[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/xtBiPq8.png[/img] [color=FF8c00]Rank 6 34 / 60 EXP[/color] [b][u]Midgar Underground Nexus[/u][/b][/center] The platoon's tear through the underground tunnels was proving challenging, but very fruitful. The Others, as bizarre they looked and tricky they were to handle, had been just a step away from being cakewalks for the crew, especially once they joined up with a second platoon to trek further in. He would've chatted more but honestly a lot of his focus was in avoiding the patches of water that were all over the place. And, shooting bad guys, obviously. Their pass through a strange, red-bathed section of the tunnel, filled with disparate thoughts loosened from the minds of countless others, definitely skeeved Raz out a fair bit. Being reduced to just a mote of intellect or memory, well, it was sorta a psychic's worst nightmare. Luckily they didn't hang around in there for much longer. Raz noticed the relative lack of Others since the big fight a while ago, assuming they just never stuck around in these back parts for whatever reason. Luka pointed out the tire tracks, and Raz went over to check them out too, squatting down to poke at them, as if that would cause them to reveal their secrets. [color=FF8c00]"Are you sure these aren't like, Other prints? They're all made out've random junk. Some gotta have tires, right?"[/color] It was then that something happened. To put it in more words, a literal stampede of Others emerged from a dark offshoot towards them. Raz sprang into an action-y pose. [color=FF8c00]"Wah! Sorry, it's actually nice junk you guys are made out of!"[/color] Panic compliments aside the fight never actually happened, with Dexio collapsing the entrance before the Vase Paws could make it through. This, of course, had the side effect of collapsing the entire [i]room[/i], with Raz only just managing to roll out from a chunk of concrete that would've turned him into a psychic pancake, and not one of the tasty kind. [i][color=FF8c00]"I'm alright,"[/color][/i] Raz answered through Brain Talk. Luka took control, as leader and all, so Raz hopped up onto a Levball, helping to at least somewhat light the collapsed part of the tunnels they were stuck in now. [color=FF8c00]"Just my luck that we didn't get stuck on the side with the big hole, huh?"[/color] [hr] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/HtanUZI.png[/img] [color=F92a2a]Level 3 (XP: 19/30)[/color] [b]Edinburgh MagicaPolis - Aether Paradise[/b][/center] With the night having passed uneventfully for himself and their hideout, Wonder Red was just a smidge eager to get back to action the next morning. 'Action' meant danger and imperilment, most of the time, though Red was more hoping to be of further use to his comrades. Pick up the slack he felt he was giving. The group gathered to discuss the daily news; the story about N's fight with a woman in green, apparently known by Albedo and Frisk, was noteworthy, but even more pressing for them was the headliner, the "War on Alcamoth". Definitely something to worry about, though with the news only being announced today, surely the campaign has yet to start. ... Later, when the crew arrived at the hearing Consul L was conducting (Wonder Red still beneath his trusty dull cloak), it was clear that no, actually, whatever this so-called war actually was was actually already over, courtesy of L herself. Wonder Red was taking the statement with a grain of salt, as it was just as likely to be a lie on L's part, though she did appear physically injured, at least from how far away Red could see her. He turned to the others first as L was on her way out, masking the conversation with the din of the crowd. [color=F92a2a]"What do you all think? Could she be telling the truth? Is there a way to investigate further?"[/color] Before any proper planning could be accomplished, a new figure suddenly appeared beside them, a strange purple-ish beast that Wonder Red recalled was a kind of Pokemon, though he interacted very little with Mewtwo during his short time in Alcamoth. He too was beaten up, and gave Ace a strained look before he collapsed from his injuries. Between that, L's speech, and Ace's sudden shock of whatever Mewtwo's words were, it was clear that something certainly had happened at Alcamoth. [color=F92a2a]"...it'll be alright,"[/color] Wonder Red sternly said. [color=F92a2a]"Commander Nelson would have evacuated as many as he could in the Virgin Victory, if anything happened there."