[center][h3]Midgar - Seiran Hideout[/h3]
Level 5 Goldlewis (66/50)
Midna’s [@DracoLunaris], Karin and Sakura’s [@Zoey Boey], Blazermate, Roland, and Susie’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] 3238[/center]

Once Goldlewis delivered his account of all that transpired in the last few hours, the discussion opened up to everybody, and it went on for some time. A primary concern for Blazermate and Susie was the fate of their fellow machine, Poppi. Goldlewis couldn’t give them an answer about the fallout of a Guardian’s defeat, having never witnessed one himself, or the nature of Consuls in Midgar, but he urged Susie to temper her expectations. A master hacker she might be, but the systems of the city computer Arahabaki were almost certainly going to be psy-tech. After hearing about Happy Chaos, Geralt offered some interesting insight on a similar phenomenon from his home world, comparing a Source to the Original. Zenkichi went in-depth on the man behind the curtain, Akira Konoe, sharing not just his methodology but his twisted origin story. Though this shed some light on PubSec’s big boss, it didn’t change how Goldlewis felt; ‘sympathetic’ was not always ‘redeemable’.

Roxas chimed in with some dirt on old enemies from his world as well, the original Organization XIII. He didn’t see this new version as anything different, and he didn’t see why anyone would choose to serve as a Consul in the World of Light. Goldlewis could think of a dozen easy answers, some of which Raz and Midna alluded to after the Twilight Princess summed up a few problems that the Seekers needed to attend to, including the Supernatural Life Research Facility. She pointed out that, when it came to the Organization, the enemy of one’s enemy ought to be a friend. That matched up with the veteran’s experience so far, with the Organization members helping to point both the desert team and city team in the right direction, however cryptically. That unlocking power Roxas boasted of would definitely come in handy, though–provided that the entrance to the place C called ‘the Twinning’ lay behind something as simple as a lock.

While Goldlewis wouldn’t call the notion of helping Konoe deal with his psychological issues one of them, Raz brought up some good points about the Psych-OSF. He and Sakura already had an ‘in’ to the organization, but his familiarity and prior experience with Truman Zanotto sounded like a big deal. Though, being Scarlet Guardians meant fulfilling the duty and accountability that accompanied that role. Raz and Sakura had been absent ever since the joint operation ended, and for all Goldlewis knew, the two might already be marked down as Absent Without Leave, and he mentioned as much. “Goin’ AWOL is a huge deal. In the US you’ll get a warrant out for your arrest after thirty days, but it might be different here. Even if there ain’t charges, they might not letcha outta their sights again if y’all go back, and we need all hands on deck bright and early tomorrow mornin’.”

As Karin and Sakura went off for some late-night fighting, the veteran sighed, rolling his neck. “Now that we know where the Guardian is, and we got a rough idea of how to get there, it’s temptin’ to bum rush the Shinra Buildin’ first thing in the mornin’,” he said. “But like Midna and Raz said, we got a billion things we oughta look after. The minute we march on Shinra, we’ll have Peace Preservation, General Affairs, Psych-OSF, and Vandelay too, all ready to rip us limb from limb. Then we got DespoRHado to deal with, Supernatural Life, and who even knows how Neuron, the Machine bosses, and Reunion factor into all this. We can’t afford to go off half-cocked. So we’ll do like C said, and wait. Rest up folks, ‘cause tomorrow, we gotta be ready for anythin’.” Goldlewis then stepped away, his face dour. The worst part of all this was that Pit was right. Even if the Seekers destroyed the Guardian, Midgar would be far from saved. Indeed, its troubles would just be getting started.

