Zone C -- Megacity One

[The Future Warrior]

By now, she had all but slowed to a stop, looking around carefully.

Glance up at one building, check her map again. Decide "no, that's not it" and keep moving.

There were just so many places here to check. So many buildings. So many buildings with so many floors. And so many entrances. It was honestly starting to make her a bit worried she wouldn't be able to find it. At least not while it was so foggy and difficult to search. "This sucks," she said again, skittering past another building on the 'definitely not it' list.

At least she had the map on her tablet to help out. Without it, she'd have been completely lost. As it was, she was only mostly lost, So that was good! Take what you could get and all that.

Slowing her pace to a complete stop at an intersection, she looked around slowly. Down to her map and back up, scanning everything within sight carefully. "Got to be around here somewhere...getting pretty close..." she muttered. One hand came up to lightly scratch at her temple. "I think so, at least."

She messed with the tablet again, fiddling with the settings, and it was with a sharp, "Oh, hey! Cool!" that she discovered she could zoom in and enlarge the map. "This should help!" With the much larger, clearer viewpoint, she could zero in on her destination much more easily. "Should be just a couple streets over..." She turned around, pointing off down the way she'd originally been heading. "...that way! Awesome!" And she was running again. A brisk pace, still-damp boots slapping the pavement in a steady, rapid rhythm. "Just up ahead...around the corner HERE!" She skidded around a corner, free arm stretching out to grab a nearby streetlamp and all but launch herself around, keeping her momentum on track. "And it should be just..." She looked down at her map, and back up. "...there!"

An office building, dead ahead. She'd managed to find it. And with one last disapproving look up at the sky, and around at the fog, she headed inside.

Moving from C21 to Safehouse C

[Gildarts]

The weather was still dreary. Gildarts could not see the sun to tell how much time had passed and the it was the silence that was stealing his sanity the most. Because of the shroud of fog encompassing him, because of the silent streets on this island of desolation and devastation, because he didn’t even know what was real. He could only guess, and how formidable would guessing be when he was face to face with a foe? I guess I’ll slam my fist into what I think is your face? Yeah that didn’t seem like a winning solution to the experienced mage.

 
The prime felt pathetic and helpless, the darkness of his subconscious finally seeing the light and coming forth to reveal itself. It had woven itself into the fear, embedded itself in rage and raw emotion but now he was free to see things as they were, ironically enough, given all the hallucinations. He had a lot of time for reflection and rumination and if a slip of magic happened, you know, so what? That’s just how it was, he was on an island of primes now supposedly, course, Gildarts had an inkling that those figures he had started to see behind those windows and worn curtains were somehow alive. Mortal or immortal, Gildarts didn’t have the eyes to tell.
 
The Prime tried to be stealthy though, he didn’t want to draw any unwanted attention to himself like his own face had at the pre-show. That type of thing couldn’t be helped, but now, here on the island the competition had begun. Whether his head was in it or not, people would surely be hunting for his head as they had the others.
 
Gildarts kept his eyes open and cautiously wavering as he continued to pass through the monotonous streets. This was kind of his strategy, and had been, since he’d begun to go on jobs in his own verse. Keep walking till he found something. That was how it worked for him. Chance, fate, and luck liked to clash together and slam into a wall. Fortunately for Gildarts, he could generally take the hit.
 
A small purple ball rolled out to him from the abyss of fog. It rolled against the tiny crystals of sediment meshed in the asphalt before Gildarts paused at the touch of it softly colliding with his boot. Vicious, saliva filled giggles surrounded the Prime and Gildarts could not see his pursuants so he turned to face them. The laughing grew louder, though much more like a haunting nightmare than reality, it sounded like two little girls laughing simultaneously, though either or both could have been an echo in the subtle wind.
 
“Who is there?” Gildarts called forth, to the angry spirits he assumed were haunting him, or these deserted streets.
 
“Want to come in for tea?” An elderly woman’s voice called to him, however, she was nowhere in sight. The Prime could only see a few yards around him, the rest were blurs and blobs, condensed piles of molecule and cloud.
 
“Who are you?” Gildarts turned to the left, where he had heard the old woman’s voice, closest to his ear and quickly chased down the sound of her voice. He ran into a wall, no a literal wall. In it, was a metal door just a few feet to the right. Hesitantly he opened the latch upon the door…
 
With an ear-shattering CREEEEEAAAAK! Gildarts released the handle and went inside. Surely the noise would draw them, both his opponents and these… Voices. But were those sounds even real? Could they be mirages from his memories, from Granny and Molly in Ambrosia, but in a much sicker sense?
 
They weren’t here, but who was?
 
Stepping into the doorframe was a tall figure now. One with a familiar face.
 
“Hey there, you here to kill me?” Gildarts said, the challenge posed in his voice.
 
“No, unless you want try your luck?” Illidan said.

[Dust]

In the daunting shadows of the ship yard, a figure leaped from one ship to the other. He fell into the metal deck with some silence, but if there were anyone lurking around they may just hear the larger man's weight thump lightly against the ship's floor. He was still eyeing the ship that had a faint light to it, a life of it's own. He had already missed any chances at finding his own treasure in this scavenger hunt, but he did find a old bag and thought it would come in handy, it was slung over one of his broad shoulders, and threatened to fall. He shrugged it back up into position as he stood back to his full height. For someone who put 'beach bum' as his occupation, Dust only kind of looked the part. Sure he had longer hair than most males would sport in his profession, especially in the winters of Russia, but it was not bleached by the sun; his skin still fairly white as well. But his only cover for the duration of his time here were the shorts he wore. They weren't actually trunks, or at least they didn't start out as that. They were just a tight pair of shorts that hugged his muscular thighs, but with some tuning he's lightened the fabric and given them mesh liner and pockets.

