[center][h3]Gutsford[/h3]
Level 11 Tora (77/110) Level 11 Poppi (77/110)
Midna’s [@DracoLunaris], Geralt’s [@Multi_Media_Man], Pit’s [@Yankee], Blazermate and Susie’s [@Archmage MC], Sakura and Karin’s [@Zoey Boey], Raz’s [@TruthHurts22], Bede’s [@Crimson Flame], Roxas’ [@Double]
[b]Word Count:[/b] 1210[/center]

[center][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bokNjeh2dzk&ab_channel=Pollux[/youtube][/center]

Once Tora and Poppi stepped out of Yasoinaba Station, the pair found themselves agog at yet another amazing place his globe-trotting group wound up in. This might seem strange to a number of their friends, since to them this place probably registered as totally ordinary, or at least contemporary. To natives of Alrest, however, the very existence of such big places was a foreign concept. That held true for the land itself in the Sandswept Sky, with the jaw-dropping enormity of the desert sands and Split Mountain, but it also applied to cities and towns just like this one. Only a couple cities on the scale of Al Mamoon or even Radlandia existed in his world; that such civilization seemed utterly commonplace here would awe the young Nopon and his invention for some time.

“More castles!” Tora exclaimed excitedly. His attention flew between Gutsford University, Blackwell Academy, and Bullworth Academy. “Which one friends visit first?”

Poppi put her hands on her hips, her metal armor clanking softly. Her optics took in the impressive buildings, the people who milled around them, and their level of security–or lack thereof. She glanced over at Tora. Despite the team’s dangerous headlong rush through the Metro, her Masterpon seemed to be in high spirits. Did he just not realize, or not really care? When she took her habitual head count once the danger passed, the total number of allies came up one short of what she expected. Wonder Red was nowhere to be seen. Of course, there wasn’t much they could have done. If they waited any longer for the train to depart, the feline hordes might have literally stopped them in their tracks. She could only hope that Red made it out with the other team, and that her sometimes-inconsiderate Masterpon hoped the same.

“Probably not castles. Remember, everything just big in World of Light,” she pointed out. 

Blazermate wasted no time pointing out what they really were: schools. A good look around turned up their names as well, emblazoned on signs on the perimeter of the three schools’ grounds in their respective colors, surrounded by their respective imagery. Gutsford’s banners and flags laid claim to brazen red, white, and black, with the likeness of roaring or grinning bears accompanying the appellation “Gutsford Kumas”. The oldest students could be found on its grounds, most of them adults in fact, and many wore jerseys or varsity jackets that shared their college’s symbology. Neither of the other schools appeared to be quite so loud, either from an auditory or visual perspective, with Blackwell sleepier and Bullworth perilously close to downright grim.

Even if they weren’t castles, Blazermate seemed keen to explore them, and Bede considered asking a student for information. These places weren’t schools of Japanese origin, but some of the students appeared to be, which ignited some sort of fire in the Medabot’s soul. Pit didn’t seem interested, though, and said that they sounded boring. Having already made a mental note that the angel appeared to be illiterate, Poppi wondered if he might benefit more from a visit than he thought.

Peach didn’t seem too keen about the idea, either. “If they are schools, then as unaffiliated adults, or unenrolled children…” She cast a glance at Raz, Roxas, and Bede as she offered her advice. “We aren’t allowed on the premises.”

Tora shrugged as best he could without shoulders. “Meh. It too quick and easy if we meet Guardian here, anyway.”

Luckily, the Seekers weren’t at a total loss as to where their destined foe might be. Few could doubt, after turning their incredulous eyes on the far-off steely metropolis, that Karin had the right idea. While those privy to the initial meeting between Alcamoth and Bridges remembered what Deadman said about the place’s size and advancement, they could see -even from here- that his words did not do the city of Midgar justice. 

Midna was hardly the only one floored by the sight. “Meeeh…” Tora breathed. “Is bigger than Titan!”

“Maybe not vertically, but by Poppi’s calculations, not even Mor Ardain could carry on back,” his companion chimed in, her tone hushed.”

Peach took a deep breath, admiring the city from afar. It possessed a certain monolithic beauty, like a shining beacon of civilization, and she could hardly wait to see it up close. She nodded and echoed the conclusion drawn by Karin and Pit. “I agree. So far, our ultimate destinations have always been the biggest, most dramatic location in each region. My castle, the End, Split Mountain…even if it’s not in Midgar, there’s no better place to start.”

