[center][h3]Tora, Poppi, and Big Band[/h3]
[b]Location:[/b] Sandswept Sky - Apex of the World
Level 9 Tora (156/90) Level 9 Poppi (156/90) Level 5 Big Band (94/50)
Midna’s [@DracoLunaris], Fox’s [@Dawnrider], Sectonia’s [@Archmage MC], Primrose and Therion’s [@Yankee], Raz’s [@TruthHurts22], the Phantom Thieves, Braum, the Scout, Peacock, Mao, Robin, Tharja, Ciella
[b]Word Count:[/b] 1621[/center]

Rough landing or not, there was no time to waste, so the Seekers hit the ground running. The sheer size of their foe was staggering, even in comparison to the colossus the team had already tangled with, now disappeared beneath the sand to shelter until such time as it felt safe enough to take to the skies again. What Red Eye lacked in length it made up for in bulk and weaponry, with sectioned jaws big enough to chow down on office buildings and a plethora of giant arthropod legs to help drag it through the sand. Once it came to its senses the behemoth could steamroll anything in its way, be it a forest, a city, or a ragtag bunch of heroes, and nobody harbored any delusions about fighting it head-on. So while Sectonia bravely buzzed off to harry the monstrosity while it was down, the rest used her speed buff to turn tail and run like they were getting paid for it.

The Psychonaut cadet Raz joined the wasp queen in pelting Red Eye from a distance in an effort to grab its attention, but to his chagrin his psi-bolts turned out to be even less effective than his comrade’s magic. Neither of their attacks, even those landed on the creature’s many eponymous eyes, seemed to register at all. It quickly became apparent that their efforts were mere drops in a vast, vast bucket, which meant going out on a limb like this promised a lot more risk than reward. “Raz!” Necronomicon hailed, floating down to where the kid was waging his one-man standoff, unaware that he planned to levitate away when things got hairy. “It’s not working! We’ve gotta get you outta here now, or you’ll be left behind!” The flying saucer extended her tentacle limbs, ready to grab hold and whisk Raz away to safety, or as near an approximate as she could manage, if he agreed.

Meanwhile, the others were making tracks. Big Band trucked along the desert toward the Tostarena Town train platform as fast as he could go, kicking up grit as he belted out baritone, and the groove he plowed through the sand paved the way for the others to follow. Still, a couple team members blazed out ahead of the pack, Tora and Poppi among them. With the artificial blade’s thrusters at full burn it took only a couple moments to reach their destination. Fraught with worry, Tora lingered a moment as he caught sight of all the dumbfounded townsfolk, many of them already fleeing in whatever direction their panic-stricken minds struck upon. He couldn’t bring himself to shout words of worry, for where could these poor people possibly run to escape the horror that he helped to unleash, if the Seekers failed in their duty? Instead he focused on the job at hand, determined to not allow such a thing to come to pass.

He and Poppi alighted on the immense train right by the cab, and immediately the Nopon started pounding on the door. “Conductor? Conductor!” he yelled. “We need to leave, right now, very, very fast!”

“Ya don’t peckin’ say!” The supposed bird, reclined with his feet up for his late afternoon nap until mere moments ago, already had preparations well underway. “Ya better make sure ya friends are on board, laddie, ‘cause we sure en’t waitin’ around! All aboaaaaaaaaaaaard!” As he yelled he reached up and pulled the train’s whistle, sounding out two piercingly loud notes of alarm. Even if the noise didn’t stack up to the ground-zero tolling of Jondo, everyone in the vicinity could be assured that the last train in town was about to depart.

