[center][h3]The Avenger[/h3]
Lvl 14 Ms Fortune (79/140) Lvl 8 Goldlewis (102/80) Lvl 7 Sandalphon (15/70) Lvl 2 [color=ef6069]Grimm[/color] (14/20)
Midna, Junior, Rika & Edward’s [@DracoLunaris] Blazermate, Sectonia & Roland’s [@Archmage MC] Geralt, Zenkichi & Edelgard’s [@MULTI_MEDIA_MAN] Ace Cadet, Pit, Primrose & Therion’s [@Yankee] Juri’s [@Zoey Boey] Roxas, Ganondorf, & Captain Falcon’s [@Double] Venom Snake’s [@DisturbedSpec] the Witch’s [@Drifting Pollen]
[b]Word Count:[/b] 3192[/center]

Once Ace left, Nadia made a beeline for her bed to try and settle down. After an encounter like that, though, her heart still raced, and she couldn’t pretend that nothing had happened, especially with Blazermate right there as a witness. Given the small size of these rooms, there wasn’t much chance of avoiding either her or her inevitable commentary track. Nadia wasn’t about to be ashamed of her newfound happiness, but it was still a little embarrassing that her roommate caught them red-handed like that, even if the feral acted otherwise. While Blazermate made ominously cryptic utterances about something called the internet, Nadia got to her feet to change for bed. Considering that Blazermate had signed on as her wingman way back in Limsa Lominscuttle Town, the feral thought that her friend might be a little happier for her, but she supposed that at this time of the night even the most genial gynoid could get a bit cranky. 

Nadia’s quick change amounted to little more than removing her button-up and throwing on a comfortable crop top, but now that her adrenaline had begun to subside, even such a small task reminded the catgirl just how tired she really was. As romantic as it would be for that kiss to keep her up all night, it felt more like she’d pass out any second now. The hours spent swimming and catching fish in the Blue Hole were taking their toll, and between the Battle Royal Rumble and her beef with Juri, Nadia had no more fight left in her today. She couldn’t fret about tomorrow or indulge in existential angst even if she wanted to. Practically the second she hit the sack, the feral gave up the ghost and sank into a deep, velvety, dreamless sleep. In seconds, the room she shared with Blazermate was silent but for the burglar’s soft snoring.

Despite the feral’s propensity for speed, a neighbor several doors down had beaten her to slumberland by almost half an hour, sleeping so soundly that the momentary commotion in the hallway failed to rouse her whatsoever. Following her impromptu appointment with her fellow night owl Dr. Yu, with a guest appearance by Eleison since he happened to be up late, the two healers had agreed to send Sandalphon to bed early by every means at their disposal. Rather than another few hours of caffeine-induced activity, the archangel desperately needed rest, and to pick up much healthier eating habits. Since Sandalphon had already amply demonstrated that she couldn’t be trusted to take care of herself, the medics opted to make the decision for her. With Zenkichi waiting in the wings anyway to make sure his friend was alright before retiring himself, Eleison gave him instructions for the archangel to follow, then entrusted him with the task of carrying Sandalphon through the ship for a second time and laying her to rest.

So far, Sandalphon seemed to be resting well. Prior to the fusions that instilled in her an unmistakable human element, she could not ever recall having dreams, but the archangel was having one now. In her subconscious mind, she beheld visions of cobblestone streets, immaculate burgundy-tiled roofs, towering cathedrals, and red banners aflutter in the breeze. Birds sang, ordinary people bustled to and fro, and the wind whispered in the leaves. This could only be Grams, hailed by many as the greatest, fairest city-state on the face of Grastaea. Her home. Though she could logically deduce that this vision must be a dream, Sandalphon clung to it jealously. Her dream’s plot dictated that she followed a certain path, and so she did, but she lingered at every corner and conversation. Her powers of perception and recall allowed her subconscious to recreate this familiar route in painstaking detail, so real it hurt. Only now that she’d begun to truly experience her own emotions could she realize just how much she missed this place, and the people within it. This overpowering homesickness was the same feeling she felt down in Arahabaki, freshly awoken in the wake of her fusions with Pavarti and Leanne, but subsequently buried to stem the flow of unfamiliar tears. It was terribly bittersweet.

