Double

World of Light

So..Nobody is going to cure Benedict?

@Dark Cloud

I don't think he was injured at all was he? Characters have to take significant damage first before they can be freed.

World of Light

Kunad Highway -> Migdar

Word Count: 1,442 (+3 Exp)
Level 3 Roxas (16/30)
Exp: 16 + 3 = 19/30

"It'll have to do!" Roxas told Raz, knowing the wild trucks were getting closer. As Raz made his daring psychic move to snatch the Turk, Roxas also leapt into action. He stuck relatively close to Raz in case the latter needed help at any point carrying the Turk along. While Raz used his Levitation jumps and Mental Connection to make his away, Roxas was using Flowmotion to keep himself going, at one point straight up bouncing himself between parallel-lined trucks in order to push himself forward at a fast pace.

Eventually, he spotted Pit glide by overheard and shouted to Raz, "There's Pit! Let's keep close to him! Safety in numbers, right?" He just hoped Raz would catch what he said among all the chaos. So Roxas also decided to think those words really loud as well so the Psychonaut could hear them via telepathy if needed... just in case.

Eventually Roxas' feet hit the roof of the lead truck mere moments after Pit had made it there, "Please tell me you've got something in mind." Roxas had to admit that the oncoming herd of wild trucks had him nervous. At the moment they were looking to be in what was going to be ground zero of the chaos. Thankfully, Pit made a move, apparently having thought of a plan after all. Roxas ran up to the front edge of the trailer but hung back as he watched Pit land on the hood of the cabin. From there he saw the angel summon a giant shield that he used to deflect incoming trucks in other directions.

But Roxas soon saw that the front wasn't their only worry. On occasion a wild truck would sift over toward the side of the truck they rode. For those, Roxas fired off Waterga or Blizzaga spells that, while not super damaging, was at least enough to nudge them back in the opposition direction to avoid any sideways bumps or crashes. Between that, Pit's shield, and whatever tricks Raz still had, the Seekers aboard the truck would eventually manage to see the other end of the chaotic crashes and collisions safely.

When all was said and done, Roxas hopped down from the top of the truck, glad to finally have his feet on solid ground again, "Whew... I never... wanna see... another truck... for as long as I live..." Roxas said, practically panting. Everything from the G-Men chase, the fight on the trucks, and then escaping the mass collisions had really taken it out of him. He felt pretty spent up and was really hoping they wouldn't have to fight anymore for a little while.

But Roxas glanced over at the nearby Turk, now pretty definitively their captive. He had to be pretty winded after all that yanking around and making it through the wild truck crashes along with his would-be captors. But he wasn't injured, and so Roxas knew that a Friend Heart wouldn't be effective. And yet... he still felt resolved to do something. But what? He closed his eyes a brief moment and thought back. He could recall the Keyblade Graveyard and the actions Sora was forced to take throughout those events. That was when Roxas hit upon an idea: The Power of Waking. On the surface it was a power meant to be used to awaken sleeping hearts. Could it... be applied here?

"May your Heart be your guiding key..." Roxas said to himself under his breath. It wasn't a phrase he was overly familiar with himself, but... well neither was what he was about to do. His eyes shot back open and he quickly turned to face the Turk, summoning the white keyblade Oathkeeper in the process. It might have even looked like he was going to go on the attack, especially when he stepped forward while readying his weapon for what appeared to be a stabbing thrust. And then... he thrust it forward. The blade didn't pierce the exhausted-looking Turk, as Roxas had stopped it before the thrust went that far. But the weapon's tip did press against the man's chest, and Roxas pushed it ever-so-slightly forward.

And it was at this time that all the Seekers would hear a loud, guttural cry coming from the Turk, although whether it was the man himself or something deep inside him would be unclear. Even Roxas himself instinctively cried out, as if whatever was affecting Benedict was also affecting him as well. A searing light issued from the point at which the blade's tip touched the Turk's chest, building up steadily until the char began to melt away, "I made a promise...!" Roxas could be heard saying as he shouted alongside the captive, "And I'm gonna keep it, so get out of this man's Heart!" he shouted this as he suddenly and violently twisted his keyblade over to one side, as if using it to force open a stubborn lock. And with that movement came a wave of purest light that briefly struck everyone present blind for mere moments.

