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[b][i]~~~~~~Hollow Bastion / Storehouse District~~~~~~[/i][/b]

He knew people weren’t inherently stupid…perhaps blissfully ignorant by choosing to believe anything anyone said, or fearful of going against the will of the stronger speaker, but stupid? Definitely not. That was something Nomis knew more than anyone, and it was by using that knowledge, to know the right moment when you can turn a crowd around to your way of thinking no matter the true reasoning behind it, that was what he was exceptionally good at. 

“A very nice speech, Uncle Nomis.” Said the new voice off to the side of Nomis, the older man looking towards the shadow cast by the walls of the area with the rising sun, seeing the teenager just out of sight of the crowds who were further back out on the street, still facing the man. 

“Thank you very much, Caleb. I trust there were no setbacks with your task, hmm?” Asked Nomis as the strange metal eye cameras, those that changed into their weird tripod forms, soon morphed back to match the floating type, all three now floating in the air behind both Nomis and Caleb. 

It was by one of the machines suddenly blaring loud like a siren that caused Nomis to stop and look, not towards the eye itself, but that of the lone figure that suddenly leaped over the far wall with a small group of Heartless in tow. 

“Look at this now, Caleb. They just keep giving themselves more rope to hang themselves with.” Nomis said, speaking quietly to young Caleb beside him, his smile slowly presenting itself more as he turned back towards the now panicking crowds, cane held in the air as he approached.

“Fear not, residents of Bastion! These creatures of darkness will not harm you, the Empire will protect you for as long as we are here! See how those who caused you harm, return to bring even more wanted destruction! But do not worry! Return quickly to your homes, and let your Empire protect you all!” The crowds had already started to leave from the moment the Heartless arrived, though the words spoken by Nomis seemed to bring some sort of order to the once growing chaos. The Empire’s authorities already beginning to mobilize and lead the large gathering of people out of the district as quickly as possible. 

The large vehicles, filled with the only salvageable materials from the decimated storehouse, soon started to leave once the crowds had thinned enough on the district’s streets, only a long machine was left just outside on the sidewalk, its long body elegantly crafted and moulded as if from a single large piece of metal. Waiting by its side, a familiar mask wearing maid stood by the driver side door of the vehicle, only moving to open the passenger door for Nomis as he made his way towards it. 

“Come Caleb. Things are in hand here.” With that said, Nomis tapped the end of his dark cane on the ground three times, each tap causing one of the floating machines to change colour from what was once a calming blue to now a malevolent purple. 

It was after the door was shut by the maid that that floating machines sprang into action, their large frames swiftly moving through the air and around the Heartless, whom seemed to ignore the inorganic beings, and intently towards that of Ace and Shizuka. The first of the Eyebots came down towards Ace, its body morphing once more into a tripod form, except unlike before when it remained stationary, it soon used its new legs to try and impale the young man, stomping its sharpened points into the ground as it screeched static towards him. 

For Shizuka, the second of the machines seemed to follow in suit with the Darkball she was currently engaged with. Choosing to remain floating in the air, hovering around in sync with the Heartless’ own movements, the machine soon sprouted a pair of long metal arms from inside its casing, the ends of which seemed to be fitted with a pair of tools, one being a singular sharp claw most likely used for cutting through metal, while the second arm was that of a drill, buzzing as it whirled wildly while charging for the young woman. 

It was the third that remained a mystery for now, its form never changing, its position being the same place from where all three first started, only now high above the burned area where the storehouse once stood. 

[b][i]~~~~~~Hollow Bastion / Sewers~~~~~~[/i][/b]

The sound of splashing echoing throughout the sewers was something not at all strange to hear for those travelling through it. However it was the constant emergence of numerous and even louder forms of the sound that was unsettling to hear, especially coupled with that of the brief instances of metal scrapping against bricks that could just be made out during the very rare moments of silence between splashing water. 

The hulking Metalwolves stood hunched as they made their way through the sewers of Hollow Bastion, their journey taking longer due to the assortment of sealed cases which they proceeded to drag behind them, the long chains attached to the items being held within their mouths as they followed behind the leader of their pack, the sight of which was even more monstrous than before. 

Now more than twice the size of even the large Metalwolves themselves, the beast looked grossly out of proportion. Moving through the sewers, which are large enough to allow most adults to walk normally through and even the Metalwolves to pass with just a small hunch in their stance, proved to just be barely large enough for the leader, its massive form causing it to move on all fours though revealing as it walked the sight of two smaller forearms closer inside its chest area. 

It was the large ridges of metal lining its back that seemed to be the cause of the echoing scraps throughout the sewer, and though its large main forearms and legs would splash into the water from time to time, them having slipped off the solid bricks that made up the side-paths of the sewer, it was its long reaching tail that appeared to be the main cause of the noise, hanging low towards the water and eventually slapping through it whenever the great beast stopped to gain its senses of the area.