Another leap into the air and he landed on the ship that had caught his eye, but found it simply unmanned and unattended. It would appear he was deceived by the fog, this ship was in fact as dead as the rest of them. He found nothing but empty crates, empty rooms, and an empty captain's quarters. He did take this one chance to stand at the helm of the ship, put his hands on the wheel and give it a slight tug in either section. In the horizon he saw the city before him. It almost reminded him of the busy place he'd once called home, he could even imagine the rooms, comfortably cramped and side by side one another. He could hear the deafening silence that was thick between people in the same building but living separate lives that were boring for the majority of their existence. If that was actually what transpired in those buildings beyond the port and shipping area, he wouldn't know until he reached those skyscrapers.

Instead he stepped out of the ship, still on edge as it all felt like a trap someone could easily fall into if they had no wits about them, he moved to the edge of the ship's bow and took in the scenery again. They had already made plans to look for each other, but without any clue where to start Dust wondered if he should remain in place a bit longer. He could sniff them out, surely, but he'd have to find some sign of them first.

Then as luck would have it, he picked up the faint scent of death and determination in the air, while the water lapped at the metal ship, he also heard foot steps. He ducked behind the railing to keep out of sight, but when Dust saw the man he'd been side by side with before teleporting here appear out of the fog, Dust grinned with delight and triumph. He picked himself up off the ship, and thrust himself into the air. And Takezo would hear the sound of something swiftly falling towards him. The man already gripping his sword readied for an attack, stopping, bending his knees slightly, ready to strike any beast that dared to lurch out from the fog. And he would have struck the mountain of a man that stepped into his vision, had his gut told him to stop just moments before the figure stepped into his field of vision.

Both men smiled at each other, their plan to find each other was already fruitful.

Dust's grin was wide, beastly, and his eyes carried victory while his arm carried the limp army green backpack with multiple but empty pockets except some miscellaneous objects: A spoon, a spool of thread, a case sewing needles with most of them missing, and few paper clips and crumbs at the bottom. It was only when he looked back expecting Dawn to also appear out of the fog that the grin slacked into a serious look, his lips going limp and neutral. Then he spoke: "You're alone.." He said, stating the obvious, and frowning a bit more as he realized it meant they were only half way done. "Then let's go, lead the way."

With a nod, Takezo took the lead, his wolfish companion at his side and keeping his senses open to dangers that lurk.

Moving from C13 to C12

[Oleander]

As they entered the new zone, Takezo's eyes cast inland. He could tell that the powerful man that had been with Gildarts that way recently, heading towards the center of that... cluster of mountain-high buildings. He was in awe for a moment. Even as he kept pace, an easily maintained jog along the coast, he could not help but glance inwards at each stretch.

"You really are a blast from the past, aren't you?" Dust was still amused at how it seemed Takezo had been yanked from an age long since buried. He was an old man in a new age, trying to make sense of so much at one time.

Takezo's attention turned to Dust for a moment. "I suppose so. I feel I know nothing that is going on. This slab of glass in my bag glows, those buildings are so tall they look like mountains through the fog." He may not be able to make out the finer details of the buildings, but the way the megacity peaked so high with such jagged edges, he could tell that was no mountain. He could not see the arc of land between them either, which made them seem to stretch straight down.

Even up ahead, the docks left behind, they entered an area with strange structures, unlike any home or shop he has ever seen. They were wealthy, he guessed, allowing them to build with such exotic materials. Every building had windows too. "I don't understand how an entire city could be so..."

"Big?" Dust finished what he believed to be the end of that. "You are older than me, my friend, but I have a lot to teach you. This is how civilization has evolved from what you are probably used to. It probably took a long time, though." Dust would not venture a guess aloud, but he quickly tried to guess how old the man would have been compared to him, two centuries old was not out of the question.


Takezo merely grunted. "I will adjust... I always have before. At lest this new world and age have posed plenty of new challenges... and plenty of new prey." His smirk was back full force. It might have been heart warming if it was not a bit concerning. He was quite obsessed...

C12 to C11

[Illidan Stormrage]

The first sign of movement on the whole island he had spotted and it was Gildarts. Standing in the doorway, staring down the red haired human, time seemed to freeze. Illidan slowed his breathing, fingers balled into fists, heart thumping in his chest. His warglaives were a moment from being summoned, ready to cleave through flesh if the haunting silence broke in the wrong direction.
 
Gildarts stood just as rigid, his face hard and intimidating, preparing himself no doubt for the battle that could begin at any moment. Sunlight glinted off the metal of his arm as he formed a fist.
 
Illidan used the pause to size up Gildarts. His sorcerous eyes burrowed deep into the human, scouring his soul. A great magical ability rested in Gildarts, though from his outward appearance he looked like anything but a mage. It was a magic unfamiliar to the night elf, though surely the human would hardly understand the fel power coursing through his veins. In any case, his blazing eyeballs read Gildarts and his skill at wielding this strange power. He wouldn't be easily defeated.
 
How many more contestants on this island possessed the same formidable talent as Gildarts? Was it wise to strike him now, initiating a battle that he could very well lose? What would that show the world of Dracula's horrible new officer? Illidan was powerful, but he wasn't stupid. Bravado and arrogance could only get him so far, and other times it would only get him death. An idea rose in his mind.
 
