Lost Amongst Lava (Open)

[Zack Fair]

Zack stood up, pulling the Buster Sword from the ground and replacing it to his back. He stretched his arms a bit, and then looked at the clearing right in front of him. It was time to try summoning something a little bigger with this Omnilium. He had enjoyed using a motorcycle as a means of transit in his year of traveling the planet, so he decided to go with that. He closed his eyes, holding his hands out and focused. It took a few minutes, but he visualized the motorcycle he had used in his travels with Cloud. Without Cloud, though, he wouldn't need the sidecar, so he simply went with just the motorcycle. After a few minutes of concentration and focus, he was delighted to see a shiny new motorcycle sitting in front of him.

"That's something I could get used to, now," Zack said under his breath as he climbed on.

He took a second to get adjusted before he started it up, making sure his sword wasn't going to bump into any part of it and limit movement. It wasn't perfect, but by sitting the right way he pretty much avoided any trouble. So, without missing a beat, he revved up and took off down the trail. It didn't take long for him to catch up to Miranda, who hadn't wandered too far without him. Still, the ash in the air made it difficult to see, and wasn't the best on his face while moving. There could be worse issues, though, so Zack shrugged it off and nodded at Miranda's suggestion.

"Sounds good. Ought to be something this way, for better or worse."

Zack suddenly hit the throttle hard on his bike, taking off down the road pretty quickly. He was mostly testing what this motorcycle was capable of, but it was also nice to go fast just for fun. Still though, the ash and other gunk in the air didn't let him go terribly fast for long, not without any sort of face mask or eye protection. He slowed to a cruising speed followed the trail as it seemed to head up a mountain. He nodded at the concept of putting a settlement at an altitude that would prevent the lava that seemed abundant here from flowing directly into town.

It didn't take long for them to pull up to a very tiny settlement, nestled on a high ledge overlooking a large expanse. They arrived in town, but didn't immediately see anyone in the streets. Zack glanced around, but took notice of some gear lying at the front of one house, then glanced to another house to see similar equipment sitting outside.

"Miners," Zack said as he and Miranda came to a stop. "Wonder what's worth mining in this place?"

[Miranda Frost]

The town was something one could expect from a town in the middle of a wasteland of fire and brimstone. Built out of the reach of the molten river, only a few buildings could be seen in its makeup, with a few makeshift houses built around it where building was possible. Driving into town, Miranda cut off her bike and kicked its kickstand down. She stepped off and crossed her arms, looking around. Like Zack had said it was a miner's town. Various individuals were seen carrying equipment to and fro. In a hurry, no one was. She guessed that since all this molten lava was there for the taking for processing, it could skip a few steps, so why the hurry?

She turned to Zack, grey eye glancing over him. "After my first couple of days in Hell and killing my first eh... dragon. I think a certain lady deserves a drink.", she delcared to Zack before turning and walking into town. Considering that where this place was and what type of problems they must deal with on a daily basis, a place of merry drinking or two should be here. A few eyes turned at them, but they largely kept to their business. It wasn't as if Miranda and Zack even tried to fit in. With Miranda's long black coat and Zack's large blade in full view, these people could probably guess they were primes.

Finally her place of refuge revealed itself to her. "Ah here it is. Come Zack, Let's drink. If you don't, at least accompany me because this lady is getting wasted... probably. I don't want to break too many people's faces.", She declared rather loudly before walking up to the door, opening it and gesturing for Zack to enter. "After you M'Lord", she said with a slight giggle or as close to a giggle a synthetic voice could produce.

[Zack Fair]

Zack parked his bike near Miranda's and stepped off as well, scanning the town a bit. He couldn't imagine placing his home so close to a river of lava, but at the same time considered the limited choices some people have. Come to think of it, he'd seen worse living arrangements in his life. He shook his head and walked over to the bar, smiling as Miranda spoke. It had been a whirlwind of events since sitting in the bed of that pickup truck outside Midgar. A drink would sure be nice, if only to help him briefly unwind and get his bearings.

So he walked into the bar first, looking around carefully and making note of who all was in the building. Easiest to notice was that not everyone was human in this building. In fact, the majority was a mixture of odd races unlike any he had ever seen before. He shrugged it off, though, as he sat at a table near the back, having never been one for sitting at an actual bar. Instead he adjusted himself in the chair at the table that was facing the door, just one of his quirks he picked up from years as a SOLDIER. He looked to Miranda as she took a seat across from him, then over to see that the waitress had already arrived as well. Zack brought his head back a little in surprise.

"What would you like?" the young girl asked quickly.

"Two of whatever's strongest, I guess," Zack said with a smile. "Just to knock the edge off."

The girl smiled back and then left as quickly as she arrived. Zack thought for a second, then looked over to Miranda.

