[center][h3]The Avenger - the Dead Zone[/h3]
Lvl 14 Ms Fortune (97/140) Lvl 9 Goldlewis (50/90) Lvl 7 Sandalphon (22/70) Lvl 3 [color=ef6069]Grimm[/color] (12/30)
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] 3520[/center]

When she took her leave of the mess hall, Nadia jogged back toward her room to gather everything she might need for the upcoming equipment. On the way she wondered if she’d find Blazermate back where she left her, seeing as her roommate had opted to not go to breakfast even just for socialization, but when she slid the door open the feral found no sign of Blazermate within. With a shrug, she began to collect her things.

First she donned her belt, slipping it through the loops of her shorts before attaching her four pouches. Ever since she acquired them back in that classy Home of Tears leather shop, these enchanted (and deceptively roomy) storage spaces had been lifesavers. As far as she could tell, each one could store any one item no matter the size, and one still contained that magical lemonade pitcher that refilled itself after use. It did take a moment of reaching into and rummaging through the pouches to work out which one Free Lemonade happened to be in, of course, and once she found it she stowed it in the left back pouch. Into the front right pouch went her Bait Launcher. Between the lemonade and the launcher’s stock of raw steaks, the feral’s weapon stockpile happened to offer a lot of remarkably imperishable food and drink should she need it. “If only I could pocket a grill,” she said aloud with an amused smile. “Guess I missed my barbe-cue.” Into the left front pouch went her Ripened Heart, which she handled with the ginger reverence of a holy relic on account of how many times its healing saved her bacon, and the right back pouch got her wallet. Finally, she jammed her twin Athame daggers into the middle pouches on both sides. “Girl’s gotta accessorize.”

Nadia then threw on her sporty navy-blue jacket, followed by her rigging pack. For as much space as those mechanical arms could occupy once deployed, they somehow contrived to fold up into quite the manageable pack. Thanks to her fusions, the rigging from the shipgirl Massachusetts also contained the extra disposable blades that fit into those special hilts…what were they called, again? The one-eyed proprietor of Seam’s Pawn Seap in the Home of Tears referred to them by some long and complicated name, but they looked like giant box cutters, so that’s what Nadia called them. Nadia stashed the lightweight hilts themselves in her jacket’s inside pocket for quick and easy access. After that, she slipped on Havel’s Ring to lighten her equipment load, then pinned the Blue Dancer’s charm to her lapel opposite the silver fishbones that represented her gang. Now all her strikes would pack extra punch while she stayed light on her feet. 

Feeling properly kitted out, Nadia took a deep breath and jogged back out of her room, pausing only to close it up. Next on her itinerary was the training center, just across from the cafeteria and down the hall. Inside, she did some quick stretches (in some cases stretching her muscles tissues well outside her body) then set her sights on the combat adjudicator. The Battle Royal Rumble yesterday proved that she could definitely still scrap, but after a week mostly spent fishing in the Blue Hole, the feral wanted to squeeze in some time to practice her combos. According to Sandalphon’s briefing the team’s first order of business today would be sneaking around nuclear ghosts, which they should not under any circumstances even attempt to fight, but it wasn’t like the feral could sit around doing nothing.

Once limbered up, Nadia got to work. First, she did what she knew best: fighting with her natural weapons. For all her extra equipment, her sharp claws and fierce kicks were what she relied on the most, so any time spent practicing would pay off. She worked the basics, starting off with simple strings but quickly moving on to extended combos. As a magical training dummy that could be combo’d, launched, and juggled without ever suffering permanent damage, the Combat Adjudicator was perfect for perfecting her execution, no matter how many times it took. It couldn’t react like a person would to her mixups or fall for her resets, but Nadia drilled those too. Instant overhead, empty jump low, double jump, air backdash for the double cross up…the feral might not hit anywhere near as hard as some other Seekers, but she had enough dirty tricks up her sleeve to make anyone’s head spin, and once a she got a combo started it was her job to keep up the heat until her foes were well and truly cooked.