As the locomotive’s engine blazed and smoke belched from its stacks, Tora and Poppi left the Conductor to do his job, and ran toward the back of the train to attend to the second most important ingredient in the team’s recipe for success: the Railway Gun itself. There they found Midna, who was already doing her darndest trying to figure out how to get the massive cannon working, bless her technology-illiterate heart. Tora approached at a fast waddle, waving his wings. “Meh, meh, meh! Before friend Midna start slamming things together, wait moment! We need turn on weapons system first!” Suddenly very glad that he’d spent hours geeking out over the Railway Gun back in Al Mamoon, Tora approached the main terminal and got to work. As it booted, Poppi looked fretfully back toward the gargantuan sand worm, as well as the rest of their friends fast approaching. The Phantom Thieves were a fast bunch, but even then they were only slightly ahead of Primrose, Therion, and the Scout. Robin and Tharja repeated their strategy from before to teleport onto the train, while just a moment later Ciella landed in her Agito form, setting a now conscious but still dazed Braum down on the upper deck. In only a few moments everyone would be aboard, but how long they had before Red Eye recovered was anyone’s guess.

After a couple tense moments the onboard mainframe came online. “Warning!” an electronic voice instantly declared. “Category G Akrid detected. Activating emergency response protocols.” On his screen a popup appeared notifying Tora that the STORMBREAKER AI was speaking, as well as a complicated diagnostics readout. “Verify Chimera system initialization criteria.”

“Mehh!? Sure, sure!” Tora pounded whatever prompts looked affirmative. He glanced over toward the behemoth, saw it rolling itself upright, and began to bounce in place with manic energy. “We need big gun, and we need it now!”

The console seemed to accept his input. “Chimera system verified. Stand by to begin operation.”

With a sudden lurch and the loud creak of mechanical parts, the train began to move. The stragglers jumped aboard with only seconds to spare, and as Big Band doubled over on the railing to breathe a sigh of relief, he noticed an unfamiliar face among those present. Though he didn’t exactly seem like the most trustworthy individual, he did look capable with that sword of his, and Band wasn’t about to turn down an extra fighter. “Right on,” he told his fellow cyborg. “It’s lookin’ like we’ll need all the help we can get!”

With the Conductor working the controls for all they were worth, the train began to pick up speed, and in only a few moments it left the platform -and Tostarena- behind. Unfortunately for its passengers, and in all honesty the world at large, Red Eye was starting to move, too. Partially immersed in the sand, it started working its forelegs and quickly gained traction. Its innumerable eyes took stock of its surroundings, searching for anything unusual or interesting, and it didn’t take long to find something that looked like prey.

“Chimera system initialization confirmed,” STORMBREAKER declared. “Prepare to negate Category G Akrid Threat.” With a series of loud clicks, four smaller turrets unlocked around the central gun platform, two on either side of the train. “Dead Eye firing system initialized,” the AI added, followed shortly by the activation of the main gun control, which was basically a little cockpit of its own in the giant, rotatable metal mass. “Dragonfire main cannon initialized.” Down below, inside the sizable Railway Gun chassis, the armory unlocked. Shells bigger and much heavier than barrels were now available for collection, coming in three increasingly rare varieties: Cobalt, Hell’s Roar, and Wrath. “Dragonfire operating system Shellshock activation confirmed. All crew members begin operating procedures.”

It was go time. With the urgency of the situation, Joker made a split-second decision based on the fact that most of the Seekers present came from a pre-industrial society. “Leave the turrets to us!” he volunteered, scrambling the other four Phantom Thieves to man the smaller guns. “Now that we’ve got some firepower, let’s get that thing’s attention!”

“Maybe it’ll notice us, but I doubt we can put it down with those,” Band observed. “We’re gonna have to roll out the red carpet for this sucka. Any idea how?” He glanced over at Tora.

“Yes, Tora think so, meh!” the Nopon announced, raising his voice so everyone could hear his instructions. “Controls are simple, but there lot of them. There left and right stations for fast turning cannon, manual loader for cannon, thermal energy charge station to make shell stronger, two repair panels, and crane loader for special Wrath shells!” He looked around at the Seekers, practically bursting with both energy and nerves. “Meh, meh meh! We need friends bringing up shells from below, charging them, loading them, turning cannon, and if cannon overheat or damaged, someone on repair duty! Button  need mash to make machines do jobs!”