"So...uh, how do we pay here?"

[Miranda Frost]

The bar itself was better than it could have been, considering its location among this world. It had four walls and a roof, and lacked holes in either of them. It was a step up from what she was used to: old abandoned homes, tent cities, and gladiator "Cells". The warmth reminded her of home, which was also hot and dry aired. She stepped up to the building and let a couple of customers pass only to enter moments after.

From what she saw at first glance, this place was fairly popular. Nearly all of its five metal tables were full of miners, guards and... turtle people all being merry and having a drunk ol' time. Various fold out chairs was something she was used to seeing. They were cheep and easy to make back at home if you had the tools and access to the required materials. She saw Zack sitting at the table nearest to the door and sighed, sitting down across from him. She enjoyed sitting at the bar most of the time but she understood why. He's being a little cautious, having just entered the place not thirty minutes prior. They haven't been here that long.

The lady ignored Miranda, and darted straight for Zack. She rose her hand up as if trying to get her attention, but waited for Zack to finish his order. "And I would li-", she started, just as the waitress turned to leave and make a bee line straight for the kitchen. She let her hand fall on the table, resting it. "If she doesn't take my order im stealing one of your drinks."

Miranda loosened up in her seat, her other hand tracing the curve of the table. Zack had a good question. They had no money that was good here, but there may be another way. "Well.. at home we had a bartering system. Use your Omnillium and summon up something from your home that would be useful to this place.... Or you can ask her when she returns with the drinks"

[Zack Fair]

Zack was smiling as he watched the girl leave, then suddenly snapped back to attention on Miranda. He laughed at her remark, shaking his head.

"Relax, it's not every man...or woman, for themselves at this table," Zack said as he rested his right arm on the table, looking around at the odd turtle looking people in this bar. "I always order for the lady if I'm sure I know what she wants."

Zack winked as the waitress came back, setting two glasses down. She was obviously busy because she was gone again just as fast as she arrived, obviously somewhat used to dealing with a crowd. He could only give a chuckle in response. Everyone had their talents and expertise. He shrugged as he picked up one and looked at the dark liquid, but not for too long.

"Well, here's to second chances in second worlds," Zack commented, raising his glass for a quick toast before taking a large gulp of it.

He tightened his eyes for a second and briefly turned his head. Yea, this stuff was strong, alright. Stronger than he expected. He nodded in approval before continuing to drink at a regular pace. It definitely hit the right spot for a guy that had spent the last five years unable to unwind even a little bit. It definitely was no secret how much Zack needed that, as was made completely obvious by the long sigh of relief he let out as he slid into the seat and got a little more comfortable. At least as comfortable as someone could be in a wooden chair with a giant slab of metal attached to their back.

Zack turned his head a bit, suddenly overhearing a conversation that caught his interest.

"More attacks on some outlying towns in the region," one of the bipedal turtles, with a green shell, was saying.

"Yea, I heard a rumor that it's a band of bandits from the Dunes, wandered into this Verse," the brown, armless companion replied.

"Wish they'd go away," the turtle responded. "We've got enough to deal with without more people wandering in and making our lives difficult."

"Didn't you hear? Apparantly King Bowser is looking for any volunteers to help clear the group out," the short one said. "Not that anyone would join up. What's the point in looking for work in the Steppes if you're not already here?"

The turtle shook his head as they wandered into the crowd, out of earshot.

Zack nodded head, pondering what he had just heard. The idea was already forming in his head as he looked over to Miranda, a smile slowly creeping onto his face.

"...What was it you said you did before showing up here?"

[Miranda Frost]

"Mmm very soldier-like", she remarked lightly, tracing circles around on the table. In the end, she didn't mind for this Zack to order for her, especially since he has read her so well. She liked her drinks strong, strong enough to light a fire as it fell down her throat. Of course she won't be saying that later but its the effect of the "Now", that excited her most. What could it be? She was almost dying to find out.

The waitress returned not to long after she had left with the order with two glasses of clear liquid. She winced from the strength of its smell as the waitress quickly set the glasses down and move on to another customer a few tables down. She looked down at the glass and took it into her hand, careful not to squeeze it to hard lest she wanted shards of glass in her mechanical hand. She smiled internally, again careful not to raise her arm too fast.

"and to a new life", she added onto the toast half-heartedly. What was she kidding. Life here would be the same as life there only with a new coat of paint slapped onto it. Though having a second chance in life wasn't bad. It wasn't bad at all. Perhaps things could work out. She paused and studied his face as he took down a big gulp. She couldn't help but chuckle a bit before unzipping the top portion of her jacket that hid the metal mask that hid her missing jaw. It acted more of a shield, keeping its vulnerability safe from the outside world. However, it had to be removed for times such as these.

