"Is it my impression or, have you gotten all the more bolder all of a sudden, Cassandra?" Eris asked as Cassandra replied positively to her declaration, indeed, when did Cassandra became like this or, was it always the case and Eris just never noticed because of her own on ignorance? Either way, it didn't mattered, just knowing it was reassuring for Eris, which was enough to drive Eclipse Princess forward as she ignored the rest of the chaos around the Black City, while wondering what the hell had happened to Moon Rider, and made a beeline to walls. "Oh, right, that probably is the fake I met the other day, trying to spread chaos once again. Well, it's Moon Rider's problem now, I alerted her about it and she chose to ignore, pretty much like she's ignoring us for the whole afternoon. Had she interfered, the issue would never have escalated this much. Either way..." Eris recalled the incident from last week but chose to do nothing about it as she and Cassandra finally got atop the wall, beholding the destruction left behind by the first wave of the Bruisers' assault.

"I can't follow a King like that. Moon Rider is nothing but an apathetic bitch that cares only for herself and uses everyone else as tools. She does not deserve my loyalty just because she's powerful." Eclipse Princess said, more to herself than Cassandra, before sweeping the Nies off her feet, catching her in a bridal carry. "I apologize for the roughness, Cassandra, but this is the best way for us to reach the White City, my original destination. I'll tell you more about it once we are away from this madness."

Eclipse Princess ran along the wall's edge, at a speed that few avatar's could match, perhaps even enough to catch up with most vehicles, until she reached a point where she would be the closest to the Bruisers' vehicles and... simply jumped from the wall, with Nies Hellum held in her arms. "Now that I think about it, you know how to drive those things, don't you, Nies? That will sure come in handy just, hold tight!" Princess cleared the huge gap, landing with an Icarus Strike drop kick to the face of driver of one of the buggies, before roundhousing the player riding shotgun. He didn't die because of the attack but, the strength was such that he'd sure be tasting the steel of the tank he crashed in for a few days.

"It's all yours, Nies, take us to the White City." Eclipse Princess placed Nies on the driver seat and gave her a pat in the shoulder before drawing her lance again. "Just concentrate on driving, I'll handle our defense."

"Well, then, what are we waiting, Nixon?" Emma said as she pulled Aaron in another hug, leaving the cinema, just as the movie's credits began rolling.

Sometime later, after a taxi ride, they would find themselves at Emma's house, a simple two-story building in a quiet residential area. Nothing out of the ordinary, for sure... which was kind of weird considering Emma. "I just want to make sure that you understand that I'm doing this because it's you, Aaron. I really like you, so I think it's about time we become a serious thing. I would offer you dinner, but it seems that I forgot go shopping this afternoon, unless you want to have some instant ramen I guess we can go to my bedroom already." Soon enough they were inside of Emma's room, a simple and not very spacious room on the second floor, decorated in a practical, yet girly way that really looked like a place that a girl like Emma would live in.

"Wait a little, Aaron, I'm going take a shower first. If you want to, you can read some of my manga in the meanwhile." Emma left the door half open as she left, if Aaron checked the manga that Emma mentioned, he would find that a rather large portion of it were in fact hentai magazines, but there was some mixed titles out there as well, most of them being action shonen titles that Emma seemed to be a fan of. "By the way, you don't need to worry about Grandma, I just texted her and she replied saying that she'll spend the whole night out. You don't have to care about sleeping over." Emma yelled from the bathroom, a moment before the sound of running water muffled her voice.

"Ehhhhh? What the-!?" Absinthe's jaw pretty much hit the floor as the tour she was giving to Azure Panther got them close to the heavy weapons hangar where the Cobalt Bruisers pride and joy should be stored. "Ho-how did this happen? That's a big emergency! How could they take the tanks out of the hangar without the activation code? Only Titania-sama and I are supposed to know that, unless... we got hacked?" Absinthe's mind whirred to action as she considered the possibilities, before she reached for a NPC mechanic, shaking the poor creature frantically. "Wh-who made this? Who got the tanks and other vehicles without authorization, or paying the rent and the repair deposit?"

"They took the weapons to the Black City? That's the worst thing that could happen, what will Moon Rider-sama think of us -of me- now?" Absinthe's head was spinning just as all hell broke loose around her, the announcement of the Ebony Strykers declaring war against the Cobalt Bruisers made her knees give in. "Wha-why is this happening? Just when Titania-sama trusted me to get things right? Even look over her sister?" Absinthe was about to give in to her panic when a system ping alerted her that Mercury Titania had just logged in.

Grabbing Azure Panther's hand, "Let's go Panther, we have to tell Titania-sama about this. Only she can stop this train wreck." Absinthe ran to the Blue Guild's throne room, unaware of what was transpiring there...

---

(GONNA SPELL CHECK AND EDIT IN HEADER MOMENTARILY BUT YEAH I NEED COFFEE)

Paper Moon let out a sigh of relief as he deactivated UNDER THE MOON’S SHADOW, moving at a normal pace once more. The rogue swung his legs over the provisional personnel carrier’s hull, keeping his eyes away from the paralyzed player. He briskly patted his hands together and surveyed the aftermath of the little skirmish. Gunfire and the symphony of conflict still resounded in the not too far off distance, which only coerced the boy to expedite his progress. After a quick nod towards the building Drauni had taken refuge within the two proceeded cautiously, still at the ready for another attack. ”Drauni, you alive?” His voice echoed through the interior of the two-story building as glass cracked under his feet. The two gingerly scaled the stairwell as the other individual responded in hoarse tone, ”Y-yeah! Yeah, I’m alive! I think they got me in the ass though!” Paper Moon brought his ascent to a halt and awkwardly turned around with an eyebrow raised in disbelief. Strawberry Baby returned a similar expression and motioned for them to continue, regardless of the traumatizing scene that might lay in their wake. The rogue opened to door to find his comrade on the floor, grabbing what was indeed one of his butt cheeks. ”How the… What the even… You were only shooting through the window sill, right? Pretty sure that’s a relatively weak LMG.” He wracked a hand through his hair as he attempted to make sense of the predicament. Before the rookie could speak Moon waved off any more words and proceeded to the aforementioned window, ”Hey, lucky for you, it’s not like any wounds we receive here are translated onto the other side, right? I mean, what if you died in the game and consequently died in real life? What kind of crummy premise is that?” During his muse he placed his hands on the pane and gazed out to what he could see of the city. The turrets were still firing on the players below and were continuing to really be a thorn in his side. ”Strawberry, I got an idea for once.” He said as he glanced back at the girl, glancing up instantly from the ranger crying at her feet.

All of a sudden, a gargantuan two-dimensional screen appeared over the city. Had it a physical body bound to it, it would have cast a shadow that’d easily cover a large portion of the city. For the first few moments it was only filled with incessant static, but after some time diluted and focused on an orange haired boy, most of his face out of the shot as he poked at whatever was transmitting the projection.

”Hey, is this thing on? I don’t have something stuck in my teeth, rig- Oh we’re live!? At least give me a signal, like a thumbs up or a wave or somethi-” Paper Moon cut himself off lest his grave deepen even more and nervously cleared his throat. ”Sorry about that. Anyways, brothers and sisters of the umbral kingdom, may I, Paper Moon, be so humble as to request your attention in seconding Moon Rider’s announcement, but I thought an actual face would help out a bit..” Frankly, it was quite hard to feed the flow of adrenaline when a giant projection floated above the city. ”This isn’t going to be the generic ‘omg what r u guys doing ur EXP!!! D:’ spiel. This goes far beyond that, this is something more meaningful, emphatic. We, of the Ebony Strykers, have been christrened under a myriad of titles. Low Lives. Newbs. Edge Lords, even. People who deserve to be kept far away, in some remote corner of the DGO under a rock, and if by chance we are met by the light’s embrace, to surrender to the far more veteran and bolstered guilds. That is who we’ve been made out to be.” His nonchalant voice carried an urgency that captured the attention of many. It was calming, but at the same time, captivating. For once in what seemed to have been an eternity, the city was quiet, borderline motionless, save for the turrets rapidly firing in all directions their servos could achieve. But they too were drowned out by the flux of words soon to continue. ”But… This is not who we have to become. Regardless of our dismal past and our ancestors who bred it, the past is just that. The past. A juncture to add to the foundation holding up the present.

Now the kingdom that opened its gates to us is faced with yet another foe. Not an omnipotent dissolution. Not the armored column at our doorstep. Not even Corpse Collector’s ghost spewing obscenities to no end! It is its own people. Us. You, me, and the many others within these walls.

I do not know what the future holds for relations between the Strykers and Sweepers, but what I know for certain is that sewing the seeds of apoptosis so early on will indefinitely lead to our fall. So I ask of you, denizens of the Black City, please lower your weapons and contempt, to preserve the kingdom that accepted you into its walls. So what if the other kingdoms look upon us with scorn? So what if we are considered below par by their standards? Who cares? We’re still a young faction in the midst of fleshing out its colors, in spite of our achromatic appearance. That takes priority over maintaining an image to please those who look down to us from their pedestals. I hope my words resonate with all of you, to the core.” The rogue took in a deep breath. It wasn’t visible in the projection’s resolution, but the guy was sweating bullets. But he had to keep up his relaxed stature, only for a little longer.

Although most drew the conclusion that the announcement would stop there, contrary to this notion, Moon only shifted his gaze over to the armored company that laid on the other side of the city’s walls. ”I’m going to follow my gut here, as I usually do, and guess that you Blues didn’t seek your king’s presence before firing upon our city. You have destroyed a notable amount of our emplacements, but probably unbeknownst to you, stray fire has also found its way into the marketing district. Not only does this detriment our trade, but I’m certain you have also thrown a wrench in your own commerce. So, I’m going to put this as politely and delicately as possible.”

The snapping of his fingers resounded through the whole city. It swept over the rooftops, enshrouding those within the walls in its noise. It was then another source sprouted up, permeating the hymns of conflict. At first it was only a faint hum- actually, hums, but as the seconds went on they gradually intensified and merged and blended at a cursory rate.
”Get the fuck away from this city and the people who love it so.”

Enticed gunfire abruptly breathed life into the dull air. Three tanks raced their way to the gates from multiple streets and organized a security perimeter around the gate. The choir bore their own tune to add to the harmony as their 37mm dual-autocannons fired in close proximity of the turrets lining the wall. Spray painted to the right side of their turrets were decals, crescent moons with a five-pointed star hanging tightly to the figures’ tops. The tanks singled out their targets respectively, exhibiting a measure of unity. Although they were nowhere as seasoned as the operators they were facing should the Cobalt forces break through the gate, the Strykers and Sweepers working in cohesion still stood a chance, or could at least stall the force for long enough.

The battle continued to rage on, but with the denizens’ attention still in his grasp, Paper Moon sought to bring his announcement to a close, ”Members of the Ebony Strykers, you are all currently faced with a few paths to walk down from hereon. You could continue to fight among yourselves and solve nothing. Wouldn’t blame you if you simply decided to just return to your homes either. Or, perhaps…” The rogue summoned all of his remaining faith and let his iconic smile spread across his face, ”Defend this city and show we’re all not just a punch of pushovers. Maybe you’ll get some sweet loot along the way. Sure a tank shell would make a pretty sweet ornament for Christmas, yeah?” The projection was suddenly filled with static and soon thereafter, evaporated, as if it had never existed.

