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Dragon Fogel · 01-01-2010, 11:36 PM

Originally posted on MSPA by Dragon Fogel.

Draykon Wrote:

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SpoilerI seriously hope that wasn't cue for me to come up with something, I'm honestly stumped.

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Robust Laser · 01-02-2010, 06:53 AM

Originally posted on MSPA by cyber95.

A multiversal battle seemed like a simple enough idea, and it seemed that others had liked it too. Elsewhere in the multiverse, four other beings had started battles similar to the Director's.
The Observer, The Composer, The Organizer, and the Monitor.

Interestingly enough, the Director had not noticed until recently. In the last arena, there was an area that he hadn't planned for. Linked to another pocket dimension. Naturally, The Director wanted to find out it's source, and what he found was interesting. Another battle, just like his. From there, he found three more battles identical to his own! It was a little bit strange, and he couldn't help but be flattered.

And an idea struck him. He called all of those running these battles together.

"You've all done great jobs with this. I'm flattered you would take enough interest in my ideas to adapt them for your own purposes, and I have a proposition. This pattern seems to give the idea that eventually eight or moretournaments may be set in motion. Perhaps once these eight have concluded, we can engage the victors all in one more battle."

He looked upon the others deviously.

"Of course, it may be far off, but give it a thought while your combatants continue."

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Sruixan · 01-02-2010, 01:51 PM

Originally posted on MSPA by Sruixan.

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GBCE · 01-02-2010, 02:10 PM

Originally posted on MSPA by Draykon.

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Sruixan · 01-02-2010, 02:30 PM

Originally posted on MSPA by Sruixan.

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Dragon Fogel · 01-02-2010, 03:43 PM

Originally posted on MSPA by Dragon Fogel.

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The customers panicked and ran out of the store, as did several police officers.

Larry was more determined. "Get back here!" he shouted at the retreating officers. "It's just a bluff!" He wasn't as sure of it as he sounded.

Outside, Bob Luther watched the commotion. He sighed - he had wanted to just go home, but for some reason he found himself getting very angry at the thought of that vacuum cleaner running amok in his store.

He didn't even know why he thought of it so specifically.

***

Eximo had finally cleared the shelf of its inventory. Eighty-five new VC units had been dispatched.

"The cleansing is under control."

It turned to Jerry.

"Warning: This unit identifies you as an enemy of Konka Rar. It is recommended that you surrender now, otherwise this unit's programming will require it to destroy you."

"I surrender!" Jerry shouted. This just isn't my day, he thought.

"Excellent. Your cooperation is appreciated. Hail Konka Rar!"

Amethyst, meanwhile, had sent her crystals out to scout the store, to see if anyone had not heeded her warning. She found one officer, yelling at the others to come back in.

"Excellent. It seems there is only one officer to worry about, and he is currently distracted. I suggest we leave the store now..." She paused, then resumed a moment later as another crystal located an emergency exit. "This way."

Aryogaton · 01-02-2010, 09:32 PM

Originally posted on MSPA by Aryogaton.

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Dragon Fogel · 01-03-2010, 09:20 PM

Originally posted on MSPA by Dragon Fogel.

They emerged in a back alley. Amethyst scouted the alley with her crystals; police cars were parked at both ends, but that was the only sign of them.

"Odd," she commented. "It would make sense for them to dispatch a helicopter, considering Eximo was spotted flying..."

"We don't have any helicopters here," Jerry said. He was holding his head in pain; trying to sort through the rush of new memories was seriously affecting him. "Like I told you, nobody's been able to leave town; and there aren't any helicopters here."

"Ah. Yes, I suppose that makes sense... Eximo, do you still have the crystal you used to fly here?"

"Affirmative." Eximo reached into its storage compartment and pulled it out. "Do you wish to use it?"

Rather than responding, Amethyst examined it for a while. "This will not work for much longer. I can create more, but it will be easier to recharge this one." As she spoke, she pressed some buttons on her armband and the crystal broomstick began to glow. "It is not really intended to carry three passengers at once - in fact, as it is controlled by its rider's thought patterns, it is crucial that only I think about our destination. I am unsure what will happen otherwise. Is this clear?"