For the first time in a good long while, it looked like Goldlewis would be spending the night away from home. It wasn’t much, considering the heights to which he’d risen in his political career, but his little house in Sector 07 was precious to him. No matter how hard the day got, no matter how bitter or complicated, he could still retreat to the privacy, peace, and quiet of the one spot in this cruel world he could call his own. Unfortunately, the same audacious look that made him so enviably stylish also made him innately recognizable, and if any of the Seekers’ enemies identified Goldlewis Dickinson while he was out and about these last few days, it wouldn’t be that hard to find out where he lived. So here he was. After going through his usual ritual of disassembling his layered, highly accessorized outfit, he’d donned a tank top and shorts, then laid himself down in his military-style cot after moving it well away from the others. In a way, its spartan embrace almost nostalgic. But even if he’d been able to sink into the soothing memory foam of his California King, Goldlewis doubted he’d be able to sleep. Even if he didn’t show it, tonight’s events had rocked him. Midgar was a vast and varied tapestry, full of loose threads just waiting to be pulled, but tonight the debate -and the interview that followed it- had slashed open the cloth. A million thoughts ran through his head, and though too weary to start grasping them, Goldlewis couldn’t fall asleep either. After a time spent lying awake, he heaved a heavy sigh and went outside to get some air.

Goldlewis leaned on the railing, staring out across the Sector 07 undercity. Though he couldn’t see the night sky from here, he could still feel a breeze in his hair. Down by the reservoir it might be a stagnant, toxic mess, a foul miasma of pollution and decay, but up here the air was clear. It blew in from the southwestern mountains and wove between the skyscrapers of Seiran like the trees of a massive, concrete forest, its colorful leaves the flags, windsocks, and hanging lanterns found all over the connective bridges and walkways. The scale of this place, complete with its own infrastructure and culture, boggled the mind, and yet it formed just one sixteenth of this unimaginable city. In a place like Midgar, even a very big man could feel very small. Especially with such a big day ahead of him.

He heard the hideout’s front door creak, then a familiar voice. “Wow, I didn’t think I’d actually find someone out here.”

Goldlewis looked over, not alarmed. Giovanna crossed her arms and leaned herself against the wall, a mildly amused smile on her face. Rei lay at her feet. Thanks to the secret agent’s equatorial upbringing, her idea of comfort in a climate like this tended to be a sweater and sweatpants. “In movies, shows, games, you name it, whenever everyone goes to sleep, there’s always that one guy that goes off and stares into the distance. Then someone else shows up and they have a secret, important conversation.”

The veteran chuckled, looking back down at the Reservoir. Far below, its muddy depths pulsed with the synchronized luminescence of the Psifish. “Well, I can’t think of anythin’ important to say. You?”

“Nah. We don’t have enough in common.” Giovanna walked up and leaned over the railing beside him. A few moments passed by in silence. “Hm.” She rested her cheek in her hand. “It’s pretty nice out.”

“...Sure is.”

“Not as nice as Iguazu.”

“Iguazu?”

“You never heard of Iguazu, dude?” Giovanna nudged him with her elbow, an incredulous look on her face. “Iguazu Falls, in Brazil. Right next to Argentina. The biggest set of waterfalls in the whole world. It’s amazing. Most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

“...Sounds mighty fine. I oughta go sometime.”

“You better. You’ve seen so much ugliness. You’ve gotta get out there and see that the world’s beautiful, too.”

“...Yeah, well…okay. Well then, you better go visit Yellowstone sometime.”

“Huh? Why?”

“America can be beautiful too.”

“Hah. If you say so.”

“I do say so!”

“Okay, okay, jeez. First thing tomorrow morning. I’ll send you a postcard, ‘kay?”

“Fine. I’ll wrangle you up a souvenir from the Falls, then. One o’ them li’l wooden gorillas or somethin’.”

“There aren’t any gorillas in Brazil, dude.”

“Whuh!? Well, whaddya want, then?”

“Anything’s good. Just don’t get fleeced at the shops. You’ve gotta know how to haggle.”

“Aw, I hate hagglin’. Why can’t folks just say what they really want up front?”

“Man, you’re hopeless.”

[hr]

As usual, Goldlewis woke up bright and early, though in sunless Seiran it was still dark. Some days he felt like he could just drowse in bed all morning, but even if his accommodations were comfortable enough, today wasn’t one of those days. He cleaned himself up, assembled his iconic outfit, and got something to eat. Milk spoiled fast, but with this many people he’d judged it a wise purchase, so with that and some instant oatmeal he made breakfast. With a little brown sugar as the finishing touch, and freshly-brewed black coffee to wash it down, Goldlewis seated himself in the breakfast to start the brand new day off right. It was six fifty-nine.

