[center][h3]Team Mao[/h3]
[b]Location:[/b] Al Mamoon Northeast - Rocket Inc.
Midna’s [@DracoLunaris], Sectonia’s [@Archmage MC], Mao’s [@Potemking], Jesse’s [@Zoey Boey], Joker, Fox, Necronomicon, Braum[/center]

Evade Ciella, overwhelm the opposition, and take the hypnotic mastermind Nastasia down--the mission was simple enough, if not easy, and since every second counted the team got right to it.

Reunited from their separate brawls all across the alien colosseum by the Agito’s wide-ranging Floor of Despair, most of the Seekers ran at full tilt straight for the cluster of still-standing Resistance fighters, and none more so than Mao. The demon had noticed a certain bothersome someone way out of position, and with one victory already under his belt Mao powered through his wounds to run Fuse down. Another grenade flew his way, but by now Mao knew what to expect, and with a high-flying maneuver he came down on Fuse in a brutal plunging attack. In pragmatic fashion he threw restraint to the wind, counting on a follow-up Friend Heart to undo the lethal wound inflicted by his swordblade, saving the life of the unfortunate grenadier. And in a lucky break, things turned out exactly the way Mao planned. Overwhelmed by the physical shock of being dumped at death’s door only for it to slam in his face, Fuse collapsed, and Mao could rejoin his allies’ charge with barely a break in the action.

Though almost as scared as she was impressed, Necronomicon offered Mao some praise for his work. “Whoa. That was a risky move, Mao, but you really pulled it off!”

While her compatriots moved in for an all-out clash with the Resistance, Sectonia kept her focus squarely on Shadow. They’d been mutual thorns in each others’ sides throughout the entire conflict, though whether out of a desire to spare their teammates a particularly troublesome opponent or just out of spite was up to interpretation. Either way, neither planned to back down now. Shadow could feel that the climactic moment had appeared. Now, he knew, he’d squash this bug once and for all. “Alright, bee-yotch. You’ve had your fun, but playtime’s just about over. Any last words?”

As a matter of fact, Sectonia did. Though aware of the fact that Nastasia had him under control she made her best attempt to try and incite a rebellion, playing on the ego that so clearly oozed from his every pore. With a double dose of mental manipulation at play, however, Shadow was unmoved, as he quickly demonstrated. “Oh? How about I claim your spirit as a trophy once I’ve dispensed with you? Don’t worry, I’ll make it quick. In fact, if you blink you might just miss me. Chaos Boost!”

A burst of red and white power surrounded him, becoming a swirling aura. He raised his hand in what was by now a familiar motion, but rather than a Chaos Spear he brought forth a much larger Chaos Lance, which he hurled at Sectonia. Though it seemed dodgeable, if she tried anything less than a dedicated attempt to avoid it, she would soon find that this attack need not hit her directly to be effective. Once in range it exploded, detonated mid-flight by Shadow with enough sheer power to stun anyone it hit. Shadow then threw himself forward in another Spin Attack. En route, however, he tapped into his Chaos powers once again. “Chaos Burst!” Around him space itself distorted, creating a miniature black hole that the hedgehog then hid himself inside. Totally untargetable, he guided the singularity of destruction Sectonia’s way, limited only by his inability to see where he was going whilst within distorted space.

While Sectonia tried to deal with that, the two sides down below closed in. Braum raised his shield, and though Reinhardt would have joined him, his broken shield’s partial regeneration meant it would break too fast if deployed too early, so the knight kept it in reserve for now. That turned out to be a mistake. He scoffed at gunfire and shrugged off low-level spells thanks to his futuristic armor, but one well-placed shot from Jesse’s tool gun shrunk him where he stood. The process was so disorienting that he could hardly react in time to the second jolt, and before he knew it the giant paladin stood no taller than a Weimaraner. At that point Jesse’s tunnel vision would have earned her a sound punishment under normal circumstances, but a quick appraisal of the enemy force told her that they sorely lacked in the long-range department, so she did not relent. Instead she battered Reinhardt with a projectile, failing to send him the hundreds of feet she envisioned, but dealing a chunk of damage nonetheless and, more importantly, removing him from the fight. One down, three to go.