Eventually, Sandalphon found herself at the arranged place, a high-class tavern in Grams’ upper district. It was a special occasion, the celebration of yet another major operation achieved by the Apostles, and everyone was in attendance. Sandalphon looked around at each inseparable pair, studying them in turn. The brilliant but lazy Nevan, self-styled as Papa Bear, wore a mischievous grin as usual as he used an embarrassing story to tease the youngest member, the adorably self-serious Sylvan Pinon. Their pactbound archangels couldn’t help but be amused, but while the motherly Gabriel only fussed over her ‘daughter’, the studious but snarky Ramiel attempted to blunt his partner’s antics. The diminutive apostle Faris pretended to be above it all, quietly giving the others the side-eye as he snuck morsels to his pet lizard, while the immense (and immensely serious) Uriel focused on enjoying his meal. Next to them, the remarkably tall and remarkably shy Ryszarda could be counted on to try and shift the topic, while her exuberant partner angel Raphael -who stood a head shorter than the human- exacerbated the situation instead. Last of all, there was Regina. Sandalphon’s pactbound human was a small woman, standoffish, and none too social, but wise–far wiser than Sandalphon herself. Infinitely patient and capable, she was the archangel’s rock, someone Sandalphon depended on and owed everything to. She found herself unable to hold back her tears, and it wasn’t long before they washed the dream away.

Elsewhere, Goldlewis had dreams of his own, but rather than a cohesive chain of remembered events they took the form of garbled, nonsensical, and often dreadful scenes that meshed in and out of one another. Even if this cacophonous tumult of imagery meant something, it would not be remembered. At length, though, the pandemonium gave way to something that Goldlewis could consciously recognize: a familiar place that he hadn’t been to for long, and would never go to again, but would probably never forget. Deep beneath the enormous Shinra Tower in the heart of Midgar, far below even the colossal supercomputer called Arahabaki, he could see a circular arena surrounded by portals into other places, other times. This was where he and the others fought Tycoon, the Guardian of the Dystopiascape. More accurately, it was where they fought Nox and his party, with Tycoon playing the part of stage hazard. However, the rendition of the battle playing out before him looked far more bleak than he remembered. His teammates were dying, one after another. Burned, electrocuted, frozen, shot, stabbed, slashed, and dropped into the pit below, he couldn’t save any of them. Terror and despair clawed at his heart. Surrounded by the corpses of comrades he’d failed to protect, a deathblow from Nox seemed like a mercy. A just reward.

Goldlewis tossed and turned in his sleep, but outside his room, the corridor was still and quiet. For the skeleton crew of Lost Numbers keeping the Avenger aloft, this was the graveyard shift. Even the most playful children and dutiful (but unnecessary) workers had all retired for the night. At first glance, the whole place seemed completely and totally dead. But death was not always the end. Among the shuddering shadows, a solitary figure stalked the halls, literally and figuratively restless, his destination and purpose inscrutable. The intention behind his movements, however, suggested that he wasn’t merely exploring, but searching for something. In the early hours of the morning, his persistence paid off. A sudden flutter of wing heralded the arrival of the Grimmchild, and in its father’s outstretched claw it deposited an agglomeration of curious essence. It burned, but did not consume. It flickered, but it did not light. It danced, but it did not grow weary. Grimm stared at the Nightmare Flame, unblinking, then returned it to the Grimmchild and took his scion under his wing.

[color=ef6069]”Through dream I travel, at lantern’s call. To consume the flames of a kingdom’s fall.”[/color]

[hr]

[hider=Rest EXP]
[b]Battle Royal Rumble Bounty:[/b] All PCs who defeated at least one wrestler
[b]Battle Royal Rumble Reward:[/b] 10 EXP
[b]Truck Crab Bounty:[/b] Bowser Junior, Rika, Geralt
[b]Truck Crab Reward:[/b] 5 EXP
[b]Rampage Bounty:[/b] All PCs who fought against George, Lizzie, or Ralph
[b]Rampage Reward:[/b] 10 EXP
[b]Avatar of Corruption Bounty:[/b] All PCs who fought against the corruption
[b]Avatar of Corruption Reward:[/b] 15 EXP[/hider]

At six-thirty on the dot, a series of melodic tones began to play in all the rooms occupied by the Seekers, both new and old. The chord progressed quickly, becoming louder, faster, and more insistent, and by the fifteen-second mark only the heartiest sleepers among the heroes could possibly hope to withstand it. Then, with the alarm out of the way, the voice of the Avenger’s resident AI began to play through the intercom in order to deliver the first of many instructions the Seekers would receive today.