And when the light finally faded, the Seekers would see a newly freed Benedict. The muted nature of his colors gone, and gone too was the red in his eyes. Whatever Roxas did, it managed to purge the man of Galeem's influence, rendering him as freed as any one of them. But moments later, Roxas fell to the ground, finally falling asleep from all the exhaustion.

The flight was surprisingly uneventful apart from Roxas sleeping through it, and probably for the best. No doubt everyone was tired and ragged from all that just happened, so a nice peaceful final leg for the journey was probably what they all needed.

---

When at least the vehicle touched down on the roof of a helipad, Rroxas had awoken and milled out of the cargobob along with everyone else. He followed them inside where the Seekers were introduced to the people that Giovanna worked with: Goldlewis and Jessica. There were two others named Vernon and Salvador but they apparently weren't in right now. But there was also those twins the Seekers met back at the pet store: Dr. M and Dr. N, they were here too.

A lot of the explanations didn't make a whole lot of sense to Roxas. Politics and infrastructure were definitely not his forte. But he at least understood that these people knew practically everything there was to know about Midgar, so that at least would make them good sources of information. And, just like back at the clustertrucks, Roxas had a question that had still gone unanswered, and he decided it was time to rectify that.

"I've got a question. Two questions, actually." he spoke up, stepping forward and breaking ranks with the Seekers to make his presence more known to those in the room, "First: Where do people go when they're arrested by the G-Men?" which probably sounded strange to everyone. Everyone except Raz who likely would recall what Roxas was referring to, "Back in Gutsford, I, er, that is, Raz and I... someone innocent got caught in the crossfire and taken away while the G-Men were chasing us." he looked down a bit, clearly feeling responsible for what had happened to that poor bus driver.

But he couldn't let this drag him down too hard, he still had one other question to ask. All this time, Roxas had been holding his black coat in his arms, folded up into a rectangle. He glanced down to where it was tucked under one of his arms, "And second," he held out the folded coat and let it unfurl for the room to see, "Do you know of anyone who wears one of these? Working alone or as part of a group?" he finally asked.

While the rest of the Seekers probably thought he was merely inquiring about the Organization, they would only be half-right. While it was true this could give them a lead on the Organization, Roxas was also kind of hoping this might give him a lead on Axel or Xion... or even the Master of Masters. Those were all the original reasons why he joined the Seekers in the first place after all. And Roxas was determined to get some kind of lead to follow. And a city as huge as Midgar just had to have one somewhere, right?

World of Light

Kunad Highway

@Lugubrious Demons | @Dark Cloud Benedict Pascal | @TruthHurts22 Razputin Aquato
Word Count: 621 (+1 Exp)
Level 3 Roxas (15/30)
Exp: 15 + 1 = 16/30

Roxas saw his friend Raz be kicked away. While he was certain the Psychonaut was probably fine, he still felt compelled to help his new friend back on their feet. Hearing the Turk explain his reasoning, it reminded Roxas of someone. A person who held very similar beliefs once upon a time, so much so that he had no qualms about making people disappear just because it helped him reach his goal. He thought back to him, DiZ in his red robes and the secret lab he occupied underneath the Twilight Town Mansion.

"Just tell me why!" Roxas shouted at the man demanding that he disappear, "I need to know! I DESERVE to know!" and of course DiZ's words had burned themselves into Roxas' memory of that time. He could recall them even now.

"A Nobody doesn't have the right to know, nor does it even have the right to BE."

"...I hate you SO much!" Roxas had said to him, unable to attack him as the man was actually just a digitized version of himself.

"You should share some of that hatred with Sora," DiZ said coldly, "He's much too nice for his own good."

"NO!" Roxas shouted, "My heart belongs to ME!"

"So that's it?" Roxas asked after he returned from his thoughts of the past, "The ends justify the means, huh?" he glared at Benedict, but did so as if he were seeing someone else standing there in his place, "You're no better than The Organization!" he said, raising his voice and even pointing a Keyblade in the man's direction. But while he was technically saying these words to the Turk he was currently fighting against, they sounded like words he'd been wanting to say to that other person for some time.

Perhaps this was something that had been buried deep down all this time? And perhaps this had simply been the chance he'd been subconsciously waiting for to get those words off his chest? After all, he never did interact with DiZ again after talking to him in that laboratory. So maybe there were issues there that were in need some closure?