She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a rather rusty screw driver. The metal mask was screwed onto her face, and it was rather unpleasant to take it off. She winced and removed screw after screw, placing them in a small pile on the table in front of her, then set it down over the loose screws, depositing her screw driver back into the pocket in which it came. To someone not used to seeing such a sight, seeing her without her mask could be unsettling if not frightening. the top of her mouth remained intact, but what would have been her mouth was replaced with a cylindrical tube. Inside would be a series of blades that chop and grind the food for her before being sucked into her throat. A small, subtle switch on the side allowed her to drink, disabling the rotation of the blades. She pulled from another pocket on her left side a small rubber tube and attached it to her "mouth". she turned her head a bit from Zack, semi-hiding it from him.

With the hose secure she set the opposite end into the glass before her. The burn as it traveled down her throat was great. It wasn't before long before the glass was empty and her core was one fire (metaphorically). She blinked and and pushed the glass aside, removing her hose, and setting it aside. "That's... stronger than the stuff.. at home. Enough for me.. at the moment", she said, gripping the table as if she were about to fall from her seat. She really shouldn't have drank it all at once.

A crazy look on Zack's face came about that offset Miranda. She knew that look and nothing good came of it, usually. She studied his face a little more before answering. "I was a raider. Why?", she responded unaware of the conversations going on around them.

[Zack Fair]

Zack just grinned in response, looking at Miranda, at the crowd, then back at Miranda in a quick motion. Suddenly, he drank the rest of his drink at once, keeping the glass in his hand as he closed his eyes for a second, taking in the strong alcohol. He then cleared his throat, and grinned once again.

"Be right back."

Without waiting for a response the Ex-SOLDIER was on his feet, and headed over to the bar. He stepped between a normal, human looking customer and a plant that was placed in a very odd place, right on one of the bar stools. Zack shrugged it off to strange local customs. He'd seen enough of them over the years.

"One more, please," Zack said as he leaned his right arm against the bar. "Need the strong stuff today."

The bartender laughed and took his glass, walking off to pour a refill. While he did that, Zack scanned the crowd, looking for the right person to talk to. He certainly didn't expect it to come from behind him though.

"Another prime in the steppes? This place is getting popular."

Zack turned and looked at the giant plant, noticing it had something roughly resembling the shape of a normal bipedal body. Instead of a head, though, it had a giant red and white bulb, but it also had a mouth on that bulb. Zack blankly looked it up and down for a second. Huh. Just the same, he shook his head and regained his composure. He was fishing for information here, so he needed to roll with some of the odd sights he was going to see with some grace.

"Well this place is starting to lend itself to it," Zack replied, turning to face the plant as the bartender returned and handed him another drink. "Lot going on here these days."

"I'll say," the plant agreed. "So what brings you to the realm of the Koopas?"

"Heard a rumor about some bandits," Zack explained, bending the truth just enough to pry some information from this guy. "I go here and there, do a little of this and that. Like to help people and get rewarded for it."

The plant laughed in amusement. Or maybe it was a scoff of disgust? It was too hard to tell.

"The bandits have hit a lot of people around here, made life hell in a place where it was already...well, hell," the plant nodded. "Bowser could tell you more, though."

"Bowser?" Zack asked. "Who's that?"

"What are you, a new prime?" the plant replied incredulously. "Bowser rules the Koopa Kingdom underground, here in the Steppes. He's the one who looks after us all, but some things aren't enough to make his radar, I guess."

"That's why there's good Samaritans like me," Zack agreed. "So Bowser might be looking for a way to eliminate these bandits. Where might I find him?"

"Beats me. Can't promise he'll think anything of them, anyway," the plant replied.

"But if they came from another verse...he just might." Zack pressed him a little bit harder.

"You're right there. Bowser has multiple castles across the land. He could be in any one of them. At least the soldiers there can point you the right way," the plant nodded back.

"Thanks, man," Zack grinned, raising his glass.

"Cheers, prime," the plant replied back, taking his glass in a leafy appendage and clinking glasses with the lost Ex-SOLDIER.

Zack turned and walked away from the bar, shaking his head in amazement. He slid back into the seat across from Miranda, that mischievous smile still plastered on his face.

"Want to fight some bandits?"

He didn't give her much of a chance to answer, instead continuing his explanation.

"Rumor has it, there's a group of bandits tearing through this place. So this guy Bowser runs the Steppes, and I'm thinking I might be able to discuss lending a hand with thinning the crowd out with him. Only problem is we've got to find him...and them. But you're pretty good in a fight, so the help might be nice. What do you think?"

[Miranda Frost]

Something snapped inside Zack and Miranda was itching to know what it was. Well no, that was the semi-organic plates under her skin itching as the bar's dry and somewhat smelly air flowed through them. She took the hose in one hand, and slipped inside her jacket, into a pocket where it came from. With that secured she continued to screw in her protective plate until it was tightly fitting. She sighed internally and toyed with her glass.

