Brother Versus Brother
[Starting out the log with a bit of unusual speech from the Masters' own Tron Bonne. As you see, she's gotten ahold of a miraculous artifact, and changed her personality... not, for the better, in our eyes. At the time, we were moving our personal items into the Skull Citadel, and I was just getting accostumed to my promotion as leader of Wily's Gamma Squad. Then, we solved a mysterious riddle the changed Tron proposed. It all got a little strange from there...]
[Radio: (F) Worldchat] 'Terra Bonne?' Tron Bonne transmits, "Heed my Words. ...you shall know them for true."
[Radio: (F) Worldchat] Metal Man transmits, "Ah Tron, what do we owe this latest rambing of yours?"
[Radio: (F) Worldchat] Heat Man transmits, "True is in the eyes to the beholder. And who knows what will get beheld? Besides...some of us have more filters on our minds than others."
[Radio: (F) Worldchat] Metal Man transmits, "Well then what do you have to say?"
[Radio: (F) Worldchat] 'Terra Bonne?' Tron Bonne transmits, "Man's worst enemy is itself. It creates devices that put it in peril, and makes more devices to save it from its fate. But in turn these devices create peril, how long will it be until man has killed itself? Thrice the world has been entangled in war all over, the median's culmination being of the same fate, for here now nothing grows, not even a green clover."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Beta CO Heat Man transmits, "You missed the spiel, Metal. Don't worry, she'll be doing more shows throughout the day. But buy a program, huh?"
Great Hall
The huge grand foyer of Skull Citadel truly shows Dr. Wilys love for opulence. Three stories tall, the Great Hall covers about a quarter of the entire first floor. Polished flagstones cover the floors in most places and the stone walls are decorated with artwork and portraits of the Doctor himself. A crystal chandelier lights the room along with torches mounted on the walls. Arched doorways lead out of the Hall to other parts of the Citadel.
Quick Man's Room!
Needle Man sees the two Geminis as he passes, and temporarily breaks his stride with a greeting. "Ah, Gemini. Hello there."
One Gemini Man drops one half of the bed he's carrying, leaving the other to stand there, holding up one end of it. "Hey, Needle Man," says the Gemini who turns away from the job. He takes another step away from the open door of his quarters, and his counterpart's arms start to shake.
Needle Man semi-hustles over. "Whoops....sorry. Let me help you two with that."
Gemini Man waves him off. "It's no problem." The other twin drops his end of the bed, and leans forward against the frame. The first Gemini squints a little at Needle Man. "...Am I experiencing my first sucking-up?" he asks, with a heavy sound of suspicion.
Needle Man takes a couple steps back, and winces. Plan ruined. "I wanted to congratulate you on your promotion - though I couldn't have picked a worse time to do so, from the looks of it. Figured I'd do /something/ to make myself useful. All I've been able to do lately is putz around in the Citadel, assignment- and opportunity-dry."
Gemini Man the first is still squinting at the other Master suspiciously. But the twin still leaning on the bedframe says, "Oh, we might have some extra work for you."
Needle Man isn't taking the stare well. "I'd be thankful," he replies.
"All right," says the more distant twin, "but it'll have to wait until after the meeting."
"And we have to ask you a couple questions first," the still-staring twin also adds.
Needle Man says, "Fire away."
Quick Man arrives from the Vehicle Bay.
Needle Man blinks....realizing how that could be taken negatively and probably painfully.
Quick Man walks into the hall, looking rather distraught, but physically all right. For now.
The squinting Gemini doesn't un-narrow his eyes, but he looks away, putting his hand over his mouth as if he's thinking of the right way to phrase the question. After a moment, he looks back to Needle Man, and says, "You're not...REAL stupid, right? Like, you can tie shoelaces all by yourself and stuff, can't you?"
Needle Man sighs and shakes his head a bit. "Of course I can."
The Gemini twin nods. "All right, good. We'll work it out later, then."
"Come on," says the other Gemini, "let's get this in before the stuff goes down."
The first twin nods and resumes moving the bed into the room.
Needle Man nods, and steps back to allow them work space.
You enter the Vehicle Bay [Skull Citadel].
Vehicle Bay [Skull Citadel]
The Citadels docking area is reached by entering the mouth of the giant skull on the outside of the fortress. The mouth/entrance is large enough to accommodate a vessel as large as the Bonnes Gesellschaft. If the entrance alone is that large, you can imagine how vast the bay itself is. Robot Master ships, ground vehicles, ride armors, and construction mechs occupy most of the wall-mounted refueling stations at the moment.
Stealth Transport [RM]
Descending Stairwell leads to Great Hall [Skull Citadel].
Metal Man arrives from the Great Hall [Skull Citadel].
Quick Man arrives from the Great Hall [Skull Citadel].
Needle Man arrives from the Great Hall [Skull Citadel].
Quick Man has left.
Needle Man has left.
Stealth Transport
Heat Man has arrived.
Crystal Man has arrived.
Gemini Man steps into the stealth, approaching the cockpit as if he's already assumed he's been given the responsibility of driving. "So...is anyone totally certain what this is ABOUT?"
Heat Man shakes his head. "I have....guesses. But that's it."
Quick Man looks at Gemini, and the rest of the people here, then takes a seat at the controls. "I'm pretty sure I know where to go."
Metal Man has arrived.
Crystal Man follows Heat Man into the transport. "Where Stardroids are concerned, total understanding is a rarity."
Gemini Man (he's disengaged the hologram) sits back in his seat and gestures to the controls. "Well, Quick Man, all right, where EXACTLY are we going?"
Crystal Man displays a vague frown. "I had thought we were to wait for Punk." Not that he's fond of the maniac, but... "Leaving without him may be unwise... or more to the point, unhealthy."
Needle Man says, "Eh....yeah."
Heat Man shakes his head. "True...but if we don't get moving soon, others might seize control of things."
Gemini Man shakes his head. "No, we gotta get going if we know where we're going. ...Wherever it is we're going. Come on, speed demon, put it to the metal already."
Metal Man gets on the transport at the last second.
Quick Man looks to the others with a no nonsense look on his face. "Well, the riddle was talking about a place on the Equator that couldn't grow anything, at least, that's what it said without all the mumbo-jumbo. It talked about clover, too, and I went through the database and found that the Phillipines and the rest of Indonesia were a major supplier of clover. /Also/, China nuked Papua New Guinea years ago, and even earlier than that, the French tested nukes there as well. I'm guessing that that's our best lead." He then looks back to the control panel and checks some things.
Ice Man has arrived.
Enker has arrived.
Outside: You enter the Papua New Guinea.
Outside: Solar Draco nods, "Will do!" he calls.
Outside: Stealth Transport activates its stealth mode.
Outside: Stealth Transport slips through the sky, covered in a field of invisibility, and slides on over head into the plains. But you don't see that. Ha ha!
Outside: You enter the Radiation Plains.
Outside: Obvious exits:
[Radio: (B) Secure] Knight Man transmits, "*It's Knight Man's voice, though it sounds... odd...* Brothers, I art keeping an eye on Robotropolis, I still have not searched the entire area, though I shalt notify ye when if I findeth something..."
Quick Man brings the ship into a landing, and opens the door. He looks at everyone inside calmly. "We're here."
[Radio: (B) Secure] Beta CO Heat Man transmits, "Understood. We've activated another search sweep. Will call if we need assistance."
Enker casts a distinctly warning gaze across those within the shuttle. "Just keep an eye on your meters. If anyone starts to glow like a night-light, I'd suggest you run some decontaminents through your system. This place is ground zero for a reason."
Outside: Firestorm Phoenix arrives from the Papua New Guinea.
Needle Man says, "Haz-mat, eh? Alright."
Heat Man nods to Quick. "Better." Then, he looks over to Enker. "That said....perhaps I should be the first out the door, for obvious reasons?"
Gemini Man stands up form his seat, and nods at Enker's command.
Crystal Man unstraps himself, nodding to Enker as well.
Ice Man blinks. "You mean we could...." he trails off.
Heat Man activates his haz-mat mode, shielding slipping out and over his joints and body.
Needle Man undoes his bindings, standing and turning toward the door.
Metal Man gets out of his seat after undoing his restraints and stands up saying. "I'm ready to go, so what is our next move Enker?"
Enker raises a hand to lower his visor down over his eyes. Turning the slanted-ridge gaze on Heat Man, he nods. "Lead the way out. This won't hurt us, more than likely. Deploy in a standard offensive pattern and begin the search. In all likelihood, we're not going to be alone in this one today, and whatever we find must be studied. Any interference is to be dealt with like this hell-hole would suggest."
Heat Man nods, and deploys out the door. "Then I invite you onward into hell..."
Quick Man follows behind.
Metal Man chuckles darkly as he follows the others out.
Crystal Man nods again, slowly and grimly this time. Normally, he isn't eager for combat... but today is different.
Needle Man follows. "Hopefully this is no one way road."
Crystal Man has left.
Ice Man unfastens himself and stands. "So I'm gonna be a neon road sign." He follow the others out the door.
Needle Man has left.
Ice Man has left.
Radiation Plains
Like smooth green glass, the Radiation Poisoned Plains of Papau New Guinea spread as far as the eye can see. Each step is like setting foot in a field of ice-coated grass, as the radiation of the area has caused the tall grass that grew in these parts to come out as glass constructs, each step shattering them into pieces. In fact, if not for the toxic levels of radiation, the entire scene of glowing green glass-grass would be very serene, but instead it comes off as a hazey nightmare. It is impossible to have any radio traffic in the Grasslands, nor see more than 30 feet ahead, as a heavy fog of radiation covers the ground almost constantly; the fog having a life of its own, as if it was a living organism. Frequently, as well, acid rains hails down, burning any who happen to be in its path. No life lives here, as the radiation has left no room for an ecosystem to grow. Deeper towards the heart of New Guinea, it seems like the glow of the radiation only gets worse. To any who actually manage to travel over the plains, the wind constantly howls, and seems to be spitting words at you. If you stop to listen, you can almost hear something akin to, "Don't fight it." Very peculiar.
Ice Man [Normal] [RM]
Enker has arrived.
Alloy nods. "Well, you want a lift, Rigger? Flying's faster than walking, and we want to be as quick as possible, right?"
Solar Draco headed northerly from where the hunters landed, so, he's just presently flying about the area, looking for... something.
Heat Man leads the way out of the Robot Master's transport, swaddled in a heavy HazMat suit. Armor protected, he gazes on the destroyed land, and sighs... "And for all this...they died."
Firestorm Phoenix flys over ahead, the green glow of the ground reflecting off golden armor that even Enker would be jealous of. As he flys over head, the Phoenix investigates the only place he knows of that once had life and now doesn't.
Rigger waves a hand impatiently at Alloy as she gazes toward a readout on the arm of her suit. "Faster, yes, but you never know if you might miss something important by zooming by. I can jog well enough to keep up."
Metal Man mutters as he moves along in formation. Metal tightbeams Heat Man but gets static and he mutters. "Dam, this place is just too messed up!" Metal walks along slowly almost feeling like the ghosts of the dead are watching those who dare to disturb their eternal slumber. oO(Crystal Man is starting to rub off on me.) "This place reaks of the smell of ghosts." oO(great I'm going to have to get decontaimated after this run.)
Quick Man dashes out of the Transport, looking quite serious right now, which isn't that normal for the usually cocky speedster.
The foggy haze responds to people entering its realm by becoming twice as dense, almost as if you were walking in the ocean.
Gemini Man steps out with the other Masters, peering into the radioactive haze. He wonders briefly if all of this energy would interfere with his hologram... He just decides he'd rather not try it out and see unless he absolutely has to.
Solar Draco mutters somewhat, trying to fly through the heavy peasoup as best he can, "This'd better be worth it," he says. Idly he starts flying just a bit lower so he can see the ground.
Crystal Man slowly, hesitantly follows the others out of the transport. . o O (So this is it, then...) O o . His blue optics scan the area... for once, not discerning that much more than those of the others. "I must agree, Metal," he comments softly.
Needle Man keeps his spot in the formation of Masters, visibly uneasy with the surroundings, almost awed - or afraid. Fog seems to close around his vision. Already, radiation levels start registering. "Not good..."
Ice Man peers out into the murk and mire. "Jeez." Moving into formation, he tries his radio, only to find it dead. "Guys, my radio's down! Can any of you get anything?" He glances about nevously. "I don't wanna glow like a neon sign."
Blade Raven has decided that maybe it would be best not to fly in this haze, and instead is making his way along on foot, "Why, I still want to know.." He mutters quietly, "Why would people do this to others? It's not right. Plus this entire area is unusable. What's the purpose?"
Bringing up the rear of the Robot Master vanguard of justice, the Elite Commander steps out at a good click. The Stealth Transport shimmers, disappearing behind him as its door closes. Thus left out in the cold, as it were, he points forward with the Mirror Buster. "You may well be right concerning that, Metal Man. Keep your sensors up and active, although I doubt they'll be of much use here.. Regardless, we must advance. What folly the Stardroids have left here, we cannot say, but if it is present.. Then it should ideally be destroyed. Fan out into an advancement line, but keep each other within eye-sight. Advance at a canter." Suiting his words, he increases his pace, golden helm swinging to and fro as he stares through his slanted visor for a change.
Alloy shrugs. "Good point, I suppose." He looks at the surroundings, and the hazy fog which is limiting vision to barely ten metres. "Actually, I don't think going up is gonna help. This fog is too damn thick. I'll be nearby, and for god's sakes, don't get a tear in your suit or something." With that, he starts walking, the murky haze quickly obscuring him from sight.
Rigger rolls her eyes upwards as she walks along, trying to restrain her impatience. She had a good reason not to want to waste time, after all. "Because people are stupid when they're angry and full of pride, that's what." Alloy's comment on the suit simply makes her fall silent a moment. "I've got maybe two hours tops before the suit can't keep me protected from this mess any longer. Let's get a move on, guys."
Heat Man walks carefully, a bit ahead of the others. "Well, it's a bit warmer than I like...but considering it all, it could be much worse. Just...keep close." o0(I wonder what we'll find....or who.)0o Walking carefully, he looks out at it all. "And in the beginning, God created heaven and the earth. And God created Man. And Man created Machine. And Machine made one hell of a mess...." Apparently his sense of humor can't escape all this, either.
oO(...Aaaaa....canter?)Oo Gemini Man shakes that one off. He steps off behind Heat Man, trying not to let the forefromt Masters get out of sight. "Okay, ...anyone who has any more philosophy about what a darn shame this was that this place got blowed up, speak now, or never."
Alloy is making a fatal mistake by seperating himself, for as he moves out of sight of any of his companions, the haze swirls overhead.
Needle Man follows, keeping his eyes open for anything to show up, keeping the other Masters in sight.
Ice Man looks at Heat. "This isn't really a place for humor. Let's just do what we have to and get out of here before our radiation levels get too high." He continues along, slightly unsure in his step.
Metal Man follows the others along scanning about this deadland. oO(We should not have come here...)
Crystal Man is conspicuously quiet as Enker speaks of destroying whatever is found. . o O (Do you truly think that shall be any more successful than your own attempt, brother?... I'm... not sure whether to hope so or not...) O o .
Firestorm Phoenix manages to make out people moving below and flys lower to try and get a look at them. oO(Man, I didn't even realize my visability was this impaired.)Oo COming down quietly, he gets low enough just to make out robot masters and quickly accends again. oO(Crap, don't want to get into a fight around here, no telling what effect the radaition might have.)Oo Firestorm raises in altidude so that he's just high enough that he can see the others below, far enough up that hopefully he won't be spotted and thus shot at.
Blade Raven nods a little, "Fine, lets keep on going." He says, trudging along, "I just hope we can get done with what we need to to and get the hell out of here before this island sinks too, or something.."
Quick Man looks around at this hellhole, then goes forward at a leisurely pace. For Quick Man, that's about 100 miles per hour. He speeds past the other Masters without thinking. Oops.
A crackle of unearthly lightning cracks through the green cloud, as radiating molecules begin to get excited. Another bolt flares along, nearly grazing any who choose to not travel on foot.
Alloy continues walking, the crystallised glass cracking under his feet at every step. He frowns for a moment, then activates his gravity wells, floating him about a foot above the ground, before he continues along, Magus-style. He hasn't quite noticed that he's seperated from the rest of the Hunters yet.
Needle Man glances sharply upward, thinking he saw movement...just to spot an odd swirl in the mists above. He keeps an eye on it until it dissipates, then returns to the forward surveillance.
Solar Draco halts in the air rather suddenly, gulping at that, "Oh well, great..." he says before pushing forward again at a decent clip, "right... caution would be a good thing..." he says keeping very low to the ground, "What a place... peasoup air with lightning bolts for noodles, what next?" he muses.
Rigger falters in her step a moment as Alloy begins to vanish in the sickly fog. "Alloy! I said two at a time!" Her breath is held for all of ten seconds before she exhales it sharply, resuming her walk with the others. Probably didn't hear her, and she hadn't noticed in time. o O (Great way to show you're XO material so far. Pure brilliance.) Looking toward the other two with her, she asks, "I don't suppose either of you can see anything in this fog that stands out? A light maybe, or even a spot of thicker shadows?"
Enker's lips twist into a faintly amused smirk, despite the locale. The weather pattern is.. bizarre, to say the very least, but he's coming to expect it. Just like the breeze on his face, and the words that fill his ear. He listens, footsteps slowing for just a moment, before he gestures. "Keep the canter up. Crystal Man, see if you can't [focus your sixth sense] into this hodgepodge further than we can see into it. We're going in blind.." The words are bitter in the Elite's mouth, and said at barely above a whisper, before he goes on. "Stay together, remember that! Where the hell did Quick Man go again -- oh, **** it, I don't care." He just swore. When did Punk get a golden suit? "Stay together, keep alert!"
Blade Raven shakes his head, "I'm sorry." He says, "I'd take to the air and look, but the way that lightning is, I'd rather not risk it. I'd hate to get fried before we even find what we're looking for, know what I mean?" He says, "I'll keep a look out, however."
Firestorm Phoenix urks as the lightning strikes, just barely missing him, "Oh boy." Deciding to not take any chances, the Phoenix flys a short distance away from the general gathering of masters and drops down low. Lowering himself to the ground quietly, setting out on foot, though his wings are open and his boosters are on standby, ready for a quick escape if need be.
And at once, the haze fades, infront of you, spreading to give you a narrow path forward. For someodd 15 feet around each person on the Plains, the haze does not penetrate, as if its a bubble of security. The glass grass shatters under each footfall, like shards of ice, and actually the immediate area around you, without the haze, looks quite unique and pretty.
Quint has arrived.
At least it would be difficult to fall behind from the group. Gemini Man marks where the cracks in the solidified grass have gotten further and further apart where Quick Man charged ahead of the rest, the speedster's footprints becoming streaks ahead of him. Gemini puts his foot directly in one of the smeared prints, then looks up as the haze in his immediate vicinity melts.
Alloy looks around, as the lightning which he forgot in his last pose starts crackling. Oh wonderful. And his electrical shielding warranty just ran out. Then the haze disappates. "What? /Now/ what's going on?" With a clear way forward though, he isn't going to complain. He keeps walking.
Solar Draco tilts his head at this, "O...kay," he says to himself. "Well all i've been doing is going straight... so..." he trails off and just pushes his jets an itty bit faster as the path is made. "This is getting quite ... weird..." he says to himself. He glances back for a moment, no one's around anywhere it seems, "Hrmph," he turns back forward again and pushes onward. "Time to see if we guessed right or wrong..."
Heat Man almost pulls off the helmet from the sound of the geiger counter in his ears, but is smart and just shuts it off, instead. "Guys, rads just jumped off the scale. Watch yourselves."He then swears at Quck's disappearance...but that path is something else. "Ohkay..." Setting foot on it, he prays this won't bite him in the aft.
Tron Bonne arrives from the Papua New Guinea.
Crystal Man stays close to his kin, letting himself frown vaguely in concern as Quick Man speeds ahead, and nodding to Enker at his [OOCly corrected] words. Then the scenery shifts... "Perhaps it will not be necessary, brother... but I shall regardless." The mystic then pauses. "Did you hear...? No, no. It wasn't a sound..."
Quick Man blinks at the sudden change of the fog, then scowls. oO(Damn Stardroids. I'm not gonna let them scare me.)Oo He then dashes forward through the fog, following the path that the fog leads him, glass constantly shattering under his pounding feet.
Ice Man looks about. "I don't like the look of this. No. Not one bit." The fog melting away really freaked him out. "I, I, I think I liked it better when I couldn't see anything." He walks forward, trying to get not too close or too far from Heat.
Metal Man keeps the other Robot Masters in sight as he trecks on. "Roger that that Heat. Slag it where did Quick run off to now?" oO(Fool!) Metal follows Heat Man keeping an optic on his CO after all he would rather oust Heat Man by out proforming him if possible, and should Heat get scrapped it will rob him of that statisfaction.
To note, you have a clear way forward for about 15 feet, beyond that the haze still sits. Its like you have a forcefield around you, keeping it at bay as you move.
The haze gives way, at least enough to make the terrain around them clearer, and that's precisely what the Elite was after. "Advance at a faster pace. Keep your eyes out for Quick Man's broken body, or for anything else. The moment the haze comes back, we return to a canter." Enker pushes the pace, increasing to a mild run.
Needle Man follows, getting somewhat used to the surroundings, until the bubble clears 15 feet around him. "Ooookay....that's odd."
Rigger frowns sharply as she hesitates a moment, eyes squinting around. While she appreciated the clearer path, the electricity was somewhat unnerving. A deep breath is taken to steady herself before she continues forward again. Slow and steady her feet crunch the crystalized pseudo-grass beneath her feet. "Stay close guys. This is getting a bit weird." Pressing toward the farthest length of her little 'bubble' of safety, she stares at the oppressive fog beyond with a scowl.
Gemini Man breaks into a run as the speed of the group in general picks up, though he's still only got a vague sense of which direction this "forward" actually is. Everything looks the same here...
Crystal Man also begins running forward on the path he sees before him... . o O (Although, I must wonder... do these paths converge or move apart?) O o .
Firestorm Phoenix blinks as the haze lets up. Looking around, "Ok, now things are just getting odd... but since I can see now." Firestorm's feet leave the ground, hovering up into the air just high enough to clear the grass like stuff and proceeds onward at a light pace. Quieter this way.
Grass crunches beneath either boot as Needle picks up his pace to keep pace with the squad, still keeping at least two of the other Masters in full view.
Alloy stretches his limbs slightly as the radiation penetrates into his body. "Gah, startin' to knot up." Flexing his limbs as he floats forwards, his powercore, or heart, if you will, is starting to sink. "Shoulda checked to make sure Rigger was nearby." He sighs, and continues along, keeping a wary eye out for anything that may be ahead. At least the...mobile sanctuary around him will give him some waring if he runs into anything.
The Radiation Plains.
Solar Draco continues to add just a little more 'gas' to those jets of his, pushing onward, though still rather slow for him. "I hate this, I can't see, lost track of everyone," he sighs, "Draco help me.." he mutters silently as he pushes forward still.
With a flare, the Haze comes back to life, and lunges forward to swallow everyone up yet again. It seems it was merely a strange anomaly of the land, before things returned to normal. Vision fogs, limbs get heavy, the air is dense, and its starting to get hot.
Needle Man sighs, thinking to himself. .oO(Here I go, into the unknown with my brothers, for my father. For what? I don't know what's out here.)
Rigger hesitates a moment to turn and glance around her little 'bubble' of safety. No Alloy. No Draco. No Blade. A hand lifts to clap over her face, the glove smacking in a noisy rustle of material against the face of her helmet. "Right. Next time, tie ropes to them so they don't get lost, or something." Sighing she turns once more, just in time to be assaulted by the renewed fog and heat. "...At least it's not freezing like back home."
Quick Man is running full tilt now, kinda hoping the wind and noise from his running will help the others find him, and clear away ome of the fog. But then the fog lunges back in, and he slows down somewhat. oO(Aw, hell. I do /not/ like the feeling of this.)Oo
Quint begins a slight run of his own, following the trails of his bigger brother, keeping a distance of a mere five feet. His head slowly turns as he runs, the optics beneath his visor surveying his hazed environs unintently; his lips, for those few who can catch a glimpse of it, indicate something of uninterest, even when they speak. "But brother," he pipes, his tone flat, "wouldn't it be easier and better for us to replace him with something of actual use? I have no interest in wasting my time, searching for that annoyance you call a unit."
Oh, right. Sakugarne is with Quint, too. Heh heh heh.
Crystal Man shakes his head, struggling to raise his hand to his forehead... or, well, forehead-crystal, really. "Ugh..." The mystic then raises his voice. "Brothers? Are you all still near?"