"Affirmative," Eximo replied. "This unit will disable all mental functions related to motion until told otherwise."

Jerry nodded, as well. "I don't really understand, but I get it."

Amethyst sat on the broomstick, and motioned for Jerry to get on behind her. Eximo then grabbed onto the underside of the crystal.

"This is only temporary. We will fly to the roof, and then we can be sure of freedom from police interference. I remind you to keep your thoughts clear of any directions, or else this may not work."

Jerry closed his eyes and thought about the word "Lint" over and over. Eximo suspended most of its mental processes, except for voice recognition so that it could return to normal. The broomstick slowly lifted upwards, then forwards, landing on the roof.

"We are here," Amethyst said. "Now we should have some time to plan our next move."

Jerry opened his eyes and jumped off the broomstick. Amethyst did the same, then told Eximo to return it to storage. It obeyed, and reactivated its suspended processes. Amethyst decided the best next move was to produce two more crystals, but Jerry interrupted her before she could begin.

"There's more to this than an alien invasion, isn't there?"

Aryogaton · 01-04-2010, 06:16 PM

Originally posted on MSPA by Aryogaton.

It is difficult to walk through a pool of blood that goes up to one's ankle without becoming nauseous or attracting attention. It becomes even more difficult when police cars race through the streets accompanied by dozens of sirens, splashing more blood everywhere. Only Aeon's experience with illusions kept him from vomiting or otherwise giving up on his slow pursuit on Nathan, who continued to look as if he was mutilating every single person in his path.

Aeon was thoroughly convinced that Nathan was fully aware of his presence. However, there was little he could do to change the status quo at the moment. Aeon had to wait for Nathan to make a move--well, a publicly-visible move--before doing anything himself.

He took this moment to communicate with Amethyst. Unexpectedly, he heard sirens on the other end.

"What's going on over there?"

"The... authorities have been notified and are attempting to apprehend Eximo and myself. I am currently on the roof of a department store, and am formulating a plan of escape. What is the situation for you?"

"I've been following Nathan for a while. This illusion is getting more nauseating by the moment. Right now it looks as if the streets are filled with blood."

Amethyst paused for a moment before replying. "This seems strangely similar to the illusions you used before in the first round. I believe I remember you taking control of a poltergeist in that round. Can you do the same with the demon?"

"Uh, that's a bit complicated. I was able to gain a bit of control over the spirit--called the Lybrarian, I think--because it attempted to gain control over me. There's this rule in which all interfaces are dual-way. For example, if someone tries to read your mind it is always possible to read their mind at the same time. Also, I think the Lybrarian allowed me to have some control... I think it thought we did not belong there, and it believed I could find some way to get everyone else to leave."

"Alright. Then what do you need to do the same with the demon?"

"An interface. Some kind of mental connection between the demon and myself. But I think that's pretty risky, because-"

"Understood. Please stand by--we will be approaching your position within the next few minutes."

"'We'? What do you mean... Wait, you didn't let me finish... I don't think I have a few minutes... I don't think this will work... Amethyst?" There was no reply. Aeon cursed to himself and look at where Nathan was. Strangely, he stopped at an intersection, although the Walk sign was lit. In one single moment all of the blood disappeared, leaving no trace of it behind on Aeon's body or otherwise. Simultaneously the crowd erupted in a frenzied conglomeration of screaming and running, and it parted a neat circle, with Nathan in the center.

A few moments later, Nathan turned around slowly, his gaze fixated directly at Aeon. Reacting quickly, he removed the communications crystal from his mouth and placed it in his pocket, at the same time drawing his adaptive tool with his other hand, but otherwise doing little with it.

As soon as the entire intersection was devoid of people other than the two, Nathan made a move. There was no transition between him standing still and him running at full speed, making use of another illusion to gain the element of surprise. He ran in an erratic zig-zag path, at brief times even running backwards. This lasted for about three seconds before Nathan finally made an attack.

