Side Story Champions of the Arena III: Cursed Company

With movements and reflexes far surpassing the comprehension of normal people, Fushimi swiftly deflected Rhodey's machine gun fire with his saber, protecting himself from any grievous harm, though the gesture did put him on the defensive, ending up giving the War Machine some breathing space for just a second. Certainly, it was a battle of attrition; how much space was one party willing to sacrifice for an edge in?

Fushimi, ever methodical about his movements, saw himself at a disadvantage. His goal was to chip away at the armor enough times to create a weak spot that he could exploit, but Rhodey had the advantage that even just one hit, whether by a bullet or a metal knuckle sandwich, would go a decent way at hurting Fushimi. Not enough to fully incapacitate a normal human, given the younger man's powers, but still enough to quickly give him an edge.

The glasses-wearing swordsman swiftly reacted to Rhodey's subsequent repulsor blast, only narrowly managing to avoid the hit as he swung his blade right at Rhodey's armored arm with enough force to make him veer off target! Such was the impact however that the saber -- bolstered by Fushimi's power -- ended up making a notable dent in the armor, actually getting stuck in the armor for a while until Fushimi managed to swiftly force it out without wasting any time.

View attachment 9141

"Tch. All day, you were gonna say? That may be so, but I'm on a tight schedule here, so if you don't mind...!" Fushimi exclaimed, letting himself grow impatient in the heat of battle and raising his blade once more, repeatedly bringing down and swinging at Rhodey once more, his swings harder and more aggressive than ever, but consequently just a bit slower than before as well. The sooner he'd be able to create a weak spot, the sooner he'd be able to deal a more significant blow to his enemy!

@Sark @York
 
Team PRUDENCE/Marianne
"So long as such a sentiment keeps me alive, I'll happily agree with it. Arcade must remain our priority." The Master chirped, lifting Marianne's arm up over his shoulder and hoisting her up to her feet. "But, alas for us, he is nowhere to be seen. Until then, we need to focus on our survival. Until then, we need biscuits! Come on!"

The door of the café opened with a ding. A Time Lord, a barely conscious and a cyborg man walk through the door. A waitress remarks on the scene looking like the start of a bad joke, before going back to her routine. The Master picked a booth and set Marianne down in the corner, in front a smoking ash tray and a crumb-coated plate. The Time Lord signaled towards a passing waitress.
"Hello, you. I'll take a tea, please. One sugar. The girl will have... a coffee. Black. As much sugar as you can legally give her. She's in shock, you see. Had a bit of a tumble. My metal-face friends will take... a room temperature water. If you could bring us a plate bourbon biscuits for the table, that would be wonderful. Thank you!"
View attachment 9138
The Master tapped his foot as the daylight faded. He twisted a fork into the table. He watched a police carriage roll by, silent all the way. The Time Lord paid the waiter with a smile as she set their drinks down upon the table.

"Better hurry, loves. The shop is open all night, but the streets will be barred at 8."

"Barred?" The Master hummed. "That's curious..."

"Aye." The Waitress chirped. "The Rozzers don't want anyone walking 'bout the place whilst they snoop out the streets, what with that Killer on the loose. The Curfew being enforced on threat o' death, 'ccording to the mornin' paper."

"A Killer? In Pride City?" The Master tightened his words, making them sound even posher than they already did. "What's the world coming to? How long has this dastardly fellow been going about his infernal business?"

"'Bout 3 weeks, I'd say?" The Waitress fiddled with her apron strings. "Started with a couple o' dead Unfortunate Woman. We all felt safe in this part o' town. But now? The bastard is killing anyone 'e likes. Evil thing..." She sighed. With a tip of her head, she returned to her duties. "You're welcome to stay here until the streets open again. The Banger is open to anyone who has nowhere else to stay, or nowhere better to be. We'll have a band playin' shortly. The Soup of the Day will only cost ya a half penny. Have a night night, sirs."

"Thank you kindly..." The Master turned back to face his two unwitting companions. "Well. Looks like we're stuck with each other for the night. Give us a chance to discuss the terms of this alliance of ours, Mr. Henshaw. Whilst this city's 'phantom' gets down to his business, we can get down to ours..."

//Hank Henshaw// The Master// Marianne
@Jeremi @Sark @Yun Lee




Team PRUDENCE/ Team NEXIUM
To match Fushimi's machine gun-fast sword slashed, Rhodey unleased a flurry of machine gun-fast bullets. Falling back across the street, the War Machine refused to relent. Despite the ground he was surrendering, Rhodey continued to pour clip after clip into his machine turret, focusing on Fushimi's center-of-mass. The swordsman could no doubt deflect them, sure, but for every bullet he spent, he bought himself an extra half second. The longer they fought, the darker the streets grew. The darker the streets, the greater his advantage. He'd let his helmet become his eyes, its night-vision lenses keeping his senses sharp.

"You like that, huh? I can do this all--"
[BARREL-TEMPERATURE-APPROACHING-CRITICAL-LEVELS]
Well, maybe not ally day.

Rhodey's turret-fire suddenly ceased. Now in melee range, the War Machine didn't waste any more time retreating. Taking advantage of the confusion that might follow his sudden strategic change, Rhodey placed his palm upon Fushimi's chest and prepared to strike him with a point-blank Kinetic-Repulsor Blast.

Half a block away, white flames carved a path across Android 17's skin. With a forceful shout, a wave of wind and Ki erupted forth from his person, smothering the flames. Kicking back off of Ifrit's hand, the Android flipped away from his foe. Sparks rippled from his boots and he slipped back down the street.
View attachment 9139
"Lucky shot!" He cursed as he came to a stop. He flicked the hair from his eyes and tightened his first back into balls. "I tried to make it quick. I guess no good deed goes unpunished, huh! You want to play? Fine!" 17 pounded a fist upon his chest. "Bring it on! The next swing is all yours! Go!"

The clatter of hooves sounded from around the street's bend. They were getting closer. Someone was coming.

CIRI// SARUHIKO FUSHIMI// ZORA SALAZAR// EREN JAEGER// ALEXANDER ANDERSON// FORGE// ANDROID 17// THE ELEVEN
^ @Minerva @Ver @Capri @Gummi Bunnies @Crunch ^

RAMUDA AMEMURA// YASHAMARU// DANIEL DIAZ// CHASE DAVENPORT// HANK HENSHAW// THE MASTER// JAMES R. RHODES// IFRIT
^ @Takumi @Yun Lee @Atomic Knight @Lucky @Jeremi ^

With movements and reflexes far surpassing the comprehension of normal people, Fushimi swiftly deflected Rhodey's machine gun fire with his saber, protecting himself from any grievous harm, though the gesture did put him on the defensive, ending up giving the War Machine some breathing space for just a second. Certainly, it was a battle of attrition; how much space was one party willing to sacrifice for an edge in?

Fushimi, ever methodical about his movements, saw himself at a disadvantage. His goal was to chip away at the armor enough times to create a weak spot that he could exploit, but Rhodey had the advantage that even just one hit, whether by a bullet or a metal knuckle sandwich, would go a decent way at hurting Fushimi. Not enough to fully incapacitate a normal human, given the younger man's powers, but still enough to quickly give him an edge.

The glasses-wearing swordsman swiftly reacted to Rhodey's subsequent repulsor blast, only narrowly managing to avoid the hit as he swung his blade right at Rhodey's armored arm with enough force to make him veer off target! Such was the impact however that the saber -- bolstered by Fushimi's power -- ended up making a notable dent in the armor, actually getting stuck in the armor for a while until Fushimi managed to swiftly force it out without wasting any time.

View attachment 9141

"Tch. All day, you were gonna say? That may be so, but I'm on a tight schedule here, so if you don't mind...!" Fushimi exclaimed, letting himself grow impatient in the heat of battle and raising his blade once more, repeatedly bringing down and swinging at Rhodey once more, his swings harder and more aggressive than ever, but consequently just a bit slower than before as well. The sooner he'd be able to create a weak spot, the sooner he'd be able to deal a more significant blow to his enemy!

@Sark @York
Ifrit
@Sark @Ver @Others?

Ifrit seemed a little irritated her attack didn't outright melt 17 just like that... But on the other hand, she enjoyed the thrill of battle all the same. The feeling of andrenaline surging through her body, overpowering all that pain that she was racked with, and even the hunger that usually overshadowed everything.

On the other hand, seeing that Android 17 was leaving himself open to a strike, she was more surprised than anything, but didn't hesitate to gather more flames at her hands, this time hovering them close together, as a ball of white hot fire began to form.

"Hah...! You're giving me a free shot?! You're gonna reg-..." She stopped suddenly, hearing something even over her roaring flames.

"Hold on! Time out a sec! Someone's coming!" She said, seeming to suddenly stiffen, halting her attack outright as she listened closely.

Her eyes were still mostly focused on 17, watching for his next move, but now... She was made aware of other potential threats in the area. And she was prepared to turn whatever it was to ash.

But she did remember that promise she made back at Rhodes Island, that she wouldn't burn things down without a second thought. That she would at least wait and see what she was up against.

Though, she did hate waiting... Fights like with 17? They were simple, straight forward. She knew who to burn. Though admittedly, it was somewhat thrilling to find an opponent that didn't seem to fear her.​
 
Team OBLIVION

The deaths wouldn't be laid on Shang Tsung's feet. The only thing they were was an annoyance to find their target. "You won't have to worry about me," Shang Tsung remarked to Eleven. "I am quite good at vanishing in a crowd. Nor will you see me try to end your life. As it would be very...counterproductive."

This is what they should have done from the very beginning. Uniting all able bodies ready. Not play the red-haired jesters game. The sooner Shang Tsung could get out of here the better.
Team OBLIVION
"Nor will I see you try to end my life..." The Eleven repeated to himself, setting his drink down upon the bench. "You're right. I've seen what you're capable of. I wouldn't see you if you did try killing me. I'd see myself, wouldn't I?" The Time Lord scoffed. "Let's hope it won't come down to that. In the mean time, you'd be wise to go grab something to eat. The soup is delicious. It's brewed in a factory not far from here. It's a family owned place, but that's besides the point. You'll need to keep your strength up..."
View attachment 9150
"Especially," The Time Lord sung. "If we're going to bust Minister Arcade's head open tomorrow. I believe that one of us called him... SmartCade? Smarcade? It doesn't matter. Come tomorrow, we'll be calling him corpse."

SHANG TSUNG// SHION// PHI// MOLLYMAUK TEALEAF// SUIGETSU HOZUKU// EVIE FRYE// GODBRAND// AKUMA
^ @Jeremi @Atomic Knight @Takumi @Lucky @Space_Candy ^

CIRI// SARUHIKO FUSHIMI// ZORA SALAZAR// EREN JAEGER// ALEXANDER ANDERSON// FORGE// ANDROID 17// THE ELEVEN
^ @Minerva @Ver @Capri @Gummi Bunnies @Crunch ^


Henshaw stood. Arms crossed as the Master chattered away about this and that. Then the focus came back to them. "Our alliance is simple. You do not try to kill me, and I won't attempt to kill you. It would be a waste of energy from both of us." He glared at the Master and then at Marianne. "The more we are the likelier we are to reach Arcade. Agreed?"

@Jeremi @Sark @Yun Lee
Team PRUDENCE/ Marriane
"Ha! Attempt..." The Master chuckled, breaking a biscuit between his fingers. "Adorable. Absolutely adorable. But yes. Not killing each other was a given. I'm all for that. Regenerations are precious, see. Just last month, I was an insufferable blob and scars and flakes. I'd rather not burn myself and go back to that. Survival is the word of the day. As for Arcade..."

He dipped his biscuit into his tea over and over and over.