Zack was gone for only a few moments, but even those moments seemed to slow in her mind. All around her the sounds of the bar's regulars having a gay old time filled her ears. They sang, they luaghed, and they fought drunkenly among themselves. It was so relaxing and yet... it was so boring. God, why was he taking so long? Her foot tapped impatiently beneath the table, her finger twirling around a rivet in the table. Why can't something more eventful happen like a bar fight, or anything else besides the drunken ramblings of the men around her.

She gripped her glass hard. It wasn't enough to crack it, but the sound of metal grinding into glass could be heard. Perhaps if she threw this as hard as she could at the nearest turtle-man, it would be enough to stir up enough entertainment. Thank the lord that sits on its silly throne in the sky that Zack returned prior to her attempting anything. She calmed and relaxed her hand, slowly moved it away from the glass. Hearing the words 'fight' and 'bandits' in the same sentence raised her mood quite a bit.

"Of c-", she started to say, only to be interrupted by the seemingly over excited soldier. She tilted his head and watched and listened to him. Apparently she was only pretty good in a fight, but she would take the compliment for now. So the plan seemed simple at the time, she couldn't help but suspect that this would be more trouble than they realized. It did, however, appear better than just sitting here.

"If I may speak now, I say its a wonderful idea.", she said, turning, and standing. "If you know where to go I'll follow."

Before they could set one foot out the door, a man wearing a black suit and white tie stepped towards them, bowing respectfully at the waist. MIranda's eye narrowed at him, but nodded in acknowledgement. She watched him rise and noted that what he wore was strange for a place like this. Even at home people didn't wear a suit and tie unless attending town meetings.

"Hello, I am Mayor Orange, of a village south of here. I hear you two are going to see King Bowser. If you two don't mind I will join you on the journey.", the man said straightening his tie and taking an orange briefcase in hand.

Miranda shrugged uninterested and began walking out the door. "Whatever. Rouse my suspicions and I will eat you for breakfast." In hindsight, Miranda never saw the man in her initial scanning of the room not even ten minutes prior.

[Zack Fair]

Zack stopped and paused when this Mayor Orange approached them, and glanced to Miranda for a second in confusion as he introduced himself. He tilted his head in amusement as they spoke to each other, crossing his arms as he did. He thought it was odd that this guy would overhear them and just jump in the group, but then again that was how he met Miranda and Luigi, as well. Apparently it was a thing in the Omniverse to somewhat spontaneously team up with people. Miranda was cold and harsh towards the man, but Zack was all smiles when he patted the man on the back as he walked past him.

"Hey, welcome aboard! Road trip!" Zack shouted, sounding significantly more welcoming than Miranda as he headed back over to his motorcycle.

He fired the engine up, then looked around to see Miranda sitting ready on her bike by then, and Mayor Orange starting up his older looking car. Zack looked around, over each shoulder, trying to figure out the best direction to go. If Bowser was in charge of the subterranean realm of the Ashen Steppes, it made sense that his fortresses would be closer to sea level. Or, whatever passed for sea level is this realm.

So he pointed back down the mountain, in a different direction than they had come from. Miranda's nod of agreement was enough for the Ex-SOLDIER, and he kicked it into gear and took off. He looked over his shoulder to see the team was following after him, and then continued to cruise back down through the rough trail. It was obvious this road had seen some use, as it was worn down quite well. He didn't know where it was going, but he did know that it was the best option to finding one of these fortresses, since there would obviously be a lot of traffic in and out of one.

He tapped his thumb on the handlebars a few times as he rode, milling over this strange place again. Here he was with a team, something he hadn't had in a very long time. Not only that, but they were heading to the ruler of this realm to see about helping him out. It made him nervous, though. After being turned on by Shin-Ra, he was more than a little unsure of operating with a group or working for someone directly. He was very used to flying solo at this point, but then again, he'd already battled alongside Miranda and Luigi, not to mention Lazard back in his own world after his escape. In that world, though, he had plans and goals, not to mention an understanding of what he was dealing with. Here, he was a fish out of water. That's why it felt nice to have a team for now. He remembered all he was able to accomplish by working together, but it was hard to forget being betrayed by the people you spent your whole life working for. Regardless, now wasn't the time to worry about these details. This was just a bandit hunt that might help people out. When he'd told Cloud he wanted to be a mercenary, this was the dream behind it. Helping people and getting paid to do it, only he would choose his missions instead of some suit behind a desk. What could be wrong with that?

Zack glanced to the side, noticing more pools and streams of lava in their area now. The landscape was changing a bit, so maybe that meant they were getting nearer to something. There was only one way to find out...keep on riding.