[center][h3]Ms Fortune[/h3] [b]Level 4[/b] Nadia (69/40) [b]Location:[/b] The Maw - the Depths Blazermate's [@Archmage MC], Bowser's [@DracoLunaris], Ace Cadet's [@Yankee], Sakura's [@Zoey Boey], Frog's [@Dark Cloud], Mirage’s [@Potemking] [b]Word Count:[/b] 1918[/center] Like a cat at a mousehole, Nadia waited with bated breath. Seeing Sakura down in the dumps felt worse than nearly getting obliterated by the Abyssal onslaught out on Black Bay, and she hoped with all her heart that her wake-up call would jolt Sakura back to the irrepressible, never-say-die girl Nadia had come to know. Would that it were so easy. The brave face Nadia put on for her friend fell as Sakura sputtered out more apologies. She wasn’t getting it. Maybe she wasn’t [i]going[/i] to get it. Or maybe there wasn’t anything to get. “W-wait, hold on,” Nadia tried, “I’m sayin’ you [i]didn’t[/i] kill him. It’s just a trick!” She let the weak declaration hang, unsupported. After all, she herself didn’t know for sure, other than the vague feeling that things couldn’t possibly be as messed up as they appeared. With no legs to stand on, how could she convince Sakura to accept such a different perspective? The Street Fighter probably saw right through her attempts to comfort her and explain things away, and shied away from the feral’s touch. Nadia had failed, embarrassed herself probably, and in all likelihood made it worse. Her face burned and her guts twisted as she backed into the chain link fence. [i]Stupid. Why’d I have to go and think I could help with stuff like this?[/i] She’d let this hero stuff go to her head. At the end of the day, all she was good for was fighting and stealing. She couldn’t be there for good people when bad things were happening to them. Dejected, the little feral looked away so that Geralt could do his thing. Luckily, her inner turmoil got put on hold when she became aware of events unfolding over by the pilot seat. The diving suit that fell from the rack close by took on a life of its own, and as Sakura pointed out, not just any life, either. For a brief moment of near-absolute horror Nadia thought that Mirage’s soul had been sucked out by the machine and deposited into the diving suit, like an engine installed into another car. Worse still, that conclusion recontextualized the situation with Carl to be much worse than she desperately wanted it to be. Nadia stood, frozen, until she confirmed that it was Mirage’s voice still issuing from inside the techno-chair’s headcase, without any electronic interference. He hadn’t been soul-transferred; Mirage -the original Mirage- was still there. She just about melted in relief, close to tearing up herself, but she managed to get a hold of herself. The team wasn’t out of the woods just yet. If Mirage still existed as a child, that meant somehow that this diving suit full of doodads and sludge was aping him with uncanny accuracy. It immediately started talking to the original, which Nadia realized in retrospect was probably a mistake, not that she or anyone else could have really stopped it. Made for a full-size human, the suit loomed larger than any of the heroes-turned-children, and as it grew more irate Nadia grew more uneasy. At least Blazermate and Bowser diagnosed the problem quickly, the latter out of experience apparently and the first...because she was a robot? Nadia couldn’t say, but however the two managed to figure it out, she appreciated someone knowing what the heck was going on. It wasn’t the man she knew, but a machine mimicking him. Like a mockingbird. Somehow the chair copied Mirage’s mind and uploaded the copy into the nearest vessel, which would explain its behavior. Every response it gave made it clear that the suit thought itself the real deal, just like ‘Carl’ had. If it believed itself to be human to the point of seeing things that weren’t there, that dissonance could be a problem. Nadia remembered seeing enough sci-fi movies at the theater in Little Innsmouth to know that machines thinking for themselves was bad news for everyone. At least this suit seemed to share Mirage’s helpful, obliging nature. If it had been Bowser in that chair they might have gotten an aggressive, assertive Mockingbird that wouldn’t cooperate to save its ‘life’, but luckily the pilot seat got one of the nicer bananas in the bunch. That gave Nadia a sliver of hope that the team could control or otherwise manage it somehow, but before they could do anything the real Mirage pulled himself out of the device to greet his Mockingbird face-to-face. Unfortunately they did not hit it off, and the subject of the real Mirage still being under Galeem’s influence came up instantly. “Aw, crud…” Nadia grimaced, rubbing her arm nervously. Maybe Junior