Needle Man temporarily slows his pace with the returning assault of obscurement and heat. "Oh no..." Here he keeps his proximity to - Gemini, it turns out - at a safe 10-15 feet. Getting lost here would be a fatal mistake.
Solar Draco coughs once or twice at this, quicklly the dragon lands and begins walking forward, "Not what I had hoped for, thanks Draco," he mutters as he continues. "Eh... still, i'm not stopping, stupid fog.." he mutters as he continues... "After I get through this, I swear, i'm going to the donut shop and getting two dozen and taking a vacation...
Heat Man is quite glad he was built without sweat glands, or similar imitations of human form, because he has a feeling he'd be losing buckets. "I'm still hear, Crystal!" He then raises his voice a tad. "Guys? Close on me a little, I don't want to lose anyone." For some reason, his Random Access Memory is just bringing back the lyrics of a song the RMs sing occasionally to relieve boredom, or stres, and he's half tempted to sing out to keep people in hearing range. o0(What do you do with a Drunken Enker? What do you do with an Drunken Enker? What do you do with an Drunken Enker? Earlye in the morning...)0o
Firestorm Phoenix frowns as the fog returns, but regardless he carries on his chosen direction, no longer sure if he's even moving in the same direction as the masters he had spotted earlier. The increase in heat is noted, but mostly ignored, something weird is going on and he'll find out what, regardless of whats thrown at him.
Gemini Man slows down, and checks his position. He coughs...the heat is getting unbearable. He stops entirely for a moment...listens for the echo of crackling footsteps. He sees Needle Man as he passes him by, and moves back into pace to catch up.
Enker makes a cutting gesture with the Mirror Buster, before he powers energy down into the fabled spear to bring it to life -- life of the glowing kind, that is, to try and effectively become a beacon in the mist. "Slow to a canter. We're not entirely searching for Quick Man, brother -- we're searching for... for /something/ here.." That voice whispers in his ear again, and he glances unerringly towards where he knows Crystal Man is. "Robot Masters, stop for a moment."
Quick Man, isolated from most everyone from his scrambles, is a good fifty yards from the nearest voice. And this is where something quite troublesome occurs, for the Haze around the Red Robot Master swirls again, and a bolt of radiation lightning crackles above him. And then, as the charge subsides, his bubble of protection returns with astonishing speed. This time nearly 30 feet in diameter -- But no sooner has the bubble formed around Quick Man, and Quick Man alone, does a creature step out of the haze. Glowing green, like it was made entirely of radiation, the being rises, and rises, and rises to someodd 60 feet upwards. A pair of what look like heads form on it, plumes of green smoke blasting out of 2 pairs of nostrils. Time to say oh shit, Quick Man.
Needle Man makes a mental note of Heat's position, then hears Enker's command and halts.
Ice Man raises his internal cooling units to a higher power level. "Heat? Metal? I can't see you!" He adjusts his optics. The fog impedeing his sight clears a little. "Wait, I can see you again." He scurries along, grass glass crunching beneath his feet.
Heat Man halts, waiting.
Metal Man follows Heat Man's order and closes the distance between his CO and himself. "Understood. I just hope this trip out here was worth it..."
Alloy stops dead in the air, as the fog rushes back in engulf him. "Oh wonderful." Then he blinks. "Hold on, what /am/ I thinking?" He shakes his head slightly, before alighting on the crystalline grass again, raising his arms in front of him and sweeping them back. The gravitational flux is discharged, but the haze merely swirls, and doesn't clear around him. "Damn, so much for that idea." His feet lift off the ground again, and he continues forward, still only going about walking pace, and now looking in every direction, hoping to spot something, anything!
Solar Draco pushes onward, regardless, another cough, "Forget this," he mutters before taking to the air again, pushing onward with a bit of determination, "Enough fog, enough radiation, I want out of this," he growls moving forward as best he can. "Not like anyone else is around, what's the worst that could happen?" he says picking up his speed a bit.
Quint lets out a quiet sigh, his movements declining to a dead stop along side his brother. "What is it NOW?" While his jogging motions cease, his bored scan of the area does not.
To all save Quick Man, a sudden pange of mind-wrenching fear runs through your spine. Or robot equivalent.
Quick Man looks up at the bigass monster in front of him. "Oh Sh*t." He leaps back and pulls the Wing Boomerang off his back, ready to defend himself.
Blade Raven freezes in his tracks at that odd feeling, "I have a very bad feeling." He mutters to himself, as he looks around towards Solar, since he's been following along behind the other Hunters the whole time, keeping them in sight..
Needle Man feels a pang of mind-wrenching fear run through his robot equivalent to his spine. ".....Uhm. Where is everyone!?"
[Radio: (F) Worldchat] 'Terra Bonne?' Tron Bonne transmits, "...Soon."
Heat Man sighs. Not that he hasn't had this feeling before. "Right here, Needle."
Crystal Man pauses, then tries to edge closer to where he hears his kin as he walks... then shudders despite himself. "I sense... no, wait. Did you all feel that?"
Gemini Man stops suddenly, frozen on the spot.... what was that feeling just now...was there something...? His eyes dart around the area, as if to find the source of whatever it was that was causing him to panic..
[Radio: (F) Worldchat] Dark Knight Man transmits, "...truely?"
The Two-Headed Beast reels back as Quick Man draws a weapon, for a mere second, part of its body dipping back into the haze. But only a second does it cower, before what look like hazey eyes narrow, and then its two long necks reel back, and move forward in a manuever that looks oddly like a lion preparing to quite literally devour something.
Similar to Heat Man, Rigger finds ways to otherwise occupy her mind at the moment. A quick look to her suit's readout is given before she presses on at a slow, steady, perhaps even stubborn pace. She begins to hum to herself however, in an effort to fend off the oppressive feeling the fog and isolation brings about. As her fear grows, she begins to raise her voice to actually sing, however softly to herself. "Took a drive up the coast for the first time, where the cities are few and far between. Found redemption in street signs bearing my name, and direction the last thing on my mind..." Voice wavering all the while, she tries to focus on steadying her singing as opposed to everything else.
Solar Draco hits the ground, hard, shaking his head, "..." he glances around a little, nervous perhaps, "What... is the worst that could happen?" he tells himself as he gets up, "Yeah... what's the....." he swallows a little, ".....Blade?" he calls glancing around, fear taking him over... "... I need to get out of here..." he says before blasting off from where he hit the ground. He's panicing, "I need outta this!!"
Ice Man freezes. "Wha, wha, what was THAT!" He looks around frantically, trying to find solace in his brothers.
Needle Man says, "Felt that....fear, yes Crystal."
Enker shudders for a moment as the feeling runs through his head. Yet he's, just perhaps, the most experienced of everyone here when it comes to having to deal with these.. forced-upon emotions. Slowly raising a hand to his face, he raises the Mirror Buster above his head to wave home his brethren. "To me, my Robot Masters!" Voice just a touch shakey, yet the command still rings true.
Tron Bonne sends a radio transmission. Alloy cries out, his hands clutching his head as he drops to his knees, shattering the clear blades of grass beneath them, as he trembles. "Ohhgh. What..is..." Getting to his feet only slowly, he staggers onwards, fear and trepidation foremost in his mind.
Needle Man listens, nods, and plods back over to Enker. "Sir."
Solar's panic is rewarded with a series of lightning bolts that meet his ascent, as if cutting off his escape vector to drive him back downward.
Firestorm Phoenix stops as he's suddenly racked with fear, looking about he wonders why this fear washed over him. Seeing nothing around him, Firestorm shakes it off and picks up the speed, deciding he'd rather try and get to the bottom of this at a quicker rate.
Quint's legs, despite the fact that they are not moving intentionally, begin to shake slightly, the kneecap inside rattling gently against the metallic form of his leg. With a quiet grind of metal rubbing against metal, his upper body, too, begins to shudder for a brief moment. "Ha," he eventually squeaks, a muffled laugh to himself, his idle scan of the vicinity growing more and more anxious with each passing second.
Quick Man notices that it doesn't like him having a weapon, so he does something rather stupid. He slowly bends down, and puts the Wing Boomerang on the ground. He's still ready to grab the weapon and bolt if it tries to attack him.
Crystal Man quickly walks to where Enker's voice is, reaching out to touch the golden one when he thinks he's near enough.
Gemini Man hears the cut of Enker's cry from behind him in the fog, and he turns toward the sound and the golden beacon of the spear.
Blade Raven blinks, "Whoa! Whoa!" He dashes after Solar, "Damnit, chill the hell out." He growls, as he jumps up to grab Solar just as the lighting comes down towards him, "Gah!" He tries to grab his buddy anyway, and get him away from that, "Calm down!"
Heat Man shakes his head at his radio, then backs towards Enker. "Right....readings are still off the scale, but then...they've been off the scale the whole time." o0(And Crystal's right, and I do have a Soul, I hope to Wily I don't die here....)0o
Attack the creature does indeed, as its right-most head reels back now, and sends a gush of green flames into Quick Man's direction.
Metal Man halts as s feeling he normally does not feel often. Raw fear, not the sort you get when say ya have pissed off Punk and are in for a beating. But the type of fear that one gets when dealing with something supernatural. "I don't like this at all Heat. I feel like I dunno, but there is something here that is not right..."
Solar Draco is grabbed, and crashes to the ground rather hard due to it. He just takes a few deep breaths before he glances back at Blade... "... Thanks..." he says getting up slowly, though still there's some panic in those eyes of his. "...I ... Ever feel like you're being watched?"
Heat Man says, "Ya think, Metal?"
Ice Man would normal be a quivering mass of jello by now. But Enker's command shakes him to life. He wastes NO TIME in getting back to Enker and the others.
Metal Man snerks. "No slag Heat."
Quick Man rockets off to the side, while grabbing the Wing Boomerang off the ground. The flames singe his back, but just barely. He breathes in sharply from the pain, then growls and hurls the Wing Boomerang at the offending monsters right neck.
Enker continues to wave the Mirror Buster above his head for a time, before lowering the fabled spear. "That's because we're heading into something we cannot possibility comprehend, my brethren. This is not something of our world, and even our vague understanding of the Stardroids was... incredibly lacking. We cannot allow this to impede us. Strengthen your resolve. Concentrate on my spear. The Mirror Buster shall guide us. The party will advance." Nodding to those around him, he offers firm clasps of shoulders and whatnot before attempting to lead the group forward again.
Blade Raven nods a little bit, "Look, I know you're afraid, Solar. I am too, but you have to deal with it, okay? The only true way to show bravery is to face fear, instead of running from it. Fear is good, if you're willing to face it.."
Heat Man takes small comfort in his little radio transmission, then proceeds forward again, keeping an eye on the Buster. Follow the phallic symbol, yes sir.
Needle Man nods. "For Father Wily."
Solar Draco nods at that, he dusts himself off, turns to face the direction they were going in the first place, "You're right. We can't give up now... this would all be so useless if we failed now.." he says as he pulls his battleshield from his back, "C'mon Blade, we have a job to do..." he says as he begins marching forward again.
The Boomerang flies directly through the being's neck, like it was Noncorpereal in the first place. Pity for Quick Man, because the creatures next attack is far from a ploy as the first one was. Both heads lurch back this time, and the entirity of Quick Man's bubble finds itself awash in a gush of flame.
Rigger clentches her hands repeatedly, working her fingers through the thick gloves of the suit she wears to protect herself from the radiation. Her song falters off one last time in favor of taking a deep breath. Instead of walking calmly, now she runs, crunching crystals beneath her feet all the way. At least she isn't running away, rather further in. o O (Where *are* they!? If something happens to them, I'll... I'll find them. I will.) Nearly skidding on some of the ground beneath her feet, she begins to yell for her friends. "Solar! Blade! Alloy! ...You still owe me donuts, don't think I'm letting you get away this easily!"
Terra strikes Quick Man with his Radiation Haze attack. Ice Man stumbles along muttering something about Stardroids, and this place in general. He doesn't like it here. No he does not!
Crystal Man remains close, reaching out to hold hands... Heat's with his left hand, Ice's with his right.
Metal Man nods and follows Enker. "Ya, sir I thought we were done with the Star Droids for good. Looks like that was a false assumption." He follows Enker's lead.
Needle Man follows Enker, still keeping his own eyes peeled.
[O-Master] Pet Snake Man snickers. Grats on the promotion, Gemini. Not that it means I'll treat you any different ICly ;)
Blade Raven nods a little bit, and follows behind Solar, drawing his blade, and keeping it held within his hands. He's got a really bad feeling, and he wants to be more than prepared..
Firestorm Phoenix hears the what sounds like a battle and moves onward, making a note to go around the sounds, if at all possible.
Alloy's head whips around as he hears Rigger's voice off in the distance. "Rigger?" He asks quietly. "Rigger!" he calls out, the search forgotten as he runs towards the source of the sound, or at least where he thinks it is.
Quick Man e-rings.
And at Quick Man's demise, the creature fades back into the murk.
Now leading the Robot Masters at the fore instead of the rear, the Elite Commander demands a good pace despite the nature of their surroundings. It's keep-up or be left behind time for the rest, although to be more helpful he keeps the weapon overhead for easier sighting. "A mystery that I mean to see revealed, brethren, especially if it may be of possible harm to the Doctor."
Solar Draco continues with those deep breaths... the dragon continues his march forward, his other hand hovers near his leg, the weapon within loaded and at the ready. "Stay close Blade, last thing we need is to lose each other."
Crystal Man shivers a bit as he hears an all-too familiar sound in the distance... and a flickering sphere of energy can vaguely be discerned passing by. "...Er, brothers... I... fear that we've an indication of Quick Man's fate..."
Needle Man says, "What?!""
Heat Man takes Crystal's hand, and lets his free hand swing freely, not doing anything offensive or constructive. "If it will harm anyone, we'll stop it...especially if it endangers dad." o0(And if it turns out to be our salvation...then I'll accept it freely.)0o "Oops."
It is also what seems to be the soon to be fate of Crystal Man and the other Robot Masters, as, like Quick Man, a wide breach in the haze pops up all around them. And looming out of the wall of the green haze come a pair of heads.
Needle Man catches a glimpse of a similar sphere heading past him. "......oh great."
Ice Man follows closely behind his leader. Enker is good. Big. Strong. "Say what Crystal?!?"
Quint offers Enker a small nod; while it cannot be determined one way or the other, he makes no eye contact to his brother. "'Let the spear guide us,'" he mocks, his voice barely audible. "It's always the spear guiding us. Why can't Sakugarne ever guide us, hmm? Unlike your stick, it actually CAN guide us." His small hand reaches toward his shin, offering his leg a duo of taps with an index finger; the metallic sound emitted instinctively draws Sakugarne to its master's side. "This whole thing is creeping me out," he continues, the change of topic - namely to one not about himself - frighteningly abrupt for him.
Metal Man looks about. "Has anyone see where the slag Quick Man got himself to?" Metal Man keeps up the pace not wanting to be left behind here. Who would want to be alone in a wasteland like this after all?
Rigger skids to a stop, glancing around through the fog a moment with a scowl. "Alloy!?" She thought she heard him... Perhaps in this direction. Jogging forward, rather than flat out running, she tries to catch up with the sound she heard.
Gemini Man starts! He's of his usual two minds about the sudden appearance of this...THING... on the one hand, he's an officer now, and he should probably be brave. On the other hand...he's got flunkies! He jumps behind Needle Man for cover, then tries to pretend he did so out of a reason other than fear. "Go get 'em! Do it for Quick Man!" he says, pushing Needle Man forward slightly.
Heat Man says, "NO. Freeze and disarm weapons."
Needle Man halts, as he sees the phenomenon surround the Masters - then gets pushed forward by Gemini. "Eh..!"
Enker quite literally slides to a halt as soon as the haze opens up, any responses to those behind him forgotten -- apart from the one, of course. "A fate he brought upon himself, and will bring upon himself yet again no doubt." No longer requiring the beacon, he waves his fabled spear, the energies within retracting into his body proper. "And a fate we shall not join him in. Fighting is pointless, against something of the Celestials."
Four eyes appear, two for each of the creatures heads, and they all swivel and lock onto Heat Man. A quaff of green smoke rises from its nostrils.
*crunch* *crunch *crunch* Alloy starts running, shattering the faux-grass beneath his feet as he runs towards the source of Rigger's voice. "Rigger! Over here!" he yells.
. o O (Dear spirits... this being could well have sprung from a nightmare. And yet that voice said...) O o . "Wait. Heat Man is right. Do nothing. Ideally, clear your minds..." The mystic releases Heat Man's hand, then falls to one knee, folding his hands before him and bowing his head.
Ice Man blinks. NOW he turns into a quivering mass of jello.
Needle Man holds his ground. "No....don't blast it....."
...Well...all right... Gemini Man is game for ANYTHING that might possibly save him from being eaten. Anyway, It's looking at Heat Man, now, so, Gemini just shuts up and watches.
Solar Draco continues on his forward march, those emerald eyes of his ever trying to penetrate the haze... "C'mon... this can't hold forever..." he mutters.
Heat Man knows how his squadmate and how Quick'd react to things. And has a feeling what he would have done. Instead, he actually does the one thing almost totally unexpected. Sends his hazmat suit back into his body, disarms his weapons, puts the reactor offline, goes to battery backup, and stands perfectly sitll, simply looking into the eyes with his own green gaze. Resisting the feeling to attack, he takes comfort in Enker's words. "I refuse to die again. I refuse to fight. I will protect my family. Not die pointlessly."
Firestorm Phoenix just pushes on foward, the sounds he heard early, now gone. Lessening his speed, Firestorm continues on, he should have been about on track with the masters, but then who knows, if things didn't get all turned around.
Quint's head bobs, solemnly, for an interesting change of pace, in the general direction of his brother. "These supposed superior beings may be even a match for myself." With this said, a smug grin forms at his lips, bit dissippates in a matter of seconds. His right hand falls, outstreched, to the head of his weapon and partner, Sakugarne, for comfort.
Crystal Man, for his part, doesn't actually power off anything. After all, his crystal generaters were never intended as weapons in the first place. Silently, he reminds himself of that... still remaining on one knee, his head bowed. In reverance, or in fear?
Blade Raven follows behind Solar, "Just keep going. You'll be fine, Solar, just keep it up, it has to clear sooner or later."
Enker's right hand, the hand that so casually holds the Mirror Buster.. no longer does. He feels an urge, such a powerful urge, and it well looks like he may well countermand his own orders and assail the beast. The arm, and the Mirror Buster, begin to glow in turn as he fights his own body. Energy is shifted, then retracted. Shifted, brought back. Shunted, denied. The Mirror Buster begins to rattle, his grip tightening. Behind his visor, his gaze narrows. "I.. will.. not.. will... will /not/.." Harsh mutterings through teeth that grind. The Elite has almost lost control.
Solar Draco nods back at his partner, "I swear, i'm buying donuts for the base if we get out of this..."
The Creature pauses, eyeing the Masters for several seconds as they refuse to defend themselves. And then it seems to get incredibly pissed, and even at sixty feet, it grows twofold, towering above like some two-headed Hydra of ancient mythology. Towering, its heads emit a wail, and send bursts of radiated flame into the air. Its scream is enough to burn your blood, and you get the distinct impression that you have about thirty seconds to live. Especially considering that, from the far side of the Robot Master's bubble, comes another two-headed creature...
Ice Man can barely move. He just powers down, running only on auxiliery. Turning a head to his side, he spots Enker. In a barely audible voice he says. "Enker, please, don't."
Needle Man winces muchly from the scream......but refuses to move.
Rigger breaks through to Alloy finally, reaching out to grab his arm. Utter relief washes over her as she's at least found one of the three she came with. "Come on. Let's stick close this time." The wails of the creature assaulting the unseen Masters causes her to shiver fiercely. All the more reason to stay close now.
Metal Man ehs and powers down his own weapons at Heat Man's order. Metal Man comes to a halt not looking up at the creature before him. oO(Okay do not panic ... do not painic.) Metal Man has looked death down before, so this is no different. That still does not mean he is not spooked sensless. The egomanic master holds his ground and does not run.
Curiosity gets the better of Firestorm as he hears the wail and moves to investigate, though he proceeds forward at a slow rate, not wanting to be surprised by anything.
Gemini Man has to fight the urge to run away; as it is, he takes two steps back...then three, smaller, quicker ones... his urge to retreat is finally quelled only when he realizes that it's not likely there would be anywhere to run TO... a suspicion confirmed when he sees the second creature appear out of the mist.
Heat Man speaks, softly and quietly, but so that each Robot Master can hear him. "Directive 1 Alpha. Protect Dr. Albert W. Wily. Directive 2 Alpha. Protect all creations of Dr. Albert W. Wily, with exceptions of unit 0, and unit Protoman. Directive 3 Alpha: Defend all allies of Dr Wily." Letting it wash over him, he uses that same willpower that drives him on the battlefield to keep himself from fighting.
Crystal Man shivers uncontrollably... having to actively fight thr urge to bring his emitters online for, perhaps, the first time in his life. . o O (The spirits will protect me. The spirits will protect me. The spirits will protect me...) O o .
Alloy sighs in relief as Rigger forms out of the fog ahead. Nodding in agreement, he steps in beside her, feeling much better for the company. Then a worrying thought occurs to him. "Rigger, how's your suit holding up?"
Solar Draco winces slightly at the cries that seem close... but in this place who can tell what's close and what's not... "...Okay that didn't sound all that great..." he's sounding really nervous again.
To put it at its most plain, the Elite Commander snaps. One foot leaves the ground, the Mirror Buster reared back. It bursts into life of its own, blue energy wisping away into the fabled length of spear. A roar, an inhuman roar, of pure rage leaves Enker as he reaches full extension, before he slams the spear forward -- straight into the ground at his feet. Rage spilling over, his visor is the next to be shifted, his entire helmet knocked off. Arms raised into the air, he finally shouts something that can be understood. "I - WILL - NOT - BE - CONTROLLED - ANY LONGER!"
Needle Man watches this great beast.....reiterating a single train of thought through his mind. (Hold my ground. For Father Wily. Hold my ground--) Which is derailed by the Elite's outburst.
With a hiss, the first, larger Beast disappears back into the murk abruptly. A moment later, its companion follows in the opposite direction. And in their wake, a path is carved in the haze, that leads straight forward for a good way.
The small hand gripping Sakugarne's head for comfort begins to tighten, its purpose now desperation rather than comfort; the time is too late for mere comfort. Confused, Quint's head tilts upward toward the beast's head, in time to fully observe the fiery globe of radiated flame. The glow of the fire reflects warmly off the Elite Master's sleek visor; perhaps, too warmly. His lips begin to quiver in fear; yet, he can barely find the will to move the rest of his body in reaction.
Ice Man looks about. "Can we go now before we end up dead please?"
Heat Man sighs. "I think we are allowed to proceed." o0(Thank Dad.)0o Leaving his offensive systems off, he walks forward calmly.
Needle Man half-stares, half-glares to Enker as he shows agression, until the beasts move..
Needle Man says, "..........Wait. They're gone. We can go on now.""
Enker falls to his knees, breathing hard, eyes a nice shade of red instead of their usual black. He stares at the 'sky' above in silence.
Solar Draco continues his trudging march, glancing around all the while... "Blade?" he glances back toward his partner, "You're awfully quiet.."
Blade Raven just keeps on moving, trying to get through the fog, "I hate fog. It clouds up my sensors and my vision. Plus I don't have any kind of plan for this situation..
Gemini Man glances at Enker warily, then at the path in front of the Masters. His optics narrow as he tries to see if the path actually leads anywhere... no luck... so, he follows it, but at a slower pace than the Masters had been moving at before.
Solar Draco nods a little, "Just keep going I guess..." he says, "It's all w can rally do..."
Metal Man blinks the beasts vanish. "Lets get a move on. The sooner we are out of here the better it will be!"
Crystal Man stands slowly, after the others have stood up, being only partly aware of what's transpiring around him at first. he looks around, noticing Enker... then kneels next to him, placing his hand on the Elite's shoulder.
And shortly after the creatures depart from the Robot Masters, the barrier of protection forms around the Maverick Hunters...
Firestorm Phoenix continues to move onward, the sounds he was listening to, gone. Not sure of where to go, he simply flys in a straight line.
Still quivering in an unusual sense of fright, Quint begins to slowly approach his brother, his hands outstretched in a defensive motion. After a moment of standing in an awkward silence, not able to speak, he eventually says - whispers, even - one word.
"Enker?"
Solar Draco blinks a bit, "... The heck?" he says glancing forward, "C'mon Blade pick up the pace!" He calls starting to jog a bit.
Rigger looks away from Alloy as she scans the mist, trying to peer through it to the point that her eyes ache from the strain. "Dunno. Haven't checked in awhile," she admits in a low voice. She would have done that just then, if not for the clearing that appears once more. Some things were just too distracting not to pay attention to.
Ice Man doesn't want to go back. He also doesn't want to go forward. Nor does he wish to remain here. "Enker, w-what should we do?"