Illidan's question still hung on the air as if it had just been uttered. Gildarts made no move to respond, his lips sealed tight, his jaw clenched. Perhaps he was thinking the same thing.
 
"You are no weakling, that much is apparent," Illidan said as tendrils of fog from outside billowed into the doorway and caressed his shoulders. He was taking a risk, but not an uncalculated one. He prided himself on reading others, a skill that had saved his life on numerous occasions. "And if you are representative of my other adversaries on this island, battling you now would be a foolish move."
 
Gildarts could've been a statue for all the moving he did, until his lips finally animated. "I agree."
 
Illidan remembered the fear that struck the humanoid squid back in the hallway, and how that had been instigated by a simple release of Gildarts' magic. Even the night elf had experienced it in a small form as it rippled from the red haired human, though even an enchanted manipulation of fear hardly registered on the night elf's radar. He had seen too much to be scared off by simple tricks.
 
"What would you say to an alliance?" Illidan said. "To last until one of us perishes, or until we are the last remaining competitors?"
 
Gildarts' eyes narrowed. He stepped towards the night elf, his face unreadable. Illidan tensed as the human sorcerer approached, the only sound in the room emanating from his footsteps; one a soft clomping of a boot, the other a clanging of his metal leg.
 
Was the human using this opportunity of uncertainty to make the first strike? Illidan had considered it himself, but self preservation and years of tactical warfare suggested the odds were better in safety in numbers, even if one of that number was a somewhat unknown wild card.
 
Gildarts stopped an arm's length from Illidan's exposed torso. The human's bandaged hand shot out, and the night elf almost lashed out instinctively. The hand stopped, fingers open.
 
"Deal," Gildarts said.
 
Illidan had seen this gesture before. It had never appealed to him, but this was no time to be particular about customs.
 
His purple hand clasped the pale one, and they shook on their new arrangement.
 
Only time would tell if it was a smart move, or if it would be Illidan's undoing.
 

Illidan and Gildarts have allied.

[The Future Warrior]

The instant she headed inside, Graowr immediately appreciated the change. No fog in here. It was clear, and much more well-lit. And her collar made an odd beeping sound. As odd and awkward as it was, she craned her neck around -- actually stretching it out and around to get a clear look -- and tugged her scarf down, seeing that nothing had really changed. "...huh. Well that's weird." She studied it intently for another few moments, before shrugging and letting her neck coil back into place, snapping 'solid' again like a rubber band. Much akin to a bobblehead, her head wobbled sharply from the recoil. But that was something she could worry about later. For now she was going to take advantage of being alone in the safehouse and go explore. There was bound to be some stuff around here that'd be useful.

And a bit of searching (and plenty of time to thoroughly dry herself off) later, she was feeling much better. She hadn't found a lot that was really of much use to her. Some medical supplies and such things, not really all that useful to her (not that she knew how to use them to any extent whatsoever!), given her lack of...well, actual biology. Some other things here and there, along with a scavenged coat that...she was faaaiiirly sure was waterproof. Should help out if she had to go back down to the shoreline area again.

With her minimal findings...found, and what she was taking with her stored away, she sat down for a while to rest. Catch her breath, in the figurative sense, while she pulled the tablet out again, checking the map over again. She looked up the locations of the other safehouses curiously, making sure to take note of their location. "Maybe I should head out...go see the other ones too, so I know where they are. Case I lose my map! Or just...can't check it for some reason."

She stowed the tablet away again, hopping to her feet. Though she didn't like it, she knew just where to go first, get it out of the way. Back down south, to the raining, flooded shoreline....visit the safehouse there and get it out of the way first. Gathering up the rest of her things, and the raincoat, she headed back out, into the fog-wrapped mega-city.

Leaving Safehouse C, moving to C21

[Dust]

Dust's attention to detail was not just for cute girls like Dawn, he watched the man that lead the way carefully; at least as much as he could while keeping an eye out on the rest of the world as they traveled. If he did not think he could get along with this guy, he would not have offered his help with hunting down the squid girl from before. How far they have come from just eating buddies, mocking the girl and her companions about their childish ideals. He jogged along side the man, keeping pace with him but always slightly behind. He considered his running mate's personality and actions. He obviously loved the idea of a good fight, and would not take any lip from anyone. He even recalled the delight they shared while staring at those two in the hall, those figures of power and respect. The two of them shared a common desire to go up against the human in particular. Dust couldn't help but think the two of them had the same reaction for the same reasons; he himself however, had been pupish at first but eager in the end. 

He laughed at this, and especially at that youthful giddy grin the old man tossed back at him. The two men slowed their run as something familiar tickled their senses. Dust could almost smell the familiar presence made by the man back in the hall. The temptation to go meet him face to face in an epic battle was almost too much for Dust, another new emotion to the man who'd experienced nothing like this before. It beckoned his heart and soul, now that he could be lead by such things; he had no words to put to the baffling feelings that made his heart race and his mouth turn up in a shit-eating grin. The raw power that that man had inflicted on Dust's senses would forever be remembered, and his taste buds were tingling. It was exhilarating!!

In turn, Takezo was very aware of who was mere blocks away from them, sections of the new city separated him and a fight worthy of death!! Ironically, Dawn's last minute comment about the man in the hall was able to snap Dust out of the trance that Gildarts had on them. He gave the ancient Prime a soft tap on the shoulder before nodding the way they had been headed and even encourages they leave the White Stag for another moment in time by taking off in another light job. Reluctantly, Takezo followed.