had the right idea. Was puttering through the deep sea in a tin can surrounded by monsters and then drowning a horrible death really that bad compared to this? Well, yes. Yes it was. But this wasn’t good either. Behind her she heard the submarine hit the water, freed from the grasp of the ceiling arms, and though Nadia jumped she didn’t quite escape getting doused by the splash. “Yowch! That’s cold as hell!” she squealed as she dodged away, oblivious to the irony of her statement. As the submersible bobbed up and down she could see Junior inside, perfectly fine as he got the vehicle under control. Everything seemed pretty much operational on that front, but with nasty creatures on the prowl under there, would one manned vehicle really be enough? Bella, meanwhile, had gone over to the console at the communications station that Junior used to maneuver the submarine into the water. As she examined it, Nadia watched her connect the dots. “Oh,” the teensy Abyssal observed. “We can use the arms to pick up the robot and put it into the water.” It seemed so obvious that Nadia might have beat herself up for not thinking of it sooner, if she were more self-conscious. Instead she felt a little more confident in the team’s odds. [i]One more problem solved.[/i] Her gaze diverted to Peach, who’d finished operating the conveyor belt to bring the BULL unit closer and followed in its footsteps(?) to rejoin everyone else in the Command Center. She arrived to find her group scattered and the walking, talking diving suit at the center of attention. “Eck-excuse me!?” she exclaimed, instantly on guard. Instinctively she raised her parasol like a sword. “What in the world is that thing!?” The exclamation seemed to irritate the Mockingbird. [b]”Ugh, you too? You guys need to work on your comedic timing. Is this really the time for practical jokes?”[/b] In the silence that followed the red lights within its helmet swept over everyone present, their glow harsh. [b]”Hello? Did I forget to introduce myself? If so, then hi everyone, nice to meet ya, I’m Mirage. I like my Wingman, long walks on the beach, and not being called stuff like ‘copycat’ and ‘clone’ and ‘thing’. Again and again. Or being threatened all of a sudden. Is that too much to ask?”[/b] Though wet and more than a little anxious, Nadia stepped up. “Hey, hey, hey, let’s take a deep breath here. I’m sure I speak for everyone when I say we’re sorry, alright? It’s just, the situation’s got us all a little, uh...frazzled. Its tough to tell what’s goin’ on exactly.” [b]”Yeah, I know.”[/b] The Mockingbird didn’t look convinced, although it didn’t look like much of anything, necessarily. [b]”Just...well, I know this is rich coming from me, but can we just take things a tiny bit more seriously?”[/b] Bella cut the conversation short by activating the arm controls. It took her a little more experimentation than it did for Junior to make sense of it, but she managed to get the Universal Helper up and headed toward the drink, provided that Junior got the submarine out of the way and someone else got back behind the ‘wheel’ of the BULL. Considering their new company, however, Nadia wanted nothing to do with that contraption. She counted five more diving suits on the wall, and if that copying thing was a one-time deal, it would have ended with Carl. Then again, going down under with Junior sounded even worse. Instead of moping, Nadia focused on what she could do to help. Something physical that made good use of her scrappy, alley-cat childhood. “So...since I’m sort of used to being hungry and I’m a good climber, I can go back up to the catwalks to try and distract the monsters and stuff.” She flicked her ears, the gears in her head turning. “There were some pinchers in the workshop I think. I might need some help to use them though. Ace, maybe?” The kitten implored her friend for aid. Though still shaky, Peach focused on the task at hand rather than the Mockingbird. “Good idea. Once Junior gets going, we can put the robot in. The more stuff we have in the water, the better.” Her eyes landed on the life preserver stowed inside the submarine, in case of emergency, but she tried not to let them linger. “Then whoever gets clear can go for the controls. They’re at the very bottom, all the way to the right, going from the command center. Even someone walking along the bottom could get there.” This time she made a conscious effort not to look at either Blazermate or Mirage’s Mockingbird. She didn’t need to say anything about monsters, but everyone had good reason for not wanting to pile more lives into the submarine. “Good luck, Junior.” Nadia knocked on the side of the submarine. “Here. Your biggest fan!” She offered Junior her precious tool. “If