At once Aeon raised the shield, narrowly blocking a direct hit. Nathan retreated a full twenty feet with one step, then attacked again from another direction. Aeon, more prepared this time, easily sidestepped out of the way. As soon as Nathan retreated again, Aeon extended a thin fiber from his adaptive tool, with a small bulb on the end. This bulb moved about erratically, then attached itself on Nathan's knife and encased his hand and the knife in metal. Nathan did not seem to be perturbed by this, and continued to attack with his other hand, sending waves of energy as he did before.

Dammit! Aeon continued to dodge and block the attacks as he began thinking of some sort of counter, or at least some form of escape. As he thought, Nathan taunted at him.

"The sirens. The screams. My appearence. Fatigue. Lack of both eyes and hence lack of depth perception. All of these mean that your concentration is broken and you are in a severe disadvantage. I can see it already. Your movements are pure guesswork. You are relying on instinct and reflexes rather than your usual well-thought out strategy. How long can you keep this up? Let's find out!"

Dragon Fogel · 01-04-2010, 10:28 PM

Originally posted on MSPA by Dragon Fogel.

Amethyst, Eximo, and a befuddled Jerry flew towards Nathan's position - on Eximo's scanner, he stuck out like a sore thumb. Aeon would no doubt be nearby.

Jerry was lost in thought about what Amethyst had told him.

"You wish to know? I will tell you. But I do not expect you will like it."

She told him about the battle. About how the Director and Gentlemen had taken them from their home dimensions, solely to fight against each other.

About the senseless deaths they had faced in the previous rounds.

And... about how it seemed this city was an artificial creation of the Director. And it appeared that even the people were as well. Copies of people who existed in other worlds.

Including Jerry.

"Lifeform Nathan has moved suddenly. Adjust heading thirty degrees to the northwest," Eximo suddenly said. The vacuum's broomstick shifted direction; Amethyst followed suit, and so did Jerry, before reflecting on what had happened next.

"A copy..." He seemed surprisingly calm about the news. "So, these weird memories rushing in... They're from the original Jerry?"

"Most likely. I cannot say with certainty, as he seems to be from Eximo's world, not mine."

"This unit is only familiar with the information Konka Rar programmed into this unit," Eximo chimed in. "Lifeform Jerry believes that aliens are plotting to gather large quantities of lint for nefarious purposes. This unit is not programmed with information explaining why this has led him to be one of Konka Rar's enemies."

Jerry laughed nervously. "Judging by his memories, this other Jerry leads a weird life. And compared to some of the stuff he believes, this whole story of yours is pretty plausible. Okay, I'll buy it. So, based on what you've told me.. you want out of this contest, and ideally, to exorcise the demon possessing this friend of yours?"

"Correct," Amethyst replied. "But we would need to locate Nathan first..."

"This unit has already located him."

"There has been another sudden shift in movement. Adjust heading twelve degrees south."

"This Nathan guy moves fast," Jerry said, as he shifted the direction of his crystal. "Was he on the track team or something?"

"The demon lord is augmenting his natural capabilities," Amethyst explained. "With the demon's assistance, he is faster and stronger than an ordinary human. It will be difficult to subdue him, but it will be necessary if we are to find some means of escaping this 'game'."

Amethyst called Aeon to inform him they would be arriving soon. Afterwards, she turned to Eximo.

"You had mentioned Nathan's unique life signature before. I should have recalled that. Are there any other anomalies in your life scan?"

"This unit has located an area of significant size in the center of the city which shows no life signs whatsoever," Eximo replied. "It is very unusual, as there are high concentrations of life signals not far from it."

"Sounds like somebody's hiding something, if you ask me," Jerry interrupted. "Of course, I always think somebody's hiding something..."

"You may just be right this time," Amethyst replied. "We'll investigate that once we find Aeon, and ideally once we've dealt with Nathan. For now..."

