RPGWW

by **Endesu** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 5:14 pm

The carpet headed forth, and, as 42 had stated, the fog was of little concern, beyond the addition of a bizarre red tinge to the surrounding area.

42 initially growled in response to Kelne's question, but, after a moment's silence, gave some form of an answer. "As you'll no doubt remember Yuka stating, my memory is not... exactly present. However, I recall several visions of emerging from a pod labeled with the number '42', emblazoned with the damnable Infinity logo... hence why I selected this name. I was not alone, though... there was a woman with me, as well, with the number of '96'. I can never quite understand why, or remember how, if this did indeed actually occur to me, but there was something... special... about this 96.

My visions tend to break from there; I seem to recall her dying in any number of ways... gunfire, impalement, torn apart by the Ikei... but however the cause, the Infinity logo always seems to be present. I... I just can't get that logo out of my mind... or disassociate it from the violent images I've seen... of this woman that I should apparently know.

I can barely tolerate it, even now..."

As 42 seemed to be approaching the boundaries of a rant, the fog would begin to clear around the duo...

***

"Well, thanks to me, you've plenty of money to accomplish those goals, at least. Feels like you owe me quite a bit, eh?" She was smiling a bit, still, though, so her intent was hardly serious.

She caught his glance and seemed to shake her head slightly, waving it off with a hand. "Oh... don't worry about that. Trust me, I've met men far more... emotional than you've been these past few days. Then again, they weren't necessarily in the occupation of mercenary... but still..."

by **Kelne** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 5:57 pm

Kelne nodded thoughtfully. He wasn't sure he liked where this was going. The man had 'failed project' written all over him, and if experience had taught him anything, it was that Infinity's failed projects tended to be somewhat unhinged. Still, it would be a nice change to have one on his side, rather than having it out to destroy him along with anything else that stood in the path of its vengeance.

Meanwhile, he took the opportunity provided by the clearing fog to take a look at his wider surroundings. With a bit of luck, the lifting fog wouldn't reveal anything actively malevolent.

by **Idran1701** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 5:02 am

"Heh. Well, it's not something I'm in the habit of doing myself. Just...more intense of a dream than I'm used to."

He seems to be holding something back, fidgeting in his chair a bit before standing and making his way over to the cabinets.

"Don't know about you, but I could use a drink after that. You care for sparkling hard cider?"

by **Endesu** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 4:42 pm

42 could now be heard mumbling in a distinctly antagonized voice; whatever he was still on about came out only through words of blind, crass anger, apparently.

Kelne's hopes were correct; the lifting fog would reveal a ruined landscape below, with no Ikei lurking about.

Instead, there would be revealed directly in front of them a tower of sorts. The tower itself appeared to be primarily composed of interlocking patterns of various types of stone, yet a bizarre, if restrained, pattern of pulse-like light waves appeared to flit here and there between the various aforementioned stones. This undercurrent of a motion of light gave the entire tower the illusion of a constant 'pulse' of its own; were Kelne given to flights of fancy, he might've imagined the entire structure to be breathing.

The tower itself appeared to have solid foundations in the ground below, but stretched far into the sky above - Kelne could not even see where the structure ended above.

42's mumblings halted as they approached, then shifting to a louder, if more restrained, tone. "... we've arrived at the Nerve Tower." Though he clearly and unsurprisingly did not communicate the point, Kelne could definitely interpret a note of nervousness in his speech.

***

"Dreams are like that. When I... did my time there, they had an ongoing project involving the nature of dreams, how they connected to us... they came up with some interesting conclusions. They even had some sort of... person trained to delve into these dreams more directly." Somewhat awkwardly, she stopped talking for a moment, perhaps lost in this memory that had suddenly broken the surface. Her face drew a blank for a moment.

She paused further before finally looking to Greg and attempting to place a friendly expression back on. "Oh, sure. I could use a drink."

by **Idran1701** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 5:18 pm

Greg pauses slightly in his pouring as Jikuro mentions the dream project, glancing back to her briefly before filling the two mismatched cups. He heads back to his chair, handing one of them to her as he sits, frowning reticently.

"...This assassin we're up against...was she...involved with this dream project at all?"

by **Kelne** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 5:28 pm

"Any suggestions on where to enter it?" Kelne asked as they closed in. This looked to be the sort of structure which might have defenses. On the other hand, climbing the entire blasted thing, fighting hordes of ravenous Ikei every step of the way was not among his priorities.

by **Endesu** » Mon Jan 22, 2007 11:55 am

Jikuro took it, nodded in thanks.

"Her? Oh, definitely not. She had nothing to do with it. At least, to my knowledge, she didn't. Most of the people who were involved with it, to my knowledge, are either dead or imprisoned somewhere on another world... so if you're trying to find a connection between her and them, you won't find one."

She seemed to be considering something for a moment, before she spoke again. "The person involved was so... transformed, so taken by the dreams that he was immersed into that he essentially lost his humanity and into more of a monster. He, ultimately, had to be sealed into the Void as a precaution. An interesting story behind it, but a little far from our situation today..."

***

42 nodded. "Yeah, the front door, and that's about it. If you want to get back to your world, we'll have to slog forward, regardless of what's waiting inside."

The carpet would come to land as Kelne chose it; there was plenty of space around the Nerve Tower for the purposes of selecting a safe landing point.

Coming to land would reveal the door standing out rather prominently - a wooden ensemble, cracked here and there and just generally in need of a good fix-up.

Before anything further could be done, however, there would come a voice from above. "42, I see you're busy as usual..."