Paper Moon let out an overly dramatic sigh of relief, nearly flailing all of his weight onto Strawberry Baby until she sent a quick jab to his gut. ”So, what now?” The mage asked with her head tilted and her arms crossed expectantly. The boy collected himself and gaze out the window. ”Well, those turrets are still a threat. Have to take care of them or people aren’t going to be able to mount a counteroffensive with lead spewing into their backs. Tanks can keep them distracted, but I'd rather have somebody on our end get the job done.” Strawberry gave a nod in concord, even though she already foresaw that as their next task. Her vermillion irises flickered as she watched the player pick up his carbine and head back for the stairwell. ”Hey. Moon.” The rogue stopped in his tracks, caught off guard by how oddly friendly the girl’s voice sounded. He raised his eyebrow, left in utter suspense of whatever was to follow. ”That speech wasn’t half bad…” She started, taking a moment to recover from a cough. Although the girl was an expert in soothing others with words drowsed in praise, she still found it hard to compliment someone such as the kid standing right in front of her. ”Should run for those contests the academy hosts. Would definitely get your name out there.” Paper Moon shrugged, unable to mull over the other side at the moment. ”Maybe.” He brusquely offered in response as he continued for the door, ”Let’s get a move on. Here’s to hoping that Cerulean Knight’s mortality rate is feeling benevolent today. C'mon Drauni, get up or I'm gonna have to kiss it to make it feel better.”

The turrets' attention was drawn to the tanks' appearance. Heated rounds rapidly cut through the air and deflected off of their hulls, unable to permeate their surfaces. With the agro now for the most part drawn, it was the perfect time for the Ebony Strykers and Sweepers to reorganize their manpower and drive off the attacking force.

@Lucius Cypher@Kimiyosis@RoflsMazoy@Mega Birb@Lonewolf685@KoL@Caits

The puppet master's metallic visage revealed nothing as he looked down on the streets of the black city from his vantage point, the same one he'd used earlier to spy on the Eclipse Princess. He observed the carnage from the window, snapping a screenshot of a particularly interesting battle, though it wasn't as if he had the eye of a good photographer.
"We're going to need one of those too." Thomas thought.

But as he watched the scenes of battle, screens appeared in the skies of the black city conveying the orders of the black king. Next, more orders from an apparently influential figure in the sweepers, one that he'd seen before. The puppet master's face betrayed no emotion but inside, Thomas's mind was in a whirl.
"Shiro, hm?" He thought.
Eclipse Princess's invitation was directed at the boyish avatar and Nyx, and while more people showed up than anticipated, it was highly likely that the avatar on the screen was tha avatar of the orange haired boy.

Recognition aside, the plot grew thicker. The blue guild was allegedly attacking the black guild, and while Thomas would've loved to see that too, he wasn't entirely sure he should. There was definitely more going on somewhere and he wanted to check out behind the scenes, maybe get some answers. On the other hand, if he were to consider the journalism club, they would definitely want coverage on the battle.

Thomas thought for a moment, before the video feed cut off. The puppet master flexed his fingers in preparation to use a skill. He'd traveled for a little while and his skill was now ready. He opened his hand and pointed it towards the ground, using puppet creation to cause a metal puppet to emerge.
"Let's do both." He said to himself.

3 metal men emerged from the entrance of the black guild building. 2 split off to follow the commotion heading towards the black guild gates, one walked in the other direction and disappeared into the back streets.

@No one in particular I guess

Aaron Fletcher

As Aaron was pulled into a taxi cab by Emma, he couldn't help but admire her for a moment. This was a determined girl, one that knew what she wanted and when she wanted it. And, for one reason or another, he was at the top of her list. He had no idea why, he was the kid that usually kept to himself and was only known because of who he was on DGO. That must've meant a lot, then, for him to end up heading to the house of the girl he'd fought alongside and had a crush on for the last year or so. Somewhere along the trip, he laid his hand over hers in some meek show of affection, and earned a knowing smirk from the driver. As the vehicle pulled up to Emma's residence, Aaron paid for the ride without hesitation. She had covered the movie and snacks after all, might as well return the favor.

The pair entered the house and made their way through the house, a simultaneous hint as to what was to happen soon and an offer on instant ramen was made. Unable to suppress a laugh at the suggested menu, the American had to stop on the stairs for a moment to calm himself. "Heh, it's alright, I'm still full from earlier. Thanks, though." He was soon enough led into her room, a space not much bigger than the bedrooms at the academy. Able to make himself comfortable quickly by sitting on the bed, he listened as the Irish girl explained her immediate plans. He could've sworn, there was a flirty undertone to that or something, and he was almost sure she was making a show of her movements. And the door to the bathroom left half open? She had a plan, alright.

Deciding to stand and look through the selection of manga, sliding the books and magazines back into place as he went. Unsurprisingly enough, every few covers featured a girl with an unrealistically large chest along with a fair few tentacles surrounding her in a threatening manner. "Welp, that's Japan for ya..." Shrugging off the images and taking out an older edition of an action comic, he sat back in his previous position and started to read through. The boy looked up as he heard Emma's voice come from the bathroom, speaking of her grandmother's conveniently timed and guaranteed absence for the night. Thinking for a moment, he called back, loud enough to be heard over the water. "If you don't mind me asking, how old is your grandma?" He waited for a response as he flipped the page, confused for a moment, and soon remembered that he would have to read the manga right-to-left for a coherent story.

---

Phantom Regality

Having ducked into an alley to avoid being minced by Rangers, Phantom Regality had no idea what to do next. As Moon Rider's placid attempt to regain control over the city apparently worked, he reemerged just in time to see the static-ridden face of Paper Moon appear over the city and give a more heartening speech. Put beside each other, it was clear which one could be called the better one. Opening up his messages and starting to write, he had his now near-dead thrall stand guard for him. For a piece of tissue paper, that unfortunate Assassin from earlier was a good shield.

To: Paper Moon
From: Phantom Regality
Subject: War, apparently?
I need to meet up with you somewhere, I get the feeling this level of insanity can probably be stopped if one side stands down. Don't get me wrong, I'd love the EXP, the only problem is that most of it'll come from Strykers.

The short message away, the Necromancer strolled out onto the street to find a large portion of the Black Guild gathering on the street. And for once, everyone didn't have a gun to someone else's head. The supporter almost thought he was dreaming for a minute.

"Woah!" Being glomped from behind by Bel, a surprised Donovan gave a light chuckle that weakened as he noticed Bel distracted by something still. What's she thinking about? Returning to reality, he nodded in acknowledgement of his acquaintance's name before some guy who looked like he ran a mile entered the arcade, and the gang leader asked for a word with him too. Once out of Bel's embrace, the albino boy went to go tie his shoes and pick up his books, getting closer to the whole gang in the process. The orange-haired boy, the guy who just entered the arcade, some blue-haired man, and the leader of the gang had their conversation, and Donny learned some things; the most pressing piece of information being there is a war happening on Deep Ground as they speak. It was probably no odd coincidence that Bel was out the door by the time Donovan returned to his original spot. If there was a time that people would be grateful for help it'd be now. Turning to Alex, the albino boy cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry, but I gotta go! I'll see ya around," Donovan said as he rushed out, stopping just outside the door, "and wreck you at Dance Dance Revolution next time!"

He had to get online NOW. Examining his surroundings, the albino saw three people looking like they were napping over at a table, two of which he had seen in the arcade talking with the gang leader. The wannabe hero knew that they weren't sleeping, well... they could be sleeping, but that's irrelevant. Walking all the way to his house would take too long, he had to do this as soon as possible. Donovan sat down in the closest empty chair and got comfy before focusing on finding the network that would put him into the game.
Time for glory and salvation!


Black City. Nostradamus jolted to the closest possible cover while his meager trading tent was blown away by turret fire. With the structure proving cover despite the devastating power of the turrets, his main concern shifted to helping anyone who wasn't killed yet and avoiding the immediate threat. "What the fuck's even happening..."

"Is somebody there?"

The plague doctor gazed around squinty-eyed trying to pinpoint the source of the voice. The building was just across the street. Just across the street. After taking a deep breath he sprinted to the structure housing who he presumed was an injured player. The turrets seemed to be distracted by something, luckily. Unsheathing his knife for a moment, Nostradamus shattered a window before hopping in.

"Whoever made that noise, ya have any health potions!"

It was his time to shine. He walked up the steps to the second floor and saw a low level Outlaw Ranger resting against a wall that seemed like it'd be coming down soon if the turrets gave it any more attention.

"Don't worry, I'm here to help," the doctor said as he cautiously walked over to the injured person. "I'll heal you then we'll find you a vehicle so you can get the hell out of here. Why are you alone here?"

"Turrets took out my party and pinned me here. Some Outlaw debuffed me so I can't move that fast till I get fixed up."

Nos used Bandage on the Ranger until his health reached 100%. The stranger gave a nod and smile as thanks before aiming his handgun at the medic's head. Grabbing the attacker's wrist, he forced the gun away from himself before swiftly unholstering his sawed-off shotgun and aiming it at the now pinned Outlaw.

"I'm sorry, but you've forced my hand."

Nostradamus unloaded a whole entire shotgun full of shells into his face, splattering the avatar's brain matter onto what remained of the wall. Alas, all the healing was for nothing. Helping people may not always be the easiest path, but it was a path worth taking. Hopefully it'd end differently with the next person he tries to help. Reloading his shotgun, Nostradamus got ready to leave once more to find players in need of a medic.

That was a strange turn of events, but Hibiki was happy at the results. She was worried that one day she'd have to return Train, but now he was hers! She just needed to figure out how to keep the cat at her place. Picking up and petting Train, Itusko's friend thanked her for taking care of Itusko. "I-it's not a problem! I'm glad to have her as a friend. Ah... I'm sorry, but I don't think I quite heard your name." Hibiki bowed her head towards Itusko's friend. "My name is Toho Hibiki, I go to Purple Crown Academy with Itusko. I've just met her today, so I don't know much about her... Friends. I don't know much about her friends." Hibiki didn't want to sound like she was a complete stranger to Itusko even if she was. She was trying to change that after all.

However there was still the matter of Itsuko. That cracked rib sound bad, and Hibiki didn't want her to strain herself on Hibiki's behalf. "Itsuko, are you okay? If you want, I don't mind just hanging out at your place. We can always go out later."

@KoL@TheWindel

Cassandra gave a grin, and responded "Oh no, my dear Eris, it's pretty much a new development. Why should I be a declawed house cat when k can be a mighty lioness?". She followed along behind Eris as best she could, making sure her footing was sure. Eris seemed to be thinking out loud, so Cassie let her, but she let out a small squeal as she was lifted up Bridal style, not expecting it.

"no, no, it's okay" she said, inwardly cursing the slight waver in her voice. Eclipses speed shocked her for a moment, and she wrapped her arms around her, more to feel secure then thinking Eris would drop her, in a way she hoped wouldn't hinder the other girls movements, not that she thought that would slow Eclipse down. A second too late, she saw what Eris was going to do, and for a moment she thought her heart would explode out her chest and she clutched at Eclipse, until they landed.

"uh, yeah, but I tend to destroy them a few times too" she said, as she was placed in the drivers seat. "Jukebox taught me and he's not exactly a stickler for keep a vehicle in good condition" still she started the car up, enjoying the thrum of the vehicle, and started driving towards the white city. Driving the vehicles was easy, maintaining them wasn't, but she trusted Eris to defend them, and concentrated on not rolling the car as she kicked up the speed.

