[center][h3]The City of Glass - Regatta Bay[/h3]
Level 5 Goldlewis (26/40)
Midna’s [@DracoLunaris], Karin and Sakura’s [@Zoey Boey], Blazermate and Susi’s [@Archmage MC], Geralt and Zenkichi’s [@Multi_Media_Man], Pit’s [@Yankee], Raz’s [@Truthhurts22], Roxas’ [@Double], Benedict and Partitio’s [@Dark Cloud], Tora, Giovanna
[b]Word Count:[/b] 939[/center]

[center][hider=For Goldlewis]New Power:
[b]BURST[/b]
While in hitstun of any kind, which is to say being hit by anything. Goldlewis can unleash a short-range blast of pure vital energy with several important properties. It instantly stops his movement, it instantly recovers him to an upright position, and while it deals no damage, it also launches any foes struck by the wave a good distance away, even in the middle of their attacks. Goldlewis can also do this in neutral, at which point it becomes a Gold Burst, and if he hits an enemy with a Gold Burst his tension meter instantly fills. In return for all this, Burst takes a while to recharge, especially if it doesn’t hit an enemy. It also leaves him extremely vulnerable if he doesn’t hit an enemy, either by whiffing it or being predicted, since a Burst can be blocked[/hider][/center]

If there was one thing new new arrivals could agree on, it was that the City of Glass certainly looked incredible, for better or worse. Whether that spoke to the marvels of human ingenuity or the extent of human avarice was matter left up to personal interpretation. Goldlewis didn’t think too much about it. To him, iniquity came part and parcel with human nature. There was no easy solution; the system was something far greater than any one man, no matter how powerful. After all this time, Goldlewis knew that fact all too well. All he could do was his best, each and every day until his last, trying to make the world a better place. Of course, compared to the social, economic, and political landscape of Midgar, hewn as it was from countless worlds, he almost found himself missing the American government. And that was really saying something.

Sighing, he returned his attention to the City of Glass. For all its magnificence, its beauty was an austere one, distant and cold. Neither he nor the other Seekers felt welcome here, and with an important event just a few hours away the Seekers couldn’t let their focus wander from the task at hand. After the new arrivals’ initial amazement wore off, and they expressed all their admirations and criticisms a suitable distance from the nearest camera clusters, everyone tackled the current problem: getting to the Dendenmille Showcase Theater on the Vandelay Campus. Goldlewis could pretty much guarantee that renting a vehicle to make use of the well-kept roads here was impossible for outsiders, if rental services existed at all, and public transport meant extra scrutiny, so there wasn’t an easy answer. Everyone put their heads together, though, and quickly churned out a few ideas.

Midna offered to repeat the teleportation trick they used to enter Sector 06 in the first place. The sheer difference in terms of scale made things different, however, and instead of going with a group of eight that could look out for one another the Twilight Princess would have to go alone deep into the heart of unfamiliar territory. Could those teleporters even be moved once built? Goldlewis had no idea. “Seein’ as we’re strangers ‘round these parts, I’d prefer that we stick together,” he said. “I reckon we ain’t even scratched the surface of the security this place’s got. I like your thinkin’, miss, but we oughta work as a team.” His brow furrowed as Midna made more suggestions. “A…disguise? With all due respect, this ain’t the doggone Loony Tunes. Unless you’re some kind o’ shapeshifter and even better at fakin’ IDs than Mr. H, they’ll suss you out in a heartbeat.” Her final idea left him scratching his neck, his lips pursed “With how much these boats cost, I’d be mighty surprised if one of the rich folks ‘round here’d give a ride to Shinra himself. A has-been like me’s got about as much clout as Delaware in the House of Representatives.”

Zenkichi pointed out that an actual operative like himself or Benedict might have more luck in the lawful seizure department, but even that possibility was shaky, and as he himself pointed out, risky. If the former Turks started throwing names or departments around, it would make things a lot easier for anyone looking for them. When Geralt casually mentioned mind controlling someone, Goldlewis shared Zenkichi’s astonishment. “Hell of an ace to keep up your sleeve, partner,” the big man remarked. From the way the Witcher described it, his Axii sign sounded just about perfect for the job. Being able to bypass negotiation and subterfuge altogether would keep things simple and clean, and if the target would leave with no concrete memories of the incident, this approach was also attractively discreet. There was just one problem. “Sounds like it’d work well,” he admitted, narrowing his eyes as he mulled the idea over. “But…ethically speakin’, I dunno. It don’t feel right. We [i]are[/i] workin’ to save everyone, sure, and sometimes sacrifices need to be made, but still...” It was a classic case of ‘does the end justify the means’. Even with the mother of all ends on the table, he didn’t want to leave a bad taste in his mouth. At the same time, they weren’t planning to kill or rob anyone. The Seekers’ mission concerned the fate of all worlds, and only God knew what it would take to see it through. He knew, possibly better than anyone here, that being in charge meant making hard decisions.