“Begin thermal charging procedure,” STORMBREAKER insisted. “Thermal energy charge will increase firing speed.”

Big Band shook his head, sweat beaded on his brow. “You gotta be kiddin’ me. I’m too old for this shi-!”

A roar resounded from Red Eye as it began to pursue the train, encouraged by Skull and Panther as they opened fire with their turrets. Ciella, back in human form, joined in with charged typhoon arrows that struck even harder than the turrets themselves, albeit slower. More angry than hurt, the fearsome titan bore down on the train, tearing up the track behind it. As fast as the Conductor had the locomotive going, it wouldn’t be enough to outpace Red Eye if its passengers didn’t start properly fighting back. It wasn’t an easy process, and the behemoth was only too happy to complicate matters further. From its gullet flew a swarm of Trilid, and the trilobite-headed flyers quickly homed in on the Seekers to divebomb them where they stood. Even if they went down in just one shot, and the rear gunners Panther and Mona could fire at will, their numbers made them a problem that the heroes couldn’t ignore.

[center][h3]Bridges to Alcamoth[/h3]
[i]Starring Yuri, Pit, and Wonder Red[/i]
[b]Word Count:[/b] 4300[/center]

While common sense would typically dictate that an important meeting ought to occur first thing in the morning, the circumstances of the Seekers’ late-night return to home base meant that this one needed to wait until one-thirty in the afternoon. All things considered, it was an understandable delay. After naval warfare, the Maw, and the unfortunate turn of events on and beneath Carcass Isle, the triumphant but stressed-out away team couldn’t press on even if they wanted to, no matter how impactful the business at hand might be. Of course, the delay also meant that a full half-day of vigorous activity had already come to pass, and at Smash City Alcamoth, no day was uneventful.

That period had already seen a number of smaller-scale mercenary missions dispatched and completed, each one drafted, assigned, and overseen by [url=https://i.imgur.com/0UZLt2R.png]Mission Control[/url] in the Garfont Center’s Dispatch without the need for any input from the Hero Teams, as they’d come to be known. It took a lot of infrastructure to support both the floating city and its ever-growing army, which in turn demanded a bevy of quests both for the sake of the city and the surrounding areas to secure resources, knowledge, and revenue. Through exploration, experimentation, and plain-old interviews the wisdom of many worlds came to be gathered in places like the Spirit Board, slowly but surely. At any time of day a small contingent of skilled fighters, known colloquially as the Door Bosses, could be found at Alcamoth’s front entrance as the welcome party to ensure that nobody brought in from the outside remained under Galeem’s influence for long. Those not on the job spent much of their time training. Whether in the gym or in matches throughout the city’s holographic arenas the Mercenaries worked to better themselves, gaining the experience to regain what the World of Light had taken from them.

Today marked some exciting new developments, however, and not just for Alcamoth, but the campaign against Galeem itself. That’s why Princess Peach and however many of her cohorts could possibly be spared needed to come to this meeting. Vandham was already seated at the Garfont Center’s great roundtable, poring over the world map for the live updates delivered that morning, when the first of the attendants arrived. The Devil Hunter Nero appeared with his crew, including Banjo and Kazooie, casual but a little tense. Whether it was due to what they experienced or just the gravitas of such a grand meeting itself, Vandham felt sympathetic. “G’day,” he told the newcomers, waving them over. This party represented the Mercenaries’ firsthand knowledge of the Dead Zone, so their willing cooperation was vital. “No need to stand on ceremony, mates. Feel free to put your feet up, long as ya don’t crack the map, heh.”

“Thank you, sir.” Yuri said stiffly, taking a seat but not putting her feet up. In her hand she had a small cup of coffee, not for consumption but to hold. It helped steady her nerves for if she was given a significant amount of attention. 

