Lucina nodded. "Fair enough," she said, shrugging. "I know people with a fair share of their own quirks."

Lucina perked up at the mention of the "other guest." Then she jumped at the sight of Marisa's attempt to make her assailants "TASTE THE RAINBOW, MOTHAF**KA!!!"

"Gods! What in Naga's name was that?!" Lucina helped. "Wait, don't answer that. I suppose that is the somewhat-less-compliant other-anomaly you spoke of." Lucina placed a hand on her sword. "Should this other cause any difficulties or dangers to the people, I should think that I'll help to subdue it."



"So, to put a halt to these plague-spreading perpetrators... First thing, I presume: establish that we don't touch the tainted blood, right?" Dedede mused. "Then, we examine anything that looks even slightly suspicious?"

Dedede hefted his hammer. "Well," the king said, twisting the handle of his mallet on his shoulder, "I suppose we oughta go check it out, eh?"

The moment her beam hit, and she heard that weird noise, Marisa was running. This was a tricky move, but hey, it had to work, right? At least she'd get most of her stuff back! Holding her hat open, she used it as a scoop, gathering as much as she could back into her storage spell before hopping onto her broom as quickly as possible. There wasn't any time to take inventory, and the blonde witch rose into the sky as quickly as she possibly could.

She flashed a wide grin and waved down at Touma and Index, tucking the mini-hakkero back in her pocket.

"So, you can cancel magic, huh?" she asked. "That's pretty nifty. I'll have to talk about that with you more when I bring Othi-chan back!"

It was pretty clear that Marisa was planning on flying off and abandoning whatever she hadn't gotten into her hat. This was the last chane to stop her.

Kanji was on stand by while Blake went to tie up Cinder. As she was being tied up Kanji took a glace to get a better look at Dlanor. What he thought at first, when she first showed up, was that she was slightly injured with blood from others. Now at a closer examination He realized She had A huge wound on her chest causing him to lose a little color from his face. "Hey...um. You do know you have a piece of your chest is...how are you still alive or moving?" He puts his hands up defensively after he realized what he just did. "Not trying to be rude just wondering."

Shivani - Castle Tepes Kitchens

"Defend the eye?" she asked with a smirk. "Yes, That would be a great way to pay back the men who left me in the land of ice." She drew one of her swords and nodded to the maid. "Take me to the eye and I will do my best. Very few have gotten past my blades. Those that have fell to my Thu'ums."

The thrill of lycanthropy ran through George Melons's brain like a giant spider through the Medbay. Slavering madly, George did the one thing that came to his suddenly rather hairy brain: dig.

Flailing wildly into the soft humours of the eye in front of him, George began burrowing through You Bastard's massive eye sockets, sending You Bastard into an even wilder fit of panic. You Bastard ceased attempting to scrape George out entirely, and instead began wildly heaving its bulk around.

You Bastard's frenzied rutting accomplished two things: one, it got a prodigious amount of sand in You Bastard's ruined eye socket; two, it kicked a prodigious amount of sand up into the air, creating a miniature sandstorm. Shazay, understanding the dangers of being blinded by sand next to a rampaging school bus, opted to keep his distance until the sandstorm abated.

Through the impenetrable shield of the sandstorm, Shazay and Frederick could see nothing. You Bastard's pained groans grew weak and petered out, and gradually the cloud of sand settled down. All that was left was You Bastard's corpse, covered in sand and blood.

Deep inside You Bastard's cranium, George Melons came to a realization: there is nothing worthwhile here. Huffing dejectedly, George Melons began burrowing back the way he came.

Very slowly, very carefully, Shazay closed in on You Bastard's corpse. When at last it seemed his mutilated corpse wasn't going to rise up again, Shazay stepped out of Dusty and approached it.

With an unpleasant squelching noise, George Melons emerged from You Bastard's other noise. As much as he would like to say it, George Melons did not make a joke about taking a wrong turn at Albuquerque. He leaped down from his perch atop You Bastard and shook himself clean, staining the sand a deep, malevolent crimson.

Shazay was speechless. To attempt to put what he was currently thinking into words would be a herculean task. Instead, he gave a single command to both Frederick and George.

