DragonRage

"That 'Trick' creature is eating people!" Iowa exclaims, "We've got to hunt him down first. That's not right. "Mm. A wise idea. Leaping into battle unprepared could have backfired greatly on us against the so-called Judge. It almost did. Knowing what our allies can do should help with devising more effective strategies. "Based on our last battle, I am certain I have the armor and firepower of my old hull. I should be able to withstand any attack a ground-based opponent can bring to bear, but enough attacks can break through even the toughest defense, and I believe that only my vital organs are protected by my armor belt. The rest of me would... Well, I'd prefer not to have to take hits like the ones Judge was throwing around indefinitely. My 12 inch guns should be impossible to match for any ground-based foe unless they have a railway gun or some sort of magic I suppose, but the accuracy and reloading speed are not the best. And I can throw coal dust, smoke, and ash out of my funnels to produce a smokescreen."

"Let's see it then," Alexandria leans forward eagerly, "These spy games are so exciting!"

"Oh, not another wanna-be supervillain sorcerer," Danielle groans, rolling her eyes, "Those are always a massive pain. Hmmm. I don't see any clown around here, but those two look like a witch and a knight." She points over the crowd towards where Aquila and the tip of Freya's hat are making their way towards the convention center's entrance. "They've got the same distinctive feeling of displaced confusion you do, so I bet they're from another world too." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FRIDAY will send a message to the network "Avengers Reservists" in 3 rounds. FRIDAY will send a message to the network "NYPD" in 3 rounds. FRIDAY has constructed a Mining Facility! FRIDAY is mining resources! FRIDAY has constructed a Signaling Station! FRIDAY no longer needs to concentrate on sending calls. Alan used Disrupt! FRIDAY's intelligence is reduced b d;.....................jfdakljd;sak;aj,. Alan Disrupted one of FRIDAY's calls! The NYPD will be notified in 5 rounds! The Doombot opens fire on FRIDAY, dealing 27 damage! FRIDAY is not significantly hampered by this... The Sectopod opens fire on FRIDAY, dealing 21 damage! FRIDAY is not significantly hampered by this... FRIDAY has constructed a Chat Room! FRIDAY is recruiting... FRIDAY's Mining Facility has mined 3 KryptoKittys! Initiative Status A call will go out to the Avengers Reservists in 3 rounds. A call will go out to the NYPD in 5 rounds.

Izumi follows after DVS cautiously, and is surprised to see some possessed corpses confront them in response to their insults. "Well, that's new." She draws her sword and knife, equipping her Modernized Daisho, "I sure hope these things are actually hurt by getting hit."

Using Cell's unconventional pathing, the group is able to bypass the Death Pit in relative safety. With the pit behind you, it's a simple matter to progress onward, though it occurs to you that the ceiling hole doesn't give you a safe way out. You may want to secure that before continuing. Should you choose to move forward, a few minutes walking will take you to a long stretch of hallway covered in black and white tiles forming a mysterious symbol. "The symbol of the Three Virtues!" Halhi identifies the design, "The bottom dot represents unity, the top duty, and the larger one in the middle destiny. Interpretations abound what the larger symbols around them mean, but the most likely answer is that they represent the Great Spirit Mata Nui, and his dark brother The Makuta." "Nah, they represent the sky and ocean, surrounding and supporting the matoran and the land," Nuparu disagrees, "But the theology isn't as important right now as this: What's the symbol doing here? And is it safe to go across?"

"I don't know what's going on here, and I really don't like it," Vitor mutters, standing around awkwardly, "It feels like we blundered into another magus' workshop, and whoever it is really doesn't like intruders."

"I haven't been watching the videos," Mirri admits, "I've been... busy."

"So you have no idea how it works, or how you do it, but it does when you do it as long as you don't mind unpredictable side effects," Mirri sums up with a caustic eye-roll that can be seen through her entirely opaque, closed-face helmet, "That's real comforting. I'd rather take my chances."

"I understand this one!" Zoe exclaims, brandishing her new spellbook, "But I can see why nobody else could. Who the heck puts basic magic primers in Mooglish of all things? Nobody important speaks Mooglish as a first language. Or a second language. Actually, you only really learn Mooglish to cheese off the Moogles. They hate it when you do that. But unless you're a wizard and also fluent in Mooglish, this thing is pretty useless to you."

"A frog. Are you capable of speech as that flower was? State your business," Sister Rachel commands the creature, hands causally resting near the holsters of her Inferno Pistols, "We do not wish to harm you unless you prove hostile."

"They got sent in by the same group that picked the rest of us. Reinforcements. I got no idea what the lizard guy wants with your thumbtacks, but I was under the impression they weren't expensive to replace. Also no idea who decided your lab made a good entry point, but they've yet to break anything," Mirri informs the pair of Mario cosplayers, "Apparently this guy," She points to Stretch, "Can make magic healing pills from his secretions or something. Harry wants to take him to the PRT to make sure they won't give people superpowered cancer."

