MULTI_MEDIA_MAN

World of Light

Geralt of Rivia & Zenkichi Hasegawa

Quarantine Valley- Sector V

Lvl 10 (198/100) +7 EXP -> Lvl 10 (208/100)

Lvl 4 (65/40) +7 EXP -> Lvl 4 (75/240)

Word Count: 1,303 words (Geralt); 2,279 words (Zenkichi)

Kyle took the removal of his Gleaming in stride, cackling with glee at the fight they'd given him. The other Seekers had fared quite well in their own fights as well, and Kyle beckoned them further into the Hermits' hideout, both Phantom and White Wolf giving each other a look along the lines of 'What's up with this guy?' before following him inside.

Once they got into the Hermits' information center, with views all over the city that gave Zenkichi pause (The Administration surely had even better eyes than this, but to see it all at once was outright disturbing) and almost blew Geralt's mind. The Witcher's eyes darted all across the monitors, but most of the places in question he had no frame of reference for. "Hell of a setup you've got here..." Zenkichi muttered.

While the two were distracted, Kyle started his explanation, prompted to get right to the thick of things by Goldlewis. They almost missed the name of the drug, but once they realized they'd been left behind in the conversation, paid rapt attention. Blue Evolve, a drug capable of allowing the user to see Chimeras, as well as enhancing the user's physical strength. Zenkichi idly wondered if there was a come-down, and if Hermitonic was a way to get around that side effect. He'd ask once they were done.

With a little more back-and-forth, including Kyle explaining the Hermits' view of Reunion being that of an ally in the cause of protecting the weak within Midgar, the Hermit leader finished by offering a lead on Iron. In the form of a bag that she'd used. Geralt hummed, eyeing the bag. If all else failed, he could likely track her a bit with that.

With the group being dismissed, Zenkichi came up to Kyle with a question. "Hey. I was wondering if you could tell me a little more about that Blue Evolve stuff. Does it have, like, a high or a crash? I was talking with a guy about that Hermitonic stuff before we came round, and it got me wondering where you came up with the idea for that stuff."

Kyle shook his head when asked about Blue Evolve. "Nah, that stuff's just a straight power-up against the chimeras. Don't know the science behind it, and don't care. It lets us do what we have to." When Zenkichi mentioned Hermitonic, his holographic face smiled. "Oh, that? Just a little harmless grifting. After people see the insane price, hearin' about an exclusive membership to get it for cheap drives 'em crazy. Gotta be on the 'in' crowd, y'know?"

He received a chuckle in response. "Heh, sure. All the Hermitonic you want for a measly 10 Z apiece. Just don't ask what's in it. Go nuts."

Well, that was easy. "Thanks, Kyle." Zenkichi gave in response, though he definitely was not about to think any more on what was in that stuff.

Joining back with the others, he mentioned what he'd been told, adding on that he wondered if the Hermits were being taken advantage of, or if Reunion was genuinely just trying to help. He wasn't 100% sure himself, but part of him doubted it was just idle kindness. "Just seems too good to be true."

"Then it probably is." Geralt cynically added, making Zenkichi sigh and nod.

"Yeah, probably. Just wish people would be a little more willing to help each other out, I guess." Geralt grunted in response, nodding with him.

When Sandalphon asked if anybody had a way to track Iron, and Goldlewis gave his half-sarcastic response, Geralt piped up. "Actually, you kept one on hand." Gesturing for the bag, he closed his eyes, lifted it to his face and took a long, slow breath, trying to get the scent in his head. It reminded him vaguely of the perfumes Yennefer wore. Not that the scents themselves were similar, but in their intensity and complexity. After a few moments, he caught it in the air. "This way," He told the others, and started following the scent. Goldlewis came along, while the others went their own ways, searching the rooftops in case they could find other leads, enemies to collect Spirits from, or salvage such as the freighter that Sandalphon pointed out while they were on their way.

---

Hal and Sandalphon's warning regarding the red matter came just before Geralt reached the area they called out, and he nodded to himself, quickly casting the Sign of Quen to shield himself before investigating. Signs of a fight immediately stood out to him: the blood, some locks of hair, and a broken vial of a blue substance that Geralt immediately figured as Blue Evolve. Crouching to investigate the drug, he dipped his fingers into it before thinking to himself. If that red matter was a Chimera nearby, he and Goldlewis were sitting ducks. Disgusting as it was, he put his fingers into his mouth and quickly sucked the drug off of them. He shivered a moment as the reality of what he was doing set in on him, before taking his hand away and shaking his head. "Not how I expected today to go, but...Fuck!"

Interrupted by a lance being thrust his way, Geralt barely had time to pivot to the side, the Chimera's weapon skidding along his chest and scraping against the magical shield Quen gave. "Chimera!" He yelled, both to Goldlewis and to Sandalphon and Hal on overwatch, before drawing his silver sword. There was still a bit of Blue Evolve on the ground that Goldlewis could take if he was so inclined, as gross as it was. Quickly stepping towards it and drawing the Sign of Yrden, Geralt placed an Area Trap down, hoping it would reveal and slow the otherworldly monster as it did wraiths and spectres.

Boosted by the Blue Evolve, Ydren did its trick, even against the otherworldly Chimera. Fragments of purple magic clung to the creature, revealing it slightly more and slowing its movements. The little amount of Blue Evolve Geralt had consumed still left it somewhat fuzzy, even with the magic's effect on it. The Witcher charged in as Laius attempted to heft its shield sluggishly, but it was too slow to prevent the first cut from the silver sword slicing into the monster's torso. The large Chimera attempted to retaliate with a sweeping slash of its lance, but Geralt pivoted around its shield arm, the slowing of Yrden giving him just enough time to escape unscathed. "Now!" He called to the Secretary of Defense, cutting at the Chimera with a rising slash while Goldlewis attacked, having also taken the drug that was left on the rooftop.

He followed up with a series of quick slashes to its back while Goldlewis had the Chimera's attention, before the Yrden trap fizzled out and the Laius lashed out at Geralt with a swing of its shield. The creature was still somewhat slow even without the trap, but the difference was enough to catch the Witcher ever so slightly off guard, and he caught the shield on an armored arm, grunting as it weakened the Quen shield. This Chimera didn't seem terribly tough, though without the Blue Evolve the pair would have had a much tougher time even finding it, let alone fighting the thing.

Still, the two-on-one fight was more than in their favor, and after a hearty pummeling from Goldlewis and a vicious stab through the torso from Geralt's silver sword, the Chimera slumped slightly before dissolving into ash and leaving its Spirit behind. Taking it, Geralt looked at the blood on the ground that had originally caught his attention. "Looks like Iron had a run-in with something. We'll have to keep following the scent, but best to let the others know what we found."

---

Zenkichi chose to investigate the lower area, between the clustered-up buildings, that Sandalphon had warned about not having sight into. In his Phantom Thief attire, he kept a watchful eye out and his ears open as he looked around, before the sounds of crying caught his attention.

It didn't take Zenkichi long to track down the source of the weeping. After a couple small drops down into the shadowy street, he zeroed in on a handful of rusty old metal oil drums sitting in a corner. Though the culprit had tried to hide himself there, he'd compensated for the less-than-stellar spot by hunkering down and covering his eyes as if to block out whatever scared him snow. Plus, his sniffles and intermittent cries would've given him away to any monsters on the prowl around here. Not that Zenkichi had seen anything just yet; in fact, this strange recess seemed unnaturally quiet, without any trace of aberrations or Others, but its ominous atmosphere made him wary. "Agh!" the young boy yelped at the sound of footsteps, ducking his head. "G-get away!"

"Whoa, hey, relax! I'm just looking around, not gonna hurt you or anything, kid!" Memories of a very unsuccessful attempt at reassuring a lost child prompted a quick change of strategy, and Zenkichi crouched a bit to bring himself closer to eye level. "Are you alright?"