“We don’t wanna hurt anyone, fellas But think for a second about what’s at stake,” he told Partitio and Benedict, who seemed firmly against anything that might be considered morally or legally dubious. “The big picture. Savin’ every soul from all the worlds Galeem brought low. All this crap…” He looked around at the awe-inspiring City of Glass, its skyline and its inland sea, with all its people and all their [i]stuff[/i]. “It ain’t real. ‘When the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.’ We’re workin’ to put everythin’ back how it [i]should[/i] be. Petty li’l things ain’t more important than that.”

Pit made an innocent and well-intentioned suggestion, and Goldlewis wished he could say he approved. “Simple as it sounds, sometimes askin’ opens up a can o’ worms just by itself. If we ask the wrong person, or say the wrong thing, we could arouse suspicion.” His warning about solicitations went unheeded, however, as Sakura went to do exactly that. Goldlewis laughed wryly and heaved himself up from the bench where he’d seated himself. “Bless your heart.” 

He hustled off to go see her, and while most of the group trailed behind, Raz piped up with an interesting observation that Giovanna took a moment to consider. “Might just be a coincidence,” she pointed out after a moment, more or less ignoring what he said about there being no coincidences. “With stuff from every world, there’s bound to be some overlap, ‘specially since it seems like we all speak the same language?” Out of all the coincidences she’d seen in the World of Light, that one was a doozy. Unless there was something smoothing things out behind the scenes? Tabling that thought for later, she pointed out, “Cyberlife is a gigantic, legitimate corporation. Well, legitimate as they get, I mean. But I haven’t even heard of Supernatural Life, and I’ve gotten around.” She shrugged. “Sounds like some weird, shady stuff that Hojo would be into.” The poor little guy seemed pretty upset by the ordeal with Peach, and understandably so. When it came to words of comfort, though, Giovanna wasn’t an expert. So rather than say something that might come across as insensitive, she didn’t even try.

With Geralt’s plan in his back pocket, and most of the group hanging back by the entrance to the docks, Goldlewis went with Tora -who’d floated the idea of using a boat in the first place- to accompany Sakura on her mission to find a selfless millionaire. The first person she spoke to glanced at her for a moment, knitted her brows together in confusion, and then went away without saying anything. Some humored her with a response, while others refused with varying levels of politeness; one just laughed at her. A couple pointed out the bridges spanning the river between the metropolitan coastlines on both sides of the plate, not realizing that she actually wanted to go to the very end of the river to reach the Vandelay Campus rather than across it.

After over a half-dozen tries, however, she met a very particular man. His short brown hair was neatly combed, he wore thick-rimmed, rectangular glasses, and he flaunted unusual but expensive-looking attire that looked somewhere between a suit and a robe, tastefully off-white. [url=https://i.imgur.com/uWh4Fcs.png]He[/url] stood there with his hands on his hips, and before she could say anything to him, she spoke. “Young lady, I’ve never seen you before.”

Sakura's mouth was already open to speak when he pre-interrupted her. [color=f49ac2]"Um. Okay! Well, pleased to meet you, then!"[/color] She said. She did her bow as she had done to everyone else.

He nodded in return. "I am Wallace Cambridge Limestein. I am the 25th head of the Limestein family. Pleasure to make your acquaintance!"

She peered up at him. [color=f49ac2]"My name's Kasugano Sakura, uh, first child-”[/color]

“Good!" Wallace cut in. "I'd say we're now fairly acquainted. Remember, if you ever need someone in the City of Glass to get something done, just come to me.” He gave her a curt, matter-of-fact nod. “By the way, if you find anything or anyone interesting, let me know too. Life is all about having fun! Money is no issue, curiosity fuels me.” Sighing deeply, he looked around Regatta Bay. “Ahh, what a fine day it is... Is there anything that you want to know?” 

Sakura nodded back eagerly, already liking Wallace. [color=f49ac2]"Yeah, okay! I will, and... I will!"[/color] She exclaimed. [color=f49ac2]"Yes there is! I- I was wondering if you had a boat we could use, we need to get across that river."[/color] She pointed across the way. [color=f49ac2]"Or if not, you could point us in the direction of a ferry?"[/color] She asked. [color=f49ac2]"And by 'we' I mean me and that group of weirdos over there!"[/color] She jerked her thumb over her shoulder at the Seekers, smiling with wide eyes.