"Help me set up these teleporters. Gotta get big boy here back home."

He tossed one boxy gewgaw each over to Frederick and George, and pointed to a pair of locations on either side of You Bastard. Dutifully, Frederick and George buried their gewgaws where Shazay had pointed, and returned to him. With the press of a button, You Bastard disappeared in a flash of light and sound, whipping up another sandstorm that quickly abated.

Shazay breathed a sigh of relief. The easy part was over.
"Aight. Go on and get back in the car, we've got one more job to go 'fore we're done."

George let loose a guttural growl that, while saying nothing, very clearly demonstrated indignation. Shazay pointed a warning finger at George, and continued.

"Don't you start bitching now, Shocker+ does shit by the planet. We're just deliverin' a throne to some city. I ain't got much info, but this The Throne thing sounds important, and this city is apparently well-defended. Now get your asses back in the truck, and we'll get this over and done with."



Ghastly howling filled the deck of the ghost ship as all four groups of vengeful ghosts rushed at Julius and Jack.

Julius, always a man for theatric bravery, charged the ghosts with an evil gleam in his eye. Just as he made contact with his ethereal foe, he was thrown backwards by a rush of frigid air and sent sprawling. The ghosts, showing no unwillingness to attack an incapacitated target, quickly surrounded him. Howling incomprehensible, the mob of ghosts tore viciously at Julius's armor. Wherever they struck, their ragged claws left lines of frost.

Jack, who was of a less fearless persuasion, reacted appropriately. In a clear panic, Jack fired blindly at the octet of marauding ghosts, striking one. The stricken ghost immediately vanished with a shrill howl and a cloud of foul sulphur gas.

Julius drew his own sidearm, and fired blindly into the crowd surrounding him, banishing two of his assailants. It was clear to these ghosts that these victims would be far too dangerous to take on. The ghosts, demonstrating some form of low cunning, fled to the belowdecks.

Jack opened his eyes, and saw that the main deck was clear. Moving with urgency, he hoisted Julius back up on his feet, and handed him his rifle. Julius smiled wearily, and gave Jack a friendly pat on the back.

"Should teach you to talk about ghosts, huh?" said Julius, finding his balance.

Jack gave him an annoyed look, and looked to the forecastle.
"They were whispering about the foc'sle. Bet you what they were guarding is up there."

The forecastle itself was unusually cluttered. Tools and weapons scattered the floor, and the ship's railing was in splinters. It looked as if it had been picked clean in a hurry. The only moderately-intact point of interest on the deck was a large ornate wooden chest, leafed with gold and rubies. With a telling gleam in his eye, Jack plundered the chest, and held its contents out for all to see.

It was a pair of boots, with a miniscule human skull placed between them. Though neither Jack nor Julius knew it, these were the Dead Man's Boots, a powerful Artifact. They wouldn't be at all useful for either of them, since it wasn't the Pendant of Death. Jack stared at the Boots concernedly. Why would someone go through the trouble to put a pair of boots in such an ornate chest? It just didn't make sense. Still, treasure was treasure, and Jack wasn't one to refuse it.

Whistling confidently, Jack Morgan and Julius Aldo worked their way back to the main deck, and climbed back into the Hunter-Chopper.

Thrumming rhythmically, the Hunter-Chopper pounded off in search of further landmarks. What else would they discover this day?

"I guess we see what happens?" the schoolgirl answered as the small goddess came over (not that she'd been paying attention for that bit, focusing instead on if 'Pensee' was an actual place that she knew of), before performing an action utterly lacking in dramatic impact of any sort: agreeing with the command prompt to initialise.

---

"I'm not in a hurry to go straight home," Mokou remarked, following after the other two. Much as she enjoyed her feud with Kaguya, going home after such a short visit outside the barrier again seemed like a waste. She might be able to find a way around the immortality provided by the Hourai Elixir, remote as the chance was, but even if she couldn't it meant a nice break.

The machine coming from nowhere was certainly loud, and she wasn't absolutely certain what it was. It didn't seem like a rocket; that would have had fire if what she'd learned was fully accurate. Was it one of those plane things?