Just as the hungry veteran raised his first spoonful of oats to his mouth, a magic glyph sprang into existence by his head, filling the hideout with an urgent tone. “Whoa, nelly!” Goldlewis yelped, fumbling his spoon in panic. The oatmeal splattered down on his tie, and the spoon clunked against the floor the next instant. Groaning, he reached for a napkin to wipe himself off, and answered the call. “Hello?”

“Ah, Mr. Dickinson,” a woman’s voice replied. “Just the man I was hoping to reach.”

The voice was low, flat, no-nonsense, and completely unknown to him, putting him instantly on alert. He rose from his chair with such suddenness that he accidentally shoved the table forward. When he looked at Giovanna, he saw that she’d received and accepted the same call, but said nothing. They shared a nod before he responded. “Who is this? How’d you get my number?”

“I am the mission control administrator, chief communications officer, and android legion commander for DespoRHado Enforcement, LLC. In order to reach you, I used my telecommunications power to hail every endpoint for magical communication in Midgar, in hopes of reaching you. Hear me well: I mean neither you nor your organization any harm. I merely come bearing poignant information, as well as what you might consider a vital opportunity.”

Goldlewis had already narrowed his eyes. While his first instinct was one of exasperation, he recognized a lead when he saw it, so he bit his tongue, swallowed, and replied evenly. “Go on.”

“Thanks to Shinra’s official announcement of his intent to replace DespoRHado with Vandelay Technologies as Midgar’s Machine Defense contractor, DespoRHado’s leadership has decided to move against Vandelay, effective immediately. As we speak, a massive assault force, led by the Winds of Destruction, is assaulting the Vandelay Campus. If you move quickly, you may be able to intercede, and make of two of Midgar’s strongest organizations what you will–be it allies or ashes.”

For a second Goldlewis gaped. His mind was already racing, and he wasted no time locking eyes with Midna. Thanks to her portal, the team could get back to Vandelay Campus in a flash. Before they did anything, though, there was something the veteran needed to know. “Why are you tellin’ us this?”

“The winds of change, Mr. Dickinson,” the stranger replied. “For a long time, DespoRHado has been more focused on its enemies within Midgar than those without. I have attempted to remedy that. My initiatives have succeeded in transitioning the company toward Androids and Unmanned Gears, made not to suppress men, but Machines. DespoRHado can win the fight for humanity, but not under the Winds of Destruction. Of course, I cannot allow Vandelay to crush us, either. Both must be brought to heel, and no better time than while they’re busy fighting one another. I have reached out to you because my countless eyes have witnessed your Special Operations Unit in action, both in Midgar and beyond, still fighting the good fight, while the rest of Midgar fights among themselves. If you choose to take Midgar’s future into your hands, meet me in Circuit Royal as soon as possible.”

The line went dead. Goldlewis stared at the gathered Seekers. Was this what C meant by ‘next morning’? If Vandelay and DepoRHado were really going to war, today was starting with one hell of a bang. “We can’t ignore this,” he said. “This is our chance to either get some vital chess pieces off the board, or get them on our side. Not just for the good of our mission, but for Midgar. Plus, if we left ‘em alone, whoever wins would end up strong enough to be a right thorn in our collective be-hinds if they got half a mind to.” He grabbed his coffin by the chain and hoisted it over shoulder, ready for action. “Let’s mosey.”

As the hideout turned into a flurry of activity, Tora got busy making preparations as well. This was his chance to get hands-on with the leaders of Midgar’s technological revolution. Even if he couldn’t do much on his own, he was determined to take any chance that might get him closer to a future with Poppi in it. Not knowing who it was who reached out to Goldlewis, Tora could only imagine that destiny was calling–and it would be rude to not say ‘hello’ back.