Right now, though, that starting line was a long, long way off. Much too far to walk, as the others noticed, even without taking into account any problems they might encounter on the way there. Without trains, go karts, or the Virgin Victory to speed them on their way, the Seekers would need to find some other way to go the distance, and as much as he wanted to drive the beefy-looking four-wheeler Midna showed off, Tora knew one Warthog wouldn’t cut it.

“Let’s split up and see what we can find, then,” Peach announced. “But keep an eye out. This place looks safe, and might not be important for our mission, but it looks like there’s more than one Consul, and if they found us before, they can do it again. There’s no telling who, or what, we might find.”

“Yes-yes!” Tora agreed. The team broke off into a few smaller groups, but without any idea what they really wanted to do for now, he and Poppi lingered for a few moments longer, watching the people of Gutsford go about their business. As the others left, however, he noticed something weird. Every few seconds a bush or hedge by the station shook in a way that didn’t quite gel with the wind. When Tora took a closer look around, things got weirder. He started to see brief, vague glimpses of eyes, peering out from bushes, through blinds, or even from trash cans. It didn’t phase him too much, since this happened in Radlandia too, with the eyes in windows and sewer grates and all. These were human-sized, though, always came in pairs at the same height, and always disappeared within a second or so after he looked their way. “Hmm.” Turning around, Tora saw a trash can lid slam shut suddenly, and waddled over to open it. Try as he might, however, he couldn’t pull the lid off.

After a moment he gave a grunt of annoyance. “Poppi?” he called. “Can come over and…!” When he turned to look her way he saw a camera pop out of the hedge behind her, which proceeded to snap a photo of them both. “Poppi!” The Nopon ran over as the camera disappeared back inside the hedge, raced past his confused companion, and pulled the hedge open with his wings. When he spread wide the leafy branches, however, nothing was inside.

“Everything okay, Masterpon?” Poppi asked. “What need from Poppi?”

Tora exhaled and stepped back, his brows furrowed. “Nevermind. Just Tora’s imagination playing tricks.” He dusted his wings off and turned to his companion. “Tora just have idea for new Poppi feature, though. Come with Tora!”

[hr]

The team’s reconnaissance of Gutsford soon began, with Karin and Midna heading the search for transportation. This town featured a roughly triangular layout, with three double-wide avenues running at sixty degree angles and a roundabout at each point. The center of the triangle housed its business, with lots of one-way side streets, while suburban neighborhoods branched out from the exterior. Situated just above Gutsford’s northernmost point was its titular university, with the other academies on either side, and the train station on the other side of the roundabout. It featured very light traffic, with more people using bikes, mopeds, scooters, and skateboards than cars, and all the buildings had enough room to breathe. That bode poorly for means of long-distance transportation, but it also meant that the hubs that did exist were easy to find. As it happened, they shared the same position that Yasoinaba Station did: the interior of the triangular city’s roundabout ‘points’.

At the bottom-left lay the [url=https://i.imgur.com/I2mMgZS.png]Bus Depot[/url], the home of the yellow busses that shuttled students around the town from home to school and back again. Though they operated within Gutsford most of the time, a little chatting revealed that while the buses weren’t available for public use, they did rarely get used to transport passengers across the wastes, despite the unnecessary risk. At the bottom-right lay the [url=https://i.imgur.com/Fle1nIQ.png]Trade Depot[/url], the resting place of the supply trucks that ran up from Midgar to deposit their shipments, refuel, and head back empty-handed. The visitors found a whole squadron of haulers there currently, with a departure imminent. Unfortunately for the heroes, the truck drivers -who worked specific jobs and schedules for their corporate masters in the city- were not permitted to take passengers for liability purposes. Additional inquiry turned up precious little more. Helicopters sometimes buzzed around, but they flew here and there at the city’s whims, not Gutsford’s. No car dealerships could be found here, and the mechanic here was not at all like Mumbo’s Motors. At the very least, bicycles and similar modes of transport were ubiquitous.