Driving was an enjoyable freedom, a luxury that she was happy to have. As she got the feel for the vehicle, she pushed the accelerate down, almost to the floor, letting out a small laugh. She glanced to Eclipse to make sure she was okay with the speed. "I hope I'm going to right way"

Asahi waited for the others to leave before he faced the gang alone. "Cut the shit. We both know what's happening in the Black City don't mean shit us. You know who I am. So why did you want to talk to Shiro?" The gang leader sighed and turned towards Asahi. "To be honest, I wasn't expecting you. But I guess since you've already made such a big ruckus, it'd be inevitable that you get involved. But do you really think I'm going to tell you everything? C'mon." Letting someone else on the dance pad the cleaner walked up to Asahi, facing him down. He was taller than Asahi, though Asahi was much bigger. "I know our bosses better than you do, so I'm just following orders. You know what that means, right? That means you get the fuck out of my way. I don't give a damn about what you or your bitches do in Deep Ground. But if you don't want your shit kicked, then you had better leave. Don't worry, what we had in store would be good for everyone, even you. Be a good little pup and maybe you'll-"

The gang leader's monologue was then interrupted with a fist to his face. Letting his anger get the better of him, Asahi was relentless. Right after socking him, he grabbed the leader by his shirt and tossed him into the corner of one of the arcade machines. The others quickly ganged up on Asahi, but he managed to take one and use him as a human shield, beating his face while keeping the others on the opposite side of him. The dog started barking like mad, alerting practically everyone of the fight. Asahi knew he couldn't fight here, not while Shiro and the others might still be near by. He needed to go somewhere away to deal with these punks. Taking the cue ball out from his pocket Asahi hurled it at one of the thugs, tossed the current one into a table, and ran for it.

Asahi ran out of the mall with most of the gang in toe, even the leader who came with his dog. He lead them on a chase through the cities, taking out each member one-by-one, typically by throwing something hard and heavy at their heads when they turned the corner. Mostly bottles, but he did brick a few guys. Eventually it was just down to Asahi and the gang leader, and Asahi had gotten lost. Between all the running and adrenaline in his veins it was hard to tell where exactly he was at, though he could hear electronic dance music in the distance. He must have been near one of the clubs.

As Asahi was trying to figure out a path, he was eventually caught. The gang leader and his dog had him in a long narrow alley; he couldn't out run the dog without taking some sharp turns, and it would surely catch up to him if he tried to run now. So now all he could do was fight. At least until the cleaner took out his gun. "You should have just stayed quiet. Shoulda just kept doing what you've been doing, but nah, now you have to go and be a pest. You know, I actually respected you. You did your job, you enjoyed it, and you were good at it. Yeah, I read your stats. You should have been level 8 by now with all the wins under your belt, but you kept going down to level 3 because of your work with the Sweepers. Me, I'm just in it for the money. I'd never take a fight I can't win. But you, you seemed like the type of guy I could have worked with. But now we know what side you're on, so... Nothing personal, kid."

Four shots rang out from the alley way that night.

---

Logging into the game, Dark Wraith wasted no time. She immediately looked into the situation within the entire Black City and the surrounding area. She could see skirmishes all over the city, using their own tanks against each other and causing massive amount of property damage. They would need to be stopped, but she had other concerns to deal with. For starters, there was the Blue Guild outsider of the city. Lead by none other than Broker of Fortune.... Why she thought bringing an army to the gates of the city was a good idea was beyond her. She had to contact her immediately.

Dark Wraith took note that there were some turrets firing at the Cobalt Bruisers as well, so Dark Wraith was going to message to players to cease when she noticed something off. No one was manning those turrets, and they aren't automatic. Slamming her fist into a nearby wall Dark Wraith spoke through gritted teeth. "Someone is controlling my city." Dark Wraith put immediate efforts into countering the hacker's exploits, though it would be some time before she could figure out how exactly he was doing this to stop the turrets. For now the best way to deal with them would be to destroy them... Again.

While she was setting up an e-mail for Broker of Fortune Dark Wraith heard the announcement made by both Moon Rider and Paper Moon. She mostly ignored Paper Moon's since his was long and rambling, though she understood the jist of it. But with Moon Rider's, something was off. For starters, Dark Wraith was not informed that Moon Rider intended to actively war against the Cobalt Bruisers. That was detrimental to both their efforts. More importantly, Moon Rider was somehow here before Dark Wraith was. Unless Yoshino could manage being in Deep Ground and dancing in the real world at once, that shouldn't be possible... Unless... This was that doppelganger again.

Suddenly many new objectives popped up in Dark Wraith's mind. Stopping the war between the Strykers and Sweepers were important. But this would be another chance for Dark Wraith to figure out how this manifestation of Moon Rider works, and who may be the cause. There were many things going on, and Dark Wraith couldn't waste a moment.

To: Broker of Fortune
From: Dark Wraith
Subject: Hold your horses

Do not attack the Black City. If your forces enter the city, it'd be a war between the Cobalt Bruisers and the Ebony Strykers. That's not something either of us wants or needs. Those turrets however, they aren't being controlled by anyone. Destroy them. I'll meet up with you soon.

To: Paper Moon
From: Dark Wraith
Subject: Combat Orders
I am Dark Wraith, second in command of the Ebony Strykers.

Position your people near the gates and take out those turrets. The turrets are not under friendly control, and they must be stopped. But do not engage with the Cobalt Bruisers. Do not listen to Moon Rider; they are here to help quell the conflicts within the city. We have a different enemy we all must face together.

I will be there soon.

Sending her messages out Dark Wraith stepped into the open where there were battles being fought. A few straw shots came her direction, but with all these corpses were Dark Wraith had no problems finding dead to protect her. She chose one big avatar, large enough that she could ride on, and another avatar who specialized in range attacks. Using these two Dark Wraith headed towards the main gates, riding on the Big Avatar for speed and using the range ones to ward off attackers.

@Jedly@Lonewolf685

The deafening cannonade of the Cobalt Bruisers armored Corp. struck the gate of the Black City, and to a mixed reception of anger and joy on both sides of the conflict, the gate was cracked, scorched, but still stood to bar the oncoming advance. A hastily barked order was given to turn about, the column splitting to both sides and peeling back the way they came to prepare for another pass. Or at least, they would have performed a second pass if Kanbaru wasn't bombarded by three important messages...well two, but Paper Moon was showy about it.

"Hold it! Can the attack run and pull back. I want a perimeter around this gate and no one advances till I give the word." Kanbaru cursed the moment she was out of Guild Speak, kicking the seat before her to spur the driver onwards. "Well peacekeeping just went out the window and into a wood chipper. Damn it, of all times for Moon Rider to show up, she had to choose right bloody now." She could only console it herself that it was Moon Rider and Paper Moon taking control of the situation, and not Arms Slave, or else this would have been a phenomenal backfire.

The timing off all this was damn near too perfect for words, perfect as in the perfection of a conspiracy against her. Abyss Walker's sudden civil war made it impossible to just walk in unopposed, and these turrets would have made an attempt at stealth pretty damn difficult. Just as an added cherry on top, chatter came in saying that Eclipse Princess, the one she tried to warn about the evil conspiracy of Sweepers, just leapt off the wall with the girlfriend the whole world knows about in her arms and jacked someone's ride."Screw it, just let them go. I don't want her coming back on our rear."

To: Dark Wraith
From: Broker of Fortune
Subject: Horses are Held

We're parking the cars and setting up for a long wait. The cannons are being targeted and picked off, got a few tanks circling the city to nail them around the entire bastard wall. If you, well, need a hand...then the Blue Guild issssss already here.

May as well say we'll sell the resources to rebuild the cannons at half the usual rate, assuming you want them put back in. In the meantime we'll wait here till DGO WW III or peace wins out.

Broker proceeded to do just as she had reported, ordering the Cobalt Bruisers to dig into a defensible rise in the landscape while a few groups spread out to travel the circumference of the Black City, taking out turrets as they went with little trouble. She was frustrated, anxious, and left with very little to do at the moment, so she decided to get some air. They had their new marching orders, and new if they started this was then Broker would be the one to core their ride home with an HE to the radiator block. Big Berry, hold down the fort and keep everyone's fingers off the triggers. We are waiting till I get intel from my inside source, cause this situation is all kinds of wrong.

---

Kanbaru emerged from the haze of DGO with a yawn, stretching her arms upwards while rising from the couch. She'd been spinning her wheels in one direction or another for awhile now, and since they were liable to be sitting pretty for awhile she could afford to take a breather and see about getting a drink. The rented room was left at a brisk pace to burst onto the club scene. While it was livelier than when she had first entered the club, the general vibe seemed morose, like she had just missed the main event.

In this void of activity Kanbaru's eye was drawn towards a figure familiar to most anyone at Purple Crown, the eponymous Yoshino. It was peculiar seeing her alone and sans her scarlet haired guardian, but even Kanbaru was concerned to seeing a sleazy looking man far too old for this crowd seeming to eyeing the student like a piece of meat.

"Ah, there you are Yo-Tan~!" A disturbingly bubbly Kanbaru called aloud as she briskly crossed the room and threw an arm around Yoshino's waist, holding herself close to her side as though a buxom sister. In reality they didn't much know each other at all, but the display was adequate to dissuade the creeper from making his move. Kanbaru wasn't projecting the most intimidating front, but numbers could be a far better means of dissuading a cowardly predator. "Hehe....okay, he's gone now. Sorry about that, but I saw this guy coming up behind you and he looked about thirty years your senior while still trying to hit on you. Names Kanbaru Otoko by the way, pleased to save you."

@TheWindel@Lucius Cypher

@Kimiyosis Will edit in response to your post.

---

After he received the green light from Paper Moon, Cerulean Knight ordered the tanks under his command to concentrate their turret fire. The streaks of wild yellow that kissed the air changed their aim. Rather than flying past the mounted emplacements, roughly hit its target. The turrets were sturdy, designed as the last line of defense for a city. They wouldn’t go down easily. Strykers, both innocent and outlaw alike, charged their way to the rear of the vehicles while the tanks… well, tanked the oncoming fire. This scenario really didn’t cater to warriors with their only application currently being serving as secondary shields, and true, the rogues were the main fighters of this engagement, but what the combatants really needed were healers.

As Drauni drove back to the small outfit of players situated a number of blocks away from the main fight, Moon took in his resources. Both the War Machine and the provisional troop carrier were intact. If it hadn’t been for the fact that Levi’s assault was cut short by the turret-fire and Sky Knight, perhaps another outcome would have turned out. On top of vehicles, the rogue also had a few more resources at his fingertips. All eight of the Outlaws that were involved in the attack on Drauni’s were spared. They sat before the orange-haired player, with their gazes cast down in wait of imminent execution. Moon crossed his arms and scrutinized the bunch. He was a Sweeper, eliminating Outlaws was in the job description. Yet these weren’t the generic breed of player hunters and ruffians. They were Strykers who had grown angry over the current state of their guild and acted with the best intentions in mind. But now that the denizens of the city have been unanimously united, they were essentially just players who needed the Black King’s blessing. A sigh escaped his lips as Drauni slid down the hide of the War Machine, glancing between the incapacitated individuals and those presiding over them. ”Alright,” Moon’s voice abruptly pooling into the silence caused them all to flinch. At least he had their attention, ”All of you are going to assist with the shootout up by the front gates. Four of you are going to walk there, while the rest of you pile in that War Machine with this cool cat Drauni.” Those words made one more head swivel in borderline petrification, ”Wait, wha-” Unfortunately, his words fell on deaf ears.

”Now I know what you’re thinking. “This guy?” Sure, he may look a little green, a bit inexperienced, not intimidating in the slightest- but that is but a mere feint! Lemme tell you, this man right here, he’s something else entirely.” Oh, no, here it comes. That’s what crossed Drauni’s mind as Moon drew in a deep breath, denoting the Ranger’s undeniable downfall. ”This legend right here has seen the birth of a sun and the death.. Of an older sun! He was stranded in the caverns for three weeks with nothing to eat but a week old Dissolution’s leg and a MRE from the general store. You know that person who laid a steamy one right on the White King’s front stoop?!”