you have to get out of there, maybe it’ll work like a personal propeller.” With that, she made for the door, her own duty clear. After leaving the situation in the command center behind she made a quick detour back to Maintenance to grab a pair of bolt cutters from the table by the forge, then climbed back up the ladder to the web of hanging catwalks and bridges. Provided she got some help, she and her comrade could work the two handles of the cutters to shear right through the chain. One at a time they severed the chains, each snap echoing through the flooded factory and causing the weight of the attached bridge section to swing perilously. Once they separated the last one from the safety of a higher platform nearby, the whole thing plummeted downward. Its splash resounded through the whole area, but it was nothing compared to what came next. From the water exploded a [url=https://i.imgur.com/vDdmO37.jpg]gigantic fish[/url], more nightmarish even than the Megalodon from the open ocean, even if it wasn’t nearly as big. As it leaped toward the disturbance its mouth unfurled, a series of flaps studded with disgustingly human teeth, twisted and yellowed. More hideous by far was its back, covered in bulging, bloodshot eyeballs, with a handful of loose, wiggly tentacles poking out between them. Absolute terror possessed Nadia as the mutated monstrosity soared her way, and she turned tail to flee to the next platform, but the thing fell short and plunged back into the water. Its impact shook the Depths, and a few moments went by before Nadia dared to breathe again, but the first thing she did when she finally got her air moving was laugh. “Hah. Hah! Fishy bastard can’t reach us!” She turned to her partner in triumph. “As long as we don’t get too low, anyway. Let’s keep it up!” Bolt cutters in hand, she was ready for another round. [hr] The stay-behinds’ new friend treated Kamek and Link to a look of mixed bewilderment and amusement as the Magikoopa explained Blue Team’s predicament, more as if he couldn’t believe [i]that[/i] such a thing happened rather than [i]how[/i] it happened. He didn’t spend too much time on exposition, though, and got down to business. Unfortunately, the Moogle wasn’t much help. “Agh, sorry, I can’t bring mucha anythin’ wit me. Just whatever li’l simple thing I got on hand.” After pausing to look at his back scratcher, the Moogle offered it to Kamek. “I got this though. Ya itchy or somethin’?” When it came to the green-haired kid, the portly creature got a different request, along with a message to deliver. “Fiendlord...Magus?” he repeated. “Uh, sure thing pal, I’ll get right on that. Once I get back, I mean.” Warning an enemy that he was being pursued sounded like a bad idea, but hey, it wasn’t his place to ask questions. Link then confronted the Moogle with another question, and he shook his head. “Nah, right before comin’ I scarfed down a whole bucket-a...uh, I mean, it ain’tcha business what I ate. But I’m good for a while.” [center][h3]Cold Monastery[/h3] [b]Location:[/b] Frozen Highlands - Alpine Skyline Linkle’s [@Gentlemanvaultboy][/center] As one might expect, another flurry of questions flew from Linkle the moment Guerra went quiet. With a smile for the girl’s eager energy, he did his best to answer. “When he came, the Stranger was angry, rude, thuggish, even. It did not seem as though he were looking for a lost treasure or companion, no. More as if he was on the hunt. We didn’t anticipate his abilities, of course, and when our guards asked that he leave, he thrashed them. One he threw through a wall.” The Father’s features looked grim. Albedo felt no need to seek clarification on whether or not it had been an interior wall. “The rest spent days in recovery, even with all the healers in this place,” Guerra continued. “Nobody could so much as scratch him. He could have taken this place apart plank by plank, sent it tumbling down into the misty valley, except he didn’t care to. Instead he combed the place, searching high and low for whoever it was he sought. Only the idols seemed to catch his attention. He intimidated them, but turned around and continued his search. Except for Skadi.” Rubbing his chin, Guerra looked out the window. “He questioned her, but even though she didn’t recognize him, something she said prompted him to attack anyway. The two fought, but he was much stronger, and afterward something broke in her. He never came back, but she changed. You’ll see for yourself what I mean,” he told Linkle. Guerra sighed and clenched his fists. “I am no stranger to tyranny. To cruel people in power who treat the lives of good, ordinary folk like nothing. But until that day their power has been political, or that of numbers. To