[/color] The way he said it made it seem more like he was trying to assure himself than the others. For a moment he looked down at the unconscious Mewtwo, then up to Aether Paradise, contemplating something... And then he dashed away from the others, through the crowd, towards the lake. It wasn't the smartest play, barely even a thought-out one, but Wonder Red couldn't leave without confirmation. He simply couldn't stay blind. [center][color=F92a2a][i][b]"CONSUL L!"[/b][/i][/color][/center] With all the lung power afforded to the Wonder One-Double-Oh, Wonder Red's voice boomed across the lake, echoing even over the noise of the crowd. Perched on top of the railing that surrounded the lake, Wonder Red leveled a finger up to the platform, vaguely in L's direction, his cloak still wrapped around himself. [color=F92a2a]"What did you do to Alcamoth to ensure its surrender?!"[/color] There was a pause, a moment where Wonder Red's brain caught up with him, as if he left it behind when he first dashed away and it only just returned to him. He followed it up with, [color=F92a2a]"as a concerned citizen of yours I'm... worried, of Alcamoth's retaliation! I need to know how much you've done... to, to keep us safe!"[/color] [center][h2][color=BB2F56]Ichiban[/color][/h2] [b]Lv.[/b] 2 [color=BB2F56]█[/color]███████████████████ [b]Location: The Under - City of Tears[/b][/center] The meeting with IGV and subsequent plans to take on Those That Slither in the Dark were things that Ichiban just, did not have the mental capacity to deal with in the moment. It was a [i]lot[/i], apparently stuff these people have been dealing with for a while, but Ichiban was just some guy bumming around the city doing oddjobs for cash. Not only was he not quite clicking with the politics and deception, he also felt like he simply was out of his depth. He decided to remain quiet for the meeting, and when everyone left the spooky haunted mansion he took his leave, thanking everyone for the opportunity and for having met them. That was about it for Ichiban's interactions with the Seekers, at least for as long as it took them all to hunt down the Slitherers and strike them off the list. Only when everyone met back up in front of P's tower, ready to continue Gallo's plot, did his mophaired head crop up again. [color=BB2F56]"Hey guys!"[/color] Ichiban strolled up to the group as if they were old friends which, in a way, they were. [color=BB2F56]"See you all are about to go up the tower, huh?"[/color] Ichiban craned his neck to look up at the towers, letting out a low whistle. [color=BB2F56]"Geez, that's really high. Hope there's an elevator to it."[/color] An awkwardness emanated from him after that greeting, one which didn't go away as everyone continued chatting and prepping. Eventually, just before things got on a real roll, Ichiban stopped Nadia and Omori away from the rest. [color=BB2F56]"Hey, look,"[/color] he began, rubbing his neck, [color=BB2F56]"I know this whole, dealing with the Consul stuff, it's pretty important to ya guys for some reason. But Consul P... he's just a kid. Kids can be mean, sure, get it in their heads they can act however they want, but that's the worst of it. P is that kinda kid given a prime minister's budget, kinda."[/color] He looked back up to P's tower, eyes wandering the top floors in search of the elusive Consul. [color=BB2F56]"And y'know, I don't like judgin' folks too much, but that Gallo guy, he gave me a real weird vibe."[/color] What Ichiban wasn't saying was how that weird vibe extended to most of the others too. Nadia and Omori excluded, the other Seekers seemed a little less scrupulous than Ichiban figured heroes should be. Two of them were even cosplaying as some seriously bad dudes for cryin' out loud! Shaking his head, Ichiban kept on rambling. [color=BB2F56]"Look, you guys gotta do what you gotta do. I just wanted to try an' say... P just needs to get put in his place. Y'can't hurt him too badly, or let Gallo do whatever he wants to. Guy's got some serious hate on this kid, it's kinda freaky."[/color] He looked back to the others nearer to the gate. [color=BB2F56]"Guess I can't really stop you either way."[/color] [hr][center][color=FF8c00]701 Words +1 EXP[/color] [color=F92a2a]549 +1 EXP[/color] [color=BB2F56]497 +1 EXP[/color][/center]