The voice would strike Kelne as eerily familiar, and the possessor of the voice, once they had landed, would also get to him; this new being looked and sounded exactly like Enlil... only with more of an outfit similar to 42's and less of a cloak. Her hair also appeared to be more of a black than a gray.

"You!" 42 snorted in reply, turning away. "I don't need help from any so-called 'Orders of Heaven', as I've told you countless times before. Piss off!"

"You should not turn away assistance when it is so freely proffered, 42. We only intend the best for our fellow survivors." At this, 'Enlil' looked to Kelne and smiled. "You must be a new friend of 42's. May I have your name?"

by **Idran1701** » Mon Jan 22, 2007 3:00 pm

Glancing down into his cup, Greg stays silent for a bit, considering. He's fairly unsure if he should even mention his dream...if he brings it up, she might think to pry more into what happened before he slept, and that...

She needs to know, though...she knows these people better than anyone...hell, she's even directly involved, even if she doesn't yet realize it. If he doesn't mention it, it'd only put the both of them at risk even more than they are now, but if she knows about it, then maybe...

"...I think you...you might be a bit wrong about that, Jikuro. The lack of connection, I mean."

by **Kelne** » Mon Jan 22, 2007 5:11 pm

"Wonderful. An Enlil lookalike. Just what the world needs." So much for Infinity not being involved with the planet. When clones/android duplicates/whatever the hell it was this time started showing up, it didn't take a genius to work out who was behind it all.

"I'm Kelne, on the off-chance that the name means anything to you." Not that he thought it would. If she hadn't recognised him by looking at him, the name probably wouldn't ring a bell either.

by **Endesu** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 4:58 pm

"What, are you involved with the Corporation, too? I suppose I would honestly not be surprised at all - they get their mitts into all sorts of things, with all sorts of people - but you could have at least informed me. There are a few former employees who I've worked with. No real problems there." Jikuro spoke on in this way for a bit.

She didn't bother to pause, though, as she simply continued into her next line of thought. "And if you were involved, does this mean you think the Absolution Project is connected with all of this? I suppose there's a theoretical chance somewhere, but I don't know if targeting specific individuals would fall into his... er... its range of interests any longer. They kind of lost their humanity, if you'll remember."

Greg would need a good lineup response to this one; Jikuro had essentially piled a good deal of wordage on him.

***

Both 42 and 'Enlil' fixed him with an odd glance, as if they weren't quite aware of just what the hell he was talking about.

"I'm... not entirely sure who you're referring to, and though it is a pleasure to meet you, I am afraid that the name does not mean a thing to me. I wasn't aware of who you are, hence my prior asking for your name." Her words, though carrying a hint of biting, were delivered in a polite and friendly tone. "You can refer to me by the name of 93."

"She has nothing to do with me, by the way. I'm not even sure why she insists on bothering me as much as she does," 42 interjected, glaring at 93 as he did so.

"Come now, 42, why must you always turn down my assistance?" 93 queried him, holding her hands out. "There are many others who work with me, and they can supply you with anything you may need - even help you with your visions, if need be!"

"Listen, 93, I can seek out the truth on my visions alone. I don't need you or any of your so-called 'angels' to help me! Go help someone who actually needs the help!" 42 shot back, with a steady dose of anger pulsing behind his words.

"We have been," rebuffed 93, "and we see no reason not to help you as well. But if you insist, I will leave you and Kelne to your work. At least take this item with you; it may assist you in the long run."

With that, 93 set out what appeared to be a blade of some kind. It floated by itself for a few moments before coming to land on the ground with a solid *thud*.

"Fine. I'll do it if it'll get you to go away!" 42 snapped back, picking up the blade and turning his back on her. "C'mon, let's get this over with." The last bit, presumably directed at Kelne, was delivered as more a command than anything else; not surprising, given 42's current mood.

He headed for the doors and opened them with a single flourish of the hand. 93 remained behind, as if watching them as they entered, leaving Kelne to speak with her further if he wished. Otherwise, he could follow 42's lead into the Nerve Tower.

by **Kelne** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 7:42 pm

All things considered, Kelne wasn't particularly inclined to stick around and exchange life histories with '93'. For one thing, it was a good bet that he already knew as much about her as she herself did. At least in terms of goals and philosophies.

The presence of 93 raised interesting questions. Here was someone likely created in the same manner as 42, but based upon someone he knew. Did this mean that 42 in turn was based upon some random foe of Infinity? It seemed likely, even if it obviously wasn't anyone he knew. Was there a parallel with Astrynax of the Past?Another possibility.

All things considered though, he'd rather get the story from 42. Or at least piece it together from what 42 could tell him. Giving the Enlil clone a slight wave in farewell, he fell in behind 42, ready to brave the horrors of the tower.

by **Idran1701** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 9:15 pm

Greg blinks, trying to process everything Jikuro said.

"...With the...oh, no, I'm not with your Corporation."

He pauses for a bit, taking a fairly sizable gulp of his drink before continuing, not especially eager to think on that creature.

"...No, it's...that...that dream I had before. There was a group of people in it...she was one of them. And so was...well, I can only guess it was that thing you mentioned...the Absolution Project, it's called? Hmph...whatever that...that thing was, don't see it absolving much of anything.

"...You were in it too...sort of. She claimed you...the you in the dream...that you were some sort of personality fragment. Part of you that was...left behind from your own dream.

"I don't...maybe it was just a dream, but I didn't recognize anyone except you and the assassin. I could show you, though. Hell, if I'm lucky, you can prove to me it was just a nightmare."

by **Endesu** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 12:25 pm

93 nodded and remained as Kelne followed 42 into the Nerve Tower.