"Dealing with him is easier said that done. Problem number one: Arcade isn't here, is he? He's not on Planet Albion. He's on Planet Prudence. Judging by the fact that we couldn't spot Albion floating in the skies above Prudence, and the fact that it wasn't mention in our briefing, one can presume that the two planets aren't even in the same system." He kept dipping. "Ergo, Arcade is at least a few hundred thousand light years away, in any given direction. We'd be searching for a microscopic needle in a cosmically large haystack, and that's presuming that we'd even be able to leave this Albion without getting caught in another one of his death traps. I can take a look at the stars tonight and try to get a better idea of our location, but hunting him might not be, as the French say, une perte de notre putain de temps! If I had my TARDIS, we'd be able to track him in a heartbeat, but witho--"

Plop


The Master's biscuit broke in two and slopped into his mug.

"Merde." He groaned, dabbing the flicks of tea from his shirt. "Reaching Arcade... That's not a plan. That's a goal. If we want a one on one meeting with the sod, then we've going to have to find a way to bring Arcade to us. Playing his game is one way to achieve that end. Burning the city to the ground... that's another. Our Teammates seemed to have history with the madman. We could try getting to him through them. We could hold them hostage. We could try blackmailing the man himself..."

"Right now, I'm open to any ideas that end with me returning to the stars. I suspect you'll be happy with any ideas that stop our Sponsors from publishing your secrets... After you went and outed me for mine,"
He added, grimly. "You should consider yourself lucky that I haven't outed you for yours. You should start counting your blessings. Maybe go buy a lottery ticket..."

//Hank Henshaw// The Master// Marianne
@Jeremi @Sark @Yun Lee

"Tch. All day, you were gonna say? That may be so, but I'm on a tight schedule here, so if you don't mind...!" Fushimi exclaimed, letting himself grow impatient in the heat of battle and raising his blade once more, repeatedly bringing down and swinging at Rhodey once more, his swings harder and more aggressive than ever, but consequently just a bit slower than before as well. The sooner he'd be able to create a weak spot, the sooner he'd be able to deal a more significant blow to his enemy!

@Sark @York
Team NEXIUM/PRUDENCE
Rhodey raised his gauntlets to meet Fushimi's sword. The two sheets of steel crashed over and over, clashing like drum sticks before a pounding solo. Rhodey didn't attempt a second quip. He just gritted his teeth and tightened his focus. Just keep parrying.

[Gauntlet structural integrity failing]
Just keep parrying.
[Gauntlet structural integrity failing]
Just keep parrying.
[Gauntlet structural integrity failing]
Just keep parrying.
[Gauntlet structural integrity failing]
Just keep parrying.
[Gauntlet structural integrity failing]
Just keep---

GLANG!

A fizz. A spark. A splat. A scream.
Rhodey stumbled back, clutching this bloody stain where his gauntlet had once sat. His silver glove struck the concrete, a burned half-arm sticking out of its base. His screams were chilling. Haunting. The Soldier, for the first time since deployment, panicked. In a flash of white, his unibeam rippled to life. A flash-bang burst burned Fushimi's retinas. It wasn't enough. He had to retreat. Had to fall back. A metallic canister clattered and clanged at Fushimi's feet. The strength and sting of tear gas douses the swordsman.

The clang of steel boots vanished in the gray. The War Machine was gone, only a repulsor and a trail of blood in his wake.

Ifrit seemed a little irritated her attack didn't outright melt 17 just like that... But on the other hand, she enjoyed the thrill of battle all the same. The feeling of andrenaline surging through her body, overpowering all that pain that she was racked with, and even the hunger that usually overshadowed everything.

On the other hand, seeing that Android 17 was leaving himself open to a strike, she was more surprised than anything, but didn't hesitate to gather more flames at her hands, this time hovering them close together, as a ball of white hot fire began to form.

"Hah...! You're giving me a free shot?! You're gonna reg-..." She stopped suddenly, hearing something even over her roaring flames.

"Hold on! Time out a sec! Someone's coming!" She said, seeming to suddenly stiffen, halting her attack outright as she listened closely.

Her eyes were still mostly focused on 17, watching for his next move, but now... She was made aware of other potential threats in the area. And she was prepared to turn whatever it was to ash.

But she did remember that promise she made back at Rhodes Island, that she wouldn't burn things down without a second thought. That she would at least wait and see what she was up against.

Though, she did hate waiting... Fights like with 17? They were simple, straight forward. She knew who to burn. Though admittedly, it was somewhat thrilling to find an opponent that didn't seem to fear her.
17 rolled his eyes at the lack of any further violence. He plunged his hands deep into his pockets and a rock down the road. A sigh. A scoff.
"You had your chance at doing some real damage…" 17 groaned. "You could have turned things around. Instead, your friend is bleeding out. And you're stuck in a two-against-one brawl... Shame..." The Android yawned. He didn't tired. He didn't need to sleep. It was all part of the show. All part of the game. He joined his fingers and cupped his hands behind his head. "You threw it all away for---"
The pounding of hooves grew louder and louder by the second. Android 17's ears pricked up. Rhodey's fog remained thick. Without another word, he stepped back and vanished into it. As the gas closed in around his augmented eyes, he placed a finger to his lips. He whispered a shush, and beckoned Fushimi to follow him. As soon as he stepped into the haze, his place was taken by the wheels of a speeding carriage.
View attachment 9151
"Curfew breakers! Curfew breakers!" The Militiaman cried, yanking upon the brass bell that hung from his carriage's flank. "Men out after dark! Men out without an escort!"
The pounding of hooves grew louder still. 3 more carriages sped around the corner, sparks flying from their screeching wheels, spit fluttering from their horses' lips. With a neigh and a snap, the militiamen and their horses circled the street faring Conscripts. Six-shooters fired a flurry of shots into the sky, startling their beasts and redoubling their speed.
"Hands on heads!" One of the militiamen howled. "On your knees, traitors! Killers!"

CIRI// SARUHIKO FUSHIMI// ZORA SALAZAR// EREN JAEGER// ALEXANDER ANDERSON// FORGE// ANDROID 17// THE ELEVEN
^ @Minerva @Ver @Capri @Gummi Bunnies @Crunch ^

RAMUDA AMEMURA// YASHAMARU// DANIEL DIAZ// CHASE DAVENPORT// HANK HENSHAW// THE MASTER// JAMES R. RHODES// IFRIT
^ @Takumi @Yun Lee @Atomic Knight @Lucky @Jeremi ^

Josuke couldn’t let Daniel run off on his own, so he followed the boy.

Then, the train came.
“WATCH OUT!!”

Josuke then threw out a bubble, which would steal the train’s ability to move forward.
He felt a tingling sensation from the charged air, nose scrunching at the smell of burnt ozone. He heard the train before he even saw it, and nearly rolled his eyes as he saw the others standing in the lights of the train that definitely shouldn't of been there.

There was a tingling in the back of his head, but he tried to ignore it and turned on the knockoff mic in hand, raising his other to shield his face from the light, he hoped to stay out of the trains path and not get hit by any stray bolts of electricity with what he planned to do.

"Hey, hey, don't just stand there and gawk!
What are the lot o' you a bunch of deer?
Either take action or get your asses back over here!
" He snapped out in agitation. It wasn't his best verse, and he wasn't even sure how effective this knockoff mic was to the real thing, but hopefully it got the intended effect of having the guys jump into action of defending themselves or at least getting out of the trains way. Well, either way he at least got to test out if the thing worked or not.

"And you Mr. Conductor, better hit the breaks and stop, cause unlike you I don't want these guys to drop!" He threw out another verse, unsure if this one would be just as effective or even less so than the first, but figured if it didn't work on the other conscripts then maybe whoever the fuck was driving a train in the sewers could be persuaded by his words.
Team TRAIN
Ramuda's first verse was enough to free his allies from their trances, snapping them back into reality with a nauseating jolt. The sudden shock was enough to send their heads spinning, but it passed a heartbeat later. Even with a counterfeit mic in hand, Ramuda's words were more than enough to liberate Josuke in time for his bubble to take effect.

Or, at least, it took as much effect as it could, given the circumstances.

Half of the train was sealed inside the youth's bubble, its momentum suddenly sapped. The latter half of the train, however, remained outside of his influence. Not only was it outside of his influence, but it was outside of his plane of existence, having just slipped through a flickering portal. By the time it entered into his place and time, the front half of the train was already frozen in place. The two halves crashed together with a deafening boom, breaking Josuke's already shaken focus. Although the train remained frozen a few meters away from the Conscripts, the vehicle, having crashed onto itself, was completely destroyed. Broken glass littered its floors. Carriages were crushed like cans. The door at the front of the train popped off of its hinges. Its driver, deaf to Ramuda's second verse, lied bruised and bleeding, his torso lying half-in and half-out of the train's front window.

RAMUDA AMEMURA// YASHAMARU// DANIEL DIAZ// CHASE DAVENPORT// HANK HENSHAW// THE MASTER// JAMES R. RHODES// IFRIT
^ @Takumi @Yun Lee @Atomic Knight @Lucky @Jeremi ^

MARRIANE VON EDMUND// JOSUKE HIGASHIKATA// DAN KUROTO// AIZAWA SHOTA// MATO KUROI// CONNER KENT// THAAL SINESTRO// JACQUELINE FALSWORTH
 
Team OBLIVION

Shang Tsung smirked as he did a mock bow. "I am but a humble servant in this venture." The Eleven did seem quite delectable. How would a being like him taste I wonder? Finally though the old wizard sat down at the table. "Perhaps you are right. Some food for the soul is what is needed right now."

@Jeremi @Atomic Knight @Takumi @Lucky @Space_Candy @Sark




Team PRUDENCE/ Marriane

"I don't believe even you would be insane enough to reveal my secret." Henshaw remarked with a matter of fact tone to the Master. But he pondered the rogue Time Lords words. Bringing Arcade to them would be the obvious answer to their plight. He was not willing to play Arcade's game to do it though. "Finding the source of power to this planet...the people living here are insignificant. Arcade does not care for them, but the bottom line. Grinding it all to a halt. Perhaps that would cause him some...discomfort."

@Jeremi @Sark @Yun Lee
 

Team OBLIVION
"Nor will I see you try to end my life..." The Eleven repeated to himself, setting his drink down upon the bench. "You're right. I've seen what you're capable of. I wouldn't see you if you did try killing me. I'd see myself, wouldn't I?" The Time Lord scoffed. "Let's hope it won't come down to that. In the mean time, you'd be wise to go grab something to eat. The soup is delicious. It's brewed in a factory not far from here. It's a family owned place, but that's besides the point. You'll need to keep your strength up..."
View attachment 9150
"Especially," The Time Lord sung. "If we're going to bust Minister Arcade's head open tomorrow. I believe that one of us called him... SmartCade? Smarcade? It doesn't matter. Come tomorrow, we'll be calling him corpse."

SHANG TSUNG// SHION// PHI// MOLLYMAUK TEALEAF// SUIGETSU HOZUKU// EVIE FRYE// GODBRAND// AKUMA
^ @Jeremi @Atomic Knight @Takumi @Lucky @Space_Candy ^

CIRI// SARUHIKO FUSHIMI// ZORA SALAZAR// EREN JAEGER// ALEXANDER ANDERSON// FORGE// ANDROID 17// THE ELEVEN
^ @Minerva @Ver @Capri @Gummi Bunnies @Crunch ^



Team PRUDENCE/ Marriane
"Ha! Attempt..." The Master chuckled, breaking a biscuit between his fingers. "Adorable. Absolutely adorable. But yes. Not killing each other was a given. I'm all for that. Regenerations are precious, see. Just last month, I was an insufferable blob and scars and flakes. I'd rather not burn myself and go back to that. Survival is the word of the day. As for Arcade..."