”Wait, can you even poo-”

”All. Him.” Well, that had those four particular Outlaws sufficiently spooked. Now they would surely be obedient for the bonafide badass Moon had made Drauni out to be. Drauni face-palmed, utterly perplexed. He didn't know what to question more; How quickly Moon and churned out that embellished story, or how easily the listeners bought it. The remaining four had already gotten to their feet and were jogging towards the firefight, having been frightened halfway through the epic. With that accomplished, the Rogue clapped his hands together and turned to the other three players, plus dragon. ”Alright, here’s the plan: Sky Knight, I’m going to need your eyes in the sky, sending constant updates on the Cobalt Bruisers’ positions. Use the buildings as cover and briefly peak out.” With that directive handed out, Sky Knight and Fluffy gained altitude and ascended a building to land on its roof for a vantage point. ”Strawberry, get behind the wheel, I don’t want to be responsible if we hit a raccoon.”

Strawberry Baby raised an eyebrow, silently questioning why the hell such an animal would be roam these streets, but decided it would be better to write it off as something “Paper Moon would say”. The mage tucked her hands into her pockets and paced her way over to the provisional vehicle. It felt like a driveable casket. And this wasn’t because its body was mostly comprised of wood. Hopefully Moon didn’t plan to take this thing as his stallion during a head-on charge of valor. That would end short and sweetly.

”And Levi,” He began as he strode over to their ride and placed a hand on the LMG’s post, ”Hop on this dakka and get ready to dakka any lesser dakkas who think their dakka can dakka our dakka. Dakka?”

And so the little bite-sized entourage set off. As the rickety ride lethargically raced through the streets held together by nails and Mercury Titania Strong Super Glue ™ , players on their way to the main meeting point cheered at the sight of the player whose face was projected over the city minutes prior. Moon reclined and plopped himself down on the vehicle’s flooring, ”School’s going to be hectic tomorrow.” He complained as he threw his arms back behind his head and sat back. ”Hey, you’re the one who decided to have the same face IG and IRL. I have no pity to spare, and even if I did, you’d have to bring a pretty valid argument to the table.” The girl’s words were playful but earnest. Perhaps they would have been backed by a more potent sting if she wasn’t preoccupied with driving. ”Besides, why did you make that decision in the first place? It’s a miracle nobody has put two and two together these past three years.” With the query up in the air, it would be a sin to leave it hanging. Moon instantly lept to his feet and with one hand on his heat and the other flung high into the air, the boy delved into an enlightening monologue, ”Well, I’ll tell you, but only because you asked. This is a tale of tragedy and hardship. Challenges laid in wait at every corner. It is an epic that is so omnipotent, it can’t even be recorded in the written word. I was an innocent boy- was being the keyword. It was back in the gallows of Tokyo Hosp-”

”Oh, hey, there’s Phantom Regality.” Strawberry notified her comrades as she knowledgely slammed her foot hard onto the brakes. For Strawberry and Levi who were gripping onto something, all they required was a little elbow grease to remain within the personnel carrier’s body. But for Moon, who was standing without any support in the slightest and his mind in a far off land… well, perhaps the Rogue’s figure suddenly flying through the air said enough. Yet rather than receiving a mouthful of asphalt, the player guided his body weight with the already outstretched hand and flipped over, primly sticking the landing. ”-And then my mother said to me at the age of five: “Yes, some dogs are indeed brown.” Anyways, we’ll leave that story for another time. Hey, Phantom!” Paper Moon nonchalantly greeted the Necromancer with a wave filled to the brim with affability, completely disregarded the fact that he almost landed face first into the street. The boy effortlessly transitioned into the topic at hand, ”Anyways, going off of what you messaged me, we’re not attacking the Cobalt Bruisers.” He stated brusquely and matter-of-factly with a demeanor as laidback as ever.

”In all honesty, that would be economic suicide. We’d lose a huge chunk of our trade routes, and on top of that, all of the other kingdoms would be broadsided by the ripples of the conflict. Since the Strykers and Bruisers would be putting a majority of their money into military expenditures, this would adversely affect the other kingdoms, and I’m sure it’s pretty obvious who’d they would side with. We’re still a young kingdom. Although we aren’t technically constricted by the other factions, we still have to play our hand attentively. One wrong step and we’re screwed.” Moon shifted his gaze over to the group of players, ready to act in perfect harmony. It was a sight for the sore eyes. It would have been just that much better if the umbral king would grace them with her presence, but that was asking way too much. Something was still gnawing at the back of his mind. There’s no way at Moon Rider would carelessly order her entire kingdom to declare war on one that could easily trounce them. It sounded far too brutish. Keeping this in mind, Paper Moon determined that the Stryker’s leader wasn’t a reliable source at the moment.

”Right now, our sole task it to take out those turrets. We can rebuild them and the buildings that have been damaged, but our current losses are easily dwelled by those we would take if we went to war. Anyways, let’s get a move on.” Paper Moon readied his Harvest Carbine and nodded in the direction of the crowd. Strawberry Baby felt relieved that she was finally free of that pile of trash. And so the children’s echelon pressed on ready to lead the Strykers to whatever future was ahead of them.

@Mega Birb@Kimiyosis

---

”Hey, buddy! You look like a Healer... k-kinda.” Drauni called out with most of his body dug behind the War Machine’s plating. The five players stared at the imposing character from the safety of their ride, unsure of what to make of the situation. He was a healer sure enough, but the smell of gunpowder still lingered in the air. ”We need any Healers we can find, the Strykers are making a collective assault on the turrets! Oh, and these guys are friendly, don’t worry!”

@Bombardier (Might add more if this doesn’t suffice)

The plague doctor's eyes darted around looking for the player who called out to him until his eyes focused on a hooded man wearing a gas mask. Itching to go for his shotgun after the annoying ordeal with the Outlaw, his hand twitched for a couple seconds before he raised it and waved to the hooded man; it wouldn't be very heroic to shoot at some strangers for no reason. This path was worth taking.

"Howdy! That'd be because I am a healer," Nostradamus said as he approached the war machine with his hands up, doing his absolute best to not get shot to shit. "Well, good thing we found each other because I'm here to help, just lead me to where you need me."

He hopped into the war machine. "So... I'm Nostradamus," the plague doctor stuck his hand out for the gas-mask wearer to shake. After Drauni introduced himself he would prepare himself to go back into the battlefield.

~Yoshino and Maribel~

---

“An apathetic bitch? Did I hear that right? Princess, you’re as clueless as ever,” the Moon Rider stationed in her Throne Room chuckled to herself. Well, that wasn’t her concern and if anything, her client had better be damn grateful she would be receiving a new warrior in her house of white. If Princess wanted to be an idiot that played right into their hands, that was fine by her. The muscle head wasn’t quite known for thinking anyway, “philosophies” be damned.

“Hmm? Someone’s connecting to the interfaces of the city,” she mused to herself, chin resting on her fist with crossed legs as she saw the stark and overbearing face of Paper Moon. After a riveting speech, Moon Rider couldn’t help but grin cheekily. No one else was there to see it of course but the action alone brought her great amusement as a whole.

“Not bad kid. Maybe you’ll be a speech writer someday. Your girlfriend is right though. You’d probably do well in those contests. Maybe. Not like that matters anyway,” the Black King said once more to empty air, observing the battle down below from her perched spot. She watched, eyeing every action in this confrontation; metal men appearing at the gates of her Guild, Phantom Regality questioning life apparently, Nostradamus being an edgelord, Nies being a brainless puppy again, Arms Slave getting himself killed and…her.

Moon Rider narrowed her eyes just briefly as she focused in on Dark Wraith. Perhaps at one point she had seen value in the Eraser leader but now she was being a needless burden. One that needed to be put down lest unfortunate things begin to happen. At once she saw the messages Dark Wraith sent out and slammed a coiled fist against the chair of her arm. The intercom was brought again without hesitation.

“What are you doing?!? Do not back down from these heretics who challenge our might! Destroy them all, slaughter them, make them revel in the glory of the Ebony Strykers! And as for you Bruisers, dare to face us if your cowardly ways allow it,” Moon Rider near hissed all throughout her kingdom; yet when she settled back down onto her throne, a sly and calm smirk graced her lips.

“That should get their blood boiling, eheh,” she said, already seeing a few of the Bruisers launching attacks regardless of Broker’s orders from the verbal challenge. It was obvious now that something, something was wrong with the Black King. The same something that was overtaking the Blue King now in her own Guild.

“Hey let go of me! This isn’t the best way to convince me of joining your Guild you know,” Panther grumbled as she was dragged away by the paranoid little fairy. “Honestly, if you guys can’t even manage your own damn tanks then you can forget me wanting to join this place-hey, this is the Throne Room,” she said with a shift in tone, looking around to marvel at how big it all was. Sitting in the center was none other than Mercury Titania, slouched over and apparently unconscious.

“S-Sis,” Panther called out, near pushing Absinthe away and rushing to the King’s side. The more she approached, the more Titania began to stir before looking up at Panther and Absinthe. But that wasn’t the weird part, oh no; the weird part was that one of Titania’s red eyes had been altered. The left eye of her Avatar had a dullish, gray coloration to the sclera, almost as if someone had punched her in the eye.

“Oh! Hey guys….what? I got something on my face? ;3”

At least events were somewhat less hectic IRL, albeit boring for Yoshino. She couldn’t help but feel she should ditch Retsu-like she had been-and contact her employer about the situation in Deep Ground but there was no reliant spot to do that in this place. She could just leave since Retsu apparently fancied work over her despite her bold vows of protection. Or she could try dancing with that fellow over to the side eyeing her up. Why not? She was used to stuff like that anyway and if it meant being showed affection for more than a minute then….

“E-Eh? Oh, yeah, thanks Otoko-san,” Yoshino said, mentally slapping herself as Kanbaru came to scare the guy off; was she seriously just going to let anyone take her? Shaking her head, she continued with, “Yes, I know who you are. I memorized every student name in Purple Crown as Student President. It’s a fun job,” she said, though her tone of voice said the complete opposite.

Further away, Huntress continued to take in Hibiki’s words with silence. Itsuko sure knew how to pick eccentric friends but at least she was loyal and concerned. She too glanced at Itsuko to make sure she was alright and needed any additional assistance.

---

Eclipse Princess remained silent for the greater part of the travel to the Ivory Masks territory, the neutral glare she had settled with being an statement of her (current) leveled state of mind. Once they had left the perimeter of the Ebony Strykers, Princess changed her equipment back to her usual one. "It's better that as little persons as possible know about that armor. It's one of my trump cards, given to me by mom, but I simply couldn't resist to draw it in the heat of battle. I... just love how powerful it makes me feel, almost as if mom were there supporting my every move." Eris explained to Cassandra in a rather relaxed way as they traveled.

"Naturally, you are the other big asset I have, Cassandra, besides Mother and Eins. By the way, that's my twin sister, she's on Germany right now, adjusting her cybernetics. You can pretty much say that my world spins around the three of you. I know that it's kind of sad but, that's just that I can't care less for the rest of the world. Humanity as a whole is obnoxious but, we achieved so many great feats and I like to believe that we can do much more, if only we shake off the cancer known as the Deep Ground Program."

Soon enough, they would find themselves inside of the Ivory Masks' territory, going to the White City's gates, to rendezvous with none but Stark Zealot, the White King's own personal guard dog, who Eclipse Princess/Eris had a bone to pick up with. "No matter what you do, Nies, don't follow me on my choice. You have your friends like that Jukebox person you've mentioned, you don't need to give up on them to remain besides me. Don't ally yourself with the Ivory Masks." Eclipse Princess asked, just as she hopped off of the car (which hadn't exploded... yet) and walked to meet Zealot with a stoic glare, befitting their relationship.

"I believe your master sent me an invitation." Princess said before crossing her arms under her bust as she waited for a reply. At that moment, anyone who cared to look would find that Eclipse Princess' name had just disappeared from the Ebony Strykers' player roster...

"Ok, Nixon, I think I'm ready, now. We can get to it as soon as you are as well." Emma said as she came back from the bathroom, wrapped in naught but a towel. She wasn't exactly looking sultry or provocative (which was a great change of character from her usual unfettered self), but also wasn't blushing any abnormal amount while looking impossibly embarrassed. All in all, she looked normal, which is interesting to say the least.