"Hmm..." Wallace frowned, thinking. He looked over at Sakura's group of weirdos, then back at her. "You all seem rather...hm, well-traveled. Well, perhaps we could make a deal. I wasn't actually planning to go anywhere in particular today. I wouldn't object to a quick trip. But you must do something for me in return."

Sakura grinned, wiggling her fists a bit, excited that she got someone. [color=f49ac2]"Okay! What is it?"[/color] She asked.

“Well, then I'll just get to the point. As you know, when you're well-off to a certain degree, simple material possessions aren't as stimulating anymore. I need to fill the void in my life by other means.” He crossed his arms, shaking his head. “What is there in life that is worth pursuing? For a very long time, I've been asking myself this question. And then one day, the answer came to me when I was meditating alone.” He nodded decisively. “That's right. The thing I am looking for is a friend. I, Wallace Cambridge Limestein, have never had a true friend in my life. And that must be changed!” More clinically than wistfully, he glanced out at the pedestrians walking along the waterfront, then back at Sakura. “I would pay anything to acquire this thing they call a ‘friend’.”

By the look on her face, Sakura didn't expect him to say that! [color=f49ac2]"Well, yeah! Everybody needs a friend, Mr. Limestein!"[/color] She proclaimed genuinely. [color=f49ac2]"B-but, you don't get true friends by paying money. You get friends by...um..."[/color] She trailed off. [color=f49ac2]"Uhh..."[/color] Her mind was going blank here. [color=f49ac2]"Well, it's not by giving them money. It's not that."[/color] She said.

"Well, that makes sense..." Wallace mused. "If 'friends' were things, then I could just buy them with money. What I need is a way to make friends. I've thought about it, and with my reputation, I will be degrading myself if I just ask anyone on the street to be my friend. So I had a great idea: photos. My strategy is to capture my most glamorous moments in photos so that any passerby will be wowed and want to become my friends. Young lady, please answer me honestly: how are your photography skills?”

Sakura made a face at his idea but didn't want to shoot it down right away, because she had just come up with an answer she was fine with. [color=f49ac2]"I'm- okay!"[/color] She answered, voice breaking a bit. She had taken quite a few pictures in her world travels, be it of places or Ryu.

[color=f49ac2]"And that idea might work, because the best way to make friends is to just be yourself and see who likes you!"[/color] She nodded.

Pleased, Wallace nodded. "That will do. With my charisma and photogenic face, the photo will come out great even if the photographer is not an expert. Well, there's no time like the present. Let's start now. Come aboard and take pictures of me, we'll start on my yacht's upper deck lounge. Be sure to get my priceless relics in the background. Depending on how the photos turn out, I may want some on my other boat as well."

The two stepped aboard and proceeded into the boat’s interior. Goldlewis just stood there as if struck by a flashbang, taken utterly aback by this remarkably pretentious man. Still, the fact that Sakura was getting along with him was all that mattered. He looked back the way he came, caught Geralt’s gaze, and gestured toward the boat with his head before climbing aboard.

Meanwhile, Susie’s efforts to turn up information on the city’s leading corporations bore fruit. Just a little exposure to information media quickly left her inundated with news stories, articles, and even podcasts. The dealings of the sector’s top companies, and the coming and goings of their top players, seemed to be the subject of much public interest. Headlines like ‘Massive Merger Shakes Midgar Tech Market!’, ‘Things Looking Shaky for Detroit’, ‘Meet the Future of Midgar’s War on the Machines’, “Night City CEOs Assure Investors There’s No Need to Fear’, ‘Vandelay Technologies CEO Kale Vandelay Speaks Out About CyberLife Acquisition’, ‘Shinra Investing in Vandelay’s Future’, ‘Vandelay Financial Department Reports Record Earnings!’, ‘Is DespoRHado on the Way Out?’, ‘Memorize: the Company Everyone’s Forgotten’, ’Is This the End for the Gears?’ and ‘Everything You Need to Know about Project Armstrong’ all jumped out at her. She quickly managed to assemble an idea of current events in the tech world, along with a couple revelations. At some point CyberLife and Vandelay Technologies had been different companies, but now they were one and the same under Kale Vandelay. Just about everywhere Susie looked she saw his face, and as if Lady Luck weren’t smiling on the man enough already, the Administration seemed to be pretty happy with the direction of his company as well, even if the merger seemed to cast a dark shadow on the future of Detroit’s robotics industry and the PMC intrinsically tied to it. All of a sudden, the dynamics at play in Midgar were beginning to click. 