Sakura’s search for electronics took her to a promising foot traffic street denoted as the Shopping District, one of the few enclosed by an overhead roof, reminiscent of Kichijoji. After passing the cozy video store Random Play, run by siblings [url=https://i.imgur.com/nFfnkTV.png]Belle and Wise[/url], she found a big, brightly-lit shop that seemed to be hogging up most of the avenue’s business. It made sense, because in a town full of students nothing screamed ‘teens’ more than phones. Electronics Superstore Akindo featured all the latest models and brands, with some affordable and not-so-affordable service plans, but it also stocked some other everyday gadgets like music players and game consoles. In one corner she finally found them: six short-wave radio transmitters, used mostly as toys by children in Gutsford, but perfect for the Seekers. The store owner and technological sophisticate [url=https://i.imgur.com/loCN96n.png]Kyle[/url] offered her a very fair price for them.

On the way out she happened to meet Tora and Poppi going in. The artificial blade greeted Sakura in her QT form, which blended in with the Gutsford populace a little better than her knightly Alpha or rather suggestive QT Pi modes, and after the three exchanged hellos the duo disappeared inside Akindo, on the hunt for some sort of device Tora wanted. Sakura only got a couple steps away from the door, however, before chaos befell the Shopping District. Four [url=https://i.imgur.com/v6Gk494.png]young men[/url] tore through the pedestrian-only zone on [url=https://i.imgur.com/X5hE4Rs.png]motorcycles[/url], whooping and hollering as they scattered anything and everything in their way. The townsfolk, some of them just kids, had to hurry to get out of the riders’ way. A moment later the hoodlums blew past the electronics store, and a moment after that they surged out into the street beyond, forcing a school bus to screech to a halt.

“Ugh, damn Punks!” A [url=https://i.imgur.com/R3FhJ9x.png]spiky-haired boy[/url] in purple, not much younger than Sakura, jumped to his feet and furiously adjusted his rumpled clothes. “Next time I’m gonna beat your asses!” he yelled after the interlopers after they’d already gone before scowling. “Tch! Hope you bastards get run over by the Clustertrucks!” he growled, kicking at the dust.

Elsewhere, while Pit, Midna, and Karin looked into the other transport hubs, Peach ended up with Geralt, Bede, Raz, Roxas, and Blazermate. After convincing the Medabot not to go snooping around the schools in hopes of catching a live anime episode, they headed down the street with no particular goal in mind. At one point they did catch a glimpse of a [url=https://i.imgur.com/2um4FwU.png]Trubbish[/url] being played with by a stray [url=https://i.imgur.com/IF8XHsb.png]Momo[/url], which looked like a good chance for Bede to gain some experience with his new Pokemon. The Pokemon did not, however, explain the persistent feeling of being watched, which the Seekers could not seem to shake.

[center][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NX7U-xttHQo&ab_channel=VGMatron%3A%2aEXTENDED%2aVideoGameMusic[/youtube][/center]

Other than students, plenty of workers called Gutsford home, and this third of the triangle in particular buzzed with activity. A lot of road work was being done, with a number of streets closed off. Handfuls of tall, lanky [url=https://i.imgur.com/rynonSf.png]workers[/url], all sporting the same distinctive khaki trench-and-hat uniform, stood around the various projects making themselves busy with the various tools of their trade. When Peach gave them a second glance, though, she raised an eyebrow at how the workers were using them.

Phone line repairmen stood around telephone poles with phones and ladders, saying things like ‘Please stay back. There is a severe electrocution danger’ and ‘I can climb telephone poles’ in a monotonous voice. Sewer workers wielded plungers as they stood around their manholes, muttering ‘I need to prevent blockages and this device is one of my tools’, ‘I am a waste management technician’, and ‘feces’. They seemed more interested in swinging their plungers like golf clubs and playing them like trumpets than putting them to any good use, though. Gardeners held their cans like cups of tea or soup tureens, announcing, ‘it is a good day for watering plants’ and ‘without water, these plants would die’. Worst of all, the road workers used their signs as shovels, pickaxes, and even guitars, assuring anyone who came near that, ‘the road is out, and we are working on it’, ‘not a thru street’, and ‘thank goodness it is Friday’. No matter where she looked, though, Peach seemed to discover workers looking her group’s way, their red eyes not-so-subtly gawking at the Seekers of Light.