Emma sat beside Aaron on the bed, looking with a curious eye at the title he was reading, a certain manga about a crew of pirates that never seemed to be able to find the treasure they were seeking for years. "It's funny, right? Even after about fifty years, this series never ends. One has to think why they even bother to publish it but I guess, money is the answer to all business questions, right?" Despite what she had proposed for them to do, it looked like Emma was trying to be as casual as ever, maybe it just wasn't anything to be embarrassed about? "Oh, if you want to use the bath as well, you can go in while the water is still hot. Just don't mind the fact that we don't have any shampoo, or anything else, for guys here. I can get your clothes on the washer on the meanwhile, I guess you'll need'em tomorrow, right?"

"Ohh! Thank you for that, Huntress, it's even melon, my favorite!" Itsuko said as Huntress handed her the smoothie she brought earlier. The blondie sucked it slowly, trying to hide the occasional wince from her sore ribs from both Huntress and Hibiki, as she observed the other girls tried to chat. Eventually, Itsuko extended her open palm for Train to paw at as she noticed the cat fidgeting around on Hibiki's hands.

"Y'know, I have a thing for cats well, tigers to say the truth. I even asked Huntress to let me have one, but she says that I'd better not. Maybe, if you train enough, you can become strong like a tiger?" Itsuko said to the cat, who didn't looked like it was understanding anything at all, after all, it was a cat, heh. "Anyway, Hibiki, if you want we can play inside, maybe even go to Deep Ground, who knows? Hmm..." Itsuko paused pensively as she cuddled against Huntress, not unlike how Train cuddled against Hibiki as well, "That would mean leaving Huntress behind, I don't know... I don't want that. Maybe we can play some old video games? I have lots of'em, up there. Maybe, the two of us together have a chance of beating Huntress?"

"Hey, that's not my fault that we got hacked, you know? I'm not a security technician or something like this." Absinthe replied to Azure Panther as two were about to reach the Throne Room. However, the world of the usually overly happy fairy seemed to shatter the moment she noticed none but her beloved Titania-sama splattered on her throne, with a discolored eye, just like as if she had been beaten to a bloody pulp by someone, but... who could it be, there was no signs of invasion. Unless, "maybe, it was the hacker who did it?"

Absinthe didn't had much time to conjecture about it as soon enough Mercury Titania started to show signs of recoding her consciousness. "Titania-sama! Titania-sama, what happened to you? Wh-who did this?" Absinthe asked while trying to support Titania, so that she could stand correctly. At that moment even the presence of Azure Panther was erased from Absinthe's mind as she focused solely on her beloved king.

"A-a healer, I have to get one. Anyone, just be online, please." Absinthe run her eyes through the whole roster of the Cobalt Bruisers, cursing inwardly as she noticed that pretty much all of them were away, raiding the Black City. Damn hell if they were not going to be in for a good chewing when they were back...

---

Truth be told, Thomas didn't exactly know where to go to investigate. He wanted to figure out how it started but he couldn't exactly ask anyone as they were right now. That kind of investigation was to be reserved for a later date. Tomorrow, preferably, but he couldn't do it now. What he really wanted to know was why the blue guild had begun attacking the black guild when they had largely been allies for a long time. What would a mercenary guild have to gain by attacking their friends, especially a mercenary guild of which the enigmatic blue king was the leader of? Though he answer may lie in the fact that they were a mercenary group, he couldn't investigate that lead either.

The puppet master ducked into a shadowy doorway as a car full of Ebony Strykers rolled down the streets passed him. He checked that there was no one around before continuing on, in the direction of the throne room of the black king.

What Thomas wanted to look into was the black king. Would an enigmatic figure like that really make such an impassioned speech? Truth be told it wasn't exactly put of the question, there was something kind of... off. The black king's declaration and Thomas's general image of the black king didn't quite line up.

The intercom was brought up again as the "black king" issued more orders which only deepened his suspicions. He could be wrong, of course, but he would've thought that the black king would've been more composed. If it was him, he'd already have a contingency plan. But maybe he was wrong, maybe the person on the screen was really the black king. But if there was any chance that he was right then it was worth looking into. A stray thread of doubt has often been enough to unravel a carefully laid out tapestry.

The puppet master stopped walking as he saw a large building in the distance. The guild's throne room. Thomas wasn't entirely sure that it would have any answers but he couldn't exactly go anywhere else. Nevertheless, the throne room itself was rather heavily guarded, or so he thought. There were plenty of guards he couldn't see, but he knew there'd be plenty he didn't see as well. Thomas wasn't there yet, but he took refuge inside a nearby seemingly unoccupied building. He wanted access to the throne room but he wasn't getting anywhere near it like this. He wondered why the guards were still there when the black city was getting invaded, but he supposed they would always be there, come hell or high water. Either way, he needed a plan of attack.

The building he'd entered offered an imperfect view of the front of the throne room, but even with that, Thomas could see the guards. He considered watching their patrol patterns but discarded the notion. He reasoned that there would be other guards, either assassins or rogues, watching the blind spots. Thomas shrunk back from the window and sat down by the wall, taking a quick look at his inventory. He didn't have much that would help, a few spare weapons and a cloak that didn't do much for his defenses. He activated sense share on one of his puppets. The conflict was under way, though it wasn't quite going as he expected. However, there was plenty to take screenshots of.
"I can't do this alone." Thomas thought. "Which means..."

He took some screenshots of the conflict before issuing a command to one of them to hide somewhere safe. The other he took control of directly. He directed it to run towards him carefully, sticking to the back streets to avoid notice. He couldn't make a new one yet, his cooldowns hadn't come up. Quite frankly, his abilities were not particularly good for infiltration, and in terms of fighting, he had a disadvantage against assassins since he was good at prolonged combat. But if wanted any chance at all, he'd need more than himself, and he didn't want to call in any of his friends to back him up.
"This is something I decided on a whim," He muttered to himself as he guided his puppet. "I don't want to get others caught up in it."

He briefly wondered why he was going to such lengths to prove that he was probably wrong, but it bothered him too much to let it go. And besides, he didn't exactly hold his "life" very highly in DGO.
"I hope I get something out of this." He muttered.

---

@TheWindel, I think. I dunno who else

---

Arms Slave logged in, and the first thing he did was fall to his knees and grip his stomach. There were no wounds, but he felt the pain. He was breathing heavily despite being at full health due to what just happened to him, so Arms Slave needed to be fast. He knew that the Black City was in chaos; Sweepers were fighting Strykers, and if he heard right, the Cobalt Bruisers just arrived with their tanks. Arms Slave has no idea what was happening except that he needed to stop the fighting. He needed to get the Sweepers and Strykers to make peace and somehow prevent the Cobalt Bruisers from attacking them. He has no idea why any of this happened now, and how all of it seems to be working against him. He's heard that many have targeted the Ebony Stryker's vehicles, so he knows that they're looking to sabotage his War Machine. He could only hope that he reaches it first.

And the only place his War Machine was at was the Guild Hall, in the king's personal garage. Arms Slave was overseeing it's construction on behalf Moon Rider, and had hoped to include her in it's maiden voyage. But now there was no time for such things. He needed to get to it before his enemies does, and use it to fight the madness in the city. Fortunately Arms Slave wasn't too far from the Guild Hall, and as long as he didn't go outlaw he wouldn't be attacked by the guild's defenders. The others however... Arms Slave knew he had made himself a big target with all the words he spoke before. But that was a small price to pay. With no more time to waste Arms Slave ran through the city, armed with only his tower shields to defend himself against attackers.

Making use of his chains and the fighting around, Arms Slave managed to avoid fights, though he did take a stray bullet to the chest. Somehow, it hurt more than usual. Regardless Arms Slave managed to talk his way past the defenders, most knowing who he was. Though he wouldn't be going in alone; a few knew that some Avatars had illusion based abilities, so they would be following him if he intended to speak with Moon Rider. This surprised Arms Slave, since he didn't know she was on. Because if she was, why did she let this chaos happen? Why would she let the Sweepers and Strykers fight each other while the Blue Guild was riding their forces to them? Just so many questions. But now was a time for action. Being escorted by two other level 3 avatars, Arms Slave arrived to the throne room. It wasn't his final destination, but he knew he'd have to get here first. And when he arrived he saw Moon Rider lounging on her throne. An anger welled up inside of him.

"My King." Arms Slave called out to Moon Rider. He had put his weapons away, not wanting her to think he came to fight. But he still had some words for her. "The Ebony Strykers just recovered from the Corpse Collector fiasco barely a day ago! We haven't even been active for more than a week, if even that! Why do you want us to fight the Cobalt Bruisers so soon, especially when there's still fighting between the Sweepers and Strykers in the guild?" Arms Slave really wanted to know. He wanted to make not just the Sweepers, but the Ebony Strykers great as well. He could have gone to anyone, perhaps even the Cobalt Bruisers, but he stayed with the Strykers. But now how could he stand by and watch it's king do this?

"Hmm? You're asking me of all people Arms Slave?" Rider said with indifference, as if she was jusr now noticing his presence before her. "That's quite a question so I have to gibe you probs in thinking that far. Indeed, why did I issue the order to lash out at our Bruiser comrades. I suppose it's because...well, I thought it would just be fun. A nice round of war to get people's blood boiling, am I right? Oh don't give me that face. You've seen your share of battles all the time Slave, can I call you Slave? You know what it's like to have adrenaline pumping through your veins Slave. Isn't that, I dunno, fun to you?"

Well, Arms Slave couldn't deny that he liked a big fight. He was excited that the Ebony Strykers were being attacked by an army of Outlaws simply because a big brawl like that was more fun than a duel. Factions opposing each other not only on a personal level, but in a way that was bigger than all of them, was something special. Arms Slave didn't just like to fight, he liked war. But this... This isn't what he wanted. He didn't want to fight the Cobalt Bruisers; he wanted to fight alongside them. He didn't want the Strykers to only be Sweepers, he wanted them to be a part of it. This war that Moon Rider wanted wasn't anything Arms Slave wanted. This wasn't even a real fight for real reasons. This was just madness and the violence that follows it. Arms Slave shook his head. "No, this... This isn't. Moon Rider I know what sort of a reputation the Sweepers have with the world. Those who think of us as merely hackers and assassins who bring harm in game and out of it. And... And I can't deny that I enjoy my time with them. But this isn't right! We shouldn't be fighting each other, and the Cobalt Bruisers, there's no reason we had to fight them! My god, they were our allies! The other guilds sure, fighting them would make sense, but the Cobalt Bruisers are our friends!"

"Careful Slave. With talk like that, it's easy to think you're directly defying your King," Moon Rider said with a deadly gleam in her eye. Though the slight twinge of a smirk on her features suggested that perhaps she wanted him to keep going, to put the pieces together. No, she outright dared him to do just that and tell her what he thought of all this.

But as Arms Slave looked at his king, he slowly realized something. Something that Arms Slave feared: she didn't care. Arms Slave recognized it all too well; that heartless apathy to slate one's appetite for destruction, regardless of who dies for it. Arms Slave himself had those eyes once, until they were opened by the hands of Eris and Eclipse Princess. Moon Rider was much like Arms Slave once; he had power, minions, wealth, and a bright future. It didn't matter to him who died or suffered; as long as he was happy he wouldn't care about their plights. And for the longest time Arms Slave left that this was right, and that nothing could have been better. But seeing Eris challenge him and the Sweepers put cracks in that world view; the idea that someone opposes this sort of life style, his fortune, made him realize that something was wrong. Right now Arms Slave couldn't say he knew the true problem, but he knew something had to change.