[center][h3]Home of Tears[/h3]
Level 10 Nadia (204/100)
The Koopa Troop’s [@DracoLunaris], Primrose and Therion’s [@Yankee], Sectonia’s [@Archmage MC], Jesse’s [@Zoey Boey], Ganondorf’s [@Double], Omori's [@Majoras End], Rubick’s [@Scarifar], Ichiban’s [@Truthhurts22], Artorias’ [@Dark Cloud]
[b]Word Count:[/b] 2365[/center]

As ever, the waters lapped gently at shell and stone, moved not by wind but by the wakes of paper sailboats as they cruised ceaselessly along the canals. Some windows blazed with light and warmth; others peered down, their gaze glassy and dead-eyed at the city from towers like silent sentinels, streaked with tears. And the deluge poured down on bugs and beasts alike. Everything looked the same, felt the same, and yet things were very different. Behind the scenes there had been a huge shift, not just for the Home of Tears, but the World of Light itself, and the lone figure who stood in Fountain Central beneath the pouring rain regretted that he hadn’t seen it.

“So, they actually did it?” The little fellow crossed his arms, staring up at the huge statue that stood atop the fountain’s central plinth. Though similar-looking at first blush to the Consul depicted there, especially with their shared taste in futuristic suits, there were a few key differences. He was taller, skinnier, and naturally, still alive. As he watched, green vines emerged from the ground at the statue’s feet and snaked across its body. “Looks like I really missed out. I’ll have to ‘thank’ that Organization brat later…” He shrugged dismissively. “How long’s it been since any heroes actually took down a Moebius? Course…out of all of us, it had to be you, P. Sniveling, snot-nosed, literal…IDIOT!” With an annoyed grunt the boy closed his fist. The vines wrapped around the statue squeezed tight, shattering the whole thing into a couple dozen pieces. As the dust settled, the boy teleported up in a purple flash, planted his boot against the fallen statue’s head, and kicked it into the water. “Still. Guess I’ve gotta hand it to ol’ long-ears. These heroes might be the real deal after all. Which means…”

He turned his face upward. His mask, shaped like a smiling sunflower, streamed with rain. A glowing red lemniscate appeared in his right eye, casting light up into the dripping dark. Over the City of Tears, the massive symbol blazed upon the cavern ceiling.

“...This is gonna be fun.”

[hr]

In quick succession Nadia, Rubick, Artorias, and Jesse burst from the entrance to King’s Station, all running, warping, plodding, or floating as best they could. Thoroughly waterlogged and more tired than ever thanks to their eye-opening run-in with the unearthly denizens of the derelict railway depot, they only came to a stop at the edge of the stone wharf that jutted out into the city’s lake, where they waited for another paper boat to make its rounds.

Once in the clear, Nadia doubled over at the waterfront, panting and grateful for the pure downpour that washed the cold sweat from her skin and cleared her head. When she swiveled her head back around to look, she was relieved to see no eldritch abominations crawling their way out of the flooded ruin behind her. As scary as their very sudden encounter with the Nowhere Monarch had been, it looked like the unlikely quartet had gotten away scott-free. Nadia still felt bad for inadvertently getting the others into all this trouble, especially Rubick and Jesse since they got nothing to show for it, but if they didn’t seem inclined to give her a hard time she certainly wasn’t going to. Life was too short and full of surprises for beating herself up. Once a paper boat arrived, the Seekers piled on, and the slow ride back into the Home of Tears began.

“I might be more catlike than be-fur, but boy am I dog-tired,” Nadia chuckled after a minute or so. She lay flat-out on the boat’s surface, not even caring if the rain soaked her right to the bone. “Starvin’, too. What I wouldn’t give for a good stirfry right now…” While laying there with her eyes closed, thinking of the places in town where she could get a nice hot meal before hitting the hay for real, she suddenly became aware of a red glow on her eyelids. She blinked them open and sat up, her mouth slightly agape as she beheld a massive glowing infinity sign. After a moment she exchanged a look with Rubick. Having fought alongside her yesterday morning against the scallywags of the Sea of Serendipity, he knew that symbol as well as she did. “That sign…a Consul!” No matter which way you sliced it, this was a beacon, seemingly projected from the beating heart of the city: Fountain Central. But who was doing this? Was it S again? Had P somehow survived after all? Or was it someone else?

She didn’t like the looks of this one bit, and in fact she wanted nothing more than to ignore the spotlight in favor of her own creature comforts, but as a Seeker Nadia knew she couldn’t turn a blind eye. The actual heroes amongst the Seekers sure wouldn’t, at any rate. If her teammates planned to investigate, she couldn’t abandon them. “I hate to say it, but we’ve gotta check it out. Right?” Even if the other three went to disembark, Nadia resolved to stay the course as the paper boat’s route brought it closer and closer to the city center.