But the visage of the man he had once hated evaporated, and Roxas instead saw the Turk once again. More specifically he saw the faint glow of red coming from behind the man's glasses, "Right, of course." the Keyblade Wielder said, his voice calming and his anger finally appearing to subside, "This is all His doing, isn't it? I'll bet that - deep down - your Heart is crying out to be freed." his gaze became steeled with resolve and determination, "So go ahead and send every demon or G-Man you've got at me! I'll fight them all if I have to, if that's what it takes to free you. And that is my promise!"

However determined he was and however well he would have fared against the entire enemy force, that was all about to become a moot point. Nearby, Giovana warned them all of incoming wild trucks. And once Roxas spotted them, he understood the reason for the warning. They looked like they were coming to crash right into the convoy head-on. Definitely something they didn't want to experience. Perhaps escaping was going to have to become the priority.

"Looks like we're running out of time," he said to Raz if the Psychonaut was still nearby, "any ideas in that brain of yours?"

World of Light

Temple of the Black Egg

@Lugubrious Nadia Fortune | @DracoLunaris Bowser & Rika | @Scarifar Rubick
Level 1 Ganondorf (5/10)
Word Count: 757
Exp: 5 + 2 = 7/10

Just before the girl could say anything, a distant grumbling indicated the approach of another. The King of Evil watched as a large turtle-like creature came stomping onto the scene. Accompanying him was yet another girl, followed a bit later by green-robed wizard of some description. And it was the turtle that spoke first, greeting Ganondorf as though he were a friend. While it was only natural for someone to try and cast themselves as an ally of the Gerudo, Ganondorf was not amused by the creature's words. His gaze narrowed and the smile fading into a brief scowl.

"Watch your tongue, you overgrown reptile!" Ganondorf said with an unamused glare to Bowser, "I am partner to no one. Certainly not to the likes of you." while it seemed as though Ganondorf was patently denying ever having known Bowser, the reality was that the Koopa King was telling the truth. But as neither of them had yet to realize, the King of Evil was still Gleaming, and that was preventing him from recalling anything other than his original world. There was something of a vague familiarity, but Ganondorf simply brushed that off as a mere figment of the imagination.

But Ganondorf did not keep his attention on the Koopa for long. For it seemed as though the first girl had already decided on her favor. She asked specifically for information on something she called a Guardian. And while Ganondorf had never directly heard of anything by that name before, he did have what he believed to be the answer she needed. And so, being a man of his word, Ganondorf shared what he knew, "The creature you seek is likely the one that slumbers within the Temple of the Black Egg, there behind me." he told her, "But the way is sealed, and you shall not be able to open it in its current state. But fear not, for it can indeed be opened."

Ganondorf gestured to the Temple behind him, bringing the Seekers' attention to the trio of faces carved onto the sealed door, "There are three masks. One for each of the faces you see carved onto the Temple before us. They must be gathered here together. Only then will the way be opened, so that the slumbering creature can be within in your grasp."

Before he could say much more, Ganondorf couldn't help but notice the stares he was getting from the green-clad wizard. The magus seemed in awe, which was of no surprise to Ganondorf. Who wouldn't be in awe when the King of Evil stood before them? But he also made some comments on Ganondorf's power that were... interesting. It seemed he could detect the power of the Triforce to some degree, but seemed unable to identify it. Having no desire to fend off someone foolish enough to try and take it from him, Ganondorf decided to play coy for now, "Perhaps it is this sword you are sensing?" he asked, holding out the white sword he had taken from Toriel, "It seems to have been crafted for the purpose of slaying dark beings, so its power is not the same as my own."

Having given Nadia the answer she asked for, Ganondorf could have considered the debt repaid and simply walked away. Oh, but there was no revenge to be had from doing that. He wanted that snot-nosed Consul left kneeling before him and begging for mercy. And what better way to draw the little bastard out than to destroy that little pet Guardian of his?

"The masks you need are scattered, and as I presume none of you are at all familiar with the area then perhaps you should like me to guide you for now? It's the least I can do in exchange for the chance you gave me to get my freedom." he offered to Nadia, that wicked smile from a moment ago returning to his face. He wasn't exactly trying very hard to hide the fact that he had his own agenda. But at this point the Seekers would certainly have little choice but to take him up on his offer. Otherwise they would have to wander the Under on their own with no actual knowledge of where to go or what they were looking for.