Kelne would immediately find the interior of the Nerve Tower to be somewhat... unsettling. The area they had just now stepped into was some sort of pastiche of Infinity-era technology and medieval building. Further, an unnerving 'pulsing' ran through the surrounding area, akin to the 'pulse' of lights on the exterior of the tower.

The area they were in, at the moment, seemed fairly innocent - no Ikei, or anyone else, for that matter, in sight - just a fairly empty, long room that led to two flights of stairs - one up, one down.

42 turned to him as he approached, an annoyed look lingering in his eyes. "Now, then, let's quit wasting time and get on with this. As you can see, there are two flights of stairs - one leading upward, the other down. It's your call as to which direction we go, though you should know that it will be ridiculously dangerous either way."

***

It should be noted that Kelne had given a fairly clear order; for his Minions to warn relevant people of what was transpiring, potentially involving Infinity and their typical threat to the planet.

As it would turn out, several of the relevant folk could not be found. End, Kyle, Fresca, Kumo and any currently existing incarnation of Astrynax were nowhere to be found, despite the Minion's best efforts.

In fact, only one potentially relevant person was located. Or, that is to say, one being.

Stephen had finally arrived in Doma not too long ago, and had already begun searching the city for any sign of Enlil, Kelne, or any of the others with whom he had worked in the past. It was either simple dumb luck (or lack of luck, depending upon your viewpoint) that Stephen would cross paths with one of the Minions.

Stephen would, to his credit, almost immediately remember that these Minions were connected to Kelne. He didn't really bother replying to the implication of a threat connected to Infinity; it didn't surprise him in the least. Thus, he swiftly brushed that minor point aside and began to chat about his main point of interest, "Do you know where Kelne or any of the others are at this moment, Number....?"

***

Jikuro paused, and took a long sip.

She then took another sip.

And finally a third.

After which, she finally spoke with a resounding "What?"

She paused, and spoke again. "Seriously. What. While 'Absolution', as it came to simply be called, certainly wasn't harmless, it typically did not directly interfere in the dreams of others. And its appearance wasn't particularly frightening - simply a statuesque humanoid, void of details save an ever-sweeping chain of rainbow colors. What in the hell did you see, exactly?"

She seemed a bit unnerved at this point, likely wondering just what the hell was going on. "All right, just show me what you can, and I'll see what I think about all of this. Honestly, I..." Her words broke off, and she was silent once more.

by **Idran1701** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 12:46 pm

Taking a breath, Greg tries to focus, and ignore his anxiety over the being's appearance. "All right, but...well, it's fairly disturbing, the creature I saw."

Closing his eyes and connecting with her mind, he passes along images of both the dream creature and the group that had gathered outside the inn. And though he tries to filter it, he can't help but let a small bit of fear and concern for them both through alongside the snippets of memory.

"Whatever it...I don't know what it is, but they were saying it was...it was somehow connected to their goals, whatever they are. And so was that...fragment of yourself that was left behind in the dream."

by **Endesu** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 3:07 pm

Greg certainly could not have been feeling very well.

So the cold look of fear that swiftly spread over Jikuro's face could not have helped much. So much so that she swigged the rest of the drink down in a single gulp, slammed the cup down onto a nearby table, and jumped up onto her feet, beginning a nervous pace.

For a time she did not speak. Finally, she opened her mouth, but shut it again. Ultimately, however, she finally began to chat. "Oh, god... we're in trouble..." she began, looking about nervously. "I didn't think a band of assassins would be involved with... it... I didn't even think she... would be involved with it. It must... it must be... oh god, I need to get out of here. There's no time to explain!"

She looked around swiftly, gathering her weapon as she did so. She then turned to Greg, looking worse than before. "Listen. Stay here. Do not come with me any further... you may die by their hands but it's far better than dealing any more with what you've seen. Do not come with me! This situation is far worse than anything you could ever conceive... even with what we've seen today!"

Without a further wood, she busted down the door, and charged off into the night. It was Greg's choice as to whether he followed her or remained, though if he (likely) chose to follow, he would find her making a beeline straight out of Doma. If he moved quickly enough, he would be able to at least get into shouting distance, though he would not be able to fully catch up...

by **Idran1701** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 3:48 pm

"...Ji...Jikuro, wait!"

Jumping up, Greg dashes off after her, heading out the door. Spotting her once he's out, he runs off, trying, though failing, to keep up with her.

"Jikuro! ...damn it..."

T: Jikuro, stop it! I'm not going to let you run off and handle whatever this thing is on your own!

by **Endesu** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 3:56 pm

"Miss Lillian? There's a Mr. Reshiki here to see you."

"Hmm?"

Lillian, or the 'Anti-Enlil', looked up from the work that she had just now been overviewing. It had been a solid day thus far; no real problems had come up as of yet, though they were sure to hear yet again from many of the ex-employees of Infinity, still imprisoned and still petitioning for a release.

It had been a few years, at least, since everything had transpired - too much to go into at this point, at any rate, but enough to have her sent to one of the many MacinTech labs on Earth. Her form had incurred damage - severe enough for her to be set into a state of rest, so that repair could begin in earnest.

And though time did pass, she was ultimately restored to a fully repaired state. She had to be given a purpose after this point; thus it was, due to her prior relationship with Infinity, that she was placed in a position that monitored both the finances that had been taken from the two branches and the employees of Infinity who had been placed in imprisonment.

It was a fairly comfortable position, free of the strife which she had been involved in, and she was provided with a wardrobe of her choice, as well as a decent place to stay. Although MacinTech was not necessarily needed any longer to keep a repair tab on her, they still maintained an eye of sorts on her; essentially to make sure that she did not take a turn for the worse without their knowledge. Thus the presence of guards, of sorts, around her home.