When it finally reached the Fountain Central docks, Nadia jumped from the boat to the pier, landing even more effortlessly than usual. Weird as they were, these new legs made her feel more limber than ever. [i]After a full night’s sleep, I’ll be unstoppable,[/i] she mused. No time for introspection now, though; she hurried up the stairs to the raised circular plaza. Right away she noticed that a few other Seekers were already here, having noticed the giant lemniscate in the ‘sky’ while out and about and made tracks to this location. That included the Knight and Barnabee, who nodded to the new arrivals. “Well met, lass. But afore we engage in pleasantries, turn thy gaze yonder!”

Following his direction, Nadia spotted something strange where the statue once stood atop the fountain: a big pink [url=https://i.imgur.com/6LBfR8D.png]ball[/url] covered in layers of junk collected from around the plaza, including the pieces of the statue itself. Atop it stood a diminutive figure in an all-too-familiar uniform. She recognized his helmet in an instant–she’d seen it sneering down at her from above in the moment when the Seekers’ descent into the Chasm became a terrifying freefall. “You!”

“Me.” The Consul tittered. “I’m sure you’re just itching to get some revenge, but as I told the others, I’m not here to fight. In fact, I promise not to harm a single hair on any of you heroes’ heads. All I wanna do…is talk. And I’ll teleport away if you refuse~ So let’s wait until everyone’s here, ‘kay? I know just how exhausting it is to repeat stuff, believe you me!”

Nadia didn’t know if she could fight another Consul in this state, especially one with powers comparable to P’s. Dimly she remembered Kamek describing some strange phenomenon this flower-faced Consul used against him, but the specifics escaped her. Saying nothing for a change, she crouched down and waited the minute or two it took everyone to arrive.

Soon enough, the Consul began to speak. “Well. That’s pretty much all of you, right? A couple fresh faces, too! Gotta say, you’ve been busy. Kicking butt, taking names, making friends. And even killing off a Consul, whew!” He gave an impressed whistle. “Boy howdy, that is NOT something that happens every day, friends! Sure, P was an embarrassment of a Consul, a total moron, and the weakest one by, like, A LOT.” He spread his arms as wide as his eyes to show just how much ‘a lot’ was. “...Buuut that’s neither here nor there. All I’m trying to say, thank you. Not just for doing me a favor, but for being you. For being [i]different[/i]! Hehehehe…” As he laughed, his eye began to glow, the lemniscate within clear to see. “And now I know you’re different, I’m gonna be watching real closely. I’m gonna enjoy watching you…squirm.”

Suddenly, Nadia noticed movement. Something was approaching Fountain Central via all four bridges. At first they looked like big, solid, dark masses. All she could see through the rainy darkness were vividly glowing motes of red light. As it drew closer, she realized that they were crowds. Monsters were packed shoulder to shoulder like sardines as they walked across the bridges, four convergent parades. Some of them seemed agitated, or spoke a word, but they all shared two common features. Firstly, whether left or right, all of them possessed a single glowing red eye, just like the Consul’s albeit without the infinity symbol. Lastly, they were armed to the teeth, each and everyone one of them.

“As for me? Well. For starters, my name is F.” The consul grinned. “But you can call me the big bad boss. Boo!”

The crowds spilled from the bridges onto the corners of the fountain plaza, where they stopped, and a few individuals stepped forward. From the Royal Quarter came a towering [url=https://i.imgur.com/wCCFuzq.png]robotic butler[/url], a [url=https://i.imgur.com/pI5c5KI.png]one-wheeled machine[/url] with a microphone, a [url=https://i.imgur.com/4XgULqk.png]wizened sorcerer[/url] in crimson robes, and the illustrious [url=https://i.imgur.com/SIUi4Wl.png]Iguana Gallo Valetto[/url]. From Downtown came a [url=https://i.imgur.com/dslcC8J.png]hopping vampire[/url], a guitar-wielding [url=https://i.imgur.com/O0VUqoN.png]punk zombie[/url], an [url=https://i.imgur.com/P1wNLHP.png]undead king[/url], and a squat [url=http://i0.wp.com/v1cdn.destructoid.com/BlacksmithVamos-noscale.jpg?resize=640%2C360&ssl=1]skeletal blacksmith[/url] holding his hammer. From the Collection came the [url=https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/undertale/images/0/00/Undyne_battle_armor.gif/revision/latest?cb=20151206073203]Mermaid Corps Captain[/url] in full battle attire, a [url=https://i.imgur.com/ElJW2kC.png]green-furred witch[/url] wielding a gnarled wand, the amorphous monstrosity [url=https://i.imgur.com/tcSPIte.png]Endogeny[/url], and a [url=https://i.imgur.com/FRx6pnO.png]tired woman[/url] with a huge [url=https://i.imgur.com/w8rwhfz.png]grenade launcher[/url]. Finally, from the Amusement Park came an evil-looking [url=https://i.imgur.com/ldV8kbE.png]skeleton clown[/url], a white-bearded [url=https://i.imgur.com/lLlhcto.png]centaur archer[/url], and a dynamic duo of [url=https://i.imgur.com/5XF9CfJ.png]brotherly butchers[/url]. After another moment a gigantic [url=http://nintendoeverything.com/wp-content/uploads/6fa2a37c33bd71c769bdf0a3b9ed60c8.jpg]tentacled pirate[/url] burst up from the water to complete the contingent from the Amusement Park, octobombs at the ready. Nadia gulped, her heart sinking.

