensure he gets a clear shot." If that thing gets a chance to block with it's inpenetrable head it's going to drag things out longer. Mudslinger nods, fins twitching a bit. Stocky back legs dig in to brace himself, and as the wrecking-boulder is swung back in their direction he throws up his ape-like arms to grab onto it. The force is enough to make him skid and stumble back with his footing, but it also gives enough of an opening for both him and Alexis to grab onto the tongue it's stuck to. (Again Alexis is really glad she's wearing gloves, ew.) "Now, HEAVE!" Trainer and Pokemon alike dig in and pull, trying to tug-of-war Sir Lunky's head off to the side so he can't use it to block the others' attacks.
Kotone Yamakawa	Bam! The Pokeone does very well with Sir Lunky, Kotone mean while is doing very good. The attack from the Pokemon buys Kotone more time, with Sir Lunky taking the heavy assault from upfront she's going to get an idea to deal with the thing even as the Kid has his Mortar Planted, he shouts out about bleeding it out would be futuile and he's right. So Kotone is going to go big, or go home. Maybe she'll end up having to go home the rifle is shoulder. She pulls several plasma grenades has a moment of what would August do she leaps for the thing trying to plant the grenades and set them on time delay before she'll attempt to get hte hell away but she many end up caught in the explosions.
The Kid	A vicious tug-of-war begins, one that pains Sir Lunky with every passing second. When your tongue is the rope, you want to reel it back in as painlessly as possible, but Mudslinger holds firm. By wrenching the head away from its side, he leaves the beast open to The Kid, who fires the broadside of mortars once Kotone gets clear after planting the plasma grenades. They arc through the air, barely skimming the roof before coming down to slam into Sir Lunky's body, exploding at the same time as the grenades. The cavern is splattered with gore and chunks, the whole whole part of the great Lunkhead left being its imposing mask, still utterly whole in spite of the devestation. "Good work," Kid says, wiping bile from his face before gesturing at another door, this one sealed with a conventional lever and counterweight. He grips it and pulls, making it slide open with a groan and revealing a hovering, purple Shard. "Right, let's get outta here." Back through the tunnels, up the rope, and to the entrance. Once they're clear of the caves radios spring to life. Rucks speaks over the broadband. "Kid, get back here. The Ura have come, and they're not happy." What follows is the sound of gunfire before the connection abruptly drops.
Alexis	The tactic worked... and leaves them covered in gunk from the splatted monsters. Alexis lets out a groan as she tries to shake some of it off. "I would really love to say this is the first time I've been covered in viscera, but the Multiverse is a harsh mistress." Mudslinger starts to gurgle up some water to spray her off, but Alexis clamps his mouth shut with one hand before he can. "Thanks, but I ain't walkin' all the way back to Bastion in soaking wet clothes." So it's back up to the surface with the Shard. "All in all, that didn't go so ba--" Cue the radio. And Alexis slapping a still grimy gloved hand to her face. "--Nevermind... Wait, was that gunfire?" She peers between her fingers for a moment. "What happened to them being peaceful and sharing like they did befo... DAMMIT." Cussing follows as she recalls the Swampert so she can switch to one of her fast travellers. "Com'n guys." If this turns out to have been one big trick, I'm gonna have a few words with the Ura. With my fists."