[b][color=thistle]"Threat protocol activated."[/color][/b] Theo said,
[b][color=yellowgreen]"Lightning rod activated."[/color][/b] Con said.

Time slowed for Alto, and he saw Taylor's hands crackle with electricity. His right arm automatically rose as he saw streaks of lightning move through the air towards the members of the party. But when they were halfway to the party, they suddenly changed course and streamed towards his raised right arm.

As they struck, he felt the Con's energy levels suddenly increase as the current was transformed into temporary energy for her functions. Shifting his attention back towards Taylor, he saw that he was no longer in front of them. He shifted his attention, and suddenly he realized he had teleported behind them.

[b][color=thistle]"Emperor, incoming missiles."[/color][/b] Theo said, normal speed in his mind. [b][color=thistle]"Analysis indicates that they are volatile. There is also a jet of energy behind it that may be able to dissipate our energy constructs."[/color][/b]

He felt them coming, but compared to the lightning they were much, much slower.

[b]"Con,"[/b] He said in his mind. [b]"Second program."[/b]

[b][color=yellowgreen]"Yes, master!"[/color][/b]

He felt his right arm move downwards to touch the ground as the looming swords approached. As his fingers touched the ground, he saw veins of black steel spread and split off into 7 directions. They travelled along the ground towards the swords, and when they were directly under the flying swords, black steel blades suddenly jutted out from the veins and hit the flying swords causing them to violently explode. He felt the explosions disrupt the burst of energy headed his way, but he had other matters to attend to.

To his left, he felt the sudden presence of a large piano, then a hammer and a mousetrap appear over the Cartoon Girl's head. To his right, he felt Captain Spandex start to sink slowly into materialized quicksand. From his crouching position, he directed a number veins towards the sinking hero and materialized some long thin blades that would catch him by the vest. With his left arm he immediately erected a barrier and let it coalesce into a wave of energy which he launched at the constructs over the Cartoon Girl.

The energy stream was close now, but not so close he couldn't avoid it. He launched his hookshot from his left hand and it caught into the ceiling of the room, pulling him towards it afterwards. He felt the jet of energy race by just under his feet.

He felt Lion-Man go down somewhere in front of Taylor, and he saw Doctor Trees go down to something else. He couldn't do anything about them however, and he focused his attention back onto Doctor Taylor.

Suddenly, a number of images slowly started to fill his mind even as he clung to the ceiling. He wasn't quite sure what they were just yet, but he knew he was going to find out soon.

[b][color=thistle]"A psychic attack,"[/color][/b] Theo said, [b][color=thistle]"It will take a little time to dissipate."[/color][/b]

[b]"It's fine."[/b] Alto said in his mind, [b]"I'm curious to see what it is, anyway."[/b]

He felt Theo doing his work as the images started to dominate his thoughts. He saw his parents dying various horrible deaths; impalement, decapitation and all manner of nice things. Curiously enough, Alto didn't feel anything. Perhaps it was Theo, but Alto didn't feel anything in particular. It was sort of like being in a waiting room, all he was doing was letting time pass.

[b][color=thistle]"It is done, emperor."[/color][/b] Theo said. Immediately, the images were cut off.

[b]"Theo, normal time."[/b] The outside world sped up for him. His barrier crashed into the pile of constructs above the toon down below, the black-steel blades caught spandex before he sank too far into the sand. He deactivated his hookshot, charging a pulse of energy as he fell, before firing it at Doctor Taylor.