She turned her uncanny gun on Sven, but by then her laser focus left its mark. Rather than the alchemist’s belly her enlargement ray struck Braum’s shield as the defender practically flew in front of his ally, and before Jesse knew it Sven had soared into the air. “That’s enough, lassie!” Flying above Braum’s head, he let fly a Chaos Quaff, an enormous glass jar of liquid sorcery that shone a distractingly radiant yellow. With low energy, no hovering, and not enough time to switch to Balloon again, there wasn't much Jesse could do. The bubbling brew shattered at her feet and splashed across a wide area, dousing her, Mao, and Joker in its magic. Instantly the three were polymorphed, transformed into adorable creatures. Mao became a [url=https://i.imgur.com/Yr7GALs.jpg]horned critter[/url], Jesse a [url=https://i.imgur.com/Qk4QNpE.jpg]marshmellow cat[/url], and Joker a [url=https://i.imgur.com/mpTNTnc.png]sheep[/url], all three fluffy, small, and utterly harmless. That left only the Dragonborn and Fox still standing, two on three. Sven landed, shaking potions with both hands and ready to fight. Funny he might be, and homeless definitely, but he was not to be underestimated.

Braum slammed the ground, causing a fissure to form, and through the resulting instability Sven charged. He flung vial after vial, creating small magic explosions with each. Though incredibly hindered in their new forms the polymorphed trio had to dodge as best they could, but even then only a couple seconds passed before Sven whipped out some Acid Flasks. “Yah!” he cried, hurling his caustic concoctions to sizzle and sear. But the gleam of a prismatic blade cut one short, and though drops of burning acid struck his face and clothes Fox stood firm. He sliced through the second vial, and as the third flew straight for him he assumed a counter stance. The smash of glass against his head triggered a brilliant flash, and when his katana slid back into its scabbard Sven flew back, his belly covered in cuts.

Victory was short-lived. Fox fell to his knees, scorched by acid. “Gyagggghhh…” he gasped through gritted teeth. “That did not...go according..to plan!”

Seeing him in distress, Braum charged forward. The brainwashed guardian shoved the wounded Sven aside and ran straight for Fox, his enormous shield poised to smash him to a pulp. The Dragonborn jumped into help, but his lightning and swordblade found an immovable object, and he too fell by the wayside. Just when Fox’s death seemed certain, however, the effects of the short-lived Chaos Quaff wore off. The afflicted poofed back to normal, just in time to save Fox’s skin and take down the last enemy between them and Nastasia.

Joker reacted fast. “Jinx, Riot Gun!” His new Persona appeared in a burst of maniacal laughter, unleashing a torrent of gunfire from her minigun. The bullets hammered Braum’s shield, doing no damage but imparting enough force against its increased weight that she slowed him down. While this happened Joker charged, sprinting into and then up the wall of stone before him. He rolled over the top and came down with a stomp right to Braum’s nose, stunning him long enough that Joker could springboard off him and toward his real target: Nastasia. Sven and Braum were the others’ to deal with.

All the while, Midna did her best to hog Ciella’s coveted attention all to herself. When yelled at from the shadows but not attacked, the Agito covered her momentary bewilderment with a thundering repartee. “Your threats, empty as your head, ring hollow!” she resounded. “The hypocrites of the so-called Resistance--murderers and scoundrels who stained their hands with the blood of innocents and decreed it righteous! And your miserable band, so convinced of your own strength, but undone by a simple ploy I showed you once already? Hah! I despair for you all!”

Wherever Midna’s voice issued from, Ciella immediately turned to loose a five-shot spread of enchanted water arrows, their azure glow strong enough to scrub the shadows in their vicinity. They bounced off the floor, pillars, and walls, ricocheting unpredictably. If Midna revealed herself, however, Mona could patch her up with a burst of healing from his dashing Persona’s Diarama. When nothing happened for a while, however, Ciella’s fury died down, and though alert she stopped firing off arrows. “As I thought...a fangless phantom, cowering in the dark! Well, come on out if you dare. I’ll put you out of your misery!”