Blade Raven blinks a little, and runs after Solar, "I'm right behind you, just chill.." He says, as he tucks his sword away so that he can run a little bit faster.
Equally paused, the Elite Commander takes his time. Crystal Man's words hit a wall; it's the walls inside Enker's head that are being slapped back together as quickly as they can manage, but it's a patch job. Shakily, he reaches out towards where his spear and magic helmet lie. "We must.. go on.. onward.. We will not be stopped now." An almost vicious sneer paints his face now, and his eyes are still the same.
Alloy looks up and around, as the fog retreats back much farther than the last time. "Whaa?" he says, looking around in confusion. Then he spots the other two Hunters, within the same de-hazed clearing as they. He shouts, "Hey! Solar, Blade! Over here!" and waves an arm, trying to attract their attention.
Metal Man looks over at Enker. oO(Why could not Bass break down like this. Just my luck.) Metal Man's jade optics dart about taking in the land scape. "Well, you said ... it sir. Only on way to go and that is forward." Metal Man now waits for Enker to move out again.
Solar Draco glances toward the others, "Alloy? Rigger?!" That gets a smile across his face and the dragon rushes toward the others, "Heya! Any luck in this peasoup?" he asks as he puts that battle shield on his backside again. "I can't see a darn thing.. but these bubbles keep appearing..." he tells them.
Heat Man nods, and gives his brother a quiet and calm nod, before leading the way again.
Needle Man stays close to his brethren.
Gemini Man has already taken several steps down the path ahead...but, when he notices he isn't being tailed at all, he stops. "Let's go," he calls back to the others...his voice sounds odd and weak to him as it calls over the fog....he wonders if they heard him at all.
Blade Raven just walks calmly along, "Come on now. We're all back together, that's what matters. Now we can use this to our advantage and try to find our way through this mess and get out of here."
Crystal Man shakes his head, leaving his hand resting on his golden brother's shoulder. "Enker," his most soothing baritone coos, "we aren't running away. But you must bring yourself together before we go on... remember what power your word carries over us, and what could go wrong should you fall to madness."
After several seconds, the Maverick Hunter bubble gets a new guest. A Two-Headed Beast of glowing green Radiation. And it roars, and it becomes clear what it was you heard in the distance, and you get the distinct sense that you are about to die.
Needle Man watches Crystal comfort Enker, and keeps his eyes open. "........Enker. If we lose you out here we're not likely to get back alive."
Heat Man looks back. "Guys....please....let him be. He will be fine." Heat's words conduct absolute faith in his Elite brother, and a small smile of reassurance. Then, he turns and continues on, passing Gemini as he does.
Blade Raven blinks slightly, "Oh hell.." He mutters a little. He hates that feeling like he's about to die, "Okay...Normally I can come up with a logical explanation for things...But this one I'm drawing a really big blank. Any one else got any ideas?" He backs off a step or two..
Alloy blinks, before looking up at the towering monstrosity before them emerging from the mists like some hell-born wraith. "Oh no." is all he says, unable to speak anything else.
Solar Draco freezes, those emerald eyes of his just peer toward the creature out of the corners of his eyes.. "Um... problem..." he says rather weakly. Those eyes of his trail upward to the massive creature before them.. "Aw... you can't be serious..." he mutters to himself. Those eyes of his close firmly, him silently asking Draco to really really really try and come through this time and not make this haze even more of a soup like what had happened the first time he asked.
Firestorm Phoenix keeps on flying along...
Metal Man mutters under his breath. "What next Ringwraiths? Orcs?"
Enker brushes the hand away from his body in an almost violent fashion, clearly finding no comfort in the concern of his brethren. Right hand slapping around the strangely cool length of the Mirror Buster, the left takes up his helm, he puts his helm back on, immediately flipping down the visor to hide his eyes. Smirking, he pushes himself up and heads down the path on his own at a steady run. His words drift back on the wind. "We don't have time for your simpering words, brothers. Let's move."
Needle Man says, "Yes sir."
Something inside Gemini Man doesn't relish being passed up; the moment Heat Man rushes by him, he follows to match the other master's forward pace.
Rigger winces sharply at the appearance of the figure, her head shaking in denial. Noooo, no no, this was bad.... Glancing quickly to the reading on her suit, then toward each of the other Hunters with worried thought. "Get out of here."
No sooner has Rigger given the cue to flee, does another creature appear from the rear, blocking off that angle.
Needle Man glances to the rest of his brothers, and resumes the forward plodding, checking his radioactivity and finding it at dangerous levels. ".....Shoot."
Blade Raven erks, "Well, there goes that idea. Look, we have no choice but to go forward.." He says, looking up at the beast, "Maybe we should...Talk to it? I don't know.." He says, "I'm supposed to be a tactician, damnit. Why can't I figure this out?" He looks at the other beast, and wonders..
Crystal Man sighs as Enker spear-whacks his hand, stepping back as he stands up. His optics begin watering -- looks like those tear ducts Plant Man installed are finding some use again -- and he sighs, clearly hurt. "...Very well, brother." And with that, he trails behind the others, downcast and not hiding it. Maybe that ordeal drained what mental energy he had.
Ice Man nervously fallows after his brothers. He turns up his cold emitters to try and help curtail the excessive heat in the surrounding area. Though it really doesn't help much.
Solar Draco is still rather frozen, but he does move his eyes at least to glance at the second.. he coughs, "..." Not a word, just more silent prayers to the heavens for him for now at least. His breaths are short and quick though, he's nervous, he's scared, he thinks he's going to die, but he hopes someone will answer his calls from above... .oO(Just let us through this and I sweear i'll never steal any donuts from other people again....... Yeah coffee too......))
Alloy steps back a few paces, before speaking again, forcing the words out. "Come on, Rigger, you're coming too, you /need/ to get out of here more than any of us-" he is cut off by the appearance of another beast from behind them. "/Shit/! Now what?" He looks at the others, then up. "Can we fly out, do you think?"
Lightning crackles above the Maverick Hunters.
Heat Man sighs and shakes his head, looking over to Crystal with a clear "You okay?" before continuing on, allowing Gemini to pace him, and wondering what they'll face next.
Firestorm Phoenix is still moving along, hovering just above the grass as he advances.
Metal Man waits for the other masters to get prepared to move out again. "Are you all all right, well as far as can be expected that is..."
Needle Man says, "Ready to move....as soon as everyone else is. Hopefully soon.."
The creature in the front looms forward, one of its heads peering at Rigger with a look that could freeze Napolean in his tracks. The other head quaffs out some smoke, then bends forward, and sends a blast of green flame into the air in the vicinity of the Hunters. Meanwhile, the other creature remains prone, as if waiting for them to begin to run before it attacks.
Needle Man moves on, then.
Metal Man moves on with the others then.
"Oh screw it," Rigger mutters under her breath as she scowls toward the obstruction in front of them. Shrugging off Alloy's hand, she begins to tromp forward. "Can't go back, can't go up, so by god I am going forward. And YOU NEED A BREATH MINT, you overgrown smokebomb!"
Ready to move? The Elite Commander is a ways down the path now, following it and leading the company at hte same time. He's moving faster than he probably should, but those reasons.. Well, who can say? "Keep your eyes open. I don't know what else we're going to run into." The Mirror Buster is given several new hand-grips, as he reworks it.
Solar Draco simply keeps his eyes closed, continuing those silent questions to the stars above. It'd figure a dragon would pray to a dragon doesn't it? He continues to negotiate with himself mostly, .oO(..Okay i'll never even steal-) he's cut off before he glances at Rigger wide eyed.
Blade Raven looks at Rigger, "Well.." He says, "We're probably gonna die anyway, so lets follow her.." He marches right on after Rigger, glaring at the beast himself..
The Beast in the rear snarls, a sound as terrifying enough to freeze but the most stalwart in their tracks. Its companion in the front looms up, like with the Robot Masters, belching out fireballs in the air from one head, as the other one seems to be generating one massive gust -- evident by the fact that the flames can now be seen growing in its glowing emerald neck.
Crystal Man only sobs a bit as Heat Man glances backward at him. Maybe he'll manage, maybe he won't. But it's clear that the mystic is walking a little too slowly to keep up...
Solar Draco just slams his eyes shut again, praying perhaps a bit harder as his chest heaves rapidly.
Quint has disconnected.
Firestorm Phoenix keeps on going in the same direction he's been going. How often can you pose the same thing?
Alloy ducks quickly as the stream of green fire passes overhead. Watching Rigger step forward, he just boggles, until the two monsters start making their respective moves. What? What /are/ they doing? Suddenly it occurs that they aren't going to be attacked. They're being tested...but for what?
Gemini Man stays in step with Heat Man, glancing quickly to see if the other Master CO is afraid, and determining not to be, himself...then glancing back at the long empty path ahead. His head echoes with two of the same voice arguing over the possibilities of what may lie ahead.
Enker sighs. He can sense that someone's falling behind. It's one of those things that the Elite are programmed with, a sixth sense of their own for their comrades condition. Or maybe it's just a way for this pose to come about. He slows, finally turning to look unerringly at Crystal Man.
Both creatures now, in unison begin to dash forward, hidious feet with what looks like flaming claws leading them in on the marching Hunters. Their eyes glow, and their ferocity is unparalleled by even the most vicious of beings in the world.
Blade Raven stands his ground, "Hunters.." He says, "It's been nice knowing you, for the short amount of time that I did." Yeah, looks like someone's ready to face his own fate, and go down, if he must..
Like the previous sensation of fear, a rumble of hatred tingles your spine.
Metal Man slows down as Enker does looking back to see waht is keeping Cystral Man behind the pack.
Solar Draco snarls, then takes a deep breath, he's losing it, his gauntlets are even glowing slightly. Those jets on his back lift him up and send him surging toward the group, he's basically trying to tackle them all out of the way of the creature. Those gauntlets, meanwhile, keep glowing. One could say, the dragon has nearly lost it.
Gemini Man takes another quick glance at Heat Man. His eyes are narrower now...almost with determination. His steps fall heavier as he presses forward.
Crystal Man looks up, sensing his elite brother's gaze... and slowly, without stopping, meeting it with his own deep, powerful blue one. A wounded heart can clearly be seen through them, and a bitter query... . o O (Do you even care, brother? Do you care about your own at all?) O o .
Heat Man isn't so much afraid as just determined. He has his own reasons for this that few can guess at, and he doesn't intend to give up easily. Halting when Enker does, he quietly wills his brother to keep up. o0(Please...please come. We've come this far. Please.)0o hen, he slowly eyes Enker. o0(Show a little damned compassion for your own brother.)0o His hands ball with tension, then slowly release, and he shakes his head slightly, before willing himself to go on. o0(I'm sorry, brother...but if you can't go on...well....one of us has to.)0o Then, he goes on, passing Gemini slightly.
Rigger squeezes her eyes shut tightly as the fireballs begin to fly. There was nothing quite so nerve-wracking, honestly. Nothing at all. Keeping her fists firmly planted at her side, she continues to walk. With her eyes closed. Cowards way out, but she wasn't the bravest person to begin with. Pushing her limits was something she only did when working. This was a bit excessive. Right foot, left foot, right foot...
Blade Raven closes his eyes for just a couple of moments, then reopens them, "This is enough!" He growls, "I changed my mind. None of us are dying here today!" He draws his blade, the weapon ignighting into flames as he raises it above his head, "Bring it on, you excuse for a mutant. I'll put you right back down." He makes hand motion to the beast, as he holds his flaming sword in his right hand..
Needle Man continues on. "Grrrr..." Fists ball tightly as grass-shards collapse underfoot.
Passed? Gemini Man quickens up, getting in front of Heat Man again. oO(Screw you, we're going first.)Oo
Ice Man is following behind Heat Man. He's worried. Not too many ways left to say that. He looks around, scanning the terrain for any more beasts. "What do you make of all this, Heat?"
Ice Man has partially disconnected.
Both beasts answer Blade Raven in turn, as they immediately halt in their dash. Instead, four gaping maws open, and four streams of green flame wash from them for the blade-wagging Maverick Hunter. And then the creatures disappear back into the haze, and a straight pathway seems to appear as the haze parts to the fore, showing the remaining Hunters the way.
Terra strikes Blade Raven with his Radiation Haze attack. Hatred? Hatred is something Firestorm is all to well aquainted with, more so than probably any other here. Though with no reason to feel this hate, it is shook off the moment its source subsides. Firestorm is however quite aware now that something very odd is going on, sudden welling up of emotions is not normal for him. But perhaps its the radaition.
Solar Draco swallows a little, standing up from after his attempted pounce, in time enough to see all the creatures attack, "Blade!!"
Heat Man turns to Ice Man, slowly. "I...think...." His voice almost rises...but then comes back down. o0(This is my brother. I can't hate my own brother.)0o "I think that something is happening...but....I'm not going to let it get to me."
Enker quite suddenly takes the Mirror Buster, and begins drawing lines on the ground in front of him. He speaks up. "Now's not the time for you to drag your feet, Crystal Man. Please try and keep up. Quick Man is already back with ERWIN, but I have little desire to see a second go." The words have a twist to them, a rarely heard emotion tingling into the voice of the Commander as he addresses his kin.
Alloy shakes his head and looks down, running over the riddle in his mind. There could be an answer...but as the wave of hatred runs over him, all thoughts of trying to solve this puzzle go. He growls slightly, fear being overwashed by anger, until the monsters attack Blade and disappear. Slumping slightly as the feeling passes, he shakes his head and turns to Blade, or what's left of him, eyes widening in surprise. "Blade!"
Tron Bonne drops Servbot Scout. Firestorm Phoenix hears the sounds of battle once more and trys to persue them, though he's starting to think he's hearing things.
Well, that's all it really takes. The four streams of flame wash down onto Blade's form, and he lets out a yelp of pain, not really getting much of a chance to do anything before he's down on the ground, his form charred, his optics dark. But the rest of the Hunters can move on...That's what matters.
Metal Man is normally use to being a back stabber and looks about at his own siblings. Well there is only one who he turely hates and that is Bass. At wrose his other brothers just annoy him or dirive him nuts. "Come on Crystal Man. We have to keep moving, or we will go mad staying out here before too long."
Looming on the horizon, unobfuscated by the Haze thanks to its parting to create the two pathways for both parties is a rock stairway, that leads upward to something above. At once, you find a sensation of wanting nothing more than to get out of the radiation, and up the stairway.
Rigger grinds her teeth together as she stops, turning about to view the damage. Blade. Wincing inwardly, growing angry over his attack, her head begins to shake once more. "...Check if he's alive, Alloy. Then let's go. Maybe we'll have a chance to get those things back for it."
Solar Draco sighs slightly his eyes glance up toward the path before them.. "We have to keep going... " he says turning toward the path, "You guys want me to go, or what? What's our plan?" he asks...
Gemini Man breaks into a full run upon seeing the stairway, racing up as quickly as he can, and reaching out a hand intended to push all followers back behind him, even as he has no idea why he's feeling so eager and angry.
Ice Man reguards Heat, seeing as he doesn't want to catch Enker's attention while the powerful Elite while he's acting strangely. "I just want to...Hey! What's that, up ahead?" Ice points to the stairway.
Needle Man narrows his eyes, feeling rage building....until the strange rock stairway appears, and bolts for it, on the heels of Gemini. "Come on!"
Metal Man sees the stairs that his elder brother Ice Man is pointing. "Humm well there is only one way to find out. That is to go check it out." Metal Man starts to head for the stairway, in the distance. He looks back to the others. "Come on and haul some aft!" He then keeps going.
Crystal Man nods slowly to Enker, shaking loose a pair of tears. He fires a few bursts from his gravity-jets until he's finally amongst his kin again. But, as he looks around... . o O (Something is wrong.) O o . He glances sidelong to the golden one with concern. . o O (Please don't force me to trap you in crystal for our own good... Please...) O o .
Heat Man looks to the stairs. "I guess we go up, then." Smling weakly at Ice, he nods to Crystal, then Enker, and then heads up.
Firestorm Phoenix has a similar path and stairway as the other's around the Plains.
Enker watches Crystal Man intently. The thought of planting his spear into Crystal Man's body vanishes for now, and he turns to gesture onwards, despite everyone running ahead. "Let's move out. Advance at a run."
Solar Draco then gets that odd feeling, seeing the Staircase on the horizon... he glances at it, the others, that feeling of wanting out of the place tied with the panic returns slowly, and without Blade to calm him down he swallows a little, glancing back and forth rapidly... Those eyes close again, silent words offered to the heavens before he glances toward his group again, "Guys? What do you want to do?"
Ice Man starts running up the steps at a run, as per orders.
"We're going," Rigger states firmly, looking between Solar and Alloy. "All of us. I don't have the tools to do any repairs, and we don't have the time. Come on." A harsh choice really, but reasonable as well. She couldn't do anything right now... So she stalks on, begining to jog along the now-seen path to make up for lost time.
Alloy kneels down to inspect the damage done to Blade Raven. He winces slightly. Plugging a data cable from his wrist into a similar one on Blade's body, he runs a quick emergency diagnostic and whistles. "Not good. Massive damage to just about everything, really. His powercore's still holding up, but it's very shaky. If it starts leaking...well, we still don't know how to get out of here." He looks at the other two grimly. "Solar, can you carry him? He's a bit big for me." Looking up at the newly revealed pathway and stairs, he sighs. "The word 'trap' sounds appropriate, but...we don't have anywhere else to go, do we?"
Solar Draco simply nods, "Right-o," he says taking his partner up onto his shoulder, "Alright then, lets go.." he says turning toward the staircase. When he does arrive at it, he starts upward. That pace of going upward increases quickly...
You enter the Isolated Plateau.
Isolated Plateau
Raised upward from the haze of radiation below lies a single plateau, about a quarter-mile in diameter, it overlooks most everything in the dreary dead state that is New Guinea, and is a welcome solace from the dreary glow of the glass fields below. No vegetation beyond a few small bushes grow atop this plateau, as the rain they feed on it spoiled with radiation. Thus, the entire plataeu is essentially a flat field of rock and dirt, almost frighteningly flat.
Rigger [Jeans] [MH]
Obvious exits:
Solar Draco simply nods, "Right-o," he says taking his partner up onto his shoulder, "Alright then, lets go.." he says turning toward the staircase. When he does arrive at it, he starts upward. That pace of going upward increases quickly...
Gemini Man runs up the stairs to the top, and looks around, as if expecting something...more...
Needle Man rushes up the steps...and stops upon seeing the plateau top which the group emerges onto. ".....Safety? Why do I suddenly feel otherwise."
To note, the Hunters + Phoenix arrive on the exact opposite side of the Plateau as the Robot Masters.
Enker is a born dragoon, in a sense. His ability to jump is matched by few, although flight is well beyond his reach without aid. As such, he easily catches up with his brethren as they ascend the staircase, to surpass and take the point once more. Which is probably where everyone would prefer him, truth be told. Bringing the Mirror Buster into a defensive position, he glares at his surroundings. "This seems vaguely familiar." Intoning for his own ears, the possibility of it leaking to the others is unavoidable. He's not in full control. "And if it is.. let's move in to the center of this accursed place. The party will advance."
Heat Man moves with the rest of the RMs, still somewhat towards the front. "Simple. Because it's probably not. But that's no different from the rest." And so he continues. Heading for the center. No surrender, no retreat.
Ice Man reaches the pinnicle of the staircase to see....nothing. "Wait, shouldn't there /be/ something here?" He follows the others to the centerpoint of nothingness.
Needle Man follows Enker towards the center, blinking...and arming his cannons, feeling /so/ not right.
Alloy jogs along behind Rigger, keeping pace and not saying a word.
Firestorm Phoenix arrives from the Radiation Plains. Solar Draco blinks a bit, the top of the staircase reached. Those emerald eyes look around before he begins to move toward the center, assuming his compatriots are following. "Just hold on Blade, we'll figure this out... just wait and see.
Gemini Man advances to the center with the others...he seems to have recontented himself with being part of the group.
Blade Raven is still a chared, burnt out Reploid. Nothing special.
Crystal Man sighs heavily, relieved to be out of that radiation cloud. He frowns as Enker speaks of things looking familiar, however, and tries to muster what guard he has left as he dash-jets to the front of the party and walks after that. . o O (Now to see what the Stardroids have in store for us... and whether they truly offer a glimmer of hope.) O o .
Firestorm Phoenix hovers up along the set of stairs that seem to have appeared before him, "... You know, I don't remember this as why was flying in."
"We'll get him on the way back," Rigger promises, sounding somewhat distracted by the entire situation. Command. Not something she was used to in the least. She could only hope she made the right decision at the moment. Stepping forward a few feet, she stops to stare across at the large gathering of Masters. "I think we've got trouble, guys," she murmers with a scowl. "Guess we're not the only ones that want this... Whatever it is."
Metal Man moves along with the other Robot Masters and has the same feeling of dread the others have. Something is real wrong about here, that is a certainy now. Metal Man's path keeps him heading for the center of the raised plot of land, and what ever awaits them all. "I'm with you sir. To the center of this dead zone."
The center of the Plateau calls you towards it.
You enter the Center of the Plateau.
The Center of the perfectly flat plataeu is no different from the rest of it, smooth flats of dirt and rock dominate it. However, the only blemish on the Plataeu resides here in the form of a small rock buldge, roughly 8 feet high out of the ground below. Due to how flat the Plataeu is, it seems to dominate the view as one gazes across the quarter-mile recess in the radiation flats below.
Obvious exits: Ice Man walks closer to the center. "Hey, Enker? What's that thing up ahead?" Ice looks to his commander for further orders while staying on the outside of the group of Masters.
As the Hunter party all reach the top of the staircase, Alloy scans across the top of it, looking for any signs of acivity at all...right up until he notices the large gathering of Robot Masters. He replies to Rigger, "What did you expect? Still, pity we couldn't have gotten here before them." He eyes the group on the opposite of the plateu warily.
As the two parties near the center of the Plateau, it seems that a rock outcropping materializes on the otherwise flat rock surface. And sitting in the middle of it, like all good things should do in stones, is a gleaming Sword. With a silver hilt, waving to the dim skyline, and a smooth crystal blade, the sword sits comfortably wedged within the rock outcropping.
Heat Man finally comes to the center of the plateau, and walks to the rock blemish, looking at the Hunters with a cool, but not yet hostile gaze. Then, he quietly examines it. Looking at the sword, he shrugs. "Anyone want to be king of England?"
"Or get possessed?" Gemini Man finishes Heat Man's thought with a quip.
Needle Man arrives at the center, following Enker.....seeing this odd natural dais, with a......sword stuck in it.
Enker's visor might be in place to hide the state of his eyes, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have full viewing capacity. And despite what proves to be in the center of this place, he knows he isn't alone -- and he doesn't mean the other Robot Masters. Pace slowing, he indulges in a smile. "Fan out, boys. Looks like we've found what needs destroying."
Firestorm Phoenix charges in at full speed, covering the quarter mile in a blink of an eye, though ofcourse most were already there, since he had fallen behind.
Solar Draco blinks, "Oh you have to be kidding," he says as he nears the sword. His eyes glare up at the masters, then he glances back at the Sword. Idly he sets Blade down and glances the weapon over...
Heat Man says, "Eh. Excalibur was a symbol of hope. Hope is good. And if it's a weapon, it can be weilded for other reasons than killing." Sounds like he has no intention of destroying it, doesn't he? "Hello, Hunters. Have a nice hike?"
Alloy stares warily at the new outcropping, and the sword embedded in it. "Well, looks like we've found the McGubbin."
A sliver of light runs the length of the protruding sword, attracting your intention, and desire to have it.
Needle Man glares to each of the Masters......then to the sword. "..."
Crystal Man gasps lightly as the Sword in the Stone appears... then winces as Enker gives his orders. . o O (No...) O o . He fans out as directed, but gazes upon the sword, wondering what to do...
Needle Man moves into position, as Enker ordered. "Excalibur, eh?"
Ice Man timidly walks closer to the piller to have a better look at the sword. "Well what to we have here?" He says to no one in particular.
Solar Draco glares at Enker, "Destroy it?" he mutters, oh heck no, he won't allow that. The desire of wanting the sword comes and the dragon hits his jets and rushes forward, and tries to pull it free. He'd not allow it to be destroyed...
Rigger smirks wryly at the greeting given to them by Heat Man. Tilting her head back enough that she can perhaps be seen easier from the confines of her helmet. "Nice enough. And you, 'Heater'? You seem in one peice." Her fingers twitch at her sides as her eyes shift to lock onto the sword. Impulsively, as with the rest of her actions tonight, she begins to head toward it without a second thought... Other than to glare at the Masters on the other side of the pillar.
Gemini Man levels his gun at the sword. Not a problem. "We'll break it."
Solar Draco finds the sword to resist his strongest tugs. Unyielding, it is.