World of Light

Kunad Highway

@Lugubrious Atropos | @Dark Cloud Benedict Pascal
Word Count: 607 (+1 Exp)
Level 3 Roxas: 14 + 1 = 15/30

Unfortunately, before Roxas could actually get anything out of the Turk, his attacks were suddenly halted. He was caught by some threads that tightly yanked him back a bit before he could take anymore swings at his intended target. He jerked his gaze around and spotted the demon femme wielding her thread and scissors. He also spotted her readying a spell of some kind, no doubt an attempt to capitalize on his current predicament. Thinking quick, Roxas let Oblivion vanish from his hand for a split moment, only for it to reappear in a backhanded grip. This allowed him to point the tip backwards, where he awkwardly aimed it in the general direction of the demon, "Firaga!"

A beach ball sized fireball burst forth from the tip of the Keyblade a mere fraction of a second after the Atropos had cast her lightning spell. The fireball flew back in her direction, and unfortunately she would be more than able to avoid being hit by it. Luckily she wasn't the boy's primary target. During its trajectory, the Firaga spell caught the thread and set a section of it ablaze. This loosened it enough for Roxas to free himself. He had to make a quick dive to the side to avoid getting struck by a lightning bolt, having to catch himself to avoid tumbling over the edge of the truck. But the spell sent down a series of lightning bolts around his vicinity. He dived back in the opposite direction to avoid a second bolt, and then crossed his weapons out in front of him to absorb the brunt of three others that were coming toward him.

When the lighting spell finally ended, the Atropos attempted to lasso another thread around Roxas. This time, however, he saw it coming and instead let it wrap around one of his Keyblades. After this Roxas pulled the thread as hard as he could while also using Flowmotion to launch himself forward. This would create a large amount of momentum that he could capitalize on. He held both blades in front of him as he approached the nearing Atropos, caught off balance by being yanked forward. At point blank range, Roxas let out a powerful horizontal slash with both his blades, even appearing to slice right past her and navigate himself toward the truck coming up from behind. But he didn't stop here. When he hit the truck, Roxas simply bent his knees and immediately launched himself right back in the direction he had just come from.

This time he was able to catch the demon as she attempted to whirl around, and managed a small flurry of Keyblade strikes against her. Similarly to when he fought the creatures in the Underground Concourse, Roxas hooked his Keyblades onto the demon and swung himself around her, trying to drag her down with him to the truck he had been attacking Benedict on earlier. In his experience, flying enemies didn't do so great when forced down to the floor. After this thrust his Keyblades straight up above him and decided to call down a little lighting of his own, "Thundaga!"

This conjured up a series of lightning bolts striking down on the immediate area. In fact it probably looked very similar to the spell the Atropos had used herself moments ago. And if Roxas was lucky, a stray bolt might just manage to catch Benedict if he happened to still be just behind them.

World of Light

@Double does Roxas have superhuman strength or some shit? Or just really good with a keyblade?

@Dark Cloud

He has Flowmotion (which is basically superhuman parkouring) and a handful of spells (Firaga, Blizzaga, Thundaga, and Waterga). Other than that, he's just really good with Keyblades.

World of Light

Gutsford -> Kunad Highway

@Lugubrious Demons/G-Men | @Dark Cloud Benedict Pascal | @TruthHurts22 Raz
Word Count: 428 (+1 Exp)
Level 3 Roxas: 13 + 1 = 14/30

The whole time, Roxas couldn't get his mind off of what happened earlier. That bus driver was probably in for a rough time, and all because he happened to be driving the bus that he and Raz had used to don a disguise. At first, Roxas could only hope that he would be released soon enough as he and his partner made their way to the rendezvous. But when they finally got there, the Seekers were all in for a surprise. At the Turk's order, the G-Men under his command all suddenly changed form and turned into a variety of demonic creatures. This revelation brought Roxas' guilt back in full force. That driver from earlier had been taken somewhere by... demons? That couldn't have been good. Who knew what he was being put through if actual demons were involved? Well, one person currently present would likely know. And his blood began to boil as Roxas narrowed his gaze at the Turk giving the demons their orders.

