[center][h3]Midgar - a New Dawn[/h3]
Level 6 Goldlewis (105/60) Level 4 Sandalphon (70/40)
Midna’s [@DracoLunaris], Blazermate, Roland, and Susie’s [@Archmage MC], Sakura and Karin’s [@Zoey Boey], Geralt and Zenkichi’s [@Multi_Media_Man], Roxas’ [@Double], Raz’s [@Truthhurts22], Pit’s [@Yankee]
[b]Word Count:[/b] 1880[/center]

Nights were never quiet in Midgar. Dusk ushered in the end of the day’s work for some, but for others it heralded their shifts’ beginning. Countless electric lamps turned the shadowy streets a warm yellow, while the city’s mako reactors sent plumes of ghostly luminescence into the city, bathing the metropolis and the undersides of the clouds above in a pervasive green glow, all lighting the way for the many people who made the night their home. Cars rolled, trains rattled, services were rendered, and deals were struck. At the moment, though, it seemed quieter throughout the sleepless city, and though Midgar knew well the ravages of the Ever Crisis, tonight was even more restless than usual. The authorities stalked the boulevards, watchful and jumpy. Civilians double-locked their doors, sealed shut their windows, and held their loved ones -plus any weapons- close.

In the City of Glass, the last fires on Vandelay Campus had been put out a while ago, but whether the gigantic facility would ever operate again was up in the air. Many of the plants, built with a focus on impressive visuals over practical, intelligent design, had barely kept it together to begin with; when the dust settled from DespoRHado’s invasion, there were so many hopeless breakdowns and bottlenecks in the production lines that starting over seemed like a better idea than trying to sort it all out. Still, things weren’t quite over on the Vandelay Campus. Though Zanzo perished and Korsica defected, Rekka, Roquefort, and Kale himself all remained, licking their wounds as they tried to salvage the situation.

With R&D masterless, its engineers could work on their own for once, and nobody worked harder than Tora. Ever since arriving in the morning, the brokenhearted Nopon had toiled away, barely stopping to eat until he could work no more. Without any of the materials he’d used on Alrest, and very few of the tools, he’d been forced to seek alternatives. Luckily R&D had a lot to offer, and both Mayer and Macaron put everything they had into helping the little guy. By the end of the night, their efforts were rewarded. A new Poppi Alpha had been built, complete with the same kind of synthetic skin Macaron used on his own cybernetics, and Mayer wove together synthetic fibers to create Poppi’s iconic beret and ribbons. Yet the closer they got, the more Tora felt frustrated. It wasn’t just that the materials and resulting parts weren’t the same–try as he might, he just couldn’t remember every exact detail. Worst of all, he knew he could never recreate the Ether Furnace that was the core of Poppi’s body, forcing him to use a high-output Vandelay robot core. When he finally put down his wrench for the night, he found himself staring at a ‘Poppi’ very much like the one he remembered, but not quite right. His Poppi was still out there in the Valley of Ruin. The logic virus had corrupted her body, moving it against her will, but it could never take away that certain something that made her more than just a machine. Once Tora got that, then his Poppi would live again. Until then, this ‘Poppi’ was just an empty shell.

Still, that did not stop him from falling asleep in ‘her’ arms.

In Suoh, the atmosphere was uneasy. Not because of the Other deluge, since Suoh had weathered made before and would weather many more, but because of that high-profile broadcast. The idea that Karen Travers, Septentrion First Class and the most powerful psionic in Midgar, would rebel against the government was unsettling enough, but the content of his message had been the real kicker. Who could the people trust? Already, those with the power to decide for themselves were in motion. Before the night was over, just over fifty percent of Psych-OSF would defect, fleeing Suoh with or without their families. Some wound up in Seiran, others further afield. Conflict was and would be inevitable, but for now most of the rebels fled without issue. They were the watchmen, after all, and if they had watchers, their watchers were looking elsewhere.