She handed Jerry and Eximo each a broomstick.

"We're going for a little ride."

"Lifeform Nathan is very close. Adjust heading fourteen degrees to the west and prepare for landing."

"Understood. We are landing. Jerry - I am going to be blunt. Are you capable of fighting against an opponent with superhuman, and to a degree, supernatural abilities?"

Jerry shook his head.

"Then I would advise you to stay high, and out of combat. If all goes well, we will meet with you afterwards."

"Yeah, I get it." He landed his broomstick on a nearby rooftop. "Good luck."

He watched as Amethyst and Eximo flew down towards Nathan's life signature.

Aryogaton · 01-05-2010, 01:06 AM

Originally posted on MSPA by Aryogaton.

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Dragon Fogel · 01-05-2010, 01:24 AM

Originally posted on MSPA by Dragon Fogel.

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Aryogaton · 01-05-2010, 03:23 PM

Originally posted on MSPA by Aryogaton.

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Dragon Fogel · 01-06-2010, 12:24 AM

Originally posted on MSPA by Dragon Fogel.

Larry finally relented and left the store. It seemed the moving vacuums were essentially harmless, and whoever had been responsible for that ominous voice had apparently made an exit.

A younger officer greeted him as he left.

"Um. Sorry for the mess, sir..."

"Never mind," he grumbled. "Whatever it was, it's gone now. I guess we'll just see if it surfaces again."

He heard the radio in his squad car crackle. He sighed, and picked it up. This probably wasn't going to be good news, either.

"Larry, I don't care what the hell you're doing right now. We've got a situation, and we need all the cars we can spare there on the double. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, Chief. The, uh, 'perp' got away, but it doesn't seem to have done any real harm."

"Like I said, I don't care. You can tell me about it after we deal with this lunatic... or maybe two lunatics. Hard to tell right now, but there's two people fighting, and one of them is definitely dangerous. I'm already on my way there, we need every single officer we can get. Got that?"

"Got it." He sighed, and relayed the Chief's orders to the rest of the squad.

Then he noticed there was someone in the back seat. He turned to face the hitchhiker.

"What the hell? What do you think you're doing, buddy? This is a police car, not a taxi!"

Bob Luther grinned at him. It made the man nervous.

"Do you really have time to kick me out right now? I think your chief wants you to hurry to the scene, after all, and I can put up quite a fight if I'm in the mood."

Larry swore under his breath. "Fine. Whatever. It's not like I don't have enough problems today as it is."

Dragon Fogel · 01-06-2010, 11:17 PM

Originally posted on MSPA by Dragon Fogel.

Aeon was getting desperate. The demon was hard to predict; one moment, it would seem to be toying with him, the next, it would make a directed assault.

It looked like the demon was back to toying with him for the moment, as it had suddenly disappeared from view. Aeon wasn't sure if it was an illusion, or if the demon was speeding up Nathan's body to move him out of Aeon's line of sight - but either way, he couldn't let his guard down. The demon might decide to strike at any time.

Well. If the demon was toying with him, he'd just have to toy with it.

He suddenly turned around and struck - he wasn't expecting the demon to be there at that moment, but now he'd made himself a bit less predictable. That might give the demon pause. He waited a few moments, and made another sudden turn...

And felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around just as suddenly, swinging at the same time. "Nathan" grabbed Aeon's hand and grinned.

"You'll only tire yourself out that way." He pulled back his other hand, still bound by Aeon's last trick, and prepared to simply punch him with it.

"Rock Bind," said a familiar voice. The demon reacted swiftly, jumping just as the ground began to rise at where Nathan's feet had been, but inadvertently loosening his grip on Aeon.

This put him at just the right height to collide with a rapidly-descending vacuum cleaner. Nathan was knocked to the ground; Eximo's hastened landing was thrown off course, and it crashed into a parked car.

Nathan quickly got to his feet, and shattered Aeon's binding on his knife hand. He was angry now. Amethyst landed near Aeon, preparing for the coming assault.

