[center][h3]Lumbridge[/h3]
[b]Level 6 Tora[/b] - (5/60) EXP and [b]Level 5 Poppi[/b] - (13/50) EXP
[b]Location:[/b] the Land of Adventure
[b]Word Count:[/b] 1614[/center]

Through hill and dale, over river and plane the Brother Grimm rumbled, followed by the Centurion's drill cart and the Courier on his chocobo. Some snoozed away the relatively-peaceful ride despite Poppi's driving inexperience, but some remained too wired by the night's encounter to relax. Euden found himself in the latter group, instead sitting between Linkle and Geralt in the bed of the monster truck, still riding the high of giving Linkle a high-five. With the Witcher more than a little taciturn, the prince contented himself with watching Linkle experiment with her ice powers, up until the point she broke the silence to start talking to him again. He felt pretty confident he understood why she was asking her question, but he opted to settle it before getting to the crux of the issue. 

“Well, I don't really 'want' to stop. Shapeshifting takes energy, and when it runs out, I'm forced back into human form.” He watched her last little ice sculpture bounce off the ground behind the truck, glinting in the startlight, and when it disappeared looking at Tora snoring right next to Ace Cadet instead. “Since it seems like your hair changed when you started making ice, though, have you tried not making ice for a while? Might be something like my eyes. They turn red when they I'm ready to shapeshift.” The irony of his eyes always being red in the World of Light escaped him.

Some time later Brother Grimm arrived in Lumbridge, and it did not find a sleeping town. Even if a number of townsfolk hadn't stayed up hoping to see everyone return, the lightshow that evidently went off over the distant steppe, visible from the town, drew a lot of attention. There was no grandiose celebration, but after Poppi stopped the truck with the help of a shed on the town's outskirts, the disembarking heroes found an assortment of townsfolk waiting for them on the bridge across the river Lum and its riverbanks. With most of the overly enthusiastic kids in bed, the onlookers presented a mature response, offering things like water and blankets to the heroes as they passed. Poppi, holding Tora like an exercise ball, could scarcely contain her joy as she walked through the space in the crowd. Moments like this, ones in which she felt like a real hero, were what made it all worth it.

The Houndmaster and his trusty dog met the returning heroes in the middle. “Incredible,” he told them, his gruff voice carrying an awestruck tone. “We saw it all. The scouts reported an area that reminded me of the Farmstead, but we harbored not even the faintest inkling of the extent of the blight's development. I held such certainty that the beast would avoid such a tainted region, as well. Yet here you are, having survived the worst that the Land of Adventure can offer. I am speechless.”

“Well, I'm not!” A burly, red-haired [url=https://gamepedia.cursecdn.com/hearthstone_gamepedia/thumb/5/50/The_Innkeeper%27s_Tale_-_The_Innkeeper%27s_Tale2.jpg/350px-The_Innkeeper%27s_Tale_-_The_Innkeeper%27s_Tale2.jpg?version=7cf68ad3cee57e6a2542beab0a2cd4d6]man[/url] approached and crossed his arms. “You all must be pooped. If you wanna rest, ain't a better place than my Great Ton Pu Inn. Free tonight for heroes, extra-soft beds 'n everything!” 

Poppi nodded gratefully and headed in the direction that the Innkeeper indicated. The [url=https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/zelda/images/6/63/Breath_of_the_Wild_Hateno_Village_%28East_Necluda%29_The_Great_Ton_Pu_Inn_%28Exterior%29.png/revision/latest?cb=20170731022844]inn[/url] was close, sitting right on the edge of the river Lum. Inside Poppi found a small room for herself and Tora to lay the Nopon to rest in. Once he was comfortable, she sat down and went into standby mode, drawing ether from the atmosphere into her furnace to replenish herself. The others could follow the pair's example and bed down for the night, or travel throughout the town or beyond. Even with most of its populace abed and its facilities closed, Lumbridge offered more than enough to keep an insomniac interested. While the guildmarm couldn't be found in the castle Guild at this hour, the job board offered a number of smaller tasks that anyone could pick off at any time.