For a moment the ‘fight’ between Shadow and Sectonia caught her attention. In her eyes both were enemies, and neither expected a third party’s interference. In that moment Midna finally appeared, a spin tile in hand that unceremoniously hurled the harpy right into one of the arena walls. It hurt her pride more than anything else, but Ciella’s frustration was palpable. “Grrah!” she snarled. “Impish brat! Every second of my time you waste, your precious friends falter, and the enemy inches closer to victory! It’s past time I ended this. Mist Veil!”

A wave of fog expanded outward through the arena, and despite her gigantic size Ciella disappeared completely. In the eddies and swirls of mist her movements could not be cleanly discerned. In mere moments the Agito would appear to release her devastating attack. Everyone needed to finish this now.

[center][h3]Tora, Poppi, and Big Band[/h3]
Level 9 Tora (56/90) Level 9 Poppi (56/90) Level 4 Big Band (12/40)
[b]Location:[/b] Al Mamoon Northwest - Obelisk Temple
Primrose’s [@Yankee], Fox’s [@Dawnrider], Yoshitsune and Sora’s [@Rockin Strings]
[b]Word Count:[/b] 1892[/center]

Though the Grimleal construed their offer as a choice, for most of those present, it was really no choice at all. Not able to discount the possibility of further executions on Azwel’s part, and more wary now of the sneering Kan-Ra, Tora and Poppi instinctively took a protective position in front of the other fallen Resistance fighters. They felt bad enough about the deaths on their own hands during the life-or-death battle minutes ago, and with their former enemies now defenseless, they refused to allow any more killing. Likewise, Goldlewis and Big Band -formidable obstacles by themselves, let alone together- kept an eye on the strange bellows they’d been acquainted with. The Grimleal, however, seemed to give the matter no further thought. When Fox moved to treat Robin with a friend heart, neither Kan-Ra nor Azwel batted an eye. Instead they made for the dungeon entrance, but as the researcher left, possibly to summon the acolytes, the sorcerer remained behind.

Groaning, Robin picked himself off the ground. With a sleeve he wiped at his face as if trying to clear away the remainder of the fog that clouded his mind. When his eyes finally blinked open, they landed on a familiar vulpine face. “Ah…” He rose into a kneeling position, massaging his neck as he did. Though a changed man since Fox last met him, he looked at the pilot with recognition in his eyes. Thanks to a sharp mind Robin was quickly piecing things together, but the weight of so many realizations and memories still made it difficult to formulate his thoughts. “I...forgive me,” he said at last, looking between Fox and the Phantom Thieves. “Even if my mind was not my own, it was by my hand that much pain was wrought, and for that I can only offer my deepest apologies. I know not how you dispelled this hex, but I am exceedingly grateful, nonetheless.”


“Don’t sweat it,” Skull told him, his jovial manner making it clear that neither he nor Panther took it too seriously.

His friend nodded, her smile encouraging. “Yeah, no problem! This kind of thing’s been happening, like, literally all the time.”

The sight of blonde pigtails reminded Robin to look back down at Tharja, who still lay at his side. He leaned over and laid a hand on her shoulder, shaking softly, but she barely stirred. After a moment the tactician looked back at Fox, his plea easily guessed. “I hate to ask more of you when you’ve already done so much, but if at all possible I would want Tharja restored, as well.” A conflicted but telling expression took over his features. “She’s become...well, rather important to me.”

“Heheh, good mornin’ heartache,” Band chuckled, before growing serious. “Don’chu worry ‘bout a thing, Mister Magic, we’ll get her fixed up. In fact, I bet we’ve all got some heart to give, right folks?” With a look around the detective conducted a quick headcount. “Three, four, five. Not so bad, as long as we spread the love around. Don’t want anyone gettin’ too beat.”

Poppi raised her hand for attention. “Six actually, friend Band. Poppi trapped gun lady in jail cell.”

“Oh, yeah!” Goldlewis snapped his fingers. “Knew I was forgettin’ somethin’. Jus’ be careful, she’s still got ‘er gun in there.”

After considering all the potential subjects his team could free, Tora gave a grimace. “Do friends really need heart big baldypon? He very nasty to Rose-Rose!” With a resolute shake of his head the Nopon put his wings akimbo. “Tora not do it!”