The moment the button was pressed, there was a crackling sound from the portal. The haze in the central ring warped and shifted, and with a crackling sound something appeared within it. It was what looked like a town square, with people milling about dressed in what appeared to be rather old-fashioned attire. There were a series of buildings, but the area that the portal was showing appeared to be a clear area with a few scattered stands. The people suddenly appeared to notice something, all looking towards the portal and staring with shock and awe.

Black Rock Shooter did not hesitate.

She passed through and beyond... and her boots hit cobblestone.

The blonde girl slowly approached the portal, distracted from her fun by it.

"... Pensee... I... think it's safe?" she turned to the others with a smile. How she knew this was anyone's guess. But it was clear Black Rock Shooter had appeared on the other side.



The craft that was prepped for travel to the dimension that held the world of Nox was a strange one. It was huge, and combined a variety of technological and magical features. It was a gleaming, shiny black, that seemed to warp strangely when it was passed. That and the front of it was the gnarled head of a roaring dragon, complete with a cannon mounted in the mouth.

It was now that all those reporting to assault Nox were instructed to board the vessel.

And a certain operative, who had just returned, was told to report to the Leader herself.



It was now that the local authorities were appearing, firefighting teams arriving to put out the blaze in the museum. Pointing the Red Key at Cinder Fall's spine, she urged the prisoner onwards. At least, until the newcomer mentioned her injury. Glancing towards him, she was silent for a moment before deciding to address his concerns.

"This injury is of no CONCERN," she said, simply, even as blood dripped onto the tiles that composed the floor. "It will heal within the DAY."

Misaka 10032, Academy City

Misaka fell silent as Lucina ceded on whatever discussion there might have been of her social quirks, which she filed away with the Network for later. They'd done a better job of hiding it from her than they had Marisa, but that was to be expected given the methods of encounter for both. At the moment, she allowed Kakine to talk an explain, since he seemed to be proving himself adept in doing so. Instead she kept her focus on the situation at hand, and she poured on the speed to prevent any further developments now that they were near their goal.

She quickly got a better view once they had entered visual range. There was, as expected, Kamijou Touma and the annoying nun, with a variety of objects scattered before them. More importantly though was Marisa, rising into the air on her broom and preparing to leave. That could not be allowed, since who knew where she might end up next time? As it stood she was not going to allow the thief to escape again.

"Moving to intercept," she informed Kakine before acting, bringing up her rifle and firing on the run, rubber bullets sent flying at the Witch. She doubted that Touma would object to the interference, and the sooner they got this situation resolved the better. With that in mind she acted to resolve it, nothing more, as she fired away.

---

Ilyasviel von Einzbern, Shadow Eternity HQ

Ilya let out an impressed whistle as she stepped aboard the strange ship that they would be using for this mission. Someone sure had invested a lot of time and effort into the thing, and she was sure she would appreciate it before they got to their destination. It wasn't as if they would lack for time.

For her part she was relaxed, wearing a grin as she stepped inside. At least it was big, which meant a premium of space for her to work with. She didn't need it, but it never hurt. And with all the other stuff built in, it could support quite the strike force too. She just hoped that it could get them there in one piece, because she had no desire to hitchhike or get on the hull and start shooting arrows at people.

Once inside, she went to find a couch or a chair or something like that, to sit down in and bide her time as she waited for them to get going. There wasn't much else to do, and she didn't want to waste her mana, so she simply relaxed. Soon enough she'd be able to have her fun.

---

Cinder Fall, Museum World

Without protest, Cinder began to move at the prodding of the weapon. Disobedience was the farthest thing from her mind at this point, even if she had been willing to test whether a severed spine could be healed by Aura. She had the suspicion that it wasn't, and she would rather not force the issue now. She still had her own mission to accomplish, and she couldn't do that while here. She just hoped that these operatives were smart enough to recognize her worth.

So she walked along, waiting to see where they would end up, ignoring the pain from her shoulderblades and back, and planning ahead for the first opportunity she got to push her agenda along. It would come, and when it did she would be ready.

