Tokyo, Japan
Saturday December 17'th 2022
11:39 AM



Winter had just closed its grasp upon the busy city of Tokyo and people were scurrying to secure themselves safely indoors where the icy winds would be unable to pester the hard working folks. These days shopping hardly occurred on the streets or in the mall, instead the buildings were converted into apartments to help house people. With poverty and other plights abolished, the world had finally corrected its lens and had finally focused on the well being of society, as opposed to the selfish wants of the few in power. Over the past couple of years, mankind has made wonderful discoveries in medicine, technology and space exploration. And rather than fight wars, Gvns banned together to combat the glaring gap between the rich and poor. Now, there was peace in the world and resources could now be spent on worthwhile endeavors. Now people's lives had been converted to digital data and energy, prompting age expectancy to skyrocket thanks to the invention of the MChip.

Among the new and astonishing inventions, was the DgtWld. Unlike the Internet from say, 2011, people are now able to fully lose themselves in the online life. To be safe however, people have security precautions which prevented them from being hurt inside by viruses and hackers. Of course people can find a way around such petty tricks. There is a danger lurking inside the DgtWld and as such, Gvns have had to enlist the help of secret helpers. These helpers would be compensated generously for their time and effort to defend everyone else from the fallacious dangers. These helpers are known, or unknown, as Correctors. Hired not for their intelligence in computers, but for their high moral standing and ability to multitask with carrying two lives, these people are humanity's final line of defense between criminals and people who want to enjoy the prefect life that has finally been crafted after centuries of strife.

And rather than find herself outside on the windy rainy streets, Natazume Meadows was safe inside one of the numerous internet cafes.

She wasn't alone either, her fellow Correctors were all with her, except they weren't.

Their morning had started off ordinary as ever, Natazume rallied the group together to grab some breakfast. For the past two days, no notifications had torn them away from their normal day-to-day lives and it was a little strange. So much so, that the leader of the TKY Sector insisted everyone meet up for brunch to catch up and see how things were with everyone. It was easy to stay in touch due to constantly being on-call for work but it being nearly 50 hours of dead silence, the leader still wanted everyone to touch base. Just as their orders had been placed however, their phones went off with various noises and degrees of urgent vibration. It seemed Hackers could tell when they were most comfortable since the Gvn had just alerted them to trouble online that needed to be dealt with immediately.

The group had to cancel their orders and hurry to the nearest cafe to sync up with their mobile application. Once they rented a private room for four hours, to be safe and give themselves plenty of time just in case, they settled down and logged in. Natazume had picked a neon blue beanbag chair and had gotten comfortable before she connected to the DgtWld. When she and the others materialized in the dark lifeless grid, they were greeted by someone. Another odd bright red flag. Usually as Correctors, they were given a brief overview of their mission through their Cnnt application but nothing had been given and now a man in a black suit stood before them with sunglasses covering his eyes as he looked over their hired help. Gvn officials all looked the same, dressed the same and as far as the public was concerned, acted the same: in the best interests of the country, even if that entailed keeping secrets and hiring help to fight in an online world of numbers and letters.

"This mission is very different." The man began to speak, his gold colored shades preventing any trace of recognition for the group of five.

Just as he did, static surrounded the area, blurring the images of everyone for a brief moment.

"This anomaly has appeared out of nowhere and yet it expands for miles. We cannot run a scan for who or what is taking up space but we have reason to believe-" More static followed by small fuzzy tangents of data to somehow leak from the man speaking to them. "th-that Hackers are using this as a base to stage a large sc-scale atta-ack-k over the upcoming holidaysss-" Suddenly the man dematerialized into a million shreds of data and Crystal stepped forward to take his place. Turning on her heel, she faced the other four and pressed her lips together. The information felt more like a warning and she didn't feel right about it. Of course it was their duty to charge into danger and to not worry about themselves, but for the good of everyone else who couldn't enter such a risky area, known as the DgtWld.

"Alright, usually we'd have coordinates to help us find where to go so I think we should wait and see if he comes back." She suggested but as soon as she did a loud screeching noise filled the space around them. Cringing, Crystal took a knee and ducked her head. A sharp pain assaulted her head as she felt her upper body seize up. Her normal, cautious patient approach wouldn't work in this situation. Every alarm inside was going off, telling her to log off and regroup offline where it was safe but she couldn't access that part of their program. If she couldn't, then it was certain the others couldn't either. That sent panic throughout her veins as she struggled to break free from the static's down-force. Someone somewhere was messing with the gravity, making it impossible for her to move. As the density in the air continued to fluctuate, she found her body growing weak as she struggled to stay in place.

With another jerk, she smacked into the ground and let out a grunt of pain.

The others were struggling as well and when Crystal opened her eyes, she no longer saw the usual grid around them, but a city bathed in gold. She happened to be laid on her back, sprawled out above a baby blue sky with light music playing in the background. Something hard was under her and she moved to place a palm beside her to help push her into a sitting position. "Guys?" She asked, just amazed she could move, let alone speak. Her back was killing her and she still needed to figure out where they even were. "Something tells me that agent was just a trap to lure us here...wherever we are." Crystal spoke softly and got to her feet. Much to her surprise, her weapon wasn't far from her and she quickly grabbed it, not comfortable with the knowledge that she had been briefly defenseless.

"This is surely the cause of Hackers. It's hard to imagine they would go to such lengths to pull us here unless they wanted something." She said and looked around them. The city had running water pouring down below. At present, she was on a long golden bridge and could see lush green mixed the the lavish buildings and tapestry. In the background to her left, she noted mountains but didn't think they mattered. It then dawned on her that not everyone was present. With her, was Atomik and BreGle. But where were the others? "It seems we've been separated, most likely on purpose." She said, mostly to herself though it wasn't helpful to consider that multiple enemies were lurking in the shadows, unseen. "The sun, the breeze...it almost feels...safe." Crystal stopped herself as she outstretched her palm upwards, as if able to take a solid piece of the sun hidden behind the feathery clouds and hot air balloons, and actually feel solidarity.

Inside the DgtWld, things were cold and painful and yet this display of artwork reminded the woman that security could also be generated. They could feel injuries and battle wounds carried over offline, and yet as she tried to quell her anxiety, she also found complicated feelings of delight and wonder. How could such a world have so much artificial life and hospitality, when outside winter was getting under everyone's skin? "We need to start looking for the others but let's be careful, we have no idea what is lurking in here." She advised the other two, still determined to stay in control of the situation they were in. The armored warrior took a deep breath and tried to push all distracting thoughts out of her head. This was work to them, they needed to stay focused and alert. "We should try and find a place that will serve as higher ground, that way we can have a better vantage point. I also believe the others may do the same." She said and glanced toward the largest point in the city, the large pointed building reaching into the sparse clouds.

"That's our goal." She nodded slightly. "If you two aren't hurt, let's get moving." She encouraged and began to walk down the empty walkway. It wasn't far at all but Crystal knew that getting to the top wouldn't be a simple task whatsoever. "The others are surely close by but for now, let's try to be quiet."