The sound of a human voice seemed to calm the child, and when he looked up to see a normal -if weirdly dressed- human standing before him, his relief was palpable. "Y-you found me," he quavered, his cheeks wet with tears. "Thank you, thank you. Are you a Hermit? Either way, you have to help, please. There's a ghost!" He stood and stared at Zenkichi with pleading eyes. "My name is Aurele. I'm usually studying, but my brother Verut, and our friend Lovi, whenever they want to play hide-and-seek, I always end up tagging along. We came out to play, but we ended up hearing this ghostly voice. Verut and Lovi wanted to track it down, even though I said it was a bad idea. We ended up falling down here, and...there's ghosts down here! When the big one spooked them, Verut and Lovi disappeared! I ran as fast as I could, but I can't get out of here. You have to save the others. I've heard that the Hermits can fight ghosts. Please!"

"Uh, yeah, I'm working with the Hermits. Not, like, technically one, but I'm friends with them. Your buddies disappeared, that's not good. Don't worry, though, I'm a cop from Midgar. My name's Zenkichi. Came down here to help you guys out, since everybody else ignores this place. I'll find your friends, promise!" Admitting his being a cop was probably not the best idea, but Aurele was too excited and anxious to scrutinize that further. "So, where were you playing hide and seek? I'll start there."

"I'll show you, Mr Zenkichi." Aurele said, pointing down the street. "You'll keep me safe, right?"

"Of course, Aurele! I won't let anything hurt you." Zenkichi promised, starting to walk in the direction Aurele pointed. As they walked, Zenkichi could catch glimpses out of his corner of the eye of a shadowy figure, though he never got enough of a look to quite see exactly what they looked like. He kept his hands at his waist, ready to draw his revolvers if needed, but they made it to the end of the street without issue.

Scattered around the end of the street in piles were couches, tables, chairs, all sorts of furniture that one would find in any random person's home. As a chill went down Zenkichi's spine, two creatures, Nya'gai, appeared in front of Zenkichi and Aurele, staring at the young boy. Zenkichi's eyes narrowed at the appearance of the strange and ominous children, but before he could say anything, they stepped to the side, and from the darkness appeared Lady Nya'gai. As she came into view, the strange, haunting melody vanished, her singing ending and her eyes opening to a horrific gaze. Zenkichi found his point of view suddenly shifted, and a quick inspection of himself revealed why: he'd been transformed into one of the Nya'gai!

Whirling around, he saw that Aurele had transformed into one of the creatures, as well, and he turned back on Lady Nya'gai. "What did you do to us?!" He demanded, angrily. Lady Nyagai only looked at him, confusion in her gaze at first, and then anger as she pointed angrily at him and commanded the other Nya'gai to attack. Cursing in frustration, Zenkichi reached for his revolvers, only to blink in confusion as nothing appeared. Whatever she did to transform him, his weapons were all gone. As an umbrella crashed into his back, Zenkichi turned to see the five Nya'gai attacking, scowling. "No way am I getting beat up by a bunch of little girls! Valjean!" Zenkichi cried, a sigh of relief escaping when his Persona heeded his call. "Rakukaja!" As the defense boost bolstered his small body, Zenkichi became a veritable juggernaut against the...ghostly little girls.

Frankly, their umbrella smacks barely hurt before, and likely only because of his transformation. With magic protecting him, Zenkichi felt almost nothing as he caught one umbrella in his hands, pitifully wrestling it out of his assailant's hands with superior skill, and tried to throw it out of the fight, only for it to land a measely ten feet away.

Okay, new strategy: fight the Lady. Ducking out of the way of a couple of swings, Zenkichi pointed at Lady Nya'gai and called for Valjean to unleash Megido, the magical explosion dealing a serious amount of damage to the frail brainwasher. Lady Nya'gai recoiled in pain before pointing at one of her little minions, stealing its life force while the Nya'gai slumped over, drained to the point of collapse, but not quite death. "Wow, Lady, that's just...cruel."

Quickly grappling with another of the Nya'gai minions and stealing its umbrella, Zenkichi shoved the thing over to the side and ran at Lady Nya'gai, two-handing the umbrella and whacking her ineffectually about the head and body. The other Nya'gai ran in to do the same to Zenkichi, but he called on Valjean to hit Lady Nya'gai, and only her, with a Megido. Leaving her on the edge of the blast radius to not hurt the other Nya'gai, which he recognized as brainwashed victims, meant the attack didn't hit as hard as it could, but the Lady's frailty meant she had to drain another Nya'Gai, though this time she took everything, killing the thrall.

"How dare you!" Zenkichi shouted, Fury burning through his veins, and he could feel his tiny body getting stronger as each swing of the umbrella came easier and more quickly, little blasts of energy crashing into Lady Nya'gai. She cried out for the Nya'gai to take Zenkichi down, but a call for a final Megido to crash into the group sealed their fates, Lady Nya'gai fading into ash along with one of the other Nya'gai, the only thing left behind a couple of Spirits.

Aurele and Zenkichi found themselves transformed back into their original bodies, and despair wormed its way into Zenkichi's heart when the other remaining Nya'gai, including the heavily weakened one off to the side, just...stood there. One looked at him vacantly, before turning to stare at a nearby wall, eyes empty.

"Oh..." Zenkichi muttered, turning to look at Aurele, who was starting to piece things together. "I'm so sorry, kid..." he managed to get out, walking over to Aurele and putting his hand on his shoulder. "I'm gonna try to see if I can find your friends, still, okay? Can you get back to Sector V on your own?" He asked, quickly trying to try and salvage what he could from the situation. He wasn't sure if Aurele realized what had happened to his friends, yet, but the boy nodded.

"Uh, yeah, I can get back. I'll run home and...wait for them, I guess? I...thank you for saving me from that thing..." Aurele shuddered as he thanked Zenkichi, who nodded.

"Of course, Aurele. Of course. Run home, and don't look back. I'm gonna take care of this here, alright?" When Aurele nodded and started running, Zenkichi stood up, running his head over his face and saying. "Damn...damn monster." Looking at the Spirits left behind, Zenkichi sighed and collected them, looking around at the miscellaneous junk that had piled up, presumably from Lady Nya'gai's victims. Rifling through the leftover belongings, Zenkichi morosely pocketed some things that looked valuable, and a few that looked sentimental, wondering where they came from. Who they came from. Then he turned around, looking at the lost and dazed Nya'gai that remained.

The sound of three gunshots rang out, and Zenkichi left Nya'gai street alone, carrying an even heavier weight than he entered with. "Halo, Wolf here. I checked out the lower levels. Encountered a...I don't know what the hell that was. Ghost. Thing. It's dealt with. Keep an eye out on that kid that's running back to Sector V, will you?" His voice was slower, more deliberate than she was likely used to. "Where are we rendezvousing at?"

World of Light

Geralt of Rivia & Zenkichi Hasegawa

Quarantine Valley- Sector V

Lvl 10 (203/100) -8 XP Friend Heart -> Lvl 10 (198/100)

Lvl 4 (62/40) -> Lvl 4 (65/240)

Word Count: 1,588 words

Joining Goldlewis, Hal, and their new friend with the other Seekers, Zenkichi and Geralt relaxed a little and listened to her explain the situation regarding how Sector V got its money. Zenkichi nodded along, somewhat familiar with the under-the-table dealings people got up to in the underbelly of the city. Not through direct connections, but through hearsay, rumors, and the occasional bust of somebody trying to hawk illicit goods while not knowing how to keep it quiet. He was sure that for every one that got arrested, though, there were half a dozen more keeping it quieter and slowly raking in the cash.

Wind Chimes lead them around the barricade to a more discrete entrance, explaining that people who had already been vetted and approved came this way. Whether she'd get into any trouble for bringing them with her wasn't certain, though Geralt wasn't overly concerned, given that she didn't seem to be sweating the idea. The door was locked, though, and it required him, Goldlewis, and Wind Chimes, who was deceptively strong if that kick was any indication, to knock it down. Yet another thing to worry about, though now Geralt wasn't sure if this woman was thinking this through, given that they'd just knocked open a way inside the Hermits' hideout. Approved guest or not, they wouldn't be happy with her, or them, for that.

What they found inside the hideout was...surprising. A fighting ring, likely as some sort of high-risk training, for fighting and killing Chimeras. That the Hermits could reliably trap Chimeras in order to train against them was fairly impressive to Zenkichi, whose eyebrows were climbing his face. A few Hermits could be overheard talking about the 'latest batch', presumably of the drug or substance that let them see, and apparently fight, the Chimeras. From the sound of it, they'd made some good progress.