“Enemy…” the people of the Home of Tears chanted. “Enemy. Enemy. ENEMY!”

For all his typical bravado, Barnabee was quaking. “What…what manner of devilry is this!?”

“I promised I wouldn’t hurt you…” the Consul reiterated. “But I sure didn’t say anything about them! I’ll see you at the end of your journey, so try not to die! And remember: in this world, it’s kill…or be killed!” F teleported away, and all at once the sixteen combatants attacked.

[center][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LK2QwWwgFhc&ab_channel=LewieG[/youtube][/center]

What followed was chaos. Nadia and the others instantly found themselves beset on all sides. Grenades, and arrows filled the air, energy spears erupted from the ground, bombs and spiked bombs rained down from above, and bruisers charged through the fray. The second Nadia dodged a bull rush from Chad and Gram, Igos du Ikana took a swing at her, and when she leaped above the brawl she ran into Hsien-ko walking on the air to smash her back down with a giant claw slash. Ottomo fought like a dancer, his immense limbs whirling around with unexpected style and force. Gallo strove to catch his foes in the time-stopping rays of his Clock Lancet. Sophie hurled magic potions. In their blind rush to kill the Seekers the cityfolk hurt one another as much as if not more than their targets, leading to swathes of in-fighting.

“This is really bad!” Nadia screeched as she pulled an arrow from her thigh, panicking. Not far away, the Knight blasted a few monsters into the drink with Vengeful Spirit, and Barnabee reluctantly wielded his blazing sword against his fellow bugs. The Seekers were in no condition to fight this, and even if they were, these people were obviously being controlled against their will somehow. She’d just seen those two zombies on a date at the Terminal. And how could she bring herself to hurt Bob? “We’ve gotta get the hell outta here!”

Bowser came to the rescue. [color=FD0000]”Alright listen up, I’m in charge here, I’ve got seniority, and what we’re gonna do is this!”[/color] Bowser shouted, taking charge of the situation, primarily by ordering the people he know he could rely on and hoping that would give enough momentum to follow suit [color=FD0000]”Rika, make a whale, Jr, heal Rika, Kamek, make the whale really big because we are sailing out of here!”[/color] That got him a chorus of “on it”’s from his kin, and in swift succession an oversized Moby Dick had splashed down into the water on the side that led to Crumble Cavern, onto which Bower leaped with a vitality draining Rika in one arm and an enlargement spell channeling Kamek in the others. Jr flew close behind, raising up his paintbrush and setting to work using his restorative magics to fix Rika right back up. [color=FD0000]”All aboard, and make it snappy!”[/color] Bowser roared an order at the others. [color=FD0000]”Because we are blowing this joint!”[/color]

Hope reignited, Barnabee joined the charge. “Huzzzzzzzah!” he bellowed.

Nadia followed suit, running and leaping from the pandemonium onto the Koopa Troop’s whale. She immediately slid down its slippery side and into the water, or more accurately, [i]onto[/i] it. After all, she was still part Shipgirl. Immediately the crowd of enemies, elites included, all turned their focus on the whale. Projectiles, explosives, and magic rained down, while hordes of small-time undead, beasts, and demons tried to jump onto the whale itself. Even Barbary began smashing through one of the bridges in order to get to it. The heroes had no choice but to flee at top speed, hoping that everyone could catch a ride or escape under their own power.  Teeth gritted, Nadia skated in toward a purple dinosaur hacking at the whale’s tail, grabbed her by the hair, and hurled her into the water. As the Seekers got moving their foes did not relent, either shooting from afar, flying after them, or even jumping in the water to swim. When the paper boats on this side got close enough, dozens of monsters piled on at once and set sail in pursuit. 