Maya Hajsafi hated the cold. One could blame the Persian blood that coursed through his veins, one could blame his general distaste for the real world and all the trappings that came with it. Maya blamed the fact that the cold was terrible in general and he needed no explanation for it. It was this tendency to avoid the frigid wind and rains of the winter that almost led him to skip the breakfast meeting this morning under the guise of an illness or something of the like. But Meadows-sama really wanted everyone to be there, and he couldn't turn down an order like that. Especially from one of the few people he actually respected and somewhat liked. She was a breath of fresh air in the Tokyo sector when she came in, and for her and the group, Maya would endure Mother Nature's chilly temper tantrum.

The discussion had soldiered on without many contributions from Maya. There wasn't much for him to say. Spending a bunch of time locked in a flat, studying coding languages and eating whatever the daily special was of the rotating stable of delivery places around Aoyama didn't make for a gripping narrative. He could talk about his latest excursion into the DgtWld as a patron. He made a couple alterations to the beach side cabana in Antigua he frequented, merely by subbing the Arty remix of "Piece of Mind" in the playlist out for the Myon and Shane 54 Summer of Love version, but he doubted that was stirring either. The plan was to merely eat his hash browns and drink his orange juice, nodding in time when it was called for and contributing some brief opinions. The buzzing of everyone's phones at once was almost welcome as it meant an opportunity to work and actually be productive for a change, although it did mean he would be doing it hungry.

After Meadows-sama led the way to a nearby cafe, Maya plunked down on one of the forest green bean bag chairs in the corner and logged in, materializing behind the others as digital forms replaced flesh ones. Atomik was a bit confused at first to see the gentlemen in the sunglasses standing before them. "This doesn't seem-" she started to say as static filled the area around them. "What the..." It was more than a random burst of interference as the man soon disappeared in a cloud of data, dispersing into the ether. Even if this agent wasn't Gvn-sanctioned, there's no way he should have been cut out so easily...

As the suit faded away, Crystal seemed willing to take control of the situation herself. Atomik would have offered the opinion that she didn't think he'd be coming back soon after that, but she never had the chance. The static from before seemed to be manifesting itself audibly now, and it was downright painful. She was normally sensitive to other sounds, but this was overwhelming even for Atomik. She instantly dropped to her knees and held her hands to her ears, trying desperately to block it out, at least long enough to try and make an escape, but it was too much. She couldn't even move. She could barely think! It wasn't long before her body was completely shut down and she collapsed onto the grid below.

Crystal was talking as she came to. About what, it was tough to say for now. Atomik was just concentrating on rebooting her body after such a dreadful experience. She was splayed out on the ground as she woke up and she struggled to get up into even a push up position. The soft violin and piano music playing in the background helped assuage matters somewhat, it was definitely better than that horrible screeching, but as she rolled over to see Crystal sitting up, BreGle still groggy and...no one else, she grew worried about the fate of the other two.

The leader was convinced of Hacker work at the root of this problem, and Atomik saw no reason to disagree with that assessment. Crystal reached up to the sky as if to get a feeling for the surroundings around them. "It feels better than winter, that's for sure..." The breeze and the sun worked in conjunction with the surroundings to try to generate a sense of calm, and it was working for the most part. The terrain suggested a Himalayan retreat, the buildings suggested a restoration of Angkor Wat, and the statues around them...almost seemed like Ancient Egyptian deities? It was a weird mishmash of cultures and it kept the sense of unease alive in Atomik. It wasn't prevalent but it was there. And other questions persisted. If we were Hacked, why were we brought here? What Hacker would want us so at ease? Why would they go through such lengths to create this for us? Atomik was clearly puzzled.

The plan seemed to be to move on, try and locate Cypher and Apex and get some bearings on where they had been sent. Atomik finally clued in that maybe her cannon would be a good thing to have on this excursion and luckily it rested near where she landed. Crystal had settled on the large building with the halo surrounding it. Surely whether it held a vantage point or the head honcho it would provide some answers. Atomik settled in line behind Crystal and started to move behind the leader, weapon drawn and set to 4 for the moment. Keeping quiet was a bit more of a challenge though in the face of all these questions running through her head. "Crystal, what is this? This place, it's nothing like I've seen before in the DW. I'm pretty sure it can't be all sunshine and eagle dudes."

Milos was taking it easy as he stood out of bed, it was heavenly comfortable to be surrounded in his warm sheets. Getting a full night rest with out even being interrupted for work once, felt quite refreshing. He even managed to get ahead of schedule for his project. Just a last look over and maybe a few finishing touches and Milos would have it done giving him a full day off. He even got around to clean up his flat yesterday....It really was needed if the amount of dust he collected yesterday was anything to judge by. The laundry was done too. Yup the hackers taking a vacation or something was really nice of them. Ignoring the small worrying voice whispering to him that vacations could be working vacation too, Milos let himself be in high spirit as he got up to do his morning routines.

The rain didnt brother him much, it was drumming against his window as he put on fresh clothing and a warm cozy rain coat and hat. He would make a walk to the net cafe where they were going to meet up for breakfast, it wasnt too far and he already send a text informing them that he would do just that. Making a last check in his house and on his wrist phone to make sure he didnt forget anything Milos locked up and got on his way.

Earphones on he listened to the music provided by his phone. A quick happy and adorable melody, and not too long he arrived to his destination. Sitting he jumped right in the ongoing conversation. It was a good start of the day for sure, Milos was thinking to himself. Sadly it didnt last too long, it never could. His wrist gently vibrated. Looking at it he saw the blinking message and with one tap of his fingers he let out a small sigh. ''Well the vacation is over.'' He said mostly to himself.

Milos followed with everyone to a another cafe. Getting as comfortable as possible on the sofa in the private room, before connecting as well. He really missed that they didnt get around to have breakfast before they were called. Once surrounded with the grid BreGle got a really bad feeling seeing the Gvnt official. They werent known to bringing good news. He felt the comforting weight of his hammer, readying himself to hear some worse got worse news.

Base, and big scale attack. The static filled report of the situation made BreGle imagine a army of hackers ready to attack all at the same time. Well...it was defiantly a working vacation for the hackers,if it that was true. He shifted his hammer in his hands, eyeing their leader for her ideas on how to go about the problem.

The screech and the heaviest came out of no where. BreGle had no option but to allow the grip on his hammer to loosen and allow the hilt to slip out his hand. Keeping contact with the weapon via the chain, luckily for him the chain was long enough as BreGle was forced on his knees, by the force. His head felt like exploding, he closed his eyes.

It felt like a moment passed, when he found himself laying on the side. Eyes were closed, but he heard music. On the plus side I didnt got deaf from that screeching. His right hand twitched feeling the chain of his weapon, the hand moved along the chain until the fingers wrapped around the hilt. Done with that, now he could consider everything else. Neither did I lost my weapon, another thing on the plus side. Willing his eyes open he was meet with the view of gold? Blinking once more he saw the rich looking street and unusual gold buildings. Thats is a change in scenery.

''Guys?''

He knew that voice, rolling from the side onto his back he grunted, eyes looking around before they focused on Crystal. He started to stand up, stretching to get his body into gear. Not everyone was there. Not a good thing.
"This is surely the cause of Hackers. It's hard to imagine they would go to such lengths to pull us here unless they wanted something."