He dipped his biscuit into his tea over and over and over.

"Dealing with him is easier said that done. Problem number one: Arcade isn't here, is he? He's not on Planet Albion. He's on Planet Prudence. Judging by the fact that we couldn't spot Albion floating in the skies above Prudence, and the fact that it wasn't mention in our briefing, one can presume that the two planets aren't even in the same system." He kept dipping. "Ergo, Arcade is at least a few hundred thousand light years away, in any given direction. We'd be searching for a microscopic needle in a cosmically large haystack, and that's presuming that we'd even be able to leave this Albion without getting caught in another one of his death traps. I can take a look at the stars tonight and try to get a better idea of our location, but hunting him might not be, as the French say, une perte de notre putain de temps! If I had my TARDIS, we'd be able to track him in a heartbeat, but witho--"

Plop


The Master's biscuit broke in two and slopped into his mug.

"Merde." He groaned, dabbing the flicks of tea from his shirt. "Reaching Arcade... That's not a plan. That's a goal. If we want a one on one meeting with the sod, then we've going to have to find a way to bring Arcade to us. Playing his game is one way to achieve that end. Burning the city to the ground... that's another. Our Teammates seemed to have history with the madman. We could try getting to him through them. We could hold them hostage. We could try blackmailing the man himself..."

"Right now, I'm open to any ideas that end with me returning to the stars. I suspect you'll be happy with any ideas that stop our Sponsors from publishing your secrets... After you went and outed me for mine,"
He added, grimly. "You should consider yourself lucky that I haven't outed you for yours. You should start counting your blessings. Maybe go buy a lottery ticket..."

//Hank Henshaw// The Master// Marianne
@Jeremi @Sark @Yun Lee


Team NEXIUM/PRUDENCE
Rhodey raised his gauntlets to meet Fushimi's sword. The two sheets of steel crashed over and over, clashing like drum sticks before a pounding solo. Rhodey didn't attempt a second quip. He just gritted his teeth and tightened his focus. Just keep parrying.

[Gauntlet structural integrity failing]
Just keep parrying.
[Gauntlet structural integrity failing]
Just keep parrying.
[Gauntlet structural integrity failing]
Just keep parrying.
[Gauntlet structural integrity failing]
Just keep parrying.
[Gauntlet structural integrity failing]
Just keep---

GLANG!

A fizz. A spark. A splat. A scream.
Rhodey stumbled back, clutching this bloody stain where his gauntlet had once sat. His silver glove struck the concrete, a burned half-arm sticking out of its base. His screams were chilling. Haunting. The Soldier, for the first time since deployment, panicked. In a flash of white, his unibeam rippled to life. A flash-bang burst burned Fushimi's retinas. It wasn't enough. He had to retreat. Had to fall back. A metallic canister clattered and clanged at Fushimi's feet. The strength and sting of tear gas douses the swordsman.

The clang of steel boots vanished in the gray. The War Machine was gone, only a repulsor and a trail of blood in his wake.


17 rolled his eyes at the lack of any further violence. He plunged his hands deep into his pockets and a rock down the road. A sigh. A scoff.
"You had your chance at doing some real damage…" 17 groaned. "You could have turned things around. Instead, your friend is bleeding out. And you're stuck in a two-against-one brawl... Shame..." The Android yawned. He didn't tired. He didn't need to sleep. It was all part of the show. All part of the game. He joined his fingers and cupped his hands behind his head. "You threw it all away for---"
The pounding of hooves grew louder and louder by the second. Android 17's ears pricked up. Rhodey's fog remained thick. Without another word, he stepped back and vanished into it. As the gas closed in around his augmented eyes, he placed a finger to his lips. He whispered a shush, and beckoned Fushimi to follow him. As soon as he stepped into the haze, his place was taken by the wheels of a speeding carriage.
View attachment 9151
"Curfew breakers! Curfew breakers!" The Militiaman cried, yanking upon the brass bell that hung from his carriage's flank. "Men out after dark! Men out without an escort!"
The pounding of hooves grew louder still. 3 more carriages sped around the corner, sparks flying from their screeching wheels, spit fluttering from their horses' lips. With a neigh and a snap, the militiamen and their horses circled the street faring Conscripts. Six-shooters fired a flurry of shots into the sky, startling their beasts and redoubling their speed.
"Hands on heads!" One of the militiamen howled. "On your knees, traitors! Killers!"

CIRI// SARUHIKO FUSHIMI// ZORA SALAZAR// EREN JAEGER// ALEXANDER ANDERSON// FORGE// ANDROID 17// THE ELEVEN
^ @Minerva @Ver @Capri @Gummi Bunnies @Crunch ^

RAMUDA AMEMURA// YASHAMARU// DANIEL DIAZ// CHASE DAVENPORT// HANK HENSHAW// THE MASTER// JAMES R. RHODES// IFRIT
^ @Takumi @Yun Lee @Atomic Knight @Lucky @Jeremi ^



Team TRAIN
Ramuda's first verse was enough to free his allies from their trances, snapping them back into reality with a nauseating jolt. The sudden shock was enough to send their heads spinning, but it passed a heartbeat later. Even with a counterfeit mic in hand, Ramuda's words were more than enough to liberate Josuke in time for his bubble to take effect.

Or, at least, it took as much effect as it could, given the circumstances.

Half of the train was sealed inside the youth's bubble, its momentum suddenly sapped. The latter half of the train, however, remained outside of his influence. Not only was it outside of his influence, but it was outside of his plane of existence, having just slipped through a flickering portal. By the time it entered into his place and time, the front half of the train was already frozen in place. The two halves crashed together with a deafening boom, breaking Josuke's already shaken focus. Although the train remained frozen a few meters away from the Conscripts, the vehicle, having crashed onto itself, was completely destroyed. Broken glass littered its floors. Carriages were crushed like cans. The door at the front of the train popped off of its hinges. Its driver, deaf to Ramuda's second verse, lied bruised and bleeding, his torso lying half-in and half-out of the train's front window.

RAMUDA AMEMURA// YASHAMARU// DANIEL DIAZ// CHASE DAVENPORT// HANK HENSHAW// THE MASTER// JAMES R. RHODES// IFRIT
^ @Takumi @Yun Lee @Atomic Knight @Lucky @Jeremi ^

MARRIANE VON EDMUND// JOSUKE HIGASHIKATA// DAN KUROTO// AIZAWA SHOTA// MATO KUROI// CONNER KENT// THAAL SINESTRO// JACQUELINE FALSWORTH

"Phew! Now that that's all done..." With a sigh and brushing dust off his clothes, Ramuda was glad that at least his first verse had worked. Not even caring about the conductor right now, he marched right to Daniel and reached out to grab the boy by his shirt front.

3060c5f48bb48d7529cdb18edf6529918c8a9ee6.jpg


"Quit running off all of a sudden! What was your plan, huh? Wander the sewers until you get to the surface and ask the people who don't even want us here if they've even seen your brother? You wanna find your brother? Can't do that if you're fucking dead, now can you? No? Yeah, I don't think so! Stick with the pack and you might just last longer without getting the people who are trying to keep you safe from nearly getting killed!" He spoke angrily, a scowl present on his features as he scolded the boy.

'Brat.' he thought angrily as he narrowed his eyes at the boy before letting him go. With that out of the way, he turned to the conductor.

"Hey, you still breathing over there, you wacko?" He huffed, cupping a hand over his mouth as he spoke, trying to get the man's attention if he was even still alive.

"If you are, I hope you have enough life left in you to answer some questions." He added.

@Sark @Capri @Atomic Knight @Yun Lee @Lucky @Team Prudence

Shion let the two talk, watching them both quietly as he kept an eye on Evie every so often. His gaze landed on The Eleven when he mentioned the Prime Minister being named Arcade.

"Ah, so he's the Prime Minister? Interesting. Am I right to assume that the others are also in high positions of some sort?" He asked loud enough for only those at their table to hear.

@Sark @Lucky @Jeremi @Atomic Knight @Team Oblivion
 
JOSUKE HIGASHIKATA
@Sark @Takumi @Atomic Knight @Yun Lee @Lucky @Team Train

"Calm down!" Josuke yelled at Ramuda, "He should be more careful, I agree, but that doesn't mean you can yell at him! He's just a boy!"

He turned to Daniel, his face softening.

"You alright?" he asked.​

The pinkette blinked at being yelled at, before glancing to Josuke from the corner of his eye, contemplating him for a moment.

Crunch. Lollipop gone, he chewed on the stick for a second or two, a flicker of something in his eyes.

"Tch, yeah okay, whatever." Ramuda scoffed under his breath with a glowering pout as he turned away and tried to get a look at the conductor without touching the man.

"Heyyyy Mr. Conductoooorr. Can you hear me? You dead?" He called, listening for any signs of life from him. If not then he'd turn off the counterfeit mic and put it away before bouncing back over to Yashamaru, specifically. From there he'd tug on the man's sleeve.

"Hey hey, why don't we go back and let the others know to be extra careful in these sewers, yeah? Besides, I dunno what was up with y'all standing around in front of that train like that, but I don't wanna stick around too long." He suggested, rocking back and forth on his heels as he did so.

@Sark @Yun Lee @Capri @Atomic Knight @Lucky @Team Train
 
"Then why aren't you still with him?!" Daniel yelled at Chase. He had tried to get away from the others, though had not been fast enough to get away from him. He had rounded on Chase, still caught up in his motions and anger, not realizing as the train suddenly barreled down upon them. When he caught sight of the lights, anger and feeling ebbed out of Daniel and he stood, staring forward into the light. Daniel felt nothing.

... When next Daniel realized, there was a horrid sound of metal crashing upon metal. Before him was fire and death, so sudden upon Daniel's senses that he wasn't sure if he was dreaming or not. He did not move or say a thing until Ramuda grabbed him by the shirt, breaking him out of his second stupor.

Ramuda's words hit him like a slap across the face, stinging somehow even more than the Master's did. That was not my plan, Daniel wanted to say, but he was shamed into silence by Ramuda. There hadn't been a plan at all. He took every word, feeling equal parts shame and anger. When Ramuda turned away, a stray sudden thought of lashing out and throwing the pink-haired boy against the train crossed his mind, though Daniel managed to clench his fists and put the thought away. The Master's horrible words echoed through his head, taunting him for even having such an idea.

He eventually turned to Josuke, looking overall a bit shell-shocked. "... Yes, I'm okay," he said. "What... W-What happened?" He gestured to the train and the conductor.

@Sark @Takumi @Capri @Yun Lee @Lucky @Train



"The Prime Minister," Phi groaned, rubbing at her temples. "And a Jack the Ripper copycat? This is really something else." Questions upon questions with no answer in sight. She had some ideas about what could be happening but no solid evidence to back anything up. She wanted to declare that they should defy the game and play by their own rules, but the vision she had received kept her at bay. Rught now, she saw no solution beyond what the Eleven suggested.

@Sark @Jeremi @Takumi @Lucky @Space_Candy @TeamOblivion
 

Team OBLIVION
"Nor will I see you try to end my life..." The Eleven repeated to himself, setting his drink down upon the bench. "You're right. I've seen what you're capable of. I wouldn't see you if you did try killing me. I'd see myself, wouldn't I?" The Time Lord scoffed. "Let's hope it won't come down to that. In the mean time, you'd be wise to go grab something to eat. The soup is delicious. It's brewed in a factory not far from here. It's a family owned place, but that's besides the point. You'll need to keep your strength up..."
View attachment 9150
"Especially," The Time Lord sung. "If we're going to bust Minister Arcade's head open tomorrow. I believe that one of us called him... SmartCade? Smarcade? It doesn't matter. Come tomorrow, we'll be calling him corpse."