With her entourage now dispelled, and the craft to convey them to their destination arrived, the fallen paladin made her way towards the ship. Once upon a time, she might have have reacted with confusion to such an anomaly as the ship. But after extra-planar raiding parties, a rogue magical construct gone rogue, dragons, and an all-consuming absence of a soul, what was machinery that you couldn't understand? The gnome's pet project fit that criteria as well as this transport.

For one reason or another, Kerri chose to stand once on the ship, rather than even looking for seating. Even if, by some strange coincidence, health and safety had managed to penetrate even the heart of Shadow Eternity and enforced seating whenever possible.

Sawyer warps into the pizzeria and walks out of the handicap stall. Looking around and not seeing any animatronics she makes sure the bandana, with a scar pattern on it, covers up her face and still allows her to see. She leaves the ladies restroom and makes her way to the front door. If no animatronic interacts with her she leaves the building and go's to the job interview in the parking lot.

"Oh hey, another new one."

"Viz ein chainsaw. Never seen ZAT before. Ahem. Greetings, und velcome to Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria, a Shocker+ Subsidiary. You haff shown initiative in coming here und ve respect zis." The first interviewer said, legs crossed as he tapped a riding crop in one hand.

"However, we have a few questions to ask to determine if you're Shocker+ material." The second interviewer said as the screens serving as its eyes blinked to life. A jaunty tune played as the interview began.

"QVESTION VON! ARE YOU CURRENTLY USING- OR HAFF YOU EVER USED-- ADDICTIVE DRUGS SUCH AS ZOSE SHOWN HERE?!" Starfish Hitler screamed, standing and slapping the riding crop onto TV Fly's eye. A list of drugs filled up the screens as tears welled up in TV-fly's eye.

• Jesus, Starfish Hitler, do you have to slap my eye all the fucking time?
• Moon Sugar
• Psycho
• Mr Bones
• Joy
• Deathsticks
• Novacoke
• Deepweed
• Bouncy Bubble Beverage
• Deathweed
• Slow-Mo
• Refrain
• Red Eye
• Stimutacs
• Salt
• Cat Food
• Hyperzine
• Glistening Oil
• Electromagnetic Particles
• Red Spice
• Blue Spice
• Orange Spice
• Baby Spice
• Old Spice
• That Blue Meth from Breaking Bad
• Nuka-Cola Quantum
• Hist Sap
• Mindbreaker Toxin
• Ambrosia
• Demon Horn
• Human Horn
• Hyper Potion
• Venom
• Estus
• Estrus
• Rumble Balls
• Plasmids
• Vigors
• Cyber-Modules
• Triptocaine
• Fairy Dust
• Angel Dust
• Dust
• Blue Herb
• Slappers
• Slab
• Slide
• Slunky
• Slush
• Skooma

The stitched-together maid sniffled, rubbing her eyes as she got to her feet and took a deep breath.

"... O-okay, Mister Samurai," she began, inclining her head respectfully towards him. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all! Well, it wasn't as if she thought he was bad in the first place, but she'd gotten really upset and simply wasn't sure what to do or think for a bit. But now it seemed like everything would be a-okay! She gave him a smile, still teary-eyed, before continuing.

"A-are you going to come back inside? Her Majesty really does need help!" she paused for a moment, trying to recall the name of the organization that was assisting them. "It was the... the... you-em-em-ay you're part of, right?"

Meanwhile, Shirley finally managed to choke out a few words.

"H-her majesty will s-s-see you soon!" she cried, before completely vanishing. It seemed her ability to deal with new people had finally given out.

As the list of drugs show up on the screen she takes off her bandana, revealing the scar on her neck, and reads the list. She puts the Ultravoice on her neck. "No."

Jack noted that people seemed fine with his idea for him to guard the Eye directly. When the Queen mentioned that the Shadow Eternity may take hours or even days to show up, he nodded curtly in response, then said. "I require no bedding or chambers, merely a floor to sit and rest upon. If I am trusted enough, I would take my rest in the chamber directly outside the Eye, if only to ensure the Eye remains under careful guard." He looked among the faces of those assembled, and smiled slightly. This would be an easy mission, no doubt thanks to the skill of those present. However, it would do Jack no good to let his guard down, so he stifled those thoughts, and waited for a reply.