''Why not put us in a jail cell?'' Milos commented when he gave a good look over the beautiful city. It was all but inspiring scenery, and if he wasnt awaiting to get shoot at any moment, he would so start to sketch it. ''Its too pretty. '' Taking a deep breath he prayed his eyes from it and look around in a more mistrusting manner. Did hackers tried to lower they alertness by placing them on this nice bridge? The breeze felt so relaxing.

"We need to start looking for the others but let's be careful, we have no idea what is lurking in here."

''I place my bet on snipers, and Minotaur lookalikes. They would suit this place.'' BreGle grinned to himself. More than happy with the simple sounding plan of moving and getting together with the others. He felt way too much of a target on this bridge, regardless of the scenery that made him curious to peek around. He did peeked over the edge of the bridge as they started to move. The view, he promised himself to remember to draw it once this mission was over.

Hammer in the hand he followed Atomik and Crystal, hearing Atomik question BreGle added his two cents. ''Didnt the trap official mentioned something like the hackers base?.... They do have a interesting taste, for a base.'' If it was the hackers base wouldnt it be logical they send a welcoming comity? Or at least restricted their movements. ''.... Well, maybe the hackers messed up and thats why we are here alone free to move with our weapons?'' BreGle offered his ideas, which he guessed would mean either his two friends were captured, or they were as lost as them. He positively thought it was the later one.

It was cold as death today, which was a pain in the ass. If it wasn't one thing, it was another with this earth, and today, it was the frosty winds ripping through town, howling at its residents, threatening them not to go outside. And so she hadn't. All her usual meetups had been digital recently, which was fine. Not ideal, they couldn't scope out any real cuties online, but it was still preferable to the nasty cold. She had friends whose faces would probably freeze if they went outside with as much makeup as they usually wore. Funny as it'd be, nobody really wanted to see that. Karako too, couldn't think of a good excuse to brave the barren winds and freeze her ass off.

Their squad leader had something different in mind, though. Something about "Let's all get breakfast together" or some other friendly stuff. Cold-ass winds, mornings, what a miserable state Karako was about to put herself in... But it sounded fun, and that was all that mattered. It had been a while since they'd all gotten together after all. There hadn't been much work lately for whatever reason, though she wasn't about to complain about something like that. So instead of signing on and shooting the breeze with Miki like she had done for the last couple of days, it was a group outing with the troops, which promised to be pretty fun even if the weather turned out miserable. And, as promised, it had been fun. They had an oddball group, Karako herself not excepted by any means, which meant it was almost interesting to be with them. Though work was never that far away when everyone got together like this, and today looked like no exception. After radio silence for virtually two whole days, apparently now was the best time for some BS script kiddie to launch some attacks, let out some viruses, or whatever. What a dumb twist to a promising day.

Well, it wasn't like she hated work, either. They dove into a net cafe, rented a private room, and shifted into their 'work' personas. Karako took on the mantle of 'Cypher,' intrepid swordswoman-type hero gal. Not that she was much different in this form anyway. A lot of their compatriots changed drastically as they shifted to their avatars, but not her. Just a japanse girl with a big sword, same as in RL. But this was more fun. Here, she was faster, and actually had something to fight - more than just raucous young gangster wannabes trying to get fresh, anyhow. The other caveat to work being that sometimes they had to listen to some goon in a suit spout off about orders and such, like today. It was a pain to not get any details about a job before connecting, but it was even more of a pain to have to listen to these sorts of things in 'person,' or a facsimile of it. She tolerated it, because it was literally her job, but it was never fun, or interesting.

But reality had an interesting sense of humor, as it always does. Just as she was thinking how boring this was, she was shocked to see some kind of nasty interference-type bug rip apart the goon standing in front of them. She didn't have time to register any sort of mild shock before Crystal stepped in to brief them instead. Mad respect, since it wasn't like she'd know much more about the job that any of them did. But she liked to make sure situations were under control, and was good at handling them. For Cypher, it was simple. Find the bug, slice it up until it doesn't exist anymore. And if she found any hackers, the same held true. No mercy for enemies of the state. Other folks in the group were good at thinking, like Crystal, but that wasn't for Cypher. Whenever she tried, it always seemed to make things more complicated, so she'd stopped, in a professional capacity. She could adapt with the best of them, but planning was left to somebody who liked that sort of thing.

As though there was some kind of curse going around, she suddenly started feeling like crap. Was it the same bug that had ripped open that goon before? This seemed to be coming from outside. All sound and static, insistently pressing Cypher and the group down into the floor. She didn't sense any enemies, but if anybody came upon them in this state... it was a chilling thought. As she was forced to the ground, she was yelling something unheard about needing to become stronger. A generic line, even for her. Good thing nobody heard it. That was her last, self-deprecating thought, before all she saw was darkness.

When she 'woke up,' it was like she'd been transported into some new world she'd never seen before. Which was basically what had happened, probably. She was in some kind of fancy new netspace, an area totally unfamiliar to her, though not entirely unpleasant. Cypher was just happy she didn't end up in some net dumpster somewhere. It seemed like this place was... like... a palace? Or something? Elaborate architecture was everywhere. Somebody'd crafted this place with some care, but why? It looked like it was empty except for their group. And as she looked around, it was clear that 'group' was a bit of a rich term. It seemed like it was just her and Apex? Well, if I gotta stick with somebody, I guess I could do worse. Apex was rational, and he was strong. Together they would start a new society and reign as the king and queen of desolate nowhere-land!

...Of course, that wasn't even cool as a fantasy. She wouldn't want to be stuck here even if it meant she was royalty. What was even the point? Damn.

Like any lonely nature-type place, Cypher was not a fan of this area. It felt nice to be here, but Cypher was warped and twisted, shaped by the whims of inner city life. She couldn't get used to the lack of people around her. Where were the shops? It wasn't the first time they'd been isolated for work or anything, but this felt just a little different. Was it some hacker screwing with them? If that was the case, would that huge building be their base? It wasn't super smart, transporting a bunch of Correctors to your own base, if that was the case... which made Cypher think it was something different. It didn't make sense unless this was a place that a hacker might want them to be. Were there no firewalls here or something?

Looking at Apex, who was probably also collecting himself, she spoke up. "Looks like it's just us... Feel free to do most of the thinking for us, kay? Only thing I've got is that big fella up there. If the rest of the group's around... I gotta think that's where they're headed, right?" It wasn't like there was much else out here. Grasping for the hilt of her sword, she shifted slightly on her feet to a posture more suited for quick movement. If she had her sword, it made sense to anticipate some combat. And if she was anticipating combat, it made sense to think about an ambush. She she made herself ready for an ambush. Cypher was a front-line fighter, so she had to worry about things like that, even if she didn't want to, or wasn't good at it. As long as she was combat-ready, it didn't matter what situation they'd gotten themselves into. They would get out alive, even with just the two of them.

Akihiko's flat, the top floor of a Shinkjuku Apartment turned base of operations, had been relatively quiet for the past few days. No notifications meant no missions, which meant there was no need for the different members of the team to converge in Shinjuku to perform operations or otherwise communicate with one another in person. Akihiko didn't mind, the off time meant that he had time to finish up training plans, logistics, and prep work he was otherwise behind on.