She had been lost in this musing for a moment, but she fully roused herself and stood. "Very well, please send him in!"

She was somewhat pleased. It had been ages since she had seen anyone from Gaera, with the exception of Enlil and Janda, and though she really knew nothing of them beyond what she had seen and her own pre-programmed knowledge of them, she still jumped at the chance to get to know any one of them further. And though she did have work, it could wait; this sort of thing did not occur every day.

So it was that a certain Mr. Reshiki came into the room, briefly escorted by an armed guard. Said armed guard departed, leaving the two alone. Reshiki, it should be noted, maintained a basic Mooglish shape, though he appeared to have taken on the somewhat odd habit of wearing a cloak that managed to drape over half of his face.

"End Reshiki, correct? It's a pleasure to see you again! How has it been since... all of that transpired?" She ushered him to a nearby seat, taking a seat just opposite from him.

End briefly muttered, before speaking up. "Oh, uh, everything's great. I had something I needed to talk to you about, though. Something serious."

"Oh?" Her interest was piqued, though she wasn't quite sure what he may have been eluding to. "What do you mean by serious, exactly?"

He responded rather swiftly, as if he knew very well what he was going to say. "Well, it involves Infinity, which I'm sure you know plenty about."

"Infinity does not exist anymore, however, beyond their funds, being utilized by other parties, and the ex-employees we have imprisoned here. The only notable exceptions I can recall are the android double of Kelne, and the ex-agent Dementia, and they certainly shouldn't be causing anything worthy of worry..."

"That's where you're wrong. You see, there's something that still remains that was connected to Infinity, and it has a plan. This plan is already coming to fruition."

"Something else that remains? A plan? What do you mean...?"

"... well, I can't even tell you about that now. But you are needed for it."

At this, Lillian stood, looking at the Moogle uncertainly. "Needed? By whom? How do you know about all of this?"

At this, the Moogle let the cloak fall off the half of his face, revealing a half that was damaged beyond all recognition and infested with what appeared to be shadow matter. Lillian immediately and almost instinctively stepped back. "I know because I was sent here to get you. I'm sorry, but I had no choice in the matter."

At this, she drew a blade and took a stance against 'End'. "I'm sorry if it's come to this, but I will not and cannot every work for anything connected to that purpose again... stay away from me!"

'End' sighed, and let the rest of the cloak fall. "Like I said... I'm sorry."

The rest of his form appeared to be a pastiche of bits of shadow and flesh, and upon being uncovered, seemed to spit out a blob of shadow-ish matter that curled around Lillian in a swift motion and brought her down.

"What?! No! Stop!" were her last words before being consumed within the blob.

The guards, having overheard the louder parts of the conversation, swiftly made their way into the room, only to see 'End', standing alone, with a pool of shadow matter at his feet.

"What... what have you done to Lillian?!"

He looked at the two briefly and shrugged his shoulders. "What had to be done. Sorry, guys."

Before they could overtake him, he too seemed to melt into a puddle of shadowy substance. Both puddles almost immediately 'evaporated', leaving nary a trace of what had transpired... save 'End''s cloak, which one of the guards immediately marked as evidence of what had occurred.

Needless to say, this was not going to go over well with those who were interested in keeping a watch on her...

by **Endesu** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 4:00 pm

Jikuro was on steady footing and easily outpacing Greg, though she had enough presence of mind to respond to him.

T: You know some things, but you don't know the whole picture! Trust me, what we're dealing with here has been the death of beings stronger than either of us! It's far more than you could ever conceive of handling! You must leave me to deal with this, even if it means my own demise! I... I can't let any more innocent people get hurt because of something I was involved with!

At this, she made an effort to speed up, leaving Greg to try and pick up the pace.

by **Kelne** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 4:40 pm

"Down," Kelne said bleakly, "It's good odds that the worst stuff is in the basement, along with, naturally, our goal. Unless you have any information to the contrary?"

Barring disagreement with his assessment of the situation, Kelne would draw his sword and start down the stairs, alert for any of these lurking perils.

------------

Stephen had the good fortune (if such a phrase could truly be used) to be talking to #147. His response was typically cheerful obliviousness, "Not sure. One of the others might have run into them, but I haven't heard about it. I don't think anyone's seen the Boss since he said to warn everyone, either."

Further consideration ensued, "32 said that maybe we should be acting accordingly, too. He's busy seeing if Infinity have any more snazzy airships or something lying around to steal."

by **Endesu** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 4:57 pm

42 shrugged, not having any real arguments to offer that would run contrary to Kelne's decision.

It would be so that they would descend into what appeared to be... the interior of a chapel of some sort. Various pews filled the room, though none held any actual people. Various religious icons and articles of some mysterious note decorated the walls, with larger variants on such ornamentation littering the frontward area. A further flight of stairs downward appeared to be just past a man in some sort of holy cloak, who had already approached the duo. "Welcome to the Chapel of the Order of Heaven! Have you come to insure the sanctity and continued future of your soul? We will take in all wayward children!"

42 scoffed and shoved the man aside. "Yeah, whatever, excuse us, we're busy."

He began to head towards the flight of stairs, but not before the holy man once again impeded his forward progress. "Young man, I'll have you know that we are the only path that can truly lead you to Heaven. If you refuse to see things our way, we may be forced to take drastic steps..."

***

Stephen's look swiftly shifted to one of utter disappointment and annoyance, but he attempted to revert back to his prior state. "Uh, very well then... can you show me to Number '32'? He may have a better idea of what's going on."