"No, not a samurai. Not anymore, at least. I'm just a simple freelancer these days; nothing more, nothing less." Gintoki smiled, swinging his bokuto over his shoulder as little miss Frankenmaid asked if he was going to go back inside. Well, since he just saw that the ghost maid was outside, so if he wanted to go as far away from her as possible...

"Well, I guess I've had enough fresh air for now." he said, handing the empty cup back to the undead maid before walking to the door. "I'm kind of bound by contract at this point, so I'll be heading in back to them. I guess."

With that said, Gintoki walked back inside the Castlevania-esque mansion and back down towards that... Unsettling dungeon. Damn these contracts and their lack of details!


Suwako let out a subconscious "oooh!" as she watched the portal spring to life, her eyes sparkling with excitement. This was what moving through world should be like! Nothing like that creepy-as-heck gap full of eyes that the hag used...
Wait, what was that killing intent that she just felt?
...
Oh well, didn't matter. Point was, this was MUUUCH more inviting than something straight out of the Underworld!

"Alrighty, I'm coming too!" Suwako declared before taking a few steps back and, after a deep breath, ran at the portal before diving into it.
Though the shift in worlds was as disorienting as her first trip had been (to the desert, of course), the end result this time was much less painful as she landed on her feet, right next to where Black Rock Shooter had moments earlier.


Kakine stared at Marisa's location as he approached the site of combat, slowly releasing strands of Dark Matter from his fingertips as he readied for a fight. Extending his hands outwards, he quickly shot the strands further outwards and around Marisa to form an interwoven net of the material. At the same time, Kakine also diverted some of the material to latch onto Marisa's broom and, in one movement, sent the Dark Matter extending from his hands into the ground to keep the net in place.

"I do believe that's enough trouble for one day, Ms. Kirisame. You see, this was why I was worried about bringing you here in the first place..." he sighed before feeding more Dark Matter into the strands that were latching onto her broom and turning them more into thick cables bound to the ground.

"...Kamijou. I'd recommend you not attempt to reach her this time, lest you destroy the barrier I've put up."
Touma, of course, could only stand by and wait this time. Regardless of what he usually did, the Level 5 did have a point...


Well, that was certainly... Convenient. He had set out to resolve one issue, but had returned to deal with another... Which meant, of course, that he was probably going to be chewed out or something for coming back in the first place.
Shit.
Well, no matter. He'd resolve the issues at hand, one way or another. If that meant getting reprimanded by the big boss, then so be it.
Taking a deep breath and calming himself as much as he could, Hazama walked off to wherever the hell it was the boss tended to be...
Which, recently, seemed to be with that weird-ass not-human girl that she spirited away a while back.

A few minutes of walking later, he had made it all the way to that laboratory, which, admittedly, reminded him quite aptly of Kokonoe's place.

"You called?" he asked, opening the door and looking around the place for any trace of the leader. Well, she was supposed to be here...?

Saber gave a firm nod, then turned to face the Queen. She returned the gesture with a shrug. It seemed to Saber that the childlike ruler would have accepted any outcome of the decision immediately. Was it not the matter of the defense of her family's jewel at stake? Or perhaps she simply trusted that they would ensure its safety regardless of the decision. In any case, as she received the nod from the tiny Queen, her attention returned to her allies.

"I agree with Jack's proposal," she began, "His position closest to the Eye is ideal for his set of skills, as it will be difficult for Shadow Eternity's forces to attack at range if they desire to avoid harming it. He will be able to keep the fight at close range and overwhelm his enemies in close quarters."

Granted, Saber was fairly certain the samurai could counteract ranged fighters as well. His skill with his blade was extremely impressive, and therefore it seemed to her that fighting close to the Eye in the event of Shadow Eternity's approach would be ideal. For the others, she would need to investigate the layout of the castle. Though there was one in particular she felt would be most useful outdoors.

"Nono, you will most likely be placed outside of the castle," she added, "Though I will need to investigate the layout of the building more thoroughly."