“Don’t be childish,” Big Band scolded him as he moved toward the titanic ninja. Copying what the others did, he managed to produce a friend heart on his first try and slap it into Earthquake’s gut. As the bandit stirred, Band continued, “Even if the guy’s a scumbag, he was under both the Resistance’s brainwashin’ and Galeem’s control. We don’t get to call the shots when it comes to people’s lives.”

“Meeeh…”

“Ga-what now?” Goldlewis scratched his head. “Uh, either way, I don’t think any of these guys’re gonna get justice ‘round these parts.” He glared at the Grimleal. “Not with varmints like them around.”

Like it or not, Big Band came to the same conclusion. Whether corrupt or just cruel, the administration led by Validar was one he couldn’t abide, and from the looks of it the rest of the Seekers felt the same way. “We’ll jus’ have to take it up with Validar. And be ready for anything.”

As the Seekers spread out to distribute liberation, with Tora and Poppi going to tear down their handiwork in an effort to take care of Daisy, Robin remained at Tharja’s side. She, Sora, Es, and the Witch Doctor still needed a heart from someone or another, and the tactician waited to see who would step up to the plate. A nudge at his side prompted him to glance over and see Drippy, returned from his hiding place, and though Gleaming he lacked the hypnosis placed on all the Resistance members. “Looks like we’ve still got a shot to expose that rotter Validar, eh?”

“Perhaps,” Robin replied, uncertain. “If it were up to the Grimleal I’m certain all your lives would be forfeit, brainwashing be damned. Validar might spare me only so that I might become a vessel for the Fell Dragon, Grima. But I’m not going to let that happen, and it would appear that this odd group may be our salvation. The campaign of the Resistance may have been a sham, but given the strength and moral fiber of these ‘mercenaries’, revolution may yet come to Al Mamoon.”

Drippy nodded enthusiastically, jungling his nose-lantern. “Tidy! Don’t you fret mun, we’ll have ouer day yet!”

Once the former Resistance members had been restored, that left just a couple loose ends. One was the embraced knight still imprisoned closer to the stairs, but Tora and Poppi concerned themselves with a more personal matter. They held the spirits of Beast and Dante, one apiece. “Fight was very tough, meh” Tora told Big Band when he caught the detective’s quizzical look. “If Tora and Poppi not go all-out, we probably die.”

It was an excuse Band heard more than enough of during his time on the force. Crooked cops could spin up any excuse to explain away their dirty deeds. But neither the rotund inventor nor his companion stank of corruption, and Band gave them the benefit of the doubt. “I see.” He bent down to give the dwarf’s spirit a closer look. “Looks like a tough cookie. You gonna fuse with him?”

Tora shook his head emphatically. “Meh-meh, no way! Tora have dream other night that Tora fuse with old beardypon. Get weird legs and human nose! Blegh! In future, Tora only accept things with same shape!”

“Well, Poppi not want him, either,” the artificial blade declared, her own decision already made. She glared at the spirit of Dante with unconcealed contempt. “And not want this guy. There more important things than strength.”

“Why not break ‘em, then?” Band suggested with his eyes on Tora. “Your guy had a hammer, right? Might pack more punch than your dinky li’l wrench there.” The Nopon agreed and crushed Beast’s spirit, and a moment later Poppi followed suit with Dante’s.

[hider=For Tora and Poppi]
[center]Weapon acquired:
[b][url=https://i.imgur.com/Z9O6b0n.png]Ukonvasara[/url][/b]
A war hammer wielded by Vikings and Norse raiders in ages past. Said to be the magic weapon of the Finnish thunder god Ukko, they’re said to strike like lightning and contain the power to both heal and harm. This blunt weapon does indeed inflict some shock damage on contact

And:
[b]Eryx Chip[/b]
A core chip for Poppi QT that changes the Mech Arms, increasing their strength and utility. Bearing the same twisted, demon-red appearance as [url=https://i.imgur.com/22QgWXh.png]Eryx[/url], these Mech Arms shoot missiles enhanced with demonic power, and their striking ends are the fists of actually functional hands, allowing Poppi to grapple with them as well as punch[/center][/hider]

Tora waved his new hammer around, a little disappointed. “It got much shorter, meh.”

“This actually really good,” Poppi observed, having changed to QT mode to try her new Mech Arms out. “Less unwieldy, more destructive, and can actually grab and hold things.”