The apparent leader took a moment to give a rousing speech, one about standing up and fighting back, though whether that was just against the Chimeras or against the Chimeras and the Administration itself, Zenkichi wasn't sure. He had his own bone to pick with Shinra and Konoe, though, so he wasn't sure he particularly cared. As long as they were more discrete about their targets than Avalanche, that was.

That they'd been detected was surprising, but not excessively shocking. They ran Sector V from the top down. Whether somebody had seen and sent a message through the main gate, or they had some well-hidden cameras, or even enhanced senses among the demihumans, the idea that they could waltz in undetected was...naive.

Zenkichi was a bit more surprised that the Hermits knew who they were, and his hackles raised when he put together that meant they likely knew where Akane was. Though he didn't think they'd stoop that low, they might sell some information to somebody who would. His face darkened, but he kept quiet as Goldlewis talked to Kyle.

'Talking' quickly turned to 'Prove your worth to me in mortal combat!' and Geralt sighed as he drew his steel sword, Zenkichi groaning a little. Backpedaling to avoid the initial burst of lightning from Kyle's opening attack, Geralt stepped in and flashed his sword, staking his claim. Zenkichi joined beside him, his Phantom Thief attire appearing as he fired off a pair of shots, forcing Kyle to acrobatically yank his sword from the ground as he dismounted it, blocking the two shots just in time.

Kyle laughed. “Ha, I knew it! ‘It’s a great day to make new acquaintances!’ My horoscope’s never wrong. It even said my lucky color’s black today!” His holographic face grinned at Zenkichi’s Phantom Thief apparel.

“What’s with this guy?” Hal wondered aloud as his drone floated above the fight, observing. “My scanner says he’s human, but I’m not convinced…”

"What do they say about me? I'm certainly not all human anymore." Geralt retorted as he stepped in to attack, already having shielded himself with Quen while Kyle was dealing with Zenkichi's gunshots. Kyle's massive blade even beat out Geralt's in length, oversized as it was to match his larger frame, but not by much.

"Mostly human, but there's some noise in there. With him, though, I'm not getting those readings." Hal replied from above, thankfully not being targeted by the Hermits, who correctly pegged him as a non-combatant companion.

"Gotta be that drug they were talking about!" Zenkichi called, rushing in to try and get inside Kyle's guard while Geralt traded blows with him. He'd summoned Charles' Closing Statement instead of his longer sword, partially for the extra heft, and partially for the blunted backside, which would prevent any accidents when they got him on his last legs.

Kyle proved to be quite the acrobatic fighter, however, rivalling some of Geralt's more nimble moves when he was smaller. He parried a blow from Geralt with his nodachi, Tatsu, half-spinning and resting the back end of the blade along his arm, guarding it with the sharp edge to deflect any attacks while he thrust with the pommel as Zenkichi got close. Choosing to rely on his bulk, Zenkichi took the blow to his chest, swinging in retaliation and landing a somewhat staggered hit, his arms pushed back along with his chest. Kyle still got tagged by the heavy blade, though his was able to roll with the blow and lash out with a wide swing, forcing Geralt to bring his sword up to deflect it. Zenkichi took a step back, the Closing Statement a little to heavy to reliably block with in a pinch.

Kyle took the offensive this time, swinging Tatsu in a quick series of slashes to try and take advantage of its innate Radiation damage, which would somewhat bypass Geralt's heavy armor if a blow landed, and even potentially cause Confusion on the Witcher. Geralt deflected one, then two blows, the third scoring a decent hit, but Quen's magical energy kept the Radiation bleedthrough from affecting Geralt. Without a lucky Confusion proc as well, Kyle was forced back on the defensive as Zenkichi returned to the fight, calling on Valjean to boost his own agility with Sukukaja.

Even with the boost, however, the fact remained that Kyle was quick, and skilled, enough to avoid most of the damage the pair were trying to put out. The fight was, boringly enough, a bit of a stalemate while Sukukaja kept Zenkichi moving enough to just barely keep up. Kyle was capable of landing a few blows of his own while taking a couple of hits, but it was when he finally managed to trade a heavy blow with Geralt that Quen shattered, the bleedthrough Radiation burning through Geralt's armor and causing the Witcher to hiss in unexpected pain.

"You good, Geralt?!" Zenkichi called, only to receive a grunt and a hastily-ducked swing of steel in response. "What the hell, man?!" The Phantom Thief cried out, backpedaling desperately as Geralt stormed after him, unable to block or parry the Witcher's quick blows with his heavier, shorter sword. Kyle ran in as well, catching both Geralt and Zenkichi with quick, relatively shallow blows, but Geralt whirled on him, causing him to back off and let the Confusion keep the pair distracted for another moment.

"What's wrong, that all you got?" Kyle sneered. "I'm just starting to enjoy myself!" Kyle taunted as Zenkichi desperately dove out of the way of a powerful slash from Geralt's steel sword, before crouching and launching himself into the air.

As the Confusion wore off, Geralt shook his head and blinked off the status effect, forcing Zenkichi to call out Kyle's attack in warning. Much as he had started the fight off, Kyle hurled Tatsu into the floor from his massive leap, landing on the hilt and releasing a burst of Radiation and lightning along the floor. Both swordsmen had to back off, though Zenkichi caught an arc of the lightning and was shocked. Geralt, on the other hand, fought fire with fire, wreathing his steel sword in the Orphan's Lightning as he ran in. Zenkichi took the opportunity to switch up his technique, Closing Statement vanishing to his back as he drew his revolvers and fired on Kyle. Taking advantage of the distraction, Geralt advanced aggressively, each connected sword swing, be it to Kyle or Tatsu, sending a little jolt through the Hermit and tensing his muscles involuntarily.

A shot from Zenkichi winged Kyle on the side as Geralt clashed blades with him, stepping as close as he could manage to crash his horn into Kyle's face, sending him reeling as hard as a traditional headbutt would. Zenkichi capitalized on the opening with Valjean, calling in a One-Shot Kill to critically hit the Hermit, knocking him flat on his rear. Geralt reached down and grabbed the man by the collar, straddling him as one hand produced a Friend Heart from his chest and forced it into the Hermit leader.

Stepping off and away to give Kyle some breathing room, Zenkichi holstered his pistols and walked over. "Give it a minute. It's a weird sensation, I know. Just went through it myself a few days ago. Lot to put together. We'll be happy to explain once we're all done fighting and getting to know each other." Zenkichi half-joked the last part, but he was much more relaxed now that Geralt had given Kyle the Friend Heart. The Witcher himself was still a bit wary, but he knew the confusion of reconciling memories would keep them safe for at least a few moments.

World of Light

Geralt of Rivia & Zenkichi Hasegawa

Quarantine Valley- Sector V

Lvl 10 (201/100) -> Lvl 10 (203/100)

Lvl 4 (60/40) -> Lvl 4 (62/240)

Word Count: 1,216 words

As the others gathered with the group at large, Zenkichi and Geralt kept watch, though the locals didn't give any trouble. One person passed by the 'hidden' route quickly while they were waiting, keeping their eyes forward and offering no more than a quick flick to the side to quickly determine that the two weren't looking for trouble before hurrying on to whatever business they had.

Goldlewis and Hal arrived with a new tagalong, likely the woman the former Secretary of Defense had rescued from the Chimeras, and Geralt gave a simple nod to the other large man as he joined the group. Zenkichi was a bit more talkative. "Even in Zone 9, the Secretary is making friends. Boy am I glad you're on our side." He joked good-naturedly, before the group set off into Sector V.

The stores before them offered a decent variety of supplies, though the quality was likely suspect. Zenkichi had meant to offload the machine parts he'd scavenged while they were in the Sector 7 Slums, but the first time around the melancholy had taken him, and the second the celebratory nature of their victory at Vandelay Headquarters. While he didn't doubt the people here could use the materials, he wasn't sure he would get a fair deal for them. That, and he wasn't exactly keen on supplying these guys with more that they could use. He still wasn't 100% sold on working with the Hermits and Reunion, but he knew the Administration was by far worse news. And if these guys proved to be up to no good, he had a feeling Goldlewis and he would be on the same page when it came to dealing with that.