Next came the new ingredient in the mix, the strangers whose chance encounter had provided an easy way home for the scouts, and whose assistance might very well prove quintessential in the journey yet to come. The eccentric doctor [url=https://i.imgur.com/7dOIHXA.png]Elvin Gadd[/url] rolled in on a mechanized chair, wearing a [url=https://i.imgur.com/MTnSos1.png]navy-blue cap[/url] and pushing a futuristic stroller before him. With its bonnet down the carriage concealed its contents, but Vandham could only assume that a baby or two lay nice and snug within. As for why the scientist might have babies with him, well, the mercenary commander was still grappling with the brief explanation he’d been given the night before. Along with Gadd came two more figures of comparable stature. Captain [url=https://i.imgur.com/VAYA1gt.png]Lawrence Nelson[/url] served as the leader of the security detail responsible for bearing Gadd’s party so far south, while the masked [url=https://i.imgur.com/tlgzqIo.png]Wonder Red[/url] represented his fighting force. The last four members of their group, being the pilot, the engineer, and just two additional superheroes, remained with their ship. Despite the severe lack of manpower, the pair seemed to be perfectly composed and ready to begin. “Good afternoon, Commander,” Nelson greeted with a raise of his cup.

“G’day yourself, good sir,” Vandham responded in kind.

Last to arrive was Peach. After a night of restless, fitful sleep she couldn’t claim to be feeling fine, but the princess did her best to seem as professional as she could. With her clothes in the laundromat she came wearing a simple sweater-and-jeans combo so ordinary that they stood in sharp contrast to her tri-colored hair, done up in a fluffy ponytail, as well as her station as leader of the campaign against Galeem, but what could she do? The clothing preferences of the regal princess Peach, hardass punk Grimm, and elegantly evocative Chao Ho had left her fashion taste so scattered that she couldn’t do much better than the bare minimum. Her gaze swept over the assembled people. “Hello, everyone.”

“Welcome back, princess.” The mercenary commander crossed his arms as he took stock of everyone present. “Well then, now we’re all ‘ere, we can get started. On behalf of the Alcamoth Mercenaries I bid ya welcome, be it welcome back, or welcome for the first time. My name is [b]Aquila Paronet Sol Esteriole[/b], but you can call me Vandham.”

With introductions were in order, Peach bowed her head in respect for the newcomers. No matter how ordinary one’s clothes, a little decorum was expected from the head that wore the crown. “Princess Peach, of the Mushroom Kingdom. Pleased to meet you all.”

“Lawrence Nelson, at your service,” the Centennial leader told her, returning her gesture. With a cultured British accent he seemed every inch the gentleman, even in battle regalia. “This is the field leader of the Wonderful One Double Oh, Wonder-Red.”

At his introduction, Wonder Red saluted the room at large, his movements quick, snappy, and slightly rigid. [color=F92A2A]”Greetings, everyone! It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”[/color]


After that, the elderly scientist had his say. “Nice to meet you. I’m Professor E. Gadd, longtime assistant to the Mario Brothers and current representative of Bridges.” He tented his fingers, giving a crooked smile as he peered around through swirly glasses. “And that, my friends, is the chief reason we’re all gathered here today. Now, I could ramble on about the who and what of Bridges, but I figure I might as well leave it to my boss, eh?”

“Your boss?” Nero looked around. “We missin’ somebody?”

“That would be me.” A bright light turned on in both arms of Gadd’s chair, establishing a connection. There was a bright flash, a loud [i]PING[/i], and beside the inventor a [url=https://i.imgur.com/JqkNfkT.png]heavyset man[/url] appeared. Gray-haired and spectacled, with a trim beard, black suit, and lateral scar across his forehead, he stood with his hands raised. “Ah, no need to be alarmed!” he said, taking in the sudden change of scenery, his low voice accented by a slight Spanish twist. “What you see before you is merely a chiral hologram. I myself am still in Midgar. But ah, where are my manners.” He put a hand over his heart. “I am Deadman, coroner, leader of the Bridges Medical Team and acting director of Bridges, until such time as Die-Hardman is found.”