[hr]

Though greedy and gluttonous, Tora was not lazy, and he woke at an early hour of the morning with the fleeting essence of a wonderful dream on his mind. He struggled to hold on to it, but it slipped through his wings like sand, leaving him with a tinge of melancholy. With a yawn, he rolled upright, blinking as he examined his surroundings. He appeared to be in a small room, homely and without presumption, and he felt like a million bucks. It must, he reasoned, have something to do with the amazing bed he found himself in. Whatever it was stuffed with, it felt as soft and comfortable as a warm cloud, and it had blessed him with one of the best nights of sleep in his whole life. That stood out as particularly poignant given what he did last night—that mad struggle beneath jeering stars. And yet now all his troubles had melted away, leaving him ready to start the new day.

Of course, he couldn't begin without Poppi. His artificial blade sat in a chair by his bed, still running a restoration routine. The sight of her sparked some sort of remembrance in Tora, and an idea struck him, another step toward bringing an illustrious vision to life. “Ooh, Tora getting closer to think of design for third mode. And new upgrades for this mode,” he murmured.  Better than any coffee, inspiration surged through his mind, and before him unfolded dazzling arrays of components, circuits, and code, as clear as the approaching day. Tora bounced to his feet, landing on the floor with enough of an impact that Poppi felt it and awoke from her subroutine.

“Good morning, Masterpon,” she greeted him, before rising to her feet. “We in Great Ton Pu Inn. Rumply man say we can spend night without paying.”

Tora beamed. “Meh, meh meh meh!” he sang, before clapping a hand on Poppi's shoulder. “That great news. Tora have some too: after great sleep and dream, idea for implementation of new mode come into head, meh.”

Curious, Poppi considered what he said. “Did Masterpon finally come up with design?:

The Nopon shook his head. “Sort of. But Tora keep brainstorming until one day new design appear over head like ether bulb.”

Poppi looked unimpressed. “If Masterpon say so...”

“When inspiration strike, Masterpon power up Poppi ASAP! Please, trust in Masterpon!”

“Understood.” Heading over to the door, Poppi opened it to lead Tora downstairs. “But if Poppi had breath, Poppi would not hold it.”

Tora waddled through, shaking his head. “You not trust Masterpon at all. Well, let's go to smithy and get to work. After breakfast, meh.”

Some time later, after a few adventurers trickled in, the two gathered in the guild hall. At seven in the morning, the sun shone cheerily down on a Lumbridge already going about its business, and on heroes preparing for another challenge. Tora was already a bit smudged and singed by his work in the smithy, though not nearly to the degree of the newly-returned Courier 6, who had evidently not slept one wink in the night as he backtracked to Hammerhead to do some engineering instead. Still, the Nopon had made good on a few of his ideas and improved the capabilities of both himself and his blade.

[hider=Level Upgrades]
[b]Overclocker[/b] – a new Strength for Tora. His mechanical abilities and increased capacity for adapting to new systems has allowed him to develop a potent support skill. As long as he is able to constantly tinker with some technology, be it a device, a weapon, a vehicle, or even a sophisticated machine lifeform, he can increase its operational speed and strength by a lot. He needs Poppi on hand for power and a toolkit to make modifications with.

[b]Super Poppi Swap[/b] a new Power for Poppi. Now that Tora's made an elemental core of every elemental type (fire, water, wind, ice, electric, earth, light, and dark) and added supportive hardware and software to her system, she can switch elemental cores on the fly. This allows Poppi to take advantage of enemy weaknesses and engineer her own Blade Combos.[/hider]

From the sound of it, there had been some excitement in the night, so late in fact that it was not only this morning but only a few minutes before Tora and Poppi got up for the morning. A few people had appeared from the teleporter Blazermate left behind here, needing help and babbling about a horrible situation in a place called the Dead Zone. After that, however, nobody came for a time, which meant a hefty double dose of worry and confusion. There were still some people with the survivors now, trying to piece together a coherent picture of what was going on based on their shared testimony while watching the teleporter.

One face stood out as the heroes gathered, and even thought it was hidden, its owner did not seem pleased. Leaning against the quest counter, the guildmaster drummed his gloved fingers on the wood with his other hand a fist on his hip. In fact he looked downright furious, but Peach approached him anyway. “We have completed the F-rank hunt, guildmaster. But it wasn't the strongest enemy in this land, was it?”

After grinding his teeth, the black-robed highroller gave a strained reply. “...No, there's one more. G-rank. But let's not get ahead o' ourselves, huh?” His manner suddenly changed to relaxed and cocksure. “Bumped off the Brach, did ya? That's what I keep hearin' on the rumble, pal, but I ain't a chump. Where's your proof, sister?”