Sector V was more lively than Geralt expected. Places like this, where the sick were quarantined and left to die by those in power, were rarely joyous places. This place, though, had a lot more vitality than the slums of Novigrad. It was a welcome change of atmosphere from what he was used to, at least. He didn't let his guard down, though, and any who took more than a few moments to glance at the admittedly extremely strange-looking man would get at first a blank look telling them they'd been caught, then a scowl if their eyes lingered any longer.

Goldlewis managed to get a couple of interesting details from a passerby whom he'd simply asked if anything had been weird lately, and it was juicy, if vague, information. The Hermits were using a drug to power themselves up? That sounded like something out of a manga to Zenkichi. Whatever it was though, it sounded bad. That sort of thing rarely lacked side effects.

As the Seekers came to the end of the proverbial line, the concrete bridge, they got a look at what Geralt assumed were some Hermits. An organized group, complete with matching looks and masks. And they were guarding whatever was on the other side of that wall. Hal took a moment to give the group a quick reminder of their goals here, and Geralt grunted while Zenkichi gave a nod. Sandalphon once more went above to get a look at their surroundings and, if needed, provide overwatch. Though that wouldn't be needed unless somebody started a fight.

Zenkichi took the direct approach, boldly walking up to a random person shuffling through a deck of cards and offering to play a game. He got a slow look up and down, but the man shrugged and started dealing once he was satisfied the cop wasn't looking to start trouble. With a quick confirmation that he knew the rules, the pair started a game of War.

Zenkichi lost the first round after a run of bad luck ties cost him ten cards early on. The second round was a back-and-forth for a bit, but Zenkichi came out ahead.

"What do you know about the Hermits?" Zenkichi asked as he shuffled the deck, passing it off to the other man to be cut.

"I know nobody around here messes with them without getting burned, if that's what you mean." Came the gruff reply as Zenkichi dealt.

"Nothing like that," He reassured the man, as they flipped their cards. "If anything, my friends and I are looking to see about making a deal." Another win for the stranger. As he shuffled, the man nodded and thought a bit harder on it.

"Meant what I said about not messing with them, but your group seems to be tough enough. Not so sure about them bots you got with you, though..." He muttered the last part, and Zenkichi held off a frown. "But if they're combat models, don't think they'd care overly much."

"Oh, they can hold their own well enough." Zenkichi reassured him as he lost another round. One out of four. He let the other man shuffle the deck again, watching his hands carefully.

"There's a new boss in charge of the Hermits, and some folks ain't happy. They've been tougher on security at the gate, though clearly nobody's bothered to do anything about the back entrance if you folks made it in." Nothing. Well, it'd be pretty low to cheat at a friendly game of cards, especially War of all games.

"Mm, heard something like that. Sounds like a pain. Though, certainly sounds like it could be worse. What's the deal with that Hermitonic stuff? Seems kinda shady." Zenkichi played after the stranger dealt, slowly but surely taking the lead this round.

"Oh, that stuff? Nah, it's for drunks who can't be bothered to ride out a hangover the old-fashioned way. Apparently it's pretty good if you're doing harder stuff, too, but I'm a liquor man myself. Price tag's outright robbery if you don't have a card, either. I'll manage with a sip of water between drinks, thank you." He chuckled as the pair pulled out three tying cards in a row, with Zenkichi taking the pot after drawing a King to the stranger's 5.

As the game wound down, Zenkichi stood up and thanked the man for passing the time and easing his mind, stuffing his hands back in his pockets and returning to where Geralt was stood, watching as the others mingled and searched He was a good rallying point, given his size and appearance. "Not much to go off. He just repeated what you said about the Hermits having someone new in charge, though he did tell me about that weird drink. Apparently it's good at curing hangovers and being high. The price tag is probably their way of funding themselves and letting their members blow off some steam without being useless the next day."

"Then we ought to get our hands on one of those cards. I'm sure people would be willing to give up a lot for that if they're having a particularly bad hangover. I've had more than a few myself that made me want to gouge out my own eyes."

"Oh yeah, for sure." Zenkichi agreed, though he felt a little bad about the idea of basically extorting people. Then again, it was mostly just some pain relief for a self-imposed condition that would go away anyway, so...he didn't feel that bad about it.

World of Light

Geralt of Rivia & Zenkichi Hasegawa

Midgar- Zone 9

Lvl 10 (200/100) -> Lvl 10 (201/100)

Lvl 4 (59/40) -> Lvl 4 (60/40)

Word Count: 396 words

Geralt merely raised his eyebrow as the man he'd addressed turned on him angrily, before adjusting his attitude once he got a look at the giant, heavily-armed and armored man. He was more amused than anything, especially given that he'd interrupted somebody clearly in a bad mood. The news was welcome, though: that the new leader was apparently much more strict on letting people in, to the point of keeping somebody who'd just been inside the walls from getting back in. "Hmm. Sounds like an ass." Geralt merely offered, looking around and seeing the rooftop the man had referred to. It indeed looked like it'd be a simple matter to get in from there, merely a jump to get inside.

"New guy in charge a real stickler, huh? Looking to get inside with some friends of mine. Feel free to try and tag along, but we're not in the business of charity." Geralt offered. Perhaps one of the others would offer a boost out of the kindness of their hearts, but Geralt wouldn't be the one. He stepped away from the annoyed man as Sandalphon announced that Goldlewis would be heading into a portal to chase after a woman taken by Chimeras. He'd happily leave the inter-dimensional travel to somebody else this time, instead getting a good look at the walls. They seemed fairly sturdy, though obviously not quite as heavy-duty as the walls protecting Midgar itself.

Zenkichi, meanwhile, was lucky enough to avoid any unfortunate run-ins with the locals, and found himself awkwardly climbing onto a rooftop to get a look around. His new vantage point hadn't offered much in the way of information, though he did have to steer clear of more pockets of red matter that H's drone pointed out helpfully.

After Blazermate's new information had been relayed to the group, Zenkichi got on the move. Back way in, on the right, just over the air duct, and drop down. All in all, it was fairly simple to do, though he was reluctant to pop up casually on his own in Sector V, looking the way he did. Instead, he kept his head down and took a quick look around exactly where he'd wound up while waiting on the others. If anybody came looking for a fight, though, they'd find him a lot tougher to push around than they might have expected.

World of Light

Geralt of Rivia & Zenkichi Hasegawa

Zone 9- Through the Dragnet

Lvl 10 (194/100) +5 XP -> Lvl 10 (200/100)

Lvl 4 (53/40) +5 XP -> Lvl 4 (59/40)

Word Count: 484 words

With Sandalphon's healing topping them up and Blazermate coming in to keep them there while also providing support against the sisters, Geralt and Zenkichi managed to make fairly quick work of the Corporals. At the same time, the others were finishing off their own opponents, with Karin dealing with the Closer guarding the door into Zone 9, as well as a tricky Private that had almost managed to get a proper drop on her. The Seekers quickly reconvened on the entrance to their goal, and Zenkichi noticed the weapon that Charles had been wielding was just left there, ripe for the taking, and he nodded before grabbing it. "Sorry, Charlie, but I'm gonna need to take that off your hands."

For Zenkichi

Obtained:
Closing Statement
A heavy greatsword of futuristic make. It's shorter than one might think but quite wide, capable of high destructive power if wielded with enough strength. Even its crossguard or the blunt back of its blade can deal substantial impact damage. Its weight makes it impractical to use for defense however. It deals bonus Dark damage and comes with the weapon skill Closer: After an ally attacks, an enemy with less than 30% health, increases combat readiness of the wielder against that enemy by 35% and boosts perception for 20 seconds. Can only be activated once every 20 seconds

Closing his eyes and focusing on the sword, Zenkichi smiled as the weapon disappeared, vanishing into the same Cognitive Space that his revolvers and sword were kept. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of it." He reassured Charles half-seriously, before rejoining the others.

The Seekers headed through the door, with Goldlewis closing it behind them and locking their pursuers, about whom the others were blissfully unaware, behind. Walking out into the forbidden Zone 9, though, had Zenkichi covered in goosebumps. "Ah, man, I really don't like it here. Give me the heebie-jeebies." He complained to an eye roll from Geralt. The Witcher didn't have the same background in this city, however. Zone 9 was just not somewhere you went, period. The place was basically radioactive. He looked around the place, a bit more paranoid than might have seemed warranted for the other Seekers, though he imagined Goldlewis, Sandalphon, and H would understand, even if the latter of the three was only present via a drone. Redshift was an existential threat in Midgar, and Zenkichi had a daughter to go back to.