[hr]

When the team emerged from Midna’s twilight portal and rushed out of the dumpster-ridden backlot, they found a very different Circuit Royal waiting for them than the one they experienced last night. Most glaringly, its jumbo parking lot was now dominated by an enormous, hulking [url=https://i.imgur.com/fflzwQn.png]transport ship[/url]. Goldlewis also quickly noticed that the devastation that had befallen this place, with the broken-down wrecks of dozens of Vandelay robots -primarily SBR units- littering the scene, many reduced to little more than scrap metal and sparking spare parts. Circuit Royal’s facades and fixtures had been perforated by gunfire and blown apart by excessive force; everything lay in wartorn disarray. Goldlewis guessed that the DespoRHado ship, which itself must have been laying in wait for just such a day as this, had landed and taken the basic security teams completely by surprise, overwhelming them before moving into the campus itself. The echoed sounds of fighting off in the distance were the proof in the pudding. Weirdest of all, though, was the sky. Goldlewis hadn’t seen it while in Seiran, but it was dark and overcast. The oily Extinction Belt shimmered threateningly among the clouds, stronger than ever, giving the whole sky a dark, ominous, almost alien appearance. It looked like a good day for bad stuff to happen.

Since the Seekers arrived, the androids and Unmanned Gears guarding the ship had focused on them, but made no move to attack. After a few moments, the bay doors of the transport ship began to open. Goldlewis bristled, ready for an ambush with his coffin primed to shield everyone with a Wall of Light. Down the ramps strode a retinue of androids, two teams of two. The first pair seemed doll-like, one [url=https://i.imgur.com/55t9HNY.png]male[/url] and one [url=https://i.imgur.com/5GfU8rI.png]female[/url], the former with a kind expression and the latter showing nothing but callous indifference. The other [url=https://i.imgur.com/RRvKXvW.png]two[/url], clad in black and blindfolded, regarded the newcomers with stern wariness. All four sported katanas and paper-white hair, but none seemed eager to fight just yet. Goldlewis focused more on the figure that floated behind them: a very tall, very pale woman with short silver hair, its strands curved and sharp as the blades of her android attendants. She wore a sleeveless collared crop top under a suit vest, a massive gold-trimmed white longcoat worn off her shoulders, and at least five black belts with pale gold buckles over curious white pants with attached high-heeled shoes. In her red-tinted black eyes gleamed bright green power symbols instead of pupils, and an elaborate halo floated above her head.

“Greetings.” Goldlewis recognized her voice as his mystery contact from earlier. “I am [url=https://i.imgur.com/82cmlvV.png]Sandalphon[/url]. These units are Mascula, Laxi, 9S, and 2B. If you’re here to decide Midgar’s future, I am here to help.”

Goldlewis did not allow himself to relax just yet. “You’re puttin’ an awful lot of faith in us, stranger. Why?”

“Out of all of Midhgar’s leaders, I believe only Vernon had his heart in the right place. One would have to be a fool to believe that either Shinra or Armstrong, or the PMCs that back them, offer a true way forward for humanity,” Sandalphon answered matter-of-factly. “Neither Vandelay nor DespoRHado as they are can be allowed to survive. As Vernon’s trusted friends, I trust you will all do what you must. If diplomacy fails, I will be content to pick up the pieces, and forge a better DespoRHado from them.”

After a moment, Goldlewis nodded. “With so many key players gathered in one place, we can’t afford to look away. So what’re we up against, Sandalphon?”

The angel nodded, and began projecting screens one at a time. “DespoRHado’s troops, primarily cyborgs, have already swept into the campus. The Vandelay robots are out in full force to stop them, but the Winds of Destruction have divided and conquered, each carving through a different sector of Vandelay campus.” Sandalphon put up an image of a volcanic cavern, laden with lava beneath high-tech bridges and platforms, with testing chambers built into the walls. “Monsoon is going after Zanzo in Research and Development to tear down the birthplace of Vandelay’s technologies.” Next came a view of a gigantic, dark purple, cylindrical room, full of moving lasers. “Mistral is ascending through Security to nullify the head of Vandelay’s resistance, Korsica.” She then put up a shot of the campus’s centerpiece, the grand, lavish atrium. “Khamsin marches on Finance to prove to Roquefort that there’s no price tag on freedom.” She projected a view of colorful factories, with fast-paced assembly lines and giant contraptions. “Our boss Sundowner is targeting Production, specifically its boss Rekka, to bring Vandelay’s output of robots to a screeching halt.” She projected a view of a tall, imposing-looking tower. “And Jetstream Sam is in pursuit of the CEO himself, Kale Vandelay.”