This was something of a meaningless hope, but he had to hold onto whatever he could grasp.

by **Kelne** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:13 pm

"I see what you meant about great peril," Kelne said, "Gods save me from religious loonies." Turning the Glare upon the priest, he said, "I am quite capable of seeing to the disposition of my own soul, thank you, sir. And I mistrust anybody who claims to have a monopoly on truth."

"Now, if you insist on taking 'drastic steps', you should be aware that I'm not in the mood for it, and will likely respond with deadly force."

-------------

"Oh, sure," 147 said, "I think he's at the airfield." So saying, he turned and led the way.

32 was indeed at the airfield, thoughtfully checking those airships presently landed for Infinity logos.

by **Idran1701** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:14 pm

Pressing on, Greg starts to feel the exhaustion of the day catching up to him. He tries to ignore it, putting on more effort himself as he attempts somewhat futilely to close the distance.

T: Damn it, Jikuro, I'm already involved with this too! Whatever it is, I'm already pulled into it! Those things we've been facing haven't just been attacking you! They're going to come after me either way...at least if it's both of us at once, we've got a better chance!

by **Endesu** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 5:13 pm

42 scoffed at Kelne's remark and proceeded onward, as the holy man backed away, hands in the air. "I simply meant that we wouldn't invite you for our communion feast, was all. We're a strictly nonviolent sect, as governed by our Herald, 93. I'm sure you've met her?"

42 was already heading down the next flight of stairs ahead, and waved a hand once at Kelne. He descended with a simple shout of "Get your ass moving already!"

"Are you sure you do not wish to join us on our path?" The holy man inquired. "We'll have hot dogs..."

***

Stephen groaned slightly as he approached the site, massaging his temples ever so slightly. Why did he think this was a good idea?

"Honestly, 32, do you really think that out of all of these airships, one would belong to anyone involved with Infinity? On a planet that they've essentially commited acts of war on? The odds of theft and/or vandalism based on their reputation are incomprehensible, and... well, I'm sure you don't get my point. Anyhow..."

Stephen went parading around the lot, much as 32 was doing, and began to pat the various airships. "As if just one of these random ships would somehow happen to belong to our greatest enemies..."

He went up to one particular ship, one that seemed to drop its 'normal' appearance as he approached it, shifting into a decidedly more futuristic looking model. Naturally, he didn't notice, and patted it, much like the others before it. "As if, by some random chance, you would randomly uncover a ship that we could take hold of..."

At that, the hatch to this futuristic ship opened, and what could only be identified as a barrage of Anti-Minions swiftly descended upon Stephen. In a flurry of motion, several nets had seized hold of him, effectively capturing him in a matter of moments.

His mouth remained open, struck by the utter ridiculousness of this minor, almost insignificant, chance occurring. He did not bother to respond, instead remaining in a state of shock for the next minute or so.

"Oh, hey!" #-22 shouted out amidst the group, waving to 32 and 147 as the Anti-Minions disembarked from their successful capture of their quarry. "We were about to surprise you guys with a parade of nets, but this guy cut us off. Don't worry, we've cut him off!"

There was a large group of Anti-Minions here; at least twenty or thirty were currently present. And behind them approached a figure that 32 and 147 may, at once, have both known and not known; the Anti-Kelne, or Justin.

He sighed slightly as he approached the scene. "It was inevitable, I suppose."

***

Jikuro almost immediately seemed to halt. Perhaps she was tried of this ongoing chase, or perhaps she wanted to rebuff Greg's arguments.

The distance was still great, so she replied via telepathy:

T: But you don't know! Like I said... what we're speaking of is far worse than being disembowled by that assassin! If you leave me now, that's the worst you'll get... staying with me any longer will only result in the worst possible things! Please stay back! Go to the authorities, find those people in the photo, whatever you think is best! Just, please... please, stay back... don't get any more involved in this!

by **Idran1701** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 5:26 pm

Starting to feel the effects of this dash, Greg's glad to see Jikuro's decided to stop ahead. He keeps up the same pace, in case she's just resting herself, replying as he covers the distance between them.

T: If it's as bad as all this, what makes you think I'd be willing to just abandon you to it? This isn't why I saved your life, Jikuro, just so you could run off on your own because you're worried about me! Whatever it is, if you're going to risk yourself with it, then so am I!

by **Endesu** » Fri Jan 26, 2007 3:58 pm

T: Because you have something more to live for! My life...

What would surely have been an emotional response in turn was abruptly cut off by the sound of gunfire.

Jikuro turned towards the source of the noise, raising an arm in perhaps an attempt at a defensive measure, as a hail of bullets appeared to perforate her and send her flying back.

Were Greg to swiftly approach her, he would find that most of the bullets had lodged themselves into her weapon-carrying arm; others had impacted her on various parts of her chest and stomach areas. Her arm was, unsurprisingly, an impacted, bloody mess. Blood was already beginning to ooze from the various wounds that had been opened.

She had not been killed, that much was clear... and she was still conscious. Perhaps the gunman had been aiming for such?

"...." She seemed to attempt to say something, but her words died off as the pain seemed to grip her entire form. And though tears were quick to form at her eyes, she still struggled to stand despite the pain.

T: Do... you see? Please... run before...

A few bullets whizzed directly by Greg's head, one impacting Jikuro's other arm as she began to stood. She noticeably winced, and began to fall again...

Turning to the source of gunfire would now reveal a man in a relaxed black tux, with what could be described best as a purple and black Mexican wrestling mask adorning his head, hiding most of his facial features. He was carrying a truly formidable looking rifle, and appeared to have a few others strapped to his back.