"Alright. Just make sure the safety's securely on. We wouldn't want some grabby kid or poor security guard vaporizing someone else by mistake," Danielle sighs, trailing after them, "So why are you guys here, anyway? I assume you don't just hop between worlds to visit horror movie conventions, however good they might be." --------------------------------------------------- (Strength check 16 v 9 success!) Aquila is able to lead Freya towards the convention center entrance, but it's going to take him a while simply because there's a *lot* of people between them and it. ---------------------------------------------------- Encounter Start! Alan rigs his emulator, enters the system, and immediately runs straight into a rather vigorous anti-virus/counter-intrusion software that seems to have flagged him as enemy action! It introduces itself to him via a video pop-up starring a middle-aged guy with a goatee. "Sorry, Doomy-pants," The guy in the video snarks at Alan, "You're not getting into our network this time. Maybe you should go back to waving your magic wand at people- Oh wait, you're not as good as some of the Avengers at that either! Sucks to suck." The antivirus software appears to be attempting to lock Alan's IP out of the wifi network, and also to alert organizations or possibly locations called SHIELD, the NYPD, and Avengers Tower to Alan's location and activities. Status Initiative

As Edmond starts flying across, the ceiling begins to shake alarmingly, dust and bits of rock falling from the roof. He gets Hiroki over the pit safely, at which point just a bit further down the hall the ceiling caves in, sending Cell tumbling down to join them amidst a pile of rubble. Sunlight now streams into the ruin through the hole in the ceiling.

"Why was I decommissioned? The British launched HMS Dreadnought, and from the moment she hit the water all battleships built before were obsolete. I served as a training ship for a time, before being fitted with a prototype radio control system and sunk as a target ship. Without my crew aboard, it could not be said that I was truly alive at that point, and perhaps this was a kinder fate than rusting away in the reserves, or being broken down for scrap," Iowa sighs, "It is a... difficult topic to linger on, but to rest your worries I was not... human, or as close to it as I am now. The United States Navy had no way of knowing I was anything other than an inanimate piece of steel, if one that deserved more for her decades of faithful service than being taken out to the training range and gunned down by her grandchildren. "The next I knew, I awoke in the castle my new allies use as their home. I don't know how I got there, or why I am now a person, as well as a ship. This is all very... new to me. But I assure you that while I might be outclassed by more recent designs, my armament and armor should be more than sufficient to deal with any land-based enemy."

Zoe takes a look at the book. She speaks a lot of languages, including a few that are very dead, and might recognize writings that less elderly people wouldn't.

"Mirri Av. I end problems. Sometimes for money. Always if it needs to be done," The Mandalorian introduces herself briefly, "I've been collaborating extensively with local engineers. ...And taking anger management courses. It's helped. If you need some skulls knocked together or metalwork done, I can handle it. I'm also a good pilot."

"Scout ahead? Very well," Rachel agrees, "It would be good to learn more about this place. It doesn't look all that warped, but there was a daemon... We need more information. And while Arminius has seemed to keep whatever he extracted from that daemon contained reasonably well, I'd feel more comfortable if children were to stay further away from it. Distance isn't necessarily any guarantee of safety, but it's the best I can think of right now."

A strange, but not unwelcome feeling comes over Danielle, like pressure has just been released from inside her. She takes a deep breath, and the words come easily, even as source-less music fills the room. Poncio feels something similar. He's not forced to join in, but the words come easily to him, like it's a script he'd memorized long ago. "It's gonna get a little weird! "Gonna get a little creepy! "I ain't from 'round here. "I'm from Raccoon City!" Danielle ducks under the clumsy zombie and rolls to a stop next to the supply cache, horn glowing with magic. "It's gonna get a little gory! "Gonna grab my SHOTGUN!" From the supply cache, exactly that comes, a simple, sleek, black design with a textured pump. "I ain't from 'round here. "I'm from Raccoon WOOHOO!" She levels the shotgun at the zombie and pumps it with a satisfying clack of ammunition entering the chamber.

Sister Rachel follows after Arminius, hanging back a bit as she ponders how something could be intelligent yet lack a soul. "And if Arminius speaks truly, he harvested something from that creature, but not a soul," She reasons quietly, "How odd. There's several things very different from what I had expected about this place..." She pauses to scoff at the message saying that only the fearless might come this way. Everyone is afraid of something. It is learning to overcome fear that brings about courage. But she pauses at the door to the switch room, as she hears Arminius and Calvera's current discussion. Feeling a rather lot like a third wheel, the warrior nun hangs back a bit to let them finish their conversation in relative privacy.

"United States Ship, of course. I'm not about to stop using my full name just because they decommissioned me," Iowa frowns, abruptly looking pensive, "I'm in good working order now. I can move and fight on land; no ship's ever done that before. They wouldn't just decommission me again..."

"Is it butts?" Danielle theorizes uncertainly, "...Probably not."

Lexiel is going to attempt to take her healing to the next level (assuming her Soul Warden survives), and cast Decree of Justice! The Decree will summon 4 Soldier Tokens, which have 1 HP and an attack/counterattack that deals 1d6 + 5 damage, blocking for Spicy HG, Ako, Michael, and Mitsu. This will trigger Soul Warden 4 times, restoring 20 HP to everyone, if the Soul Warden survives to Lexiel's turn.

"Excellent! The daemon has been vanquished, and Arminius is saved! What happened?" The armored nun purses her lips, a bit confused, "You certainly acted as though you had a plan, but by the way it grabbed you I'm not certain it went as intended. Not that plans ever survive first contact with the enemy."

Edmond is able to fly over the hole without any problems. No traps are triggered by him doing so. Soryn drops a lightning bolt into the hole, and it strikes the bottom. He isn't sure exactly how deep the pit is, but it's around 30 meters. Cell is able to scale the side of the ruin, and walk to about where he thinks is the other side of the hole. Of course, he can't see inside from where he is, so if he's wrong about that...

Izumi likewise loosens her sword in its sheath as she walks. "The blood trail could be a sign of where the demon hunter went. But it could also be bait. Demons might not often be that bright, but assuming they all won't be is asking for trouble from the smart ones."