GBCE · 01-07-2010, 04:43 PM

Originally posted on MSPA by Draykon.

"Error: large amounts of conflicting sensory data on the immediate area" Eximo said. Amethyst nodded.
"I feel it too. It's not just illusions, the demon's power is slowly pulling at the threads of this already distorted space."
Nathan began rushing at Amethyst, light surrounding his knife once again, forming a broadsword of energy. He slashed, the light aiming straight for her chest.

The universe blinked, and Amethyst was struck in the back by the demon's sword. His stance was wreckless though, and Aeon swung in with his tool, expanding it's size to a massive warhammer mid-swing, and crashing it into Nathan's head.
The demon was sent flying, and Eximo's arms extended to catch him in midair, but the universe blinked again, and he grabbed only wind.
"The truth is not destroyed however. There are minor consistencies in the data, that is the truth. I can't work it out in my head, but I may be able to--KYUK!"
Amethyst was struck again as she got up, this time Nathan's foot impacting her head. Aeon went to swing again, but this time Nathan blinked out before he could hit.
"Yeah, I DON'T THINK I'LL LET YOU LIVE THAT LONG!" The demon's voice came from nowhere, at first calm, then enraged.
And it was... the demon lord's voice. The illusionary world melted together at a single point, and there, standing on a lamppost, for a brief moment, was the Demon Lord.

Sirens wailed nearby. From one point near the police cars, a subtle ripple shot through the air, and tore through the illusion. The fake reality shattered, and expanded back to cover the city block, The sky turned red, the streets were filled with blood.
Everyone caught in the space now saw it, as Nathan stood back up, angrier than before.

***

"I feel it now that you mention it, bands of... something... forming a cage around the city. It's noneucledian, not really there. It's weak, but at the same time untouchable..."

"Oh? So you can see it? Don't you think this implies something?"

"I don't really see it... I just feel it... But yeah, you're right. If this is 'God's Game' why would he use a method a mortal can see?"

"I'd suspected the Director was simply an extremely powerful mage, but I think this is finally evidence in that theory's favor."

"Hey... if those bands are the barrier, then what about the others?"

"Others?"

"Another force, forming a kind of network around the architecture of the city...
Maybe this structure is naturally unstable, and somehow those leylines keep it from imploding."

"Really now?" Dexter stood up, and approached the window. "If you're a talented enough mage to know all that even after having your memories altered, maybe you can take the obvious course of action and test their purpose."

Without thinking, Midnara raised her hand to the window. She reached out, and took another of the Dark Goddess's spears. Invisibly, she wedged it into the network surrounding one particular building she saw in the distance, and slowly unraveled the leylines.

***

A pillar of black light struck through a building overhead.
"Well, that's my cue to get out," Luther casually commented, as he opened up the back door, and casually jumped out of the police card.
Larry quickly found himself doing the same thing, as several bits of debri crashed into the car. Seconds later, the vehicle exploded.

Luther payed it no mind. His eyes were focused on the building, a large commercial tower, simply collapsing to the ground.

He could feel it, hundreds inside, dieing. His actions were guided mechanically- or maybe even controlled by some malevolent spirit.

***

Luther stepped confidently into the illusion, his right arm massive and bony.

"Well waddaya know? All the people I hate, gathered conveniently together in one spot!

WHO WANTS TO DIE FIRST?!"

Dragon Fogel · 01-08-2010, 04:17 AM

Originally posted on MSPA by Dragon Fogel.

"It's funny, you know?" Luther commented, as he flung a half-dozen bone splinters out of his suddenly-restored arm. They turned into skeletal warriors as he continued. "Less than an hour ago, I was a successful businessman. Owned the biggest appliance store in town. I didn't remember anything about being dead. But now? Now it's all coming back to me."

Eximo did not waste time. With the cleansing now delegated to the VC Units, its processors worked faster than they ever had before. It unleashed six arms, each with a knife, and rapidly struck each skeleton in succession. The vacuum seemed to have Lutherion's minions well in hand, so Amethyst took the chance to prepare an especially intricate spell. However, Nathan leapt at her before she could finish, slashing her shoulder.