Needle Man says, "No way!"
Firestorm Phoenix looks over the gathered parties and then the sword once more, "Well isn't this just lovely." His arms cross over his chest, waiting to see what happens, he knows it can't possibly as easy as just grabbing the thing.
Needle Man aims a cannon at Solar, readying a shot.
Solar Draco growls, "Somehow i'm not surprised.." he mutters with a cough, his jets going full tilt trying to give him a hand in pulling.
Rigger receives a radio transmission from Moira.
Crystal Man's optics widen a touch as he continues to look. The sword beckons him as well... but he resists the urge to rush forward into the ensuing conflict. Patience, after all, may well be the key. So, instead, he slowly walks forward...
For someone who's had his mind tugged to and fro and past breaking point, the Elite Commander shows surprising restraint now. He lifts the Mirror Buster to the heavens, the fabled length of spear glowing healthily. "Cease and desist, all of you! You know not what you are doing, and I shall order the destruction of any who tamper with that object!" His voice booms, crackling out with authority; yet will he be heeded?
Metal Man gazes at the sword and then back to the his sibling.s "It could be but I thought the UN had it after Dynamo stole it from Elec Man...." Metal Man's optics narrow as she starts to move to wards the blade slowly and carfully.
Heat Man smiles at Rigger, with a surprised look. "Hey, Rigger." Then, he looks back. "Settle down, Needle." Then, he gets a moment of inspiration. "It doesn't want to be pulled." Then, he lets Solar lose his grip. And for now, he holds position. But his mind is whirling. o0(Perhaps...just perhaps...it might want to be pushed?)0o
Needle Man slowly lowers his cannon, to respect Enker's command, but keeps it ready.
Alloy sways slightly as the compulsion to have the sword sweeps over him. He steps forward, almost unconsciously heading towards the sword, before Enker's yell. Shaking his head, the desire fades, and he blinks again, staring hard at the sword and the Robot Masters. "Well isn't this just wonderful. Now what do we do?" he mutters to himself, flatly.
To all present, the sudden washing sensation that comes into your bodies is more powerful that anything previously. The beckons to attack the creatures, the flitterings of words to your ears, the draw to the sword. They seem like carebears compared to this new feeling. In fact, you find yourself unable, no matter your willpower, to fight its command. And it commands you to kill everyone on the Plateau, to crush them into the ground until they are unable to move. Orders will not be complied with, Enker, Rigger, Wily, all are forgotten due to this call. You will fight friend, comrade, and everyone with a bloodlust never before felt, and you will fight until you die. As for anybody trying to pull the sword, they'll find little success.
Crystal Man learned how to deal with conflicting urges long ago... the first step towards some semblence of sanity as a Robot Master... and, perhaps, the first step away from blindness. He slows his walk as the others going for the sword struggle amongst themselves... waiting... hoping...
Gemini Man isn't ambivilent about what to do; he's dead set on...two diametrically opposing actions. "Get out of the way, Heat Man," says the twin with his gun raised. "We NEED to blast it."
Solar Draco snarls at Gemeni as he comes rushing forward, "Back off!!" He roars as one of the two spiked shafts fire from his gauntet toward the twin! "It's mine!!"
Needle Man raises his cannon once more.....blinking repeatedly.
Blade Raven lays there, near the sword where Solar dropped him off. He'd be in this battle, were he not a charred wreck..
As the irresistable urge to kill washes over Firestorm, he raises into the air, body a glow with a golden aura. The golden light around his body melds with his armor, leaving heavier, more formidible armor in its wake.
Metal Man halts at Enker's shouting as it snaps the draw the sword has on him slightly, enough that he is able to make himself stop. oO(Something is not right here, but what?) Metal Man still has his weapons powered jsut ot be on the safe side. Metal Man gives Rigger a look and a nod, noting she is there. oO(Brave for a human comming to a hell hole like this.) Metal Man is hit by the urge to kill but with his last shred of santicy he menteally disables his weapons on a timer. Metal Man pants and calls out. "YOU FOOLS! Don't YOU REMEBER TO THOSE WHO Fought!!!!" Metal Man growls as he feels the urge to kill every living thing here rising. Metal Man's face twitsts into a odd look of anger and amusement. With out warning the elder master snaps back his head and starts to laughs! "Oh this is rich! So rich! Its so out in the open we could not see it!" He keeps laughing for a moment longer and finally calms down.
Crystal Man gasps as the most horrifying of sensations courses through him... the love that so characterizes him threatening to be washed away. . o O (No... I am not a war machine... I will not allow it...) O o . The master of jewels falls to his knees. his blue eyes clenching shut, then his hands light up with the yellow fire despite his wishes. He places them on the ground, crystallizing the ground where they touch unintentionally. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Rigger stops as it becomes apparent most are doing the same. Her reason for stopping is the same as well of course. Face twisting into a mask of anger, she grinds her teeth together sharply in enraged frustration. Rather than move forward, she begins to move backwards, keeping an eye on everyone she can as much as possible. Just watch for now. Just for now.
Firestorm Phoenix backs off a bit as his armor fully materializes. Now heat distortions pour off his body in waves as the tempture around his body rises quickly. Suddenly the air around Firestorm explodes violently, then subsides, a fire aura now resides over the Phoenix's form.
Solar Draco grunts with determination, one last pull before he releases it, his jets carry him away quickly from the weapon as the spike shaft returns to his forearm from it's launch at Gemini. Though emerald eyes, they're burning with rage, anger, emotion, something that simply can't be natural. His shield is pulled from his back and his weapons make themselves ready within his body. Someone's going to die....
Crystal Man remains on the ground for the moment, shuddering, grasping at it in vain due to it turning to crystal slowly around them, trying to find some ounce of the discipline, the inner strength he's built up all his life. The power is too great to truly resist, but somehow... somehow... just maybe he can control that chaos. He turns his hands so the palms face up, allowing a few large pointed shards to form in them.
Ice Man forms a large wickedly sharp looking icicle. He peers about for something. Or more correctly someONE. The nearest person to him is Crystal Man. .oO(No, I can't, I mustent, I WANT too kill him. But /why/ do I want to. But I MUST!" Ice starts advancing on his brother, firing icey spikes with his free cannon arm!
Needle Man reels slightly, fighting the influence as it attempts to destroy his sense of friend-or-foe, but his courage and resistance quickly wanes. Allegiance to his brethren is tested to its breaking point, until it shatters. A grin forces its way onto his face and a fire burns behind his eyes as he finally loses the internal conflict, and his sanity. This is not Needle Man, DWN017. This is a war machine. Qualms are tossed aside. Cannons click, and beads are drawn --- on Ice Man. "Finally!!!!! I will prove myself....you will not have the sword!"
The Gemini twin winces back as the shot from Solar slashes past his face, and, when the twin looks back up, he's been grazed; the attack leaving a small and eerily translucent gash on the hologram image of his face. He turns his combat fury away from the sword itself and focuses on the one who attacked him, but before he can return Solar's attack, he feels the sting of Ice Man's attack hit him in the back. He swings around to face Ice Man...then, feels the tug at the back of his mind of his counterpart raising an attack of his own. A white blast fires from the end of the original Gemini Man's arm: it's aimed in the general direction of the sword; it's aimed AT the sword, but whatever it connects with, it's going to keep right on going...
The lust comes back, stronger than ever. He can't help it. He can't fight it. He can't contain it. Roaring again, the Elite Commander lowers the Mirror Buster. Thoughts of attempted peace to figure this out are, quite expectedly, forgotten as Enker is filled with three simple words. Crush. Kill. Destroy. Bringing his fabled spear into attack position, his red eyes rapidly scan those around him. Bits of information swim in his head, bits of statistical data -- weaknesses, to be most precise. Lips twisting into a sneer, he leaps at the closest person -- Metal Man, in this case, attempting to do to his fellow Robot Master just as the victim so often wishes to do to others. Stab them straight through the back.
Enker misses Metal Man with his Impale attack.
Oh, look. Blade's still laying there next to the sword. He's lucky, he got KOed before he had to fight his friends..
Heat Man begins to burn with pure, unbridled energy, the reactor coming back online, and takes a few steps forward. Then, he cries with pure, unbridled rage, but some small part of him directs that rage. Don't fight it was the only thing that saved him before. But now, he cannot help but fight. But he can focus on the nearest target. The sword, right in front of his face, even as gemini's beam whips past, and refracts into his chest.
Metal Man is still trying to fight the madness and can feel his mind slowly slipping away into the void of blood lust. Mentally Metal Man tries to pull him self out of the void and might just have made it as one of Gemini Man's laser blasts slams into his torso sending him skidding accross the ground. Metal Man staggers back to his feet snarling. "You will pay for that WELP!" That is when he hears Enker's attack, the rustling of the wind as the elite master charges him. Metal Man leaps clear of this assault blurring as he moved. Then as he lands Metal Man's reflexes kick in once more as he dodges Heat Man's fire attack. Metal Man overrides the lock out on his weapons... odd it seems to have not activated properly! Metal Man pulls a dagger drone from sup space and flings it at the one person who was able to hit him! "FALL!!!!!!!"
Rigger gives an enraged shriek as Crystal's attack hits her, tearing bits of her suit away where the shards hit. None actually puncture far enough to imbed in her skin, though she's left with several bleeding slashes. Staggering back a step from this, she begins to try and charge forward once more - Only to be hit full on by Gemini's attack as well. Thrown back from the force of impact, she lands skidding on the ground away from the main battle ensuing. Levering herself up on the ground after, ignoring her pain, she reaches out to dig her fingers around a rock kicked up by the warfare. Levering into a crouch, she swings her arm back to hurl the fist-sized rock toward the first individual she spots. Incidentally that happens to be Enker at the moment.
Firestorm Phoenix's eyes narrow as he watches the insuing battle, the blood lust taking control of him. His right hand shifts to its flamethrower mode and looks around, pointing it at random people, "So many targets, so little time." Lowering the weapon on more target, he finally decides on Alloy. A gout of flame erupts from his armor flamethrower, threatening to wash over the hunter.
Alloy is thrown back as the Gemini Beam cuts into him. Roaring in pain, he flies back, hopefully out of range, before the raging fire in his mind drives him forward again. Eyes settling on Heat Man, who just attacked him, his lowers his arm, sighting his not-so-buster and letting the accumulated charge flow into the weapon with all of his wrath and anger behind it, firing a prismatic-glowing beam at Heat Man, just as the flames of Firestorm's weapon wash over him.
Crystal Man is knocked from his place on the ground and sent rolling by the rebounding Gemini Laser, which manages to singe his side armor badly, even melting it somewhat. The madness that's being forced into him demands a counterattack, and indeed he forms the beach-ball-sized sphere of gemstone known as the Crystal Eye between its palms... but instead of its usual pale azure, it's now pure black.
Ice Man is hit in the side by the reflected beam. His years of combat experience pay off as he ducks and rolls in the other direction, away from Heat's molten shower! He's still Ice, though in a towering rage. In a rare move, he charges the next person to catch his eye. And that person is Enker. Ice doesn't go around madly charging at people, let alone supiriors. Who ever this is, he's a scary little eskimo!
Alloy has disconnected.
Ice Man misses Enker with his Icicle Spear attack.
And high overhead, in the far distance of the sky over Papua New Guinea... the mist parts /JUST/ enough... to see two lights peirce the clouds to flash for an instant as they rocket for one another.
Solar Draco banks fast and hard, turning back toward the group as he flies. Those jets simply roar as two chain guns extend from his side. Looks like he's going to make a fly by at someone, and that someone isn't going to feel very good by the time he's done probably.
The strike from the hot laser smacks Needle's cannon aside, and it burns.......it BURNS. His fury burns likewise at the attacker, Gemini Man. Turning to the gleaming one and aiming one cannon at either image, both loosed a spray of heavy artillery - his Needle Cannon - at both of them. "DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Gemini Man is SLAMMED from all sides: damn his being a good shot, now everyone wants to retaliate! It doesn't help that he's presenting two targets, but he's consumed enough with battlelust that he doesn't take the time to consider it. The original twin manages to slip aside from the last of the attacks, Needle Man's flying Needles, and the hologram does too, though forced to leave his position right next to the sword in order to perform the dodge. Now upset somewhat that any part of him has lost what promised to be a choice position, the original Gemini is the next to attack, again, firing off in the direction of the blade's area, and bouncing a shot off the rock...though a considerably smaller shot. The shot bounces back in his direction, heading next toward the last of his brothers to strike him.
Momentarily thwarted, the Elite Commander is not to be detered. Metal Man proves to be a faster opponent than he may have given the other Robot Master credit for; the rock slams into the side of his body, leaving little more than a dent. This is what happens when a blind rage take over. You see only the target in front of you, and not necessarily those behind. Sneering in disdain, he searches for the culprit of such a vile act, swinging about just in time for the Mirror Buster to meet a spear of the Icicle nature. Arching an eyebrow behind his lowered visor, he shoves Ice Man back before attempting a vicious double-slash at his new-found opponent.
Heat Man is sizzled by Alloy, but all it does is force him to cool. And all that energy has to go somewhere. Right into his hands. And with a voice soullessly quiet, Heat gives into the demon inside him. Letting the other side of his personality come full bear. Letting the honorable, compassionate, kind part of himself shrivel into tiny, tiny corner of his mind. "Die." Body focused with intensity, a sudden burst of power actually surges UP his arms, and it makes his entire upper torso pulse, until it sends off a massive burst of energy out and downwards at his brothers. His enemies.
Metal Man as the crystal shard from Crystal Man's attack digs a nice little impact crater in Metal Man's armor. Metal Man staggers backwards and right into the blast of Napalm from Heat Man. "FOOL! I WILL NEVER DIE! YOU DIE So your elder may retake what ENKER AND The other Elites stole from me!" Metal Man ignores Heat Man now as his optics lock on to Enker, burning with a rage the elder master has supressed for over ten years. It has festered since then and now bubbles to the surface. "ENKER Its time I retook what you stole from me the day you were built! I will retake my former rank even if it means your DEATH!" Metal lets out a battle cry and charges Enker while pulling a pair of blades from subspace. Metal comes in fast letting the blades fly and then breaks off trying to get out of range of the likely counter attack.
Rigger slams her fist into the ground once she realises that her attempts to inflict massive quantities of pain on the rest are simply completely ineffective. Her hand lowers to rub at one of the slashes she received, coating her hand with blood without even noticing. Eyes locked on the conflict raging, she hunkers down into a crouch near the sidlines. Low to the ground, small as can be. Watch, and wait, however hard such a concept would be. It'd be easier to kill one than many.
Firestorm Phoenix looks between the combatants and takes aim at his next victim, one Solar Draco, a foe he has faced once before. Hovering up to a slightly higher altitude a malicious grin crosses his beak, he will enjoy this, he will enjoy it a lot. Crimson wings spread to their full length. The soft green glow backing him, Firestorm has almost an eerie angelic appearance. Then with a sudden blurred movement, those large wings swing forward, unleashing a crimson cloud of small metallic darts at the dragon.
Blade Raven smolders. Woo! Actual movement. Well, technicly, it's not. And even if he did move it's not like any of these fools fighting each other would notice it.
Crystal Man doesn't even cry out as chaingun fire pierces his armor. He's beyond that. And he doesn't even seem to notice when Gemini Man's laser strikes him, instead, he dashes in the direction that Solar Draco went, conveniently avoiding Heat Man's assault, and leaps at the flying dragon's tail. No reason to fight it now. This was always an enemy. His programming, too, says so. Should he manage to clamp onto the appendage, the fallen mystic will bring his material-altering powers to bear, trying to crystallize the whole thing to the core.
Ice Man feels the pain of Enker's slash. He feels the pain of Heat's lava. He feels hot. It's time to cool things off. He jumps and screams at the top of his lungs. "YOU ALL NEED TO SERIOUSLY CHILL OUT!" Spinning around he unleashes the fury of the arctic winds that carry lethal snow and ice!
Solar Draco suddenly comes to a halt in the air, his hands rise to hold his head between them as something rings out in his mind. It's at that point that Crystal gets his hands on his tail. The annoyed dragon shakes his tail viciously, trying to shake the master free before he rockets toward Firestorm Phoenix. He's going straight toward Firestorm in a rage. Two energy cannons rise from his back side as he soars forward.
The flames from brother Heat and the arctic winds from brother Ice bite into Needle, a good deal of his armor melting from his body and refreezing in an awkward shape. Multiple attackers deserve multiple attacks - so his special ammunition, Shrapnel Shot, is loaded into each cannon as he performs a quick ballistics calculation, picking a vector originating from him to be pulled down by gravity onto the field.
Solar Draco puts his guard down.
Gemini Man is again narrowly missed by an increasing wall of needles, but it's Heat Man's posing that has gotten him the most irritated now. "Sure, SURE. Beware the fires of hell, and all of that. Give it a REST, Dark One." The Gemini twin, the one standing closer to the blade and in definite range of the atomic wrath, powers up his laser cannon, and fires.
My, my. The Mirror Buster is simply used left and right here; first the blades of Metal Man are sent back, the faintest bit of kinetic energy being siphoned in. Then the blizzard from above, the raised Mirror Buster literally sucking in pieces of its fall. Finally, the needles, a clean-sweep of which are knocked aside as the Elite Commander uses his fabled length of spear as a bat to clear them away before any impact. The end result? The Mirror Buster shines like a complete beacon in the darkness. Leaping away from Metal Man, his eyes fall on someone who has been rather.. fancy-free for this entire fiasco.
Blade Raven is still KOed, down there on the ground near the sword. He's posing this for Enker, who told him to.
Heat Man still has his tactical mind running, amplified by his killing urge, and the desire to find ways to crush each one of them. While not as powerful as Enker or Bass at grand strategy, it is enough. Enough to tell him to back off and let the others chew themselves apart, setting his armor to increase temprature, and raises a cone of flames around him to allow his reactor to charge more offensive systems, and to back off enough to let Enker light the phoenix up like a cheap Chinese firecracker.
Metal Man with his plan to strike down Enker a failure he expects to be blown to scrap. Yet it does not come, the ego still lives for the moment. Metal Man picks up the pace and snarls as he seeks out his next target. His optics scan about the chaos looking for his next target and he spys it Needle Man. With out another word Metal Man pulls a sawblade and flings it at Needle Man.
Rigger should have been careful just how close to the edge of the plateau she was, though she had thought it would be far enough out of the way that they wouldn't notice her further until too late. She couldn't quite account for Ice man's arctic wind attack though. Skidding and tumbling backwards from the force of the stining winds, she's forced to dig her fingers into the ground in an effort to find purchase. Hanging half-off the edge, she struggles to pull herself back up fully where she's at least safe from a crashing to the ground and breaking every bone in her body sort of death.
Firestorm Phoenix grunts as the ice buffets him, cracking his armor and knocking his fire barrier offline. That is then followed by Draco, whom he manages to avoid with some fancy flying, but is then caught offguard by Enker, who blasts a hole in his already weakneed armor. Falling back a bit, panels open along Firestorm's form, revealing rows of missiles, targeting everyone still left, he unleashes a huge barrage of minimissiles.
Blade Raven lays there as all the explosions go off around him.
As Ice Man is knocked unconscious, his body is surrounded by a quick golden light, and he vanishes from the Plateau.
Well. It seems that Crystal Man's attempt to crystallize Solar Draco's tail didn't go as far as he would have liked before he's shaken off. Instead of plumetting to earth immediately, though, he drops maybe a foot or two and then hangs, taking a second to reorient himself -- and taking quite a few needles that pierce his armor and his body through various holes in said armor -- before the short-lived hover-burst wears off. He then drops to the ground gently, landing with surprising grace.
As Needle Man is knocked unconscious, his body is surrounded by a quick golden light, and he vanishes from the Plateau.
Needle Man is struck by Metal's blades, and wheels to aim his cannons in that direction, but is struck by the Eye and.......yeah.
Solar Draco continues to push his jets to their limits, his body pushing through the blizzard without any true damage done. His shield is slammed to the side by Needle's cannon assault, but it's still usable, and he plans to use it. His HUD is turned off quickly as he soars back towrd Firestorm once more, the shield held in his right hand is turned over as he nears. As the missles come raging toward him the dragon actually panics? He does. In mid-air he actually flails like some sort of cartoon character being shot at by a machine gun, and miraculously, ever single missle is dodged! The dragon grins evily then resumes his course, flying toward Firestorm with a momentary clear head he tries to slam that battle shield into Firestorm, and then rip it up through his chest.
Firestorm Phoenix brings his reflect system offline.
Gemini Man apparently hasn't given up on his insistence on knocking Heat Man out, despite the powerful glow the nuclear master now emits. Not willing to rush head-on into the flames, the holotwin steps back in order to give his brother room...and, both of the twins concentrate their energy attacks on the single target, the white light of their blasts mixing with the white light of the fire-feild...
Well the Mirror Buster might be of some use against normal attacks, but a swarm of missiles? He simply raises the fabled spear in front of him, face still rather.. clouded with anger. As luck would have it, the entire swarm misses him, crushing and impacting down around him. Luck is a fickle thing. Clear of any damage, Enker searches for his next target, eyes falling on Metal Man. "Time to finish what I started!" One of the few to speak up since this blood-lust began, the Elite Commander slides over to his fellow Robot Master before dashing forward to thrust his fabled spear.
Heat Man laughs beneath the protection of his forcefield, feeling energy slowly replace what he has spent. And his laugh is cruel and cold. Eyes blazing, he simply smiles with a dark cruelty as he watches his bretheren disappear, and the rest kill each other.
Metal Man watches both Needle Man and Ice Man go down, now there are two less foes for him to deal with. That is when yet again by an act of fate, skill of dumb luck Metal Man once again evades the wrath of Enker. "FOOL Your too slow ENKER!" Metal Man pulls his trustly Metal Blade. "Oh I would have waited eons for this ENKER!" Metal Man with little fanfair his arm goes back and he lets the blade fly.
Rigger manages through much scrabbling and scraping to pull herself back up to the plateau proper. She lays there on her stomach, gasping for breath while her eyes lift to watch the carnage still underway.
Firestorm Phoenix arghs as the shield rakes across Firestorm's chest, leaving a huge gash there, exposing internals. Flying to one side quickly, Firestorm takes a moment gather his energy, pushing out the pain. Bring his hands together, palms facing each other, with a small gap. A flame springs to life in the gap, it quickly grows, fed from an unseen source. The flame turns into a rolling fire and grows greater, devolping a distinct funnel shape. It grows untill its as large as Firestorm is. Its then released, streaking out across the sky and down towards its intended target, the elite Master, Enker.
Crystal Man slips to his knees after firing the Crystal Eye, then to his stomach after that. Maybe the massive amount of damage has finally gotten to the crystal conjurer... but no, a mad chuckle can still be heard from him, which rises into some kind of perverted cross between a giggle and a hyena's laugh. Too worn down to attack anymore, perhaps... well, except that there's at least one attack he can perform without much effort. The fallen mystic's left hand touches the jewel orb on his forehead, altering it, causing it to refract the light differently... what light there is in this area which strikes the crystal shoots straight at Firestorm Phoenix.
Solar Draco grins happily as his shield slices hard into the form of Firestorm, but then he runs. Snarl. His eyes follow the reploid and quickly he gives chase. He rises slightly into the air as those gauntlets begin to super-heat, he stays there though as his attack charges, "Just hold still a little while longer," he growls watching him, "I'll show you who's the strongest." While the attack charges, the shield is placed on his back once more. His two Desert Eagle Custom's are drawn from his legs. Idly he points at a random master far below, he points at Crystal Man, "But first..." he says with a grin as those guns blaze, their clips emptying out.
Crystal Man's body shimmers with a light, then fades from the Plateau.
Gemini Man's clone is still vainly shooting, wailing against the wall of Heat Man's forceshield, making a good effort... He flicker-flashes...he's starting to run out of energy. Gemini Man screams wordlessly, and the hologram finally gives in. As his projectors run out of energy, the hologram fades, with one last white flash. Gemini looks up for a moment; he's tired, and now that he's taking on all of the damage onto a single body, he definitely looks damaged, too. With anger that no longer has a purpose, he leap-vaults over the bodies of Needle Man, Crystal Man, his unconcious bretheren, but rather than try and find an oppurtunity to avenge his siblings, he continues to attack his own, aiming a kick at the back of Metal Man's head.
The Metal Blade wings through the air unerringly towards the Elite Commander -- only to come to a sudden halt as Enker outstretches a hand, neatly grabbing the dangerous blade from mid-air. He sneers right back at Metal Man. "Too slow..? Is that so..?" Rearing back, he slams the blade through the air at its owner, just in time to get struck by the cyclone which scorches him up quite nicely, before tossing him aside.
And high overhead, the mist seems to clear again. A falling comet of black entangled with a shooting star of white.