Peach opened her mouth, then closed it again, frustrated. There was no proof, obviously, since the monster turned to ash when killed. 

[center][h3]Germ Warfare[/h3]
[b]Location:[/b] Clik Clak Diner, Lumbridge, Land of Adventure
[@TruthHurts22][/center]

Germ stared at Phoenix, his yellow eye wide. A case based on how someone could fly. “Neat.” Then, after a moment of silence, he blinked, a little let down. The lawyer seemed ill at ease for some reason, and less-than-eager to carry the conversation with details of his case. Since Germ was not at all willing to carry the conversation, he let it dissolve and slid back down into his booth. A few moments later he took a hike, leaving Phoenix, his scaly client, and the Clik Clak diner itself behind. Things were tough without his friends, Mae especially, and even tougher without his family.

The worker behind the diner's counter watched him go. With the place even quieter now that Germ was gone, she felt obliged to make conversation. “Funny egg, that one,” [url=https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/80342832066971905/A8B3DD34BC3ABF22513480F5488346B7D2C17BFE/?imw=637&imh=358&ima=fit&impolicy=Letterbox&imcolor=%23000000&letterbox=true]she[/url] remarked. “Never talks to anyone except to ask about stuff. Usually about family. Touchy subject for just about everyone, it seems.” From the way she talked, she made herself sound like an exception. Not everyone had family to lose, of course. Those who did ended up needing to confront the possibilities: their loved ones could be somewhere else in the World of Light, not brought over, dead, and so forth. She glanced at her customer's drink. “Want a refill?” she asked, still not sure whether or not she should be asking Pat if he wanted anything.

[center][h3]Ratchet and Death[/h3]
[b]Location:[/b] Lounge, RCPD, Dead Zone[/center]

For a brief time Ratchet and Clank wandered the police station, as much searching as they were brazenly daring the killer to attack them. He was in the library, unintentionally having drawn close to the Preta disposal crew as he wandered around, when Death caught up to them. It had been a few days, but the two couldn't help but recognize one another from that morning on a cliff, where over a half-dozen fighters sought to end the life of a little pink puff called Kirby ad were instead awakened to justice. Still, regardless of their collective efforts so far, the murderer evaded them. It was only after the two went into the lounge that hell broke loose.

The wall exploded in a ball of flame, and through the opening they could see three [url=https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/devilmaycry/images/f/fb/Pyrobat_DMC5_Art_Render.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20190515193218]pyrobats[/url] and a [url=https://miro.medium.com/max/857/1*uI5qg_DzVOI9O9thOBS55Q.png]demon[/url]. Without so much as an introduction the flaming fliers attacked, with the squawking demon strafing around to swoop at the heroes when safe and the bats alternating between fireballs and flame beams. The lounge didn't offer much room to maneuver, but Death could climb to the roof easily and Clank could keep Ratchet in the air. Thanks to the opening, both could see the sheer size of the horde currently attacking the police station's front, with some zombies starting to form physical piles, but there was no sign of their real target.

[center][h3]Jak and Daxter[/h3]
[b]Location:[/b] First floor east side, RCPD, Dead Zone[/center]

Alongside Tess and Eddie, Jak and Daxter hurried through the east side, without a moment to lose. First they hit the press room, where a number of survivors holed up, and Eddie yelled at them to get a move on. The civilians complied, spurred on by terror, with the last of them -a portly [url=https://66.media.tumblr.com/660199849e6ad27ecb43126804f0450b/tumblr_pjyr707R421ss5h3po2_500.png]dragon[/url] with a wide-brimmed hat- trundling toward the main hall only a few moments later. The fighters kept a close enough on the survivors lest they let the killer through, but none of them fit the bill, and the four didn't exactly have the time for a close inspection. Next up was the break room and nearby guard room, where the last couple survivors they needed to gather would be.