With that, she headed for the chamber's exit, pausing when she saw a familiar face approaching.

"You've returned, Gintoki," she said, nodding slightly, "We are beginning to plan our defense."

Meanwhile, Queen Tepes approached Samurai Jack, peering up at him with a small smile on her face. "I like you. You volunteered before Miss Saber even started planning a defense strategy. Just for that, I'm going to assign some maids to prepare your meals special! What kind of food do you like the most?"

At that moment, Shirley faded into view nearby. She leaned close to the Queen and whispered into her ear. After a moment's pause, the childish vampire nodded. It seemed that there were non-threatening intruders and what appeared to be salespeople in front of the castle.

"... Fine, fine, I'll see to all that in a moment," she said with a sigh.



Well.

Crap.

Marisa hovered in place, trying to struggle against the binds. The rubber bullets had been a problem but she'd wheeled out of range, but this dark matter or whatever it was... that was kind of trouble. This sucked. She didn't like just anyone tying her up like this! She frowned deeply and glanced at Othinus in her pocket. Seriously? Jeez...

"... Aww, I don't even get to dress her up?" she complained, trying her best to fold her arms even with the restrictive dark matter netting keeping her in place. "Really? Can I at least collect all my stuff again? The weirdo with the hand made it all come out of my hat."

Sure, she knew his name, but calling him 'weirdo with the hand' was more satisfying.



Soldiers poured onto the vessel. Each of them took a seat in the vast machine, some helping each other adjust their gear or calibrate their weapons. They were all equipped with the new rifles, the ones capable of utilizing mana-imbued blasts of energy in order to harm those foes who seemed impervious to mundane harm. At least, any that would be easily transported by a human-like individual on a large scale. Among them, a woman with a long ponytail clutching a sheathed katana stepped onto the ship. She was rather eager to see if a certain enemy she had faced would be there.

It wasn't likely, the UMMA surely had no knowledge of the Eye of the Serpent, but really, there was no harm in hope, was there?

She flashed a smile to the soldiers around her. This bunch. This bunch seemed like reliable types. The kind who wouldn't shoot civilians just for kicks. The kind who only hurt their enemies, not the innocent people cowering nearby. These guys were worth some concern, in her opinion at least. They showed each other some concern as far as she could tell, checking one another's gear even without needing to be ordered to. Certainly not the scumbags she'd been last saddled with.

The ship's communications crackled to life.

"I am certain you are all aware of your mission," the Leader's voice began, "The castle's defense is composed of a variety of supernatural creatures, including a being known as 'Clark'. We still have very little information on 'Clark'. They are not easily slain, and it is advisable to attempt to disable them rather then wasting time on killing them. Of course, my operatives are indeed capable of permanently ending them as a threat, so defer to them for orders."

The ship's engine flared to life.

It would not be long, now.



The Leader strode out from behind the tube that contained Dead Master. In the dim lighting, the purple haze around her body almost seemed more intense. She regarded Hazama for a moment, before addressing him directly.

"I was monitoring your mission as best I could," she began, "This woman... she wants you to get a signature from the Murder Doll of the UMMA? Quite difficult, even if she is currently injured... However, I believe you may be able to use her. If not... she is a threat to your mission, and therefore I am willing to provide any assistance you may need in eliminating that threat."

One hand was placed upon the tube containing Dead Master. The Leader seemed fond of doing this, for whatever reason, as if it provided her some kind of comfort.

Jericus "Ing" Ignace- Transit

The guardsman steeped back as the portal came to life saying a prayer to the machine spirit in the device. "It looks better than here," he said looking through the portal. It reminded of the last planet he was on before ending on this emperor accursed dust ball. Upon seeing black rock and Suwako pass through he determent it was safe enough but said the Litany of warp travel just in case . "Shield me from the maelstrom, prove this ship worthy of protecting. Your legions, who bring Your light wherever they travel." he said before jumping through the portal. Landing on the other side he looked around "this place is pretty nice."