Zenkichi took a more circuitous route to their destination, not quite trusting the sheet-metal bridges to hold everybody but confident that his Cop Look would keep all but the most deluded denizens of this area away. It might do the opposite were he to face with a larger, more organized group, but it would serve for a quick trip around some fire escapes.

Geralt, on the other hand, simply waited for everybody else to cross before doing so himself. If the bridge could hold everybody else, including the massive Goldlewis, it could probably handle him. Thankfully, it did so, even though the groaning of the metal was definitely not comforting. Still, he made it across in one piece, so it was good enough.

As they approached the gate to the community they'd spotted, Geralt took notice of the man rambling to himself about the Hermits, and homed in, approaching and calling out to get his attention. "What's that about the Hermits? They keeping people out? Been looking to talk to somebody, hadn't heard anything about getting shut out."

World of Light

Geralt of Rivia & Zenkichi Hasegawa

Sector 9- Through the Dragnet

Lvl 10 (192/100) -> Lvl 10 (194/100)

Lvl 4 (51/40) -> Lvl 4 (53/40)

Word Count: 876 words

As Sandalphon alerted, and distracted, the guard, Zenkichi made his move on the unsuspecting Private Atkinson, grabbing one arm from behind as he turned to the source of the racket. He violently yanked it from the man's rifle as his foot crashed into the back of the soldier's knee, and wrenching it upwards with a sickening crack, before ripping the helmet from the soldier's head and grabbing it with both hands to slam it into his cranium, rendering him unconscious. "Huh. Ya know, I...feel bad about how easy that was..." he murmured, leaving the KO'd guard to join the others in the thick of the fight.

Geralt had used the opportunity to shield himself with Quen, running out at a dead sprint to Gima Koch, who spun when he heard the heavy footfalls and unleashed a stream of plasma into his chest. Geralt didn't stop, even as Quen shattered, and rammed his shoulder into Koch's chest, sending him tumbling and fumbling for his sidearm as he recovered. The Samurai Edge flashed as Geralt reached down, the slow bullet it fired crumpling against the steel plate that the Harbor Demon's Spirit had given him, and Geralt yanked it from Koch's hands, tossing the weapon aside carelessly, retreating clanking sounds betraying that it fell far away from all but a flier's reach.

Geralt's victory was short-lived, as his prey refused to surrender, Galeem's curse still controlling him, and a face-full of dirt and seeds greeted the Witcher, vines rapidly growing from them and trying to bind his arms to his body courtesy of the soldier's Chlorokinesis. It wasn't more than enough to delay him, though, as Geralt's inhuman strength easily overpowered the plant growth, and a massive clawed hand grabbed Koch's face while Geralt straddled him, the other crushing his throat until the man's spasming attempts to free himself slowed, then finally faded. He held on a few seconds longer, to ensure the man was truly unconscious, then slowly released the chokehold as a burst of plasma flew overhead. Geralt stood, nodding at the non-lethal takedown, and cast the Sign of Quen to protect himself once more as he ran forward, towards the sister soldiers, who were trading potshots with Zenkichi, who was ducking between pillars and taunting them.

"Come one! Can't even hit an old man, can you?! Oh, hey Geralt! Now there's two old men for them to miss!" Laughing, Zenkichi popped out, only to get a face full of angry bats scratching, clawing, and biting at his face as a burst of plasma hit him in the chest.

"Idiot..." The Witcher mumbled as he charged forward again, the Phantom Thief shaking off the bats and trying to provide cover fire. As he approached the sisters, a mental hammer crashed into his skull, causing Geralt to reel and grip his head, pain overwhelming him momentarily.

As soon as it came, however, the Confusion ended, with the butt of a rifle cracking into Geralt's nose, followed by a point-blank stream of plasma fire that heated his armor and made it more than a little uncomfortable for a moment before the air rushed back in and cooled it off. Geralt lashed out with a punch, connecting and sending Miwa Marcias back as Zenkichi filled the air with bullets, also running up and calling on Valjean to protect Geralt with a Rakukaja. "I'd ask you to surrender, but I know that won't work." Zenkichi stated simply. "So I'm just gonna go with 'make this easy on us.'"

"Halo, give us a hand!" Geralt gruffly called, swinging the lighting-wreathed katana he took off of Monsoon at Miwa, while Zenkichi rushed at Natsuko. Both sisters were tricky to get a hold of, each having more than their fair share of tricks up their sleeves.

Natsuko ducked and weaved, tossing animal food on Zenkichi, marking him as a priority target for both the swarms of bats and Crysales, and more than once he caught his eyes drooping as he fought. Each moment of lapse cost him, as a burst of plasma knocked his sense back into him. Sandalphon took one such opportunity to snipe Natsuko as she paused to aim, sending the girl stumbling forward, Zenkichi pushing through the exhaustion to follow up with an upward swing of his greatsword, comboing into a sweeping horizontal slash.

Geralt, meanwhile, was having a much similar problem, with Confusion giving Mia ample opportunity to fire a blast of plasma into his knee, sending him down to one and causing him to hiss at the pain. He rose nonetheless, lashing out with his new lightning katana as Sandalphon shot Natsuko, distracting Mia for a split second, more than enough for a Witcher to capitalize on. The lightning gave him enough time to punch her in follow-up, and she rolled with the hit, retreating closer to her sister and attempting to use her Confusion on Zenkichi, only for Geralt to use Axii to stun her in turn.

"Thanks for the assist." Zenkichi nodded as Sandalphon appeared between the two men, staff in hand, to give out an area heal. Oh yeah, that's much better. Let's finish this!" He cheered as both swordsmen went back into the fray.

World of Light

Geralt of Rivia & Zenkichi Hasegawa

Sector 9- Through the Dragnet

Lvl 10 (191/100) -> Lvl 10 (192/100)

Lvl 4 (50/40) -> Lvl 4 (51/40)

Word Count: 632 words

Leaving Ch'en behind to do with his warning as she felt appropriate, Zenkichi joined Geralt and the others in following H's drone towards their destination. As their goal was pointed out, Sandalphon wasted no time in pointing out the biggest obstacle to their goal: the G-Men staking the place out. They were, predictably, very poorly hidden, but that meant little in the face of their limited time window to get through that doorway while the cameras were down. Alerting them and starting a brawl was inadvisable. Goldlewis and Sandalphon were quick to come up with plans, and Zenkichi wasn't far behind.

Casually ambling down the street, he approached the dumpsters first, looking pensive and nodding. "I'm a garbage inspector. Ensuring the integrity of waste receptacles is vital to maintaining a functioning city." Slowly moving between each dumpster, he frowned at one, before shaking his head and moving on. Ignoring the first G-Man he passed and instead nodding at the trash can as if nothing was amiss, he "inspected" a second, circling around it and looking to the others for the signal. As Sandalphon signaled the team, Zenkichi's Phantom Thief attire appeared, and he hefted his greatsword, swinging it overhead and cleaving the trash can, as well as the G-Man inside, in two.

Geralt, meanwhile, was waiting a short distance away from any of the others and the G-Men, ready to serve as backup with a veritable swarm of Strikers that he could direct to help attack any G-Men that survived their alpha strike, as well as his hand crossbow. He didn't want to get any closer and arouse suspicion, but he could at least stay close enough to lend a hand if it was needed.

With the G-Men down and the team on the other side of the door, Zenkichi breathed a sigh of relief. "Man those guys were always awkward to deal with. I felt bad for them, kind of, before I remembered what Shadows really were. Khamsin...much as I couldn't stand the guy, he wasn't entirely wrong that they're basically just disposable cannon fodder. Even now, saying that feels wrong, but...it's whatever." Clearly not entirely over having to reconcile two worldviews, Zenkichi let the moment pass. He'd have plenty of time later to think about it. They had work to do.