Goldlewis stroked his whiskers, thinking quickly. “Sounds like we need to split up too. Catch up to our VIPs before they start wipin’ each other out, and deal with ‘em ourselves.” Himself, Roxas, Raz, Midna, Geralt, Zenkichi, Sakura, Karin, Susie, Giovanna, Tora, Pit, Roland, and Blazermate made about fifteen. Just about enough to send exactly three to each Vandelay division. “I got a bone to pick with your boss Sundowner, so I’m headin’ to Production.”

“Tora go to R&D!” the Nopon piped up, his agenda about as plain as could be.

Giovanna thought for only a moment. “Seems like Security could use a few pointers.”

Once everyone decided, Sandalphon gave a nod of approval. “I can link up with you now and communicate between all five teams here, with no issues. The difference between victory and defeat is measured by just one metric: intelligence. Now hurry. I can provide additional intel en route, and we don’t have a moment to lose.”

[center][h3]The Under - Pizza Tower[/h3]
Level 10 Nadia (216/100)
The Koopa Troop’s [@DracoLunaris], Primrose and Therion’s [@Yankee], Sectonia’s [@Archmage MC], Jesse’s [@Zoey Boey], Ganondorf’s [@Double], Rubick’s [@Scarifar], Ichiban’s [@Truthhurts22], Omori’s [@Majoras End], Artorias’ [@Dark Cloud]
[b]Word Count:[/b] 2081[/center]

As one might expect, the proud and outspoken royals were the first few Seekers to accept Nadia’s invitation to share a little about themselves. Having seen only the tail end of the Dead Zone, Sectonia instead recounted Yellow Team’s ordeal in the great eastern desert, specifically its climactic railroad boss battle against a gruesome grub of immense proportions. Though she could picture both a train and a gun in her mind, Nadia couldn’t quite put them together, especially when it came to a firearm capable of shooting rails. She wanted to see such a magnificent contraption for herself, or at least hear more about it, but the subject seemed to hold no further interest for Sectonia. Instead the big bug turned her mind to confections and conquest. While she briefly mentioned another fight in the desert, she shared barely any details. A queen she might be, but a storyteller she was not. Therion filled in a few details for her, though, mentioning the Seekers’ arduous ascent -and the ensuing breakneck descent- at Split Mountain.

Sectonia also decided to use this time to make the other Seekers ‘beautiful’. Of course, she didn’t actually do anything; instead, she assigned that task to her antlions. Even if the mooks came armed with tools or product of any kind, however, they lacked any semblance of aesthetic sense as well as the dexterity to act upon it. In the end, they just ended up bugging everyone. Chewing on a pizza slice, Nadia shooed away the one that approached her, unafraid to answer its insistence with disproportionate force. “Hey, hands off the merchandise!”

Throughout the pizza-making and the meal so far Nadia didn’t pay much attention to Kamek’s attempts to placate the Pizza Trolls. Not until their displeasure at the conga line of unsatisfactory pizzas rose to such a level that Arno somehow managed to muster up enough force to smash the Magikoopa’s minions sky-high through unimaginable quantities of solid rock. The feral blinked in astonishment, her mouth hanging open. “Did…I’m not seein’ things, right?” When Arno treated everyone to a repeat performance, she could only conclude that she hadn’t been. Swallowing, Nadia scooted a little farther away from the irate trolls to finish her pizza, keeping a wary eye on the trio the whole time.

After that slightly terrifying revelation, Bowser proceeded to tell a tale of his own. He revealed that he’d been there at the very beginning, not just of the Seekers’ campaign in the World of Light, but prior to that as well. His story placed him at ground zero of the reality-level extinction event that Galeem unleashed. Captivated by Bowser's account of Kirby, the sole survivor, and his fateful encounter on Precipice Knoll, Nadia listened at rapt attention, not even eating for the few minutes it took for the king to shed some light on how this whole campaign got started. At its end, she couldn’t help but laugh.