In Quarantine Valley, the arrival of Neuron had spelled the end for the redshift cascade. The anomaly had already been losing momentum by the time Midgar’s finest arrived, and despite trouble on the homefront, the dispatched officers bent all their efforts toward resolving the matter. Their x-batons allowed them to strike down aberrations and gates alike, fighting alongside natives like Kyle, Mudrock, Mudtooth, and Wind Chimes to keep the men, women, and children of Zone 09 safe beyond the corruption’s reach. At the forefront, each legionis fought against the chimeras with the aid of their legions. Jin Wong, Alicia Lopez, and Maximillian Howard even competed to see who could rack up the most chimera kills for a time, but when the Neuron operator Olive reached out to Captain Howard with bad news, the old warrior departed for Veles straight away. There, he found the task force’s headquarters in a state of disarray, the helipad barely intact enough to receive incoming vehicles. Down on the ground, Reunion had been routed after Jena’s demise, but not without a lot of casualties. Both of his children were MIA, and when Howard contacted Neuron’s leader, Consul Y had nothing for him but new orders: to find and arrest the crew who’d made an attempt on his life earlier that night.

Eventually, everyone who’d been stirred to action by the day’s events found some semblance of rest. Whether it be the Seekers in the SOU headquarters, Goldlewis in his solitary apartment, the teens in their hidden Suoh sanctuary, or Uppers in their cargo container houses. Defenders of the Sector 07 slums like Cloud, Tifa, and Clara drifted off in the shelter of Stargazer Heights, and the Yorha androids entered rest mode in the generous accommodations offered by the Lateran Church where Sandalphon sent them. If any of them couldn’t sleep in the pitch-black early hours of the morning, however, and ventured outside for a breath of fresh air, they might see a curious sight. Countless tiny lights, a distant but brilliant blue, swarming outside Midgar like fireflies. Whether in the Valley of Ruin or around Kunad Highway, they shone and propagated in a strange ethereal dance, until finally they too disappeared.

[hr]

A short time after dawn, the elevator in the hallway of the SOU building’s sixth floor opened with a ding, and Sandalphon stooped in order to step through, her halo softly clanking against the doorway. In one hand she held a large brown paper bag, its top folded over into a roll, and in the other she held a suitably gigantic coffee. It had originally been over thirty ounces of ice cold, pitch-black liquid, injected with far too many squirts of sugary flavoring and then covered with a massive dollop of whipped cream drizzled with the archangel’s favorite food, honey. She’d drunk half of it just getting back here from the coffee shop, and though her face betrayed nothing, her eyes were bright.  She strode toward the [url=https://i.imgur.com/sU8rp0o.png]main meeting room[/url], and upon entering, she found Goldlewis already there. The movement near the hall made him look her way, so she nodded her head in greeting. “Good morning.”

“Good…morning.” At the sight of Sandalphon, Goldlewis raised his eyebrow. Probably for the same reason, neither had shown up today in their original outfits, but there were slight differences. The veteran’s new getup was almost just like his original garb, albeit less tattered, torn up, and bloodstained. His suit was also [url=https://i.imgur.com/x0MjMz8.png]blue[/url], worn over a white shirt with a black tie. Meanwhile, Sandalphon was still wearing her original coat and shoes, but after freshening up prior to her errand she’d clearly helped herself to the free formal wear in the office closet. There was just one problem: even the largest set was far too small for a woman of her height and proportions. She hadn’t let that stop her, however. Somehow she’d squeezed herself into a collared white office shirt that hung just below her chest, with sleeves that went down as far as her elbows, and black pants tight to the point of straining that barely passed her knees. She’d taken several belts as well, wearing two around her waist, one to keep her shirt in place, and one around each thigh. To anyone else that might have seemed excessive, but outfits with lots of belts were common in the veteran’s world, too. Sandalphon’s black tie completed an ensemble that left her pale midriff almost completely exposed, and Goldlewis momentarily stumped.

“I brought some food for everyone. Hopefully it will be enough.” Sandalphon unrolled the bag and brought out a box of muffins, including blueberry, pumpkin cream cheese, banana nut, and so forth. She also brought out two handfuls of honey packets, presumably for use as condiments. She then stared at Goldlewis, her pupils turned to question marks. “Hungry?”

The smell made up the veteran’s mind for him. “Starvin’.” He scooted his chair back to get up, but after noting which muffin he was looking at, Sandalphon brought it to him instead. He sat back down, scratching his head. “Awful nice o’ ya, ma’am.”