Or at least it would've if Mama hen hadn't invited them all out to breakfast. His phone buzzed incessantly on a nearby desk as Akihiko sat in front of a computer, typing away rapidly on one of the multiple terminals in his apartment's "hotbox"- the central location of his apartment where most of his computers, gadgets, and gear populated. It was a dim room, with server stacks and computer monitors taking up the majority of the space, with several seats in front of computers and tables crammed with unfinished gizmos, computer parts, and the spare parts of disassembled firearms. Absentmindedly grabbing at his phone, Akihiko stared at the message for a moment, and was tempted to put it down and continue working, but reluctantly texted a response back to the group, signalling that he would be available for breakfast as well.

At the Cafe, Akihiko remained mostly silent during the group's conversation, opting instead to continue work on his tablet as the group placed their orders. This was nothing out of the ordinary, Akihiko was always regarded as the busy-body, and rarely did much outside of work aside from the occasional trip to the bars. They hadn't been able to really have any conversation before the entirety of the group's phones went off in near unison. Casually reading his phone, as though he was too busy to be bothered, Akihiko scanned his phone for only a moment before he shut his tablet off and returned it to his bag. He looked up at the others, some of them sighing as Natazume went to cancel their orders.

"Time for work."

Joining the others in the back room of a net-cafe, Akihiko eased himself into a professional looking office chair, a large, black leather chair set on wheels and with back support. Akihiko wasn't too pleased about the situation, normally they had time to prep before immediately jumping into the DgtWrld, usually they were given a brief, set with vital information from the Gvt. This time, no information had been sent to their Cnnt Apps, which meant they were going in blind. Akihiko had no unhidden disdain for moving in unprepared, but at the same time, the team had been through more than one mission with no prior information, and they were all still alive. Breathing out, Akihiko closed his eyes as he connected to the DgtWrld.

When he breathed in, he opened his eyes and took on his new persona. Apex rolled his shoulders, the mechanical joints in his arms whining as they came to life. Before his eyes ran a quick diagnosis of his Avatar and its systems. He had been transferred without issue, his weapon programs were running with no issues, and his new Hoverboard program appeared fine. All around him was the black grid of the DgtWrld, a wide, expansive, almost desert like stretch of digital space.

His armored figure stood with the others as the suited persona of a Gvt Official appeared before them. Apex's eyes narrowed. He watched with suspicion as the following conversation took place. He shot Crystal a quick glance as he sidled up to her. "I don't like this." he grunted as they watched the scene unfold, ending with the official glitching out and disappearing. When the gravity shift hit, even Apex, one of the larger of the avatars, was forced to a knee as the waves of force crashed upon him. Growling angrily, Apex struggled to remain conscious for as long as he could before his eyes were eventually forced close by the overwhelming force.

His eyes snapped open, and then squinted as he adjusted to the sudden white that had suddenly surrounded them. For a moment, he thought that they had been dumped out of the DgtWrld and were back in Tokyo. He then spotted the mechanical limbs that were his arms and legs and knew that he was still logged on. Apex was vaguely aware of the music playing in the background, as he got to his feet. Gone was the ordered black grid of the DgtWrld as they knew, and in its place was a golden city with colorful skies and clouds. A breeze rushed over them, and Apex put a hand to his face, the air felt real. Looking around, Apex quickly noticed that almost the entire team was absent from his current location- save Cypher. Apex frowned, activating the menu on his Cnnt, the screen fizzled and glitched. He couldn't access any information, likewise the logout feature was unavailable.

Apex quickly looked at Cypher, who was getting herself used to their new environment. Cypher- the hot-headed, but talented Corrector with a big sword to match her nearly as big mouth. Cypher was a fighter, a very competent one, and was likely capable of causing the most damage on their team. She was an impatient one, whereas he was more deliberate; and the two of them had often butt heads on more than one occasion, but she trusted his judgement, as he trusted her intuition. Cypher mentioned the tall tower in the distance, which Apex's trained eyes immediately picked out in the entire cityscape.

"That's a good idea." Apex agreed, gesturing towards the tower. "That place's our best bet at finding the rest of the team- if they're out there."

As he spoke, a metal mask appeared and sealed the bottom half of his face. His voice changed from a natural voice to a filtered voice, as though played through an external speaker. A rifle appeared in the air and Apex grabbed it. Checking the sights for a moment, he shouldered the rifle and begin walking down the street.

"Lets get a move on then, the longer we stand around here the more likely we'll end up a target."

It was apparent that such a place was meticulously created for them, for a reason.

Crystal was also curious as to why no harm had come to them yet.

Letting down their guards would be suicidal and she wanted to make sure she and the other four got back home together. Most importantly however, she wanted them all to get back alive. When Atomik and BreGle added their own comments and observations, the woman in shining armor took another careful look around. It seemed peaceful and she knew that was surely part of the plan, whatever it was. "I'm not sure where we are or why we're here...maybe this was their plan, maybe the guy was a real Gvn official or maybe he wasn't." She shrugged. Dwelling on the details was only going to make them more unsettled and distracted. They needed to focus and keep moving with careful direction. "I don't know if they messed up because we have our weapons...maybe they want to play a game and it wouldn't be any fun if we were unarmed." She finally set her eyes back on their target.

"We shouldn't keep in one place though." Crystal told them and began to walk again, the gold under her hardened metal feet allowed a light sound to echo from under her weight as she moved. "Be careful, there's no guard or rail between here and that water and something tells me we shouldn't try going for a swim right now." She said as they neared the stairs leading into the building. The others could be further inward or even inside a building for all they knew. It may be possible to survey the area before moving to the large building, just in case the other two were in trouble. That was a risk, as was just going straight for the top of the building in front of them. As a leader, she had to weigh the options, their possible outcomes as well as their risks and rewards.

In her mind, the vantage point would be a little more of a reward, giving their separation as a functioning team. If they could spot them somewhere down below, it would be easier to navigate the ground and its delicate streets. As BreGle pointed out, there could be monsters and she also believed there could be traps, just to liven things up a bit. "Once inside, you two will flank around the perimeter of the room. It looks large and we need to make sure we know where the possible entrances and exits are." She told them as they went up the stairs. There was a patch of greenery they walked over before they stood in front of the darkened circular room. They had no idea how it worked or how things may be activated. With any luck, there would be physical stairs rather than some moronic code or puzzle. "Atomik, take the left, BreGle, take the right and meet in the middle on the other side. I will take the center." Crystal directed as they stood outside, eyes savoring the bright light before having to enter into the unknown darkness.

Her heart wasn't racing as much anymore.

They had a new mission to take care of which was to find a way out for them. But in the back of her mind, she also knew they needed to find out who was pulling the strings and why. Finally stepping inside, the room lit up. Along the walls of the round room, hung candles and upon the entry of a heartbeat, they lit themselves and revealed two entryways in the back, as well as a golden spiral staircase in the middle leaded up, except the stairs went nowhere, straight into the ceiling. Looking to the other two, she motioned for them to check the room as planned while she approached the stairwell and ran her hand along the thin rounded railing. It felt cool but not dusty. How odd. In the back of the room, BreGle and Atomik would find a small wooden bookshelf, adorned with red drapes containing a single thick leather bound book. Their view would also be an endless sea of green trees and hints of golden huts mixed between the emerald bliss.