After working through her natural abilities, Nadia got a bit more experimental and brought her new powers into the mix. Charge plus Battery had been a staple of her game plan ever since she gleaned them from Cat-5, but Battery’s critical hits caused too much blowback to not drop the combo. Charge by itself let her zip after a launched opponent to keep the party going, though, but the spacing was tough. Using Fluffy Soft to transform her arm or leg mid-combo offered a lot more potential; the withering slash of her tiger claws dished out extra hitstun and momentarily boosted damage taken. Smart usage of Fluffy Soft mid-combo could extend her beatdowns even farther, but it would take getting used to. That went double for her assists, neither of which were easy to incorporate into her combos. For one, the Harbor Water Demon was much too big to even summon in here. Rhodeia, meanwhile, would take some getting used to as a Striker. While fused with the Oceanid, Nadia had commanded her Hydro Mimicry herself, which offered more control at the expense of extra concentration. Now, Rhodeia’s Hydro Mimics were fire-and-forget, but Nadia had to issue commanders during their construction that could not be deviated from. Nadia’s combo practice, especially with Hydro Mimics (thanks in part to Rhodeia’s cooldown) ended up taking a long while, and before Nadia knew it, her time was nearly up. “Drat,” she muttered, wiping her brow. “Forgot about the Armory. Oh well…I’ve got more than I need already.” With that, she scampered off toward the Hangar.

Goldlewis, meanwhile, did not forget about the Armory. After breakfast he headed there first, not rushing too much on the way so as not to disturb his digestion. Upon arrival, he looked over the stockpiled weapons, curious as to what the Seekers and Lost Numbers had managed to amass. Unfortunately, he did not come away impressed. The miscellaneous items ran the gamut from fantasy to science fiction, including a handful of melee weapons, casting catalysts, accessories, attachments, power supplies, and guns. He even saw an unclaimed robotic drone. Some of it looked usable, but to his disappointment the shotgun had only five rounds in its magazine, with no sign of extra ammunition anywhere. The Deepcore assault rifle, meanwhile, was actually empty. If nothing else, he supposed that the Armory had a good variety. While his Skyfish minigun packed a lot of punch, its inclusion in his coffin’s Security Level system put a few conditions on its use. It would’ve been handy to have a traditional weapon that could be used anywhere, anytime, and by now he was pretty desensitized to Black Tech, anyway. After that, he inspected his other new weapons, the shotgauntlets. Their power and mobility would be a serious help in close quarters, assuming that the team ran into enemies other than BTs. To Goldlewis, that seemed inevitable; for today’s mission, reaching the Qliphoth was only half the battle.

[hider=For Goldlewis]New ability:
[b]Chain of Command[/b]
Goldlewis can now spend a Security Level to cancel one Behemoth Typhoon into another as long as it has the same direction of rotation. This allows him to repeatedly chain guard-busting, high-damage coffin swings together to knock enemies around like a child’s plaything, although the limit on his maximum Security Level caps this out at three repetitions[/hider]

Confident in his equipment, the veteran walked next door to the Hangar ahead of schedule. There he found the Pelican undergoing the final steps of its fueling and maintenance procedure, attended to by the engineers Shirogane and Lulubi. That surly pink nopon wasn’t the only one present, though, since Goldlewis quickly spotted Tora as well. The rotund little inventor seemed to be working with E. Gadd on a handful of last-minute test cases and adjustments for the Stable Field Emitter, and as always Poppi wasn’t far away. “Howdy there, Tora, Poppi,” Goldlewis greeted them, followed by a respectful nod to Gadd. “That thing ain’t gonna crap out on us, is it?”

“No way!” Tora protested, flapping his free wing dismissively. “Emitter just little…pernickety, meh! Needs lots of Tora attention, all day and night. It make Poppi jealous!” he grinned

Not used to being the one on the receiving end of some teasing, Poppi reached over and flicked her Masterpon on the head. “If Tora getting attached to emitter, maybe Tora should go down with friends and have all to himself.”