C11 to C10

[The Future Warrior]

It was still just as foggy out here as it had been before. Only now, at least, she had the dubious benefit of not really needing to worry about finding her way to a specific building. She had made sure to more or less remember the route on the way here. It was just running running running, making sure she headed in the same direction. South. For the damp, soggy expanse that passed for shoreline. It wasn't so bad, closer to inland. Nearer to the edges of the city, but it had looked...pretty unpleasant, further out. And given the way the map of the island had looked, and where the safehouse was... Well, 'further out' looked like where she was headed to get to it. Which wouldn't be so bad normally, except...well, she'd never been a very good swimmer.

What she could see of the water had looked like it been almost as deep as she was tall. Which brought up another problem, as she dashed through the foggy, still unfamiliar city streets. She was pretty sure a lot of technology wasn't really... Well, it didn't get along with water. She didn't really get along with water, but hey, at least there wasn't much it could do to her aside from make her sink like a rock. And she didn't need to breathe like most people did, so unless the water was poisoned or just tasted nasty or something she should be okay. Long as she could find a way to safeguard her tablet -- the sole source of a map and a way to get around this blasted island she had.

She was developing an idea to deal with that. A trick of hers she hadn't used yet on the island. Or since she'd gotten to the Omniverse itself, really. She was fairly certain she could still do it, though, and it should keep the tablet safe enough in the water. And keep some other stuff safe, too.

Moving from C21 to C19

[The Future Warrior]

By now she had started to leave the taller buildings behind, along with their maze-like streets and side streets. She could actually start to see again, at least as much as the fog allowed. Everywhere it was just vague shadows and lurking shapes in the swirling banks and walls of fog. Sharp angles blurred to indistinct corners, edges of walls and rooftops blurred and made hard to see. At least it was easy enough to see where things weren't, for the most part. Wherever there were no vague shadows dancing in and out of sight. Even she could properly deduce that much.

And as she squatted lightly on a rooftop, fishing out her tabled again to check the map and make sure she was headed the right way, she was quite thankful for that fact. Being able to tell where things weren't made it a lot easier to know which way was clear. Not knowing where things were of course made it harder to find them to land on, mind, but... Well. That was neither here nor there. She was getting by just fine.

A quick check in with her map confirmed that yes, indeed, she was going the right way. "Edge of the city should be...just up ahead, there," she said to herself, before lifting her eyes up to look 'just up ahead' and seeing...fog. Lots and lots of fog, and vague outlines of buildings. "...oh. Right." She stood up, squinting angrily at the fog. "This sucks!" she whined for what felt like the hundredth time. Mumbling and muttering under her breath in a surprisingly dark manner, she just pressed the tablet against her chest, the 'fabric' of her vest parting and revealing the blue 'skin' underneath. Which also parted, like liquid, and swallowed the tablet (and her hand up to the wrist). Without so much as a sign of resistance, she pulled her hand out again, leaving no sign of the entry. "Yeah! Still works!" she said cheerfully, before straightening up, securing her backpack and darting forward to hop off the building, back down to ground level and continue on her way.

Used Malleability, just to make it clear.

Moving from C19 to C14

[Gamzee Makara]

Gamzee could not see a DAMN thing through this fog. It was just a ridiculous, almost whimsical amount of mist - and he knew a thing or twenty-four about being whimsical. He chugged along, absentmindedly checking his Syntech map every few moments to make sure he wasn't wandering away from his goal. The pavement was cold, probably from the heavy curtain of moisture blanketing the city. The temperature wasn't all that bad, just fucking wet. Whenever the alien breathed in a big gulp of air, it felt solid and hard to swallow.

Wait.

Sh.

Voices. Over there, to the north east. According to the map, that is. Frankly, he could barely read the damn thing. Technology was always pretty cool to him, but he never really bothered to figure out how any of it worked. Not knowing how something functioned, just rolling with it and accepting that it did what it do was all part of the miracles, dude. At any rate, Gamzee was in no rush to discover who was disturbing the peace of the solemn city. He was all about keepin' the peace, yeah? Yeah. That's what he tells himself, anyways.

The juggalo decides that a little detour would be best, and sets a course to try and avoid the ruckus. He treads downhill on a sidewalk, one riddled with cracks. Sprigs of dewy greenery shoot up every so often. He even sees some dandelions, their spores shaking loose at the slightest whisper of wind. Gamzee never could understand how something so beautiful could be considered a weed.

C12 -> C14

[Oleander]

Takezo sighed deeply. Dust was right. They had agreed to fight as a trio. Would it be fair to cut Dawn out of the picture for his own delight? No. He had given his word to fight side by side by side with these two, lending them his strength so that they all could bathe in the bloodshed of this competition. It would not be right to claim the glory by himself until the contract was through.

Then again... "We should at least investigate the local safehouse... if only to see who is there." He turned inland, though his pace slowed. The brisk walk was refreshing and it helped keep his head in the right place as they trek deeper in to the urban jungle. The heavy fog made it hard to see in fine detail so it felt as if he were walking into the maw of a mountainous beast.

"How do they move trees so tall?" He gestured to a three story building. "Do they plant them and wait to build around them?" That seemed illogical even to him, considering the trees would grow. Then again, his eyes cast to the towering buildings in the distance. Maybe that was how those buildings grew so tall? He glanced to Dust, curious as to how familiar the man was with this mega city, or at the very least, places like it.