The book itself would be without a name or symbol. Inside, there would be a message for any visitors who needed sanctuary:

Travelers of near and far,

You have almost reached Destiny but you're not there yet. Time is not to be raced against or cheated, it is a companion throughout everyone's lives, rich or poor. Time is the only constant that keeps people alive and protected. In this cherished book, you will find the clues in which effort, sacrifice, courage, affection, people and everyone can make anything possible. The world as one knows it, may not be the world of their neighbor. Answers and questions do not define Destiny, but instead lead you to it. Only the clever may advance upwards toward Destiny.

Your first challenge is to solve the riddle and carve it in the first step.

I am protected
like a child.
I am spread
like a disease.
People spend lifetimes
chasing me.
I will set you free.

Crystal paced around the five steps leading up, coiling like a sinister snake. "Did you guys find anything? Or see anyone?" She looked over her shoulder toward them before bending down to tap on the ground under her, just in case something was hidden. There was nothing. "Damn." She stood up and let out a sigh as the candles continued to burn around them while the music continued to play though now it was softer. "We should try breaking the stone but I don't think it's a good idea." She said aloud and tapped the tip of her weapon against the floor above them which was at present, acting as an impenetrable ceiling.

Cypher nodded to her companion as she watched his mask appear over his face. Somehow that never got not a little creepy, didn't matter how often she'd seen it. Also, she hadn't thought of poking around her menu, but watching Apex meet failure, she wasn't in a huge rush to try it herself. Seeing was believing, as far as she was concerned. He grabbed his rifle and started walking, and Cypher quickly followed suit. Her first instinct was to scout ahead, but she didn't really feel like being too far apart when there was only two of them was a good idea, so instead she stuck reasonably close to Apex as much as she could. She didn't want to get shot in a pinch, nor did she feel like accidentally cutting her teammate instead of an enemy by reflex. No, this is already a hell of a situation. Let's not complicate things. Nobody knew her sword's range better than she did. It was her responsibility.

As they walked, it became clear that this place was unusually peaceful. What a weird trap, if that's truly what it was. No baddies to lurk around every corner. No... like... anything. Maybe if she were more of a country gal, she could appreciate the scenery, but she left that behind when she left Kyoto. Green fields and trees were great and all, but unless their destination had a McDonalds, she wasn't terribly interested in this sort of paradise. If the folks that brought them here meant harm, they were doing a pretty crap job of it, since they were still alive and safe with their weapons and everything. And if they meant good somehow, Cypher was unimpressed. This sort of quiet ideal could go straight in the trash, please and thank you. She'd like to go back to her body one day. For all she knew, somebody might be tampering with her body right now and she wouldn't even know it. Of all of the thoughts that drove her forward, that was the one she was most pissed about, just because it was strange, so it stuck with her. Nobody was allowed to touch her without paying a fat lip or two as dues, folks on her usual crowded train route knew that well enough. Not that it was common or anything, but her mind had a tendency to jump to weird places when she thought of worst-case scenarios.

"...We've gotta get a move on. For reals. Ugh."

What had happened to the others? The serene walk left few obstacles in her mind to get in the way of such thoughts. She and Apex were together, so she'd naturally assumed that the others were all in a group, but it was entirely possible that they had all been separated, and she had been the lucky one to have somebody else with her. If that was the case, it would be prudent to spread out a little, do some searching, and try and find the others. It would almost be her duty to do so, wouldn't it? The others would do the same for her, right? Maybe? Of course, then there was the possibility that all of them were logged out. Or else they were... no, logged out was fine. If they weren't here, they were logged out. In that case, searching wouldn't do them any good, and would be a huge waste of time and energy. Time and energy they might not be able to afford. Shit... this is why I have to let Apex do the thinking. She stilled her mind, with some hassle. If he thought they should keep moving, then that's what she would do. None of her niggling doubts mattered at all. Would be just my luck for it to be just us here, though. Everybody else is safely grabbing coffee or something. Not for the first time, her doubts were assuaged by her low expectations, and it brought her some small comfort.

Of course, it was the verdant forests and quiet bliss that had her on edge. Awful lot of buildings if nobody lives here... so why does there seem to be nobody around? They hadn't been ambushed once, no monsters, people, ghosts, nothing. More questions than answers were flowing through Cypher's brain, seemingly unavoidably. But soon they approached the stairs leading up to the large building, and her heart unexpectedly jumped into her throat. If her teammates weren't there, and they probably weren't, let's face it, then what would actually await them inside?

"Yoo-" she began quietly before cutting herself off. If she shouted out now, who knows what might result? She hadn't even seen what was inside. Was it some actual hope that her friends were there? Well, either way. She had chosen to rest her decisions in Apex's hands, so she needed to watch her actions lest she throw off any plans he might have. If he wanted to infiltrate this place quietly, then she could do that, but it was ultimately up to him. Placing herself outside the doorway, sword in hand, she shot a meaningful look at her appointed leader, waiting for his action or orders. Up to you, chief.

Game playing hackers were on BreGle top ten list of things he hated. Especialy if they played it with them. He didnt commented on that notion trying to believe it was not true. He liked clear things. Simple things. That thing is bad smash it with hammer. Clear and simple. Game on other hand...messing with the head was not a thing he was good at, not on either end. It was a small growing unsettling feeling in his stomach, his mind painting the worst case scenario.

BreGle relaxed once Crystal gave him a clear order. It worked like a spell on him, discarding the worry about the whole world wanting them death even if its a really nicely looking world. He focused on doing his best for the tea and followed the lead of the woman in armor in front of him.
''Atomik, take the left, BreGle, take the right and meet in the middle on the other side. I will take the center."

''Got it.'' BreGle answered grin present as he did walked inside. He gave a short glance at the lit up room. With the lack of a oblivious way up, he assumed it would either be a hidden lever or the similar. Giving one more nod he went on the right trying to look for anything out the order.

Slowly covering his way. The comfortable weight of his hammer weighting in his hands. Just as cautious he reached the back of the room and he couldnt help but notice the small book shelve standing there with a single book in it. It was like in any video game screaming read me. He looked at where he stepped part of awaiting to step on a trap.

''The greenery is nice.'' He mumbled to himself. He could just stare at the leather book for the rest of times, but it wouldnt be productive. Instead he looked at Atomic, who arrived going from the left side to the book selves too. Breathing in he deiced to take the chances. Tucking the hammer under his arm he stepped up to the book. Before touching it he looked at Atomik.

''Cover me, if it explodes or tries to eat me. Or something jumps out of it... You know along the lines....''

Touching the book didnt trigger anything. The leather felt soft and nice to the touch. Getting confidence he took the book and opened it. Closing one eye as if awaiting a blinding flash. Seeing it was pretty much a boring book, he started reading it aloud in a soft voice, allowing his partner beside him to hear it too.