Wincing, Tora shook his head. “Poppiii, Tora just kidding!”

Goldlewis chuckled. “Y’know, I can’t help but wonder. Back in the Sandswept Sky, y’all were fightin’ alongside the others on the front lines. You were mighty fine fighters down in those Al Mamoon dungeons. You two really okay sittin’ on the sidelines after all that?”

“Well, that not case, meh.” Tora scratched his head. “Would like to help, but after Poppi got lost in Valley of Ruin, we also lose one-of-a-kind ether furnace that allow us to function as Blade and Driver. New Poppi body not bad, but very weak in comparison, and without ether channeling, Tora’s weapons not work.” The nopon shook his head sadly. “Meh, meh. So without ether, Tora and Poppi just liability.”

“That why we do all we can aboard Avenger to make sure rest of team have smooth sailing,” Poppi chimed in, patting Tora on the head.

Tora nodded, brightening up. “That right, meh! Next project is special camera, so friends can take pictures of cool-cool things and bring back for Tora and Poppi to see! That way, it like we right there with everypon!” He held up a [url=https://i.imgur.com/nc6v1BF.png]round device[/url] with a camera lens for Goldlewis to see.

The veteran nodded, crossing his arms. “Sounds like a plan. Finish that doohickey up and I’ll take it with me next time. Knowin’ y’all have our backs means I can breathe easy down there.” He and the others continued to chat until the appointed time.

Sandalphon spent the bulk of her time much further down in the Avenger, in the Mysticenter. She sidled up to the spellcrafting station amidst a handful of elemental shrines, taking stock of the magical ingredients and resources available for use. While she had yet to obtain a magical firearm that could make use of the spell bullets made here, it would be prudent to be stocked up in case she did acquire the right weapon, and the spell bullets’ unique attributes also begged the question of whether or not they could be used other ways. Fire Bullets didn’t take much explanation, but when paired with Oil Bullets the results could be devastating. On the surface Poison Bullets might seem like a waste, but if she could use her research to establish a Disease Shrine, bullets could be made that would consume poison stacks to induce unique effects. Order Bullets interested her the most, as they could allegedly repair whatever they hit. The archangel ended up making a handful of Fire, Oil, Order, Freezing, Water, and Stasis Bullets (the latter of which, amusingly, only took ten stones apiece to craft) and carefully packed them away for future use, making sure not to exhaust any one type of resource.

The process took more time and effort than expected, so after finishing Sandalphon decided to head back up to the Hangar. On the way she triple-checked her weapons, starting with her gunstaff. Though unremarkable, it remained a dependable mainstay for mid-range combat and casting. Today she also wielded the Eye of Sol for deadly long-range firepower, but she’d elected to leave the Aether Lance from Skywave in the armory. Its lobbed projectiles, whether to harm or heal, were simply not as effective or practical as her other methods. There was no use holding onto any piece of equipment in the face of empirical fact. About the time she wrapped up her examination, she found herself accompanied by that red-eyed shade from the Forbidden Kingdom, Grimm. Though he walked and talked enough like a man to be more than a little creepy, this bug was practically inscrutable, his thoughts and actions a mystery. Sandalphon walked alongside him in silence, unable to get a read on him despite all her powers of perception. If Goldlewis vouched for him and the Witch, she was in no position to object, but a team lived and died by its ability to communicate. Hopefully his actions would speak louder than words.