Argon Charr Shadow Eternity Vessel Foecrusher

Double checking his gear in as he waited for the ship to get to Nox. Satisfied that gear proper order he started observed the people he was with for this operation. 'They look like they have a level head,' he thought to himself as he pulled out his Bes'bev and played a tune on it.

The Hunter-Chopper had finally managed to find dry land. Below it was a positively-massive island, decorated with winding lava flows and massive badlands. A number of small cities could be seen scattered throughout the island, surrounded by peaceful-looking grassland. Mobs of humanoids wandered around these grasslands, only occasionally crossing into the badlands to reach the other cities. Every so often, two of the mobs would clash, and one would annihilate the other. Almost mindless beings coming together solely to crush other mindless beings. Such was the state of the wars of Might and Magic.

Sindibad angled the Hunter-Chopper lower to the ground, to make picking out landmarks easier. At the moment, the Hunter-Chopper had absolute air superiority. Even a mighty dragon would find it difficult to bring it down without suffering heavily for it. Multiple dragons, however, would be problematic. Luckily, it seemed all the dragons were hovering mere feet above the ground, happily slaughtering and being slaughtered for their Heroes.

Jack Morgan stared out the Chopper's opened door wistfully. All this treasure was out there, and they needed to find only one. A slew of landmarks poked out from the contested land below, like lanterns in the dead of night. Ominous cottages, lumber mills, guard towers, sparkling lakes-- all of them ripe for the plundering, whether by Jack or by one of the armies rampaging across the island. Though it was a bright and clear day, Jack could see a bevy of beautiful rainbows scattered across the horizon. Rainbows that very clearly ended at a specific location.

Jack sensed treasure. The end of a rainbow always carried prizes, be they leprechauns or leprechauns' loot. If a shipwreck could carry treasure--unusual treasure, but treasure nonetheless--then the end of a rainbow carried a lot of treasure!

"Sindibad, look at the rainbow!" Jack said, a gleam appearing in his eye yet again. "Set us down where it ends; I've got a good feeling about this one!"

---

The Hunter-Chopper idly spun its rotors as, nearby, Jack Morgan blazed a trail through a thicket of vibrant bushes, their branches thick with sweet berries. Deep in the thicket, a brook gently babbled, fed by--sure enough-- the end of a rainbow. A small humanoid, decked in bright-green finery decorated with black and gold, smiled warmly at Jack's entrance. Without even waiting for Jack to speak, the humanoid addressed him.

"I know why you're here, my boy! You're looking for artifacts, aren't ya? Well, I've got myself a fancy little piece, for the right price," the leprechaun grinned impishly as he pulled a small amulet from the confines of his suit. The amulet was decorated with a miniature coffin, for whatever reason. The leprechaun spoke with a touch of awe brushing his voice. "the Amulet of the Undertaker. Guaranteed to make you a better Necromancer!"

Jack looked at the Amulet curiously. It wasn't the Pendant of Death, but it might be a good gift for Xsi. It'd be useful for currying favor, whatever good that would do him. "Hey, sure! I'm always in the mood for... being a better necroguy. How much is it?"

The leprechaun's smile widened. "Only 2000 gold, my friend! At this price, it's a steal!" he said, very happily implying that it was practically stealing, but not for the right reasons.

Jack glared at the leprechaun, but said nothing. Quietly, he pulled out a hand radio, and called in to Sindibad Darude.
_{"Hey, Sindibad... do we want to maintain good relations with this kingdom for very long?"}
"Uh, probably not. We only want good relations with Xsi."
_{"All I needed to hear. Thank you."}

Jack calmly slipped his radio back into his pack, pulled out a gun, and shot the leprechaun. Whistling pleasantly, he ransacked the leprechaun's still-warm body, and stole the Amulet of the Undertaker. It was only a bad omen to shoot unicorns, right? he thought, as he stepped back into the helicopter.

"Well," Jack said, shrugging. "We didn't get the Pendant here, either. But, I did find a very nice amulet. It could be useful as a bargaining chip."

"Hey, that's all right!" Sindibad said, bringing the Hunter-Chopper up and out. "Maybe they'll like those boots you got, too. Oh, and maybe we can get some flowers and wine just to seal the deal!"