“Sounds like things have been screwed up since the very start,” she muttered. While some of the details sailed over her head, like the exchange between Bowser and his son about events in the even more distant past at the end, most of the details fell right into place. “You’re sayin’ your first memories were a Consul controllin’ ya and forcin’ ya to fight this poor little Kirby guy? Yeesh. The way you say it, it sounds like the only reason we’re here to begin with is pure, dumb luck.” From that one fateful encounter, a chain of events had spiraled outward across the World of Light, sweeping up all kinds of people in its wake. Even her. If not for Blazermate, Banjo & Kazooie, Ratchet & Clank, Nero, and Nico, she would’ve probably died in the Dead Zone like so many others.

After Bowser’s conclusion, Ganondorf glommed on to his tale, revealing that he too had been there to witness the obliteration of reality at Galeem’s hands. Nadia wondered if that made the two of them special somehow, and just who else might have been there at the start of it all. Of course, the sorcerer’s reminiscence about his experience in the World of Light lasted nowhere near as long. “Oh…right,” Nadia muttered, a little embarrassed to have prompted the King of Evil for anecdotes when he’d spent most of his time chained to a giant egg.

Primrose briefly pointed out something that seemed a lot more important than anyone was willing to admit: the timeline. The memories of some Seekers extended a lot farther back than others, and many of them featured gaps. Nadia couldn’t explain it, but it made her uneasy. If the Asgore fellow the Ash Lake contingent mentioned before had answers, she wanted to see him in person when this underground adventure came to an end, too. 

Jesse and Artorias chimed into the general conversation, while Rubick and Omori maintained a tacit silence. Not remembering if she’d already given the knight her name, Nadia introduced herself. “You can call me Ms. Fortune!” Finally, it was time. Pushing the remains of her food away, Nadia held her fist in front of her mouth and cleared her throat dramatically. “Well, my story begins in Carnival Town, way up on the northern shore of the Sandswept Sky, even farther than the giant mountain with the split peak. I was pretty happy there. Life was pretty easy, just sambas and siestas day in, day out. It was nice and all, sure, but I dunno. Just never really clicked for me. Then one night, a strange wagon train showed up in town. Nobody even saw it come in, it just appeared, straight outta thin air. The Zombie Caravan, home to a troop of wanderin’ undead. They turned out to be decent folks, and after chattin’ with ‘em, I decided I wanted to get outta Carnival Town and see the world. So I joined ‘em, and every night the Caravan appeared somewhere new. Partyin’ in Tostarena Town, skydivin’ in Skyworld, Al Mamoon, Gerudo Town, a haunted mansion, the circus, you name it. It was an amazin’ couple months, just travelin’ place to place, makin’ all kinds of friends, seein’ everythin’ the world had to offer. That caravan was the cat’s meow. Until we showed up…in Redgraccoon City.”

Nadia chuckled, her dramatic pause ruined. “Dang, I was hopin’ to say it with a straight face, but that name’s too funny. Still, what happened was no joke. We got overrun by mindless zombies. All the good people of the Caravan ripped apart. I tried to help ‘em, but…” Nadia faltered for a moment, a little choked up, then shook her head and continued with a grim look on her face. “I had to go. I ran and ran. Fightin’ all the time. Until I heard guns goin’ off and found my way to the Police Station. Not knowin’...that it was cursed.” Trying to seem upbeat again, she spread her hands wide in dramatic fashion. “The minute I stepped through the fog, I was trapped. No choice but to fight alongside the survivors there as wave after wave of zombies kept crashin’ in.”