And he knew that Moon Rider needed to change too. Arms Slave clenched his fists together. He knew he didn't have Eclipse Princess's power to defeat Moon Rider. Not alone. There was a lot that Arms Slave aimed to change, but by himself he was powerless. He'd need help. So he'll need to find his friends and make some new ones.

"My King, I cannot agree with this. The city is falling apart from infighting, and we won't be able to fend off the Cobalt Bruisers in this state. I... I cannot say anymore. I don't know what else I can tell you but I know what I must do. And... And know that I'm doing this for everyone in the Ebony Strykers, and the Sweepers, and... And for my King." Arms Slave said that last part with some hesitance. He wasn't certain if he could put his faith in Moon Rider right now. But he had faith in himself and the Ebony Strykers. Paper Moon, Strawberry Baby, and even Eclipse Princess (Unbeknownst to Arms Slave she had left to join the Ivory Masks). Arms Slave started walking towards the Guild's garage, but before he left he said one final farewell. "Goodbye, Moon Rider. I... I'll save the Ebony Strykers!"

Moon Rider's answer to all of that was a loud cracking noise that echoed around the Throne Room. But the players of DGO were quite used to the sound and could easily be identified as a gunshot. The Black King had fetched for her gun in the middle of Slave's silent thinking, even going as far as to load bullets before firing away. She shot him where he stood, turned towards the direction of the Stryker's garage.

"Is that mutiny you're displaying Slave? Now I know you have something more to say to me than just deluded words. Save the Strkyers? My dear boy, this Guild was destined to burn just like it did years before," Rider said with her calm smirk. She ignored the shocked expressions of the other Avatars because frankly if they were too stupid to figure it out then they deserved to be shot too. "Really, and here I thought you were just like that muscle head Princess. Seems you're both developing in....human ways. That's interesting. Don't you think that's interesting?"

The bullets fired at Arms Slave were left embedded in the ground in front of him where he once stood. He noticed her gun drawn, and feared that this would happen. He knew he couldn't defeat Moon Rider. He would die, and she would destroy his War Machine. But it wasn't just that at risk. The guild itself was relying on Arms Slave now. Moon Rider had said it herself; the Ebony Strykers were going to be destroyed, and she was going to let it happen. Without leadership the feud between the Ebony Strykers and Sweepers were just going to continue, tearing itself apart. The future of all those within it would be ruined; hundreds of players would be forced into becoming Outlaws, or trying to join with the other guilds. The Ebony Strykers were suppose to be their sanctuary where they could turn that around.

Arms Slave couldn't let them end so soon. "No..." Armored, spiked gauntlets appeared on Arms Slave's hands. He looked at his four hands, how odd it was that he was going to do this without weapons. "I will not betray the Ebony Strykers. And Princess.... Eclipse Princess was right. I was so blind to it before. But things have changed." Arms Slave looked at Moon Rider, who still had a gun pointed towards him. Suddenly his body was covered with a red aura, signifying that he had activated his Aura of Agony. The other avatars in this room that were not his enemies would not be harmed by Moon Rider. "But you're right about one thing. It is interesting that a monster like me could realize that there's more to him than just fighting and winning. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't realize that the path I was going down is an empty one. I didn't want it to be this way Moon Rider. But I won't let you destroy the Ebony Strykers, and everyone's hope in it!" Arms Slave took on his fighting stance, steeling his resolve.

"But you don't realize it now do you Slave?" the Black King said with her smirk that...was starting to become rather unnerving at this point. "But fine. Since you want to act like a hero, I can at least give you the courtesy of dying like one," Rider continued, actually standing up from her throne this time. The gun was holstered back into its sleeve while her primary weapon was seen clasped in her left hand; a flick of her thumb released the contained stream of purple energy that was her lightsaber. Lunatic Marauder.

"You're quite familiar with this weapon, right Slave? It's known for slaying impudent fools who abuse the game, so much so that whispers call it the Hacker Bane. Funny it should find itself at your throat, though I suppose you need your King to reeducate you. You are not stopping that battle outside," Moon Rider said before flickering in a flash before appearing right in front of Arms Slave. And true to her word, her blade was deft to strike horizontally along his neck.

"Now be a good boy and yield for me."

"So fast!" Arms Slave barely had time to react when Moon Rider was right up to his face. Fortunately his Readied Mind at least knew when she left, and after that it was just instincts that Arms Slave was able to avoid getting decapitated. She was faster than Eclipse Princess, and Arms Slave knew Moon Rider's weapon well enough to know that blocking it was only going to result in a broken weapon, or in this instance, sliced off hands. But there was a reason he chose armored gauntlets to fight Moon Rider instead of an actual weapon.

Arms Slave dodged the attack by ducking low to the side, and the first thing he did was to throw two punches at Moon Rider's weapon arm. If he could weaken it, it would allow him to last just a bit longer against her, at least until he can escape or helps arrive.

"Trying to flatter your King by complimenting her speed won't save you Slave," Rider said with her grinning features and backing off. Her fingers moved with the grace and speed of a seasoned warrior, flipping the lightsaber into a reversed grip in her hand and slashing away at Slave's attempt to disable her striking hand. Let him try and punch a blade coming right for him.

Arms Slave couldn't believe Moon Rider's speed. Not only fast enough to see his attack, but also move her blade with a flick of a wrist. Arms Slave managed to redirect his strike, missing her arm entirely but saving his hand. However as his gauntlets grazed Moon Rider's blade, he could see the armor plates get sheered off like a hot knife through soft serve ice cream. Using a Chain Catch Arms Slave pulled himself far away from Moon Rider, looking at his gauntlet. An centimeter deeper and that would have cut into his knuckles. But Arms Slave wouldn't give up just yet. He was fast too, or at least, he thinks he was fast enough that he could overwhelm Moon Rider. He just needed to see her tactics and moves a bit more, try to get a read on her, and from there he can launch a counter attack. "Keep cool Asahi. You at least know how her weapon works. Avoid it and stay mobile, she isn't an enemy you can tank. Not yet..." Taking on a defensive stance Arms Slave readied his mind against Moon Rider's next attack.

"You're right....Asahi? Yeah, that sounds about right. Taking me on head front isn't exactly the best move," Rider said, taking her sweet time in walking towards him. She had spoken his name as if it were some foreign object upon her lips and rather liked the sound of it. As she came closer and closer, she dragged her lightsaber's tip along the ground, kicking up sparks and smoke whereever it went. There was no rush in taking down this Asahi. Toying with him, making him see what he was doing was wrong....now that was more her style.

"You think you have an advantage just because you think my weapon is a one trick wonder? For someone who glorifies in battle, you're deduction skills are quite poor Asashi. Tell me, can you read this?" she said before zipping forward with no warning. Blade held in hand, she dashed until he was right in front of him. Then at the last moment, she forced all of her momentum into a jump, sailing high over the brutish Avatar's head. Her right hand snatched out her pistol as she fired down a rain of shots targeted right at the back of Asashi's neck.

"What? Are you reading my mind?!" Of course she was. But Arms Slave had no idea how. Warping perception was a staple illusion, and having your own mind process information fast enough to see bullets were nothing that Arms Slave hasn't heard of before. But to actually read other people's mind seemed more like witchcraft than science. The fact that Moon Rider responded to his thoughts and even called him out by his real name distracted him long enough that he didn't see her rush him. Or at least when he did see her, he threw a double-fist punch at her, only to strike an afterimage. This got him bullets shot into his back, at least until he used another Chain to pull himself behind the cover of a pillar.

A quick check of his health and he saw he only lost ten percent. But he didn't know how many of those bullets hit him; if she hit him with quite a few than he was certain he could tank more shots. But if that was the work of just one or two, then that was another weapon Arms Slave would have to be serious against. It was obvious that Moon Rider was toying with him now, and it was equally obvious that sitting around trying to counter her wasn't going to work. He needed to keep moving. So quickly moving out from the pillar Arms Slave charged. He kept his guard up which should help him block the bullets, and he'd rely on his agility to avoid her blade. But most likely Moon Rider was going to dance around him, so Arms Slave's charge also served a secondary purpose to dodge her and keep moving.

"Since you can read my mind then you know that I'll defeat you!"

"Correction. I know that you hold the belief that you can defeat me," Moon Rider said, once more taking her time. With the gun holstered, she walked slowly, slowly towards Asashi...before rushing in to strike with her blade. She ducked and weaved, moved from right to left and back with dancing waves of her weapon. Because she wasn't intending to end the battle in one blow nor was she trying to deliver powerful strikes. A little nip here, a little slice there, all of the small wounds culminating into enduring and lasting damage that would weigh on Asashi. And she was fast enough to avoid his own blows, often using his own momentum and weight against him to dodge and strike forth.

"I can see it now Asashi. What you're really thinking I mean. You're scared. Scared for this Guild and scared because you can't do anything about it. Deep down you know you can't defeat me. Everyone in this room knows it. So why don't you stop while you're ahead kid," Moon Rider said before lunging forward to stab her sword right into his face. "Because being an obedient puppy won't end up with you sad and dead."

Everything was happening too fast. Arms Slave was able to block the first few hits, but the tables were quickly turned. Even though he could see Moon Rider's strikes, by the time he moved his arms to block them she was already starting up on a next one. She was moving so fast for a while Arms Slave thought he was being attacked by a gang of Moon Riders rather than just one. Worse still were that the attacks she did weren't even that damaging; She could have easily ended it in a single slash, but instead she was giving him a death with a thousand cuts. Eventually Arms Slave fell onto one knee, the sheer pain from it all being too much for him. He only lost 7% of his health but at the same time he must have been struck at least a hundred times. Either Moon Rider was just that weak, or more likely she was holding back. Notable however, she left one spot untouched. It was the same spot where he just got shot. Perhaps with her mind reading powers she also knew that Arms Slave was wounded.

Arms Slave looked up just in time to see her stab at his face, allowing him to roll to the side and put more distance between the two. He got right back onto his feet and charged at her. "No one expects much from me! They think a Sweeper won't be much help. I know that better than anyone. I'm not good enough. I'm weak! I know that much..." Arms Slave threw a punch at Moon Rider despite being too far for his fist to land. Instead, he fired his Chain Shot at her, hoping to perhaps bind her and slow her down. "No one has to tell me I have no chance of beating you. I already know that! And yet I must try. It's not about winning or losing! It's about me taking you on right here, right now!"

@TheWindel

---

Rushing towards the Black City gates Dark Wraith tried to get a read on where the fighting was happening around the city. Moon Rider's words seemed to have had some affect on the conflict, as most of the hot zones were starting to cool down, with it's players getting ready to face off against the Cobalt Bruisers. However there was definitely a schism between the two sides. Near the guild itself the Sweepers were rallying their forces, while closer to the gates the Strykers were getting their players together. Most of the tanks have been pull out of the fights to get ready to defend against the Bruisers, but there were still skirmishes throughout the city. Neither Sweeper nor Strykers were taking heavy enough casualties to change the tide, and at this rate they would still be fighting by the time the Bruisers got through the gate. And if they were, Dark Wraith wouldn't hesitate to cut them down herself.

But the feud between the Stryker and Sweepers were almost secondary to another of Dark Wraith's concerns. Someone controlling these turrets, and Moon Rider. Retsu hasn't proven it directly, but she was certain that Yoshino Tsugumi was Moon Rider. But the fact that Moon Rider was on right now either meant that wasn't true, or this wasn't the real Moon Rider. And considering the crazy things Dark Wraith had seen before, the chances that this Moon Rider is an imposter was high. She needed to go investigate. But Dark Wraith couldn't deal with that right now. First she needed to deal with these hacked turrets, talk to Broker of Fortune about quelling the riots in the streets, and then confront Moon Rider. Dark Wraith was already doing her best with the first one, cutting off the connection to the turrets. But now their automatic fire was something hardwired into their programming, firing at anything within range. They wouldn't have any choice but to take out the turrets now.