Vandham lowered himself back down into his seat. “Roight. G’day t’ya as well then, Mr. Deadman.” He crossed his arms again. “Professor Gadd was just sayin’ y’know all there is to know ‘bout Bridges, and we were ‘opin’ you’d spill the beans.”

“Certainly.” Deadman clasped his hands together. “So, Bridges. Put simply, it is a logistics company charged with the reunification of the United States of America. At least, back where we’re from. Though this world is divided and under siege, it is very different from our own. Yet our purpose here is much the same. This world is full of cities, towns, villages, all sorts of places kept in stasis by the forces at large. Their citizens hail from all over, with vastly different understandings of society, science, and yes, even magic! We are here to…close the distance between the people. Make the connections needed to bring about a better society, so that we may make the most of this strange world we’ve been stranded in.”

He went on to pull up a couple holographic screens, displaying various pictures as he talked. The first one was of a massive, roughly [url=https://i.imgur.com/5K8tq63.png]circular city[/url], walled in on all sides, with another entire city a layer beneath the plates suspended high above the ground. “This is our home base, the capital city Midgar. I say that though it is not part of any true country, nor is its governance concerned with any place but itself. Nevertheless, it is the biggest and most technologically advanced city on the continent, and where reunification must begin.” He pulled up the next slide in his presentation, a visual of Bridges HQ. “We do not have the resources or manpower to lay down power lines, or signal towers, or build roads, but we do have the power to unite 

“Of course, we have encountered more than our share of issues.” For a moment, Deadman’s face looked downcast. He walked forward toward the center of the group, his hologram’s lower half phasing through the table. “As if its internal issues weren’t enough, Midgar is under constant threat from outside, so much so that many refer to the situation as the Ever Crisis.” He placed emphasis on each word, punctuating them with taps of his hands. “Simply going and coming is a risky business. Our organization is scattered just like everything else, our ranks sorely depleted. So we took to hiring anyone with a mind to help, including the good professor Gadd.” He held out a hand to the scientist, who waved, then turned in the direction of the Centennials. “We also enlisted our friends at the Wonderful One Hundred, suffering from a similar predicament, to help us go out into the world and do good for its people.” Deadman smiled as he began to account for the organization’s achievements. “To date, we have made connections to Esaka, the Tiered City, Al Mamoon, the Cream of the Eastern Desert, and even Edinburgh MagicaPolis up north. Many smaller towns and such too. This is all made possible by the Chiral Network. Of course, to explain that, I would need to delve into the Beach.”

Peach’s eyes widened, remembering the night. “The…Beach?”

“Indeed,’ Deadman nodded sagaciously. “It is a liminal space between this world and the next, the realm of the dead, where time does not pass. Once built and connected to the network, our nodes can use the Beach to instantly send data between one another, turning it into the greatest repository of knowledge that the world -any world, in fact- has ever known. As Die-Hardman put it, a very ‘spiritual’ successor to the internet.” Deadman smiled at his little joke, but when nobody laughed, he cleared his throat and continued. “Ahem. Gadd’s chair has been configured to serve as one such node, which is how I am able to speak with you.”

“You’ve been to the world of the dead?” Yuri asked, shock radiating across her face. She remembered the dark ocean where she had confronted Ose for the last time, lit red by an eternally setting sun, both infinitely deep and shallow enough to stand. “And you ran the internet through it? Are you sure that’s safe?” 

Deadman shook his head, specifically for the first question. “Not physically, and not all the way there. We can only interface with the seam between the two worlds, where they’re bound together.”

With Peach too stricken by the relation to the pocket dimension beneath Carcass Isle to comment, Vandham spoke up. “While this is all very interestin’, I’m sure, ‘ow exactly does it pertain to us? You just want us to ‘elp you settin’ this network up?” He rubbed his chin. “If we can send people around the world like that, I can definitely see the benefit...”