“Dunno how long it was. Days? Weeks?” She’d truly lost track of time during that miserable period. Forget fighting the hordes–even keepin’ a smile on her face for the sake of the others had been a grueling battle. “But we held out. Eventually the Seekers showed up, and you guys helped us solve the mystery. The thing trappin’ us there was a giant ghost called a Preta, tall as the station itself, but with a mouth the size of a pinhole, and hidden away in some kinda warped space. It was starvin’, so to get rid of it, we needed to make it some rice. After that we were dyin’ to get out of there, literally, ‘cause just as we got packed up and ready to leave, the mother of all hordes showed up. We made a break for it, fleein’ through the city ‘til we made it to this big tower. We woulda been trapped there too, but Blazermate’s teleporter got us all out.” Nadia smiled. “Course, I ended up goin’ back later, but that’s a story for another time. And Bowser there knows how it ended, anyway. We all lived happily ever after~” Now [i]that[/i] was a joke. Snickering, Nadia fell silent, more or less satisfied with her story. She’d omitted everything to do with the Skull Heart, but the fewer people knew about that, the better. If only she’d been able to sneak in more puns.

After concluding breakfast and packing up all the food they could for the road while Sectonia’s antlions took care of the Deluxe Camping Set, the team prepared  to depart Pizza Tower for parts unknown. Thanks to Primrose, the Seekers knew just how to do it, too. Unfortunately, it also seemed pretty obvious that the big boss the Pizza Trolls alluded to would be in the team’s way. As Barnabee pointed out, if Pizza Face was as big a deal as his employees made him out to be, chances were good that he’d have a mask fragment, so the Seekers couldn’t afford to let him slide. Everyone armed and readied themselves to face a new day, practically guaranteed to be just as full of fighting as the last. When Nadia and the others made their way to the hall marked ‘staff only’, they discovered the ‘210’ room just as the dancer described it.

“Alright!” she smiled, tightening her belt. Her bait launcher, Athame dagger, and boxcutter hilts were all ready to go, and after both a nice swim and a hearty meal in Pizza Tower she felt like a million bucks. “Who’s ready for a piece-a Pizza Face?”

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

When the team proceeded through the doorway, they appeared at the top of a grand, fantastical tower. Thick columns carved by ancient hands surrounded it, sizable stretches of threadbare cloth hung between them, and forked pillars rose around it in groups of three like raised spears.  It seemed to protrude from the floor of a large, stony alcove, surrounded on three sides by solid stone and shaded by an equally formidable overhang. On the last side, however, the tower overlooked yet another utterly massive cavern, this one mostly vertical, a pit of unimaginable proportions. On the near side side lay a primarily sheer wall, with countless spigots extruding from its stony face to pour down runoff water from the Home of Tears and the Royal Waterways beneath. The far side seemed to be a vast mosaic of huge, circular shells, stacked and wedged together like the stones of some primeval cairn, with the leafless white branches of long-dead trees reaching out like ghostly fingers from the cracks between them. Somehow, an ethereal white light poured down from above, and every so often a dark shape would plummet past. Before the Seekers lay the [url=https://i.imgur.com/6AS39kv.png]Forsaken Lands[/url], the resting place of the Termite Capitol.

Before they could venture any farther, however, the boss of Pizza Tower awaited. Nadia’s ears flicked, alerting her to a strange being descending from above. She looked up to see none other than the aptly-named [url=https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/pizzatower/images/7/75/Pizzafacenew.gif]Pizza Face[/url] floating down toward the team, his nefarious green pepper grin, mustache, and eyebrows complimented by evil pepperoni eyes atop a gluey, oozing slab of cheese-slathered crust, with a bulbous mushroom nose to top it all off. He said nothing, but swelled into a hideous [url=https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/pizzatower/images/a/aa/Spr_pizzaface_intro2_0.gif]leer[/url], his eyes morphing into pineapple rings as he grew extra mushroom teeth. A horrific laugh resounded through the still air, sweeping through the Seekers to echo across the Forsaken Lands.

By the time it finished, Nadia was laughing, too. “What, no chit-chat or monologue? Just gettin’ right to the point, huh?”

In reply, Pizza Face belted out a handful of enemies, including ooey-gooey Cheeseslimes, armored Forknights, grimacing stone Mini Johns, prod-wielding Water Workers, googly-eyed Bad Rats, brutish porcine Piglins, killer [url=https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/pizzatower/images/2/22/Robowalk.gif]Peppibots[/url], rocket-propelled Fridge Bots, and other foes faced individually by the Seekers throughout Pizza Tower. The battle was on.

[center][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bB0FNGlrEs&ab_channel=GallantGoon[/youtube][/center]