encounter a single, mighty being, whose raw strength there is no hope of opposing...a humbling, yet frustrating experience.” He uncurled his hands and slapped his knees, getting to his feet. “Pardon me, you have no need for an old man’s complaining. I’d be happy to bring you to meet Skadi. It is good of you to concern yourself with respect, although if there is something this idol would like, I’m afraid I have no idea. She does not seem to have needs, other than followers perhaps, and she is not articulate enough to express wants. But it seems she busies herself with creating cryptic images and messages, so maybe she’d like drawing supplies.” Albedo narrowed his eyes. “You keep saying things like that. Broken, changed, coherent. Do you mean to say she is mentally unwell?” “It’s...difficult to describe,” Guerra admitted, the creases visible in his forehead. He rose. “Better to show you. This way.” Guerra led his guests through the cozy halls of the third tower, exchanging greetings with other residents as he went. The sense of warmth in this place, Albedo realized, went well beyond its hearths and braziers. As he followed the Father he considered what the man said about gods and idols. In his home world, each nation dwelled under the auspice of an Archon, although the extent to which each Archon impacted day to day life differed. The Qixing of Liyue received intermittent guidance from their god, while the deity of Inazuma supposedly ruled the country as shogun. In Mondstadt, meanwhile, the God of Freedom never showed his face, and if he received the prayers of his church, never gave a sign. Seldom if ever did Mondstadt consider the Archons in his day to day life, not finding it a particularly interesting topic, but he guessed that if all a goddess did was stoke fires in a kitchen, he wouldn’t respect her much, either. Shortly the trio descended some steps to enter the tower’s basement. Here the foundations mindled with the uneven surface of the mountain, so the area was neither ordlerly nor consistent, but what space was available appeared to be used for storage. Guerra strode past barrelled supplies and other goods toward an open area in the back. Neither lock nor key nor even door barred the way, so as soon as Linkle and Albedo followed the Father through the empty doorway, they could see the goddess for themselves. Rendered speechless for a moment, Albedo could not in any sense say that what he saw was what he expected. Seated in the center of the floor was a woman in almost garishly colorful attire, striped pink and yellow and blue, with mint-green hair done up in pink-tipped pigtails, and a wealth of makeup and accessories. Seeing a grown woman decorated in a manner more fitting to a young child struck Albedo as more than a little strange. By her side lay a huge dog, but despite its size Albedo could not call the beast intimidating. It was pudgy and fluffy, with a chubby, comical face, giving him a look that the alchemist found resilient to classification. A creature more marshmallow than mongrel, he thought. The [url=https://i.imgur.com/QhKddrp.png]bizarre pair[/url] sat together in a mess of paper strewn across the floor, most of them bearing images of the dog along with a couple of inscriptions. Albedo couldn’t stop himself trying to read one, but the words didn’t make any sense, and the next few he attempted seemed no better. Baffled, he looked to Father Guerra for explanation, but the priest could only shrug. Evidently this was what he’d been referring to earlier, and from the looks of it he could explain it about as well as the new arrivals. Guerra cleared his throat to get the attention of the goddess Skadi, who turned and brightened up to see her visitors. “Konnichiwa!” she sang. Her companion peered at Linkle and Albedo with a sidelong glance, and as Skadi realized she didn’t recognize either of them, she turned to her dog in excitement. “Here’s a treat: they are new! Oh, everyone is going to love you, Doge! You are just the cutest! Look at that silly face and them eyes!” To Albedo’s further surprise her companion spoke, albeit in a dopey voice that sounded like someone pretending to be an idiot. “Much wow?” “Yes, very much wow!” Skadi agreed. She glanced back at the newcomers, her eyes unfocused, then pulled out the picture she’d been working on and offered it to Linkle. Like the others it had a drawing of her dog, along with crayon scribblings that said [i]very like such meme much laugh wow so doge[/i]. She beamed as she pushed it at the Skullgirl. “How kawaii is this?” Guerra coughed. “Pardon us, miss Skadi. These two wanted to ask you something.” With the goddess more interested in sharing her images, however, his announcement received no response.