Takezo's hand tightened on his sword. "We are getting close to others... I suggest we be on our guard..." Dust noticed from a few paces behind Takezo that the man's left arm was tensing and relazing, as if he were braced for impact. He was like a wildcat, shoulders rotating as he readied to pounce. Even though his tension was rising, there was no denying the grin that formed across the warrior's lips, and the bloodthirst that boiled in his eyes.

C10 to C18

[Gildarts]

There was something about a threat that so keenly sharpened the mind, even when it was adrift. It stood before him under the premise of an alliance, but was it true? Was it real? He’d be questioning that a lot in this woeful place, but that wasn’t all. Illidan had a distinct…Savageness about him. The elf was relentlessly fierce and perhaps even possessed by the powers of evil, however as long as the sorcerer worked in Gildarts’ favor, the mage could find no issue that crippled his strong morals. Some men were keen on redemption, some men decided they didn’t need saving if they were the ones doing it. And then, there were those that appeared more monster than man, however Gildarts knew all about misinformed appearances.


In fact, Illidan’s distinct lack of… Well, deceptive charisma that persuaded Gildarts to trust him. Both had to earn their respect, the sort of bond of power that earned your keep among a team or crew. Illidan could have been lying, or just saving Gildarts for a better moment, to strike him while he was weak or with his back turned, however, Gildarts didn’t see it this way. A pact had been made, if the dark elf soiled it, each would have to deal with the consequences and neither would want to, until the end. It was kind of simple, how mutual doubt for one another turned into an unstable bond of freshly forged trust.
 
The Fairy Tail wizard walked over to the door and closed it, “I wasn’t sure if there was anything else following me,” his eyes rolled around the ceiling of the queerly empty room and around the corners of the surrounding closed doors, “Well, other than you.” the prime clarified.
 
Illidan would’ve narrowed his eyes had he had any, instead the green inferno was tamed by a mere strip of cloth. The two were intriguingly alike, Gildarts hid his missing pieces with a long black cloak too.


I’m still here Gildarts… Aren’t you going to chase the treasure with that little device the host gave you? she suggested. How she knew these things, Gildarts couldn’t understand, but curses likely were more knowledgeable than inanimate objects if he had to think about it.
 
“Do you still have the bag they issued you?” Gildarts asked and then pulled out his own, fishing for the tablet in particular, then remembering how Molly had coached him through using a cellphone.
 
The red-haired human fumbled, but there were no buttons on the technology’s face. Only one tiny little speck on the side that the Prime would have definitely missed if not for the fact that he was specifically looking for it. With the glide of his organic fingertip, the screen lit.
 
Before Gildarts could try the device any further there was a loud Bang! on the sealed shut steel door. When the prime took a closer look at the door, he saw that it was dented in the shape of a fist about his same size, Gildarts felt his mind race in circles as it concluded: There was nowhere to run from this. 
 
“What did you say was following you?” Illidan spoke with a rather disagreeable hiss.
 
“Don’t laugh, but from the very little I saw, they’re some sort of creatures in the fog. I am not sure if they have an actual form,” Gildarts spoke all he could on the situation, “I get the feeling they were once inhabitants of this town. One had a woman's voice.”
 
“Do not be mislead by the powers of deception the darkness uses against you. Whatever is out there is our enemy, you think we cannot handle the foes that come at us?” Illidan spat with disgust. To doubt their alliance was to fundamentally doubt Illidan’s power.
 
That wasn’t quite what Gildarts was implying, but part of the mage certainly didn’t want to open the door to see the elderly woman who had called out to Gildarts with the kind promise of tea, to be smashed to smithereens by Illidan. Still, that word trust lingered in the air. The Fairytail Mage nodded, seeing that their health wasn’t the only thing on the line and assigned their duties, “I’ll get the door, you, be ready and aim your weapon.”
 
The mage placed his hand on the door before heaving it open to reveal a thick wall of suffocating fog. The same fog that had followed both the primes into this room and barricaded them together, it felt as though it were living and breathing. The soft exhale of its entrance lead Gildarts' gut to feeling that it wasn’t about to let the duo leave any time soon. Still, no assailants entered. They stood at the ready, poised and waiting for battle. Muscles tense, power surged in the cup of the dark elf’s palm as his stance was wide and low to the ground.
 
Another moment passed before it became known and crossed the mark into their territory, the threshold of the room was crossed when it tried to pass through the door frame.
 
Flying forth from the sorcerer’s elfin grasp was a surge of lime colored power flooded into the faceless entity of billowing fog which had stolen the form of a human but not fully realized the intricacies of a masterpiece humans could be. It walked in and toward them as though seeking to quench vengeance with massacre. At the collision of Illidan’s magic, the foe dispersed into the very fog in which it had come. The remainder of the glowing surge thrilled the air before dissipating with a soft hum. Illidan and Gildarts exchanged a “look” or the equivalent of it. If they waited any longer here, they could be overwhelmed. It was mutual, they had to go out into it and brave the threat of death, as it hung so closely like a blade to their necks.

Gillidan are moving from C20 to C21 

Illidan used! Fel Shock (requires Ranged, Debuff) - Illidan charges green electricity that arcs around his hand and forearm for three seconds, which can be done while moving but not attacking. Once time is reached, Illidan thrusts his hand out and discharges a bolt of emerald lightning that travels at the speed of a bullet, with an effective range of twenty metres. It does no damage upon contact but creates a concussive force, launching anything hit by the bolt backwards with great inertia, determined by the users' DEF stat in comparison to Illidan's ATK stat. On equal stat footing, the target will be knocked back ten feet. The spell can be interrupted if Illidan takes damage while charging, and he can only cast it three times before it begins to tire him.
 