“Oh, no,” Deadman corrected him. “It cannot send people. Well, nobody without sufficiently advanced DOOMS, I should say. There is another avenue we’re aware of for such travel, which would be the Metro, but as for your main point…” He clasped his hands together. “We have had our eyes on one particular place for some time. Redgraccoon City, the place overrun by the living dead. Just recently we sent our best man inside, to drop off a certain package that, once triggered later that day, would destroy the whole place in one fell swoop. Kaboom, game over!” He spread his fingers wide, then clasped them.

Nero squinted at him, remembering suddenly both the name and the deeds of the porter Sam Bridges, but he didn’t say anything.

“Alas, there turned out to be unforeseen circumstances. Even though the contamination should have been minimal, the entire area was covered by Timefall, as our recon team found out.”

Captain Nelson looked grave, a single tear rolling down his cheek. “The storm caught us by surprise. The moment that rain hit us, the Virgin Victory began to age. It is a miracle we escaped with our lives, and another that after meeting with your own recon team, we were able to make it here.”

“That lines up with what we found,” Nero concurred, a little irritated. “But if the rain seriously ages everything it touches, how are we supposed to take down the Qliphoth? How is it still standing, in the first place?”

At that, E. Gadd perked up. “Well! It just so happens we got a plan in mind, sonny. Turns out, not everything ages as bad as yours truly. Magic for one, so if we got anyone with magic barriers we could walk straight in. But option two is coatin’ stuff in Chiralium, ‘cause bein’ from the Beach, that stuff doesn’t age either! So if you whippersnappers find any strange golden crystals shaped like hands, let us know!”

Peach raised her hand. “Actually, we might have a lead…”

After explaining what she’d been through early that morning, both Bridges members seemed taken aback. “Well, criminy!” the professor exclaimed. “Sounds like we got more than enough!”

“I wonder if that means you and your team have contracted DOOMS?” Deadman mused. “That may be important for step two. See, wherever Timefall falls, BTs aren’t far behind.” After a few confused glances, he went on to explain that, too. “BTs…Beached Things. Dead souls that could not reach the other side, and returned to their decomposed bodies. If they catch you, they can trigger a void-out. A nuclear explosion, everything for miles…gone. They must be avoided at all costs.” His chiralgram walked out of the map table and over to Gadd’s stroller. “Luckily, if there are DOOMS sufferers among you, we have the solution.”

Gadd pressed a button on the carriage, and the bonnet popped open. Inside were four bright orange capsules, and inside each of them was a baby. The professor picked up [url=https://i.imgur.com/B7O4hQb.png]one[/url] that held an infant with a remarkably familiar hat, leaving the babies in [url=https://i.imgur.com/8Vi1leN.png]green[/url], [url=https://i.imgur.com/aNWmX2D.png]pink[/url], and [url=https://i.imgur.com/hKgu1DO.png]blue[/url]. Peach’s eyes nearly bugged out at the blonde one, for though she didn’t resemble the baby anymore, it looked unmistakably like a younger version of her own self. “BBs!” Gadd said. “These tykes are tied to the other side, and they can sense BT’s even if most people can’t. Once hooked up to Odradeks, they’ll help ya steer clear of the nasty things and get where ya wanta.”

Vandham exhaled deeply. “Well, that seems dubious…but moral quandaries aside, it sounds like we mighta solved the Dead Zone. And maybe gotten a lead on a couple other zones, too.” He looked at Peach and the other mercenaries present. “Whaddya think?”

“It’s despicable.” Yuri said sharply, staring intently at the babies. “Why would you use children for this?”