[center][hider=For Grimm]New ability:
[b]Threading Needles[/b]
Grimm can animate the strands of his cloak and bury them into the ground around himself. After a moment, their tips will emerge as spikes from the terrain within 50 feet, before extending into twelve-foot lances. This attack can inflict a lot of damage over a wide area, but it’s more effective against larger, less agile targets, and it anchors Grimm in place for the duration[/hider][/center]

As eight o’clock drew near, the Seekers amassed in the Hangar on the Avenger’s uppermost level, itself the second-tallest chamber after the spacious Engine Room. In front of them sat the Avenger’s dropshop, the stout and solid-looking [url=https://i.imgur.com/jnhvONA.png]Pelican[/url], its rear ramp down to admit the team into its [url=https://i.imgur.com/W9Sxnvq.png]troop bay[/url]. While it featured only five seats alongside either wall, its floor space offered enough room for about ten more to stand. Goldlewis wouldn’t have a problem finding space, but squeezing Sectonia in might be a real challenge. Luckily, Sandalphon had thought ahead. “If there’s not enough space, the Avenger can perform one hellpod run over the landing site as the Pelican touches down to deliver four more. A hellpod can fit any one occupant, after all, which does disqualify anyone with a BB.” The archangel had donned her long white coat, worn properly rather than off-the-shoulder this time. “I myself will warp down to join you upon your arrival. We are approaching the designated departure point, so please climb aboard or descend to Deployment.”

One by one, the heroes marched past the equipment table, grabbing synthetic raincoats and personal shield packs. Since she was already wearing a pack, Nadia had to make a tough choice. She took off her rigging pack and set it down, followed by her boxcutter hilts. Naval warfare wasn’t a high likelihood in the Dead Zone anyway, but it looked like she’d be down her swords as well. Primrose, Edward, Goldlewis, and Roland carefully accepted a BB and its accompanying equipment from Deadman, while Ace had the honor of receiving the all-important Stable Field Emitter from Tora and E Gadd. Big Band, Dante, Cerberus and a few others were on hand to watch the Seekers go before they went about their own important tasks. Nadia trotted up the ramp and found herself a corner to ride in, while Goldlewis and the other BB carriers enjoyed some of the limited seats. Once everyone was aboard, the bay doors closed, and the floor began to rise. Overhead, the Avenger’s rear hatch slid open, revealing pale blue skies. After another moment, the Pelican was flying free, left in the dust by the mothership. Bound for the turbulent sea of murky clouds below, the aircraft began its descent.

Within a few moments, the Pelican reached the cloud layer. It began to shake and rattle right away, the sensation far more visceral than the gentle, mitigated sway of the Avenger, The passengers were jerked and jostled, many obliged to seize a handhold if they hadn’t already. After a moment, Sandalphon’s sigils glimmered into being beside the heads of those linked to her network, and her calm, steady voice filled the troop bay. “You’ve reached the clouds. Ever since the voidout, the atmosphere in this region has been polluted by chiralium. According to bridges, long-term exposure to chiralium can cause poor sleep, nightmares, depression, and suicidal thoughts. You will not be here long. It’s time to activate the Stable Field Emitter.”

At her command, the control module on the emitter’s shaft could be used to turn it on. It was a simple affair, with a dial that could only be turned when the safety button was held down. Once its dial was turned and locked in place, the emitter began to hum and glow. Its pylons began to spark like tesla coils, and a spherical bluish-white field expanded out from its core. The pulse washed across the Seekers, touched the bay walls, and faded, but the emitter remained online. Nadia shuddered as a dreadful feeling overcame her, caused by the suppression of the magical Life Gem that kept her alive. It wasn’t weak enough to be quashed completely, but she knew that her healing abilities would be much worse as long as she remained in range. She gave a nervous laugh. “I guess this is about as normal as I’ll ever be.”

The next moment, everyone heard the rain. It pounded their ship’s hull, so loud that the passengers could scarcely hear themselves think, let alone talk. Goldlewis wasn’t bothered either by the emitter or by the ride so far, but he noticed that Sandalphon’s sigil had faded, cutting her off from the rest of the Seekers. He also noticed that the emitter -or maybe just the tumultuous flight- seemed to be affecting Grimm rather severely. The Troupe Master, ferreted away among the compartments above the seats, lay like a wounded beast, his dimmed eyes wide open. “Hold out just a li’l longer, partner,” Goldlewis called up to him. “Won’t be long ‘til we’re back on solid ground.”