Meanwhile, Skull was checking out the spirit of Charnok that Panther recovered. “You’re not gonna absorb him too, right?”

Panther shook her head, bouncing her giant pigtails around. “Nah. I get the feeling that if I fuse with any more reptiles, it’s gonna be messy. Only spirits that are both cute and strong from here on out!”

“Yeah, makes sense. Ooh, then what about her?” Skull indicated Es.

He received an incredulous look from Panther for his efforts. “You just want me to be shorter than you again.” Another possibility dawned on her, one that turned her expression highly judgemental. “That...or you want me bigger in another way...”

Skull shook his head wildly as he waved his hands, trying to placate her, although the slight reddening of his cheeks gave the game away. “N-no way, man! I was just thinking, she was pretty, um, pretty...uh, strong! And really fast too, with that giant sword! Y-ya know what I mean?”

At about that time Azwel returned with his acolytes, providing an escort for both Seekers and Resistance members alike. It was time to return to the surface.

[i]Tora freed Goldlewis. Poppi freed Daisy.[/i]

[hr]

After a long trek back up through the Temple of Khamoon, including an exhaustive number of stairs, the afternoon sun fell upon the group once more. Tora blinked as his eyes adjusted, having been deep underground for a little too long, and stretched. “Meee-eh! So good to get back out in open!” He brushed some dust out of his hair before looked around. “What now?”

“Now, we will return with the prisoners to the palace,” Kan-Ra informed the team. “I can only imagine that it is your destination as well.”

“What is it?” his comrade asked, having heard his name.

Kan-Ra grinned at him. “Oh, my apologies, I didn’t mean to address you. How foolish of me~”

As the researcher brushed him off, glowering, the sorcerer returned his attention to the others. “As I was saying, I can only imagine that the palace is your destination...also. Whether to collect your reward, or for other reasons. Although, your friends that went to join dear Ciella may not yet be done. Who knows how that turned out.” Not once did his leering smile diminish. “Rest assured we will watch over the prisoners until you all return, with the final third of their number.”

Every word eking out of the not-mummy’s mouth made alarm bells go off in Band’s head, but he did have a point. Since the boss of the Resistance wasn’t here, as Robin made plain on the way up, that meant she would be facing the other team. He did not trust the Grimleal with the captives, but he didn’t want to just assume that the other team had things covered, either. With time of the essence, he came to a decision. “Goldlewis, Fox, whaddya say we keep our new friends company while the rest run on over to the other base?”

Poppi tapped a metal finger against her cheek, thinking. “How we know where other friends are?”

“We need guide,” Tora answered, his eyes on Kan-Ra and Azwel. “Either Grimmypon help, or let Resistance member help us.”

With his arms crossed, Azwel looked displeased. “We are hardly beholden to you, my ovoid friend!”

“Now, now. I’m sure we could spare an acolyte or two to lead the way,” Kan-Ra smirked.

Band realized something. “Nuh-uh. Not gonna take a chance on ya leadin’ us on a wild goose chase. Seein’ as I’m somethin’ of a law officer myself, I’ll just take a captive into protective custody.”

For a brief moment it seemed as though an ever-so-slight shadow passed over Kan-Ra’s smile. “...Suit yourself.”

After a moment’s deliberation Es received the nomination, and in just a few moments more the former team Kan-Ra was off.

[center][h3]Ms Fortune[/h3]
[b]Level 4[/b] Nadia (94/40)
[b]Location:[/b] The Maw
Blazermate's [@Archmage MC], Bowser's [@DracoLunaris], Ace Cadet's [@Yankee], Sakura's [@Zoey Boey], Mirage’s [@Potemking], Link’s [@Gentlemanvaultboy]
[b]Word Count:[/b] 1278[/center]

Blind and deaf to the world beyond her dinner table, Nadia savored her sardines for all they were worth. She popped in several entire fishes in at once, urged by her hunger to gulp them down quickly but able to eat just slowly enough to enjoy their salty, fatty oils, and the flavor of the tomato juice they’d been packed in. Still, in no time at all they were gone, and Nadia reached for the next closest morsels. She crunched up a carrot, wolfed down a wedge of cheese, and annihilated a tuna steak and had her claws on another sardine tin before she finally paused. “Oof,” she murmured, more from weariness than anything, and with a relieved sigh she stretched out to rest for a moment.

