[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/5r7OTIh.png[/img]
[b][color=Aquamarine]wordcount:[/color][/b] 1,110 (+2) (+5 +5 +4)
[b][color=Aquamarine]Midna: level 9[/color][/b] EXP: [color=Aquamarine]////////////////////////////////////////[/color]////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// (71/110)
[b][color=Aquamarine]Location:[/color][/b] Suoh
[color=Aquamarine]Warp Charges:[/color] 1
[hider=warp locations]
Virgin Victory teleport room
Top of the Split mountain
Outside the Convent of Our Lady of the Charred Visage
Tostarena Town
S.O.U. Building
Seiran Clinic
Underground Roadway (Seiran Rebel Base Outskirts)
Below City of glass entrance (plate maintenance tunnel)
Vandelay Campus (Alleyway)
[/hider]
[/center]


[color=Aquamarine]”It really is all happening today isn’t it?”[/color] Was Midna’s first comment after the city wide announcement that the rebellion was going above ground, before pondering out loud [color=Aquamarine]”I wonder if they’re just capitalizing on each other’s actions or if someone is egging things along? That Other shower wasn’t predicted after all, and the way they came in was strange, right? Almost like they were transported in by whatever those flying machines were?”[/color]

Looking at the others, Midna could see that she definitely wasn't the only one feeling it. As a veteran soldier Luka might be more well-adjusted to this sort of exertion, but Yuito and Hanabi were both breathing heavily from the battle through Suoh. When Midna addressed them, though, they couldn't help but consider the truth behind her words.

"That's right...Others come from the Extinction belt, but in pods, not in buses," Yuito mused, putting his fist to his chin.

Hanabi scratched her head, her eyes narrowed. "Those ones are called Battle Buses, I think? Pretty sure they're used in some sort of game show. A one hundred person survival island kind of thing, you know. But even if they can fit a hundred people apiece, there's no way all those Others could've fit on them."

"The timing is too convenient, too," Yuito added. "How could Karen know what was about to happen and use it to break into Arahabaki, if even Arahabaki couldn't see the Other rain coming?"

Midna did not have time to reflect on what in the world a survival island gameshow was, because her brain lept straight to [color=Aquamarine]”I … oh goddesses I hope I am wrong, but if you can fit 100 people on there, then you can move them to a location, and then turn them all into Others when you get there. I know they had to shoot Peach individually, but what if there was a way that could do it en mass…”[/color] That was quite the terrible weapon, both in terms of effectiveness and sheer monstrousness.

Both of Midna's comrades looked horrified. "You don't really think that's what happened, do you?" Hanabi shuddered. "That's almost too horrible to consider."

Yuito furrowed his brow, disturbed, but also a little incredulous "Wait, you mean this was the work of the same people responsible for metamorphosis? Why would they use it to attack their own territory? Especially since that not only gave Karen the perfect chance to break into Arahabaki, but also led to the Grand Head's assassination?"

"That does sound pretty...I don't know, counterproductive? I mean, if it's their fault, that either means they're working with Karen in order to destroy themselves, or they're insanely stupid." Hanabi crossed her arms.

[color=Aquamarine]”Well … Unless Karen got his hands on how they did it. He’s definitely the one who benefited the most”[/color] Midna pointed out grimly, before musing [color=Aquamarine]”though it could also be someone else stole it, or the regime is coming apart at the seams. Wasn’t there some conspiracy inside of it …. Konoe! Konoe controles  Psych-OSF,  Neuron, the G-men and he did have Vandelay till it got destroyed. It and Project Armstrong, which was a big part of his overall plan”[/color]

That was something of a save for Karen, which she extrapolated upon [color=Aquamarine]”The guy just suffered a big loss, and he hates Shinra. So maybe Karen just took advantage of some hit Karen was making against Shinra? Or Konoe wanted them to make this move for some reason, maybe to make them Shinra’s problem as well as his? Or does he also want something down there? I’d be a good distraction”[/color] and while it was a bit of a stretch, after all he was in control of the organization at the heart of the Rebellion, it could have been part of some play of his. [color=Aquamarine]”Either way, he has the means, and a potential motivation, so I wouldn’t put it all on Karen yet. Yet”[/color]

Since Midna was more or less spitballing, neither Yuito nor Hanabi tried addressing all her hypotheticals, though it was definitely food for thought. They didn't have all the answers either, after all. "Well, I hope it wasn't Karen," Hanabi said after a moment. "He's definitely benefiting from all this the most. If he's somehow responsible, that makes him almost as bad as the people he's rebelling against in the first place."

Yuito nodded. "At that point, we'd have to wonder if he really did want freedom for everyone, or if he had some other, more selfish agenda. With Arahabaki, almost anything's possible. Whoever controls it controls the information, even Midgar itself."

[color=Aquamarine]”That powerful huh?”[/color] Midna asked, before noting that [color=Aquamarine]”And yet despite that it’s not even the thing that’s deepest down apparently. You have to wonder what Shinra has that they want to protect even harder. Other than the area guardian I mean, but they don’t know how important that is”[/color]

Luka had stayed quiet throughout this time, ruminating on all that he'd heard. At this point, though, his eyes went up slightly, and he cleared his throat in order to present a new possibility. "Maybe, but...if this 'guardian' is that important to the people behind the curtains, wouldn't it make sense to make it vitally important to the people actually defending it, too?"

[color=Aquamarine]”Thing is they can’t know what it’s for, as that'd involve knowing about Galeem, so I’d think it would be something that’s important for another reason as well?”[/color] she informed him, before thinking about it a bit more and postulating that [color=Aquamarine]”Or one of the Consuls managed to convince them it's important? But I think we should prepare for it to be something that has consequences when it goes down”[/color]

The others nodded their agreement, though none felt especially confident. 'Be ready for anything' was a phrase everyone could agree with, but never truly put into practice. Whatever came of these new crises and discoveries, hopefully their strength and their bonds would be enough to see them through.

[color=Aquamarine]”Alright, I think I’m recovered enough to get moving again”[/color] she said, before asking the group in general [color=Aquamarine]”Got anywhere else we need to be, or should we try and regroup? I can portal us to a few places if I make another one here”[/color] entirely willing to fill them in on where those where if they had a desire to move out. It wasn’t the only fast transportation option either, as she pointed out [color=Aquamarine]”Or seeing as we’re fugitives now, there’s no laws stopping us from driving somewhere instead”[/color]