They heard the commotion before they saw it. When the fighters rounded the corner in the eastmost hall after passing through the empty watchman's room, they spotted a fight going down by what remained of the barricade to the basement stairs. Brandishing dual pistols, the hooded man encountered by Ratchet and Clank, Jones, was fighting against a hooded [url=https://i.pinimg.com/originals/95/63/38/956338d640685140d25115b1af1fb27f.jpg]wraith[/url] with dual swords. The lack of room, as well as the ability of the wraith to phase through walls, made it a tough fight, but somehow Jones kept himself in one piece. He moved around constantly, firing one or two shots before dodging again. The tactic used an enormous amount of energy, leaving him almost constantly tired, which was where his friend came in. Standing down the hall, out of immediate danger, a majestic-looking [url=https://wargroovewiki.com/mediawiki/images/5/53/Caesar_Portrait.png]dog[/url] barked at Jones whenever he started to slow down, causing blue-green glimmers to appear around him. Somehow, the dog kept giving him a second wind, inspiring him to keep fighting.

Eddie reached out a hand. “Stand back!” He raised his fearsome double-bladed axe, only for a nearby window to burst and a wiry-looking zombie to jump in. “Watch it, lame-o!” Eddie cautioned, as he cleaved it in half instead. Another zombie stumbled inside, falling right by the dog and clutching at his flank. The Pyrenees yelped and hightailed it out of there, running between Jak and Daxter. Outside, more zombies approached, with a wave of [url=https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/zelda/images/6/61/Stalfos_Artwork_%28Twilight_Princess%29.png/revision/latest/top-crop/width/360/height/450?cb=20160110212257]skeletal soldiers[/url] right behind. Tess and Jak couldn't use their guns in such a tight space with melee fighters like him around, he knew. Eddie bisected a marauding zombie before jumping through the window himself to bring the fight to the invaders. “C'mon then, you gross disgusting mutants!” he yelled. “Rock can heal, but sometimes it hurts!” He planted the axe in a zombie before pulling out his guitar and starting to play. A few strums of its string sent electricity arcing through the crowded enemies.

Jones dove out of the way of the wraith's swing and slid down the hall toward the others, firing upside-down as he did. One bullet zipped into its hood, illuminating for a split second a ghastly, skeletal face. “Man, am I glad you guys are here! Let's go!” Unwilling to let that happen, the Wraith teleported behind the group. More zombies clambered up the stairs, including two [url=https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/the-evil-within/images/6/6f/Reiko-hirashima-tew2-spawn-03.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/1000?cb=20171222111308]Spawn[/url], at the head of the pack, one of which tore a normal zombie in half on arrival.

[center][h3]Nero[/h3]
[b]Location:[/b] Displaced Bungalow, RCPD, Dead Zone[/center]

Things went south fast. Naturally, the stress got to Donnie and he went about the ritual a little fast. When the Preta made a grab at him, he maneuvered out of the way without much of an issue, but that very alacrity sent components flying. Some food, the tablecloth, and the incense sticks scattered about, and all of a sudden the monk was on the run, dodging this way and that just to keep himself a hair's breadth out of the giant specter's grip. After a moment, Nero realized that he was doing it to buy the others time, and with a nod slid out from his hiding place to lend a hand. He went for a handful of spilled salad, only for the Preta to notice, and to be safe Nero ducked under another table. A moment later the ghost grabbed the one he'd previously been under and took it away into the dark, where it was lost from view.

A round thing rolled out from a different table, which Nero realized with raised eyebrows was Ms. Fortune's detached head. Flapping her ears like wings and jetting blood from her neck, Fortune guided her head toward the salad. The Preta seemed to ignore it, and Fortune wasted no time chomping down on the food and carrying it up to the partially-filled plate on the cabinet below where the monster loomed. “Blech!” she spat it out into the bowl, hopefully no worse for wear, then rolled off.

Working off a spur-of-the-moment idea, Nero shot off a wire snatch at the wall on the other side of the incense sticks. Its claw dug into the wood, and the reel dutifully retracted, pulling the devil hunter across the floor. It dragged him too quickly for the Preta to nab him, and he managed to grab one stick as he slid over them. Just before reaching the wall he released the snatch and rolled under a nearby table. He grasped the hilt of the Red Queen with his left and held the stick against the engine with his right, then revved it. Just as he hoped, the momentary burn ignited the incense, filling the air with fragrant smoke.

Meanwhile, Joker took advantage of the commotion to sneak close to the cabinet. In the dark, his black clothing and stealthy bearing made him almost invisible, and he used his chance to gently replace the colorful tablecloth on the makeshift altar. One he placed the bowl on top of it, he glanced to Nero. The devil hunter held his breath, glanced up at the screeching Preta, and then flicked his incense stick at the thief. Nimbly Joker caught it from the air, stuck it into the cup by the bowl, and slunk back into the shadows.