"Now, then." The man spoke as he continued forward. And, somehow, Greg would recognize that voice ever so slightly... but from where?

by **Kelne** » Fri Jan 26, 2007 6:11 pm

"Oh, hi, Not-Boss," 32 said cheerfully, "The Boss said we should tell you that there are Infinity Gnomes on the loose, and that you should act with accordions."

Kelne had once, in a moment of insanity, attempted to explain the concept of Nekonian Whispers to 32, the process by which a message was distorted as it passed through more people. 32, naturally, seemed to have decided that the more people he told, the more garbled the message would become.

---------------

Kelne flicked a last glare at the priest and headed for the steps again. Clearly his overreaction hadn't provoked any real changes for the better in the priest. Pity.

by **Idran1701** » Fri Jan 26, 2007 6:14 pm

Going wide-eyed, Greg dashes up to Jikuro. Seeing how badly she's injured, he crouches down near her, keeping himself between the masked gunman and her, trying to keep him from getting any more shots. He glares to him as he reaches back, trying to heal her as he shouts.

"You...what do you want? You're with that nekojin bitch, aren't you?"

(Using another charge of his ring on Jikuro; 5 left, looks like)

by **Endesu** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 6:14 am

Justin moved in to disperse the crowd of Anti-Minions that had surrounded Stephen, helping to untangle the just-now-recovering-from-shock dragon. "You'll have to pardon them; they've gone for months without netting something beyond themselves."

Turning to 32, Justin swiftly translated his message, and nodded. "Yes, I'm very well aware, and was landing to check and see if any of the usual suspects are about. There are a few things we need to do today."

Stephen shook his head. "No sign of any of them, apparently. Kelne in particular has gone off somewhere, apparently only leaving that... warning in his stead."

"Mark me as unsurprised. All right, then, you lot: are you going to come aboard? We won't accomplish anything while you sit here and ponder which ship not to take, 32."

"Yeah, besides, we've got a duck!" shouted -36, triumphantly holding up said Duck.

Stephen made a beeline to enter the ship, one step closer, perhaps, to accomplishing his long-time goal.

***

The Priest wrung his hands and sighed, setting up a grill as Kelne headed for and descended down the steps.

Kelne and 42 would now find themselves standing at the beginning of a long hallway of sorts; the structure was that of basic mortar and stonework. A wall here and there was emblazoned with a grate of sorts; beyond each of these grates burned a fire stinking of coal.

"Well, then. I believe we've finally entered the actual beginning point of the Nerve Tower's basement. The Ikei shouldn't be far off from here..." narrated 42 as he began to make his way forward.

Kelne, once he had followed along a certain time, would find the two of them to be flanked by three choices of path; one diverged left, one right, and the road ahead remained clear. It was up to him as to which way to go. All paths looked identical, with no obvious signs of traps or Ikei presence down any of them.

***

Jikuro coughed, sputtering up a bit of blood that managed to splatter, just so, on Greg.

The gunman continued forward, weapon leveled at the ready. "... nekojin bitch? You mean Shamash? Yes, I work with her. Can't say I approve of her manner at all... but she gets the job done. Not that she got it done with the two of you, apparently. That's why I'm here."

Greg would manage to get a charge of healing on Jikuro; several wounds were patched up, and though she still seemed to be in a state of pain, it was most definitely lessened.

This was not the wisest of ideas, however; the gunman raised his weapon and simply shot Greg in the leg as he worked on healing Jikuro. This would obviously hurt.

(-15 HP for Greg)

"Now, then. Let's not try any more of 'those' stunts, shall we?"

by **Kelne** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 4:58 pm

32 cheerfully boarded the airship. Alright, so stealing it was out of the question. But this ought to be fun anyway.

--------------

Kelne simply kept on going straight ahead. All roads led to certain doom in any case, he was sure. Might as well avoid getting lost.

"So," he said at length, "Care to tell me 93's story?"

by **Idran1701** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 10:19 pm

He winces a little at the impact, letting out a short cry of shock. Trying to ignore the pain shooting through his leg, he looks up to the gunman.

"...What now, then? You're just going to kill us?"

by **Endesu** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 5:06 pm

Once all who were heading aboard Justin's airship had assembled on deck, the Android in question assembled them in the main area of the ship, not far from the control deck.

"All right, then. Let's review the facts. We have some sort of presence on Gaera that is connected to Infinity in some manner - perhaps direct, perhaps only peripheral. Personally, I can't say. I have yet to see any of the supposed antagonists in the flesh. But we are going to do our best to draw back a safe distance, pull some strings as far as research goes, and attempt to, once again, save the day."

"Don't forget the Duck, boss." #-54 added.

"Yes, and we also have the Duck. Devil only knows where the accursed thing came from, and I'd much rather we traveled without it..."

At that, The Duck fixed Justin with a glare, and he dropped his point, not interested in matching wits with an (albeit menacing) waterfowl.

"Now, then. Do we have any questions? #32?" Justin didn't seem terribly interested in actually discussing any matters worth questioning with the Minions, but he felt that he was, at least, partially obligated to do so. The entire crowd of Anti-Minions, naturally, raised their nets in the air; however, 32 had been granted the privilege of posing an initial question, so he could take advantage of that if he wished.

Stephen remained towards the back, content to stay out of the line of fire of the Anti-Minions and their nets.

***

The path leading forward continued to lead onward for some distance without any notable divergences from its path. And so Kelne and 42 went onward on their somewhat monotonous voyage.

42 grunted at Kelne's request, but responded in part. "What's to say? Some angelic woman who came out of nowhere one day and began her ever-persistent campaign to convert people to that idiotic religion. She's always targeted me, in particular, no matter what I say to her or how much I try to discourage her. I suppose I could comment on the fact that she has an unusual singing voice... one I've seen to have an effect on the Ikei, bizarrely enough. Only living being I've ever seen to have that sort of ability."