Heat Man contines to just enjoy the carnage. Such blood. Such pain. And all for his entertainment, since he waits in safety. Kill yourselves, fools. Kill yourselves and then I will sweep down. Laughing as Metal disappears, his green eyes look brighter. I wouldn't wager him being behind that field for much longer.
Metal Man gets double teams as Gemini and his Clone hammer him with a kick to the back of his head. Metal Man stumbles forward and right into the path of his own blade. "Oh ... scrap." Is the last thing Metal Man says before the blade rips into his torso and out the other side. Metal Man sinks to his knees and then falls over in a pool of his own mech fluids.
Rigger scowls as she runs her hands over her sore sides continually. The only way she could kill them is to have a weapon of some sort... And the only available weapon she can spot on the field is the very sword that was originally under contention. Kill two birds with one stone as they say. Grinning broadly, her teeth gleaming in spite of the trickle of blood that's slicked the side of her lips, she begins to work to her feet carefully. It's then that her chance comes. The flashes of light adding further distraction other than just the fight, she moves into action. From a half-crouching position she lunges forward into a dash, like a sprinter starting a race. Inded it is a race, though one she hopes to complete successfuly while the others are distracted with one another. Leaping into the air, literally flinging herself at the pillar of rock so she can try and wrap her hands around the blade of the sword. Perhaps the blood already covering her hands, and what might be drawn in her attempt to gain the sword would slicken it's purchase in the rock enough to slip loose.
Firestorm Phoenix growls a bit, at Solar but then shifts his attention, once more gathering energy. This time gathering much more than before. His eyes close in strained concentration as his fire system come up to full power. Heat distortions begin to shimmer over the Phoenix's body, huge amounts of power shifting into his systems. Then without warning, the area around Firestorm explodes once more, though this time is does not condense down, instead it rapidly expands outward, hurricane force winds buffet the area around Firestorm as fire hot enough to melt steel scorch the ground. The combination creating a hellish storm.
Solar Draco grins, happily as well, his gauntlets are continuing to charge as he peers downward, wondering who he should fire on next. Those Chain guns of his slip from his sides as he hovers, they rotate and face downward as his HUD comes online once more.
Gemini Man is knocked back by a wave of heat and fire...this time, from above! Shakingly rising to his feet after the attack, his armor melted almost to the center, he fires a shot into the air, aiming for the center of the burning blast. Not even sure what he is attacking this time, only that it HURT, and Gemini wants revenge!
With his latest target rather obsolete now, the Elite Commander is quick to find a new target. He issues a vicious smile -- only to be buffeted by the winds. Thankfully, it's enough for the impending rain of projectiles to miss their mark. Rolling back to his feet, Enker searches again, meanwhile shunting energy down into his weapon. It's raised, and held in front of him as it engages its true role.
Heat Man growls. Enough. The field has done it's job. And he is now at full power for his weapons systems. Which means that the nearest target is...Gemini Man. And away to the weapon.
Firestorm Phoenix is blasted back by the attack from Gemini, but some how manages to live. He also notices Heat Man's shield come down and decides rush him, right foot leading the way.
Solar Draco just glares downward, hrming as Firestorm is hit. Those gauntlets are still charging, so he decides that maybe he'll use the Sun Crusher on someone else since they're taking there sweet time. As such the energy cannons rise from his back once more. Those cannons begin to syphon energy into their barrels. They aim at the Phoenix, then fire while the Dragon continues to charge his main weapon...
Firestorm Phoenixs' body pulsates with light, then disappears.
Gemini Man turns around, still not sure if his shot even hit at all. Then, he sees the flash of Heat Man's attack as it waves across the plateau. With an energy that seems almost impossible for him to summon, given his compounding damage, he leaps backward. Somewhere, he finds it in his wits to laugh. ...And laugh. "HEAT MAN! YOU MISSED! All of the fires of the inferno and you freaking MISSED!!" Gemini Man coughs...and stumbles... Then, he stands back up straight again, and just races forward. He tries to fire with his blaster, and gets absolutely NOTHING, so he just keeps moving the arm forward, trying to hit Heat Man with a hand-less punch.
Let the bodies hit the floor. They're not even getting the chance to! Glaring around him, the Elite Commander tries to figure out what to do now. He's running low on things to do, unless.. Shunting energy down into his spear again, he raises it as an Olympian would a javelin. Sneering, he raises his other hand, and a replica of the Mirror Buster appears. Clasping the energy spear, he hurls it straight at the Atomic Reactor himself, Heat Man.
Heat Man snarls as the impotent physical attacks bounce away, and he cries out in pain from the javelin as it screes through his chest. The pain burns...but it does. Not. Stop. Him. From. Rocking. The. Casbah. With a shout as loud as the stars, dark as the night, and a flame like the eyes of the devil, he unleashes hell.
You suddenly realize that if you unleashed the Gemini Laser, you could kill everyone and win the sword...
Blade Raven is still a charred wreck, or he'd wave his little 'Go Hunters' flag.
Solar Draco gets a very sinister grin on his muzzle as his HUD tells him something.
Enker has fallen!
Enker falls. Gemini Man takes a moment out of his rage to stare.... Enker's fallen!! Heat Man's fallen! And I... He looks down at his hand...damn the luck... his energy weapon, and only one target, that flying dragon... NO. Gemini can beat him. He can. He's POWERFUL; he's made it this far, and he won't be bested. His arm begins to charge with energy he is finding...somewhere... He aims it toward the heavens, and with one, ENORMOUS blast...
Solar Draco just falls from the air... long fall.
And Solar Draco disappears from sight with another flash, leaving a barren Plataeu, one battered Robot Master, one unconscious Blade Raven, and a looming silver and crystal sword.
Gemini Man looks at his blaster...looks at his empty hand...then...the sword. He laughs, one, single crack of a laugh. Only one thing left to do. To the winner... He reaches his hand toward the hilt of the blade, and wraps it in a tight grip.
Gemini Man pulls on the sword...gently, knowing it will slip out...
[Radio: (F) Worldchat] 'Terra Bonne?' Tron Bonne transmits, "...And so... ...It begins."
War Pendant
The War Pendant itself is about the size of one's fist, with a unique shape akin to a three-dimensional rhombus. It is red-hued, with a large black stone in the center like an onyx. To hold it makes one feel constantly angry and prone to action, the simplest things you seem compelled to want to crush. You notice immediately that once you pickup the War Pendant, you don't ever want to let it go, in fact nothing you've ever felt before has been this satisfying. Should you try and drop the Pendant, it immediately snaps onto your chest, like it is magnetically attached there. Only you can remove it from your chest when it is there, but even then, you can't drop it or give it to another, as if some outside force is keeping it with you.
Pendant Rules: Many across the globe desire this, many more pay for its luxury, for heat keeps the winter away. But for these people they got more than they bargained to pay, and due to this they have been remembered to this day.
You see an image of a village, clearly in Ancient times by the nature of the buildings and the attire of the people in the image. Several children dominate the front of it, playing in front of a claw building. Visible in the horizon, and in fact almost overshadowing in the image, is a massive mountain, capped with a broken eggshell of snow.
Jet Stingray arrives from the Isolated Plateau.
Ten arrives from the Isolated Plateau.
Rock arrives from the Isolated Plateau.
Heilen arrives from the Isolated Plateau.
Bass arrives from the Isolated Plateau.
Silver Stallion arrives from the Isolated Plateau.
Kain arrives from the Isolated Plateau.
Gemini Man pulls the sword from the stone, and raises it high into the air.
As Gemini Man grasps hold of the hilt of the sword, it indeed does slide free. But instead of the expected golden wash of light to encompass the area, a shockwave of dark matter courses from the blade, across the plateau, and out across the Radiation Plains below. And at the same moment, all those who were defeated by the Robot Master reappear standing behind Gemini. For several seconds, the sword remains in Gemini's grip, before a shadow belches forth from the blade, and the blade seems to decompose into dark energy, wiggling in the air, and then falling inward towards Gemini Man. Thus follows the hilt, dripping even to the floor, where the liquid squirms on the ground like maggot larvae, until it touches Gemini's boot, and then launches into his body somehow. A moment later, a Red-hued Rhombus appears on Gemini's chest, and the Master's voice, much like Tron Bonne's echoes outward. However, it is not the same voice as before, but instead one like gears grinding.
A deep voice bellows to your ears loudly and clearly from above, as if some great deity of the skies was yelling towards you. As the worlds conclude, an image appears in the forefront of your vision, blocking out everything else for the few seconds it appears. You will never forget the words, or what you see.
"Many across the globe desire this, many more pay for its luxury, for heat keeps the winter away. But for these people they got more than they bargained to pay, and due to this they have been remembered to this day."
You see an image of a village, clearly in Ancient times by the nature of the buildings and the attire of the people in the image. Several children dominate the front of it, playing in front of a claw building. Visible in the horizon, and in fact almost overshadowing in the image, is a massive mountain, capped with a broken eggshell of snow.
His normally brown eyes are glowing with a red, red fire.... And he flickers them around the platform. Looking...for something to KILL.
[Radio: (F) Worldchat] 'Terra Bonne?' Tron Bonne transmits, "Do you not feel it? ...Oh... ...the Screams... ...The Screams..."
[Radio: (F) Worldchat] Alex Reinfield transmits, ".....What?"
[Radio: (F) Worldchat] Blizzard Man transmits, "Yes, they were supposed to be excellent movies when they were released."
[Radio: (F) Worldchat] Blizzard Man transmits, "What of them?"
[Radio: (F) Worldchat] Gemini Man's voice sounds odd...angry, edgy.... "Screams... screams..."
[Radio: (F) Worldchat] Sewa transmits, "Oh bother...This isn't what I think it is...is it?"
[Radio: (F) Worldchat] Dr. Edward Cain transmits, "I'm afraid it sounds...very, very bad."
[Radio: (F) Worldchat] 'Terra Bonne?' Tron Bonne speaks into the silence... ...after the voice and images flash across the world. "...War."
[Radio: (F) Worldchat] Alex Reinfield transmits, "...War...?"
[Radio: (F) Worldchat] Blizzard Man transmits, "... Hmmmmm... You refer, of course, to Mars?"
[Radio: (A) Masters] Dr. Landon DeVry transmits, "Albert. Do you think perhaps whatever force is giving these visions wants to make us do its work for us? By making us capture all of its toys?"
[Radio: (F) Worldchat] Bass transmits, "... *crackle* This is far from finished, Tron."
[Radio: (F) Worldchat] 'Terra Bonne?' Tron Bonne transmits, "...That... is true, Chosen of Sunstar..."
[Radio: (F) Worldchat] Gemini Man ...is THAT Gemini Man? His voice sounds dark and rough; as if his throat's been slashed and power is oozing out of it... laughs. A laugh he wants the whole world to hear.
[Radio: (A) Masters] #48 Yamato Man cries out, hearing the nightmare that unfolds elsewhere. "BROTHER! NO!"
[Radio: (F) Worldchat] 'Terra Bonne?' Tron Bonne transmits, "To those on the Island. ...I suggest running."
Of course, the bloodlust is gone, and things seem 'normal' except for the fact that you stand atop a cloud of radiation.
[Radio: (F) Worldchat] 'Terra Bonne?' Tron Bonne transmits, "Strongly"
[Radio: (F) Worldchat] BroadbandClassic Jet Stingray transmits, "/Again/?"
Firestorm Phoenix blinks and looks around, "The hell?"
[Radio: (A) Masters] Beta XO Metal Man transmits, "... Unn... Gemini... something... is different...."
Solar Draco blinks, now standing atop the plateau (?) "... Wha?"
Heat Man looks at Enker, healed...and...for once....nearly crying? Except for the lack of tearducts, he would be. And his face looks...crushed. He looks at all of his brothers. "I'm...sorry...."
Metal Man looks about and he blinks looking at Gemini Man. "What in the name of Wily happened to us..." Metal Man then blinks as the massive hole in his torso then back to the others and for once he feels... regreet for his violent actions. "What... what came over us...nothing... to be sorry for Heat. It drove us all mad."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Plant Man transmits, " . . and the world comes tumbling down . . ."
Crystal Man blinks and shakes his head, panting uneasily and quivering as though he's just woken up from a nightmare... but after a moment, his eyes, blue again, drift up and towards Gemini Man... and horror overcomes him.
Enker slowly raises a hand to push back his visor, revealing his normal flat black stare. Yet Gemini Man is given a look as if his fellow Master had sprouted wings. Perhaps he just did, in a sense. "... oh for
Blade Raven is finally alive. Yay. He's been laying here through the whole battle, and now he finally gets up, "Man, what the hell hit me?"
Ice Man just stands there. His face is in his hands and faint sobing sounds can be heard. He can't even look at his brothers. ".....Damn.......them. By Wily, why did they make me do that."
Firestorm Phoenix shakes his head and loks around, "... Ok." With that a golden glow surrounds his body, the bulk of his armor vanishing replaced with lighter armor.
Jet Stingray dashes up the stairs and to the center of the place just in time to see someone /else/ get the cool toy. "Darn it! No! Not again!" he yells out in frustration. If there is anything in the world that Jet hates, it's losing... And this makes it the second time in the past week.
Solar Draco just drops to his knees, basically remembering all of what happened. The repliforcer rising the staircase doesn't get his head to turn, nor does anything else. The vision is noted and put away to think about later, at the moment he feels like he just lost the superbowl or something.
Gemini Man turns and flickers his red, pulsing gaze over all of the other Masters. He laughs again, a low, wrecked, blood-edged laugh. "Back, are you?" He clenches his now-empty fist, and power returns to his laser cannon....this time, it's distinctly edged with an angry, crimson color. "Which of you....will be first to die?"
Heat Man looks at Gemini Man. Considers. Looks at the others. "If you're going to kill someone...I failed to stop you. Take me."
Ice Man finally looks up. "No Heat. I don't think I can live with myself after that. Kill me Gemini."
Crystal Man spins to face Heat Man at those words. "WHAT?!"
Heilen is, for the record, directly behind Jet. He skids to a halt for the second or third time today, staring with unblinking eyes at the Robot Master, Gemini Man. "Crap." Where's the Eagle when you need it. Or the Raiden. (Curse you, Phoebus!) Or the Stalwart. (Curse you, Heat Man!)
Metal Man looks at Gemini and sweat drops. "Borthers and Hunters if we care about our lives. It is time to exit stage left." Metal Man makes a step to wards Heat Man to haul him to safety if need be. "That thing Ain't Gemini... any more."
As Ten climbs the stairs, she gathers up her confidence. The fear quickly drains out of her, and her courage wells up within her. Ten's steps become quick and sure as she becomes convinced that after what she saw below, nothing up here will be able to scare her.
Heat Man shakes his head. "I could have destroyed you. I failed. I have failed to protect my family. And if anyone is going to be struck down....it will be me. I will protect you from this, even if I failed before." Shaking off the arms of his brothers, he walks right UP INTO GEMINI'S face and palces the muzzle of the buster against his chest. "Do. What. You. Will. And. Leave."
Rock is behind Jet, footsteps heavy and slow as he marches up the path, a battered, dented, weakened mess. Blinking a few times to clear the mechfluid that's flooded his eyes, he can only stare in disbelief as Gemini seems to have suffered Tron syndrome as well. "Oh no," he murmurs quietly, catching the defiant laugh and eyes falling on the crimson jewel. "Not again." He's too hurt to fight after his dance with Bass... and taking on a crazed Gemini is beyond his scope. "This... is bad. This is very bad," he mutters, trying to keep an eye on Bass and Gemini both.
Firestorm Phoenix fehs at the masters, "Idiots." He then takes a step forward and takes off into the air at top speed, the thrust kick back might even manage to knock someone off their feet.
Enker sighs loudly. "For once in what may prove to be a remarkably short second life for you, Heat Man, cease your heroics and stand down. Gemini Man, I would caution you to do likewise. Unless you plan on following the path that the Bonne girl has, in which case.." He gestures to the combined and renewed might of the Robot Masters. "I would suggest you think carefully on your first actions with your new-found prowess."
Gemini Man laughs again. "Are you sure?" He grins down at Heat Man; that Gemini grin is still the same. "Come on, Masters, you know me. Would I hurt you, Heat Man? It's just...another one of my pranks." He SPINS around completely, and directs that red glare elsewhere. Rockman.......
[Radio: (F) Worldchat] Alex Reinfield transmits, "........Romulous and Remus, the twin brothers, if I remember correctly. Hrm, one killed the other. But, that's not the point, I don't think."
"Gemini."
Crystal Man dash-jets up to Heat Man and grabs him by the lid of his Zippo, trying to drag him away. "Enker is right, brother. Don't --" Then Gemini Man turns to face Mega Man... and Bass moves to object.
Enker's lips curl into a tight smile now. He raises the Mirror Buster, and gestures for the other Robot Masters to keep back. This.. This the Elite Commander most definitely wishes to see.
Heat Man sighs. Apparently he cannot protect anyone, today....and he lets Crystal pull him back, face tired and full of regret.
Firestorm Phoenix enters the Isolated Plateau.
Through the cloud of Radiation high overhead... ...a light can be seen. The Green Light of Terra.
Metal Man sees Heat Man is now safe and pulls back himself getting out of harms way. oO(This should be interesting yes... Prehaps I will see the end of Bass... this day. The only thing better would have been gaining the power Gemini now has and slaying Bass my self!)
Ice Man can only watch as event transpire. He's tired and worn. Too spent even to worry. His green eyes shine a little less brightly. Oblivion isn't looking so bad at the moment.
Rock's eyes meet Gemini, and a faint shiver runs up and down his spine, neck prickling. The savage look that the Master fixes on him is anything but pleasant -- it reminds him of Bass, in a roundabout way.
Solar Draco finally glances back over his shoulder, here comes the calvary it would seem. He just turns and glances back toward the rest of the people present before he shakes his head. Finally he stands, hands clenched tightly, "Leave," he demands basically as those gauntlets start to charge again, "LEAVE!!" he roars it this time, it's directed at the masters, not his allies.
Jet Stingray starts to take a few steps back. This is not a battle able to be won... Even Jet knows that things are rather hopeless. Turning to Rock and his fellow 'forcers, he offers a simple, "Get ready to bolt... If this place goes like the island did, it will be freaky as all get out."
Step, step, step. Gemini Man walks with careful paces toward Magna Bass, and with a possessed voice so gravelly and deep it is enough to shame the other Master, says, simply, "Bass. Get out of my way." His gun is still glowing, his clenched fist shaking.
Ten finally manages to recover from the shock. She shakes her head to clear it, and turns back to watch what is taking place, only to once again be struck motionless by the sudden appearance of the wearer of the Terra pendant. The normally very brave phoenix is having alot of trouble being brave today! Even so, Jet's words knock some sense into her, and she prepares to run away if need be.
Crystal Man releases Heat's armor after he's dragged his brother both elder and younger a seemingly safe distance away, then takes Heat Man's right hand in his left one and clutches it tightly.
Purple eyes flare, and the weak flame grows brighter amidst the clenched fists. Rock can wait; this is personal...
Heat Man squeezes the hand back, and his face looks like the damage had never been healed, for all the good it did.
Enker merely walks along the sidelines, so to speak, leaning down to speak into the ear of each of his fellow Robot Masters. Considering the occurance today, a bit of reassurance may well be necessary. Shouts of 'Leave! Leave!' are ignored.
Rock looks towards Jet with a worried expression. "The last island... you mean, into the sea?" he asks, before looking back around the tense scene that encompasses him. "Shoot," he mutters before looking at the group around him. "If what's happened to Gemini the same thing that happened to Tron, we'd probably better get out of here, quick, while the Masters are occupied," he observes quietly to those around him immediately -- Ten, Jet, Heilen. "We'll probably be hard-pressed to stop him."
Solar Draco's gauntlets turn from black to a hellish red, the gaunltes becoming super heated as his rage for the forces there builds. Who knows what it is, perhaps jealousy? But his eyes are locked onto Gemini's at the moment, wanting nothing more perhaps then to drive his shield through the master's chest or to put both of those spiked shafts in his body at vital points. Either way, he's just not happy. He turns to face the 'calvary' that had just arrived and simply stands beside X before he turns to face Gemini and Bass, "You want him? You go through me first..." he growls.
Metal Man whispers to Enker: 'Aye sir... ... normally am how do ... ... it ... ... ... What ever ... ... ... brought that to the surface... Thank ... ... ... ... not forget this.'.
Enker whispers to Metal Man: 'Your ... for ... is ... ... ... ... an open display ... betrayal ... ... mark you ... time under the ... of ... ... ... ... ... fret. What was ... ... ... not ... you ...'.
[Radio: (F) Worldchat] 'Terra Bonne?' Tron Bonne transmits, "If only they could hear me... ...there is nothing I can /do/. He is of Chaos... ...I am of Order. He may be close to the middle line, but he stands in the Darkness of Destruction..."
Enker gives a slow nod, whether he believes Metal Man or not. He moves on to the next Robot Master.
Needle Man hadn't yet arisen from his fallen location.....but now, slowly gets to his feet. ".......what...?"
Has Bass called Gemini's bluff? Gemini Man will be in for the beating of his life once this energy wears off...if he tries to push this any further. "Bass..." his teeth are clenched... oO(please...someone...give me a target other than my commander, or I swear I'm going to...)Oo ... Then, Solar makes his stand. "All right, that will do," he says out loud, and twists his blaster arm around at the hunter, unleashing a wave of red and white energy.
Solar Draco successfully deflects an attack randomly.
Needle Man sees the lined-up Masters....and Enker, and slowly, reluctantly, walks over. ".....what happened? Why did I..."
Jet Stingray narrows his optics as he nods to the Hunter Leader. "Don't worry, Rock, I have a plan and it will be all good. You have some Hunters dudes here, or so I thought. We can focus on getting them and getting out of here. This fight is going to be bad and we should be focusing on saving our friends-" He stops as Solar makes his stand. "Like him." What's Jet's plan? Get one of those 'cool toys', use it to pound on bad guys. His marine training at work here.
[Radio: (F) Worldchat] 'Terra Bonne?' Tron Bonne transmits, "Whatever the case... ...it seems my former comrades and friends have gained an ally... ...greater then the Chosen of Sunstar."
[Radio: (F) Worldchat] Alex Reinfield transmits, "Vague one, explain what is going on? This isn't making much sense.--What?"
Ten has finally recovered from all of the various shocks of the day. Later on, she will no doubt be very angry at herself for her failure to be brave today. First thing's first, though. She has to survive so she can be angry at herself later! Ten's courage finally breaks through the wall that was created by all of the strange events of the day, and she nods to Commander X, her expression determined. "Right!"
Enker whispers to Crystal Man: 'Perhaps ... ... not ... enough ... ... ... heart ... ... ... ... the ... ... ... your perceptions of ... ... ... ... ... of that which ... done ... was ... beyond their control.'.
Needle Man stands there, not about to disrupt Enker's.....routine.
[Radio: (F) Worldchat] 'Terra Bonne?' Tron Bonne transmits, "The Pendant of War has been found."
[Radio: (F) Worldchat] Alex Reinfield transmits, "By who?"
[Radio: (F) Worldchat] Gemini Man transmits, "BY ME. Choke on it."
[Radio: (F) Worldchat] 'Terra Bonne?' Tron Bonne transmits, "That would be him"
[Radio: (F) Worldchat] Sewa transmits, "Nice fellow..."
[Radio: (F) Worldchat] Dr. Edward Cain transmits, "If that means you relinguished the pendant to ram it down someone's throat? Gladly. Then we could study it or just blow it into the sun."
[Radio: (A) Masters] #48 Yamato Man transmits, "...brother? Brother Gemini? Can you hear me, brother?"
Enker whispers to Crystal Man: '... are not invulnerable Crystal ... ... of ... ... ... ... ... from ... for ... better.'.
[Radio: (A) Masters] Gamma CO Gemini Man transmits, "I can hear you just fine, Yamato Man... just fine."
[Radio: (F) Worldchat] Alex Reinfield transmits, "..Studying it sounds interesting...but target practice would fit appropriate with my partner..."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Snake Man yawns. "What'sss he done THISSS time?"
Enker moves away from Crystal Man now, what he had to say done.
[Radio: (A) Masters] Beta CO Heat Man transmits, "Umm...I think he just became more powerful than God, Snake."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Beta CO Heat Man transmits, "But he still can't hit for beans."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Gamma CO Gemini Man transmits, "Says the guy who missed me with HELL."
A deep, grating voice, like a machine comes into your thoughts with a splinter of pain in your chest. "This is a pointless war, flee, learn, and then conquer them all for the pure thrill of it. NOW!"
[Radio: (A) Masters] Crystal Man transmits, "He's been possessed... by an evil Stardroid. And... and..."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Beta CO Heat Man transmits, "Which I'm still sorry I even opened up on everyone with."