Reaching the gates Dark Wraith found the Ebony Stryker tanks and then found Paper Moon. Immediately she went straight to him. "Paper Moon, give me an update. What are you and your teammates doing?"

@Jedly@Bombardier

Aaron Fletcher

Aaron looked up from the manga as Emma returned, and blushed for the umpteenth that night. Before him was the girl of his dreams, clad in nothing but a towel. Oddly enough, she was neither red in the face nor making a show of herself... she was going about business as usual, as if she was fully clothed at the moment. There was, however, something about that fact that held his attention well. He watched her come over and sit beside him, his face somehow getting even redder. If he had a shred of confidence before, it was certainly gone now. He managed to regain control of his nerves as she started talking about the manga he had been reading. And then it dawned on him; Deep Ground was almost exactly the same as this. Or maybe it was a metaphor for life. Either way, he had an idea. "Y'know, that got me thinking... In real life and Deep Ground, we do the same things every day in the hopes that, somehow, we'll fix everything and make the world a better place, then get what we want as a reward in the end. And yet, here we are." He pulled his phone out of his right pocket and scrolled through a list of group chats. The most active one was the chat for the Scarlet Harleys, which had been blowing up for the last few hours. "Check the chat when you get a chance, story goes that the Black City itself is going rogue. Turrets are going haywire, Strykers turning on the Bruisers..." He sighed a bit, getting a little too philosophical for the situation. He snapped himself back to reality with a shake of the head.

"Sorry about that, thinking out loud." He stuffed his phone back in his pocket as Emma mentioned that he had full access to the bathroom and it's features, along with an offer to wash his clothes. "No, it's alright. I'm usually one to shower in the morning anyway." He did stop for a moment as the smell of fast food and butter suddenly hit his nose. "...On second thought, I think I'll take you up on that offer. I'll just, uh... leave my clothes on the bathroom counter. Bring 'em out when I'm done, y'know?" He set the book down on the bed and got up, swiping a white towel from the floor and making he way to the bathroom. Before he got in, he shot his host a quick smile and pushed the door closed behind him, leaving a small opening in his wake. Once inside, he managed to start up the shower relatively quickly and stripped out of his clothes, which still smelled reminiscent of Purple Crown's food court and the theater. Following that, the boy jumped into the shower and closed the curtain.

@KoL

---

Phantom Regality

Phantom Regality paused as he heard the rumble of an engine approach, drawing his sword and grimoire in an attempt to look intimidating. With whatever was approaching, he was unlikely to do much. Soon enough, he heard the screaming of the brake... followed by Paper Moon flying out of the vehicle's windshield, doing what could only be called a spectacular flip, and then landing like nothing had happened. Deciding now was a good time to put his weapons away, the Necromancer scratched his head in an attempt to process what had just happened. As the brightly colored rogue spoke, he nodded while listening. Everything he said made sense, and he couldn't help but agree with the facts presented. He stepped onto the transport and took hold of a rung, looking to steady himself in case of more sudden braking. To his surprise, the sounds of gunfire were slightly muffled inside the troop transport, and it was a welcome change from gunfire and explosions.

@Jedly

"Well it is nice to hear Purple Crown has such a studious president looking out for
us, even if it must be a drag sometimes." Kanbaru said, eyeing the pervy man as he retreated from the area before returning her attention fully to Yoshino. While she really shouldn't stay off of DGO for long, the Bruiser was due for a breather and it seemed Yoshino was in need of some company. "So Yoshino-san, what brings you to this kind of scene all by your lonesome?"

"Hmm? Well I wasn't really alone until a few minutes ago. I'm not sure if you know of her, but Retsu Goroshi was accompanying me," the President said, though it was somewhat easy to figure out there was something between her and the Yakuza chick. Given how much time they seemed to spend together, sharp eyes could detect that something was going on. She had explained herself though and now waited for what Kanbaru wanted to say. If it was another bribe to boost up her GPA, Yoshino already had a denial prepared.

"Retsu...Ah yes, word was that you two were rather inseparable. Lucky you for netting such a catch~" She leaned in with a congratulatory smile, aware that the rumored Yakuza was a mercurial beauty to say the least. Rather a stark contrast to the companion of Yoshino's sibling, though Kanbaru wouldn't know this yet. The Bruiser pulled away Yoshino to scan the dance floor, taking extra care picking through the few heads of red hair she could find. "Though I can't find hide nor hair of her. She run off to the lou or something?"

"She said she had some business to take care of. Probably Deep Ground stuff involving my client," Yoshino said, really wishing she had brought her glasses along with her. But that safety blanket was gone now and with Retsu nowhere to be found, she was stuck dealing with this blue-headed stranger...thinking on it now, why were all the blue-heads in her life overtly eccentric? Must be a Bruiser thing.

It appeared to Kanbaru was a touch uncomfortable, an understandable reaction since Kanbaru had come out of nowhere to hug her as though had an established friendship. The only thing to be done about that was for her to get building bridges. "Damn, I get the feeling. I came here expecting an associate of mine, but they decided things were better off if she remained anonymous. Sigh, now it's just us lonely hearts...hey, I rented a private room and its going to waste with just me. Want to come? We can order a few drinks and bemoan our faithless dates~"

"Did you just verbally sigh?" Yoshino asked, again wondering what was with these blue-heads she knew. In any case, she supposed it wasn't too suspicious. Better someone from her school than some stranger she didn't know and she did want affection and attention. So with reluctance, she nodded her head and managed a small, "Sure, fine," before following Kanbaru's lead. Remembering from what she knew of Kanbaru's school records, the girl was decent enough. Not as bad as her sister by then again Chiyo was in a league of her own.

"Excellent!" Kanbaru exclaimed as she wrapped one arm around Yoshino's waist and led the president towards the back room, passing the room containing a catatonic Retsu, before returning to where she herself had been playing a few minutes prior. She sat herself down on the blue sofa and motioned for Yoshino to sit wherever she pleased. "So Yoshino-san, what's on your mind?"

"Nothing in particular....and you didn't answer my question," Yoshino said, taking her seat while also scowling at being near-dragged into this room. "There's not much to say unless you'd like to hear about the new curriculums the school is trying to implement. Or new procedures in discipline. Or maybe the latest activities of the Winter Festival the Chess and Newspaper Club have planned."

"What's wrong with a verbal sigh? Far more effective than the alternative." Kanbaru said, evading the largely meaningless question. "And that isn't what I asking, and you know it. Look, I'm not trying to pump you for the answers to our finals, but you saw that guy coming for you and didn't make a move to stop him. If this is because of Retsu, well, maybe you should talk about it before something happens. Lord knows I just did some reckless stuff when Dark Wraith left me here." Kanbaru grumbled the last part ruefully, turning her gaze downwards with a slight scowl of her own.

"Hmm. Maybe. Though it's not just here, it's really...well, I suppose it does have a great deal to do with her. Though not in the way you may think," Yoshino said, taking the other answer for now while keeping her hands on her lap. "I wasn't thinking straight back there, that's all. I expected a fun evening, something that Retsu promised me, only to get a fragment of that in the long run...anyway, why do you care anyway?"

"We are in the same boat, so why wouldn't I offer my shoulder? I came here looking to meet a pen pal and you came for your friend. In the end we were both very disappointed. Honestly, I needed a breather to recover from all that craziness on DGO, yet it's only gone further down the rabbit hole." Kanbaru said, raising a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose as she gradually leaned back till she reclining with her feet up on a glass table. "Heh, look at me complaining when you clearly have the heavier load. Heavy is the head that wears the crown, am I right?" She offered as good natured jab.

"I suppose, though over time the job just gets boring," Yoshino replied back, the ghost of a smile on her face. It ward hard not to with this girl around, yet something about what she said made her pause in getting comfortable. "What did you mean by crazy? What's happening in Deep Ground right now? Surely it's not that big of a skirmish that Retsu had to log in again, is it?"

"Eh? You didn't know? Honestly I had thought that everyone knew and you were just avoiding the mess." Kanbaru said, turning to Yoshino with a look of surprise. "The Strykers and Sweepers just kick started a civil war in the Black City, some random person started it trying to break into the Guild Hall for whatever reason, though last I was there Moon Rider had come on to try and direct the fighting at the Cobalt Bruisers cause, well..." Kanbaru scratched her chin, gaze roaming around the room before returning to President. "I had tried to bring the Bruisers to the city to pacify the fighting, but Moon Rider and some ass hat name Paper Moon took it as a hostile invasion. Honestly I just wanted to stop them from fighting, but now they are killing each other AND gearing up to fight the Bruisers. Ugh, this wouldn't have been an issue if Titania or Absinthe had been on, but no, I was left to rally the Bruisers to try and do something good with our power. Just hope things don't blow up while I'm here."

If Kanbaru was expecting an immediate reaction from all of this, she would get no such thing because Yoshino merely stared at the blue-headed girl as if she had...well, grown two extra heads. Only when Kanbaru finished her recounting did she blink once, twice...before immediately clutching her stomach as if in pain. A striken expression plagued her face and she got up with a hasty step, legs wobbling while her feet carried her unconscious towards the door.

"S-Sorry Otoko-san, but I gotta run. I guess I needed something in my stomach after all, so I'll be right back. Restroom first and then I'll order us some drinks," she said hastily before rushing out of the room and towards her stated location. Walking into the restroom, she panted heavily and looked around to make sure no one else was present....before a deathly expression replaced her sickened one. A little overdramatic yes, but she needed to get out of there fast. Quite honestly she felt like punching a mirror but she was not like a certain edgelord wannabe. So instead she found a stall at the very end before locking the door and herself in privant solitude.

She was going to contact her client this very instant because she was not, not going to let a few idiots ruin the Ebony Strykers. And if what Kanbaru said was true, then the damage needed to be stopped imemdiately. It only took a few seconds for the deed to be done. It took fewer for the Black King, the real Black King, to step into the world of Deep Ground Online.

---

Welcome Moon Rider-Black King!

---

"Well...shit. That could have gone better. Guess I really am pretty reckless tonight. Sigh..." Kanbaru said, oddly disheartened Yoshino wasn't going to call her out on the verbal tick. It appeared that her breather didn't do anything but create more trouble all around. "Should I...no. All my deals are falling through and I best not muck it up further. Back to the war front."

---

---

Every now and then, Eris gave her a little bit more. Information, feelings and more. Cassandra filed away the information, curious but deciding it could wait. She gave a nod, no more willing to give up Eris's secrets here then in the real world. "The world is a demanding place, and holding those you care close is sometimes all we have. My goal for a while now has been to show this game for what it is" stopping the car, she couldn't believe that it hadn't crashed, exploded or just stopped working.

"I have my own choices, that is true. And i am not giving up on my friends. I trust them to do what they think is right, just like I will do. If they can't understand that, then maybe they aren't really my friends" she said, giving a shrug, and getting out the car as well. She had come this far, why not see what happened?

"I have allied myseof with you, not because of what I feel, but because...I believe in you. And i choose the greenguild intially because i was scared, in this world, and they were...comfort. i am not scared, anymore. Thats it. I'm with you" she fell silent when Eclipse walked overr and spoke to the person there.

(GONNA SPELLCHECK TOMORROW WHEN I IS NOT TIRED I IS TIRED OH MOTHER OF MEGUMIN I IS TIRED)



The provisional transport was brought as close as possible to the gathering of players near the current conflict. Something… odd was floating about the air. Paper Moon had noticed it and graced its existence with a light sigh. Strawberry Baby, Leviathan, Regality- hell, probably everybody had taken note by now: The oddly disconcerting absence of tank shells. The assets that have been pelting the city to no end were now silent. His brows only furrowed more as he stepped off the vehicle to survey the sight, ”Perhaps they’re planning on besieging the city?” Strawberry extrapolated while displaying a similar expression to the rogue’s. He shook his head in response, critical thought painted all over his face, ”Don’t think that’s the case. They came here without a plan, well, maybe a sorry excuse for one. They basically started shooting anything that moved, so I’m gonna guess that whoever’s spearheading the assault finally got their wits about them and ordered a cease-fire.”