Becoming more paranoid, the princess turned onto a side street leading into the business sector. It was a service road that ran between the backsides of a number of shops, including a butcher, a seafood grocer, a bakery, and a pet shop, allowing new stock to be taken in and waste to be taken out. She wanted to get away from all the unwelcome eyes, but halfway through the otherwise empty alley her group came to a halt. A few more of the men had appeared at the opposite end, all holding calculators and rulers. “What a lovely day for us students to walk about the town”, one said. “I’m putting off my homework because I don’t want to do it,” another replied. “I hope one day I, as a student, will be able to pay off my debt,” a third bemoaned, monotone as the others. As they spoke, the trio advanced, slowly but steadily, doing their best to seem casual. Peach looked over her shoulder to find that some road workers now stood in front of the side street. “Yes, we are all on the road crew. Our backs are killing us”, one said. “Sorry, road crew only.”

The two sides began to converge. While they did not seem hostile, they were unnerving, and they had the Seekers trapped. Unless they jumped, climbed, or flew over the buildings, of course, or chose violence. As Peach considered her options, the back door to the pet shop creaked open. “Psst.” Inside were [url=https://i.imgur.com/FBoUNg9.png]two men[/url] in blue suits, a pair of identical twins. “In here! Just stay calm, walk in like you’re supposed to be here, and everything will be fine.”

[center][h3]Dirtmouth, the Fading Town[/h3]
Level 10 Nadia (33/100)
Koopa Troop’s [@DracoLunaris], Primrose and Therion’s [@Yankee], Sectonia’s [@Archmage MC], Jesse’s [@Zoey Boey], Omori’s [@Majoras End], Rubick’s [@Scarifar]
[b]Word Count:[/b] 1408[/center]

Nadia spent the ride to the Under in uncomfortable silence. Not in physical discomfort like Sectonia, who had to squeeze herself inside a human-sized subway car, but in the turmoil of her own thoughts. In her mad dash through the Metro and her ensuing back-alley brawl, she hadn’t thought about Ace once, which only now gnawed at her because the Monster Hunter hadn’t appeared before the incoming mob of cats forced Purple Team to get a move on. The ‘why’ was obvious; she just expected him to have made it, just as she expected everyone else to. After all, aside from her run-in with Zelmer it had been smooth sailing, more like a fun game of tag than running for her life. When she slid into the train like a baseball player to home plate, she’d been snickering to herself about the situation, about how that important-sounding cat lady had mobilized an entire city’s worth of enemies and still got nothing to show for it.

Only after Nadia got done patting herself on the back did she realize that the Empress might have proven her wrong, after all. When forced to flee, her team’s train got underway with not only Ace, but also Big Band nowhere to be seen. For a time the disconsolate feral couldn’t help but fear the worst, peering into the infinite darkness beyond the subway windows. Had she just been behaving selfishly again, thinking about nothing but her own skin, just like back on the Maw?  Gradually, though, she convinced herself that she was just being silly. Not, as Nadia noticed with a chuckle, in her usual way, but silly nonetheless. She didn’t know Big Band, but he looked tough, and he was [i]huge[/i]. She just couldn’t picture the brassy titan succumbing to a bunch of two-foot-nothings like the Metro cats. Nadia did know Ace, though, and she knew just how capable he was. He didn’t need her watching over him; his superhuman physique and never-say-die attitude would be enough. So this wasn’t a goodbye, but an until-we-meet-again. The feral inhaled deeply through her nose, closed her eyes, and relaxed in her seat.

…Still. Even if he didn’t need her…she wished she could be with him, anyways.

When the train came to a stop, she disembarked with the others, and like many of them didn’t wait for the lift. Instead she climbed up the walls of the shaft, finding plenty of purchase in the shells’ ridges and grooves to dig her claws into. Nadia emerged into the afternoon sun, breathed deep of the fresh mountain air, waved at the endearingly doddering Elderbug, and stretched her arms as she scoped out the great craggy basin that lay before her. This whole place itself lay in a valley surrounded by the magnificent [url=https://i.imgur.com/8vMRsNO.png]Valtarra Mountains[/url] on all sides but one, a canyon leading to the east. “A lot to take in,” she muttered, her eyes roaming across the camps and worksites that dotted the place. Most of the structures here looked old, some to the point of dilapidation, but still a good number of people seemed eager to unearth whatever this place had to offer. The cat burglar reached out her hand and closed her fist around the pit at the very bottom, where her own team’s treasure hunt would probably begin. “And it’s all ‘mine’.”

