[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/260224/7e49a4b1.png[/img][/center] [color=4F8092][u]’Wow. I see why the Queen left when she got the option.’[/u][/color] A Pennybot would say as they started to move out, it’s head turning towards the Ascendency. [color=4F8092][u]’The hypocrisy is staggering. At least she had a Spark.’[/u][/color] They bots moved as one almost. With only a slight hitch before they launched from the rooftop. But if one kept an eye to the other roofs once could seem more Pennybots as well. All moving to intercept Wonderland and their forces. [color=4F8092][u]‘We might need to split the teams.’[/u][/color] One of the right Pennybots would state. Though it was absently said, as if the bot hadn’t meant to speak aloud. [color=4F8092][u]‘We should be able to get approval to shift the bulk of our forces here.’[/u][/color] [hr] [Center] [img]https://i.imgur.com/Rl7cktP.png[/img] [Sub].:⋮[Edge of Understanding]⋮:.[/Sub] [hider=Summary] (21) | (21) | (21) | (9) | (4) (Metal & Lightning & Gravity) | (Regen & Prime) (Bile) | (Tooth and Claw) | (Elemental) | (Enhanced Uniform) | (Immortality) (Monstrous Metamorph) | (Legacy) | (Enhanced Weapon) | (Dual Weapon) | (Gifted) (Awareness) | (Intuition) (ManaFont)|Solo (Redirected Magic) | (Second spec) | (Transport) (Broken reincarnation) | (Nonstandard limbs) [/hider][/Center] [sub]Alone?[/sub] It was strange for Penny, the moment Nykannis breached the safety of the Bastion and spirited her away. She had been in one of the numerous hallways interweaving through her home. Taking a moment to herself in the midst of the never-ending parade of chaos that Penrose specialized in. It was strange. Because even as she was stolen away, and locked inside a perpetual moment to listen to the doctor monolog. Penny didn’t feel as if she had actually gone anywhere. None of her connections had been disrupted. None of her cycles skipped, none of her active processes hitched. Even when she knew. [i]Knew[/i]. That something should have stumbled. But nothing did. And so, across the Bastion, and beyond. No one noticed. Yet, Penny herself couldn’t help but revel in that moment. It itched at her in a way that nothing ever had before. As a foundational part of her world view had started to shift. The shape of which it would become, she could only tease out the edges. Yet she couldn’t wait all the same. [hr] [sub]With Everyone[/sub] Penny’s attention was focused on the table before her as everyone began preparing for the fight to come. It was that reason alone she witness the titanic flash of lightning, bright enough and big enough to show on the table’s holo-display before the rumble of thunder set the Bastion to rock once again. The lightning cradled, and highlighted Covington Tower. [color=9e0039][u][b]“Obviously.”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would snark at the image, seemingly reading something in it that wasn’t apparent to anyone else, but then the lightning flashed again. And this time she saw the subtle way it seemed to twist and flow around the tower. And the message hit her all at once. [color=9e0039][u][b]“Oh… That’s…”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would look up at everyone gathered. [color=9e0039][u][b]“We need to move now! The Black Mirror has appeared on top of Covington Tower.”[/b][/u][/color] She would inform everyone. [color=9e0039][u][b]“I’ve got forces on route to intercept Wonderlands army, but that’s not going to matter if they set off whatever it is their plan is.”[/b][/u][/color] [hr] [sub]On the Phone[/sub] [color=9e0039][u]’Well, Lea. It’s interesting timing to hear from you I must admit.’[/u][/color] Penny’s voice would come from the phone in Lea’s hand suddenly and without the normal warning of a call answering. [color=9e0039][u]’Though I’m pretty sure I wasn’t the one you were expecting to answer.’[/u][/color] [color=9e0039][u]‘I’ll give you one chance to back down. I know where you are, I know where the mirrors are, and I have the forces to crush all of you.’[/u][/color] Penny would state calmly. [color=9e0039][u]’Stand down, and no one has to die.’[/u][/color] [hr] [sub]In Her Room[/sub] [color=9e0039][u][b]“Well, if you want to join the rest of Sanctuary in the mess hall you are free to do so.”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would state, pointing at a door that would only appear as she was moving to point at it. [color=9e0039][u][b]“Some of the arcade machine’s have been moved there, on top of them setting up a makeshift theater. Also have some board games that seem to be getting used, and Monica is cooking.”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would explain. [color=9e0039][u][b]“If you want to be done with the fight, I won’t hold it against you. Most of the girls I look after don’t want to be involved.”[/b][/u][/color] [color=9e0039][u][b]“The second option, is if you want to be a part of helping, but not directly.”[/b][/u][/color] She would point at another door, it too appearing only as she went to point at it. [color=9e0039][u][b]“This is the same idea I was going to offer to Violet. Back in Wonderland I overtook one of their factories, and alongside the blueprints from you and the research from the Mint. I restructured it to start fabricating duplicates.”