SHANG TSUNG// SHION// PHI// MOLLYMAUK TEALEAF// SUIGETSU HOZUKU// EVIE FRYE// GODBRAND// AKUMA
^ @Jeremi @Atomic Knight @Takumi @Lucky @Space_Candy ^

CIRI// SARUHIKO FUSHIMI// ZORA SALAZAR// EREN JAEGER// ALEXANDER ANDERSON// FORGE// ANDROID 17// THE ELEVEN
^ @Minerva @Ver @Capri @Gummi Bunnies @Crunch ^



Team PRUDENCE/ Marriane
"Ha! Attempt..." The Master chuckled, breaking a biscuit between his fingers. "Adorable. Absolutely adorable. But yes. Not killing each other was a given. I'm all for that. Regenerations are precious, see. Just last month, I was an insufferable blob and scars and flakes. I'd rather not burn myself and go back to that. Survival is the word of the day. As for Arcade..."

He dipped his biscuit into his tea over and over and over.

"Dealing with him is easier said that done. Problem number one: Arcade isn't here, is he? He's not on Planet Albion. He's on Planet Prudence. Judging by the fact that we couldn't spot Albion floating in the skies above Prudence, and the fact that it wasn't mention in our briefing, one can presume that the two planets aren't even in the same system." He kept dipping. "Ergo, Arcade is at least a few hundred thousand light years away, in any given direction. We'd be searching for a microscopic needle in a cosmically large haystack, and that's presuming that we'd even be able to leave this Albion without getting caught in another one of his death traps. I can take a look at the stars tonight and try to get a better idea of our location, but hunting him might not be, as the French say, une perte de notre putain de temps! If I had my TARDIS, we'd be able to track him in a heartbeat, but witho--"

Plop


The Master's biscuit broke in two and slopped into his mug.

"Merde." He groaned, dabbing the flicks of tea from his shirt. "Reaching Arcade... That's not a plan. That's a goal. If we want a one on one meeting with the sod, then we've going to have to find a way to bring Arcade to us. Playing his game is one way to achieve that end. Burning the city to the ground... that's another. Our Teammates seemed to have history with the madman. We could try getting to him through them. We could hold them hostage. We could try blackmailing the man himself..."

"Right now, I'm open to any ideas that end with me returning to the stars. I suspect you'll be happy with any ideas that stop our Sponsors from publishing your secrets... After you went and outed me for mine,"
He added, grimly. "You should consider yourself lucky that I haven't outed you for yours. You should start counting your blessings. Maybe go buy a lottery ticket..."

//Hank Henshaw// The Master// Marianne
@Jeremi @Sark @Yun Lee


Team NEXIUM/PRUDENCE
Rhodey raised his gauntlets to meet Fushimi's sword. The two sheets of steel crashed over and over, clashing like drum sticks before a pounding solo. Rhodey didn't attempt a second quip. He just gritted his teeth and tightened his focus. Just keep parrying.

[Gauntlet structural integrity failing]
Just keep parrying.
[Gauntlet structural integrity failing]
Just keep parrying.
[Gauntlet structural integrity failing]
Just keep parrying.
[Gauntlet structural integrity failing]
Just keep parrying.
[Gauntlet structural integrity failing]
Just keep---

GLANG!

A fizz. A spark. A splat. A scream.
Rhodey stumbled back, clutching this bloody stain where his gauntlet had once sat. His silver glove struck the concrete, a burned half-arm sticking out of its base. His screams were chilling. Haunting. The Soldier, for the first time since deployment, panicked. In a flash of white, his unibeam rippled to life. A flash-bang burst burned Fushimi's retinas. It wasn't enough. He had to retreat. Had to fall back. A metallic canister clattered and clanged at Fushimi's feet. The strength and sting of tear gas douses the swordsman.

The clang of steel boots vanished in the gray. The War Machine was gone, only a repulsor and a trail of blood in his wake.


17 rolled his eyes at the lack of any further violence. He plunged his hands deep into his pockets and a rock down the road. A sigh. A scoff.
"You had your chance at doing some real damage…" 17 groaned. "You could have turned things around. Instead, your friend is bleeding out. And you're stuck in a two-against-one brawl... Shame..." The Android yawned. He didn't tired. He didn't need to sleep. It was all part of the show. All part of the game. He joined his fingers and cupped his hands behind his head. "You threw it all away for---"
The pounding of hooves grew louder and louder by the second. Android 17's ears pricked up. Rhodey's fog remained thick. Without another word, he stepped back and vanished into it. As the gas closed in around his augmented eyes, he placed a finger to his lips. He whispered a shush, and beckoned Fushimi to follow him. As soon as he stepped into the haze, his place was taken by the wheels of a speeding carriage.
View attachment 9151
"Curfew breakers! Curfew breakers!" The Militiaman cried, yanking upon the brass bell that hung from his carriage's flank. "Men out after dark! Men out without an escort!"
The pounding of hooves grew louder still. 3 more carriages sped around the corner, sparks flying from their screeching wheels, spit fluttering from their horses' lips. With a neigh and a snap, the militiamen and their horses circled the street faring Conscripts. Six-shooters fired a flurry of shots into the sky, startling their beasts and redoubling their speed.
"Hands on heads!" One of the militiamen howled. "On your knees, traitors! Killers!"

CIRI// SARUHIKO FUSHIMI// ZORA SALAZAR// EREN JAEGER// ALEXANDER ANDERSON// FORGE// ANDROID 17// THE ELEVEN
^ @Minerva @Ver @Capri @Gummi Bunnies @Crunch ^

RAMUDA AMEMURA// YASHAMARU// DANIEL DIAZ// CHASE DAVENPORT// HANK HENSHAW// THE MASTER// JAMES R. RHODES// IFRIT
^ @Takumi @Yun Lee @Atomic Knight @Lucky @Jeremi ^


Ifrit
@Sark @Ver @Yun Lee @Others?

Ifrit seemed to get a little angry herself seeing 17 brush off what she said. At least until he too heard the sounds of hooves, and she fell into silence herself, nodding too before she quickly extinguished her own flames, hoping to disappear in the smoke Rhodey left behind.

As she fled, she stopped briefly at the spot where she suspected Rhodey left a Repulsor, sweeping a hand amongst the ground to see if she could pick it up, even with little visibility.

Despite the show she had put on, her body wasn't quite holding up like it used to. Probably the lack of food, water, and overall a break setting in, but seeing the fear 17 had of those hooves, she hoped to be well away from the area as well before the source were upon them.

Through the smoke, she could at least catch glimpses, and the sounds of the men at the reins.

She wasn't about to make the same mistakes she used to in combat.

Explosions, mayhem, carelessness. She liked all three of those things, but a certain Doctor had tried his best to teach her not to get lost in them. Not to lose to that thing that keeps egging her on.

She managed to resist the temptation to blow up the sewers after all, she could keep going like this... Or so she thought.​
 
COTAIII: DAY TWO, MORNING
CHAPTER 2:
Fluctuations, as Forewarned
View attachment 9162
Sunlight cut through the night's haze like a knife cuts through butter, dragging you out of your wrestles slumber. Even those who might have considered themselves incapable of sleeping had found themselves waking with a start. Nightmares had besieged your senses all night. Horrific images. Repressed memories. They were impossible to contain. Impossible to order. You breathed deeply, doing your best to process what you had witnessed:
A Stirring Memory: NEXIUM, PRUDENCE, DEAD HEARTS
"This has gone on long enough..." Conner growled, the color draining from his face. He slammed his lunch tray down upon his bench and shot a blazing glare into nearest Warden Drone's visual sensor. "You're not taking Sean. For God's sake, he's just a kid! You can't have him!"
"You're going to get yourself killed..." Sinestro hummed bluntly, enduring another spoonful of the grey slop that filled his bowl. "You don't have your powers..."
"I don't care!" The Kryptonian snapped. "This is the line I'm drawing! This is the hill I'm standing on!" Conner leaped up from his seat, tray in hand. His eyes fell upon the scared, young boy, being led towards the Prison's gates by two, three legged mechanical turrets. "Aren't you listening? Let him go!" The cries of his contemporaries started to rise. The rest of the prisoners were starting to stamp and curse. The Warden Drones eyes them with caution and, perhaps, a hint of unprogrammed fear.
[Cease rioting!] The Warden Drone beeped. [Prisoner 136 has been selected. This course cannot be altered. Failure to comply with a direct, lawful order issued by a Warden Drone will result in your immediate execution. This riot will be suppressed with force unless you immediately---]
TWAG!
A lunch try rippled off of the drone's hull. It turned its mounted turret to face its attacker. The Eleven hurled another tray in its direction. And another. And another. The Prisoners weren't going to complain about the sudden loss of their bi-daily slop-feed. The gray slime barely enough to take the edge off of their hunger pains. Watching it drip down the Warden's armored hide was much more satisfying.
[Cease rioting!]
Another lunch tray struck its hull. The Eleven's laugher roared above those of his fellow prisoners.
[Cease rioting!]
"What are you going to do? Kill me?" The Time Lord chirped, tossing a bowl. "Kill all of us? Can't have a prison without prisoners, can you?"
[Cease ri--]
Another bowl.
"You can't kill us!" He sung his taunts as if he were still in the schoolyard. "You can't kill us!"
[Final Warning!]
"You can't kill us! Nah-nee nah-nee nah-nah--"
[Final Warning ignored. Suppressing!]
The Eleven threw his arms wide, anticipate a ray of heat to be launched in his direction. A grin was spread across his cheeks. He closed his eyes. He heard the Warden's laser sound. But he felt no pain. The Prisoner fell silent. The Eleven slowly opened his eyes, his joy fading. Confusion took its place.
[You have all overestimated your expendability.]
The Warden turned away from Prisoners and drifted back towards the gate.
[Selections will resume within the hour. There will be no resistance next time.]
Conner uncoiled his fists. He felt his shoulders slump, as if all the life and spirt had been drained from his body. He stared down upon the fruits of the 'revolution' he had started: the smoking remains of a child, cradled in the trembling arms of his younger brother.
He wanted to say something to comfort him. To help him. Heal him. But he had no words left to say. The were no hymns or verses that could help him now. Daniel Diaz's brother was dead. It was a blow that could neither be eased nor softened.
A Stirring Memory: OBLIVION
Evie's body struck the training man for the twelfth time, her head still spinning from her last take-down. K didn't even stop to give her so much as a second look. Instead, he simply sighed, and prepared himself for Godbrand made his sixtieth approach. He disarmed the Vampire with the same technique that had disarmed him of his fourth, ninth and eleventh approaches. K swept the Godbrand's legs out from under him and watched him fall atop Evie. Content with their defeat, he stepped away from his unwitting agents and lowered his stance for the twentieth time.
"Again." He muttered. His agents replied with a chorus of groans and grimaces. "We're going to do this again and again and again until you get it right."
"How many more times, eh?" Godbrand hissed, popping his shoulder back into place and picking his axe up off of the floor. "How much more time are we gonna waste? Arcade is just a human. A fleshly, squishy, mortal. I've killed plenty of his kind in my time. Killing him won't be any harder than--"
"In case you have forgotten, Godbrand, I, too, am a fleshy, squish mortal." K replied bluntly. "I am a fleshy, squish mortal, who is capable of knocking you on to your knees over and over and over again. Until you can defeat me I shan't be content to let you walk out of here. Failing to defeat Arcade during your first encounter will no doubt result in you getting thrown into another one of his damn arenas. Unless you can safely navigate such a peril and, more importantly, survive said arena, all your training will have been for naught. So, unless you want me to tell the world what you did... get up and try again!" His temper slipping, K unsheathed is cutlass and performed a wide, elegant swish. "I shan't hold back any longer!"
A Stirring Memory: MARIANNE
"Hey... Hey wake up..." A hand lightly slapped the girl's cheek, leaving a dusty handprint upon her face. "Mari, we can't stay here any longer..."
View attachment 9155
"Unless you wanna be monster chow, we've gotta keep moving. Come on... lemme help you up... That thing is gonna be here soon... the odds won't exactly be in our favor if we're here to arrive." Dice's hand met hers. He pulled her to her feet and offered her a smile. "Good Morning, and welcome to another beautiful day in District Z... The Temperature: Cold. The Sun: Still can't see it shine through all the sky-buildings. The Weather: Non existent. It's still not the vacation I had in mind, but at least the company is worth the price of admission..."