Though by no means stuffed and not even full, she felt infinitely better. The dire emptiness that made her take leave of her senses had calmed for now; the beast had been appeased. As she lay there Nadia took another, better look around the cafeteria. Most of the gaunt, unfamiliar kids still hid themselves in the shadows away from their boisterous guests, but one boy with hair covering his eyes approached them. Via pantomime he made clear to the new kids both his resolve to get out of here and a method by which they might do so, which gave the Seekers who refused to eat something else to hold on to. By Nadia’s estimation, Geralt, Link, Mirage, Sakura, Rika, Kamek, and of course Blazermate had yet to give in to their appetites, which cut the group approximately in half. Nadia, Bowser, Junior, Mimi, the behemoths, Glenn, Peach, and Bella, meanwhile, had partaken.

Did the feral wish she could have controlled herself? Naturally. She couldn’t help but flush a little in embarrassment when she pictured the others watching her binge. But she was a simple girl of simple pleasures. Good company, good sport, and good eating were what kept her blood flowing, aside from the Life Gem, of course. One of Little Innsmouth’s many axioms rang true in her mind. [i]Food is life.[/i] Dying of a curse in the future could really suck, but that was then, and this is now. If there was any chance of overcoming this nightmarish place, she needed strength for the road ahead. She could not bring herself to regret her decision. As the others made for the kitchen door to unlock the way forward, she picked herself up from the table and hopped down to the floor, the unopened sardine tin held under one arm like a bookbag. With it, she could stave off hunger one fish at a time going forward, or even save the life of someone who collapsed from starvation. Nadia made just one more stop, recovering her fan from where Junior dropped it in his mad rush for food, as well as the magnet that slipped from her grasp earlier. It stuck to the side of the fan, and with the makeshift straps still intact she put it on like a backpack and scampered over to join her friends. Even after she arrived, however, she still didn’t notice that she was subtly, almost imperceptibly, taller.

It took a little boosting to reach the doorknob, since this place still seemed larger than it logically should be, but the key fit the lock. Tension filled the air as it turned, inner mechanisms sliding steadily, until finally there came the all-important [i]click[/i] and the padlock dropped to the ground with a thump. The kitchen door swung ajar, a pale light pouring through. The Runaway slipped through the gap, paving the way for the others to follow. Behind them, a handful of the most intrepid children among the captive lot pressed up against the Seekers, willing to risk an uneasy fellowship for the sake of escape. One by one the quiet, nervous procession filtered into the new area, wondering just what fresh hell awaited them this time.

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/G76O77r.png[/img][/center]

But all they found at first, when the wooden planks gave way to neat brown tiles, was an innocuous larder. With shelves full of sauces, spices, wines, raw vegetables of dubious freshness, and other cooking ingredients, it held little in the way of horror. Nevertheless, the hookline carried onward overhead, the packages that dangled from it swinging side to side softly as they traveled. The Runaway followed them through the open doorway, where a short hall formed a right-facing T-junction, and made a right turn. Treading as softly as she could, Nadia followed him, but she could not avoid glancing straight ahead in the direction the parcels went. There, she saw a [url=https://i.imgur.com/egQNFQO.png]small room[/url] of a much more grisly nature. Parcels littered it, some bent oddly, and a big one poked out of what could only be a meat grinder, which the hookline passed right over. Splattered gunk smeared the floor and walls, and from the pots and buckets of unidentifiable meat sludge by the grinder issues such a revolting smell that Nadia’s lip curled. She hurried on her way.

When she reached the next room, however, she stopped cold. Before her stood a much bigger, better-furnished meat processing center, a far cry from the deplorable grinding room next door, and it appeared to be the terminus of the hookline. A huge heap of cheesecloth-wrapped parcels stood in one corner, and rows of meats, from sausage links and hams to steaks and racks of ribs hung from hooks above the counters. In the constant gentle motion of the Maw they swung in unison, strangely hypnotic. Nadia’s eyes, however, lay not on the butchery, but the butcher.