[/b][/u][/color] [color=9e0039][u][b]“It would be a bit much for me to organize and direct all of them, seeing as I’m planning on keeping the factory running until Wonderland runs out of supplies to make the copies. So, I had some of the girls that want to be involved set up a secondary network and some command stations that can be used to direct and guide all the Pennybots I’ve got running around at the moment.”[/b][/u][/color] She would add with a shrug and a somewhat lopsided smile. [color=9e0039][u][b]“Lastly. And this is true for you as well Violet. You can stay here, my room might not have the most entertainment, but it’s safe and I can pull anything from within the Bastion here if it’s not being used.”[/b][/u][/color] She would finish folding her arms loosely. [color=9e0039][u][b]“I can stick around as well, there are plenty of Penny’s around at the moment, one less isn’t going to be missed.”[/b][/u][/color] [hr] [sub]A One on One[/sub] While everyone else was off in the Temporary command center Penny and the Cheshire Cat retreated to a private room. It was empty for all save a table. And the other copies remained outside or moved off to do other duties. [color=9e0039][u][b]“This may not be the best time. But I must ask. Do you know who I am?”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would inquire the moment the door shut, giving her and the Cat some privacy. [color=9e0039][u][b]“I ask, because if you had knowingly repeated the actions of Wonderland. Me, you, and your Baroness are going to have a problem.”[/b][/u][/color] She strode over to the table so as not to loom over her temporary ally. [color=9e0039][u][b]“Because the last time someone broke into my home. It was at the behest of Iracebeth, The Queen of Hearts. And as Queen of Penrose, a city currently under siege from Wonderland. There is a limit to what I can forgive and tolerate, as I am sure you must understand.”[/b][/u][/color] She turned to look at The Cheshire Cat. [color=9e0039][u][b]“So tell me. Was this just a innocent mistake, or will I need to watch you for the remainder of your time in my home?”[/b][/u][/color] [hr] [sub]Left Behind[/sub] [color=9e0039][u][b]“Right, and who are you exactly?”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would ask as she adjusted her grip on the sword she had most recently picked up. She had a few moments to scrape through her logs, and well the LLM cosplayer wasn’t one that Penny recognized. She knew the person that had gotten buried in swords hadn’t been hostile, but Wonderland was a strange place. She wasn’t going to drop her guard. Plus keeping attention away from the impending demolition sight was probably also for the best in that case. Seeing as how she doubted loyal to this crazy location would be happy with her detonating the Queen’s castle. Regardless, there was only ten minutes until the rest of the local area copies finished up setting the charges. [hr] [sub]And Nowhere At All[/sub] The temporal stasis field clicked off around Penny, but the itch persisted. She felt as if everything was still a second to the left and an inch into the future. She took a deep breath as the Stacy Squad roared into existence around her, focusing inward for a moment. She felt bad for Finn. She recalled him, but she didn’t know that he had harbored such animosity towards her. Still his fate wasn’t something she could do much about. As much as it pained her to see him get so pointlessly tossed away. The mention of Oros did touch upon Penny’s hate, but these multiversal replicas didn’t. These people hadn’t done anything to Penny. Not personally, maybe to other Penny’s in other realities. But Penny wasn’t going to waste energy hating someone for something they hadn’t done. And if that was everything that Nyakannis had to offer Penny would have left. Let the Orors’ and Stacy’s duke it out here in this Penrose that wasn’t. Taken the supposed favor of this Grand Magistrate and returned to her home. But there was something else. That itch, the shift, a truth Penny could almost realize. It dug at her. And as much as it wasn’t Nykannis’ fault, she was the reason that Penny noticed it. And she wanted to repay that, as much as she wanted to explore it. She let out the breath she couldn’t actually hold. [color=9e0039][u][b]“Normally I don’t seek out fights. Call it rebellion from my father. But I don’t like seeking to cause destruction.”[/b][/u][/color] She called out eyes closed the world seemingly waiting for her to act. [color=9e0039][u][b]“And I don’t actually care about your hypothesis. But there is something you have put into motion now, that I do want to follow. So, for that reason, and that reason alone.”[/b][/u][/color] [center][color=00aeef][b][Phase Two Response Configuration: Assault Mode, confirmed.][/b][/color][/center] Penny’s eyes snapped open, and in the same instance her integrated weapon systems unfurled. High density energy blades extended from the backs of her arms, her secondary spider legs unfolded from her chassis, and her shoulder mounted ray casters emerged. A secondary layer of holographic barrier plates phased into place across her body. Penny was ready for war. In the next instant there was a high-pitched ringing as Penny opened her maw and a thunderous roar came out. As fully charged gauss round flew straight at Osiris. Penny was a half-step behind her opening shot. Charging forward at her designated target, one arm forward to block, the rest chambered back and ready to strike at anyone who came in close enough. A feral grin stretched across her face. As her soul roared out in satisfaction.