"...Him." Roxas muttered under his breath, both hands clenched tightly into fists. It was clear that a battle was inevitable. And that gave Roxas an idea about what to do next. Without a word to the nearby Raz, Roxas sprang into action. Even as the trucks began their rumbling movement. Even as his fellow Seekers began to engage the plethora of demons around them. Roxas instead had another destination in mind, using flowmotion to easily maneuver from truck to truck until he could get within spitting distance of the Turk.

"Haaaah!" Roxas cried, having already summoned both of his Keyblades. He didn't waste time with formalities or quips like a few of the others. Roxas was furious, and in that fury he came at the Turk with a big x-slash with his weapons. But even after that, he kept going, unleashing a flurry of furious strike after strike. but eventually Roxas did indeed have something to say, "What happens to people who are arrested by those G-Men? Tell me!"

All of this was because he felt responsible for what had happened to that bus driver mere minutes ago. He hated the thought of having been the cause of someone else's misery. He knew all too well what it was like to have your day - your whole life even - ruined because it happened to be in the way of someone else's conflict. And now potentially having done that to someone else left the Keyblade Wielder boiling with anger. Not just at the Turk or the demons he commanded, but at himself as well.

World of Light

I'm just taking a day off to get some things done around my place. I'll play catch-up tomorrow.

@Dark Cloud

My next post will have Roxas going after Benedict. I'll get it up this evening as soon as I get home from work.

World of Light

The Unchained

Level 1 Ganondorf (3/10)
Location: The Ruins | Temple of the Black Egg
Word Count: 970
Exp: 3 + 2 = 5/10

After Toriel's departure, Ganondorf once again found himself alone. As usual, there was little to do but think. At least now he knew a little bit more about his captors. Not as much about the Consul, other than simply confirming his presumptions that they were likely just a child. But he now more about Toriel than he had learned in the two months worth of visits from her. And he was fairly certain he had managed to intimidate her, despite his chains. Not bad, for a supposedly powerless prisoner chained to a wall. But what of any of it? What good would this do him unless he were to get freed? He looked down at the Triforce embedded in his right hand, it's faint golden glow pulsated a bit. It's power was growing, but not as quickly as he would like. Whoever had placed him here had actually managed to dampen the powers of the Triforce, a feat not easily accomplished. He would need to investigate this matter, find a way to restore the Triforce's lost strength before he would have any hope of getting his revenge.

And that was when he heard it. It sounded a bit faint, coming from some distance away, but was unmistakable. Combat. Someone was fighting a battle, and some of it sounded like it was gradually making it's way toward his location. Intruders... perhaps someone Ganondorf could convince to free him? Or at least get close enough for him to try and take their power for his own in some way. But in the distance he spotted the vague shape of smaller monsters scurrying off in the direction that Toriel went. Damn it, that would complicate things. If she turned around and came back, she could be a threat with the White Sword she carried. Then again, perhaps the intruders would take care of her for him? For now he decided it was better to let things play out on their own.

Sure enough, he spotted Toriel heading back his way. This time her hand rested on the hilt of the White Sword. Her intentions were clear. She'd rather kill him herself than let any of the intruders free him. In that case, Ganondorf's hand would be forced. But could he muster enough power to break free and strike her down? Even if he did, he was without a happen and she could strike him with the White Sword before he could close enough to her. Damn, what other way did Ganondorf have to get out of this?

And then, as if by a miracle. His chance presented itself. Someone, a girl, came sprinting onto the scene. Who she was mattered not. The only thing that did matter was that her arrival caused Toriel to spin around, turning her back on the King of Evil.

This was never his intention. Ganondorf's plan had always been to break himself free when she wasn't around and simply leave her to her loneliness. No reason to senselessly kill the woman who had taken it upon herself to heal his mortal injury and keep him fed all this time. But no, she just had to come back. If she'd just kept on walking, not turned this into a choice between him and her. But it was far too late for "could haves" or "should haves". She'd made this choice, and she'd made her mistake. There was no turning back.