A moment passed as the smoke drifted up to the Preta, but once the fumes reached it, it immediately gave up its attempts to maim Donnie. Instead it looked downward with that one scarlet eye, illuminating the altar like a deadly spotlight. With those enormous spindly fingers it reached down, grasped the tiny bowl, and pulled it up to its face. Desperately it sucked the food through its pinhole mouth, and Nero couldn't help but shudder at the slurping noise. This went on for a few tense moments, the only other sound being the [i]plop[/i] of Ms Fortune's head as she stuck it back on her neck. All eyes were in the Preta as it finished its meal, leaving its arms to dangle, and then turned away. It vanished into the dark, and a couple seconds later its tortured breathing disappeared too. A door on the other side of the now table-deficient room swung open, and the heroes could depart.

[center][h3]V[/h3]
[b]Location:[/b] Main Hall, RCPD, Dead Zone[/center]

Whatever it was that kept the horde stalled, it did not lost for long, just as the voice had said. Barely a minute later the wall of monsters lunged forward, as if an invisible dam had broken. The survivors stood ready, having blockaded the front door with furniture and armed themselves for a fight, but the horde hit the front of the police station like a tsunami of bodies. Instantly several windows gave way, and the barricade almost collapsed. Zombies spilled in through the windows, and the whole situation turned to chaos in an instant. V commanded Shadow and Griffon to attack, and the demons sprang forth to decimate the first handful of undead through the a window. Long-range fighters let off an opening salvo of projectiles to deal some damage before the close-range ones ran in. Louis and Ukyo attacked with speedy slashes, aiming to deal with enemies in single strokes by severing limbs to slow them down. Ghalt started blasted, each shotgun slug reducing a zombie to pulp, no kill was a victory; each shot was also a step closer to running out. Voices were shouting while weapons fired and monsters howled, creating an impossible din. For each monster that went down, two took its place, and there weren't just zombies. There were a whole host of demons, from [url=https://www.netclipart.com/pp/m/163-1635056_imp-clipart-doom-demons-png.png]imps[/url], [url=https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/megamitensei/images/6/60/Ghoul.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/250?cb=20090602081420]ghouls[/url], [url=https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/megamitensei/images/7/7d/GoblinSMT.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/250?cb=20080802161110]goblins[/url], [url=https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/megamitensei/images/b/b1/175_-_Lemures.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20120502023652]lemures[/url],  [url=https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/megamitensei/images/8/8b/169_-_Baykok.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20120904055922]Baykok[/url], and [url=https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/megamitensei/images/2/2c/Kwancha.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20190329193244]Kwancha[/url] to [url=https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/devilmaycry/images/d/d0/Hell_Caina_DMC5_Artbook_Render.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20190515192451]Cainas[/url], [url=https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/devilmaycry/images/6/66/Hell_Antenora_DMC5_Artbook_Render.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20190515192407]Antenoras[/url],  [url=https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/devilmaycry/images/d/d9/Stygian_CA_02_DmC.png/revision/latest?cb=20130419175041]Stygians[/url] and [url=https://i.pinimg.com/originals/6e/61/81/6e6181a67cdf263764df9fb9cfaa2a8f.jpg]Hideous[/url]. Some posed only marginally more threat than the zombies, but some attacked with huge, deadly weapons or dark magic. Ghalt blasted one Antenora onto its back, only for it to bellow and get back up with wormlike purple tubes pumping through it. He shot it again only for the Antenora to bulldoze straight through and hack into him with both cleavers. Grunting and bleeding, Ghalt fell back, but Louis shot him a heal only to be engaged the next moment by a Hideous. For a few moments it seemed as though the survivor's defenses might be broken under the weight of the first wave.

Then Blazermate, holed up in her new position, resounded her howls across the incoming horde. A large portion of the nearest zombies responded, pivoting to attack their allies. While dealing little damage, they served as obstacles for the station windows and door, forcing their former allies to tear through them first and buying the survivors some time. V, wracked by fear, gave a sigh of relief. He took a step forward to slide his cane into the body of a wan lemur, which he then threw to the ground and held down with his foot to pull the blade free. “The thankful receiver bears a plentiful harvest.”