It was at that very moment another revelation came about. One that shook the very fundamentals of their current affairs. Moon raised an eyebrow as he glanced back at the girl visibly distraught, ”H-Hey, you don’t think that the Bruisers actually believe we’re going to go on a full-out assault, even though the odds are obviously stacked in their favor, right?” Strawberry Baby raised her shoulders lethargically, meeting the boy’s worried gaze. Now, most friends would usually try to empathize for one another. Reassure the anxious party, tell them it’s alright, sprinkle words of mollification until the original problem can no longer be distinguished. Strawberry wasn’t “most people”. ”Well, I’m sure the Strykers by now have realized that their current task to take out those turrets, or the option of catharsis would never come into reach. Buuuuuuut, had I been the opposing recipient of that little announcement of yours, I would have taken it just as it sounde- Okay you know what, I take back what I said earlier. Don’t go into public speaking. You know that girl you were with earlier? She seemed nice. Marry her and become a stay-at-home dad. That’s the only measure of redemption you can achieve now.”

Ruthless. Strawberry’s wry smile only rubbed the salt deeper into the wound and poured hot sauce on top. On the bright side, the Strykers had yet to do any damage to the Bruisers. This fact alone may have been their only leverage. Before Moon could dwell over the current situation and predict the various routes it might go down, the all too familiar crackle denoting a public announcement resounded throughout the city.

The Strykers were indefinitely under Paper’s command. At this juncture, they knew well enough that Moon Rider’s words were just orders made from a far off haven. What her umbral highness didn’t know is that the boys and girls gathered in the streets weren’t seeking glory. Pride was something that has long since been discarded. They weren’t attached to the king spewing enticements; They were attached to the sky that have been tasked to defend once again. Although the Strykers had a strong grasp on their leader, the Bruisers seemed to not follow the same theorem. His acute hearing picked up muffle explosions, a heads-up that gave him and everybody else just enough time to brave for impact. Luckily, the tanks that had fired weren’t aiming at the assembled Strykers, probably because they didn’t have a lick of an idea that this many players were gathered in one spot. As shells continued to explode and cake the streets and buildings, Moon’s ears were grazed by a distant cry. It was nearly drowned out by the perpetual hammering, but it gradually intensified, as if it was getting closer.

”MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!!!!!”

Paper Moon whirled around as he caught the sight of a War Machine weaving through the city block, dodging explosions by a hair. If it wasn’t for the armored plating of the APC, the vehicle would have surely caught fire or rendered entirely inoperable. It made a beeline straight for the little posse and screeched to a halt to the side. ”I WANNA GO HOOOOOOOME, MAMAAAAAAAAA!!” Drauni wailed as he practically soared out of the transport and wrapped his arms around the orange-haired boy, taking him into a bear hug. Painfully realistically rendered tears flowed down the Ranger’s face as he burrowed it into the older player’s chest. Moon pushed at the kid’s head with both hands in an attempt to pry himself free of the inseparable embrace, ”GET OFF ME, I DON’T LOVE YOU! I GAVE YOUR FATHER CUSTODY RIGHTS FOR A REASON!” He yelled in terror as the two reenacted a third-rate soap opera. ”I DUN’ WANNAAAAAAA. DADDY IS ALWAYS BRINGING HOME RANDOM WOMEN!!”

It was Strawberry clearing her throat that broke the two out of their display. They collected themselves, but nearly fell backwards into their original shattered demeanors at the intimidating appearance of Dark Wraith. Well, Paper Moon quickly mended himself and looked presentable. Drauni… not so much. The Rogue took the chance to tear himself free of the kid and nodded at the second in command of the Sweepers. ”One update coming right up.” His tone was cordial as ever, yet one could notice the tinge of urgency within it. The boy backtracked to the provisional transport and leaned over its wooden exterior. He spent a few seconds rummaging through the ride’s story until he froze all of a sudden. ”Wait… what?” He asked aloud in outright disbelief. He took hold of whatever had caught his eye and after putting on an exagerrated display lugged it onto the asphalt.

A vintage 1980 boombox laid at his feet in nearly pristine condition along with a complimentary microphone. Moon raised his eyebrow and stared at the others as he tried to grasp whatever fragments of reality remained intact, ”I don’t… how the… S-shit, I guess there really is no God.” The boy ran a hand down his face and picked up the relic, then shifted his feet under the weight and made his way over to Drauni. ”Here, hold this.” He deposited the artifact seemingly trapped in time into the kid’s grasp and took in a deep breath with the weight finally shifted off his shoulders. The noob nearly crumpled to the pavement instantaneously. Squinted eyes proceeded through the process with the utmost cautious, as if the boombox was a primed bomb that had to be defused. ”Ah, this should work.” Moon said with a sense of accomplishment as he took the microphone and gave it a quick pat. ”Testing one-two. One-two. I like to eat sundaes… on Sundays. Aight, good, this thing has yet to blow up in my hands, which must mean I’m doing something right.”

For once.

Moon waved at the crowd of Strykers, capturing their attention as best as he could amidst all of the gunfire and explosions. ”Alright, here’s how this is going to go down. Right now, our sole objective is to send those turrets back to the manufacturers and ask for a full refund. Rogues, I want you to split yourselves among vanguard and rearguard. Those of you that are grenadiers, I’m going to need you up behind those tanks with a couple Warriors to cover you wherever the tanks can’t. Two grenadiers per squad, one should focus on direct fire while the other focuses on optimized AoE. Rocketeers and the main line of Tank-archetype Warriors will be forming firing lines at the street ends, just out of the Bruisers’ arcs. Don’t worry about turret agro, those lovely culminations should be drawing all of it. But in case a few rounds come your way, well, we’ve got Healers for that. As for the rest of you with normal armaments, simply do what our forefathers and their forefathers did: Shoot the living- or I guess in this case mechanical shit out of it! Somebody’s messing around with those turrets! Let’s show them whose city this is!” Before bellowing cheers could fill the air, Paper Moon held out an open palm to silence them a little longer, ”Almost forgot to say this: Hikaru’s new album is going to hit the network tomorrow. Pick up a code at Purple Crown’s general store for ten percent off. Get them while supplies last. Ok now you can shoot the shit out of those turrets.”

Cheers erupted after Paper Moon finished delegating responsibilities. Even a few YEAH, FOR HIKARUUUU’s cropped up among the volumes in the air. Strykers were already gathering into coherent units. These were people bonded by one goal. The tanks still retained the turrets’ attention as three small squads rushed to their rears. The vehicles were able to interpret what came next and were already in the midst of raising their cannons. 150mm smoothbore stared down the emplacements lining the walls while they incessantly fired upon the armored pieces. ”And… Fire!” The turret fire dwelled in comparison as what followed. Streaks of light seemed to coalesce then defract off to various rays of physics at work. Plooms of smoke laid waste to the once calm air. Unity had taken over. Paper Moon stared in awe at the sudden development.

The sky itself was on fire.

The usually dull pigmented skybox had been ignited and painted a stark orange as rounds permeated the layers of grey clouds. If it weren’t for the current circumstances, he may have been so bold as to call the spectacle picturesque. He stood there captivated for a few moments before he returned the the matter at hand.

The Strykers weren’t in need of direct command just yet, at least not until things started getting hairy. Moon turned to face the group of players who were essentially spearheading this whole operation, ”Drauni, take Nostradamus to the rearguard and keep him alive. The game still seems to be skewed in your favor. Guess Lady Luck seems to have an eye for you, young one.” Both Drauni and Strawberry cringed at the sight of Moon exercising even the slightest extent of seniority. ”A-alright, shall we? Don’t worry, I’ll keep you alive…(hopefully).” He murmured the last bit while the Ranger produced his marksman rifle and nudged his head in the direction of the raging firefight. ”Phantom, try to hold off from resurrecting any deceased players for the time being. Though that’s asking a lot, I don’t think it would do morale any good if the Strykers have to watch their brethren be used as meat shields. If I may be so humble as to ask of you to help keep everybody order. Need somebody I can rely on to command them.” The boy spoke honestly. (i’ll add more here tomorrow sorry phantom #tears4phantom)

Finally, Paper Moon’s gaze shifted over to Dark Wraith, ”Hope that suffices. Oh, and it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Despite his rank, Moon was on good terms with a few Erasers, but he’s only heard about this one, and a fair amount at that. ”Formalities will have to wait for later- Alright, lemme get straight to the point. You’ve noticed it too, right?” Suddenly, his voice grew quite serious. His lax countenance was superceded by a deadpan expression. Jokes had been flung out the window. ”This, and I mean all of this is probably the work of an Eraser. Bruisers just didn’t come here ‘cause they caught went that a powwow was popping off. Turrets meant for warding off stray dissolutions and enemy factions don’t just go haywire. And even though this kingdom has fallen before, I’m sure it wasn’t due to a brute of a king who lacked tact. Moon Rider- or whoever the hell is up there in that throne room is the mastermind’s voice.” Paper raked the back of his head as he quickly cast his gaze over to the firefight, then back at Dark Wraith, ”So if you’re going pay the king a visit, mind taking me with you? I’d like to give Rider my two cents and hopefully not be pummelled afterwards.” And back to the comical relief. The boy let out a chuckle, effortlessly drowned out by the tunes of conflict.

Strawberry nudged Leviathan with her elbow as he peered at the scene of the two conversing, ”Never thought I’d ever be graced with Dark Wraith’s presence.” She was blatantly sarcastic, but there was a morsel of honest respect in her voice. ”So I take it you’re his partner? Not just anybody would drag alone two of his friends and fly in on a dragon through a hailstorm of gunfire. Then again, I don’t think Moon really has a sense of fear. Or he’s just blindingly ignorant.” She had already deduced that the girl was a Sweeper. What she really wanted to ascertain was her relation to the Rogue, and perhaps just acquired another ally who worked in the same field as she.

@Lucius Cypher@Mega Birb@Bombardier@Kimiyosis

Was this girl really called Huntress? It was an odd name, but Itsuko was an odd person. Still, Huntress didn't seem like a bad person, so Hibiki just assumed she was a chuuni and wasn't going to bring it up. "Old games? Cool! My dad has some super old games that I used to play. Maybe we could play them together. Not a lot of them are coop though... I'll try my best to find one we can all play." Once Hibiki was certain that Itsuko wasn't going to break an ankle on the way back, they all walked back to Itsuko's apartment. Despite being the guest Hibiki insisted that Itsuko and Huntress wait while she set things up, leaving Train behind to play with them. He seemed quite fond of Huntress for some reason, though he was playful with Itsuko too. Had a bit of a bad habit of trying to get into Huntress's shirt though.

Eventually cleaning up the space a little, Hibiki found a few games she knew how to play and showed them to Itsuko and Huntress. "Okay, so here's what we could play. I found... Ace Combat 6. It has a Coop mode we could all play, though I don't think it has a lot of levels. I never played them though, so... Anyways, it'd be fun trying to beat each level with different planes and stuff. Also I found Borderlands 2, which I used to play with my brother before mom took it away. She said it was too violent, but she's just silly. Oh, Persona 4 The Ultimax Ultra Suplex Hold! I never actually played the Ultimax version, but I like to think I'm pretty pro with Labrys." Hibiki set the games out for the other two girls to judge. Hibiki seemed really eager to play any of them, though her eyes couldn't get off Ace Combat. One could almost see the cat features on her body eagerly waiting for them to choose, compounded when Train sat next to her and emulated Hibiki.

@KoL@TheWindel