As always, the Koopa Troop seemed happy to take the first step. Both Kamek and Rika deployed some flying minions to fly down and get a lay of the land, and while Nadia couldn’t imagine how either the miniature planes or that ball of light might communicate any of their findings, she didn’t object one bit. She watched the scouting party soar down over the tricky terrain, sweeping down the slopes and weaving through furrows of stone and ruddy grass. They passed through and around a couple of campsites and quarries, garnering reactions from ordinary laborers and unsavory ne’er-do-wells alike, but generally it looked like the team’s agility would allow them to circumvent most obstacles on the way down if they chose. Finally they reached the lowest portion, where the inclines suddenly got a lot steeper, and then disappeared behind the stony cliffs. There they found the Chasm, a yawning, mostly cylindrical pit deep into the earth, so deep that none of the scouts could make out the bottom. Winches surrounded it to lower small wooden mining platforms into the depths so that workers could carve new tunnels into the pit walls. One heavy-duty crane stood above all the others, however: the biggest and sturdiest by far. Likewise, it supported the biggest platform, suspended dead center over the Chasm, not for giving miners access to the walls, but for lowering people all the way down to the bottom–however far below that might be.

While the scouts drummed up a path, Nadia and the others made their preparations up at Dirtmouth. It was a solid plan, but unfortunately she didn’t really know what one would need for an underground expedition. This would be her first time delving beneath the land’s surface not counting Carcass Isle of course, but that had been more of a dungeon anyway. This seemed to be an entire region beneath the surface, so who knew how long the team might be down there? The Deep Blue Seaside campaign took days, after all, and that involved both lots of guidance and copious amounts of luck. Hopefully both would come the Seekers’ way this time, too.

Luck couldn’t be bought in a store, though, so as the others searched for a supplier of some kind Nadia took it upon herself to look for guidance. She found her way to a curious-looking building, one of the very few that seemed to be open in any capacity, and strolled inside to find a long-nosed [url=https://i.imgur.com/fOTj7s8.png]bug lady[/url] slumped over the counter, a dejected mood about her. Upon seeing Nadia, she sighed, although the feral assumed it was less ‘at her’ and more just in general. “Bah fannada,” she greeted.

“Bah fannada to you too!” Nadia smiled, sauntering over to join the lady. After noting the nameplate on the countertop, she leaned her elbow on the counter as well and rested her head in her hands. “Everythin’ okay, Ms. Iselda? If I didn’t know any better I’d say that somethin’s buggin’ ya.”

“Ha, ha, never heard that one before,” Iselda said sarcastically, hanging her head for a moment.

Nadia gave a sheepish grin. “Sorry, had to get it outta my system. Seriously though, ya doin’ alright? If there’s any trouble, I don’t wanna be a bother.”

“No, it’s fine.” Iselda shifted herself slightly, clearing her throat. Despite being a giant bug, which admittedly gave Nadia the creeps a little, her tone and body language were just like anyone else’s, and they told the feral that Iselda wasn’t angry. “Just waiting for my husband to get back. Corny’s down below, making his maps like always. He'll pop back occasionally to deliver new maps for the store but I do wish he'd spend a little more time up here. I've not much interest in retail myself.”

Tilting her head, Nadia gave what she hoped was a comforting smile. “Aw, man. Well, if it’s any help, that’s where we’re headed. Might need his maps too, so we’ll keep an eye out for ya!”

“Will you really? Well, you’ll know you’re near if you see any discarded paper around. Thank you.” The act of bowing her head to show respect made Nadia wonder if Iselda’s lack of interest in retail stemmed from a more disciplined background. “You’re new in town, then? Now, let's see what's here for me to sell.”

Nadia’s ears went rigid as straightened up, taken by surprise. “Oh, ah, don’t bother. I’m actually kinda, sorta flat broke. Not a lick of cents to my name. Thanks for the help, though!”

Judging by her shrug, Iselda wasn’t too bothered. Maybe in such an inhospitable place, even an everyday interaction like this could lift someone’s spirits. “Well, if you mine any Geo or Mora down there, you’ll know where to find us. Good luck, miss.”

“He-ey, you’re the best!” Laden with even more valuable info, Nadia treated her new friend to the double finger-guns as she backed out of the map shop, then scampered over to find the others.