Deadman looked almost hurt, but he had a ready reply. “Normally, BBs are excised from their stillmothers’ at seven months, since the mother -being braindead- cannot give birth. The stillmother’s womb is what facilitates a connection between the BB and the world of the dead. These BBs are older and more stable than we’re used to, but otherwise they exhibit the same traits. Logically they would have mothers, but they do not. They are incapable of growing into their own people, but are ‘locked in’ at their current state until they expire. The pods are, in fact, necessary for their survival.” Deadman pressed his hands together, his brow furrowed. “They may look like children, but functionally, you should consider them as nothing more than equipment.” Despite his reassurance, however, the others remained ill at ease.

[color=F92A2A]”Understand that it is a necessary precaution,”[/color] Wonder Red pitched in, [color=F92A2A]”Without these Bridge Babies there would be no way to circumvent any BTs out in the field, leading to disasters that nobody would be prepared for. It’s thanks to their help that Bridges can avoid such things.”[/color]

[color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"That's cruel,"[/color] Pit began, bending down to look at the babies in their pods. Even if they didn't look so uncannily familiar, they were still just kids. [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"They aren't equipment, they're alive! [i]And[/i] they'd be in a lot of danger if some "doomed" person brought them out there. With all the crazy stuff in this world there has to be another way, right?"[/color] He looked up at Deadman and the people they'd met on the aircraft before glancing towards the well traveled Princess Peach. [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"Some other way to see or fight those BT things. I bet we could find some wizard or necromancer that can spot them."[/color]

The princess could offer no solution, but it was clear she felt the same way. Deadman gave a slow nod, understanding where everyone was coming from. Even if it carried over some elements from the post-Stranding world he knew, this new realm was fundamentally different. The average person wasn’t a helpless civilian, isolated and trapped in their bunkers or Knot Cities in fear of the outside world whose horrors they were powerless to face, so embroiled in the despair of chiral contamination that only artificial dopamines let them reach the next day. In a reality where things weren’t nearly so bleak, such desperate measures as BBs were a much harder sell.

“That very well may be true. With seemingly infinite worlds conjoined, we cannot discount the possibility. BBs are tried-and-true, but if you wish to wait until another method is found, that is your decision to make. In the meantime, we would like to install a terminal in your city of Alcamoth and connect you to the Chiral Network. If there is any way Bridges can be of service, we will do what we can.” 

“I might be able to.” Yuri said, more softly this time. “If BTs are what you say they are, the souls of the dead wandering the world of the living…I’ve been able to see them for most of my life. So, in a way, I’m like one of these babies all grown up. And I have this.’’ Yuri reached down and placed the Camera Obscura on the map table for everyone to see. “The Camera Obscura was designed to take pictures of things that humans were never meant to see, and I’ve used it as a weapon against ghosts before. But, I’m only one person.”

Deadman stroked his chin, nodding. “Fascinating, fascinating! Well, that is lucky, indeed. Even if it’s just you, you can keep watch for the rest of your team, navigating them quickly and quietly around BTs. Just be aware that one slip-up could prove fatal, not just for whoever gets caught, but everyone else for up to miles around. Are you up to the task?” The coroner looked at the girl pointedly.

“No,” Yuri said gravely, looking down.”Like I said, I’m just one person.”  She didn't have any illusions about her ability to protect a whole group. Without a practical solution to offer she felt herself deflate. 

[color=F92a2a]”Uhm, excuse me! If I may interject - Commander?”[/color] Wonder Red addressed Nelson standing beside him. [color=f92a2a]”Could the Camera Obscura be reverse-engineered? Perhaps Professor Shirogane, or Professor Gadd, can replicate its design so that more people can use them instead of this one girl.”[/color]

“It might be possible.” Yuri said. “Their creator, Kunihiko Asou, was a normal man as far as I know. He even made multiple cameras, but they’re so rare and valuable as antiques I don’t think anyone has ever seriously studied how they do what they do.” 

Her testimony seemed to capture Gadd’s attention. “Ooh, that so? Well, maybe I oughta give it a li’l look-see.” He adjusted his glasses with a smile. “Wouldn’t be the first time I rigged up some tech to deal with ghosts. That’s part of why I’m along for all this hullabaloo to begin with.”