As fast as it could, the whale bore the Seekers to the entrance of Crumble Cavern, where they disembarked and ran inside, leaving the Home of Tears behind. In front of them lay a huge network of caves made almost entirely of cheese, full of precarious tilting platforms, spiked wedges, giant cheese wheels, and other obstacles, not to mention a whole host of cheese or mouse-themed monsters from [url=https://wiki.guildwars2.com/images/8/80/Skritt_Miner.jpg]Skritt[/url] and [url=https://i.imgur.com/OYr6Mx5.png]Ratlings[/url] atop [url=https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/pizzatower/images/9/99/Spr_bigrat_move_0.gif]Ratslugs[/url] to [url=https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/pizzatower/images/7/75/Cutie_alert%21.gif/revision/latest/thumbnail/width/360/height/360?cb=20200106231758]cheese slimes[/url] and [url=https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/pizzatower/images/3/31/Ghould_idle.gif/revision/latest/thumbnail/width/360/height/360?cb=20220617154550]gabaghouls[/url]. At the very end of the caverns lay the entrance to a great stone tower, sitting snugly atop a giant hill of gouda and built up into the cave roof itself. Behind her, Nadia could hear the sounds of the enemy army in pursuit. With the last of their energy, the Seekers needed to lose their pursuers and make it to the shelter of that distant tower.

[center][h3]Edinburgh MagikaPolis - Grammeowster’s Kitchen[/h3]
Level 8 Big Band (99/80)
Ace Cadet’s [@Yankee], Red’s [@TruthHurts22], Mewtwo’s [@Double], Frisk’s [@Majoras End]
[b]Word Count:[/b] 1498[/center]

First, Band felt the jostling. For reasons he couldn’t explain, he found himself subjected to continuous, herky-jerky shaking, bumped and bounced around rather uncomfortably on a hard surface. Then he became aware of the rumble, the grinding sound of crude wheels on hard ground, undercut by a constant and inexplicable meowing. Then his eyes opened, his vision going from black to white in an instant. He blinked up at the cloudy winter sky, the crisp arctic wind fresh on his cheeks. His surroundings were in motion; tall buildings meandered their way steadily downward. At least, they did for a couple seconds. Just when the detective was beginning to get his senses back and acclimatize to this very abrupt shift in circumstances, the Felyne Rescue Squad upended their cart and dumped him on the ground.

“Aaaaagh, nuts,” he grumbled, picking himself off his stomach with the aid of mechanical arms. With a bemused look raised he watched the team rush off and abruptly poof out of existence, prompting him to shake his head. He sat up and looked around, quickly identifying where he’d ended up. Just a few feet away lay the front door of Grammeowster’s Kitchen, just as he and the others left it that morning. Speaking of–Red and Mewtwo were also here, lying on the sidewalk around him. As Band took in his surroundings, the door to the restaurant swung open, revealing an unlikely quartet: Frisk, Lucia, Albedo, and somehow, Ace. Consul N, meanwhile, was nowhere to be seen, and the Aether Resort was far away. Too far for him to turn up his foes’ whereabouts with a quick search.

Band breathed a sigh of relief. The memories of what happened were fresh on his mind. He didn’t understand how it happened -a frustratingly common occurrence as of late- but everyone was safe, without even a scratch to share amongst them, and he wasn’t about to question that. It was a victory snatched from the very jaws of defeat.

“Can you stand?” Albedo asked simply, his tone sharp and concise.

“...Yeah. I feel fine.” Band stood, then helped Mewtwo and Red up if they needed it.

The alchemist took a deep breath. “I’m glad to see you’re all okay. The Ace Cadet informed me that you were defeated by Edinburgh’s Consul N.”

Band chuckled wryly. “Rub it in, why doncha.” He looked out over the city in the direction of its massive central structure. North of it lay the Aether Resort and N, no doubt frustrated that his foes had somehow managed to slip through his fingers at the last possible moment. “But I don’t see it that way. Long as we’re still standin’, we can learn from our mistakes, and come back stronger. C’mon y’all, let’s duck inside before someone spots us.” With wary glances over their shoulders, the Seekers returned to the safety of the restaurant interior.

Once back in the upstairs room of the building, each with a cup of revitalizing tea in hand courtesy of the kindly old Grammeowster herself, the Seekers spread out around the main table. Those left out of the supposed reconnaissance mission were itching to know more, and in a professional fashion Band relayed everything he’d seen and experienced: L’s arrival, her speech, their happenstance meeting with Mewtwo, their decision to storm the Aether Resort, and everything that followed. His account of what the team found inside L’s mansion chilled everyone who heard it. Even the inexpressive Albedo looked rather grim when Band described the massive collection of Pokemon -and humans- frozen on display. Much to his chagrin the detective couldn’t accurately recall every last detail the two Consuls gave, but nothing carried as much immediate importance as the monologue that Red goaded N into giving them in the moments where his victory seemed assured. Of course, between the man’s vagaries and self-aggrandizing exaggerations it was almost impossible to parse out just what he meant, but Band did his best, and Albedo soaked in every last detail.