Luckily, Goldlewis was right. After about a minute, the Seekers felt the Pelican begin to decelerate. While it did not land, it continued to slow down until it hovered just above the ground, where the bay doors began to open. Ahead of them lay a barren, rocky landscape, its stone and soil so dark that they might as well be black, with nothing but fuzzy green moss in terms of vegetation. The rain was heavy and loud, so thick in the air that Goldlewis couldn’t even see the towering Qliphoth that lay about a mile dead ahead. Nor could he see any signs of living -or unliving- things, but he knew they were out there. He looked down at the BB strapped to his chest, questionably safe in his bright orange pod as he peered out at the scenery, eyes wide. Thanks to Baby Luigi there, he would be one of the privileged few to lay eyes on the BTs himself. He, Primrose, Roland, and Edward would be taking point in this operation, which was more than a little terrifying even to a veteran soldier like himself.

Goldlewis pulled up the hood on his raincoat, not caring if his pompadour got mussed for once. Protection from the timefall was more important. Unlike some of these whipper-snappers, he didn’t have an abundance of years that this rain could wash away. If he could help it, Goldlewis wasn’t going to lose a single hour.

Though normally the type to sprint headfirst into danger, Nadia pawsed at the bottom of the ramp. Ears flattened beneath her hood, she glanced at the Stable Field Emitter, then up at the sky. “So, uh, how do we know it’s workin’, again?”

Grimm still seemed a little sickly, but his eyes were as sharp as ever. [color=ef6069]”Look.”[/color]

He pointed with a sharp black claw, and when the others followed his gaze, they spotted something remarkable. Beyond a certain distance from the Stable Field Emitter (about twenty-five feet), the rain was causing something to happen when it hit the ground. Green sprouts, flowerbuds, and blades of grass shot up from the earth, grew to full maturity, spawned, withered, and died, all within seconds. When Ace descended the ramp, emitter in hand, the zone that defied this anomaly moved with him. The hairs on the back of Nadia’s neck rose, but she put on a brave face and pushed forward. After the last person stepped off the ramp, the Pelican -now on a timer without the Stable Field Emitter to keep it safe- rocketed away, and as it retreated Sandalphon warped in. Her hood was up, and she held her gunstaff in hand, more for use as a walking stick right now than a weapon. She nodded at the Seekers. “Let us begin.”

The terrain left behind by the bombed Dead Zone was treacherous, a bowl-shaped expanse of stony rubble left slick by the constant deluge. Rivers of rainwater carved furrows down the downward slope with unexpected force, forking and diverting at random. Forget about the BTs–just maintaining one’s footing around here would be a challenge. But the Seekers could not just forget about the BTs. There were strange noises in the rain. Within a minute of setting off, something spooked the BBs, and through their synergistic link their carriers shuddered as chills ran down their spines, and the odradek devices on their shoulders turned on. Once raised into position, the odradeks deployed their five sensory fingers and began to scan for danger, chirping whenever their linked BBs clued them into a new source of otherworldly matter. If they begin to click their fingers rapidly, focused on a particular point in space, a BT is within thirty feet. And if one’s odradek locks up like flower petals and begins to spin, emitting a high-pitched mechanical whine, a BT is close enough to hear one’s breathing. 

[center][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDqdscXi7Mw[/youtube]
[i]You are now being monitored
The BTs can only be seen by BB carriers when standing still
An odradek can show others where a BT is, but it only points toward the closest one
The BTs will alert to sufficiently noticeable movements and sounds in their proximity
If alerted, the BTs will vanish completely, enter search mode, and begin to patrol as tarry handprints
If the BTs confirm your presence in search mode, they will attack

If you fail to take proper precautions, there will be consequences[/i][/center]