“Is that so?” Yuri replied, surprised at the little man’s field of study. Talking to a doctor that actually believed in ghosts could be worthwhile.It might even benefit Bridges once they returned home, so they didn't have to resort to something like the BBs. “I wouldn't mind helping you, though I only really know what my mentor passed onto me.”

“Sounds like a fine arrangement to me,” Vandham declared, pleased that the team had come up with a promising plan of action so quickly. “And for the record, I’m in favor of hookin’ Alcamoth up to this network of yours, as well. Nice as our Moogles are, bein’ able to radio whoever we needed at the drop of a hat would be a lot more convenient. Between that, and the possibility of aerial deployment once the Virgin Victory is back in action, a partnership with Bridges might be our savin’ grace.” Despite his affirmation, however, the mercenary commander maintained a solemn bearing. “I have just one question for you, Deadman. When they arrived, your associates were Gleaming, an’ ‘ad to be freed by the Door Bosses. But you sir don’t look the part, an’ you’re able to talk about the world like normal. Yet you’ve never left this city of yours called Midgar, where nobody on our side’s ever been.” Vandham raised an eyebrow. “Now, ‘ow might that be?”

Deadman seemed perplexed. “Hmm. You’re talking about the bright-eyes, yes? How most everyone is suppressed in a certain way? Well, I…I do not know. For as long as I can remember, my eyes have been normal, while everyone else has been glowing. Thought I was crazy for a while, trapped in some sort of limbo, until I realized. It meant I could take charge and start things happening again. A new game plus.” Fists tightened with determination, he put on as brave a face as he could. “I’ve been acting director for Bridges for about a month now, working to make the connections that nobody else seems willing to. In part to fulfill the dream of a world united, but also so that I might ask....for help.”

Clearing his throat, Deadman treated the room to an imploring look. “Do you remember what I said early, about the Ever Crisis, in Midgar? Well, it is serious, more serious than I can even convey. The city is under attack from the mysterious Others, bizarre creatures who feed on human brains. There are Chimeras, invisible to the naked eye, who can infect civilians with Redshift. And if that wasn’t enough, a seemingly inexhaustible machine army waging war from the swamp valley ruins to the south. The OSF, Neuron, Desperado, and other security divisions are hard-pressed merely to defend the city. And right now, things are even more tumultuous, thanks to the upcoming presidential election. The question of who will define the city’s future, and how, is on the mind of every man, woman, and child.”

Deadman took a deep breath. “That is why I was hoping that Bridges would establish contact with someone who could help us. Someone who can work with us to keep the city safe, and find a way to bring the Ever Crisis to an end. Someone like the Alcamoth Mercenaries.”

Once he finished, a few moments of silence followed. He’d dropped some big news, and in the wake of that knowledge bomb everyone was left with a lot to think about. Of course, the decision ultimately lay with Peach and Vandham, who had a number of factors to consider.

Peach ultimately decided to speak up. “Well, it goes without saying that we would want to help out whoever might be in trouble, if we can. I’m sure that the city of Midgar would not allow such aid to go unrewarded, either. But one thing we have to keep in mind is our campaign. Thirteen Guardians must be eliminated before we can defeat Galeem, and we have only three. To dedicate our resources and manpower to a cause that may not advance that all-important goal, or at worse cripple our ability to accomplish it, is no small matter.” She inhaled deeply, in through her nose and out through her mouth. “I would like to confer with the others, once they’re done with their respective assignments. Can you give us that time?”

“Of course,” Deadman confirmed.

“Thank you. We’ll have much to discuss when the others return.” With the meeting all but concluded, Peach stood up from her chair. “Until then, let’s see if we can research the Camera Obscura, as well as set up this network of yours. We have someone lost somewhere on the continent, and with any luck a few contents will help us find her again.”

Vandham nodded. “Sounds like a plan. Let’s hop to it, ladies and gents! This little world of ours just got a ‘ole lot bigger!”