He was a grotesque spectacle. With folds of doughy flesh about as yellowed as his ill-fitting uniform, a rumpled chef’s hat atop a blobby, distorted face stretched like clay to a hideous, sagging broadness, and eyes that bulged from their sockets as they stared listlessly in to different directions, he bent single-mindedly at his task. Again and again he hacked into a hulking mass of meat with his cleaver, splashing murky blood across his cutting board, pausing only to bury his hands in vats of salt and pepper to rub into the flesh by way of seasoning. In terms of height the horrible cook outstripped Blazermate by a decent margin, and in a way he unnerved Nadia more than any of the monsters that preceded him. Bongo Bongo had been a terrifying apparition, but existed so far beyond the norm that Nadia could scarcely internalize it. Moreau had been a wretched thing, and in his mutated form awakened a primal fear in the way that only an apex predator could. In comparison this just seemed to be a gross man with a big knife, but the way he was so uncannily [i]almost[/i] human, but not quite, made her skin crawl.

At least he had yet to notice the uninvited guests piling up on one side of the butcher room, already spreading out to hide beneath tables and counters. Nadia wondered if they had enough manpower, child forms taken into account, to actually fight this [url=https://i.imgur.com/LjeIopP.png]grisly chef[/url]. Still, if she could sneak past, that would be her first choice. There appeared to be two exits: one continuing east and one to the south, which featured a deadbolt lock. The Runaway’s pointed finger indicated a shiny key by the cutting board on the table, but Nadia wondered whether or she could grab hold of a parcel and ride it across the room eastward if she clambered up the pile toward the hookline. Either way, the frontrunners would need to do something fast. There were too many would-be escapees to avoid detection for long.

[center][h3]Old Mill[/h3]
[b]Location:[/b] Frozen Highlands - Alpine Skyline
Linkle’s [@Gentlemanvaultboy][/center]

When Albedo looked to his new friend he originally expected no more than a few spitballed ideas, but he soon got a lot more than he bargained for. In an oddly coincidental turn of events, Linkle recognized this place, if not from her own experience then at least from legend, and she wasted no time proving it. It became obvious that the obstacles of this section of the Old Mill would be no trouble for her, but in terms of exactly how the cheery Skullgirl managed to surprise him once again.

Rather than try her luck with the fans and falling objects ahead, Linkle manifested the power of ice, creating a frozen mass that promised to rise beneath the pair as long as she kept pumping magic into it. It was the exact same trick she’d pulled off to seal the Stranger in the ravine outside Snowdin, albeit in far less intense circumstances. With all the conventional running and jumping Linkle had done, Albedo had forgotten she possessed such an ability, perhaps foolishly, although the alchemist did not allow himself to waste any time with self-reproach. Nor did he make unproductive comparisons between Linkle’s icy elevator and his own solar isotomas, since while her method outperformed his in height and permanence, it also incurred a greater cost. Instead he rode silently, grateful for the warm coat that protected him from high-altitude winds and glacial chills alike, and waited to make the cat burglars’ acquaintance.

Linkle and Albedo arrived a few moments later, leaping from the top of the iceberg straight into the sneaky thieves’ hideout. Although little more than a corner loft with two sides open to the rest of the windmill interior, it managed to be a [url=https://i.imgur.com/PqWjCZA.png]cozy little place[/url]. There were cushions, books, games, all sorts of things probably stolen from passers-by. The round window that provided a stunning view of the Alpine Skyline even featured curtains. So sudden and unexpected was the intruders’ circuitous method of entry that it took the cats completely by surprise. After seeing the sword in Albedo’s hand they jumped, yowling, and ran to hide among their pillows, toys, and curtains, but the paws and tails sticking out made their attempt all the funnier. Clearly the pint-sized pilferers never thought anyone would make it up here.

When he realized that the cats intended to do no more than cower, Albedo shrugged and went to retrieve his sketchbook, lying neatly on top of a small pile of other reading material. Linkle’s crossbows, meanwhile, could be retrieved from where the felines playing with them dropped them, that being on the floor. “Somewhat anticlimactic,” the alchemist observed idly. “But for the better. I doubt they’ll mess with us twice.” He moved to the edge, considering a way back down the mill, the possibility that Linkle might want to interact with the cats further lost on him.