After he was done reading he frowned. It was a positive that nothing tried to kill them yet. ''I am not good at riddles. ''

Crystal voice came to them, and deciding the room is sort of safe, BreGle called out.

''We found the Quest Log. You were right hackers are playing a game with us, or along the lines.'' He declared, offering the book to Atomik, to give their own look over. What stuck to him were not the riddle it self but the text before it. The words that In this cherished book, you will find the clues in which effort, sacrifice, courage, affection, people and everyone can make anything possible. Were not sounding anything good, especially much he disliked the usage of the word sacrifice, cruel ideas pop in his mind and he pushed them away. It would not do him any good to think pessimistic. yes this world was made to probably kill them all but on the plus they were alive a positive, and he was sure that Cypher and Apex were well too. They were too stubborn to not be. Smiling at that.

''Ooh I would love to try smashing some things. Point on something and I shall give it my best go. '' Hitting something to its pieces would be a nice relief of the un threatening surroundings. Therapeutic, even.

As he and Cypher walked down the street, Apex was acutely aware of the sheer silence and tranquility of the city around them. In a different situation, this city would appear peaceful, beautiful, a stark change from the gray, and white of the streets and snow, with neon splashes from signs. As it was now however, the peace was unnerving, the silence threatened to choke him. Despite his armored stature, Apex was one of their more stealth oriented avatars, sneakily advancing to high vantage points to provide his team with cover, but with this almost extreme silence, Apex could clearly hear the echo of his footfalls as they slowly trudged through the town.

Cypher seemed to share his uneasiness, and the two pressed onwards. Apex wasn't sure if the others were still with them- he hoped that they were, but in this situation where nothing seemed to be making sense, there was no assurance that the others were even in this city with them. Who knew, maybe this city was one in a giant network of cities in a huge digital world- maybe Apex and Cypher were lucky enough to get dropped in the same city, but the others were trapped by themselves in other giant utopian cities of gold. Apex wasn't even sure if the others were alive, but he knew that he and Cypher were in a bad situation, and the best place to hole up until they found out what the hell was going on was this tower ahead of them.

As they arrived at the base of the tower, they realized the building was a lot larger than Apex had originally thought. The door was open too. Cypher placed herself against the side of the door frame and gave Apex a look- she was waiting for a command. Pressing himself on the other side of the doorway opposite to Cypher, he placed a finger to the area where his lips would be. Closing his eyes, Apex stilled his breath forced his other senses to respond to him. It wasn't difficult with the seemingly natural silence of the city around them. There was someone, or some people inside the tower. His trained ears heard the faint series of changing pitches that implied voices were above them, and he could hear the clatter of footsteps on the floor and the tapping of objects. There was another voice- louder this time, still impossible to make out the words or recognize the voice, but loud enough for him to hear.

He opened his eyes and shot a look at Cypher, and stuck two fingers up and twisted his wrist. Two people, maybe. Apex looked down his rifle and changed his scope to the lowest magnification setting, to make it more usable in this shorter engagement range. As his rifle's scope changed in magnification, it also changed in shape until it appeared as a military grade red dot sight- a 2x optic for short-medium range engagements. He looked back at Cypher and nodded, and then gestured inwards towards the building with his head. It was go time.

Leveling his rifle, Apex turned into the room, rifle at the ready, prepared to shoot anything that he viewed as hostile or a threat to his well being. Upon turning into the room, Apex immediately registered three figures. He tensed as he prepared to fire, but stopped as he realized it was none other than Crystal, Atomik, and Havoc.

He held his hand out to Cypher.

"Stand down. Friendlies."

Despite her misgivings about how peaceful this temple haven really was, Atomik didn't keep her gun at the ready like she probably should have. It hung casually in her right hand as she tried to take in as much info on the area and it's surroundings as she could. After the leader posited that this was something akin to a game given that the three of them still had access to their weapons, Atomik frowned. "If whoever did this is toying with us, that makes me just hate them even more..." she said softly to herself. Toying was just another form of bullying. If these people had any kind of malicious intent, they would pay.

Following the sounds of Crystal's armor on the golden floor made it easy to keep pace with the team, but the surroundings were definitely doing their best to distract Atomik. It was easier to focus on the large building as they approached though. The closer the trio got, the harder it became to ignore it's omnipresent stature above the surrounding valley. As they approached the inner room, she nodded as Crystal laid out the plan of operation. It seemed simple enough. Stay left and keep going until I run into Bre. I can do that. The surprise was taken out of the task when the candles started lighting up in the room around them, and the light didn't put Atomik's mind anymore at ease. Someone or something definitely knows we're here and is trying to lead us somewhere...but why?

BreGle beat her to the bookshelf, a surprising finish considering the larger man's usual lumbering gait, but it meant he got first crack at the book that sat on the bookshelf. He turned to the diminutive blaster,

"Cover me, if it explodes or tries to eat me. Or something jumps out of it... You know along the lines...."

Atomik gave a two-finger salute. "Got it. Standard random object protocol. Just try to cover your ears." Atomik set her gun to 3 and pointed it squarely at BreGle's hands.

Turned out to be a false prep. Touching the book did nothing. Opening the book similarly resulted in nothing. As BreGle read the words out loud, it just seemed like a rough copy of a TED talker's guest speech. One that was trying REALLY hard to go viral but wasn't going to get there. It ended in a riddle though. Standard sphinx fare. BreGle handed Atomik the book and she read it over again, trying to find anything she might have missed. All right, c'mon Atomik. You're good at riddles. Let's see... Protected like a child. Something valuable. But spread like a disease... so it's easy to catch, and if caught it's bad. It's not going to be money or something. Too obvious... People spend lifetimes chasing me...I will set you free... The truth? It could be something corny like that. And people will chase it and it will spread fast. Like a video or something...It's worth a shot.

The tapping of metal on rock distracted her for a moment as Atomik looked up to see Crystal scratching at the dead end above them. The book also said time couldn't be rushed... "Hey, Crystal? You might want to come back down from there for a few minutes. I don't think you want to be up there according to this...and bring your spear. I think I need it for something." Her gun wasn't going to get the carving job done, that's for sure.

"Now now, let's not go trying to destrory this place, we don't want any more trouble." Crystal told BreGle.

While the other two were inspecting something, the leader took another look around, trying to figure out why someone would go to so much trouble. The reason itself couldn't small or petty. No. Then Atomik called her over and she headed back down to see what the other two were so engrossed in. "A book? How quaint...in a place like this I was expecting stone tablets." She joked a little, trying to keep the mood somewhere between serious and jovial. If they became too engrossed in either, they would become compromised in a way. They needed to stay on guard but also keep their eyes and minds open. Hackers wanted them here but the reason wouldn't be so obvious, would it?

"Let me see..." She took the book from Atomik and looked it over. A riddle was a very odd choice and she looked around as if hoping the answer would be written on the walls. She and Atomik looked to one another, knowing what the answer had to be. The first couple of lines were unclear bu the last two or three are what really made the idea of 'truth' stand out. It was a very cheesy answer and message but it was clear that it couldn't fall on deaf ears. "Do the honors." She handed her weapon to Atomik and stood back with BreGle while their companion began to etch the word 'truth' into the first step as they had been instructed. "I hope the others are alright..." She couldn't help but mumble to herself, aware that remaining oblivious or overly confident, wouldn't help anyone.