[The Future Warrior]

Headed right on her way, Graowr was pleased with her progress. It was easy to get going, and keep going in the right way. All she'd needed was a direction to point herself in and she was good. And with the map (even stored safely away inside her torso as it was), she'd had exactly that.

Down along the sidewalk, across a street, and straight ahead down an alley between two buildings. It hit a dead end, which she frowned at, but it didn't stop her. A quick hop up onto the edge of an abandoned dumpster, a kick off of it toward the opposite wall. Both legs and one arm hit the wall, bending and flexing with the impact and rebounding like a coiled rubber spring, sending her bounding up toward the opposite wall. Grasping the edge where wall became roof with one hand, she flipped herself up and over. Curling into a flip and sailing to a halt, as gravity took over and brought her down to solid footing, she landed on her feet in a crouching squat, opposite hand coming down to brace herself and help with her balance.

And right away she lurched forward, pushing off with her bracing hand. The raincoat she'd acquired fluttered and flapped around and behind her, especially when she reached the edge of the building and leaped off. She came down on the adjacent one in a run, scampering and stumbling, briefly dropping to all fours to keep from falling flat and rebounding with all of her momentum. As the next edge came into view, she reached out a hand and vaulted over it, sailing out into empty air over another street.

...and gravity wasn't long in bringing her down. She came tumbling down, rolling with it this time and springing up to her feet on the opposite side, feet coming down on sidewalk. Wet, damp grass squelched with a soggy crunch under her boots as she straightened up, turning to carry on and-- "WHAA!"

She staggered back from a (very nearly quite literal) face to face encounter with that weird...horned clown-guy from before. "Oh...oh, hey! It's you!" she said after a lightbulb finally flickered on in her head and she made the connection of who it was. "You were there before, with the mechanic guy, on the beach!"

There was just some kind of...lazy, dopey smile on the face of the gray-skinned guy as he looked down at her. "Shit, man, yeah I do believe I was indeed down there at the beach, when some guy came wanderin' up and put a stop to all the goodness before it could get started," he offered, eyes blinking in what seemed like slow motion. "Was all kinds of not cool."

"Uh...right!" Graowr agreed, not really catching all of what he'd just said. "So, uh...where you headed to now?"

"Man, I don't even have anything approaching an idea about that. Think pan is all kinds of empty," he voiced, scratching at the back of his head.

"Oh, well...I was gonna head back down to the beach or whatever it is, and head to the safehouse out there! Wanna come along?"

He was quiet for a good little while, as he seemingly thought about it...before he shrugged. "Well, I'm thinkin' that maybe this city is kind of not so fun of a place to be, anyway...all this fog up and chokin' out my good mood. So yeah, I guess I might as well. Lead on, little blue lady."

"Yeah!" She nodded hapily, turning to jog around him. "C'mon, it's back this way!" And she started off.

Allied with Gamzee.

[Dust]

Dust kept pace all the same, only noting the change of direction after a moment. As the moved into the center of the city, the buildings got more intense in size and sheer volume of the buildings. He glanced around and saw glace windows with all kinds of things behind them. Most looked like offices of small businesses, he saw a barber shop and a pet store; a boutique and a candy shop; a lawyer's office and a antique shop. He gently urged the man to get on the sidewalks, if only to get out of the middle of the streets and out of view as there were no cars to hinder their progress. He smiled at the man's amusing contemplating of how they built things like this. With a light tone and a playful voice, he responds: "These buildings are not made of wood, my friend. They are made of iron and rock, the process is more complicated than stacking logs and filling the gaps with mud, but its similar in a way." He explains, then lets out another laugh. "Hah! But construction is boring! A man like you would rather sink your teeth into modernized weapons, yes? I'll see if Dawn will show you her guns when we see her." He said, making a note to say when and not if. He had a feeling the girl will be fine without them, but hoped she was looking for them just the same.

C18 to C21

[Oleander]

Takezo cocked a brow. "Modern weapons?" Why would he ever give up his sword? No. This sword may not have been his, but the feel of a sword in his hand was like feeling the hand itself. "If anything, I would prefer to forge my own sword... or maybe summon the legendary sword of Muramasa..." A smirk curled his lips. "I doubt I would be any good with muskets of any era. I've spent my life with the sword at fewer than five paces from my target."

There was a moment of hesitation in Takezo. He peered off into the distance. Gildarts was close, as was the odd being he was with in the hall. He itched to confront Gildarts... but for the moment, he continued forward. The fog was getting thicker, and it felt as if they were being watched. Takezo kept moving. again his pace picked up, and Dust followed along at his coat tails in the trail that the swordsman blazed.

It was not that the blast-from-the-past was captaining this trip alone. He was the leader of the pack only in navigation. While he focused on switching targets, pinpointing nearby threats and keeping track of Dawn's movements, Dust was watching the world around them for threats. It was not easy to keep track of so many people from afar, and before arriving in the Omniverse this skill would be nothing like this. Maybe Takezo really was turning into a demon. The thought made him chuckle - a true laugh in the midst of phantom-filled fog.

"Dust, do you see that? The mist is haunted, I can swear it." Dust had indeed noticed the faint figures. They were sparse and mildly troubling, but that was it for the moment. "Do you think we could kill them?"