"No need to be such a dick, Sindibad. These trips haven't been a total loss. If we're lucky, we'll find the Pendant soon. If not, we'll get some more loot to pawn off to the highest bidder and then we can find the Pendant."

The Hunter-Chopper moved along. Where would it go next?

Jack was glad that his suggestion of him guarding the Eye was agreed upon, and nodded to Saber in a quick thanks. Unexpectedly, Queen Tepes thanked Jack for being so quick to volunteer, and offered him a special meal. He bowed graciously, and was quick to reply. "I am most humbled by your offer, Queen Tepes. Normally I would decline, but as you are royalty I must accept, as very few are given such a great honor. I must know if your servants are capable of preparing sushi. If not, I would be glad to instruct them." He bowed again, then stood patiently, his face donning a slight smile.

Arragoz Plizgin - Shadoo Foreva HQ/Foekrusha

After a good bit of waiting, the transport that would be taking them to Nox finally arrived. With everything in place, in regards to both the Kommando's equipment and his kunnin' plan, the Ork stood up and plodded over to the ship. The ape-like beetle monster Arragoz had requested to join the mission, whose name sounded vaguely similar to 'Ogan, followed close behind. Shortly after he entered the ship, Shadoo Foreva's boss remotely addressed the crew with information the Ork cared little for. If Clark was anyfing like the rest of the s'kurity he'd 'eard about, Arragoz would simply have to put a tad more effort into krumpin' 'im.

With that out the way, the Kommando looked over the gitz who'd been assigned to accompany him on the misshun. The Greenskin was neither impressed nor surprised. Most of them wore identical uniforms, making it even more difficult than usual to tell the humies apart from each other. As for the more 'unique' ones, their clothes and height were all that really stood out in the Ork's eyes. The shortest one looked like a cross between a Squat 'n' an Elfdar, being both stunted in height and frail-looking. Another humie was somewhat taller, and wore metal armour. Less puny than the prior one, but only by a smidgen. The last one wore armour reminiscent of the Imperial Guard, but with a peculiar helmet sporting a T-shaped visor. He looked decently killy, so Arragoz figured that one had the best chances of survival out of the lot.

However, that was a matter for the future. Now was the time for the Kommando to establish who was really in charge of this misshun. Stepping up to the figurative plate, Arragoz shoved a few humies out of the way, before getting his hands on the ship's equivalent to an intercom. Bellowing into the contraption, the Ork addressed all Shadoo Foreva operatives present.

"Al'roight ya gitz, dis iz Arragoz Plizgin speakin'. Since you lot are a bunch 'uv puny humies, I'z decided to take charge. If'n any uv you gitz disuhgree, you'z k'n take it up wiff da komplaints d'partment. For few'cha reference," The Greenskin briefly paused, unholstered his slugga, and held it up for all to see. "dis iz da komplaints d'partment."

"Now, since I'z proppa kunnin', I've already gotz a klevva plan in mind. Ya see, da gitz we'z dealin wiff ain't Orkz, so they'z too stoopid ta see dis kummin'. Well, they'z gonna see part uv it, but that's all part uv da plan, ya see? Anyways, on to da plan. Most uv you gitz 'r' gonna go in loud, right frew da frunt gate, ta be specific. I want you'z to make as much noise as possible, 'n' keep whateva S'kurity dey 'ave busy. Dat sound simpul enuff?" Without waiting for a reply, the Greenskin moved onto the next phase of his plan.

"So, while da gitz guardin' da manshun are busy, I'z gonna be takin' a smaller group, 'n' we'll be makin' owselves a new entrance." The Greenskin paused again, and proceeded to point insistently at the Umber Hulk on the ship. "See dis git? 'E kan dig frew just abowt anyfing, so we'z gonna use dat to get da Eye 'uv da Serpent proppa fast."

"Now, we'z gots to split into teams. Those uv you 'hoo want to join me 'n' 'Ogan in burrowin' down, raise yer 'and. As fer da rest, you'z gets ta be da distrackshun. Ain't dat lovely? Uv course, if'n you don't like da plan, just say sumfing. I wantz ta know 'hoo ta shoot."