"Sorry, 'strawberry girl'. That clone may be out to kill me as well, but if I take care of one of you, it won't matter. And I'm more concerned about you than that weakling Aeon, or that easily-outwitted vacuum cleaner."

As if in response, Nathan was suddenly hit in the back by a thrown dagger. Amethyst smiled.

"I do believe it took that as an insult."

***

"What the hell is going on?" the chief shouted at Larry. "And who was that guy who jumped out of your car?"

"No idea, Chief. Look, I don't want to sound out of line, but I think whatever's going on, we're in way over our heads."

There was a sudden, almost imperceptible change in the chief's attitude.

"Maybe you are. Maybe the rest of the force is. But me? I don't think so. Not any more."

Larry was about to ask for an explanation, but then he saw the chief transform into a dragon before his very eyes and fly towards the battle.

"I am getting way too old for this job," he muttered to himself.

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Dragon Fogel · 01-09-2010, 12:32 AM

Originally posted on MSPA by Dragon Fogel.

Luther - now indistinguishable from Lutherion - noticed Nathan's attack. The memories came flooding back.

"That's right," he said, half to himself. "Someone dies, you all disappear. Only, since I'm officially dead, I suppose I don't go along for the ride." A malicious grin crossed his face. "I'll just have to make you suffer until I'm ready to kill you all!"

Lutherion lunged forward suddenly. Amethyst realized what he was about to do, but it was already too late. Bones spread out from the wightmaw arm, heading all throughout the battlefield in moments; Nathan, Amethyst, Aeon, and Eximo were all caught in the massive web before they could react.

"And don't bother with your silly wind spell, strawberry girl. This time, there's no way the vacuum, or anyone else, can follow a bone trail back to me." Lutherion's cackling echoed throughout the web.

The suddenly-awakened Alcarith flew overhead, well out of range of the bone web. She didn't recognize the web specifically, but she knew whose handiwork it must be.

"Lutherion," she muttered to herself.

GBCE · 01-09-2010, 12:36 AM

Originally posted on MSPA by The Dr..

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Aryogaton · 01-09-2010, 12:41 AM

Originally posted on MSPA by Aryogaton.

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**Schazer** · 01-09-2010, 12:58 AM

Originally posted on MSPA by Schazer.

Aryogaton Wrote:

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SpoilerGBII is even more notorious for massive textwalls.

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Aryogaton · 01-09-2010, 01:02 AM

Originally posted on MSPA by Aryogaton.

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This is madness. If this keeps up... if more of the previous contestants appear, then things will get too chaotic. I have to end this round as soon as possible. Aeon looked at the other victims of "Lutherion"'s bone web. Conveniently, all of the remaining contestants were trapped and rendered nearly completely immobile--even Nathan. Amethyst noticed this as well, and started to speak.

"This is the best chance you have. The web seems to have disabled my powers, as well as Nathan's. If you are to do something, do it now."

Aeon grimaced, knowing what was to come. He brainstormed possible ways to gain an interface with Nathan. He looked at his own adaptive tool, and then to Nathan's knife. Both of our weapons have a direct mental link with our minds. If I can find some way to link the two, I might be able to gain an interface. But I can't. He looked up in frustration, and saw a figure floating high above the web. Is that... Alcarith? He then remembered the last fight he had with Nathan, where he attempted to use Alcarith's black metal. A metal that conducts magic. Maybe it's the answer I'm looking for... But even if I succeed in gaining such an interface, I need some kind of protection, or at least some sort of advantage--I doubt that the demon will be as submissive as the Lybrarian. Aeon thought of the previous rounds. He remembered two rounds ago, when Emily gave him her last energies to help free Nathan some way. Of course, I still have almost all of Emily's energy in here. Her white magic just might cancel out the powers of the demon...

"Amethyst, I have an idea. I only ask you to defend me and to prevent Nathan from resisting." She replied with a knowing nod.