Using the time they'd been given, the fighters battled on. For all intents and purposes, their foes were endless. Blazermate could only control so many undead, and while she could seize more when hers fell, she couldn't hope to stop the monsters from reaching the inside. In the middle of the hall, the crowded civilians watched the chaos, prepared to fight or flee should their protectors fall. Kai and Leon arrived with the kids and [url=https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/sonic/images/c/c8/Flickies_Tails19950.png/revision/latest?cb=20110713221108]small, sentient animals[/url] who'd been secured in the waiting room, adding to their numbers, and survivors from the press room appeared soon after. On their heels came a dog in armor, big and friendly if a little scared. Another minute or so of furious struggle followed, the rain outside becoming steadily harder, before something changed. The warm, humid air suddenly grew more tolerable, and the impenetrable pitch-black darkness surrounding the police station gave way to ordinary night. Jill shoved a grenade into the mouth of a zombie crawling through her window and ducked out of the way for it to explode. When she popped back up, she could see for a brief moment that the dark had faded. “I can see the street!” She yelled. “The Preta's gone!”

Sure enough, V watched Blazermate's teleporter whirl to life, a blue disc of energy forming above its spinning top. Howard saw it too. “Alright, we're out of here!” he bellowed. Against all odds a way out had revealed itself. “Step on one at a time, don't crowd, stay calm!” First onto the teleporter was Feng Min, one of the survivors rescued by Joker. She could help coordinate on the other side, after all, and get whoever was in this 'Lumbridge' to help. The moment she stepped foot on the device, she blipped away in a flash, and one of the kids stepped on right after. To the collective horror, however, the teleporter didn't work. A couple dozen pairs of eyes watched for ten whole seconds as the machine span back up to speed, started to glow, and then teleported the kid. 

Howard's jaw hung open. “Damn,” he sword. “Thirty to forty people, ten seconds each. This isn't gonna work.”

As if to illustrate his point the front door and its barricade exploded in a shower of wood and metal. Howard reacted on instinct, leaping on top of the main desk while summoning his Axe Legion, invisible to everyone but himself, to put up a shield and protect everyone from the shrapnel. A huge [url=https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/bayonetta/images/5/54/Pain.png/revision/latest?cb=20141008144426]demonic machine[/url] rolled inside, carving up debris and lesser monsters alike. V panicked and summoned Nightmare, who broke into the world through a glass veil and shoulder-charged the Pain to keep it at bay. The two hulking constructs faced off with their enormous arms, their fight spilled out into the courtyard in front. Howard gnashed his teeth and straightened up. “Alright, plan B! Everyone, out the back!” He pointed toward the large window on the second story of the main hall, far side. If the horde was at the front, spreading around the building, the back might just be their way out of this place. “Let's MOVE!”

Everyone began to move. Survivors and fighters alike turned their backs on the embattled front of the police station and ran for the back. A couple tripped in the mad scramble, a few too close to the front got charged and went down, and one or two stayed in hiding. One survivor, a surly-looking [url=https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/cuphead/images/a/a4/Quinttehcoin38B307E0-89AD-44BE-A878-5707CA2AAE85.png/revision/latest/top-crop/width/360/height/450?cb=20180407233215]living coin[/url], stood on the teleporter up until the moment a demon attacked, warping just in time to avoid getting destroyed, though the device itself wasn't so lucky. The fighters, meanwhile, did their best to help the survivors up and out. Jill grabbed the intercom at the reception desk and yelled into it, “Attention all personnel, we are leaving the building out the back. Go now!” She threw it down and started running herself, making for the second floor back wall. Fox, the first one there thanks to his quick feet, kicked through the stained glass and jumped down to the ground outside. Behind the police station was the perimeter wall, and beyond that the street. There were two problems: the drop was too much for many of the civilians, and they could not get over the wall. V could see both from where he stood, with so many crowding on the stairs and second floor landing. He had an idea.

“Griffon, clear a path.” He pointed out the direction.

“Everybody GET YOUR ASSES OUT OF THE WAY!” the demonic bird screeched. V teleported on top of Nightmare, a technique called Promotion. He commanded the golem to punch Pain backward, then turn inward toward the back of the station. A special command caused the entire demon to teleport a few feet, landing in a kneeling position in the middle of the receptionist's desk. A magic circle appeared in front of its core, where a single pink eye glowing brilliantly. The circle grew larger and larger, until a gargantuan pink beam blossomed first, blowing through everything in the center of the main hall first floor, through the back wall, through the perimeter wall, and through half of the building across the street. No sooner had the beam faded away than the survivors were on the move, fleeing from the doomed police station. Fighters worked to surround the civilians as they made their escape, providing protection from all angles.