He lapsed into silence, perhaps thinking a bit more about 93 due to this sudden shift in topic. "I guess she was that 'herald' that priest was talking about on the last floor. That help you any?"

***

The gunman halted and kept something of a distance; still too far out of Greg's reach for him to safely attempt an attack from the ground.

"No... I'm here to make you an offer. I know the others want your head by now... but I'm willing to let you go. I don't really have any desire to see you dead, either by my weapon or the weapon of one of my 'friends'. If you run now, and keep yourself hidden, I'll do my best to convince the others that you're dead."

His gun was still at the ready as he said this, though the fact that he wasn't opening fire on the two of them was somewhat encouraging. "Think about it, won't you? Despite what the others may have said, it's not too late to reconsider your ultimate fate. And from what I know of you, you don't deserve to die just because of this woman."

Jikuro was somewhat silent about the whole affair; a further look at her would reveal that she had passed out for the time being. Perhaps shock, induced by the impact of the bullets?

by **Kelne** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 12:07 am

It fell to 32 to ask the question no doubt on everybody's minds.

"Will there be digging?"

-------------------

"Somewhat," Kelne said, "It certainly fits the profile. The Herald title makes me wonder, though. Namely, whether this religion business is her idea, or whether someone else is pulling the strings." His money was on the latter. Enlil had always been someone in need of a cause, and if someone had presented this Order of Heaven in the right light, 93 would have jumped at the opportunity to serve a worthy cause.

It was what she'd been created for, after all. Never mind that the cause had turned out to be sheerest madness on a scale Kelne preferred not to contemplate. She might have abandoned the original cause, and the man who had conceived it might be dead, but she still believed.

"In the main part though, I'd wondered to what extent her story parallels your own. It might explain her interest in you."

by **Idran1701** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 12:53 am

Cradling his leg, he sits quietly for a while...before he starts to absently chuckle. He speaks up quietly, though it doesn't really seem to be directed to anyone

"...Heh. You got me, universe. The ultimate gag, innit?"

Wincing with a sudden shock of pain, the laughter trails off. He speaks up again, glancing up to the gunman as he starts, but glancing back to Jikuro soon after.

"Everyone...every time I try to...Just...tell me why everyone wants me to betray her. Why does...what did she do? What did I do?"

by **Endesu** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 5:10 pm

Justin sighed, and nodded. "Yes, there will be, in fact, a need for digging later on. I may very well need multiple diggers at once, because a big job will be coming up. Is there any way to get all of you Minions to come with us? There should be enough space on this ship..."

Justin then turned to Stephen, regarding him briefly. "As far as you go, I'd recommend keeping your blade ready. The only use you're likely to have is one involving combat against Infinity, but I'm fairly sure you don't mind."

Stephen nodded. "I'll be ready to dispatch any Infinity grunts that come along..."
IM: Unless I can get a word on my sister's whereabouts from them...

***

42 shrugged. "I don't really know, and I can't say I care too much. On some random chance that we're production line units of some sort, I still can't say I'd give a damn. She's too 'pure', if you know what I mean. Seeking to judge everyone else by the standards of her goddamned order. If she's the source of the order, so much the worse."

It seemed he wasn't entirely sociable on this topic, either. It was somewhat clear, then, that she had been bothering 42 about this sort of thing off and on for ages. Even if there was some sort of subtle connection between the two, 42 didn't seem terribly interested in plumbing the depths of it all.

At this, the two arrived at the end of the corridor, and a further flight of stairs downward. "Eventually, we're not gonna be able to turn back. Just a fair warning there."

And with that, he descended.

***

"Listen, bud. I don't know what everyone else has been on about... 's far as I know, this just has to do with capping some folks on this planet, and little else. I don't know what's important about her, and I don't really care. But, you... I don't really have a reason to kill you, no matter what those guys have said. I don't want to kill you."

The gunman paused for a second before continuing onward. "After all, it'd be bad manners for me to kill a man who bought me a drink."

by **Idran1701** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 7:10 pm

Giving a humorless laugh, Greg looks off, muttering to himself. "...Of course it's him. And there's the punchline, folks."

Collecting himself, wincing occasionally from the bursts of pain from the bullet, he turns his gaze back to the gunman. "You're not with this corporation of theirs...you're just a hired gunman? Then you don't...you don't know what they're trying to do here?"

by **Kelne** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 7:12 pm

"Oh, sure," 32 said cheerfully, "Just let me put the word out and we'll have a bunch of volunteers in no time." He considered a moment, "Although come to think of it, the others are a bit scattered about at the moment, looking for people to warn and stuff."

-------------------

Kelne shrugged, "It's not as if I have anything to go back to here anyway." He continued on downwards. So far, the apparent emptiness of a tower supposedly crawling with Ikei was distinctly troubling. It probably met they had some kind of ambush waiting somewhere down the line.

The fact that the priest had set up camp above with no apparent fear of being attacked did suggest that there might be some limits on their range, though.

by **Endesu** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 5:15 pm

Ninurta (the name of the man, which Greg may or may not have recalled) seemed to pause for a moment. "Guess she either told you a whole shitload... or you just somehow happened to find out yourself, huh? Well, whichever. I'm sure as hell not with them, and t'my knowledge, none of the other guys working with me are, either. I'm not here because I care about Infinity; I'm here because I was paid to do a job that involved killing certain people. Dunno what you've heard, man, but you can take my word on this."

He took a step closer, gun slightly lowered. "So, listen, man. You might've gotten involved with her, but you're still, essentially, not on the hit list... you can still get out of this. Consider it-" Before he could finish his offer, a voice shot out of the darkness.