Solar Draco snarls, his hand still holding that shield firmly in hand. He doesn't budge at the sight of the weapon, nor the missle coming his way. Instead his body twists around and the shield comes around in a blur, going to simply SLAM the missile aside. "You'll not pass," he snarls loudly, dropping the shile.d Both gauntlets come to a full charge and are pointed at him, "now to do what I should have before!!" he roars as the shafts fire forth from his wrists.
[Radio: (A) Masters] Zeta CO Yamato Man's voice pleads. "Brother ... this madness, this madness must end. You must fight the evil force that has latched onto you. You must find the Tao again. Pleae, brother -- fight it!"
Red and white, blobs of writhing power streaming past in bloody crimson glory. Laughter from the Dark Knight, a growing, howling, dance of sounds, a cacophony from the irradiated stones. Arms crossed, battered wings spread, he turns slowly towards Rock, as though the war going on feet from him didn't even matter.
[Radio: (A) Masters] Ice Man transmits, "That was so senseless. Who made us do that and more importantly why?"
Needle Man painfully shifts his gaze to his brothers...
[Radio: (A) Masters] Snake Man transmits, "Uhm, Yamato... WE ARE AN EVIL FORSSCE!"
Enker whispers to Heat Man: '... keep ... ... ... ... ... I could ... to like ... ... ... ... ... ... mind.'.
Enker moves away from Heat Man now.
[Radio: (A) Masters] Zeta CO Yamato Man bellows. "BE SILENT, SNAKE!"
[Radio: (A) Masters] Beta XO Metal Man transmits, "Yes Snake, hold your toung for once."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Beta CO Heat Man transmits, "We serve our father. We protect our Family. That is what we are, Snake. That's not evil. That is the price of our Power."
Needle Man shakily stands there, still trying to figure out what possessed him to fire on his own family. He stays well out of Enker's path.
Enker whispers to Ice Man: '... did well ... ... ... Continuing in such ... vein ... ... ... you into ... proper ... of the ... ... not of the actions we ... ... each ... ... ... ... not in ... grander ... ... ... here for we had ... control.'.
[Radio: (A) Masters] Wood Man transmits, "Hey guys! Just got back with the accountant for Master Chef. So far, so good!"
[Radio: (A) Masters] Snake Man transmits, "According to the ressst of the world, we are."
Pulling his attention from Jet to Solar, his eyes widen slightly at the sudden pledge of defense from the Hunter. It's supposed to be the other way around! As Gemini fires, Rock lunges forward to try and either interpose himself between Solar and Gemini, or something... but he doesn't need to. Solar's got it well in hand, and returns fire with a direct hit. "Nice one!" he compliments before snatching at Solar's arm. "C'mon, we'll be in big trouble if we're still on the island and the place collapses...let them fight amongst themselves!"
Gemini Man is hit directly in the chest, the attack slamming against his armor. He steps back from Draco. For a moment, it seems like he's hurt; like he's already ready to retreat. Then...he just laughs. He shakes his head at Draco, "Pointless. Sorry." He looks around. "In fact, all of this is pointless. Go ahead...fight...fight each other... don't let someone like ME stop you..." He turns away from the scene of the fight, then...glances back at Draco, for just a second. And Gemini Man fires a shot. It's aimed at the ground, but...it richochets, sails back up into the air...and everywhere else.
Needle Man hears conflict to his left side.....but tries to block it out of his mind. No more fighting. No more. Not again.
[Radio: (A) Masters] Snake Man transmits, "If you're counting on Gemini'sss willpower to fight that thing off, whatever it isss, I think you'd better make sssome contingensscy plansss, quick."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Gamma CO Gemini Man transmits, "FT you, Snake Man."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Snake Man transmits, "You're welcome to try, brother."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Needle Man transmits, "Uhm, Snake. That's disgusting."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Snake Man transmits, "He sssaid it."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Gamma CO Gemini Man rages over the channel so loud that the sound peaks and crackles. "DO YOU WANT A PIECE OF THIS, SNAKE MAN? DO YOU?!!"
[Radio: (A) Masters] Zeta CO Yamato Man transmits, "Gemini, no!"
Solar Draco glares at Gemini, simply enough. Quickly he dives for his shield and raises it to protect himself, as the beam comes his way, again, the dragon twists and slams the beam away, "I'll have your head I swear it!!" he roars out at him... but as those shafts return to his arms, the master not damaged at all, he just continues to growl, knowing nothing he'll do right now will hinder the Master... "I swear..." he growls with a newly forged determination, he'll find the next place, he'll gain it's power, and then he'll tear Gemini apart...
[Radio: (A) Masters] Needle Man staggers back. "Dude..."
Enker whispers to Ice Man: 'You ... ... yourself in the ... every ... to come ... you ... do ... ... ... ... in your ... ... are ... things ... ... ... here beyond ... ability to ... ... cannot ... ... has ... keep ... ... prosper; ... ... ... on. ... will ... ...'.
Heat Man sends a radio transmission to Gemini Man.
[Radio: (A) Masters] Snake Man transmits, "Piessce of what? Hmm?"
Enker moves away from Ice Man, turning attention fully back to the scene that continues before him, as he walks over in Needle Man's direction.
[Radio: (A) Masters] Beta XO Metal Man transmits, "Snake... Gemini has the power of Stardroid at the moment. You sure you want to keep enraging him?"
Heat Man just stares at it all.
Needle Man suddenly tenses, noting Enker approaching him, and goes silent. "..."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Blizzard Man transmits, "Can't we all just get along?"
[Radio: (A) Masters] Snake Man transmits, "I can't imagine why any Ssstardroid would pick sssuch a pathetic vesssel."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Gamma CO Gemini Man transmits, ""YOU ARE ORDERED...do you hear that, ORDERED, to SHUT THE HELL UP, or we will PERSONALLY TEAR YOU APART TO YOUR LAST SCALE!!"
Ten watches the exchange between Solar Draco and Gemini Man with great admiration. .oO(Who is that dragon? His courage is amazing!)Oo. The thought is short lived, as she is suddenly struck by Gemini Man's rebounding laser. The shot pierces through her armor, damaging important wires underneath, and forcing back-up wires to come online to take their place. "Aaahhh!" Ten screams from pain and shock. The damage from that single shot is noticeable, and quite bad! Even so, Ten is no longer feeling afraid. After taking the hit, she plants her feet and watches, ready to do whatever is needed.
[Radio: (A) Masters] Zeta CO Yamato Man's tone takes on desperation. "We must not fight each other -- brothers, please! Gemini, you are not yourself! The evil power in that pendant is trying to control you! You must resist it!"
Heat Man facepalms. Apparnetly the radio just went very bad.
[Radio: (A) Masters] Magnet Man can be heard in the background, faintly, moaning.
[Radio: (A) Masters] Crystal Man transmits, "I would suppose that after all these years, and after all that torment... this might well be the only appropriate balance."
Magna Bass stands motionless, watching the rebounding laser arc, strike, slash, and burn. "Next time," he promises, even as the beam careens from armor already battered from previous battle. So calm, that voice. So quiet... "Gemini," he says casually, turning to face the gleaming warrior. Dead stone crunches as he steps near, gaze as calm as a hurricane's eye.
[Radio: (A) Masters] Snake Man transmits, "Shut up, Cryssstal"
Needle Man says, "I'm.....sorry, Enker...everyone...I couldn't control myself..""
Enker shakes his head, and leans in to whisper something for Needle Man's ear alone.
[Radio: (A) Masters] Wood Man transmits, "I, uh... Hey, Heat? Did you hear about this forest thingie?"
Heilen takes the shot directly in the chest. Luckily for him it merely reflects, and so only happens to burn out about 65% of his internal systems, instead of punching straight through his power core and knocking him out instantly. He finds himself on the ground, sprawled facing upwards, spots in his staticky optical systems.
Rock shouts in surprise as the Gemini Laser slams into him, shattering armor on his torso and left leg as if it was paper. He's eaten the laser before, natch, but this time there's more to it -- more power, more hate. .oO(The pendant! We can't stand up to this, not now...) He tugs on Solar's arm, his battered wings snapping out with a weak *click*. "C'mon, people, this is our chance. Let's get out of here. NOW!" He's more concerned for the welfare of the other RFers and Hunters -- the Masters, well, they're not his problem. He watches Bass depart with a long, unreadable stare before looking to the sky, jets roaring. "Let's GO!"
[Radio: (A) Masters] Ditz Pinkmouse transmits, "What if you hit yourself with a hammer Snake? Then you'd feel better."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Ditz Pinkmouse transmits, "OOc er plant"
[Radio: (A) Masters] Snake Man transmits, "How did wusssbot sssupposssedly get thisss power anyway?"
Needle Man says, ".....Worse....."
Heat Man is just shaking his head at it all. He should be happy. He just watched Rock get it HARD. But...he's not. Not at all.
Enker whispers to Needle Man: '... need ... ... ... ... ... ... Man. ... happened was beyond ... control. ... cannot ... ... ... but ... ... ... can be ... ... the better.'.
[Radio: (A) Masters] Beta CO Heat Man transmits, "Beat up 12 other people, including Enker."
Solar Draco continues to growl, glaring at Gemini even as Bass takes him in one form or another. Those emerald eyes glance toward Rock at this point. He gazes from him, to Gemini, then back again before he nods. "Do you need help Commander?" he asks. "I'll take you if need be, I'll protect you from... that..." he snarls, glancing back at Gemini again, "And i'll destroy it later..."
Gemini Man urks as Bass grabs onto him, and he pushes against the other Master. "LET GO!" he screams.
[Radio: (A) Masters] Plant Man transmits, "No, I don't think I would, Ditz."
Needle Man nods, slowly.
[Radio: (A) Masters] Snake Man transmits, "My, my. Then he mussst be posssesssed. Otherwissse he wouldn't have the ball bearingsss."
Heat Man sends a radio transmission to Gemini Man.
Rock shakes his head at Solar. "Let Bass handle it," he says, voice gentle. "You've done a lot already today... let's head back to base, rest up, and carry on. We'll get them tomorrow," he says, pitched only for Solar's ears. "C'mon." He looks to the wounded Repliforcers, and frowns slightly. "C'mon, folks... before we overstay our welcome."
Jet Stingray nods to Rock, narrowing his optics to realizes he is the only good guy in full fighting force. "Regroup and head for the Cow, everyone, full speed! Once everyone is there, I'll bolt after you. I'm more than able to hold then off if they want to mess with the 'ray!" While he knows he could never win, Jet knows he can take a lot of damage and still function. If he is playing Keep Away from the Injuried, he might need to.
Needle Man says, "Who.......who was the last one standing...?""
Enker whispers to Needle Man: 'Do ... ... ... this ... ... ... ... regret regardless; ... of us ... ... ... ... is ... ... ... ... ... not ... it to rule you.'.
Solar Draco nods once more, turning fully toward X as he lets Gemini's victory slip from his mind. He had more important things to deal with after all? Again, Solar offers his aid to X, "Are you alright commander? I can give you a lift if need be," he asks him.
Ice Man reguards Needle calmly. "Gemini was."
Enker moves away from Needle Man now, to simply watch Gemini Man and Forte. He crosses his arms, Mirror Buster leaning against his frame. Interesting.
Ten hears Rock's words, and quickly realizes that he is right. "Right! Time to blow this joint!" There is no fear in her voice. Seeing Solar Draco in action has inspired her, and allowed her to regain her courage. She isn't going to fly back to the cargo plane, she is going to bravely stay with her friends on foot and help them in any way that proves necessary.
Needle Man says, "And...."
Needle Man catches sight of just /what/ was going on to his left - Gemini was fighting off some others.
Gemini Man slides out of Bass's grip. "WE have other things to DO... I don't know how long this is going to LAST..." He takes a step back from Bass...
Heeding Jet's advice to the T, Heilen staggers to his feet with an agonizing slowness brought about by his jerky motion systems. He manages to right himself, however, and begins to move toward the stairs that lead back to the Cow. He's seen enough to leave him sleepless--he needs to get out of here.
Bass enters the Isolated Plateau.
Bass has left.
[Radio: (A) Masters] Punk transmits, "Snake Man, shut your f**king mouth."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Punk transmits, "Or I'll do it for you."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Gamma CO Gemini Man transmits, "Please, Punk. Let me do it. I've waited for such a long time."
Enker purses his lips for a moment, before he smiles and steps forward. "Let us depart, brethren. Perhaps this has, indeed, proven to be more of a beneficial gift than I may have initially given it credit for. Tell me, Gemini Man.. How do you feel?"
[Radio: (A) Masters] Punk transmits, "No."
Rock smiles weakly at Solar, clapping him on the arm. "I'll be okay. Get going ahead of me," he says, ever the hero to the bitter (or foolish?) end. He turns to watch the Repliforcers run, more confident in his abilities to get the heck outta there than the others. "Go on!" he urges, his afterburners firing up.
[Radio: (A) Masters] King transmits, "I am not so sure we should anger Gemini Man, Punk. It is only Snake Man here, and all."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Snake Man transmits, "Fine, fine. I'll jussst get him later. He'sss ssstill got that Chrissstmasss presssent I gave him active, anyway."
Ten walks to Heilen, and speaks with her voice full of encouragement, and caring. "Looks like you took a bad hit. I'll help you get back down." She then reaches out to give him a hand, hoping he will accept.
Solar Draco shakes his head at Rock, that shield is held firmly, "You're hurt, go, I'll cover your back, please X... just do this for me hmm? I'll not attack them unless they come at me, but please, go," he asks his commander. He just wants to prove to his faction that he'd not fail, he'd NEVER fail again.
Gemini Man looks up at Enker. His eyes are still red, and his voice still seething, but he manages to put out a laugh, a Gemini Man smile. "To be honest, I don't feel half bad." Except... His eyes twitch, and he turns away, walking...yes, just walking, off the plateau. "Except... I'm going to kill Snake Man. I hope you understand."
Needle Man says, "What happened to you, brother Gemini...?"
[Radio: (A) Masters] King transmits, "Snake Man, can you cook?"
How can he refuse such a request? Not really wanting everyone to stand around to make him leave first, Rock finally acquiesces to Solar's pleadings. "All right," he says over his shoulder with a weak grin. "You got it. I'll see you back at the Labs," he says as he takes off into the stratosphere with a blaze of white-yellow jets.
Enker receives a radio transmission from Punk.
Jet Stingray merely gets into a fighter's stance as he tries to move in front of Solar and Rock to defend them as well as he teammates further back. As Gemini goes, he merely starts to run. "When Tron left the island, it began to fall apart! I'm not in the mood to find out if it happens a second time! Move it, people!" As he talks, he fires up his foot jets and prepares to go just as soon as his few 'forcers are gone.
Needle Man says, "Well.....uh......"
Crystal Man follows Gemini Man's path with his eyes... . o O (In truth, I must admit that this one act is not unjustified... though I do hope that Snake Man is merely reduced to energy by his efforts.) O o .
Heilen accepts the offer of help gladly, taking Ten's hand as he moves down the stairs. "Thanks... now... let's get the hell out of here... now."
[Radio: (A) Masters] King transmits, "Answer me, you pathetic worm."
[Radio: (A) Masters] God of War Gemini Man transmits, "Answer him, Snake Man..."
Heat Man shakes his head, walking back sadly. He understands alright. He understands all too well. "I....yes, Gemini. I'm afraid I do understand." Searching those red eyes with something unreadable in his green ones, he shakes his head after a moment. o0(And let's be honest...if I ever truly lost control of my anger...I have a very long "better dead" list, myself.)0o
Solar Draco grins and simply turns his head back toward the masters gathered. He'll wait until all the RF and Hunters have gone before he follows.
Enker crosses his arms again, glancing the new and improved Gemini Man up and down. He arches an eyebrow, the feature disappearing behind his visor. "If you wish to do so, Gemini Man, such an act of.. retribution.. would best be done outside of any of our bases. You understand, yes? I cannot allow you to cause wanton destruction within our own fortifications."
Rock enters the Isolated Plateau.
Rock has left.
[Radio: (A) Masters] Punk transmits, "Wily will be pissed if you sack Snake Man."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Punk transmits, "'Nuff said."
[Radio: (A) Masters] King transmits, "I disagree."
[Radio: (A) Masters] God of War Gemini Man transmits, "Sorry, Punk. I don't care."
[Radio: (A) Masters] King transmits, "Can you cook, Snake Man?"
Needle Man stares at Gemini. "What!?"
[Radio: (A) Masters] Punk transmits, "..you don't care about Wily?"
[Radio: (A) Masters] Zeta CO Yamato Man transmits, "...this is not my brother. This is a monster that wears my brother's skin."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Snake Man transmits, "No, I can't cook. Why would I need to?"
Gemini Man is just stalking back to the transport as he radios.
[Radio: (A) Masters] King transmits, "Oh, I care about Wily, but I do not believe you can claim to understand if he will be pleased or not, when your mentally inept stone you call a mind can barely calculate rudimentary foresight."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Punk transmits, "Not you, King."
Needle Man follows Gemini at a running clip. "Hold up Gemini!"
Needle Man begins following you.
Ten nods to Heilen, and helps him escape. As she does so, she stays alert, ready to protect her friend from any further potential harm that tries to come his way.
[Radio: (A) Masters] Punk transmits, "You dumbass."
[Radio: (A) Masters] God of War Gemini Man transmits, "No. I don't really care what you think about what Wily is going to think. I'm destroying Snake Man. That is that."
[Radio: (A) Masters] King transmits, "Gemini Man, I have deemed Snake Man worthless, have at him."
Enker taps his foot. He dislikes being ignored, especially so blatantly. Yet there is little to be done about that for now. "Return to the shuttle, all of you. We're leaving."
Ice Man walks over to Crystal. "Brother, I feel it is now more important then ever that we have that talk soon."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Punk transmits, "Ugh. Snake Man, exit the Wilysphere."
Needle Man attempts to hold Gemini back for the moment. "What happened to you, brother!?"
Metal Man retreats from the area swiftly, leaving him open to pursuit or parting shots from Jet Stingray, Terra, Ten, Enker, Heat Man, and Solar Draco.
[Radio: (A) Masters] Plant Man transmits, " Snake, don't make things worse."
[Radio: (A) Masters] King transmits, "ERWIN, please setup sensors and data recording and watch Gemini Man carefully, recording all possible data."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Punk transmits, "Get the f**k out of the base, you serpentine simpleton."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Snake Man transmits, "Fine. I can take care of myssself."
Metal Man nods to Enker. "Sir yes SIR! Snake is going to cost us a base at this rate..." Metal Man comments as he speeds up.
Gemini Man glares at Needle Man, and points to the red and black pendant adhered to his breastplate. Then, he keeps walking.
[Radio: (A) Masters] King transmits, "No, you will exit and stand still for Gemini Man to cleave you asunder."
[Radio: (A) Masters] God of War Gemini Man transmits, "Thank you, King."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Ditz Pinkmouse transmits, "Clovers are fun!"
[Radio: (A) Masters] Ice Man transmits, "Snake, I told you that you should leave 'em alone."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Enker transmits, "Fully endorsed. Prepare yourself for the void, Snake Man."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Snake Man transmits, "Bah."
[Radio: (A) Masters] King transmits, "Should you deem my will unworthy Snake Man, I will cut off your head and feed it to your pet snakes, have you rebuilt, and then left Gemini Man rip each scale off his dangling carcass. And only then will Punk find you ripe for the decapitate orchard."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Punk transmits, "Come to think of it, my sandwich IS lacking in head."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Enker transmits, "Such lively spirits this evening."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Punk transmits, "And a fraggin' sandwich with no head, is no sandwich at all."
[Radio: (A) Masters] King transmits, "If only you could cook, Snake Man."
[Radio: (A) Masters] King transmits, "Punk would not be famished then, would he?"
Needle Man just.....stays still, almost stiff, and quiet through the whole journey.
[Radio: (A) Masters] God of War Gemini Man transmits, "He calls me a coward, but I bet he's going to HIDE under a ROCK."
[Radio: (A) Masters] God of War Gemini Man transmits, "If you hide from us, WE WILL TEAR THE WORLD APART LOOKING FOR YOU!!"
[Radio: (A) Masters] Punk transmits, "I'm not. I'm just going to go find another head."
[Radio: (A) Masters] King transmits, "I hear the Insurrectionist has a Maverick Hunter head from his Ride Armor's chassis, Punk."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Plant Man transmits, "I don't suggest trying to find it in my labs, Punk. There's more than a few hallucinogenics in there right now."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Punk transmits, "Who?"
Outside: Crystal Man receives a radio transmission.
Crystal Man receives a radio transmission.
[Radio: (A) Masters] King transmits, "Say. Plant Man, can you produce nurishment with decent splendor...?"
Gemini Man is pacing like a caged animal.
[Radio: (A) Masters] Plant Man transmits, " . . Yes . . *sigh* . ."
[Radio: (A) Masters] King transmits, "Delightful."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Wood Man transmits, "Plant's been on Master Chef. Twice as the cook, even."
Needle Man more or less shuts down for the trip. "......"
Crystal Man watches Gemini Man nervously from his seat...
[Radio: (A) Masters] King transmits, "Silence, Wood Man."
Enker lets whoever's piloting pilot, and simply continues to watch Gemini Man as he paces a furrow through the deck. "What will you do, Gemini Man, once you have disposed of Snake Man?" The others may be nervous, but the Elite is still that.
[Radio: (A) Masters] Plant Man transmits, " What's the situation, King?"
[Radio: (A) Masters] Wood Man transmits, "I, uh, buh? ... Right."
[Radio: (A) Masters] King transmits, "I was merely running through ponderances of your worth."
Ice Man is sitting in his seat, casual like, so not as to attract unwanted attenion from Gemini.
[Radio: (A) Masters] Snake Man transmits, "Due to resscent sscircumssstansscesss, I am putting in a requessst for a short vacation, to be prosscesssed immediately, during which time I shall be hiding out, err, enjoying the comfortsss in Neo Tokyo. Sssee you all around."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Ditz Pinkmouse transmits, "Oooh, a vacation! Can I come?"
Heat Man sits, less angry at himself, and considering things...not sure what to say. Not sure how to judge. Just...worried. The future will not bode well, however this works out.
[Radio: (A) Masters] King transmits, "Denied."
[Radio: (A) Masters] King transmits, "Find yourself outside the Citadel within the next 4.34 minutes, or I will cleave you, as I said, asunder."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Plant Man transmits, "Ah."
Crystal Man sends a radio transmission to Yamato Man.
[Radio: (A) Masters] Enker transmits, "I would rather strongly suggest you comply, Snake Man."
Gemini Man snaps his red gaze over at Crystal Man when he senses that the other Master is watching him. ...Is he trying to see what the psychic is thinking, for a change? Then, Enker addresses him, and he glances over in that direction. "I have...some practice to do." He shakes his head. "We'll conquer something. Anything."
[Radio: (A) Masters] King transmits, "At least Gemini Man will annihilate you quickly, my Axe has not found itself racked against a sharpening glaive in some time."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Plant Man transmits, " Worth based on cooking skill. Oy."
Gemini Man's eyes flicker with flame. "Enker... do you still want to hold that training session?"
[Radio: (A) Masters] Snake Man transmits, "Well, let'sss sssee. There'sss option A: Be annihilated immediately, or option B: be annihilated later, maybe. Big choissce there."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Enker transmits, "Let me put it to you this way, Snake Man."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Ditz Pinkmouse transmits, "Ooh ooh A! A! Go for A!"
[Radio: (A) Masters] Beta CO Heat Man weakly says, "I guess I'm glad I went to chef's school..."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Punk transmits, "What chef's school?"
[Radio: (A) Masters] Wood Man transmits, "Heat! I need for you to do something for me, Heat."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Beta CO Heat Man transmits, "Virtual Chef's school. Dad downloaded me into Tallievant."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Beta CO Heat Man transmits, "Yeah, Wood?"
[Radio: (A) Masters] Punk transmits, "..you mean the McDonald's cooking training program?"
[Radio: (A) Masters] Enker transmits, "If you fail to turn up at the alloted time -- and your clock continues to tick down, even as you waste time -- you will experience pain, agony and death for such a prolonged time that, dare I say it, we may run the larders dry for parts in reconstructing you. Take it like a Man, instead of a snivelling rat."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Plant Man transmits, "Ah, you got the shortcut, Heat. I ended up reading someone's collection of cookbooks for a week . . actually, it was rather fun."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Wood Man transmits, "I, uh, left my chef's hat in your quarters. I'm going to find this jungle, so could you take over Master Chef while I'm gone?"
[Radio: (A) Masters] Snake Man transmits, "I'm a sssnake, not a rat."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Beta CO Heat Man transmits, "Sure, Wood. But...not tonight, okay? I'll lookat at it later."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Wood Man transmits, "Yeah. I'll have the information with ERWIN. ... Minions, c'mon!"