@Yun Lee
____________________________________________________________________________

Team OBLIVION

Shang Tsung smirked as he did a mock bow. "I am but a humble servant in this venture." The Eleven did seem quite delectable. How would a being like him taste I wonder? Finally though the old wizard sat down at the table. "Perhaps you are right. Some food for the soul is what is needed right now."
"The Prime Minister," Phi groaned, rubbing at her temples. "And a Jack the Ripper copycat? This is really something else." Questions upon questions with no answer in sight. She had some ideas about what could be happening but no solid evidence to back anything up. She wanted to declare that they should defy the game and play by their own rules, but the vision she had received kept her at bay. Rught now, she saw no solution beyond what the Eleven suggested.

Shion let the two talk, watching them both quietly as he kept an eye on Evie every so often. His gaze landed on The Eleven when he mentioned the Prime Minister being named Arcade.

"Ah, so he's the Prime Minister? Interesting. Am I right to assume that the others are also in high positions of some sort?" He asked loud enough for only those at their table to hear.
Team OBLIVION/ NEXIUM SCOUTS
A crow crowed. A whistle was blown. The Night's curfew was at an end. Already, Planet Albion's shuffling workers were going about their morning duty. The Sun had barely peaked its head out from behind the Cathedral's bell tower, and the morning was already too loud to sleep through. You made your way back downstairs, back into the Pub. There, the Eleven sat, exactly where you had left him, still nursing the same room-temperature beer he had been the night before. "Morning, sleepy heads..." He mumbled, returning his medical scanner to his bag. "Breakfast is on the table. I hope you don't mind soup. It's all they seem to serve here. Soup, soup, soup and more soup." He sighed, flicking the side of his own, empty bowl. "I'd don't know about you, but I had my fill of tasteless slop in prison..."
View attachment 9156
"Let's get going, shall we? As dramatic as it is, for a group of rogues to be operating out of a Pub, I'd rather not come crawling back here tomorrow..." The Eleven groaned, massaging his temples. "To answer your question, Mr. Shion, we don't know where the others are. Killing one Arcade is a start. Perhaps it'll be enough to scare off the rest... Or perhaps, destroy them... But that's a theory for another day. So, now that Mr. Frye is on his feet, lets--"

You felt something shiver down your spine. Something was wrong. Mister Frye. It wasn't right. It's didn't sound right. It didn't sit on your tongue right. It wasn't rights. Some wasn't--

No.
Everything was fine.
Everything is fine.
Everything.
You felt strange for a moment, but that moment passed. Mr. Frye had been with you from the start. He had always been there, ever since the fight at the fountain. He had saved your lives. He distracted your foes at a pivotal moment. He was part of your Team. He was part of the gang. Loyal. Noble. A little reckless, perhaps, but invaluable nonetheless. Most importantly, he had been present since the game began. He had been present from the start. He had always been present, and you were foolish to have thought otherwise. What a strange daydream! To have imagined Jacob to have been a woman... Sigmund Freud would have something to say about that, no doubt. The daydream was already fading. Trying to remember it was like trying to catch smoke between your fingers. Mister Frye. It was a normal name. It sat nicely upon your tongue. It felt right. It was right. There never was an 'Evie Frye'. She was nothing more than a figment of your imagination. A figment, a phantom, that you couldn't quite--
Everything was fine.
What was her name again? It didn't matter. She wasn't real.
Everything was fine.
"Hey, hey!" The Eleven snapped his fingers a half dozen times, a few inches from your faces. "Focus! Focus! Everybody fo-cus!"
"Don't get ya knickers in a twist, Eleven..." Jacob scoffed, setting his drink back down upon the table. "We'll get the job done. I'll rally some boys from the pub, bring 'em down down to the chapel and cause a scene. Once the toff's security's is distraction, you can all move in and end the PM's term early. You follow?"
"That is not my--"
"Good!" Jacob smirked, setting his hat back atop his head. "Then we're in agreement?"
View attachment 9158
"Unless some thinks they have a better plan, I think we're set..."

SHANG TSUNG// SHION// PHI// MOLLYMAUK TEALEAF// SUIGETSU HOZUKU// EVIE FRYE// GODBRAND// AKUMA
^ @Jeremi @Atomic Knight @Takumi @Lucky @Space_Candy ^

CIRI// SARUHIKO FUSHIMI// ZORA SALAZAR// EREN JAEGER// ALEXANDER ANDERSON// FORGE// ANDROID 17// THE ELEVEN
^ @Minerva @Ver @Capri @Gummi Bunnies @Crunch ^

"I don't believe even you would be insane enough to reveal my secret." Henshaw remarked with a matter of fact tone to the Master. But he pondered the rogue Time Lords words. Bringing Arcade to them would be the obvious answer to their plight. He was not willing to play Arcade's game to do it though. "Finding the source of power to this planet...the people living here are insignificant. Arcade does not care for them, but the bottom line. Grinding it all to a halt. Perhaps that would cause him some...discomfort."
Team PRUDENCE/Marianne
"Hello, you!" The Master swanned down the from the Cafe's roof at first light, an empty canister of tea on hand and a detailed, hand-drawn star map in the other. Even for his usual, post regeneration self, the Master was remarkably chipper. He folded up his map and set it popped it inside his jacket. "How were the dreams? Sweet, I hope? Didn't get any visions of a child's death in prison? No?"
View attachment 9159
"Wonderful!" He sat himself back down at the Cyborg's booth. "Now, where were we? Oh. Yes. We were planning on burning this insignificant rock down to its core!" He chirped a little too loudly. "I did some snooping last night. Although most of the locals would have us ousted, lest we steal their precocious jobs, the cafe's owner was more than happy to have a couple is thick skulled, fat pursed tourists wandering about the place." A smirk tickled the corner of his mouth. "According to him, the city is powered entirely by gas. From the lights to the airships, they're all fueled or refueled by a series of underground has pipes.... just like the one I blew up just yesterday. One, small pipe explosion was enough to knock you off of your feet and turn a street into a crater. If we could reach the central fueling station we could depower a whole district... or collapse half the city.

"What to do? Decisions decisions! We can decide when we get there."
The Master slapped the table. "All we have to do is head back underground and follow the lights! We'll be there before you can say 'boom'!"

//Hank Henshaw// The Master// Marianne
@Jeremi @Sark @Yun Lee


"Phew! Now that that's all done..." With a sigh and brushing dust off his clothes, Ramuda was glad that at least his first verse had worked. Not even caring about the conductor right now, he marched right to Daniel and reached out to grab the boy by his shirt front.

"Quit running off all of a sudden! What was your plan, huh? Wander the sewers until you get to the surface and ask the people who don't even want us here if they've even seen your brother? You wanna find your brother? Can't do that if you're fucking dead, now can you? No? Yeah, I don't think so! Stick with the pack and you might just last longer without getting the people who are trying to keep you safe from nearly getting killed!" He spoke angrily, a scowl present on his features as he scolded the boy.

'Brat.' he thought angrily as he narrowed his eyes at the boy before letting him go. With that out of the way, he turned to the conductor.

"Hey, you still breathing over there, you wacko?" He huffed, cupping a hand over his mouth as he spoke, trying to get the man's attention if he was even still alive.

"If you are, I hope you have enough life left in you to answer some questions." He added.
"Calm down!" Josuke yelled at Ramuda, "He should be more careful, I agree, but that doesn't mean you can yell at him! He's just a boy!"

He turned to Daniel, his face softening.

"You alright?" he asked.

Ramuda's words hit him like a slap across the face, stinging somehow even more than the Master's did. That was not my plan, Daniel wanted to say, but he was shamed into silence by Ramuda. There hadn't been a plan at all. He took every word, feeling equal parts shame and anger. When Ramuda turned away, a stray sudden thought of lashing out and throwing the pink-haired boy against the train crossed his mind, though Daniel managed to clench his fists and put the thought away. The Master's horrible words echoed through his head, taunting him for even having such an idea.

He eventually turned to Josuke, looking overall a bit shell-shocked. "... Yes, I'm okay," he said. "What... W-What happened?" He gestured to the train and the conductor.
Team Train/DEAD HEARTS
"I agree with the Pink One!" Sinestro snapped, emerging from a nearby tunnel, a barely conscious Spitfire in tow. "We've been marching through miles upon miles of god only knows what, through seemingly endless, identical pipes just to make sure that you didn't bugger off and get yourselves killed!" Thaal strutted across the sewer a stood by Ramuda's size, sizing up Josuke in turn.
View attachment 9160
"The Boy's age does not absolve him from his stupidity!" He growled. "Were it not for my proverbial trail of bread crumbs, you would no doubt be trapped down here, without food, clean water or fresh air! And for what? So that you might humor a child in his temper tantrum?"
View attachment 9161
"Alright, alright..." Spitfire mediated. "Let's all take a deep breath... Let's all relax..." She raised her hands in peace, placing herself between the pair. "Let's focus on trying to answer the kid's question: What did happen here?"

"Heyyyy Mr. Conductoooorr. Can you hear me? You dead?" He called, listening for any signs of life from him. If not then he'd turn off the counterfeit mic and put it away before bouncing back over to Yashamaru, specifically. From there he'd tug on the man's sleeve.

"Hey hey, why don't we go back and let the others know to be extra careful in these sewers, yeah? Besides, I dunno what was up with y'all standing around in front of that train like that, but I don't wanna stick around too long." He suggested, rocking back and forth on his heels as he did so.
The Conductor didn't respond. Though not entirely lifeless, the Conductor was far from responsive. His eyes were wide and glassy. His breathes were slow and jittery. His fingers twitched rhythmically. The man was concussed and in shock, but very much alive. Beyond his minor head injury, the elderly man was more or less in one piece, which was more than could be said for his train. Looking through its broken windows would reveal a clear path from one end of the wreck to the other. A cold, blue light burned at the end of the tunnel, fading and reigniting from one second to the next.