The man clenched his right hand into a fist. All at once the golden glow of the Triforce on his right hand erupted with a bright glow of power and strength. With that strength, the Great King of Evil sprang to his feet and lunged forward. The chains holding him back had no sway over the Triforce of Power, and they shattered as Ganondorf's muscular form reached out for the woman whose back had turned. Whether she heard him and tried to turn around didn't matter. With his immense strength he grabbed the wrist of her sword-hand and twisted. Not enough to break bones, but easily enough to loosen her grip and wrestle the White Sword from her grasp. When she looked at the now armed and escaped prisoner she did not see an angry snarl or a wicked grin. Instead she saw only a pained grimace on his face. "I told you this prison would not hold me. You shouldn't have turned back."

After this came a single mighty swing. The White Sword came down on its previous owner with a single, powerful diagonal slash across her body. Surprisingly, there was no blood, despite the ghastly cut across her torso. Instead she slowly dissolved into white ash. With her life gone, Toriel became reduced to little more than motes of prismatic light bearing an image of her in the center. But Ganondorf would not extend his cruelty to her spirit. Rather than destroy it, he merely held onto it. Perhaps he could find a way to give the lonely woman some manner of peace once he had left this dreadful place. After this, he slowly walked to the chest several meters way from the spot he had been chained. He raised the White Sword and used it to destroy the lock. Once the chest opened, Ganondorf reached in and reclaimed his sword and added it to his now growing collection of spoils.

Only now did he look to the girl Nadia, "You have my thanks. I never would have gotten the jump on her if you had not distracted her for me." he said with a wicked smile, "As a token of my gratitude, I shall grant you one favor that you may ask of me at any time you see fit. I suggest you not waste it, for I shall not give you a second one."

World of Light

@MULTI_MEDIA_MAN Geralt | @TruthHurts22 Raz | @Crimson Flame Bede | @Archmage MC Blazermate & Susie
Word Count: 592 (+1 Exp)
Level 3 Roxas: 9 + 1 = 10/30

Nyakuza -> Gutsford

It seemed a little strange that someone would be waiting for them. The twins that let them in as well as the woman that introduced herself didn't appear to be familiar to any of the Seekers. But they did mention a name that some of them recognized. So evidently the Seekers' actions must have had more of an effect than they had previously realized. Whatever the case, these people were not under Galeem's influence, as they lacked the off-colors and red eyes. It sounded like a previous person the Seekers had freed was able to free them in order to form whatever this Resistance force was supposed to be.

For now though, it was better to let Peach do the talking. Instead Roxas listened in so he could learn more about what all this was about. And while there appeared to be some hesitance at first, the arrival of someone else seemed to make the decision for them. Roxas had no idea what a "Turk" was, but the Special Unit seemed to be treating them like they were bad news. Probably in league with that Government they mentioned? Well there was no time for questions and inquiries. They all needed to get out. Giovana offered a plan involving a distraction on two fronts that would give the rest of the group a chance to make a getaway.

Well, Roxas was no negotiator so dealing with the Turk was a no for him. But he was pretty confident in his running skills. He'd done enough foot races around Twilight Town with the other militia members that he was certain he could lead those G-Men on a wild goose chase while also managing to outrun them all the while. And thankfully, Raz also seemed keen on the idea of being a runner. Good, between Raz's knowledge and Roxas' agility, they'd probably be fine, "I'm going with you." he said to Raz and was quick to follow him out the door.

Listening to Raz, Roxas realized he needed to make himself a target as well, "Man, I sure hope this dark secret we discovered doesn't get out!" he said, playing along, "It'd be the end for those government agents, that's for sure!" he watched for Raz to make a move and then bolted after him. He took a quick glance back to confirm that they were being chased. After which he matched his pace with Raz and looked over at him as they ran.

"Okay... now what?" he asked, hoping for some insight from Raz. The meantime, they ducked around a corner into a neighboring alleyway. Just up ahead, Roxas could make out the shapes of some G-Men coming from the other end, "Uh oh! Raz, go up!" he whispered at Raz, even pointing a finger upward to make sure the message got across. And then, Roxas jumped to his side and pushed himself up off the wall. From there he began the climb, which for him was relatively easy. In fact he was moving with such flowmotion that he was practically running straight up the wall. He just hoped Raz would be able to make the climb as well.

Soon enough they'd find themselves on the roof, "They're gonna corner us if we stay on the ground." he told his fellow Seeker when they had a moment, "I'm thinking we'll have better chances if we can stick to the high ground and stay up here among the roofs. What do ya think?" he asked, wanting to get Raz's opinion before settling on a plan.