[Radio: (A) Masters] Enker transmits, "I see you miss the point entirely. Why am I not surprised? Punk, King, I leave this matter back into both your hands."
Enker continues on in the conversational tone that he usually employs so well. "Hmm. Yes, I very much look forward to seeing your powers in action against our enemies, Gemini Man.." He smiles as the as-of-yet unclaimed offer for training is brought up. "Hmm.. Perhaps. I would be interested to see what you are capable of. I would request that you allow some tests to be run on your new-found abilities."
[Radio: (A) Masters] God of War Gemini Man transmits, "Just grab him and hold him down. I have good aim. I won't MISS."
Ice Man leans over to Heat. "So how are you holding up, brother?"
Heat Man shakes his head and leans over to Ice before whispering.
Gemini Man smiles... "I think we'd be the ones testing you."
Metal Man oO(What would have happened if I had got those powers... mmm I'd not scrap snake. I'd render Bass limb from limb!)
Heat Man snaps upright and looks at Gemini VERY closely. "Another Judgement Day?"
Needle Man likewise activates, and stares at Gemini. "..."
Crystal Man blinks as well when Heat Man says this; the very words send a shiver up the mystic's spine. . o O (Dear spirits, no...) O o .
Gemini Man turns and faces Heat Man, staring into his eyes. "Many across the globe desire this, many more pay for its luxury, for heat keeps the winter away. But for these people they got more than they bargained to pay, and due to this they have been remembered to this day."
Heat Man says, "Fire...the fire of the Gods. Mount Olympus. Thank you Gemini....I think."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Snake Man transmits, "How much time to I have to make thisss desscisssion?"
[Radio: (A) Masters] Enker transmits, "What does your chronometer say, King?"
[Radio: (A) Masters] God of War Gemini Man transmits, "Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. TICK. TOCK..."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Snake Man transmits, "Shut up, Gemini."
Gemini Man responds, "I wish I could tell you more."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Beta CO Heat Man transmits, "I have a feeling that was the wrong answer."
Metal Man oO(Next time, I shall claim the power of one of the Stardroids for my self and then after over ten years.. Sweet REVENGE! Now to figure out how to pull this trick off, and if I do my foes will at last bow before me!)
[Radio: (A) Masters] Snake Man transmits, "He already sssaysss he'sss going to annihilate me. What could be worssse?"
Heat Man nods. "I understand." He then turns to Enker and whispers something.
Enker continues to speak, despite the shift in direction. "You will test us, Gemini Man, and we shall test you. Please realize, there are a series of tests that must be run on you, considering the boon you have received so recently. We may have missed out on a chance to examine what Tron Bonne had contained, but I believe you will be more willing than the sudden heroine pirate was."
Enker ignores Heat Man for now, although he most certainly heard.
Ice Man stares out the window of the transport. "What would I do with that kind of power." .oO(I'd have a talk with my father. My real father. Thomas Light. I'd get the answers I want. Then I'd have a talk with Rock and Roll. Hrmm.)Oo.
Needle Man says, ".......Power...hm..""
Egypt
A blazing wind dances around this area as sand is blown in all directions... Once upon a time less than 14,000 square miles of the Egyptian land area was cultivated or settled on, but much has changed since then; Egypt, while not nearly as busy as some other areas, is still a bustling trade route and well established community. The ancient Egyptian structures such as the great pyramids and the Sphinx are still standing tall, unmarred by millennia of age. A few of the old culture's other constructions still stand tall as well, reminding many of the achievements of the ancient people that once lived here and standing out from most of the technological advanced buildings in the area. Aside from the few cities such as Cairo, vast deserts make up most of what is Egypt today, much like it was centuries ago. The large Nile River and all that surrounds the massive body of water is within view.
Contents:
Obvious Exits:
Northeast leads to Israel [Radio: (A) Masters] Plant Man transmits, "It's measured out in pain, Snake."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Enker transmits, "You have about.. 5 minutes to decide, Snake Man, to judge by our ETA back at the Citadel. I hope you will be waiting in the sands outside."
[Radio: (A) Masters] King transmits, "34 seconds."
[Radio: (A) Masters] God of War Gemini Man transmits, "And if not, we're gonna trash your lair. And kill your stupid pet."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Snake Man transmits, "You wouldn't dare."
[Radio: (A) Masters] God of War Gemini Man transmits, "I'll crush its skull with my hand."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Beta CO Heat Man tiredly says, "You keep giving the wrong answers, Snake....I'd be a lot more careful."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Snake Man pauses for a long time, the crackle of the radio making it obvious he's still on the line. "...I'm coming."
Outside: Snake Man arrives from the Vehicle Bay [Skull Citadel].
Enker glances back to the helm. "Touch-down just outside of the Citadel." Sure enough, the order is complied with, and the stealth drops down onto the sands.
[Radio: (A) Masters] Snake Man transmits, "Well? I'm waiting for you, you pansssy. Threatening innosscent petsss..."
Gemini Man stalks off of the stealth the moment it touches down.
Enker has arrived.
[Radio: (A) Masters] Ditz Pinkmouse transmits, "What? Pets? Who's mean to pets?? My sponge is tough, Hypercompuglobal VI will fight for niceness!"
Heat Man has arrived.
Needle Man has arrived.
Crystal Man has arrived.
Ice Man has arrived.
Crystal Man starts out of the transport as well... but isn't sticking around. Instead, he seems more interested in heading straight for the disguised Citadel again... he has a lot to recover from.
Snake Man is standing on a sand dune outside the base, his arms crossed over his skinny chest. He doesn't look fearful, though. In fact, he looks more annoyed an impatient than anything else. There's a part of his mind that still can't believe the one who ducked him in the halls so many times is capable of coming to kick his aft.
Metal Man has arrived.
Heat Man stands next to the ramp of the stealth. Not sure what else to say. Just watching.
Ice Man wants no part of fighting. He's had enough violence for a long time. He too heads for the Citadel and the comfort of his chair in his quarters.
Metal Man exits the craft to watch the fun.
Gemini Man is the first to stalk off of the stealth transport. He marches determinedly toward the Citadel. Nestled between the two halves of his chestplate is the prize: The War Pendant, a red and black gem that hums with a violent fire of its own, a direct match for its bearer's burning eyes. Gemini Man's cannon arm begins to glow red and white as he steps, fearlessly, toward Snake Man. The vibration of anger is coursing through his body. "Coward..." he says evenly. "DIE!" He blasts out at Snake Man with all of the energy he can charge.
Needle Man also heads toward the Citadel - but stops, considers, and stays to watch.
Enker has reason to watch, of course, since it's necessary to gauge some of the relative power levels that. And watch he does, eyebrows raising to disappear behind his visor as the empowered Gemini Man unleashes the blast.
Servbot Ninja arrives from the Aswan Lake Region.
Snake Man is supposed to stand here and take it, and so he does. He watches calmly as the missile approaches, not even bothering to dodge. He staggers backwards a bit as the missile impacts, and loses his footing in the loose sand. He manages to stay upright, but slides backwards down the dune and out of sight. When he reappears around the west side, he looks significantly charred, but otherwise relatively uneffected. He gives a loud hiss, and fires a volley of little biters towards Gemini.
Gemini Man bahs as the little creatures gnaw into his armor, nibbling on the edges. He's not afraid. He doesn't even slow down. Another few steps, and another powerful shot.
Snake Man ducks back behind the dune, as the powerful shot sizzles through the sand, turning it to chunks of melted glass. Then he looks around the dune again for a brief second, before scurrying around to the other side. On the way, Snake gives a nervous glance to the other RMs, worried that they might decide to aid his opponent by holding him down or something.
Enker merely crosses his arms, standing on top of the stealthed transport. Yes, he's floating on air, and he's got no intention of interferring right now.
Metal Man looks at Snake Man evily pondering giving Gemini a helping hand beating the serpent master down.
Snake Man fires off a few volleys of normal lazers, as he rushes towards his brother on all fours
Heat Man simply watches, somewhat dispassionately.
Needle Man shows disgust as he watches.
Snake Man misses you with his Generic Ranged attack.
Gemini Man MISSED. MISSED? He lets out a scream. "You'll DIE! You'll DIE!! I'LL KILL YOU!!!" Some powerful anger has entered his new voice...or is it a taste of the usual, the old fear, coming back? Gemini Man is determined to down Snake for good before he finds out. He blasts again at his charging brother.
And sneaking through the dunes, in desert camofladge... is a strange little creature. Seeing as it is night, it even more easily blends into the sand. Scurrying deep into a nearby dune... it slowly digs through it untill it can pop a pair of binoculars through the other side. Large, dark eyes gaze through those binoculars.
Metal Man watches the battle rage on. "I got 20 Zenny that says Snake will not last another 2 rounds!"
Heat Man just looks at Metal...and his eyes grow very, very cold.
Enker leans over, and clips Metal Man over the back of the head with the Mirror Buster, issuing a solid *WHACK*.
Metal Man gacks and ows as he gets smited. "Err forget I said that one..." oO(I hate my life...)
Heat Man sends a radio transmission to Enker.
Snake Man suddenly throws himself to the side, rolling over and coming up running on all fours again. His eyes narrow as he attempts to stare down Gemini as he has so many times in the past. And maybe it works, a little, because he's able to get up close and whip around his opponent's back, his tail flowing with his momentum as he swerves off at the last second. And then Snake makes a jump for Gemini's back, his tail tightening around his brother's chest.
Snake Man strikes you with his Constriction for 10 units of damage.
Gemini Man is grabbed, and he chokes.... No...no fear...no fear.... He can feel it. Creeping in under the power of the pendant. That fear of being smothered, poisoned... Suddenly, the pendant flares up beneath Snake Man's compressing tail, and Gemini's chest seems to almost EXPAND under it, pushing the coils away. Spinning around, Gemini turns on Snake Man, and aims a punch for his face... one designed to knock him backwards into Gemini's own, waiting fist. ...Yes, he's brought the hologram out again. It really is Gemini Man, after all, isn't it?
Ice Man sends a radio transmission.
Snake Man is thrown off again, but with the agility of a snake (that's what hes supposed to be, after all) he ducks beside the fist. And as Gemini's face whizzes past his own, he unloads a jet of acid spit at it.
Gemini Man SCREAMS! His voice returning to almost normal, and the pendant ceasing to glow, he stumbles backward, and the holotwin rushes to catch him if he falls. He stumbles across the sand dunes, stunned, but managing to find his footing....
Heat Man sends a radio transmission. And as he's caught, the serpent makes his move. He springs, bringing both Gemini and the twin to the ground, and for a moment, he mutters in Gemini's ear, before he sinks his fangs into Gemini's shoulder.
Heat Man shakes his head at it all. Part of him wants to turn away, part of him wants to help Gemini...but it's hard to tell which emotion is winning by the look on his face.
Needle Man just shakes his head at the duel.
You are now unstunned.
Gemini Man screams again! "Y-- you're the one that's a chicken, Snake Man. You almost wouldn't fight me. ME. Gemini. Your punching bag. You almost ran and hid." The hologram is the first to stand up, and he shouts down at Snake Man... "Well, look what's come of it... we still can't kill you. All the power of every FORCE of WAR and we..." the voice grows darker, and now both Gemini Men are shouting... "STILL...CAN'T...KILL YOU!!" Gemini Man rolls from underneath Snake Man's pin just as the second twin fires an enraged attack from his cannon.
Snake Man is hit by the blast, his fangs tearing from Gemini's shoulder. He pauses half a second to yawn and click them back into place. They look a bit bent, though. The explosive rounds char his leathery hide, but its special properties make the attack less effective than it would have been. The snake gives another angry hiss, rolling over onto his front, and then he almost seems to inflate a bit, like a puff adder in a threat display. Then he finally finds his words, and hissses out, "Yessssss? Well, EAT THISSSSSS!"
Enker takes out a medical scanner and scans Snake Man.
Gemini Man sidesteps the attack, both of the twins splitting up to avoid the launched snake. And since it has missed...the fear is gone. It's back to being serenely, wonderfully gone...replaced with only anger. And behind that anger comes another blast from the orignal twin's primary laser...
Enker takes out a medical scanner and scans Snake Man.
Way up in his room in the Citadel, Ice Man looks up from his book. Something bright and flashy caught his eye. Getting out of his arm chair and walking over to the window of glassteel that is the far wall of his room, he can see a few Masters down below. "Wow. Snake's not dead yet." He walks back over to his chair and picks his copy of "Cooking Without Fire" cookbook and resumes reading.
The Ninja Servbot is still sneaking and obversing through the sand dune.
King has arrived.
Snake Man tries to roll aside again, but picks the wrong direction as the original twin compensates for the moving target. The laser slices cleanly through his back, burning away the protective skin, and as it exits out his chest, a gout of blackish fluid follows it, staining the sand beneath. He gives a grating 'cough', and his eyes burn with hatred for this 'new' Gemini. o o He's going to pay for thisss
King comes marching out of the Citadel, and snaps off a radio to Enker.
The transmission reaches Enker, and he raises his head to look back towards the hidden Citadel, and at the taller golden robot that exits. Frowning, the Elite Commander responds in kind.
Enker sends a radio transmission.
Gemini Man disengages his twin, merging back into one solid form just as Snake's bite aims for the holographic leg. The bite misses, and Gemini laughs. "Yes," his altered voice croaks. He laughs softly. "Finally." He raises his blaster and fires...but...what emerges is nothing like Gemini Man's usual attack at all. It's a solid, red-colored burst, that aims for the leaking fluid on Snake's back...
King sends a radio transmission.
Snake Man struggles weakly for a moment on the sand as the energy is sucked out of him. He ponders surrendering for a moment, and then throws away the idea. No way he's going to surrender to Gemini. Never. His tail whips around, wrapping around the original twin's foot, hoping he has enough strength left to pull him off balance.
Enker lowers the hand from his helm, and simply leaps up into the air, going a fair distance directly southwest. His departure is sudden and unexplained, yet upon landing he begins running the rest of the way on foot. With luck, his leap was not followed by a pair of shiny goggles.
And nope... the hidden Servbot's attention is entirely on the battle between Snake and Gemini, because that is what interests it's mistress... it sending signals back to the Gesellschaft, which is not really very far away, really.
King shouts across the landscape, "Gemini Man, stop toying with him and get on with it."
Gemini Man steps back easily from the lash. His eyes flare. "Sorry, Snake." For a moment, one, long moment...he just watches. A smile creeps up on his face as the other Master struggles. "We're through playing with you, now. It was nice... working with you..." He laughs. "Who am I kidding? It was never nice. See you in hell."
Needle Man bows slightly in exasperation.
Heat Man has left.
Making quite time to his destination, the Elite Commander suddenly rears up behind the voyeuristic servbot. Reaching down with a gold-backed gauntlet, Enker lifts the little one right from its covering, clearing his throat to gain attention.
Snake Man's body shudders as the missile strikes him where the earlier photon blast made a hole. Without its protective coating, his insides are vulnerable to the explosion, and the shrapenel virtually rips his chest apart, exiting at high velocity as he hits the floor. He manages to gasp out before going unconcious, "Sssee... you... in... Hell... firssssst..."
-rustlerustle-
King slides over towards Gemini and Snake, eyes downcast behind his dark helm towards the fallen Robot Master. "I wonder how ERWIN's recovery technology functions at such a close proximity. Alas, twould be a waste to try. Somebody whose name is not King round up this husk and see to it getting repaired." King then offers Gemini Man an narrow tilting of his head, before turning back for the Citadel.
Needle Man doesn't move. He isn't going to risk Gemini's displeasure.
Enker is pretty damn strong, truth be told, and he isn't about to fulfil the wish of this little automoton. "Are you reporting to your little bitch, little one? Is she able to hear what I have to say through you, and see through your eyes? Or must I simply make your failure to return the example?"
He did it. Gemini Man's smile grows, and he erupts in laughter! As soon as King suggests 'rounding Snake up' Gemini GLARES over toward the Royal Master with a fire behind his eyes. "Don't you dare. Don't you...DARE." Gemini leans over the downed body, and RIPS into it with his unarmed hand, tearing what's left of Snake's armor apart. He grabs onto Snake's arm and TEARS it, laughing away what's left of Gemini's ever dwindling sanity.
Ice Man has disconnected.
King pauses a step away, his head half-turning back to regard Gemini Man with downcast eyes. "Charming," is all he offers in response.
Snake Man just lies there, leaking fluid on the sand.
Needle Man says, "He's......gone mad...""
Servbot Ninja continues to struggle, it's small claws flailing, crying out rapidly in it's falsetto voice. "Nononononononono! EEKEEKEEKEEKEEKEEEKEEKEEK!"
King intones dryly to Gemini. "If you wish to rip into something, make it useful and destroy Tron's meandering lackey that Enker has acquired." And then, his jaw going rigid into a narrow line, eyes narrowing, he adds. "That's an order."
Gemini Man rips and rends with a fury completely unlike himself; animal and uncontrolled. After a moment...he stops. He shakes slightly, and looks down at his work. His face is still scarred by acid, making it dark and dripping beneath those glowing eyes. On the one hand, Gemini looks...exhausted. After all...how many fights has he been in already today? But he stands up suddenly, and snaps-to, just as energetic as he was moments ago, and back under control. "There. Now clean it up."
Enker's lips twist into a sneer. "She has every reason to be afraid. But what occured here is none of her business, and she should know better than to send a spy.. Such a heroic action for her. Yet this is not her first such, is it? I simply want you to listen, Tron Bonne. Let me ask of you, Tron Bonne, not the lifeless being I hold within my grasp.. Did it feel good, last night? You know what I speak of. On the beach. Did you enjoy it, what your new-found powers let you do? Does the blood on your hands.. sit, or are you still debased enough to wash it aside without a care?"
Gemini Man hears King's warning as he steps away. And...something else. He looks over to Enker and the Servbot. "Tronnnnn...?" he asks, as if this word had some brand new meaning to which the others were not simply aware.
[Radio: (A) Masters] King transmits, "Perhaps Snake Man will learn to cook now, hmm?"
King has left.
Servbot Ninja seems to stop and shudder violently half way through Enker's words... though it returns to normal shortly. ...Tron taking some precautions, though it pains her as much as when she had to do it for when Bass held a Servbot like this.
[Radio: (A) Masters] King transmits, "ERWIN, relay sensor data of DWN 019 over the last 2.0 hours to my private antechamber immediately."
[Radio: (A) Masters] King's radio snaps off.
Metal Man has left.
Needle Man .. just .. leaves toward the Citadel, not wanting to look at this.
Enker merely smiles down at the small being. No, he is not done yet. "What you did last night is a direct result of your untried powers having been put into practive. You know much, girl, perhaps too much, despite your inclination to still call us your friends. You call yourself a slave to the pendant, you admit such out of your own mouth. Do not attempt to fight the semantic with me, it is quite certainly truth. Your pendant causes you to wish for world peace, to fight for it. Yet even still, your new powers put blood on your hands. Do you not see the folly you have so blindly let yourself be taken up in? What you have requires research. I do not think you are willing -- or able -- to do such on yourself. Why do you not come back, at least temporarily, and we shall see to some testing, hmm? In order to avoid any further blood tainting your attempt at a clean slate."
Gemini Man walks over now in Enker's direction, toward where he and the servbot argue. He seems relaxed now.
Snake Man tosses you something. It's small! It's green! It bites your hand! It's a cookie?! Better not eat this one though, it's probably poisonous.
Servbot Ninja remains still, still presenting the radio.
Enker can feel Gemini Man's approach. He frowns, and lowers his voice, speaking more quickly; thankfully, it takes some time to simply walk the distance to where he found the small servbot. "I will carry out the experiments myself, then. Shortly, I shall make my location known to you, Tron Bonne, and you shall meet with me. Unfortunately, what follows must occur." Smiling viciously, he suddenly flings the ninja servbot up into the skies, immediately leveling the Mirror Buster to track the flying object. Energy is shunted..
Gemini Man is still only halfway across the distance when he sees Enker make his offensive move. He smiles, and nods.
Enker takes out a medical scanner and scans Gemini Man.
The Servbot's eyes go dead, as Enker tosses him upwards. The radio falls away... Tron's voice coming softly from it... incredibly pained.
Enker's lips twist into a vicious sneer, the newest feature to have been experienced by the Elite Commander. And now so frequently, since that expedition down to Papau New Guinea. At Gemini Man's approach, he gives a nod and begins moving to meet the subordinate. "A pesky nuisance. I believe the Pirate girl is now aware of your.. ascendence, however."
Gemini Man is glad at least he didn't have to bother killing that thing. He nods at Enker. "Well. That's a shame." His optics flicker a little toward the charred 'bot, then, fall. "Oh, well. We're tired," he admits. "It's been a hell of an evening." He turns back to the Citadel. Muttering, mainly to himself, as he goes. "Many across the globe desire this, many more pay for its luxury, for heat keeps the winter away...." ...As if he can't help humming a song stuck in his head.
Enker ignores the muttering, and begins walking onwards. "You did not answer me in the shuttle. Will you allow me to perform some observational testing on your latest acquisition? I shall not attempt to remove it from you, but something of such a celestial nature.. You understand that it must be carefully observed, yes?"
Gemini Man doesn't look at Enker, simply says, "Oh. Yes. Of course. You can check it out. You can't take it, though." Gemini seems suddenly panicked at this prospect. "You can't take it away."
(If I wanted to, do you honestly think your new-found prowess would stop me, after that pathetic display..?) Enker's thoughts are different from what he says, of course, and he gives a quick nod of reassurance. "Do not fret, Gemini Man. I will not take it from you; I do not believe I would be able to." He pauses. "Take the pendant off your chest, and simply let it go. I will not attempt to snatch it."
Take it off himself? Gemini hadn't thought of it. Well...he IS tired. He doesn't want to... He reaches up, and puts his hand on the pendant, then, lightly, pulls. It comes off into his palm. oO(PUT IT BACK IN!)Oo the back of his mind screams. But, he just stands there, momentarily, feeling stupid and weakened.
Enker nods slowly. "Now, just let it go. I am not attempting to trick you, or to dupe you. If my hypothesis is correct, then you will shortly be in possession of it the moment you take your fingers away and allow it to drop towards the sands beneath our feet."
Gemini Man tips his hand....slowly, letting the jewel spill out of his palm. Enker's assumption was correct. The moment the jewel leaves Gemini Man's hand, it is no longer on its way tumbling toward the sand, but, instead, is again adhered firmly to the Master's chest.
Enker's lips bloom into a smile, and he nods curtly. "As I suspected. Do not fret that someone will steal it from you. They would find it too hard a struggle to remove themselves with it. But do not become complacent in your new-found position. What benefits it has given you may not be as vast as you may wish them to be. Go and get repaired, Gemini Man. You will prove to be an even greater asset, but I will wait until you are repaired before I go on. Ahh, yes.. You will not accompany us tomorrow, when we go in search of the next location. You will have another task to see to, but you must seek repairs first."
oO(How dare he presume to give us orders?)Oo oO(Because he's the boss of us, moron. Sometimes even you, I swear.)Oo oO(...Maybe it'll all make sense after some repairs.)Oo oO(Repairs.)Oo Gemini Man starts walking over the sand again. "See you...tomorrow, then."
You post your note about 'Message from Gemini' in group 12 (Robot Master) as message #44
A Wily spinny. Gemini Man, very much alone, appears shortly thereafter. He looks mainly like himself, save for two details. First of all, there is a new addition to his armor: in the form of a red jewel with a black center, embedded solidly in the crease in the center of his breastplate. The second odd thing...is his eyes... They have a slightly red cast to their brown under normal circiumstances, but, now, at least in this footage, they seem to glow almost as bright red as the jewel. When he speaks, the voice is as grating as gravel. "Hello, everyone." He glances down at the jewel on his chest. "Spiffy, isn't it? The newest prize from our cosmic treasure hunt." He grins. "I would like to take this forum to apologize to the brothers I had to best in combat order to obtain it. Circiumstance. We were lucky. In fact, we're all lucky. Because we have THIS." His left eye twitches... "And now that Snake Man is...BROKEN...for a while, I might even have the control it takes to harness it." "To MY Gammas...don't think that this means I'll be leaving. We may have to reassign stealth-related operations for a while. But don't worry. Despite what you may THINK, I'm still Gemini Man." He laughs. Then, his eyes flicker for a moment, and he adds two words that hold a very intriguing promise...if only you could be sure he really means them... "For Wily." Spinny, and sign-off.
Quick Man [Derek] [RM]
Needle Man [RM]
Metal Man's Gearatorium
Metal Man [Armor] [RM]
Gemini Man's Quarters
Ice Man's Place
Magic Man's Magic Shop
Needle Man's Office
Crystal Man's Crystal Cavern
Elec Man's Room
Gemini Man is moving in, putting his furnature in the new spot, and so forth. At the moment, he's standing on both sides of a black-framed bed.