“It’s nothing,” she said. “I was initially concerned that my early arrival might be imposition on the staff at the cafe, but they turned out to be very hospitable.”

“Can’t imagine why,” Goldlewis muttered before taking a bite.

Sandalphon continued as she seated herself. “One man almost fell as he rushed to help me, in fact. While his excessive haste almost resulted in disaster, I can definitely applaud such dedication to efficiency.” She conjured a screen, which she monitored as she carefully took a honey packet and opened it in a single deft movement. Then she began to eat the honey. “Mm.”

As he chewed, Goldlewis furrowed his brows, but only once he swallowed did he begin to speak. “Beggin’ your pardon, but…aren’t ya gonna spread that stuff on somethin’?”

“No need. Honey is packed with nutrients and can be used in any dish. It is nature's perfect material,” Sandalphon told him, her pupils in the shape of hearts.

“...Er, well. Can’t argue with ya there.” Goldlewis couldn’t help but laugh to himself at the ridiculousness of a conversation on the morning of such an important battle, which neither he nor Sandalphon had even remotely touched on. Given how many steps ahead she seemed to be, the veteran wouldn’t put it past her to avoid the subject on purpose to defuse tension.

Soon after, the reason for Luka’s apparent absence resolved itself, as the young man teleported onto the helipad outside with both Raz and Roxas. “Whew!” he gasped, sinking to the ground. “That…was a lot of jumps!” Given the distance involved, and the inherent risk of teleporting, he’d jumped through hoops to reunite the two with their team. “There’s something going on with the OSF,” he relayed between breaths. “Yuito, Hanabi, Lili…they’re meeting Gemma, Nagi, and the others. I’ve gotta go with them…once I get my strength back. Once we figure out what’s going on, we’ll back you up!” He hung his head for a moment, steadying his breathing. “I…I couldn’t have taken everyone, anyway. But at least you’re all back together!” With a little help he made his way to the meeting table, where he happily tucked into one of the muffins. “Oh, you’re a lifesaver.”

Eventually, the other Seekers all gathered in the meeting room, much like many of them had several days ago. The team had seen some big changes since then, but everyone was ready. This would be the first Guardian that Goldlewis faced, but to others this was just another day of being a hero, nothing serious. So in this brief calm before the storm, they ate, drank, and spoke in piece. Giovanna was among the last to arrive. “Ooh, muffins,” she observed, taking a big bite she washed down with the last of the coffee from the machine. Just as Sandalphon seemed to be taking a page from Gio in the fashion department, Gio took one from Goldlewis, in that she’d exchanged her attire for a near-identical getup, though hers was a fetching [url=https://i.imgur.com/NnSqavB.png]khaki and red[/url]. After a few munches, she looked around the room. “So, we gonna go kill this Guardian thing, or what?”

Sandalphon nodded. “Yes. Before we do, though, there are a few things I should bring to everyone’s attention.”

After draining the last of her coffee, and wiping foam from her lips with a napkin, Sandalphon stood and cast her arms wide to summon a huge, jumbled array of divine screens. They worked together to display a single stitched-together image: that of a gigantic cherry blossom tree, vivid pink in full bloom as it towered over a tangled mess of roads. “This was the landmark tree yesterday.” Then the image changed, becoming a dead, gray, wizened husk, the roads around it carpeted with fallen petals. “This is the tree right now.” Next, she displayed an image of the Valley of Ruin. As those who’d ventured there had seen, it was a fallen metropolis completely reclaimed by nature, filled with grass, huge trees, and thick, healthy roots. When she showed the current view, however, it looked bleak and desolate, a lifeless expanse of gray wreckage and dead wood.

“This happened at some point during the night. I believe these to be the culprits.” On her screens appeared a number of strange, [url=https://i.imgur.com/2IzxISu.png]insectoid drones[/url]. To Pit, Zenkichi, Susie, Blazermate, and Giovanna, who sat up straight suddenly, these machines were still fresh in the mind. “YoRHa unit 2B captured one and brought it to Vandelay Industries early this morning. Mr. Macaron was kind enough to put in some overtime and discern its function. They are magitech, unlike the technology of Midgar but rather like the technology of my own world, and they are built to siphon something from living things. The full extraction of which seems to be fatal.”