Nightmare then fell, too wounded from the zombies and demons attacking its back to maintain its presence any longer. A half-dozen groping claws lashed out at V, clashing and gouging, but Griffon carried him away to the second floor. He landed heavily, wounded and panting, and looked down at the mess below him. With only Blazermate's undead cronies holding the horde back, and only then by the physical obstruction of their bodies, monsters were sweeping into the building. Some already piled beneath him, and others were heading for the stairs. At this rate, the horde would reach the survivors before they could get away, burdened as they were by ordinary people and young ones. He couldn't do anything to stop them. He was going to die.

Griffon landed on his railing next to V. He'd taken a few hits, though he fared better than Shadow, who had been stalemated. “You okay there, V?” he asked, warily eyeing the incoming monsters. “We, uh, gotta go. Like now. C'mon, V, get up!” The mysterious one tried, but could barely stand. Clenching his teeth, he tottered in the direction of the stairs, even though monsters stood between him and the others' escape route. Griffon started firing lightning shots at the, but both knew it wouldn't be enough.

Then the library door burst open. Nero, Joker and Ms. Fortune charged out, the former charging his prosthetic as he did. A glance flew V's way. “Now, you look like you need a hug,” the devil hunter told him. “But you won't get one from me. Stand back.”

He held out his Gerbera, which unfolded into a circular formation. “Hey, scum!” he called down at the demons. “Here's a little taste of the GOOD SHIT!” Another beam sprang to life, sweeping back and forth through the horde. “What're you waiting for?” he demanded of the others. “Go! Now!”

Fortune gave a grateful nod and sprinted off, moving like the wind. V started off, moving at a slow pace until Shadow broke his stalemate and could be summoned beneath him to ferry him on. Nero stuck around to see the others off, firing off a few shots with his Blue Rose. Then Pain reappeared. “Never a dull moment,” he complained, switching to his Helter Skelter arm and starting to charge it, too. A jump into the open air followed by a Wire Bound took him to the third floor, at which point he ran toward the station's back. Once more he leaped into the air, and this time he unleashed his Helter Skelter's Breakage. The tapered helix unfolded into a gyrating golden spiral of whirling blades that carried him through the air in an enormous corkscrew attack. He drilled straight through the ceiling, causing massive damage before flying out into the night. Behind him the police station's roof began to collapse, falling in on the horde and blocking the survivor's exit. Smirking, he landed a moment later, surrounded by the sparking and clattering pieces of the ruined prosthetic, and ran off after the fleeing crowd.

His headlong sprint brought him to the head of the group in relatively short order. “So, where are we headed?”

“Away,” Howard panted. Though in great shape, he'd been doing this sort of thing for too many years, and carrying a kid under one arm and a penguin under the other took some doing.

“Saw somewhere on the way in,” Fox advised. “Looked like a highrise with some futuristic machinery and architecture stuck on. There was this big guy standing outside with a bunch of monster corpses, didn't say anything, but real scary. I saw these lifts that can probably boost us upward. Maybe we can get in.”

Howard nodded. “Yeah! We just need a place to hunker down while we send everyone through a new teleporter.”

Running a little ways back, and carrying a cat on her back, Fortune shook her head. “Not me. Got business to attend to here.”

“Whatever!” Howard grunted. “Nobody's going anywhere unless we get to this tower.” Fox's direction took the whole group east at the next opportunity. The fighters fanning out in a circle around the survivors encountered constant attacks, but nothing too major for the moment. Once around the corner, everyone could see the building in question, but an entire earthquake-stricken market avenue stood between them and the tech-touched tower. Two fissures had torn the place into three tiers, each at slightly different elevation. Either side held one half of the market plus some of the avenue, while a serpentine chunk of avenue stood between the two crevasses, totally exposed and with perilous drops but safe from grounded threats. Unfortunately, both other tiers sported a number of monsters lurking around, with the left side especially infested, and there were more than met the eye. “Chimeras,” Howard growled, pointing at the right side. “Only someone with a Legion can see 'em, and I'm the only one.” All three routes, then, carried substantial risk. The group could not deliberate for long, with the horde bound to catch up eventually.