When he finished, Lucia rubbed her neck, a conflicted look on her face. “Aw, man. I feel awful I wasn’t theah ta help, but at the same time, I got no clue what I even coulda done.” She gave a helpless shrug. “Whatevah that Latency powah is, it sounds freakin’ unbeatable.”

“Sure felt that way in the moment,” Band supplied glumly. “It was all too much goin’ on at once. All these years a detective, and I couldn’t figure out a damn thing.”

Albedo, however, crossed his arms. “I don’t think it’s unbeatable. Certainly, the power to ‘obliterate time’, as N described it, is incredibly powerful. Yet that power does seemingly have its limitations, as well as one fatal flaw.” At this, Band raised a bushy eyebrow, and Albedo soon continued. “Think about it. It doesn’t sound like he stopped time, because when the ten seconds you mentioned were up, you were all in different places. Red’s sword…and Mewtwo’s orb. Even your arms.” He nodded at Band. “It was like your actions played out, but you weren’t aware of them. Yet according to your story, N said that ‘he alone could act’ in the time he erased. But if he could do that, why did he shoot you afterward, and not during?”

Band sipped his tea. “Hmm…that’s a good point. He had us right in the palm of his hands. Think he can’t attack during the time he erases?”

“That’s just a hypothesis. It could just as easily be that he chose not to for the sake of toying with you. Which brings me to my second point.” Albedo looked around at the whole group. “You described him using his power a little throughout the fight, just to nudge things in his favor. But you still managed to hit him a few times. That leaves one fatal flaw in his ability: the wielder. Which is to say, human error.” As he spoke he wrote in his notebook, keeping track of every tidbit of relevant information. “Power is only as strong as one who wields it. You managed to catch him off guard several times, or exploit his egotistical, sadistic, showboating behavior. There are few weaknesses as disastrous as overconfidence.” He snapped his book shut. “When you meet again, it may not be possible to overcome the magic. But you may be able to overcome the man.”

After a moment, Band smiled. “I like your attitude, kid. If brute force ain’t an option, we can analyze our foe and turn his own flaws against him. After all that smirkin’, I’m itchin’ for a rematch already.” With his health fully restored by the process of being carted, he felt physically up to it, and with a few extra allies at his back another showdown looked a lot more palatable. Still…Latency was a terrifying power. It would take all the Seekers’ wits to push the scales back in their favor.

“Fighting the Consuls may indeed be inevitable,” Albedo surmised. “The destruction of Alcamoth is no doubt only the latest in the long list of evils they should be made to answer for. Moreover…after thinking about what L said on the boat ride to Alcamoth, I believe that Edinburgh’s Consuls are the only ones who know the weakness of the Guardian of the Frozen Highlands.”

Band’s eyebrows went up, and he whistled. “Even better.”

“On the othah hand, based on whatcha told us, it sounds like L escaped,” Lucia pointed out. “If they got a way ta heal back up, takin’ ‘em down’s gonna be a helluva lot hahdah.”

“Yeah…L said somethin’ about a Flame Clock. You know anythin’ that fits that description?” the detective asked.

The policewoman removed her cap to scratch her head. “Clock…? Edinburgh’s got a whole loada clock towahs. If it’s real impoahtant, though…maybe it’s the big one way up at the top o’ the pumpkin’s hat?” She went over to and looked out the window. From here, all anyone could see of Edinburgh’s absurdly huge central structure were the pumpkin itself and the underside of its hat’s gear-shaped brim. “Ya gotta go way fah out from the city centah to see it, but it burns bright yellow at night. Don’t even tell the time, just fills up like the miles pah houah gauge on a dashboahd.”

“No way in hell we’re makin’ it up there in time,” Band grumbled.

“If I may, I do have a suggestion,” Albedo began. “I think we should focus all our efforts on finding Linkle. If she could fight N on even footing, we will be at a considerable advantage if we manage to join back up with her.”

[i]The Skullgirl[/i]. A pit formed in Band’s stomach, but after a moment he swallowed and nodded his head. “I agree. Tonight after dark, we’ll find her.” Until then, however, the Seekers would need to bide their time. By Band’s best guess it was about three o’ clock. [i]Five hours until the hunt begins.[/i]