“Rise and shine, everyone. It is currently 6:30:20, Tuesday morning. We’re cruising at an altitude of forty thousand feet over the Land of Adventure, headed north. Estimated time of arrival at the Dead Zone is one hour, twenty-nine minutes, twenty seconds. Please report to the Bridge for a mission briefing at exactly six forty-five. Breakfast will be served afterward, and you’ll have the remainder of the time to prepare for the mission. Today we take one more step to saving the worlds!”

Nadia rolled over in bed, an incredulous expression on her face. “Already? It’s so earlyyyyy…” She sighed, sat up, and swung her legs out over the bed. “Well, guess its my fault for goin’ to bed late.” Despite wanting to sleep in, she still felt refreshed by the night’s sleep, so she hopped up to hit the showers before the morning meeting.

Compared to the catgirl, Goldlewis roused himself more deliberately. As a military man he was used to waking up early, but age didn’t make it any easier to greet the new day. Still, this old-timer wasn’t about to let it set in. He got to his feet and began his well-rehearsed ten-minute daily routine, after which he promised to be preened, presentable, and ready for duty.

The veteran arrived at the Bridge a couple minutes early. He found a handful of Seekers and Lost Numbers there already, and while the sight of Grimm in bright light took him somewhat aback, seeing Sandalphon there was hardly a surprise. There was something different about her today, though. For one, she looked much more comfortable than usual, clothed in a form-fitting black turtleneck sweater and full-length black culottes over her white boots in place of her typical formal wear. Her short silver hair was a little messy, and she looked somewhat more relaxed than usual. It was unusual. When she spotted Goldlewis she acknowledged him with a polite nod, but it did little to set the veteran at ease. The archangel he’d come to know was inflexibly selfless, never once considering her own comfort or wellbeing. This was a good change, of course, but still. Who was this and what did she do to Sandalphon…?

Over the course of the next few minutes, twenty more Seekers piled into the room, some -like Nadia- over a minute after the appointed time. The ever-punctual Goldlewis made a mental note of the time on his stopwatch when he finally clicked it, wondering whether or not to bring it up. For now, though, the floor belonged to Sandalphon.

“Good morning,” the archangel greeted everyone, conjuring a handful of screens around her with a wave of her free hand. The other held a thermos of coffee, which according to her doctors would be the only one she could have today. To her that seemed much scarier than what the Seekers had in store for today, but after this briefing the others might not agree.

“Today’s mission is an incursion into the Dead Zone formerly known as Redgraccoon City. Our objective is to find and destroy the Dead Zone’s Guardian. The location of this Guardian has been positively identified for some time, but until yesterday, our forces could not penetrate this area without extreme risk. Please allow me a brief explanation.” She paused to take a sip of coffee. “Last week an annihilation event, hereafter referred to as a ‘voidout’, was triggered in the center of the city, at the base of the demonic tree known as the Qliphoth. This voidout reduced the city to a crater, but the Qliphoth endured. Afterward, the elevated chiralium levels throughout the region gave rise to the phenomenon known as ‘timefall’. This rain has the anomalous property of rapidly aging whatever it touches, organic and inorganic matter alike. Worse still, the timefall heralds the arrival of certain supernatural entities whose nature is still not fully understood at this time. These Beached Things, or BTs for short, are invisible to the naked eye and highly responsive to sound. If able to capture and consume a living thing, the resulting matter-antimatter reaction will trigger another voidout.”

Sandalphon took a deep breath. “These factors together made it impossible to approach the Qliphoth until now. Thanks to the diligent efforts of our engineers and Bridges personnel, however, three developments have been made to enable your mission today.” She turned toward a series of tables set up against one of the walls in the room, each covered in a tarp. The portly coroner, Deadman, pulled off the first one to reveal a bunch of [url=https://i.imgur.com/sC1huHW.png]high-tech backpacks[/url]. “These personal shield generators, once activated, will project a bubble around your upper body. Since their barriers are energy and not matter, they are immune to the effects of timefall. However, all impacts with the barrier drain its strength, and too much damage will force a temporary shutdown. These should be considered for emergency use only.”