"We should focus on the Safe House for now..." He did not say it, but Takezo knew why. Gildarts was close. It boiled his guts to admit it, but Takezo knew he could not face the man alone...

As they entered the same zone, he aimed for the safehouse and hopefully away from Gildarts and company.

C21 to Safe House C
Attempting to avoid Gildarts and Illidan.

[Dawnika Snow]

Luckily for her, the city was not far from her position, but one thing caught her eye immediatly: The fog. If there was to be fog around when she went to fight, using her guns could prove extremely ineffective. She bent over to grab the pistol that hid under her cloak, strapped tp her left thigh and pulled the sword off her back. Gun in her right hand and katana in left she began to approach the urban atropolis. Heading towards the mist already impaired her vision already. A road led into town, but as soon as she hit the edge of the city, she couldn't see anymore than ten meters ahead of her. That gave her time to react with a pistol if anyone charged her, but not enough time to as much as she would like

The buildings didn't look as old as Dawn had thought they would be. They were modern, like home on Earth, but abandoned. Although there were no civilians, the buildings didn't look dilapidated either. The fog made them hard to inspect throughly, though.

The assassin kept her eyes peeled, and wondered if she could get a better view of the city on top of one of the buildings. The first thing that came to mind was to fly up to one of the buildings and survey the area, but as she tried to call her Wings of the Soul, she quickly realized that some of her powers didn't work here. She cursed under breath and continued to run. It would take to long to climb one of the buildings right now. She quickly glanced down at the tablet given to her at the start. There was a safehouse nearby, and her allies were in that direction. This had become her destination instantly. Her eyes stayed wary of anyone that dare try to move towards her.

[Dawnika Snow]

Luckily for her, the city was not far from her position, but one thing caught her eye immediatly: The fog. If there was to be fog around when she went to fight, using her guns could prove extremely ineffective. She bent over to grab the pistol that hid under her cloak, strapped tp her left thigh and pulled the sword off her back. Gun in her right hand and katana in left she began to approach the urban atropolis. Heading towards the mist already impaired her vision already. A road led into town, but as soon as she hit the edge of the city, she couldn't see anymore than ten meters ahead of her. That gave her time to react with a pistol if anyone charged her, but not enough time to as much as she would like

The buildings didn't look as old as Dawn had thought they would be. They were modern, like home on Earth, but abandoned. Although there were no civilians, the buildings didn't look dilapidated either. The fog made them hard to inspect throughly, though.

The assassin kept her eyes peeled, and wondered if she could get a better view of the city on top of one of the buildings. The first thing that came to mind was to fly up to one of the buildings and survey the area, but as she tried to call her Wings of the Soul, she quickly realized that some of her powers didn't work here. She cursed under breath and continued to run. It would take to long to climb one of the buildings right now. She quickly glanced down at the tablet given to her at the start. There was a safehouse nearby, and her allies were in that direction. This had become her destination instantly. Her eyes stayed wary of anyone that dare try to move towards her.

C5 to C17

[Gildarts]

Gildarts went first, if only because he dared. Or maybe, because he had a dark elf breathing down his neck and he weighed his threats. The creature behind him won by a long shot and forced him out the crippled door.


Submerged, completely by layers and layers of pluming white fluff. Wisps of frothy cotton candy leaked into his eyes with a cool splatter of mist against his eyes. Gildarts walked steadily, one foot densely scathing the near invisible asphalt, the next lightly caressing the ground before planting down into the ground before springing back up. Somehow, he didn’t have a limp, likely because magic was the very essence that allowed him to move the metallic forged appendage was the same magic that was contained in his real bones.
 
Illidan realized that they were both walking prey as though gazelles frolicking aimlessly among the strands of grass before a greater predator struck. The dark elf did not like being the blind one, he had bared his teeth out of anger and both primes stood with their magic charged ready to strike. The sorcerer followed behind the Prime's dark cloak which was flickering in the faint touches of wind.
 
Together, they walked through the heart of the town and Gildarts saw a condensed mass of claw lunge at them both, the human was fast on the fly, releasing a shooting web of magic into the mass of cloud like a net with sharpened magic wire. His magic flowed forth in cubes and disintegrated with a small flash of light into the all encompassing fog. Their pace quickened, though they were not yet running for their lives.
 
“Look, there.” Illidan pointed at the dense vault-like building that had emerged before them, parting through the ocean of cloud before them.
 
“Looks safe enough,” Gildarts said with a low-toned confidence as the smiled at his ally. They were now tied in their friendly little “match” and it was time to find out who would lead the race.
 
Gildarts opened the door, while Illidan readied his next strike. Both of them rallied for the oncoming danger. The door opened and their ears were both filled with Karl Jak’s voice replaying on a speaker, as though triggered the second he’d opened the door. It announced, “This is a safe house, there is no fighting. Failure to follow these rules will require immediate disqualification. Toodles!”
 
 

Gil and Illidan move from C21 to Safehouse C

[spoiler]Disassemble - Crash! 600 OM (requires ranged prof, area of attack prof)



This one is used for larger areas and is particularly used against abiotic targets such as stone, building (walls) and the ground.

(Because of Area of Attack I assume this move doesn't cost extra if the size can be altered with the balance of a longer charge time.)

Gildarts uses this move to crush solid obstacles in his way. When he comes into range with the abiotic materials, he shoots out his energy which makes what may have been one large rock, into many small ones.

For areas larger than ten feet he takes on double for a pound of gravity with the ratio of every square foot encountered. The gravity on his shoulders will last until the end of the round in a battle.