Needle Man walks in slowly, glancing to the other Masters and their makeshift quarters, heading toward his own setup.
uick Man has arrived.
SS Dreadskull [RM]
Wilymachine [Seismic Earthworm]
Construction Mech [Temjin] [RM]
Construction Mech [Apharmd] [RM]
Quicksilver Earthworm
Skull Shuttle [RM]
Construction Mech [Specineff] [RM]
Obvious exits:
Ascending Stairwell leads to Command Center [Skull Citadel].
Bay Doors
Blue Doors
Metal Man has arrived.
Quick Man has arrived.
Needle Man has arrived.
Outside: Papua New Guinea
Outside: Alloy [MH]
Solar Draco [MH]
Blade Raven [MH]
Rigger [Jeans] [MH]
Maverick Hunter Recon Vehicle [Phantom] [MH]
Outside: Obvious exits:
Outside: Plains leads to Radiation Plains.
Outside: Submerge leads to Underneath Southern Pacific.
Outside: South leads to Northern Territory.
Outside: East leads to Southwest Pacific Ocean.
Outside: West leads to Indonesia.
Outside: Up leads to Sky Above Southeast Asia.
Outside: Radiation Plains
Outside:
Outside: Out leads to Papua New Guinea.
Outside: Alloy arrives from the Papua New Guinea.
Outside: Blade Raven arrives from the Papua New Guinea.
Outside: Solar Draco arrives from the Papua New Guinea.
Outside: Rigger arrives from the Papua New Guinea.
Heat Man has left.
Quick Man has left.
Metal Man has left.
Needle Man [RM]
Crystal Man [Soothsayer] [RM]
Metal Man [Armor] [RM]
Quick Man [Derek] [RM]
Heat Man [Hazmat] [RM]
Rigger [Jeans] [MH]
Solar Draco [MH]
Blade Raven [MH]
Alloy [MH]
Firestorm Phoenix [M]
[Stealthed] Stealth Transport [RM]
Obvious exits:
Out leads to Papua New Guinea.
Get on your knees, simpletons! Quint is here!
Tron Bonne has arrived.
A Barren... broken place... ...where no Human could hope to survive unprotected.
Yet... one does.
And she watches... Green in her Emerald eyes.
Silent, and slipping through the mists.
Heat Man receives a radio transmission from Tron Bonne.
Quick Man is temporarily disoriented by Terra's Radiation Haze attack.
Quick Man falls to the ground, unconscious, due to massive systems damage.
[O-Master] Gemini Man says, "No, of course not, but I'll try to make you do it. ;)"
"Well done, brother... now... be still... be calm..."
. o O (And I wonder if you might understand now.) O o .
Blade Raven is temporarily disoriented by Terra's Radiation Haze attack.
Blade Raven falls to the ground, unconscious, due to massive systems damage.
Tron Bonne enters the Papua New Guinea.
Tron Bonne has left.
Then, the staircase of stone appears before the party. . o O (Ah, at last... some refuge.) O o . He wastes no time in dashing for the stairs, then running up them.
Blade Raven [MH]
Alloy [MH]
Servbot Ninja
Solar Draco [MH]
Heat Man [Normal] [RM]
Metal Man [Armor] [RM]
Needle Man [RM]
Enker [Enker] [RM]
Crystal Man [Armor] [RM]
Center leads to Center of the Plateau.
Down leads to Radiation Plains.
Firestorm Phoenix has arrived.
Center of the Plateau
Plataeu Perimeter leads to Isolated Plateau.
"Take it!" his voice also shouts out, and as if it was out of his own control, he duplicates, his other half racing off towards the blade.
"Get out of the way, Heat Man...." the other twin pushes his brother aside: "It's OURS!"
Firestorm Phoenix changes into his Heavy armor.
Firestorm Phoenix brings his reflect system online.
Solar Draco puts his guard up.
The mystic's optics dart around, trying to see through his bloodlust, trying to pick out a target not of his own blood. . o O (No... no... no... ah!) O o . The crystal conjurer flings the shards with more might than he thought he possessed at the first target he doesn't recognize... problem is, it's a human. Ow.
Crystal Man strikes Rigger with his Shard Toss attack.
Ice Man strikes you with his Ice Stars for 7 units of damage.
Needle Man strikes Ice Man with his Rapid Shot attack.
You strike Metal Man with your Gemini Laser attack.
You strike Rigger with your Gemini Laser attack.
You miss Firestorm Phoenix with your Gemini Laser attack.
You strike Alloy with your Gemini Laser attack.
You strike Crystal Man with your Gemini Laser attack.
You strike Ice Man with your Gemini Laser attack.
You miss Solar Draco with your Gemini Laser attack.
You strike Needle Man with your Gemini Laser attack.
You strike Enker with your Gemini Laser attack.
You strike Heat Man with your Gemini Laser attack.
Enker puts his guard up.
"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
With the loudest yell he can, and all the might he can muster, Heat drives both fists downward into the sword. If he can't have it, he'll at least sink it deeper so that no-one else can. But, it doesn't move, and the sheer heat is enough to spread flames around the ground and into those near him.
Slamming his fists together, the temprature around Heat Man increases until flames erupt from his supraheated liquid body!
Heat Man strikes you with his Ember Shower for 6 units of damage.
Heat Man misses Alloy with his Ember Shower attack.
Heat Man misses Needle Man with his Ember Shower attack.
Metal Man strikes you with his Explosive Drone for 19 units of damage.
You take extra damage due to your Explosive weakness.
Rigger strikes Enker with her Generic Ranged attack.
Firestorm Phoenix strikes Alloy with his Flamethrower attack.
Alloy strikes Heat Man with his Prism Buster attack.
Emptiness.
The monster that's taken over the body DWN040 fires in the general direction of Gemini Man... but apparently there's a little something of the crystal conjurer's soul still at work, as the oversized bauble falls short. But there's one problem... don't those things shatter when they strike?
Crystal Man strikes you with his Crystal Segments for 6 units of damage.
Crystal Man strikes Metal Man with his Crystal Segments attack.
Crystal Man strikes Alloy with his Crystal Segments attack.
Crystal Man strikes Solar Draco with his Crystal Segments attack.
Enker deflects Icicle Spear from Ice Man.
A burning violet/black comet, and a shining star of blue and white.
While this bloody battle fights here... the Chosen of Terra and Sunstar begin a conflict overhead! ...which is witnessed by the soft green light that shines dimly through the fog. Then the fog slips back in, and the vision is gone.
~~HUD Activated, targeting. . . Targets Aquired. Chain guns activating...~~
Those two guns begin to whirr at his side, spinning to life though not firing yet.
~~Nearest target, Robot Master Crystal Man. Aquiring Target, Firing.~~
And when his HUD states the firing, those chain guns blaze away at the Master mercilessly as those shards come surging toward him. Hit or miss he pulls upward as his chest is struck, after being hit he levels out and surges outward towards the edge of the plateau, banking slowly... his HUD searching for its next target.
Solar Draco strikes Crystal Man with his Dual Chain Guns attack.
Needle Man misses you with his Needle Cannon attack.
You strike Crystal Man with your Ricochet Blast attack.
Enker strikes Ice Man with his Spear Spin attack.
"Die. And serve my purpose."
Heat Man smiles, his body cooling until the air around him extinguishes, and he stands revealed in his normal form.
Heat Man misses you with his Napalm attack.
Heat Man strikes Metal Man with his Napalm attack.
Heat Man strikes Ice Man with his Napalm attack.
Heat Man misses Crystal Man with his Napalm attack.
Heat Man misses Enker with his Napalm attack.
Enker deflects Napalm from Heat Man.
Heat Man strikes Needle Man with his Napalm attack.
Firestorm Phoenix strikes Solar Draco with his Feather Dart Barrage attack.
Crystal Man strikes Solar Draco with his Crystalisis attack.
Ice Man strikes Rigger with his Blizzard attack.
Ice Man strikes Solar Draco with his Blizzard attack.
Ice Man strikes you with his Blizzard for 4 units of damage.
Ice Man strikes Heat Man with his Blizzard attack.
Ice Man strikes Metal Man with his Blizzard attack.
Ice Man strikes Firestorm Phoenix with his Blizzard attack.
Firestorm Phoenix successfully reflects Blizzard.
Ice Man misses Crystal Man with his Blizzard attack.
Ice Man strikes Needle Man with his Blizzard attack.
Ice Man misses Enker with his Blizzard attack.
Enker deflects Blizzard from Ice Man.
~~Target locked, Firing~~
The twin cannons fire upon Firestorm with a vicious rage as the very phoenix he was heading toward fires back at him. No words, only a roar of rage emits as the cannons fire their retaliation, his shield at his side still as he flies forward.
Solar Draco misses Firestorm Phoenix with his Dual Energy Cannons attack.
Already a follow-up plan is in mind as he releases the attack.
Needle Man misses Metal Man with his Shrapnel Shot attack.
Needle Man misses Rigger with his Shrapnel Shot attack.
Needle Man strikes Firestorm Phoenix with his Shrapnel Shot attack.
Firestorm Phoenix successfully reflects Shrapnel Shot.
Needle Man strikes Crystal Man with his Shrapnel Shot attack.
Needle Man misses Solar Draco with his Shrapnel Shot attack.
Solar Draco deflects Shrapnel Shot from Needle Man.
Needle Man misses you with his Shrapnel Shot attack.
Needle Man misses Enker with his Shrapnel Shot attack.
Enker deflects Shrapnel Shot from Needle Man.
Needle Man strikes Heat Man with his Shrapnel Shot attack.
You strike Heat Man with your Clone Laser attack.
Planting his feet just past shoulder-width, the Elite Commander pins Firestorm Phoenix with his red-eye glare. The visor is already lowered, so the end result is nil. More is needed. More. Beginning to pant softly, the Elite shunts energy downn rapidly into his fabled spear. "Now." Fateful words. Immediately followed.
"MIRROR BUSTEEEEEEER - HAAAA!"
Leveling the Mirror Buster ahead of him, he lets loose a beam of untold power up into the heavens, aimed his target. Firestorm Phoenix. This seems vaguely familiar for some reason. Capped off by an arrowhead of pure blue energy, the blast soars through the air at its intended target. But is it enough?
Enker strikes Firestorm Phoenix with his Mirror Buster attack.
Slamming his fists together, the temprature around Heat Man increases until flames erupt from his supraheated liquid body!
Flames begin to spiral around Heat Man, engulfing him in waves of nuclear inferno! The very ground buckles from the scortching tempratures!
Metal Man strikes Needle Man with his Sawblade attack.
Firestorm Phoenix misses Metal Man with his Missile Swarm attack.
Firestorm Phoenix misses Crystal Man with his Missile Swarm attack.
Firestorm Phoenix strikes Ice Man with his Missile Swarm attack.
Ice Man falls to the ground, unconscious, due to massive systems damage.
Firestorm Phoenix misses Solar Draco with his Missile Swarm attack.
Firestorm Phoenix misses Needle Man with his Missile Swarm attack.
Firestorm Phoenix misses Enker with his Missile Swarm attack.
Firestorm Phoenix strikes Heat Man with his Missile Swarm attack.
Heat Man's forcefield withstands the attack.
Maybe the insanity hasn't taken him over entirely yet...
"Hmm hmm hmm... mwahahahaha... AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!"
OK, maybe not.
Red eyes, a reflection of the true color of his optic lenses, lock on Needle Man... no longer his brother. No longer anyone. Just something to destroy. The master of jewels cackles as another solid black Crystal Eye forms between his palms, and without hesitation he half-shoot, half-throws the tainted contruct in his elder's direction. No hesitation now. This one might actually hit.
Crystal Man strikes Needle Man with his Crystal Eye attack.
Needle Man falls to the ground, unconscious, due to massive systems damage.
Solar Draco strikes Firestorm Phoenix with his Battle Shield Cleave attack.
You miss Heat Man with your Double Shot attack.
Enker puts his guard down.
Enker misses Metal Man with his Spear Thrust attack.
Metal Man misses Enker with his Metal Blade attack.
Firestorm Phoenix strikes Enker with his Firestorm Cyclone attack.
Crystal Man misses Firestorm Phoenix with his Reflection Beam attack.
Solar Draco strikes Crystal Man with his Dual Desert Eagles attack.
Crystal Man falls to the ground, unconscious, due to massive systems damage.
You strike Metal Man with your Roundhouse attack.
Enker strikes Metal Man with his [Metal Blade] attack.
Metal Man falls to the ground, unconscious, due to massive systems damage.
Then there is a distant flash, as the shooting star seems to go nova.
And above the falling pair, there is a second nova of green light, the light condensing rather than expanding, and launching down into the white nova and at the black comet that burns still in the center of it, white nova and green nova meeting upon the falling comet.
Seems someone just got their aft seriously handed to them.
Metal Man's body flickers and fades as well.
Firestorm Phoenix strikes Rigger with his Phoenix Storm attack.
Rigger falls to the ground, unconscious, due to massive systems damage.
Firestorm Phoenix strikes Solar Draco with his Phoenix Storm attack.
Firestorm Phoenix strikes Enker with his Phoenix Storm attack.
Firestorm Phoenix strikes Heat Man with his Phoenix Storm attack.
Heat Man's forcefield withstands the attack.
Firestorm Phoenix strikes you with his Phoenix Storm for 11 units of damage.
You are below your courage-endurance point.
~~HUD online, aquiring targets. . . Locking onto nearest target, Master Enker~~
The dragon nods once as the chain guns line up on the said target. "Bet this'll sting..." he says as the weapons begin to spin, then rain down bullets upon the area the master stands in.
Solar Draco misses Enker with his Dual Chain Guns attack.
Rigger's body glows as she is hit, and she too fades away.
You strike Firestorm Phoenix with your Gemini Cannon attack.
Enker brings his reflect system online.
The roiling flames scatter from Heat Man in all directions, igniting much of the flammable materials around him!
Heat Man smiles, his body cooling until the air around him extinguishes, and he stands revealed in his normal form.
Heat Man misses you with his Atomic Fire attack.
Firestorm Phoenix strikes Heat Man with his Kick attack.
Solar Draco strikes Firestorm Phoenix with his Dual Energy Cannons attack.
Firestorm Phoenix falls to the ground, unconscious, due to massive systems damage.
Heat Man successfully deflects an attack randomly.
You miss Heat Man with your Punch attack.
Enker strikes Heat Man with his Energy Spear attack.
Ultima Ratio Regum.
Heat Man strikes Enker with his Napalm attack.
Enker successfully reflects Napalm.
Heat Man falls to the ground, unconscious, due to massive systems damage.
Heat Man misses you with his Napalm attack.
Heat Man strikes Solar Draco with his Napalm attack.
~~Sun Crusher prepared.~~
From on high in the air, those two spiked shafts fire downward toward one of the masters. The heat radidating from each one causes the air and to distort around them like it had for Firestorm with his fire. The two large spike shafts simply scream downward, the heat on them is searing and looking to penetrate anything, that anything being Enker's body. In the air, the dragon simply roars to the heavens, hit or miss, he knows, this'll be quite decisive.
Solar Draco strikes Enker with his Sun Crusher attack.
Enker falls to the ground, unconscious, due to massive systems damage.
Enker's body shimmers even further with that gold armor, then fades away.
You strike Solar Draco with your Gemini Cannon attack.
Solar Draco falls to the ground, unconscious, due to massive systems damage.
-This is the War Pendant. Its Bearer, you, no matter your personality will find themself subliminally drawn towards war and destruction. You'll want to be around it, you'll want to cause it. You'll find a strange energy flowing through your body, somewhat unsettling, but not all together unappealing. You'll also notice that you know how to harness this energy for your own purposes, and that your previous combat capabilities seem magnified somehow.
-When you pick up the Pendant by grabbing the Sword from the Stone, those you defeated will immediately be revived, and you will say outloud the following phrase as well as a holographic image being projected into the air from your Pendant. These words and image are burned into your mind, you cannot forget them, in fact any time you close your eyes you see them and hear them over, and over, like a mantra.
Jet Stingray has arrived.
Ten has arrived.
Rock has arrived.
Heilen has arrived.
Bass has arrived.
Silver Stallion has arrived.
Kain has arrived.
The nightmare, it seems, has only just begun.
"Gaia, Wily, and spirits alike," the crystal conjurer manages to whimper...
Firestorm Phoenix changes into his Flight armor.
She is wrong.
As Ten sees what happens, her beak drop opens, and she just stares, unable to do anything else.
Firestorm Phoenix retreats from the area swiftly, leaving him open to pursuit or parting shots from Rock.
Rough as gravel, broken like streaks of glass. A voice scoured with a hammer of flame, marked with dark streaks. Dark eyes, violet so deep as to be black... Part and parcel of the dark power that is Magna Bass... even scoured white by forced reentry.
"He's mine."
This is going to be almost half as ugly as what went on before.
Firestorm Phoenix has left.
High and far it is, but it is clear. The light coming from the Pendant of Terra and it's owner... who tries to peirce the clouds with her glowing eyes that look through a pair of electro-binoculars, patched into the Gesellschaft's systems... trying to peirce the haze.
And speaking of Bass... the Hunter stares in surprise as the battered black knight of the Masters steps forward, seemingly to do battle. Gemini will eat him for lunch if Tron's new powers are any indication of the powers of the pendant, he muses, before looking around the field and trying to see if any of his Hunters are present. It's getting nigh-time to head out and home. Let the Masters duke it out amongst themselves; he's had a long, hard day.
"Gemini," he replies, voice silken smooth, quiet, soft. Like the touch of death.
"He's mine. Don't think you can face me. Not yet."
You miss Solar Draco with your Photon Missile attack.
Solar Draco strikes you with his Sun Crusher for 28 units of damage.
"Run away, Rock," he says, malevolent eyes flashing like jewels. "Take your little friends and run away. Or what Gemini does now will be *nothing* to what *I* will do..."
Bass's words, however, make him pause. "Next time, Bass," he says evenly, "only one of us is walking away. You know that."
Solar Draco successfully deflects an attack randomly.
You miss Solar Draco with your Gemini Laser attack.
You strike Rock with your Gemini Laser attack.
You strike Ten with your Gemini Laser attack.
You strike Heilen with your Gemini Laser attack.
Heat Man sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "I know he probably deserves it. But if you have to...do it in the traning room."
"I warned you."
With a growl, hands spread, lashing out, crushing down, digging into the cool blue steel of the Master. "Let's go outside," he snarls, as jets explode. Fire streams in a violet flare, and the Hand of Chaos roars aloft, the screaming protest of thrusters lost in the rising glare.
Heat Man sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "You have two options. Go limp, or fight. I don't recommend going limp right now."
Rock retreats from the area swiftly, leaving him open to pursuit or parting shots from Terra.
Enker receives a radio transmission from Punk.
Enker sends a radio transmission.
Land Rover
Egyptian Ruins
Ancient Pyramid
Cairo
West leads to Eastern Sahara
South leads to Aswan Lake Region
North leads to Nile Delta
Up leads to Sky Above Nile Region
You strike Snake Man with your Photon Missile attack.
Servbot Ninja has arrived.
Snake Man strikes you with his Snake Cutter for 6 units of damage.
You miss Snake Man with your Gemini Cannon attack.
You miss Snake Man with your Gemini Laser attack.
'Sssssshhh! Be Vewy Vewy Qwuiet... ...I'm playing Spy...'
Enker receives a radio transmission from Heat Man.
Enker sends a radio transmission to Heat Man.
Heat Man receives a radio transmission from Enker.
Heat Man sends a radio transmission.
Enker receives a radio transmission.
You miss Snake Man with your Double Team attack.
Heat Man receives a radio transmission.
Heat Man sends a radio transmission.
Ice Man receives a radio transmission.
Snake Man strikes you with his Venom Spit for 2 units of damage.
Gemini Man is temporarily disoriented by Snake Man's Venom Spit attack.
Crystal Man receives a radio transmission from Heat Man.
Crystal Man sends a radio transmission.
Heat Man receives a radio transmission from Crystal Man.
Heat Man sends a radio transmission to Crystal Man.
Crystal Man receives a radio transmission.
Snake Man whispers: 'I'm enjoying thisss, sssinssce you were alwaysss too CHICKEN to fight me in the training room'.
Snake Man strikes you with his Poison Bite for 3 units of damage.
You strike Snake Man with your Mortar Cannon attack.
Snake Man misses you with his Search Snake attack.
You strike Snake Man with your Gemini Laser attack.
And through him... Tron watches.
With the last of his strength, he surges forwards, attempting to latch onto his opponent's leg.
Snake Man misses you with his Bite attack.
King sends a radio transmission.
Enker receives a radio transmission from King.
King receives a radio transmission.
You strike Snake Man with your Leech Missile attack.
Gemini Man drains energy from Snake Man with his Leech Missile attack.
You absorb 2 units of health from Snake Man.
Enker receives a radio transmission.
Enker sends a radio transmission to King.
King receives a radio transmission from Enker.
Snake Man misses you with his Tail Lash attack.
Tron is curious... ...and rather worried.
You strike Snake Man with your Photon Missile attack.
Snake Man falls to the ground, unconscious, due to massive systems damage.
-Yoink!-
The Servbot doesn't seem to notice at first. Then, it 'sweatdrops'. Then it's head slowly turns, it's entire body turning by the cloth Enker dangles it from, not moving otherwise untill the binoculars are looking directly into Enker's eyes.
Then...
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!"
-flailflailflail!-
"Lemmego!Lemmego!"
The Servbot then seems to pause, then it glares at Enker. "Hey! No call Miss Tron mean names! Meanie! Lemmego!" It then resumes flailing... ...untill it seems to completely still. Eerily so. The binoculars are dropped... and does something deep inside it's eyes seem to glow green for a moment? ...maybe.
The Servbot them speaks more calmly. "Miss Tron can hear... ...Miss Tron was just checking up on you. She is worried. ...with... ...Scary Twins..." The Servbot shudders softly. "...What you want?"
King makes his way into Egyptian Ruins.
The Servbot then reaches down slowly, opening up a small compartment, and withdraws a tiny radio that it activates. The Servbot, silent now, holds the radio up. From the radio... comes Tron Bonne's voice, with the slightly altered quality it has now shining in it.
"...What I did last night... ...was a mistake. ...I didn't mean to do that... ...I will never forget it... nor wash it away... ...the blood on my hands will never be washed away. ...but it doesn't change what I must do."
A sigh comes from the radio.
"You know I am not your enemy, Enker... ...this Pendant... ...I could not be on your side right now if /could/ want to. This thing is... ...affecting me. Just like Gemini's is affecting him. ...They'll change us... ...and the others who get the rest of them. I have no idea what is going on Enker, but whatever these Pendants are... ...does. I cannot do anything but comply."
Then, at Gemini's single word,
Tron's name spoken... her voice quickens through the radio. "...Let my Servbot go, Enker. Please. Now. ...You don't want this. ...He is Chaos. I am Order. ...You don't want this. Please, Enker.
Needle Man has left.
Needle Man makes his way into Egyptian Ruins.
Tron's voice sighs through it... even as the Servbot looks now towards the advancing Gemini Man. Her voice becomes more rapid, though more with concern than fear. "I know, Enker... I know... ...I wish it never happened... I'm still me... but your right. This pendant..." Tron sighs again. "I've tried to study it, but every time I remove it to place it somewhere, it moves back. I don't think those gifted with them can part with them, untill this purpose, whatever it is, is done. All I able to determine, is that it is a technology that is ungodly more advanced than ours doing this. ...and I would be willing to return, Enker... ...but I don't think that would be wise. What tests we can do... well, we can see. Know i'll not spill any Robot Master blood... unless you directly threaten me, Enker. That is an Oath of Honor."
"...and for the second reason why it would be unwise... if Gemini and I met face to face... ...lets just say I don't think the Citadel, or wherever we were, would survive too well that encounter... ...I have a feeling about that."
Tron then sighs now. "...I will always regret the blood on my hands, and I... ...I'm scared Enker. You, the Robot Masters, have become my friends. But now... ...It will be incredibly dangerous for us to be even close."
"Agreed."
Then... nothing.
The Servbot is launched limpy into the air, like a doll.
Servbots, like Metools, are constructed out of that incredibly powerful metal that can deflect even plasma energy. It takes an incredible plasma blast to do more than singe the Metools or Servbots.
...like Enker's Mirror Buster.
By the time the roaring ball of energy from Enker's spear contacts the Servbot, it is all ready 'dead'... it's mind elsewhere, waiting for a new body to be built for it. Tron didn't take any chances this time.
The roiling ball of plasma energy that Enker unleashes... washes over the Servbot. The Metool Metal blackening and fusing into a dull husk, as what is within is vaporized by the heat and energy. When the Servbot falls to the sand, it is merely a blackened, ghastly husk... ...of what was only a moment before one of Tron's darling creations.
The Second Servbot to 'Die' at Robot Master hands.