The restricted zone before the door to Sector 9 wasn't terribly grand, but there were more than a few armed troopers, real soldiers this time, watching the place. Both Zenkichi and Geralt grimaced at the prospect of sneaking around, neither particularly adept at such maneuvers, and both realized they'd have to fight. "No way I'm sneaking past anything." Geralt readily admitted. "Get in position and get ready to strike, I can either join when you're ready or start this thing myself."

"Might be best to join in. If they all concentrate fire on you, well, I know you have that shield spell, but I'm not sure how long it'll last under directed fire." Zenkichi advised, thinking. "I can probably sneak around a little, but I've really only snuck past Shadows on low alert before. These guys aren't gonna be as simple to get around."

Nonetheless, Geralt took up a hiding spot behind one of the early pillars, ready to rush in when things went loud, while Zenkichi, being much less noticeable, slowly snuck through the restricted area, ready to draw his guns and start firing as soon as their cover was blown. It was less a matter of if, and more a matter of when. Geralt, meanwhile, would have a bit of a run to take to get closer, but his Strikers were ready to be called upon, and Quen would hopefully cover his approach as long as he wasn't being focused down too hard.

World of Light

Geralt of Rivia & Zenkichi Hasegawa

Sector 7 Slums -> Sector 8, Detroit

Lvl 10 (188/100) -> Lvl 10 (191/100)

Lvl 4 (47/40) -> Lvl 4 (50/40)

Word Count: 1,552 words

As their conversation died down, Goldlewis was approached by Giovanna, who mentioned needing to leave on a mission for Vernon without delay, and did so with a bit of a lackluster farewell, not that Zenkichi or Geralt could blame her for getting well away from the Seekers and their shenanigans. They were both a bit suspicious of the circumstances, perhaps owing to each of their own history of betrayals, but neither would voice their concerns, nor did they think at the moment that there was any reason for them other than a touch of paranoia.

Not long after, the companion (or more accurately, a drone/flying golem sent to represent them) that Giovanna advised them of arrived, and Goldlewis lead the way out after Mr. H's drone bade them follow. The former Secretary of Defense made sure Clara and her currently invisible protector would be alright, and while Zenkichi questioned the wisdom of leaving her to join the Sector 7 militia, he knew he couldn't be everywhere at once. He'd have to trust Tifa and the others to keep her safe, even with Svarog around to handle the heavy lifting in that department. Geralt, having seen the guardian in action, had no illusions that Clara's safety was all but assured as long as she had him to protect her.

As the group gathered with Mr. H's drone, Goldlewis introduced them, leading Zenkichi to grimace. "I only just realized, especially since we were talking about it a few minutes ago, but the Administration can probably follow us pretty easily if they track Benedict or I's IDs. I know you're in better standing than I am, Benedict, but it might be a good idea to get that addressed sooner rather than after getting ambushed..." Sratching the back of his head, Zenkichi lazily frowned and scuffed a sneaker along the ground awkwardly. Figured it'd be a good idea to bring it up, ya know?"

Nonetheless, it was a little too late to get an ID made up for him now, so he let that hang for resolution at a later date, while they got to the real meat and potatoes of this meeting: The Quarantine Zone. That godforsaken place was, of course, still on their to-do list, and with actionable intel that Jena Anderson would be around, rocketing it to the top of their priorities. Even Zenkichi, as laser-focused on Konoe as he was, couldn't deny that. The others agreed, and with the knowledge that this drone could help them detect and avoid becoming corrupted by Redshift, there wasn't a better time to address a potential alliance with the Hermits, who supposedly were able to hack into DespoRHado's servers, and try to get what they could out of Anderson. Even with her history, if they were planning on going against the Administration, they'd need all the help they could get. If it came to it, they could work on taking her down afterwards, as distasteful as it all was to Zenkichi.

The Seekers slowly meandered their way through Sector 7, some of the others catching the newer members up on the specifics of Spirits and Fusion, with Zenkichi keeping an ear out for any information he might've missed in his earlier introduction. The part about becoming a chimeric abomination stuck with him, and he looked Geralt over with a grimace. He wouldn't call the man an abomination per se, but he got the feeling that he and Midna were probably more extreme cases of Spirit Fusion. It only made him more wary of messing with that sort of thing. The last thing he needed was to wind up a woman on top of all this.

As they crossed into Detroit, Geralt was quick to break off from the group, promising to meet them at the inter-plate station he'd visited with Giovanna, Blazermate, Susie and Benedict earlier. His sky-hook in hand, Geralt made a hasty escape, easily avoiding much of the chaos in the streets below, even if he did come across a few punks here and there between lines. Any time he did, he kept his eyes forward and made no challenges beyond letting it be known that he saw somebody. Even for his size, while he could have easily barreled his way through anybody and forced them to move aside or be trampled, he made room aplenty and avoided a fight while he made his way to the next sky-line.

Zenkichi, on the other hand, had a much less simple time of getting through the Sector. While he'd never actually turned in his Turk badge, anybody in PubSec would know it was useless, and trying to throw his weight around here wouldn't get him nearly as far with civilians as it might have in the Upper Sectors.

But he knew somebody who might be able to give him a hand. Pulling out his phone and looking through his messages, he re-opened the one from a fellow former Turk: Ch'en. Letting out a little sigh as he read the message over again, he clicked on her name, his phone sending a call through. It was on the second ring that the line was answered, and a familiar voice responded: "Hasegawa? Is something the matter?"

"You still in Detroit, Hui-chieh-san? I'm free if you have a minute. Promise it's important."

"Of course, Hasegawa-san. I left the hospital not long ago, and am currently taking refuge from the chaos in a low-traffic area. I will send you my location now." Thankfully, it wasn't very far away, and with a promise to Goldlewis, Sandalphon and the others that he'd meet up with them at the station by the Quarantine Zone, he headed off.

---

It took a little bit for Zenkichi to reach the location Ch'en sent him, but as he ran down the street, he caught a glimpse of familiar horns and blue hair, skidding to a stop and resting his hands on his knees, panting a little. "Hey, just...hoo boy...gimme a sec...ran all the way here." Taking one last deep breath before pushing off his knees and standing up relatively straight, Zenkichi nodded. "Okay, so...long story short, I could use a hand getting out of here. With DespoRHado on the rampage, PubSec going wild, and just the gangs in general being a pain in the ass, I figured it was best to work together."

"I see. And I suppose it would be foolish not to agree, given that I have little to lose in doing so. I had originally planned to request Public Security send a vehicle, but when I read the news of my demotion, and the subsequent attack on DespoRHado, I was shaken. However, I did manage to secure transportation after...an incident involving those same DespoRHado remnants. They attacked a Public Security patrol, and I intervened to assist. After dispatching the cyborgs, the officers thanked me and sped off to respond to another incident. However, they left behind the vehicle that the cyborgs had been using. I, not wanting to be stranded any longer than I needed, commandeered the vehicle and was about to make my way out of the city when I received your message. Fortuitous timing, Hasegawa."

Nodding Zenkichi adopted his typical lackadaisical pose, shrugging. "So where's the car?" He asked simply. If whatever was left of Desporado without Sandalphon and her androids wanted to cause chaos, it was hardly a problem worth investigating if somebody were to take one of their cars and try to run away with it.

"It is just inside this garage. The building has been abandoned for some time, and I've come across it multiple times on my patrols. I've only once or twice come across squatters, and seeing that I haven't gone far, I wasn't worried about the vehicle being damaged or stolen. Shall we be off, then?" Ch'en offered as she opened the side door to the garage, pressing the button to open the vehicle bay door.

"Gladly. You're a lifesaver, you know that?"

"No one fights alone, Hasegawa. Especially now." More than you realize, Hui-chieh... Zenkichi mused as he got into the jeep.

---

The drive was mostly made in silence, though Zenkichi did leave Ch'en with a warning. "Listen, I...can't really explain much, but...I know what my reputation is like in PubSec. Just trust me when I say there's a good damn reason for it and you should try and get out of town if you can. Things are about to get a lot worse than this, and I heard some pretty good rumors that Reunion may be trying to make a big move." Closing the door before she could respond, Zenkichi looked over and saw a familiar unicorn giant, and gave Geralt a wave as he walked over to the Witcher. "Sky rails are cheating."

"Whatever you say." Geralt joked back, nodding at the vehicle, which hadn't left just yet. "Friend of yours?"

