Etcetera

Myriad Reality

<Snipped quote by Etcetera>

*Lashes out at the terminal with one of the bands*

@Host

*Blocks it with my shoulder, the metal denting heavily under the blow*
Just a little longer...

Myriad Reality

<Snipped quote by Etcetera>

I don’t suppose waiting to see if this works is too much of a waste of time, should you be fake.

<Snipped quote by Host>

*Glances upward for a moment, then back to you. A blanket of the red energy barrier forms point blank over the light between it and us, and thrust my hand open-palmed in your direction, sending a swift streak of vibrant green your way*

@Multifarious

<Snipped quote by Multifarious>

*A prismatic barrier meets it halfway, and repels it toward you, and the thousands of lights shoot downward through you both*

@Host

*We seem to become translucent wherever the lights touch us, dealing no damage*
Wait, there's a followup to this technique!

Myriad Reality

<Snipped quote by Etcetera>

*Glares and swipes the staff, the streamers causing the keyboard to implode*

@Host

Almost...
*Connects a wire from the keyboard interface to my wrist*

Myriad Reality

<Snipped quote by Multifarious>

*Thousands of points of light spawn above you, each rapidly shifting through a myriad of colors*

@Host

<Snipped quote by Etcetera>

*The same red barrier forms around you*
How can I trust that you’re real and this isn’t a waste of my time?

<Snipped quote by Host>

*My eyes narrow and my ear twitches once*

@Multifarious

*Looks up and appears taken aback before I grab onto you*
You're going to have to trust me.

Myriad Reality

<Snipped quote by Multifarious>

*Chuckles and points upward*
You could say that.

@Host

*Shakes my head and continues typing at the terminal without looking up*

<Snipped quote by Host>

*Thrusts my palms outward into each and smashes a hole through them large enough to allow me to avoid being hit by them*
You’re gonna keep making talking mildly more inconvenient for us, aren’t you?

@Multifarious

I'm going to create a paradox in the system. I need you to keep him occupied.

Myriad Reality

<Snipped quote by Etcetera>

Was?

@Multifarious

He attacked my labs before the implementation of DataNet. It would not be unreasonable for the system to replicate him.

Myriad Reality

<Snipped quote by Etcetera>

Satisfied?
*Arcs of plasma rip through you from the walls*

@Host

*Electricity buzzes between my hands and generates a set of plasma that deflects yours*

Myriad Reality

<Snipped quote by Etcetera>

I stabbed the Zoey I knew was fake and it didn’t trick the system. It learned not to be fooled by unpredictable violence.
*A yellow outline forms around my arm as I one-handedly deflect all the blades into the ground in a massive blur of a motion without moving from where I stand*
Who is this guy supposed to be?

@Multifarious

This is supposedly Lenarol. He was an information broker that once had a habit of attempting raids on my labs.

Myriad Reality

<Snipped quote by Multifarious>

*Rifles through another series of prompts, the screen rapidly flashing in and out before settling on a large teal number*

@Etcetera

...It's wrong.

Myriad Reality

<Snipped quote by Etcetera>

You do need self verification, that's fair.

<Snipped quote by Host>

*Sidesteps and severs the spire from the ground with my foot, and it launches toward you like a spear*

@Multifarious

*Walks patiently behind you*