Aeon fetched the black metal fragment, and using it, his adaptive tool became a thick, metal glove. Here goes everything, and more, he thought as he used the glove to seize Nathan's knife.

-----

A dark house loomed above an empty plain. A figure entered the house through a large hole made in its side. The figure walked about nonchalantly, searching and examining it thoroughly. After a few minutes, it left the house and began circling the plain. Soon, it found what it was searching for, and proceeded to activate a strange object. The figure disappeared as suddenly as it appeared.

This was the second time this plain was disturbed unnaturally.

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Dragon Fogel · 01-10-2010, 12:38 AM

Originally posted on MSPA by Dragon Fogel.

Alcarith noticed the others trapped in the bone web. She realized charging at the massive structure would only result in her being caught; but any sort of ranged attack would risk hitting Lutherion's prisoners.

Then the answer struck her. Healing magic! And as the memories rushed into her head, her memories of... this city... made her realize where she needed to go.

Why can't I remember the name of this city? she thought as she flew off. I can remember things that never happened here, but not that...

***

Eximo struggled in the web of bones. It did not realize that this merely made it easier for Lutherion to locate it.

"I wonder," Lutherion said aloud. "If all of you are tangled up in my web, and they try to move you... will I be brought along as well?"

"Insufficient data," Eximo responded, almost automatically.

Lutherion cackled. "This calls for an experiment. And for that, I'll need a guinea pig." He pulled several splinters out from his arm. They turned into long, thin, bony javelins, and began flying through the web towards Eximo, aided by Lutherion shifting the bone strands to give them a clearer path.

The vacuum was alert enough to fight back with its knives, but it only succeeded in knocking the javelins away. They quickly flew back at it, as Lutherion summoned more.

"You can't hold all of them off forever!" Lutherion cackled. "And even if you stop them, I've got plenty of other tricks up my sleeve, so to speak." His laughter echoed through the web.

Dragon Fogel · 01-11-2010, 01:54 AM

Originally posted on MSPA by Dragon Fogel.

There was a flurry of activity around the hospital. To Alcarith, it seemed as if every ambulance was being rushed into service - not unlikely, considering the damage that had been done before the police arrived.

The panic was such that, it seemed, doctors were being sent out with the paramedics. They had no idea of the number of victims or how many were surviving, and were preparing for the worst. They were too busy to look up and see the dragon flying near the hospital, looking through the crowd for someone.

After a few minutes, the ambulances took off. One doctor, however, was left by herself. "Not enough room," she sighed. "I guess I can start walking..."

Alcarith landed in front of her.

"I can give you a ride."

***

Eximo extended more arms than it ever had before, desperate to fend off Lutherion's assault. At least twenty skeletal limbs were out, fighting desperately. It was of little use; about half simply got caught in the web, and the bone javelins were as aggressive as ever.

Eximo grabbed three javelins with three free hands, and slashed at the web with knives in two others. The knives simply got caught. Then it tried to hit the web with the javelins, but the bones of the web instintively retreated from them - and the javelins were still trying to move on their one.

Eximo's analysis worked faster than it ever had before - faster than the machine had ever realized it could think. Lutherion was controlling the web, and the javelins. Lutherion was preventing the javelins from touching the web.

And Eximo had about a dozen arm caught in the web.

It began struggling mightily with the trapped limbs, moving them to intercept the incoming javelins. The javelins flew away to avoid impact with the web; it seemed Eximo had found a viable strategy for survival, at least for the moment.

Amethyst watched the vacuum cleaner's display from her section of the web. She was surprised by this sudden display of intelligence, or at least faster thinking; Eximo had always thought slowly before, and it seemed unlikely this was a pre-programmed response, given the unusual nature of the situation. Was this somehow linked to the oddity in its memories Eximo had told her about? Or perhaps the desperate nature of the situation had forced it to think faster?