"The other Turk that got demoted after we failed to bring in the Hollow Child. Which was related to that Machine attack, and why PubSec wanted Desporado to take the fall. It was our fault they got the intel they needed. I just hope she's not taking it too hard. We didn't really talk about it."

World of Light

Geralt of Rivia & Zenkichi Hasegawa With Goldlewis

Sector 7 Slums

Lvl 10 (185/100) -> Lvl 10 (188/100)

Lvl 4 (44/40) -> Lvl 4 (47/40)

Word Count: 2,265 words

Zenkichi and Geralt missed the chaos behind them as Goldlewis and the others behind them stopped, with the former Secretary stopping the flaming Motor Ball in its tracks. They pair continued onwards, hitting the boost pads and making solid time downhill. Before long, they had reached Sector 7 with the rest of the Seekers, Sandalphon's crew, and the tagalongs from Vandelay. With Chai, Peppermint and Korsica heading their own way, that left Sandalphon, 2B, 9S, as well as Clara and Svarog as their newest recruits. They'd have to make sure the androids, as well as Clara and her protector were freed of Galeem's influence, but for now, they made their way to the bar Zenkichi had stopped at after the Machine battle, everybody setting off to relax.

For a little bit now, Goldlewis had been contented to sit by himself, cooling down in silence with a glass of ice water. He'd picked a seat that gave him a good view of both everyone else and the door without even thinking about it, hung his suit jacket over the back of his chair, loosened his tie, and scarcely moved from that spot since. At one point he knocked on his coffin, which he'd set up next to his chair, and the entity within cracked open a lid to hold up a mirror so Goldlewis could fix his hair. Other than that, the heavyset giant mostly just enjoyed his well-deserved break, but it wasn't long before he began to grow restless. Feeling like he ought to do something, now that he formed part of a team. He ended up setting his sights on Geralt, since the man happened to be nearby. After clearing his throat, Goldlewis spoke to him.

"Good work back there, hoss," he began. "I reckon you were pretty out of your element back in Vandelay, seein' as the whole place was Black Tech top to bottom. I was a little worried, but it looks like y'all pulled through." His brows knitted together slightly. "N-now, I'm still strugglin' a little with everyone's names. Awful hard to keep track sometimes. You weren't with the group I met back in the desert, and we only really fought together down in the tunnels outside Sector 06. It was..." Goldlewis grimaced. "Guh...Garrett or somethin' of that nature, wasn't it?"

Geralt, having more consciously chosen a spot with fairly good sight of the exit, turned slightly and gave Goldlewis a half-nod to indicate he was paying attention as he started talking. He didn't know what 'hoss' meant, but ignored that particular quirk of speech. "Close. Geralt." Humming a moment as he looked around and took a sip of ale, he continued.

"You might be surprised to hear it, but I had some idea of what was in this world before Galeem brought me here. I mentioned last night that my daughter, Ciri, is a worldhopper. She went to a number of different world trying to escape an army, hunting her to try and use her power. She explained a world with people who had metal in their heads, waged war from a distance with strange, magical weapons, and people had their own personal flying machines. I thought she was joking."

Sighing, Geralt took another sip of ale. "We also have elevators in my world, but they don't look quite the same. Usually no more than some rope, a pulley or two, and a platform for hauling goods up a cliffside. It's not unheard of for a worker to go up with the cargo, but just using them here for going up a tall building...that's what's strange to me. Everything else, I just try and roll with. It isn't always easy, but I don't have to understand how it all works. Just that it does."

"Interestin'," Goldlewis murmured, ruminating on what Geralt said about Ciri and the otherworldly perspective her dimension-trotting exploits provided. Unless the phenomenon encapsulated multiple 'worlds' from Geralt's 'world', it rather flew in the face of one of the veteran's assumptions--that prior to the universal extinction event, there had been no intersection between different worlds. Goldlewis knew of other planets, of course, but never entertained the possibility of other human life coming to be on other planets.

When the Witcher continued, Goldlewis slowly nodded his head. "I use my world's magitech same as everyone else, but I don't got a magic bone in my body. All wizardry to me, an' I mean that literally. That's just how it is everywhere, I reckon. Standin' on the shoulders of giants so we can see an' reach even farther."

Not meaning to was philosophical, the veteran chuckled. "So, ah, it's Geralt. I gotcha." He stroked his whiskers. "Or...maybe I should call you Sir Geralt? You don't exactly strike me as a knight, beggin' your pardon, but I don't mean to assume."

Geralt nodded at Goldlewis' explanation that he was similar. "Ironically, I'm considered fairly adept at wizardry for somebody who isn't a sorcerer in my world. Not as good as some other Witchers I know, but Signs are simple, if intensive, magic. Few unmodified humans can perform magic, though, and only the most basic of Signs. Some are inrinsically attuned to magic, and become sorcerers or sorceresses. Though their numbers, as well as those of Witchers, are on the decline."

When Goldlewis mentioned Knighthood though, he chuckled for a moment. "I am, actually, a knight. For a while it was mostly a title I claimed to sound more official, on the advice of a mentor. Geralt of Rivia. A bout of fortune, ill or not is up for debate, resulted in me and my group coming across the Queen of Rivia as her and her guard were being attacked by Imperial soldiers. We helped her men fight them off, and she knighted me for my assistance."

Taking a sip of his ale, Geralt shook his head. "And then I left despite her orders to remain at her side, and from what I've heard, she's cursed my name since. Though I managed to...somewhat...clear it up with her son."

"Oh, hey, we talking magic?" Zenkichi asked, having been passing by with a beer, taking a seat with the other two men. "Gotta admit, the tech, magic or no, is pretty nuts here. Kind of invasive, too. I don't think I ever liked those stupid ID tags they put on us, but now? I like them even less."

Geralt's recollection of the events surrounding the Queen of Rivia and his knighthood piqued Goldlewis' interest. The seemed like a veteran, not necessarily of the battlefield like him, but of countless quests and misadventures, with a stockpile of stories to match. If so, that'd be something else the two had in common. Right about the same time that Geralt wrapped his anecdote, Zenkichi stopped to join them. While Goldlewis might not be as inclined to indulge in day drinking as the detective, understandable though it'd be given the circumstances, having Zenkichi around felt right. Though from vastly different worlds, and more wildly disparate in age than appearances might suggest, the three were ultimately old career men. It was more than happenstance that brought them together.

"No kiddin'," the former Secretary of Defense agreed. "I've been 'round these parts for years and I still ain't got fully used to it. It's like a whole alternate history, if the Original hadn't discovered magic back in 2010 and things just kept goin' the way they had been. Lookin' at Midgar now, though, I'm grateful. Things weren't all sunshine and roses back home, far from it, but I could still see it over the horizon, like a sunset over the western frontier--America the Beautiful. And as long as I kept that dream alive, I could keep pushin' forward, no matter how bad things got. Here though...it's just plain awful. Not just the Ever Crisis, but how folks treat one another, like human life ain't worth anythin' at all...it's enough to make a man sick." He chuckled mirthlessly.

"Right, I remember you mentioning America. I'm from Japan, myself, if the name didn't give it away." Zenkichi replied. "Though, I've never heard of magic, at least, not outside the Metaverse. It's a sort of...collective consciousness alternate dimension mirroring the real world." He gave in the way of explanation, taking a small sip of his beer. "Inside it, Persona Users like me and the Thieves can summon a companion, a sort of inner self, called a Persona, and use it to fight. We're stronger than normal in the Metaverse, and get crazy weapons like my sword and revolvers. Noir has a grenade launcher for Christ's sake!" Chuckling, he sighed. "Damn I hope those kids are okay. You mentioned that they got separated in the Metro, right?" Geralt nodded in response. "Maybe I'll head out and go looking for them after, or they'll find us after. I owe them. I owe them a lot."

Geralt nodded, thinking on his own search for Ciri. From what it sounded like, they were both missing their respective charges, though he was curious how a man like Zenkichi had wound up with the others. They were barely adults by his reckoning. He was likely a guardian of some sorts, though, and it wasn't like Dandelion was much older in comparison to Geralt, even if he was supposedly a man grown. "For what it's worth, it isn't much better on the Continent, where I'm from. Tensions are only just simmering down after a major war. All sorts of folk, different species, trying to get along together. It's...troublesome. Lot of hate. Folk not appreciating that we're all sapients. Main difference here is the scale, way I see it." Sighing, Geralt took a long draught of his ale. "Your world sounds downright idyllic to me. I'd love to see it."

