[center][abbr=Ace Cadet][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/190924/544c85ab5c75bc61a4bb5ce40dc0caa6.png[/img][/abbr]
[color=salmon]Word Count: 1213 (+2 exp)[/color]
[color=salmon][u]Level[/u]: [b]9[/b] - [u]Total EXP[/u]: 432/90
[sub][i]Wednesday Afternoon.[/i][/sub]
[b]Location:[/b] the Frozen Highlands[/color][/center]
Working on the coach would probably have actually been kind of relaxing if the Seekers weren't on the lookout for any Naytibas, and one in particular. Even with his guard up though Ace found the act of working out dents in the armored carriage and buffing out scratches to prevent any potential weak points from developing to be a little cathartic. It wasn't quite the same as working on a weapon, but it wasn't very far off either. Unable to feel the area's ambient chill, he even ended up sweating a bit by the end. Before the crew prepared to go he stepped back from the stagecoach, tilting his head, squinting his eyes, and framing it between his fingers.

[color=salmon]"Not bad I guess,"[/color] he said to himself, mulling over what he'd finished and what he could have done better or faster. Next time they stopped he'd take another crack at it. And maybe make it look cooler than just matte black metal? It did have intricate embossing, but it was sort of... somber looking. The journey so far had featured several rough spots, so maybe a nicer looking ride would be good for morale.

It was something to bring up later. One thing he did note and spoke up about was the little bit of extra space he thought the vehicle had, particularly on the outside. As everyone reconvened around the coach Ace nodded up towards its roof, where on one side stood the lightning rod. There was still plenty of space so he said, [color=salmon]"I'm thinking if we find something similar, we can probably fit a ballista up there. Might help since it seems like everything wants to destroy our ride."[/color]

He said it somewhat lightheartedly, but it was true. He didn't know how long the journey on the Midnight Walk would be, but if it lasted a few days then he figured more defense on the coach itself was a good idea.

They advanced through the area into the Space Center, practically running right over the creatures that appeared to try and impede them. The audio log that Mokou had returned with that played over the short trip was curious, but ultimately everyone but Eve appeared to lack the context surrounding it. It was easy enough for Ace to put it out of his mind as he took in the Space Center's interior. It wall very sci-fi, but more notable were the corpses scattered around. That took Ace by surprise, since shouldn't they be just piles of dust? Unless... they'd been 'brought there' like that?

A brief inspection showed they were just bodies though, not zombies at rest or anything. Doing his best to ignore that red flag for now he traced the lift in the middle of the room that they'd seen from outside. They'd be splitting up soon from here then.

Despite the atmosphere he chuckled at Heismay's comment about 'space' though. [color=salmon]"Whole lot more up there though! You never wanted to get closer to the stars?"[/color]

It sounded gargwawesome to him, getting to see what it was actually like up there. Not to mention he wouldn't have minded helping Adam and Eve with the Alpha Naytiba, but... he did not have an easy way of getting back down, something Sandalphon pointed out for anyone interested in accompanying her while she accompanied them. The Cadet had leapt from some pretty ridiculous heights before and been none the worse for wear, but he wasn't sure jumping from the edge of space was something he could actually survive. 

Still would have been nice to see it though, so he turned to Sandalphon while they slowly moved into the next sector leaving a couple behind to get to work on the elevator. [color=salmon]"Can you bring back one of those pictures you can make on the screens?"[/color] he asked her. It was probably the next best thing to seeing it themselves.

The archangel nodded, a smile literally in her eyes. "I can even make a recording."

Ace smiled back, very much looking forward that. [color=salmon]"[i]Groovios![/i]"[/color]

They kept on, reaching and subsequently opening the door to the building complex's next section by breaking through a wall of fleshy tissue. Awaiting them inside were more than two dozen Naytibas in the shape of men. Or more accurately, attached to fallen men it seemed. And, naturally, a battle immediately broke out.

It was a proper battlefield, like the two sides of opposing armies they'd passed by earlier. On one side the Naytibas, rushing forward with weapons in hand or raising altered limbs to fire liquid from afar. On the other the Seekers and their host of companions in the form of minions, Pals, Pokémon, and much more. And, well, with all of that going on plus all the magic flying around courtesy of Roxas and Sandalphon... Ace wasn't keen on jumping into the fray at all. A shame he couldn't use his freshly sharpened long sword, but fortunately he was still just as well versed at ranged combat as he was melee.

Rather than the bow he'd used at the end of the fight with Belial, this time Ace brought out the Breechshot. It had good range, was accurate, and it packed a punch, so he could pick off these Cephalopod-wearing enemies from a distance while the bulk of the Seekers took them on in closer quarters. Each shot Ace fired struck one of the Skulls, but since he tended to fire at center mass when his targets were this small he only managed to down them temporarily as their heads slithered away after he'd already set his sights on the next one.

When Geralt called out that they should be targeting the Cephalopods themselves, Ace was quick to switch to going for head shots instead. [i]Right, right, that makes sense![/i] he thought, trading some of his speed and accuracy for cleaner, definite kills whenever his piercing ammo barrelled through the Skulling's bodies. As much as possible he focused the Skull Gunners to get them out of the way faster, though the melee-minded Skullings were no less trouble. One of the Skullings that had escaped death and snuck around the front line possessed a dormant corpse near the Cadet, creeping up with its hammer held high. 

It wasn't built for stealth, so Ace spotted it before it could land its sneak attack - twisting to catch the hammer with the blade attached to the grip of his rifle. [color=salmon]"Whoa there!"[/color] he said as the Skulling's weapon clanging against his own and slid off. He drew its arm back for another go while Ace flipped the rifle in his hands, getting more use out of that knife now than he had since he'd gotten the gun. He swung it like a miniature (for him) axe, sinking the sharp edge into the side of the Skulling's head. It twitched and fell backward, its actual body still attempting to wriggle away before a bullet turned it to ashes. 

The Skullings on the ground were much harder targets to hit than those attached to their hosts, but if Ace spotted them and had a clear shot he took it. One by one he worked through the Skullings that appeared to thin out what the current frontliners had to fight through.