RAMUDA AMEMURA// YASHAMARU// DANIEL DIAZ// CHASE DAVENPORT// HANK HENSHAW// THE MASTER// JAMES R. RHODES// IFRIT
^ @Takumi @Yun Lee @Atomic Knight @Lucky @Jeremi ^

MARRIANE VON EDMUND// JOSUKE HIGASHIKATA// DAN KUROTO// AIZAWA SHOTA// MATO KUROI// CONNER KENT// THAAL SINESTRO// JACQUELINE FALSWORTH
 
COTAIII: DAY TWO, MORNING
CHAPTER 2:
Fluctuations, as Forewarned
View attachment 9162
Sunlight cut through the night's haze like a knife cuts through butter, dragging you out of your wrestles slumber. Even those who might have considered themselves incapable of sleeping had found themselves waking with a start. Nightmares had besieged your senses all night. Horrific images. Repressed memories. They were impossible to contain. Impossible to order. You breathed deeply, doing your best to process what you had witnessed:
A Stirring Memory: NEXIUM, PRUDENCE, DEAD HEARTS
"This has gone on long enough..." Conner growled, the color draining from his face. He slammed his lunch tray down upon his bench and shot a blazing glare into nearest Warden Drone's visual sensor. "You're not taking Sean. For God's sake, he's just a kid! You can't have him!"
"You're going to get yourself killed..." Sinestro hummed bluntly, enduring another spoonful of the grey slop that filled his bowl. "You don't have your powers..."
"I don't care!" The Kryptonian snapped. "This is the line I'm drawing! This is the hill I'm standing on!" Conner leaped up from his seat, tray in hand. His eyes fell upon the scared, young boy, being led towards the Prison's gates by two, three legged mechanical turrets. "Aren't you listening? Let him go!" The cries of his contemporaries started to rise. The rest of the prisoners were starting to stamp and curse. The Warden Drones eyes them with caution and, perhaps, a hint of unprogrammed fear.
[Cease rioting!] The Warden Drone beeped. [Prisoner 136 has been selected. This course cannot be altered. Failure to comply with a direct, lawful order issued by a Warden Drone will result in your immediate execution. This riot will be suppressed with force unless you immediately---]
TWAG!
A lunch try rippled off of the drone's hull. It turned its mounted turret to face its attacker. The Eleven hurled another tray in its direction. And another. And another. The Prisoners weren't going to complain about the sudden loss of their bi-daily slop-feed. The gray slime barely enough to take the edge off of their hunger pains. Watching it drip down the Warden's armored hide was much more satisfying.
[Cease rioting!]
Another lunch tray struck its hull. The Eleven's laugher roared above those of his fellow prisoners.
[Cease rioting!]
"What are you going to do? Kill me?" The Time Lord chirped, tossing a bowl. "Kill all of us? Can't have a prison without prisoners, can you?"
[Cease ri--]
Another bowl.
"You can't kill us!" He sung his taunts as if he were still in the schoolyard. "You can't kill us!"
[Final Warning!]
"You can't kill us! Nah-nee nah-nee nah-nah--"
[Final Warning ignored. Suppressing!]
The Eleven threw his arms wide, anticipate a ray of heat to be launched in his direction. A grin was spread across his cheeks. He closed his eyes. He heard the Warden's laser sound. But he felt no pain. The Prisoner fell silent. The Eleven slowly opened his eyes, his joy fading. Confusion took its place.
[You have all overestimated your expendability.]
The Warden turned away from Prisoners and drifted back towards the gate.
[Selections will resume within the hour. There will be no resistance next time.]
Conner uncoiled his fists. He felt his shoulders slump, as if all the life and spirt had been drained from his body. He stared down upon the fruits of the 'revolution' he had started: the smoking remains of a child, cradled in the trembling arms of his younger brother.
He wanted to say something to comfort him. To help him. Heal him. But he had no words left to say. The were no hymns or verses that could help him now. Daniel Diaz's brother was dead. It was a blow that could neither be eased nor softened.
A Stirring Memory: OBLIVION
Evie's body struck the training man for the twelfth time, her head still spinning from her last take-down. K didn't even stop to give her so much as a second look. Instead, he simply sighed, and prepared himself for Godbrand made his sixtieth approach. He disarmed the Vampire with the same technique that had disarmed him of his fourth, ninth and eleventh approaches. K swept the Godbrand's legs out from under him and watched him fall atop Evie. Content with their defeat, he stepped away from his unwitting agents and lowered his stance for the twentieth time.
"Again." He muttered. His agents replied with a chorus of groans and grimaces. "We're going to do this again and again and again until you get it right."
"How many more times, eh?" Godbrand hissed, popping his shoulder back into place and picking his axe up off of the floor. "How much more time are we gonna waste? Arcade is just a human. A fleshly, squishy, mortal. I've killed plenty of his kind in my time. Killing him won't be any harder than--"
"In case you have forgotten, Godbrand, I, too, am a fleshy, squish mortal." K replied bluntly. "I am a fleshy, squish mortal, who is capable of knocking you on to your knees over and over and over again. Until you can defeat me I shan't be content to let you walk out of here. Failing to defeat Arcade during your first encounter will no doubt result in you getting thrown into another one of his damn arenas. Unless you can safely navigate such a peril and, more importantly, survive said arena, all your training will have been for naught. So, unless you want me to tell the world what you did... get up and try again!" His temper slipping, K unsheathed is cutlass and performed a wide, elegant swish. "I shan't hold back any longer!"
A Stirring Memory: MARIANNE
"Hey... Hey wake up..." A hand lightly slapped the girl's cheek, leaving a dusty handprint upon her face. "Mari, we can't stay here any longer..."
View attachment 9155
"Unless you wanna be monster chow, we've gotta keep moving. Come on... lemme help you up... That thing is gonna be here soon... the odds won't exactly be in our favor if we're here to arrive." Dice's hand met hers. He pulled her to her feet and offered her a smile. "Good Morning, and welcome to another beautiful day in District Z... The Temperature: Cold. The Sun: Still can't see it shine through all the sky-buildings. The Weather: Non existent. It's still not the vacation I had in mind, but at least the company is worth the price of admission..."

@Yun Lee
____________________________________________________________________________





Team OBLIVION/ NEXIUM SCOUTS
A crow crowed. A whistle was blown. The Night's curfew was at an end. Already, Planet Albion's shuffling workers were going about their morning duty. The Sun had barely peaked its head out from behind the Cathedral's bell tower, and the morning was already too loud to sleep through. You made your way back downstairs, back into the Pub. There, the Eleven sat, exactly where you had left him, still nursing the same room-temperature beer he had been the night before. "Morning, sleepy heads..." He mumbled, returning his medical scanner to his bag. "Breakfast is on the table. I hope you don't mind soup. It's all they seem to serve here. Soup, soup, soup and more soup." He sighed, flicking the side of his own, empty bowl. "I'd don't know about you, but I had my fill of tasteless slop in prison..."
View attachment 9156
"Let's get going, shall we? As dramatic as it is, for a group of rogues to be operating out of a Pub, I'd rather not come crawling back here tomorrow..." The Eleven groaned, massaging his temples. "To answer your question, Mr. Shion, we don't know where the others are. Killing one Arcade is a start. Perhaps it'll be enough to scare off the rest... Or perhaps, destroy them... But that's a theory for another day. So, now that Mr. Frye is on his feet, lets--"

You felt something shiver down your spine. Something was wrong. Mister Frye. It wasn't right. It's didn't sound right. It didn't sit on your tongue right. It wasn't rights. Some wasn't--

No.
Everything was fine.
Everything is fine.
Everything.
You felt strange for a moment, but that moment passed. Mr. Frye had been with you from the start. He had always been there, ever since the fight at the fountain. He had saved your lives. He distracted your foes at a pivotal moment. He was part of your Team. He was part of the gang. Loyal. Noble. A little reckless, perhaps, but invaluable nonetheless. Most importantly, he had been present since the game began. He had been present from the start. He had always been present, and you were foolish to have thought otherwise. What a strange daydream! To have imagined Jacob to have been a woman... Sigmund Freud would have something to say about that, no doubt. The daydream was already fading. Trying to remember it was like trying to catch smoke between your fingers. Mister Frye. It was a normal name. It sat nicely upon your tongue. It felt right. It was right. There never was an 'Evie Frye'. She was nothing more than a figment of your imagination. A figment, a phantom, that you couldn't quite--
Everything was fine.
What was her name again? It didn't matter. She wasn't real.
Everything was fine.
"Hey, hey!" The Eleven snapped his fingers a half dozen times, a few inches from your faces. "Focus! Focus! Everybody fo-cus!"
"Don't get ya knickers in a twist, Eleven..." Jacob scoffed, setting his drink back down upon the table. "We'll get the job done. I'll rally some boys from the pub, bring 'em down down to the chapel and cause a scene. Once the toff's security's is distraction, you can all move in and end the PM's term early. You follow?"
"That is not my--"
"Good!" Jacob smirked, setting his hat back atop his head. "Then we're in agreement?"
View attachment 9158
"Unless some thinks they have a better plan, I think we're set..."

SHANG TSUNG// SHION// PHI// MOLLYMAUK TEALEAF// SUIGETSU HOZUKU// EVIE FRYE// GODBRAND// AKUMA
^ @Jeremi @Atomic Knight @Takumi @Lucky @Space_Candy ^

CIRI// SARUHIKO FUSHIMI// ZORA SALAZAR// EREN JAEGER// ALEXANDER ANDERSON// FORGE// ANDROID 17// THE ELEVEN
^ @Minerva @Ver @Capri @Gummi Bunnies @Crunch ^


Team PRUDENCE/Marianne
"Hello, you!" The Master swanned down the from the Cafe's roof at first light, an empty canister of tea on hand and a detailed, hand-drawn star map in the other. Even for his usual, post regeneration self, the Master was remarkably chipper. He folded up his map and set it popped it inside his jacket. "How were the dreams? Sweet, I hope? Didn't get any visions of a child's death in prison? No?"
View attachment 9159
"Wonderful!" He sat himself back down at the Cyborg's booth. "Now, where were we? Oh. Yes. We were planning on burning this insignificant rock down to its core!" He chirped a little too loudly. "I did some snooping last night. Although most of the locals would have us ousted, lest we steal their precocious jobs, the cafe's owner was more than happy to have a couple is thick skulled, fat pursed tourists wandering about the place." A smirk tickled the corner of his mouth. "According to him, the city is powered entirely by gas. From the lights to the airships, they're all fueled or refueled by a series of underground has pipes.... just like the one I blew up just yesterday. One, small pipe explosion was enough to knock you off of your feet and turn a street into a crater. If we could reach the central fueling station we could depower a whole district... or collapse half the city.

"What to do? Decisions decisions! We can decide when we get there."
The Master slapped the table. "All we have to do is head back underground and follow the lights! We'll be there before you can say 'boom'!"

//Hank Henshaw// The Master// Marianne
@Jeremi @Sark @Yun Lee






Team Train/DEAD HEARTS
"I agree with the Pink One!" Sinestro snapped, emerging from a nearby tunnel, a barely conscious Spitfire in tow. "We've been marching through miles upon miles of god only knows what, through seemingly endless, identical pipes just to make sure that you didn't bugger off and get yourselves killed!" Thaal strutted across the sewer a stood by Ramuda's size, sizing up Josuke in turn.
View attachment 9160
"The Boy's age does not absolve him from his stupidity!" He growled. "Were it not for my proverbial trail of bread crumbs, you would no doubt be trapped down here, without food, clean water or fresh air! And for what? So that you might humor a child in his temper tantrum?"
View attachment 9161
"Alright, alright..." Spitfire mediated. "Let's all take a deep breath... Let's all relax..." She raised her hands in peace, placing herself between the pair. "Let's focus on trying to answer the kid's question: What did happen here?"


The Conductor didn't respond. Though not entirely lifeless, the Conductor was far from responsive. His eyes were wide and glassy. His breathes were slow and jittery. His fingers twitched rhythmically. The man was concussed and in shock, but very much alive. Beyond his minor head injury, the elderly man was more or less in one piece, which was more than could be said for his train. Looking through its broken windows would reveal a clear path from one end of the wreck to the other. A cold, blue light burned at the end of the tunnel, fading and reigniting from one second to the next.

RAMUDA AMEMURA// YASHAMARU// DANIEL DIAZ// CHASE DAVENPORT// HANK HENSHAW// THE MASTER// JAMES R. RHODES// IFRIT
^ @Takumi @Yun Lee @Atomic Knight @Lucky @Jeremi ^

MARRIANE VON EDMUND// JOSUKE HIGASHIKATA// DAN KUROTO// AIZAWA SHOTA// MATO KUROI// CONNER KENT// THAAL SINESTRO// JACQUELINE FALSWORTH

"Name's Ramuda, Mister." He hummed, before letting Sinestro chew Daniel and Josuke out, as the Pinkette's attention turned to their almost murderer and something else that seemed more important at the moment.