For Goldlewis, it took a moment for Zenkichi's stated origins to really sink in. Japan? In his world, the island nation had been nothing more than a gigantic hole in the ocean ever since the Gear called Justice obliterated the entire country as her opening salvo in her war on humanity. That had been back in 2074, over a hundred years ago, meaning no man yet lived who could claim Japan as his home. In that calamity's wake, the few Japanese survivors scattered throughout the world had been more or less declared as national treasures, to be protected at all costs. Very briefly Goldlewis considered passing this grim chapter of his world's history, but as far as fun facts went it was pretty lacking in the 'fun' department, so the veteran decided to keep it to himself.

He could comment on the Phantom Thieves, though. "Those kids are tough by themselves, but together they're one hell of a team." He remembered fighting alongside them in Al Mamoon against the so-called Resistance, and the impressive Personas they summoned. "I reckon they'll be just fine."

The idea of his world being idyllic made Goldlewis chuckle. "Well, maybe there's a piece of it in here somewhere." That wasn't how he'd describe it by any means, and few had a better idea for how deep America's flaws ran than the Secretary of Defense. And that didn't include the Gears or anomalies like Happy Chaos. Of course, he couldn't level judgement at the state of Geralt's world himself. Midgar had proved that other realms could be far more screwed-up from a far more fundamental level.

Goldlewis shifted his weight, restlessly drumming his leg on the floor. As his attention shifted back to Zenkichi, he remembered a poignant detail that scrunched his brows together in concern. "Both o' y'all got it awful rough. Riskin' your lives day after day, away from your families, your li'l girls. Never knowin' if you'll make it back, if they'll be okay. Gotta weigh on ya somethin' fierce. Wouldn't blame y'all if ya left this fight to folks with nothin' to lose."

"Yeah, I'm sure they will be. Just gramps being worried..." After a moment's pause, he clarified the title. "That's what they like to call me, on account of my being more than twice their age. Little punks..."

Geralt chuckled, shaking his head. "Can't imagine what that'd make me." If even a piece of Goldlewis's world wound up here, if he could speak of it so fondly, even as an ideal, a dream of what it should be rather than what it was, it sounded like a good thing. When the former Secretary of Defense brought up their particular parental lots in life, Geralt just shook his head. "Couldn't. Having something to lose is all the more reason to stick around." Besides, as much as he hated Yennefer throwing it in his face, as much as he denied it to himself, Geralt did have a habit of sticking his nose in places where his help hadn't been asked for. For better or worse.

"Yeah, no way am I gonna sit back and just let other people solve the world's problems while I have the means to do it myself." not again... Zenkichi added, the last bit with not a small amount of a self-deprecative tone. "Besides, it's personal for me. Konoe...I thought I was done with him. He'd cofessed his crimes, I was right there when we arrested him. No, I'm in this for the long haul."

For his part, Goldlewis nodded and raised his glass. "Well, then, to savin' the world." Zenkichi and Geralt joined him, each raising their own drinks with a soft 'clink'.

World of Light

Geralt of Rivia & Zenkichi Hasegawa

The City of Glass- Regatta Bay

Lvl 9 (254/90) +4 +9 +6 Collab XP -> Lvl 10 (185/100)

Lvl 3 (53/30) +8 +11 Collab XP -> Lvl 4 (44/40)

Word Count: 796 words

For Geralt

New Strikers spiritbound:
Monsoon
A Striker that excels in hit-and-run assassination tactics with a medium cooldown. When summoned, he can perform a handful of attacks with his sais, separate into a magnetic tornado and then corkscrew forward, perform a leaping stab attack with high crit rate, throw a smoke bomb, or take a couple seconds to gather up loose metal into a large mass to hurl at a target (though taking too much damage during the charge will stop the move). He has the passive of auto-dodging slash damage and can therefore not transfer that type of damage to the host.

Zero
A Striker that excels in hit-and-run assassination tactics with a medium cooldown. When summoned, he can perform sweeping elemental slashes with his katanas, hitting once with each, while moving in a desired direction. He can also throw two handfuls of energy kunai, or unleash a dual-element spin slash to clear an area. He has a passive that lets him deal extra damage to an enemy's back

As Geralt and Midna descended the L.I.F.T. elevator with Clara and Svarog, the Witcher looked over the mutilated body of Zanzo with a grimace. He wasn’t sure what they were supposed to do with him, but the more he thought on it, the more he wondered. These people could replace limbs with mechanical replacements, but how well did they replicate the function of natural body parts? Were they inferior mimicries used to get by, or a way to get an edge over others in one field or another?

His ruminations were interrupted by Zanzo waking up, and Svarog’s brutal killing of the Vandelay executive. He nodded, echoing Midna’s sentiment. “Might’ve been. I don’t expect we’ll get a warm welcome once we get outside, so we’d be leaving him at the mercy of whoever got their hands on him. Either they kill him themselves, or make him into our problem again.” He shrugged, watching as Midna collected the Spirits, and looked at the two he’d collected himself. He wasn’t keen to fuse with that miserable bastard Monsoon, and the other one was a mystery. Instead, he spoke low and slow to them. “I told you about making your own meaning. If you’re willing to see my words in action, I’ll give you a chance to hunt the weak a few more times.”
Not much, as far as a speech to a potential ally went, but if he could get them as Strikers, they could prove rather useful. Monsoon was quick and effective in a fight, and he certainly hadn’t been held back by the Spirit he’d fused with.

---

Zenkichi, meanwhile, was quick to point the L.I.F.T. out and get the hell out of dodge with Karin, with barely a moment to spent ‘mourning’ Khamsin. He only sighed and shook his head upon realizing the mech pilot’s fate. Idiot.
Soon, though, the elevator reached the ground floor, and the Seekers all met up not long after that. Geralt gave Sakura a couple of pats on the head as she hugged him, and relayed Tora’s decision to the rest of the Seekers. With any luck, the surviving executive’s decisions to make a deal and having a few more allies on the inside meant that Vandelay sticking around as a business could be turned in their favor in the future.

The arrival and Luka with Raz in tow, however, revealed something disturbing: some of the Psych-OSF were having their memories tampered with. Zenkichi rubbed his forehead in response to that news with a sigh. ”Man, that’s bad news. Yet another reason to take…” Realizing who he was talking to, and unsure of how much Luka was on their side in regards to everything, Zenkichi shut up before mentioning that Konoe was one of their targets. Geralt let out a small breath of relief, which promptly turned to resignation as a massive Shinra machine burst through into the courtyard, which Giovanna identified helpfully. Grunting, Geralt turned and ran, with Zenkichi not far behind.

That gap quickly expanded a bit, however, even with the boosts pads that Korsica, another Vandelay ally that they’d gained, helpfully showed them. Geralt’s enhanced physiology simply outpaced even that of a Phantom Thief, especially the oldest one by far. The Witcher followed after Roland, flying over the pit using the same launch pad, stomach protesting the strange movement, but the feeling ended quickly, and he once more found himself sprinting through the streets of Deep-Paris.

The denizens of the undercity were quick to get out of the way of the Seekers barreling down their roads, but a few unobservant folks managed to get in the way, forcing Geralt to leap over them, landing into a slide that slowed him a bit while the citizens ran in fear at the sight of Motor Ball far behind the Witcher. Zenkichi came a little bit after, Geralt having taken a moment to make sure everybody got the hell out of the way, and he quickly caught up with the Phantom Thief as they hit another boost pad, launching into yet another breakneck sprint.

After another minute or so of running, the pair came upon a construction crew which had blocked off the road they were using for repairs. Oh no… they both thought, crashing through the wooden barricade that had blocked the street off, dodging and side-stepping construction workers and machinery even as they sprinted through the construction zone. Geralt cursed and Zenkichi gave a quick ”Sorry!” to the angry workers as they yelled at the two. It was rough going, and Zenkichi ended up knocking over a toolbox, scattering hardware supplies all across the street, but they made it to the other side intact.

”…I hope they get out of the way of the giant robot…” Zenkichi muttered.