Being a remote and not really livable city, Dirtmouth lacked any sort of general store, but the supply hunters didn’t go hungry. They found that the work crews currently on break or making ready for a new expedition owned surplus equipment, though none planned to give it away through the goodness of their hearts. Some would accept money, some would trade for other things they needed -or wanted- and some wanted help meeting their quotas. They seemed surly and inflexible too, at least until the Octopath Travelers got involved. Neither Primrose nor Therion could have asked for a better reason to ply their respective trades, either wiling the workers out of their gear and goods or filching them from beneath their owners’ noses. Doing so could net them a bounty of rope, cleats, lanterns, picks, shovels, rations, canteens, firewood bundles, pots, sleeping bags, and other things, not all of the best quality since the strongest-willed, toughest, and most perceptive men owned the choicest stuff, but invaluable to a thoroughly under-prepared team like the Seekers.

Impatient to begin, perhaps, Omori decided to forge onward and downward before anyone else. Jesse watched him go and, not wanting to risk losing anyone else just yet, followed behind him at a distance. Her Levitation enabled her to tail the boy across the rough terrain effortlessly, taking shortcuts down that he couldn’t, and it also allowed her a sneak peak at any dangers in the way. As it happened, this side of the Chasm -closest to both Dirtmouth and the exit canyon- boasted a number of encampments where vagabonds lurked. Whether in the shade of [url=https://i.imgur.com/4iejJku.png]tents[/url] or in log-walled [url=https://i.imgur.com/pA5lsIk.jpg]compounds[/url] they quaffed their booze and sharpened their weapons, ready to make the careful preparations and hard work of any unwary saps their own. Even more lay on the other side of their Chasm, including [url=https://i.imgur.com/SqEhHad.png]one[/url] in a rock formation of unusual shape and color.

Most impressive among these points of interest was a two-story structure with mining equipment attached to either end, almost more like a [url=https://i.imgur.com/wn3hceK.png]barge[/url] than a camp. It housed both black market traders and a gambling hall to those in the know, but to Omori it just looked like a miniature citadel of painted wood and rusted metal. With armed guards on patrol, he probably ought to steer clear.

As he went to give the bandit barge a wide berth, however, he became aware of some commotion there: the muffled sounds of yells, heavy impacts, and soon, gun shots. After a moment, a blast of white energy exploded through one of the walls, and through the hole leaped a [url=https://i.imgur.com/pLhrBSZ.png]short creature[/url] just a couple feet in height, with a gray mantle and a horned white mask. It landed on the bridge that spanned the rocky river in front of the barge’s main entrance, light on its feet, and ran across. “Damn it!” a voice shouted out from inside. A huge shape blocked the hole, then tore through to fall down hard at the barge’s front door. Clad in green, the [url=https://i.imgur.com/sNsCYWh.png]pig-masked man[/url] stood at seven feet tall and well over three hundred pounds. Scowling in rage, he snapped off a big bite of bacon from the bundle clasped in his fist and chowed down. “Get back here, you little bug!” he yelled, spraying bacon bits everywhere. A number of people came to the windows and railing of the barge, but only a [url=https://i.imgur.com/Be9wm2v.png]trapper and her monster[/url] followed the big man down; the rest watched, but none -not even the [url=https://i.imgur.com/LENeStN.jpg]pink-haired brawler[/url] or [url=https://i.imgur.com/fyxmGnu.png]purple-haired mercenary[/url] - cared to interfere. After crossing the bridge, the runner came to a stop in front of Omori, the pitch-black holes in its mask fixated on the other short, monochrome being before it. That brief moment, however, was enough for the trapper to fire her gun. She shot some sort of mine that landed in the ground and shot a harpoon into the knight’s mask, lodging in the back to drag the bug back toward the barge.

The big man came to a stop, grimacing down at the two little scamps in front of him. “Who the hell’re you?” he spat at Omori, but without missing a beat he continued. “Bah, doesn’t matter. Only name you need to know is Oinkie. Me! Leader of Oinkie’s Gang! And this,” he grabbed the knight with one hand, pulled it off the harpoon trap, and held it by the head as it wiggled weakly. “Is ours! Took us a week to trap the little bastard, it did! So keep your damn distance!” Behind him the trapper’s monster barked at Omori as if to punctuate the ultimatum. Then the pair turned to go back, and with a grunt Oinkie began to follow her.