"Hey, guys? There's a blue light at the other end of the train. I think the Conductor is dying too. Then again I'm not a doctor and my good ol' Doctor friend Jakurai isn't here either, so I dunno. His breathing's a bit funny." Ramuda commented with a frown and a shrug, glancing through the windows before leaning to the side to try and get a look at the man's face. Clicking his tongue he turned his head to the group.

"Well, what should we do now?" He asked, flicking his chewed lollipop stick over his shoulder and onto the ground. He wanted a nice bath and clean clothes, very very badly. A nap in a nice bed and breakfast sounded good too. As if in agreement, a small growl came from his stomach.

@Sark @Yun Lee @Capri @Atomic Knight @Lucky @Space_Candy @MagatsuNoImouto @Gummi Bunnies @Team Train/Dead Hearts

Shion tiredly sat at the table, staring down a bowl of soup and vaguely remembered that he and Nezumi used to eat stew quite a bit back in West Block years ago, and nearly laughed at the memory until The Eleven spoke. Eating as he listened, something the Time Lord said nearly made him choke on his food.

Mister Frye? No, no that... blinking as The Eleven snapped his fingers in his face, the white haired man eyed the other gentleman with furrowed brows. Something didn't feel quite right here, but he couldn't quite place why he felt as if things were fine yet absolutely not at the same time.

@Sark @Lucky @Atomic Knight @Space_Candy @Jeremi @Team Oblivion
 
COTAIII: DAY TWO, MORNING
CHAPTER 2:
Fluctuations, as Forewarned
View attachment 9162
Sunlight cut through the night's haze like a knife cuts through butter, dragging you out of your wrestles slumber. Even those who might have considered themselves incapable of sleeping had found themselves waking with a start. Nightmares had besieged your senses all night. Horrific images. Repressed memories. They were impossible to contain. Impossible to order. You breathed deeply, doing your best to process what you had witnessed:
A Stirring Memory: NEXIUM, PRUDENCE, DEAD HEARTS
"This has gone on long enough..." Conner growled, the color draining from his face. He slammed his lunch tray down upon his bench and shot a blazing glare into nearest Warden Drone's visual sensor. "You're not taking Sean. For God's sake, he's just a kid! You can't have him!"
"You're going to get yourself killed..." Sinestro hummed bluntly, enduring another spoonful of the grey slop that filled his bowl. "You don't have your powers..."
"I don't care!" The Kryptonian snapped. "This is the line I'm drawing! This is the hill I'm standing on!" Conner leaped up from his seat, tray in hand. His eyes fell upon the scared, young boy, being led towards the Prison's gates by two, three legged mechanical turrets. "Aren't you listening? Let him go!" The cries of his contemporaries started to rise. The rest of the prisoners were starting to stamp and curse. The Warden Drones eyes them with caution and, perhaps, a hint of unprogrammed fear.
[Cease rioting!] The Warden Drone beeped. [Prisoner 136 has been selected. This course cannot be altered. Failure to comply with a direct, lawful order issued by a Warden Drone will result in your immediate execution. This riot will be suppressed with force unless you immediately---]
TWAG!
A lunch try rippled off of the drone's hull. It turned its mounted turret to face its attacker. The Eleven hurled another tray in its direction. And another. And another. The Prisoners weren't going to complain about the sudden loss of their bi-daily slop-feed. The gray slime barely enough to take the edge off of their hunger pains. Watching it drip down the Warden's armored hide was much more satisfying.
[Cease rioting!]
Another lunch tray struck its hull. The Eleven's laugher roared above those of his fellow prisoners.
[Cease rioting!]
"What are you going to do? Kill me?" The Time Lord chirped, tossing a bowl. "Kill all of us? Can't have a prison without prisoners, can you?"
[Cease ri--]
Another bowl.
"You can't kill us!" He sung his taunts as if he were still in the schoolyard. "You can't kill us!"
[Final Warning!]
"You can't kill us! Nah-nee nah-nee nah-nah--"
[Final Warning ignored. Suppressing!]
The Eleven threw his arms wide, anticipate a ray of heat to be launched in his direction. A grin was spread across his cheeks. He closed his eyes. He heard the Warden's laser sound. But he felt no pain. The Prisoner fell silent. The Eleven slowly opened his eyes, his joy fading. Confusion took its place.
[You have all overestimated your expendability.]
The Warden turned away from Prisoners and drifted back towards the gate.
[Selections will resume within the hour. There will be no resistance next time.]
Conner uncoiled his fists. He felt his shoulders slump, as if all the life and spirt had been drained from his body. He stared down upon the fruits of the 'revolution' he had started: the smoking remains of a child, cradled in the trembling arms of his younger brother.
He wanted to say something to comfort him. To help him. Heal him. But he had no words left to say. The were no hymns or verses that could help him now. Daniel Diaz's brother was dead. It was a blow that could neither be eased nor softened.

Ifrit
@Sark @Others?

At this point, Ifrit couldn't even be sure where she was going. By some miracle, and at the cost of skinning a hand, she had managed to pick up the repulsor Rhodey had left behind. All she knew was that she needed to find Rhodey, and tried her best to follow in his footsteps for the better or worse.

So far, he was the only one to tell her she wasn't at fault, even if she had doubted herself for a moment. As minute as the gesture might have been, perhaps it gave her a strange, almost nostalgic feeling.

But perhaps something about her experience at Rhodes Island still stuck with her somehow?

Maybe, she also wanted to help him.

...

Whether or not luck would be on her side would be another thing, but she would eventually at least find a place to pass out in 'relative' peace.

Until morning came... Whatever that may bring her.​
 
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Team OBLIVION/ NEXIUM SCOUTS

So many years so many faces. They all melted together in the end. Instead there was something else on Shang Tsung's mind. "We?" He asked Eleven curiously. "I felt that you last night made it clear that you didn't wish to join us? But I suppose the more we are the likelier we are to succeed."

He then turned towards Jacob. "Mr. Frye seems to have an excellent plan ready for us. Go ahead boy, rally the troops."

@Jeremi @Atomic Knight @Takumi @Lucky @Space_Candy @Sark




Team PRUDENCE/Marianne

"There is no more decisions," Henshaw remarked in a cold mechanical voice. "This world will burn."

@Sark @Yun Lee
 
Maybe it was a bit of a stretch to stay here for this long, especially when it was a new day with the morning sun coming around. However, Eren didn't want to exactly come back to the rest of his team with very little to share. So he figured to make the most of it, and hoped that he didn't waste Zora's time in being here. Last he checked, the entirety of Team Oblivion was still at that tavern. Unless there was some way for them to slip by without being noticed, they should be still there.

tumblr_inline_p7ggv5FCfm1rhri0x_100.jpg


❝ We just need to see them go off in a certain direction, and we can report back to the others. ❞ Eren spoke his intentions to Zora, checking if they were on the same page. That just left one thing as he stayed at his vantage point on the rooftop...

❝ Uh, assuming that the others didn't stick around to wait for us. ❞

@Sark @Capri
@Team NEXIUM Scouts/Oblivion



tumblr_inline_mtyeqihPBB1qku79w.png


❝ I-I think we should stick together as much as we can... ❞ Mato stammered timidly, her voice sounding like it was too faint enough to hear. She was like a fish out of water once she transformed back to her normal self. She did take notice of that blue light on the other end of the tunnel, but she figured to let everyone else agree to go ahead. Going off alone was only going to make things more difficult for all of them.

@Sark @Yun Lee @Capri @Atomic Knight @Lucky @Space_Candy @MagatsuNoImouto @Takumi
@Team Train/Dead Hearts
 
"Nngh--?!" Fushimi gasped out as Rhodey swiftly let out a flash bang, temporarily blinding the younger man as he felt inclined to shut his eyes tightly for a good few moments. He struggled to regain hold of his senses; frankly, he was surprised that he wasn't already dead, considering the War Machine had the perfect opportunity to get a solid hit or two in, but as his vision steadily recovered, Fushimi eventually was greeted by the sight of 17 gesturing to follow him to the fog that appeared while his vision was out.

With his other senses ever slightly bolstered as though his body were attempting to make up for his temporary blindness, Fushimi needed no more signal from 17 to follow as he heard the distant clopping, meaning that someone else was coming. A lot of someones.

View attachment 9163

"Fine mess we're in now..." Fushimi murmured under his breath in 17's ear, eyes narrowed as he struggled to fully recover from the heat of the fight he was just in. "Any idea in mind how to get out? Or are they gonna have to learn of our peaceful ways... by force?"

@Sark
 
Shion tiredly sat at the table, staring down a bowl of soup and vaguely remembered that he and Nezumi used to eat stew quite a bit back in West Block years ago, and nearly laughed at the memory until The Eleven spoke. Eating as he listened, something the Time Lord said nearly made him choke on his food.

Mister Frye? No, no that... blinking as The Eleven snapped his fingers in his face, the white haired man eyed the other gentleman with furrowed brows. Something didn't feel quite right here, but he couldn't quite place why he felt as if things were fine yet absolutely not at the same time.
Team OBLIVION/ NEXIUM SCOUTS

So many years so many faces. They all melted together in the end. Instead there was something else on Shang Tsung's mind. "We?" He asked Eleven curiously. "I felt that you last night made it clear that you didn't wish to join us? But I suppose the more we are the likelier we are to succeed."

He then turned towards Jacob. "Mr. Frye seems to have an excellent plan ready for us. Go ahead boy, rally the troops."
Team OBLIVION/NEXIUM SCOUTS
"We, I, what is a name?" The Eleven muttered coldly, stepping up and away from his bench. "I do have other business to attend to... Important business..." With a click, his doctor's bag snapped shut. With a heave, he lifted it up off of the table and swiftly marched towards the door. "I don't intend on sticking around... don't worry. I'll oversee the start of this little mission of yours. After that... you'll be on your own. Free to carve your own path... Just as I carve mind..."
"Thank you kindly, Gramps..." Jacob smirked, tipping his hat to Shang and following in the Eleven's footsteps. "I try. I think you'll find that I am much better at making plans that most men might have you believe. I'm the unassuming type, you see." The Assassin tapped the side of his nose knowingly.
View attachment 9166
"It's always 'you don't get to make the plans, Jacob'. It's always 'your plans always end with gun fire, Jacob'. It's always 'your plans always end up threatening the Great British Economy, Jacob--"
"--They get the idea..." The Eleven interjected, with a twitch. "They get it..."
"But that's just what I want them to think." The Assassin continued on, willfully ignorant. "It's all about image. It's all about reputation. You've got to stay three steps ahead if you want to--"
***
BANG!
Contrary to his reputation, Jacob's plan started with gunfire. In accordance to his reputation, it threatened the local economy. Commanded by a flash of his pistol, Frye's mod of drunkards, would-be revolutionaries, outspoken philosophers and bored vagrants rushed the Prime Minister's morning address. A wave of flying fists and wailing voices collided with a wall of blue vested policemen. Batons bonked skulls, and teeth struck necks. With a laugh and a roar, Jacob joined the fray.
View attachment 9164
"Ladies and Gentleman, this is your new boss, speaking!" Jacob's voice rattled the windows of the parliament hall. "Please, keep your arms and legs inside the mob at all times. If you need to vomit, don't! Try to focus on the rozzers and let the crowds disperse! They might have voted for the bastard, but we're ousting Arcade, not his public!"
On the roof of a nearby building, the Eleven buried his head in his hands.
"He was supposed to wait for this signal! The signal!" The Elven whined, running his fingers through his thinning hair. Back at the hall, a parried baton was sent hurtling through a stained glass window. "He's ruining everything! Breaking everything!"
"Come on down! The Riot's fine!"
A red headed man dressed in a white tailcoat stepped through the doors of the Parliament Hall. His eyes bounced between his palm cards and the riot in a rhythmic cycle. They eventually settled on the riot. With a sigh, he stamped his cane down upon the cobblestone path. In a which flash, it transformed into a level. He prepared to give it a yank.