The charge up time is according to the square footage, five feet of ruptured earth would be five seconds, ten feet would charge for ten seconds, etc.

Gildarts encounters a twelve foot boulder blocking his path. The immortal plants his feet and extends his hand outward, he raises his hand and releases his magic that sprawled into the air with a familiar white net shaped pattern and he receives twenty four pounds of gravitational energy on his shoulders the second the magic leaves him. The earth in his wake has been 'sliced' into large hexahedrons that clatter to the ground. Gildarts takes the weight, hefting it like an invisible backpack and shrugs his shoulders, "Oh well, at least now I don't have to find another way around."

Drawbacks: Charge up time, must be able to see the target in front of him, gravitational energy whenever it is used is heaved on his shoulders (double for moves spanning over ten feet), even when ineffective. Aim: A misfire or backfire of this energy could result in his own death, if he isn't careful. Move is best used when user's tec is 3 or higher. Can be used once per round.

Please note that not every time he performs any disassembly magic will result in cube shaped destruction.[/spoiler]

[Gamzee Makara]

Well that was...

Quick. Miraculously so. The clown boy was used to making fast friends but this was almost spontaneous. He got the feeling that he and the blue chick were going to get along just fine. He promptly shook the damp and dank from his long lanky ass and tried his best to keep up with his new friend, who was quite literally bouncing off the walls. It seemed as though every step was actually a hop, every swerve and swivel actually a full three hundred and sixty degree twist. Lil' blue gal didn't show any signs of slowing down any time soon, either. The clown resisted the urge to sigh. Been a lo-o-ong time since he's had to actually you know...

Do stuff.

In all honesty, Gamzee was pretty excited. He has a new bro/sis/whatever she was, and a new direction in life. The possibilities were truly endless, as they so often happen to be in situations such as these. Perhaps he should start with the basics though, he thinks to himself as the pair makes their way through a desolate and dilapidated playground - just the first set piece on the road to an objective that Gamzee had already forgotten.

"So uh, I didn't quite get around to catchin' your rightful moniker, if I do recall at all," He begins, rather unabashedly whimsical in tone and speech pattern. The gooey girl ceases her ceaseless skipping about to turn around and face her new tag-a-long, walking backwards to keep a decent pace as she does.

"Oh! Oh right, right. Name's Graowr!" She chirps. Her declaration is met with yet another blank stare from the face-painted boy.

"Yaknow, like the sound? Grraooowwwrrr!" She imitates a feral wolfbeast, snarling playfully and splaying her hands like claws. "But you know, shorter sounds! Maybe less theatrical. Or more! I haven't really decided yet."

"Ohhh that's actually pretty motherfuckin' wicked! Never heard a name sound like a sound before. Pretty chill," he adds, eloquently.

"Those are certainly some words that could describe Graowr! Graowr being me, not the sound. Anyways, what about you?" Graowr asks, falling in line beside the tall alien. He smelled vaguely of fruit. Not unpleasantly so, just pretty fucking odd.

"Oh, oh right I guess that would be ungentle of me to like, not provide the some such similar information. My name is Gamzee Motherfucking Makara," He pronounces proudly with a goofy grin. Lil' Blue tilts her head, tossing him a curious look. She was pretty sure that was an earth swear of some sort, but the placement in between two different names would suggest-

"That a middle name?"

"Yaknow, I've been asked that a lot lately and I never really know what to tell folks, so I's just lets 'em call me what they wants. Same with you, Lil' Blue! Call me whatever man. But like, not 'Whatever', 'kay man?"

What.

C14 -> D4

[Dust]

Dust knew that the man beside him liked the idea of weapons and warfare, but apparently read his admiration for the sword wrongly. He still thought the guy should at least see what his and Dawn's time could offer, but he understood how hard it was to pull away from what you knew. More than he wanted to let on, as he looked down at his hand. There was nothing strange about Dust's hand, there was an old scar where he had a thick shard of glass stuck in his palm when he was young; when the image of blood was new to him and the large amount that had spread down his arm as he tried to cope with the crimson colored liquid actually freaked him out. Now even if it was his own blood he could ignore it as long as it didn't prohibit his movement. Which it had occasionally. However, his mind was not on the past, but his hand. He only knew his own power, it was all he ever knew. Yet, here he was seemingly powerless while the old-timer still had his blade.

Wolf fell behind as they broke the surface of this area of cityscape. He was lost in his own thoughts, but the very real and very heavy impact that that man had left him returned. Standing in the street, surrounded by the wisps of the city, Dust's dark hair tussled lightly as he glanced over in time to watch The Strongest Prime appear briefly, but the fogs swallowed him and his companion up. No doubt it was the elf from before, Dust considered that the stand off between the two figures had not been as rivaling as he first thought. Both called to his nature, beckoned him just as much as the mist around them beckoned him like sirens in the sea. He knew that both encounters could be deadly, against his inner animal, SW-808 moved back in line with the man who could sense Dawn and himself, before he was left behind to fight his own inner demons.

Ookami found himself chasing the swordsman towards a building that went on forever, especially with their view from below. He could sense danger all around him, but whatever was lurking in the fog seemed too slow to ensnare him. He tried to make out what type of building it was as they approached, but could only guess something full of offices and boring mundane lives. He entered the lobby through the front door. Greeted by someone's voice who warned him to keep it civil, his 'collar' on his ankle noting his passing into a safe zone.

C21 to Safehouse C