Crystal put a hand on her hip as Atomik was almost done.

"If we don't cross paths soon, we may need to double back and look for them." As important as it was to stay on their designated path to reach the top, and the book seemed to agree with their choice, she didn't like leaving two of her teammates behind. For now, things seemed harmless but something in the pit of her stomach told her that not everything would be so simple. "Great work." She told her friend when the manual labor had been completed. She took her spear back and the stairs above them opened up to reveal the next level. Crystal led the way and they were greeted with the same room. She poked her head up and looked around and flipped the book open again to see the next page had new writing on it, clearly another task for them to accomplish before they could progress to the next level.

Continuing up into the circular room, Crystal stepped aside to let the other two get up. The stairs below them didn't move, nor did they show any indication of closing back up which meant the other two could still catch up to them which was a small relief. Setting the book down on the floor by the steps, she walked over and saw they had a better view but it still wasn't good enough. Turning back to the others, she thought she heard something from down below. Maybe it was a trick, or a trap. Maybe some enemy was down there and that was their second task? "Did you guys hear that?" She asked. The noises were faint but if the others heard them, maybe it wasn't just a budding paranoia. Scurrying over to the stairs, she looked down but couldn't see anything. It could be their friends but it could also be an enemy.

She decided she'd rather pretend it was their friends, just to be safe. If whatever was done where was dangerous, then they'd still be able to fight without too much of a disadvantage. "Hello?" She called from up above. From down below, Cypher looked to Apex, certain that the room above them finally contained what they were looking for. "Are you a friend or a foe?" Crystal called out and gripped her smooth black spear, bracing herself. Just then, Cypher's head popped up and she ran up the stairs to greet the others, with Apex taking up the rear. "Oh it's great to see you guys." Crystal smiled and went over to hug them both before she pointed to the book on the ground. "We could use all the extra brains we can get, it looks like this is a vertical puzzle. Would you do the honors, Apex?" She smiled.

"Great work."

Atomik looked up and smiled. "Hey, when I wanna do stuff, I do it well. No worries, chief." She had almost finished the carving. It wasn't perfect, some of the lines were slanty in the worst way, but they worked enough. There was no mistaking the word "TRUTH" in the step. So once the floor above opened up, it just made Atomik feel better about her assumption and where this controller was trying to guide the group. It didn't make her feel good about immediately figuring out the kind of trap that whoever this hacker was had laid out for them, but it did make her feel better about closing the gap as quick as she could.

As Crystal led the way into the upper floor, Atomik followed behind her until she stopped. Crystal was sure she heard something, but Atomik had no shot at confirming such a thing. Crystal went back to the stairs assured she heard something, which turned out to be the missing members of their squad, which was a plus in their favor. Having everyone together could only enhance their chances of surviving their current predicament. Crystal was certain the next puzzle was vertical, which played into Apex's favor. Atomik just stood back. As far as she was concerned, she did her job. She figured out the riddle. If Apex was able to solve this next problem, that was just fine by her.

BreGle stayed beside Crystal watching Atomik etch the apparent answer. He hoped it wouldnt be all riddles. His eyes slowly tracing the stairs to its ceiling. Hearing what Crystal said to herself, BreGle took a breath. They knew each other, they knew how they would act. If they are in the same city, and seeing the same tower than they will know to come here. It was a bit amusing to him that in a way even with some of his friends not around ,they all would surely knew what would be needed to be done.

"If we don't cross paths soon, we may need to double back and look for them." BreGle looked over to Crystal.

''Maybe they just landed further away?'' He nodded, going back to meet them... they would need to part ways so they do not miss each other... Bre wondered to himself. The partway opening to the next floor he clapped. ''Bravo. '' He grinned giving a thumb up as he came after them.

Up the stairs was the same type of room. ''Someone run out of inspiration. '' He commented to himself looking around. He started to walk on the left side just in case to see if there was something new or different. It could be some hint. A moment later there was something. Small noise and he hold his grip on his hammer more secure. Before he got to say anything about it Crystal mentioned it.

"Did you guys hear that?"

He nodded and looked towards the steps they climbed up. He moved back closer and was ready to cover their leader if things went bad. maybe it was a time limit monster? Like in those games if you took too long a monster starts going after you.
"Hello? Are you a friend or a foe?" He started swinging his hammer in slow circles wondering if ever someone answered that question with foe? Luckily it was a friend and BreGle stopped his hammer going back to a relaxed position. Well more relaxed.

Now everything will go smoothly, being back to the full group made him feel a lot better. NO need to worry for his friends getting in trouble. If they get in trouble it would be collective.

''While you guys solve the puzzles I am taking the watch duty just in case some foe does decide to join us.'' He gave both of the friends who joined them, a friendly pat, of I am happy you are all right, as he moved to watch the steps.

Relieved that they had finally regrouped with their comrades, Apex let out a deep breath that he didn't realize he had been holding, his metallic mask sliding away to reveal the rest of his face. He returned Crystal's hug, but didn't make moves to hug the others- hugging wasn't exactly his thing. As he gathered around the rest of them, Crystal explained the situation thus far, and gestured towards some sort of book laying on the ground.

Giving a slight shrug, Apex picked up the book so he could examine it, and hopefully apply his intellect and rationality to the task. The book was an old looking thing, despite its clearly digital nature. Taking a closer look at the book, Apex read the series of riddles that explained their next task. The wording was extremely extraneous but Apex managed to understand the basic analogy. Holding the book out in front of him, Apex turned to the others.

"It appears that in order to move on, we don't have to solve a riddle as much as we have to perform a task. Luckily for us, it seems simple enough. If I'm reading this correctly, this book wants us to write down what we value above all- something we couldn't be happy without."

The book began to rustle in Apex's hands, and flipped over to an empty page. This was probably where they were to write down their deepest darkest secrets. Despite Apex's typically calm and collected visage, it was easy to see he wasn't exactly comfortable writing down his deepest values- especially on some random piece of digital paper, something that a group of hackers had no doubt created for them. Apex was loathe to write down something so sensitive in the wide open. Instead, he held the book out.

"So... Who wants to go first?"

Oh boy, she'd walked into a puzzle box. Not exactly my forte... Still, she'd take a reunion with her friends plus puzzle over the alternative. As usual, all of her concern had been for nothing.

Well, not exactly nothing. She still had no freaking idea what was going on.

She wasn't really the type to get sentimental, but it did feel good seeing everybody again. It was only digital, but Crystal's hug felt pretty okay, she guessed. Even though it's digital. Whatever. Now that she was with everybody again, she didn't need to think about it anymore.

Thankful for the distraction, even if it was an intelligence-type distraction, she listened to Apex's dissection of the puzzle. His logical mind was pretty good at this sort of thing, even in a weird situation like this. Cypher had to give credit where it was due. Her strength was in her impulsiveness - brute force solutions to overcomplicated problems. Gordian Knot-type stuff. Would it be useful here?

"...This book wants us to write down what we value above all- something we couldn't be happy without," explained Apex. Cypher frowned. Everybody else in the group seemed perturbed at this revelation as well, including Apex himself.