SHANG TSUNG// SHION// PHI// MOLLYMAUK TEALEAF// SUIGETSU HOZUKU// EVIE FRYE// GODBRAND// AKUMA
^ @Jeremi @Atomic Knight @Takumi @Lucky @Space_Candy ^

CIRI// SARUHIKO FUSHIMI// ZORA SALAZAR// EREN JAEGER// ALEXANDER ANDERSON// FORGE// ANDROID 17// THE ELEVEN
^ @Minerva @Ver @Capri @Gummi Bunnies @Crunch ^

"There is no more decisions," Henshaw remarked in a cold mechanical voice. "This world will burn."
At this point, Ifrit couldn't even be sure where she was going. By some miracle, and at the cost of skinning a hand, she had managed to pick up the repulsor Rhodey had left behind. All she knew was that she needed to find Rhodey, and tried her best to follow in his footsteps for the better or worse.

So far, he was the only one to tell her she wasn't at fault, even if she had doubted herself for a moment. As minute as the gesture might have been, perhaps it gave her a strange, almost nostalgic feeling.

But perhaps something about her experience at Rhodes Island still stuck with her somehow?

Maybe, she also wanted to help him.

...

Whether or not luck would be on her side would be another thing, but she would eventually at least find a place to pass out in 'relative' peace.

Until morning came... Whatever that may bring her.
Team PRUDENCE/ NEXIUM
"Then we're in agreement..." The Master's trailed off into a laugh. "Albion falls... I'm starting to like you already, Mr. Henshaw..." His hand returned his jacket, fingering his map. "Shall we go? We have much yet to accomplish..."
***
"Move along!" The voice of an aging, frustrated police office rang louder than the bell that marked the pair's exit from the café. "I want everyone to move along!" He gestured for the rabble to retreat with a pair of open, gloved palms. "We don't need an audience!"
"Let us see 'em!"
"Another one? Another body? What do ya do all day? Why aren't you keeping us safe, huh?"
"Please! Move along!" The Officer shouted over the cries of the crowd. "Let us do our jobs! We're doing all we can to end these grizzly murders, but we can't do that with you all trampling the evidence!"
"Should never have happened!"
"You're not doing enough!"
"Was it the Ripper? The Foreigners? The Hun?"
"The Prime Minister is making a statement on the status of this case shortly. If you're looking for answers, please, head down to the Parliament Hall!" The Officer wheezed, sensing what little control he held over the crowd slipping. "Mr. Cade will be able to give you the official story--"
"That's all it's gonna be! A story! Fiction!"
"Tell us the truth!"
"Who is it this time? Who have they killed this time?"
"All we know now is that the body doesn't appear in any of our records, dental or otherwise. Evidence suggests that he was one of the foreigners who appeared in the Royal District early yesterday morning!---"

"Hm. Would you look at that..."
The Master sighed, peeking over the heads of human-sea that barred them from returning to the sewers. "Our path appears to be blocked. Care to solve this little puzzle, Mr.Henshaw?"

In the shelter of an alley, a young pyrokinetic was waking up from a long, wrestles slumber. Lost in a crowd of thousands, there was nothing to guide her back towards her wounded ally but a trail of dark, hardened blood. Floating in the sea of heads, Ifrit could just make out the conspicuous face another supposed ally of hers, the Cyborg Superman, in conversation with a bald fellow she did not recognise.

SHANG TSUNG// SHION// PHI// MOLLYMAUK TEALEAF// SUIGETSU HOZUKU// EVIE FRYE// GODBRAND// AKUMA
^ @Jeremi @Atomic Knight @Takumi @Lucky @Space_Candy ^

"Nngh--?!" Fushimi gasped out as Rhodey swiftly let out a flash bang, temporarily blinding the younger man as he felt inclined to shut his eyes tightly for a good few moments. He struggled to regain hold of his senses; frankly, he was surprised that he wasn't already dead, considering the War Machine had the perfect opportunity to get a solid hit or two in, but as his vision steadily recovered, Fushimi eventually was greeted by the sight of 17 gesturing to follow him to the fog that appeared while his vision was out.

With his other senses ever slightly bolstered as though his body were attempting to make up for his temporary blindness, Fushimi needed no more signal from 17 to follow as he heard the distant clopping, meaning that someone else was coming. A lot of someones.

"Fine mess we're in now..." Fushimi murmured under his breath in 17's ear, eyes narrowed as he struggled to fully recover from the heat of the fight he was just in. "Any idea in mind how to get out? Or are they gonna have to learn of our peaceful ways... by force?"
Team NEXIUM/SCOUTS
"A 'mess' sounds about right..." 17 muttered, his smile unchanging. Rhodey's fog was starting to dissipate. Pretty soon, they'd have a chance to greet their new guests, and when they did, the Android didn't want to disappoint them with a quivering frown. He tightened his fists and lowered his stance. "I have some ideas. But they rudimentary. Fight or flight. Our plan of action will depend whether you'd prefer to be shot in the face or in the back."
17 placed his hand upon Fushimi's chest and gently guided him out of the path of a speeding carriage and its cursing driver.
"We can go down in a blaze of glory, and laugh all the way to the slab... Unless you want to try playing nice, and brave a Albion Courtroom? You've seen first-hand how they treat foreigners here. I'll follow your lead regardless. Teach them whatever you like. I didn't come here to think."

Maybe it was a bit of a stretch to stay here for this long, especially when it was a new day with the morning sun coming around. However, Eren didn't want to exactly come back to the rest of his team with very little to share. So he figured to make the most of it, and hoped that he didn't waste Zora's time in being here. Last he checked, the entirety of Team Oblivion was still at that tavern. Unless there was some way for them to slip by without being noticed, they should be still there.

❝ We just need to see them go off in a certain direction, and we can report back to the others. ❞ Eren spoke his intentions to Zora, checking if they were on the same page. That just left one thing as he stayed at his vantage point on the rooftop...

❝ Uh, assuming that the others didn't stick around to wait for us. ❞
Eren and Zora's scouting would reveal Team OBLIVION's direction. They, and their mob, were citybound, marching towards the city's majestic Parliament Hall. The towering structure was impossible to miss, but judging by the shuffling speed of their targets, they weren't planning on sticking around forever. Abandoning their posts and reporting back to the rest of Team NEXIUM might cost them their advantage, should Team OBLIVION move faster than anticipated. At the end of the day, it came down to whether or not the NEXIUM scouts believed that they were fast enough to reach Fushumi, 17 and OBLIVION in time...

CIRI// SARUHIKO FUSHIMI// ZORA SALAZAR// EREN JAEGER// ALEXANDER ANDERSON// FORGE// ANDROID 17// THE ELEVEN
^ @Minerva @Ver @Capri @Gummi Bunnies @Crunch ^
 
Team OBLIVION/NEXIUM SCOUTS

As they hit the streets the man called Shang Tsung had vanished and where he once stood was just another man of the masses in tattered clothes and cloak. He had followed Jacob down into the streets when he spotted the red haired man and the lever. "It's the elite!" The man shouted trying to get the attention of the others to focus on the figure.

The red haired man found if he went for the level that he had a hard time moving his arm. It was almost like...magic.

@Jeremi @Atomic Knight @Takumi @Lucky @Space_Candy @Sark




Team PRUDENCE/ NEXIUM

Henshaw used his X-Ray vision to look down right bellow them. If it opened up to the sewers then he'd use his heat vision to burn a hole in the ground for them to enter with out much fuss. If there wasn't a possibility to do it quietly then well...they'd burn that bridge when they got there.

@Sark @Yun Lee @York
 
JOSUKE HIGASHIKATA
@Sark @Takumi @Atomic Knight @Gummi Bunnies @Lucky @MagatsuNoImouto @Space_Candy @Yun Lee @TeamTrain

View attachment 9168

“You don’t just pick a child up by the brim of his collar,” Josuke said to Sinestro.

“As to what happened... I... I screwed up... I meant to stop the entire train... and... it just folded in on itself...”

Ramuda then brought up the flickering blue light at the end of the tunnel, to which Josuke brought out Soft and Wet.

View attachment 9169

“We wouldn’t know what it was unless we approached it...”


ZORA SALAZAR
@Sark @Gummi Bunnies @Ver @Minerva @Crunch

Using Sundial, Zora raised herself up into the air and dialed herself to 17 and Fushimi’s position.

View attachment 9170

“Oblivion’s head’n ovuh to thuh parluh- parl-... thuh big British build’n where dey run thuh cun-tree,”

She just hopes Eren made it back​
 
Team OBLIVION/NEXIUM SCOUTS

As they hit the streets the man called Shang Tsung had vanished and where he once stood was just another man of the masses in tattered clothes and cloak. He had followed Jacob down into the streets when he spotted the red haired man and the lever. "It's the elite!" The man shouted trying to get the attention of the others to focus on the figure.

The red haired man found if he went for the level that he had a hard time moving his arm. It was almost like...magic.
Team OBLIVION
"Yeah! What he said!" One of the protesters roared. "Death to the Elite! Death to the Dogs! Death of the Bourgeoisie!"

Perhaps, as his arm froze, another Arcade might have come up with some witty quip to shoot in the direction of his foe. But, safe behind a wall of policemen, Arcade simply sighed. He dropped his palm cards and took hold of the lever with his other hand.
"Amateurs..."

SHANG TSUNG// SHION// PHI// MOLLYMAUK TEALEAF// SUIGETSU HOZUKU// JACOB FRYE// GODBRAND// AKUMA
^ @Jeremi @Atomic Knight @Takumi @Lucky @Space_Candy ^


Henshaw used his X-Ray vision to look down right bellow them. If it opened up to the sewers then he'd use his heat vision to burn a hole in the ground for them to enter with out much fuss. If there wasn't a possibility to do it quietly then well...they'd burn that bridge when they got there.

@Sark @Yun Lee @York
Team PRUDENCE
A quick scan from Hank's laser vision would reveal that the group they were standing upon was solid concrete. The sewers stood a few dozen meters to the right of where they were standing, and thus accessing them via tunneling would be both impractical and time consuming. The option remained somewhat viable, however, if Hank believed that the Master and the Master alone could hold off a mob scared and angry civilians... whilst completely unarmed.

RAMUDA AMEMURA// YASHAMARU// DANIEL DIAZ// CHASE DAVENPORT// HANK HENSHAW// THE MASTER// JAMES R. RHODES// IFRIT
^ @Takumi @Yun Lee @Atomic Knight @Lucky @Jeremi ^

“Oblivion’s head’n ovuh to thuh parluh- parl-... thuh big British build’n where dey run thuh cun-tree,”

She just hopes Eren made it back
Team NEXIUM
"Thank you, Zora--"
Bang!
One of the militiamen's bullet swizzed overhead. The forceful wake of the shot was enough to send the Cowgirl's had flying skyward.
"--but, as I'm you you've realized by now, we have a more... immediate problem to solve--"
"There they are!" One of the Militiamen howled, his carriage changing directions and hurtling towards Team NEXIUM. "Spotted them! Bring 'em in, gents!"
"A more immediate problem that you arrival has made worse..."

CIRI// SARUHIKO FUSHIMI// ZORA SALAZAR// EREN JAEGER// ALEXANDER ANDERSON// FORGE// ANDROID 17// THE ELEVEN
^ @Minerva @Ver @Capri @Gummi Bunnies @Crunch ^

 
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