She stopped herself. Curious as this behavior was, the more pressing question was how to deal with Lutherion. If Eximo seemed too troublesome, he might turn on her next - or worse, Aeon or Nathan. Linked as they were at the moment, killing one might render the other completely mindless...

GBCE · 01-11-2010, 03:24 PM

Originally posted on MSPA by Draykon.

In a space that isn't, five men watched the proceedings inside the city. Casually, and confident that their leader wouldn't see- and it perhaps was because of this confidence that the leader didn't see- one of the men passed three small slips of folded paper, each to a different of the gentlemen. A concept surrounded them, forming itself almost into a message of abstract understanding.
'Open when the round ends.'

Dexter had elected to leave his sanctuary, Midnara mechanically following. It wasn't that she was directly controlled, but rather she felt without purpose. Her mind blank, as she processed again and again:
'The city was taken from another world.'
'Several entities within this city now were not originally part of that city.'
'These entities were mainly beings who were related to the contestants of the Grand Battle.'
'Several of these entities were confirmed dead.'
'I am most likely one of these entities.'

The two marched towards the battle, as a massive red dragon passed overhead.

'The only explanation for the deceased entities to be present is that they're copies.'
'I am one of these entities.'
'It would be more practical to assume that the 'wildcard' entities are all produced via the same method.'
'I am one of these entities.'
'Therefore, from a practical standpoint, the 'wildcard entities' are all probably copies...'
'I am a copy.'

***
"I don't understand at all." Emily said from atop the dragon's back.
Alcaraith's voice responded, speaking through some abstraction that was probably telepathy.
"Neither do I, but it makes sense doesn't it? That that... THING would somehow be vulnerable to your ma-"
She paused for a moment.
"I know what I meant to say was medicine, but after today... you do actually have magic don't you?"
They stayed quiet for a moment.

But down on the ground, Lutherion began to sense something. Not anything unusual, no magical signal, no strange unidentifiable source. No, he SMELLED something. Frantically he looked around, he knew this smell. It was familiar, and yet there was something terrifying about it, and yet wonderful! But that it was so wonderful was at the same time what made it terrifying...

It was the smell, of BACON!

A cyllinder of green light formed overhead, and crashed down around Lutherion. The bone web outside of the shield withered and fell to the ground. Looking up through the tunnel, Lutherion found himself staring at Alcaraith's open mouth.

The inevitable increase in heat gave just enough time for a trickle of sweat to roll down Lutherion's neck, before from the dragon's mouth, the shield was filled with a massive pillar of fire.

***

"How irritating, this second chance is given to you and you screw it up almost instantly!"
Dexter's voice echoed through the illusionary world.
Luther's charred body fell limply to the ground, the green light fading from around him. Alcaraith landed, changing back to her human form. Emily began to approach the corpse. Aeon and Nathan still stared each other down, caught in the neural link. Amethyst slowly stood up, and stared. Not at Dexter, but past him...
It made perfect sense really, that conspiracy theorist had been from Eximo's world, of course she could be here.

Midnara wasn't so calm. Staring blankly for a second, she suddenly broke out into a run, shouting at the top of her lungs, "AMET--"

"Everyone deserves to die in--"

Emily and Midnara were both interrupted, as Lutherion's corpse leapt to its feet. He was still dead of course, but that hadn't stopped him before. All at once, his arm extended, stretching towards Dexter. The gentleman casually dodged in a direction that didn't exist, and the arm pierced, right through Midnara.

"Hey! It's your fault I'm in this mess in the first place! If you think you could've done better, how about I add you to my arm first! Bah, squishy humans!"

He added the last part as an afterthought, as he casually brushed the girl's limp corpse off his arm, retracting it. Dexter flew in a straight line away from Lutherion, and landed right behind him.

The world was even more broken than before, but Amethyst wasn't thinking about that.
He just brushed her off.
Just casually.
This should be horrible.
This is horrifying.
Midnara.
My friend.
Just like that.
Why don't I...?

Amethyst maintained a calm expression as she clutched her chest. It was her own calmness that horrified her the most.

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