"So... Who wants to go first?"

Cypher glanced around at the members present. Atomik seemed to be waiting for something... maybe she just didn't want to take first dibs. BreGle was nonchalantly standing watch like he said he was going to. Apex wasn't exactly chomping at the bit either. You guys... Damn. It wasn't really unexpected. Who wanted to spill their deep secrets to who-knows-who? As far as they could tell, this place could be feeding info to a hacker group, other nations, even the entire world wasn't out of the question. For a group brought together mostly by combat, maybe they weren't ready to bare all just yet.

"Tch... You guys are the worst. Is this the only obstacle in our way? Fine, give it here, this is about the only thing I'm good for anyway. You damned hackers, or goons, or the whole damned planet for all I care, you'd better watch carefully!" After a bold statement to the cosmos, she snatched the book out of Apex's hands. She thought for just a split second before heaving a world-weary sigh and scribbling some words near the top of the page:

"My names."

After such a momentous revelation, she was expecting some sort of fanfare, maybe a fairy godmother to come out and tell them they'd solved the puzzle and could go to the ball. But such things were absent. She didn't like it, but it was obvious why. Cypher wasn't so important on her own that this puzzle could be solved by only her.

"What, you think I'm gonna write some sappy crap like 'My friends~'? Get real, losers! Of course. I'm only step one. Which means step two is... Hoi!" Without warning, she side-hand chucked the book over to the nearby Crystal. "Let's go now, Leader, better think fast or I'm gonna stage a mutiny. Let's see them juicy secrets." Her words were harsh, but her voice was singsong like she was caught in some eternal comedy routine. It was plain as day that Cypher had put up a bunch of walls in response to having to bare her soul. It wasn't like she went around everywhere telling folks what she valued most - it was the opposite, really. She wasn't shy about slamming her family at every possible opportunity. And she didn't like the fact that she'd received her name from people like them. But it was the first thing she had ever possessed for herself. In that light, it had infinite value for her. And after having to 'fess up to a secret like that... well, of course she was gonna beat a hasty retreat into herself. The only reason she was able to come out and write it in the first place was because she could act without thinking.

Still, it was Crystal's turn. After the book left her hands, Cypher turned on her heels, clasped her hands behind her head like she was resting on a pillow and 'casually' began strolling around the room, taking interest in small objects or just the architecture. She figured the rest of the group's secrets weren't her business, and she didn't really care to pry. They'd say something if they wanted to, otherwise, Cypher was happy to just leave this business behind her. "Y'all better solve all the rest of these riddles on your own. I'm gonna be over here looking at flowers or some garbage like that. Call me if you need something beat up."

Everyone was reunited. It was an oddly smooth process so Crystal wasn't about to lower her guard and expect more luck in their favor. The woman listened as Apex then began to explain what the book wanted. Simple and strange. She had a bad feeling about it but regardless of how she felt, she knew that was the only way they were going to find any answers. Part of her wished they could just duke it out in combat but she didn't like the fact that they were also stranded in someone else's world, someone else's playgrounds. Cypher was the first brave one to get the deed over with. Crystal watched, trying to contain her amusement. Her friend was always a great source of entertainment and right now, it was like the sun was slowly peaking through the dark abysmal clouds over head.

"Alright then, let's see..." She caught the book, barely, and looked at what Cypher had jotted down.

What could she not be happy without?

"Respect." She quietly said as she wrote it down. Her determination wasn't a big secret and the others would soon see what she had written anyway. Crystal looked around and handed it to Atomik. "Your turn." She offered up a small smile. Crystal wanted to keep things moving along more quickly now. Because they were all back together, she saw no reason to drag their heels and worry. They were together, a team, as they were meant to b. Crystal looked around the room and then turned her attention upwards at the intricate design under the curved ceiling. The woman let out a sigh, still annoyed by the effort made to construct such a place and yet it still lacked hospitality. If she was going to kidnap someone important, she would have done her best to at least make them feel welcomed and not like second hand trash.

She walked over to where Apex was, wondering if he had found anything that could give him a push in the direction of why they were where they were. "Did you find anything of interest?" She asked. Of course she knew she'd be informed if there had been something but still, she wanted to ask, if only to quell her own impatience. Crystal wondered if the Gvn had any indication of what was going on. She also started to wonder if there was some kind of trouble going on that they couldn't be taking care of. To her, the sooner they got through the stupid requirements, the sooner they could get out and do their jobs. As soon as Atomik finished, Crystal looked over, wondering if BreGle or Apex would have the honors of being fourth or last.

Atomik had the book thrust into her hands by the leader of the team, and she wasn't quite ready for it, almost fumbling the tome in her hands. "Gee, thanks Crystal!" she said. While she wasn't very good at detecting sarcasm, Atomik could occasionally dish it out. "At least I'm not first I guess..."

Hearing what Cypher and Crystal had wrote down in the book upon its request did set the gears in motion of Atomik. Shoot...I dunno...They sound like actually important things to them. Like personal things. I...I don't think I have anything like that. What would I really give up? I...I don't think there's anything there that I would give up. She looked around. Crystal was talking to Apex, likely to try and get caught up on what happened while everyone was separated. Cypher was still strolling around the small room, taking in the sights of the strange building that the team had found themselves left to explore. BreGle was...waiting for her... OK...

Looking around the room the answer was made somewhat clear. This team, this world, even her current body. There was thing responsible for all of it and in the end, it's been the main force for good in Atomik's life and it was something she valued above all else. That's why it didn't take much convincing for her to join this team when asked those few years ago. So deliberately she wrote down as she said it outloud, "The Digital...World." She wrote the shorthand form on the designated page and closed the book before tossing it towards BreGle. "OK, I think that's good enough for me. Whoever wants to go can go." She didn't give BreGle much choice in the matter but it was doubtful Apex would come over while still talking to Crystal.

BreGle pouted once Cypher declared writing in my friends would be sappy. There goes his first choose. He was glad he wasnt picked first to do the writing, or the second...or third...
There was no real escaping it, he just hoped Atomik would take a few more minutes to give him the time to think over it as well. It all to soon come flying to him. Literally as he catches the book to not have it hit his face. ''Nice aim, trying to break my nose.'' He joked as he looked at the page. He tapped it...He had no idea what to write in.
value above all- something we couldn't be happy without

Fine he was telling lies to himself, he knew exactly what he valued at most, it was company of others.Especially that of his friends and teammates. But what made him really happy were...well cute things. If his closet was any indication of it or how he just adored a adorable plush to look at... or hug. Which one should he write down. This test.... was a decision to vague the two things off. He bite his lip and he looked at them all. ''I know, I know, I am taking too long.'' He was being silly with this. What was he so reluctant about? Scolding himself, he relied on his feeling to make the choose and started writing down, what felt right the most to him.

''Company ...'' He started writing down but once the word was done he kept on. ''... and cute things. '' He concluded happy with himself. He walked with the book in hand to Apexs and pressed it to his friend hand. '' Nothing said it had to be just one thing, right? Problem solved. And its your turn to good last. ''BreGle stretched out relieved he was having this dilemma behind himself.