"Just what the hell do you think you're doing, Ninurta?!" And up came the assassin with whom Greg was already all too familiar.

Her whiskers twitched with a twinge of annoyance as she looked upon Greg and Jikuro. "They're both marked, so stop wasting your time."

"There's no reason to kill this guy, too, Shamash! It's not like he knows all that much in the first place! Don't you think this'd be a tad needless?!"

"Needless?! That son of a bitch has defied us on every turn thus far! I offered him a second chance! Hell, Anu even offered him a second chance! But he's turned it down, time and time again! What makes you think he deserves a third chance?! Because he treated you to a goddamned drink?!"

"It's more than that! 'sides, you're too bloodthirsty as it is! Do you really need to add an entirely unnecessarily kill to your cumulative count? Wasn't that little moogle you picked up on earlier enough?"

"He's not dead! It was his idea to defy me! And don't try to change the topic!"

And so, there lay Greg, with one gunman and one assassin, clashing over his ultimate fate.

***

"Well, how long do you think it will take you to find them all?" Justin, to his credit, delivered this question somewhat calmly. Perhaps he was not aware of the madness that may ensue. "We do have some time, and a few of the Anti-Minions here can assist you."

"Yeah! And The Duck, as well!" #-38 shouted out. The Duck was still there, and Justin turned away from it, not wishing to take in its increasingly menacing glare.

***

42 nodded. "Don't think you'd want to stay around here. Especially what with the fact that you arrived just as the Ikei unleashed an even greater attack than before. Some of the folk in that little town we just left? I doubt they would have trusted you quite as implicitly as Yuka. Not to say that I trust you any more than they would, but I don't care enough to argue the point any further."

The next floor down was more of the same as the previous floor. Ditto the excruciatingly long hallway.

However, both would swiftly become aware of the presence of noises. Said noises apparently started the moment the two had touched down from the previous floor, and they only escalated in frequency as the two began their trek.

Said noises were growls of varying frequencies and tones. Certainly not friendly, and though there appeared to be no clear source of these growls, continued travel would likely bring the owners out to play.

42 grimly looked on, and turned to Kelne with a glance. "I'm sure you're ready for them by now. Just a warning: do not let them bite you if you can help it."

by **Kelne** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 6:05 pm

Kelne simply nodded, shifting to a two-handed grip on his sword. He already had quite enough to worry about with the blight that infected his hand, without adding whatever horrible diseases the Ikei might carry to the equation.

-------------

32 considered, "To get everyone? Could take a while. I haven't seen some of the others in a few years. I think 170 took some of them looking for the lost city of Baron, and the Boss sent 51 to find a clue a while back. 78's off training as a pirate so that he can have an epic battle with 85..." Further consideration, "Call it a couple of weeks?"

by **Idran1701** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 2:33 am

IM: ...Wow. I never thought I'd be glad to see you. Guess they weren't just getting smart enough to send the magic dead in.

Sitting quietly and watching, Greg reaches out mentally...this "Shamash" woman seems to always be there in the nick of time...maybe she's got an edge on them. One the two of them might be able to exploit.

(Browse Mental Spellbook for some sort of teleport/shadow jump/transportation spell that'd allow both he and Jikuro to get out of there.)

by **Endesu** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 12:19 pm

The blight, to note, hadn't wrecked his hand as of yet, but said wrecking was sure to come soon. He would have to do something about it once he had returned to Gaera.

In any case, 42 and Kelne's onward approach was suddenly halted at a fork in the path that looked eerily similar to the one on the previous floor. From the leftward junction came some sort of bloated, floating speckled-green humanoid, with a gas mask seemingly surgically sown into the flesh. From said mask came the perpetual noise of ragged breathing.

This Ikei, needless to say, was as disturbing as it was ludicrous.

42 was first to attack, slashing swiftly against the being with his curious red blade. The monster was struck, and was sent back a bit, though no visible sign of damage had registered.

It was Kelne's turn to land an attack.

***

Justin sighed the sigh of one under a great deal of interminable stress. "I suppose it couldn't have been that simple... all right, then. How many Minions are in Doma right now? We can focus on them, and leave the others to... their important tasks."

"You have Minions of your own. Shouldn't you be able to deal with this sort of issue by now?" Stephen quizzically asked, taking a step forward.

"Yes, but having to deal with even more Minions is a headache I've already dealt with, and one I never needed to return to..."

***

Greg did indeed find one such a spell. The spell itself was called "Shadow Jump" and involved immersing oneself in a "Shadow Parallel World", whatever that meant. Apparently, it involved opening up a portal to and enveloping oneself in a shadow world. It apparently sequenced with a spell that followed after, but he wasn't able to locate that spell, despite his best efforts.

From his position, Greg could trigger it, but without the knowledge of the spell that came after, in addition to the somewhat dangerous-sound "Shadow World"...

In any case, the two were still arguing. Shamash had apparently grown fed up with the discussion, as she began to growl with an increasing rate of annoyance. Without warning, she followed this up with a swift roundhouse kick, which sent the unprepared Ninurta flying into the distance.

"Now, then!" Taking advantage of this chance, she swiftly approached Greg, raised a foot, and promptly smashed it into his face. "You gave up your chance, so I'm gonna enjoy ripping the life out of your body... slowly!"

She brought down her foot a few more times, with increasing pain accompanying each subsequent stomp. She was also readying some sort of other weapon, so he would have to think of something quickly... use the spell, with god only knows what sort of consequences? Or something else...?

(-10 HP for stomps.
In addition to earlier -15 HP loss.
66/91 HP remaining.)

RPGWW

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