[center][h3]Edinburgh MagicaPolis[/h3]
Level 8 Big Band (21/80)
Ace Cadet’s [@Yankee], Red’s [@TruthHurts22]
[b]Word Count:[/b] 909[/center]

[i]BONG![/i] Lin Xiao reeled, her hands clutching her head and her head swam. Nevertheless, in a testament to her powerful woman’s sheer fortitude, her headlong collision with Ace’s shield did not put her on the ground. Roaring in pain and anger, she went to take a blind swing at where she thought the monster hunter might be. It was then that Band stepped in, deploying two halves of a bell as big as his own chassis that slammed together around Lin Xiao and trapped her inside. Then the detective vigorously rang the bell, bouncing his unfortunate opponent around in a barrage of blunt force and sound. After only a moment he let her loose, but that was more than enough for even someone like her to slump, senseless, to the ground.

Band let out his breath, which turned to mist in the frigid air. “Thanks for the assist, kid. That was one tough customer, she was pullin’ stuff on me I only seen in wrestlin’ matches.” He shook his head, his neck still aching from the suplex that crumpled him like a giant can of beans. Still, looking down at the unconscious woman he couldn’t help but feel a little bad for her, just laid out in the cold like this. “Guess we oughta put ‘er somewhere she won’t freeze to death, hm?”

When he looked back at the lobby, he found that the metro cats had already gone back inside, leaving Lin Xiao to sort out her own affairs. There was nobody they could leave her with, and Band didn’t fancy another visit to the Metro. That brought the ragtag trio’s main issue into sharp relief. “Even if we got back in now and none of those furballs lifted a paw to stop us, we couldn’t catch up with the others in time,” he said, his voice grim. “But somehow I got a feelin’ we won’t be welcome there. We oughta find somewhere to lay low for a while. Maybe figure out where in the world we ended up.” He noticed a couple passing citizens giving him, Ace, and Red a strange look, which Band couldn’t exactly fault them for given Lin Xiao’s current condition. She still wasn’t moving, and was probably out cold. “...Preferably after we drop off our tiger someplace.”

The three hurried to find a clinic of some stripe. Working together to carry their unconscious attacker, they questioned every local they came across for directions, but hit an unexpected snag when they found out that everyone boasted a thick Scottish accent. Still, they somehow made it to a doctor’s office up the street and around the corner, where they left Lin Xiao slumped in the warmth of the waiting room. Band gave her one final look as he left, somewhere between begrudging and respecting. Despite her strength he did not once consider finishing the job in order to take her spirit, however beneficial that might have been. After all, Band was a man who’d been running on outdated hardware for years, but he held the phrase ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ almost as high as the word of the law. Once he joined the others outside, the next order of business was to find their current location.

He, Ace, and Red ended up in a pub a few doors down. Despite specializing in beer, it offered coffee as well, and a warm drink helped to chase out the unexpected cold that numbed the three during their escapades earlier. Once left alone they summoned a Moogle and asked for help, who disappeared to enlist the aid of Alcamoth and soon returned with some news.

“Wow, you’re way up there!” she said. “Almost as far north as the Biodome signal we got this morning, but waaaay out west! And a giant city with a big pumpkin in the middle, you said? We didn’t know anything like that even existed out there!”

Band grumbled. “That ain’t good. Means we’re stuck high and dry, I figure.”

“Um…well, I guess so!” The Moogle tried to remain cheerful. “With the Virgin Victory still sitting in the desert, we can’t really do much to help you. But…keep your chin up! Sometimes a detour opens up a new way forward, right?” She put her little fists up to encourage them. “Where there’s a will there’s a way, and where there’s a new region, there’s a new Guardian! Not saying to try and fight it on your own, but maybe you can figure something out! Why not look around once you finish your drinks?” She flew over the frosty window and put her paws against it, looking up and down the street. “Who knows what’s out there!”

Band shrugged and sipped his coffee. The Moogle bid everyone farewell and left them to their fate. Setting down his coffee, the detective gingerly leaned back, only to freeze as his four stools creaked beneath his weight. “After goin’ up Split Mountain, I don’t expect the cold ‘round here will give my metal parts any trouble,” he mused. “So I’m game to hunt around for any clues if y’all are. Might as well make the most of the time we got here. Only question is, where to start.” He looked between Ace and especially Red in his thin uniform. “Maybe with some winter clothes for you two. Don’t want you catchin’ cold and leavin’ me out here all on my lonesome now, do I?”