At her prompting, Deadman pulled the second tarp to reveal a large, [url=https://i.imgur.com/zfKbEZ8.png]star-shaped device[/url] on a pole, looking like something straight out of a mad science lab. “This is the lynchpin of the operation,” Sandalphon explained. “The Stable Field Emitter. While its internal logic is not fully mapped out, it projects a circular field that weakens ‘supernatural’ effects, nullifying weaker ones outright. This includes the timefall’s aging effect. As you might expect, protecting this device in transport is of vital importance to the mission. Be advised, however, that your own magic and other special abilities will also be weakened in its presence. Once you reach the Qliphoth, you can proceed through the demon tree’s interior without the Stable Field Emitter.”

Sandalphon paused, drinking deep of her coffee, then took a deep breath through her nose. “Finally, we have our third development. Three members of the team will be outfitted with these devices in order to enable the detection of BTs. Otherwise, we all risk running straight into them while approaching the Qliphoth.” When Deadman removed the tarp, the Seekers saw three oblong orange glass pods arranged on the table, all about two feet tall and a foot across. Each one contained some sort of fluid, and an infant, clothed in [url=https://i.imgur.com/B7O4hQb.png]red[/url], [url=https://i.imgur.com/8Vi1leN.png]green[/url], [url=https://i.imgur.com/aNWmX2D.png]pink[/url], and [url=https://i.imgur.com/hKgu1DO.png]blue[/url]. With each came a highly-advanced [url=https://i.imgur.com/Zvug3gU.png]scanner[/url] hooked up to a mechanical arm. “These BBs facilitate a connection with the ‘other side’, allowing them to detect BTs for the user. Thus, they are indispensable equipment, and must also be protected at all costs. Further questions about them will be fielded by Deadman after the operation. By the time we deploy, we will need six volunteers. Four to carry BBs, and two on Stable Field Emitter duty. Using this equipment to reach the Qliphoth is the hard part. Once you’re inside, you will be free to do what you do best.” 

Sandalphon set her coffee down and crossed her arms. “This is a blitzkrieg operation. All twenty-four of us will be present. We will weather the storm, enter the Qliphoth, and annihilate the Guardian lurking inside. If Master Hand or Moebius show up on the way, we will destroy them as well.” She nodded at the assembled heroes. “That is all. You are dismissed for breakfast.”

With a rather heavy exhalation, Nadia joined the crowd headed for the mess hall. It lay only one floor down and a short walk away, but the amount of people around (some of them very large) meant that too much haste could cause problems. It hadn’t escaped her that the Life Gem whose essence flowed through her veins and sustained her impossible existence, probably counted as magic that the Stable Field Emitter would suppress. As long as it didn’t fade completely, she figured she should be fine. With so many Seekers present, anything they wound up fighting would be in for a hell of a time. Even if regeneration took longer, there would be ample opportunity in a squadron like that. But until they reached the Qliphoth, they were up against enemies they couldn’t fight. The BTs Sandalphon mentioned honestly creeped her out. If that absurdly immense explosion she witnessed while staying in Limsa, half a continent away, had been a voidout, a single person getting eaten would definitely doom the whole group. Was there really no way to fight these things? Nadia resolved to ask, but as her growling stomach so helpfully reminded her, food came first.

Given today’s mission, breakfast in the mess hall today was quite the occasion. Since the Lost Numbers’ last supply run had been at the Far Far Range, the cafeteria came equipped with a wealth of poultry products and [url=https://i.imgur.com/yPCd1A1.png]unusual produce[/url]. Hungry visitors could pick up plenty of eggs and chicken sausage, and the fruits could be enjoyed as is, while the vegetables could be minced up and either pan-fried or eaten in omelets made to order by the head chef. Bracket Brace herself was there to field requests, the little white rabbit-creature’s positivity positively infectious, and the Lost Numbers in the kitchen were working hard too. Clearly, everyone could expect to eat very well, but there was one problem: space. The mess hall offered four tables that could seat six apiece, with no individual seating anywhere. Unless the diners grabbed their meals and ran, everyone would need to pile in and get cozy with five friends.

An expert at navigating crowds, Nadia made her way to the front of the pack the minute those tantalizing aromas reached her nostrils. As such, she managed to be one of the first to reach the tables. Grimm managed to get his food soon after, but he elected to seat himself at table two with his all-meat platter. When Goldlewis showed up, he decided to join Grimm in an effort to continue his hospitality. Meanwhile, Sandalphon was among the last in line. Given her usual diet of honey and coffee, stuffing herself with meat, fruits, and vegetables didn’t appeal to her all that much, but given her doctors’ insistence the archangel followed her instructions. Even then, however, she somehow reached table four with a number of honey packets for use in sweetening her meal.