Giovanna nodded, an unusually serious look on her face. “That’s what happened to those guys who went into the Valley with us. I’ve seen them before, but never so many…”

“If they could do that to those plants in one night, I don’t even wanna know what they could do to Midgar,” Goldlewis ventured, his hands clasped in front of his mouth pensively. “You got anythin’ else? Why’s this happenin’?”

For a moment, Sandalphon was silent. “...Soon after awakening this morning, I dispatched 9S with a flight unit to patrol around Midgar. Since then, I have received intermittent reports about activity in the Sector 06, 07, and 08 undercities. Panic, preparation, and emergency protocols. Twenty minutes ago, while I was getting coffee, 9S reported that his scanners picked up a large enemy force approaching from the Valley of Ruin. Several times larger than the force in the battle against DespoRHado that I oversaw two days prior, and composed of higher grade units. For whatever reason, I believe the Machines are making an all-out assault on Midgar. If my calculations are correct, they will arrive within one hour.”

“After the thrashing we gave ‘em the other day?” Giovanna asked in disbelief.

“Shit. You ain’t kiddin’, are you? Shit, shit, shit!” Goldlewis fumed. “Right after Vandelay and DespoRHado beat the tar outta one another, Neuron got gutted, and Karen split the OSF in half. It’s the goddamn perfect storm. What’re we gonna do?”

“What you were already going to do.” A harsh, unfamiliar woman’s voice issued from a dark gateway that manifested in the room. From inside, a hooded figure in black robes stepped.

Goldlewis stood reflexively, tense and ready to take action against the surprise intruder, but he realized that he recognized that voice. “Wait…you again?”

She nodded. “Yeah, I’m Xatow. I met you on my return flight to Midgar. I’ve been hiding in the Valley of Ruin until now, unable to enter Midgar lest I be found out and hunted down. But now I have no choice, so listen up.” Xatow crossed her arms. “Your enemy’s name is Nox. He’s gonna attack the city, but killing people isn’t what he wants. His goal is the same as yours: the ‘source’. Midgar’s Guardian. So you, o Seekers of Light, better haul ass. Nox is coming, and he’s gonna have to fight through a lot of people, not to mention a bunch of your friends, but if they can’t stop him, and if he reaches the Guardian before you do, your goose is cooked. Got it?”

As he reeled, flabbergasted, Sandalphon was already in motion. Her screens disappeared, and she picked up her new rifle from where she left it and inspected it to get a grasp of its workings. “Since this timing cannot be coincidence, I assume this Nox is the mastermind behind at least some of what has befallen Midgar as of late. I don’t imagine he’s working alone.”

Xatow shook her head. “Something like this takes friends on the inside. So watch your backs out there.” She looked around at everyone imploringly. “And get moving, will you? If you all get killed, I’m gonna have to find some new heroes.”

Goldlewis huffed, indignant. “Don’t count your chickens before they've hatched there, hoss. I reckon these heroes’ll get the job done just fine.” He took a deep breath and lifted up his coffin. “Well, this is a helluva thing to wake up to. At least we got ourselves a darn good head start.” He began to make his way toward Midna’s twilight portal. “Let’s mosey.”

[hr]

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/ob6Wzkm.png[/img][/center]

For everyone but Sakura, Pit, and Midna herself, the subterranean interior of Midgar’s city computer Arahabaki was a brand-new sight. The grandeur of this immense, bizarre, highly artificial amalgam of advanced technology and Shinto aesthetic was awe-inspiring, but the Seekers didn’t have time to look. Thanks to their method of travel, the Twilight Princess needed to facilitate each journey through the shadowy realm, so getting everyone here was a step-by-step process. As a result, the new arrivals couldn’t possibly hide outside of the cameras’ gaze forever, and all too soon Arahabaki’s internal security systems picked them up. An alarm resounded through the enormous space, and as soon as they were all present and accounted for, the Seekers got moving.

Rifle in hand and coat streaming behind her, Sandalphon hurried along toward the rear of the pack, while the thundering steps of Goldlewis led the charge. Since the only way off of this ornamental overlook was the teleporter pad that shone and hummed on its ceremonial dias, the Seekers charged into it one by one, not sure where it would take them but sure that they’d do whatever it’d take to finish what they had started.