Surfing the Web

[Schwi Dola]

With the others departing Toybox Girl was left to her own devices again. Her first priority was to find more information on everyone she just met. She didn't have anything pressing to get to and she had some concerns towards their behaviors. First was this Princess Bonbon. It was apparent from the title that she was important somewhere. Whether that was on the Omniverse or in just her world, TBG was hoping to find out. She was clearly not someone that would be allowed to continue free on any world overseen by the ARK. That other one though, that wasn't exactly good either. But that stuffed penguin thing, it looked more like a Pepen. Using monsters as weapons was not as bad as intelligent beings. Had she made the right decision to not pursue that one?

Toybox Girl turned to her two comrades. She said, "We are going to wait here for the moment so that we can focus on data gathering. Let's see what the data verse has to offer." Toybox Girl was in charge of the three so she had be confident and in charge of this makeshift squad. Especially because this was so dangerous for them. They were more recon units than front line bots. Maybe she should have sought something stronger to bring here, but it wasn't like she had a fountain of this Omnilium to use. TBG wouldn't bring more here until she really had to. While she could use the help, she wasn't going to trap more Cosmic Heroes here than she could help. Especially if research holds true that only Primes can revive and Secondaries do not. Unless she manually reformed them.

There wasn't a whole lot of information on the Camelot nobility. Understandable as a magical society that was unfamiliar with magic would not be inclined to store much on the internet. But it was suggested that she was relatively new to the scene. The nation? city? it wasn't clear the size of Bonbon's group but there was some kind of history between them and Ambrosia. More unsettling was what more searching revealed. While Princess Bonbon committed such acts of atrocity, it was hardly an uncommon occurrence and attitude in Camelot that such was the norm. There was discrimination against non-humans considered a lesser species. Such attitudes were mostly done away with a long time ago on the ARK. Only a line between intelligent and non-intelligent beings. 

Here though, it was rampant and of the worst kind. It made Toybox Girl question whether or not the bounty she sought in their name was even in good faith or not. Toybox Girl asked, "Do you guys see this information?" Nora replied, "It's terrible!" Caren stated, "With the level of technology or lackthereof it isn't surprising that their society has not evolved socially. Even today robots made judgments solely on the model of other robots." Toybox Girl glanced away for a moment, she liked to believe otherwise. She said, "Yea but we need to be more careful about what jobs we take. We can't perpetuate this kind of thing. Let's see what we can find on Guu and Ambrosia next."

The dataverse came up with dozens of more hits on Ambrosia and Guu. Guu's own twitter account was a wealth of mostly useless information. Except that it told that she wasn't all that unusual a person using social media. Looking into it at a glance, there was no way to digest all of it, it seemed that she had been against Omni at first but changed her mind later. Would Toybox Girl feel like that at some point? For now she was firmly against some powerful being manipulating others from across multiple dimensions. His actions could be equated to the actions of the Demon Army on some level. The group that she was at war with. Then there was random entry she pulled up and read too much of before closing and deleting the local file. She didn't need to see 'that' kind of thing.

More importantly Ambrosia seemed to be a place where all kinds were accepted. An antithesis to the worst aspects of Camelot and Bonbon's Berry group. While they were concerned with themselves, the data suggested they would a group welcome within the ARK. Maybe she had made the right call in that fight. There was more information about the various residents in varying amounts. Toybox Girl looked back at the others with the research concluded. She said, "We should reconsider her offer to join the group at a later date." Nora said, "Yea they sound awesome!" Caren said, "But not yet. We know their public image but that is what they want to be seen as. On the spot, what are they really? Of course individuals will vary as well. They are also opposed to one of the two major factions on principle which would make it harder to operate. Though it seems they are at an accord with each-other at this time." Toybox girl nodded, "Exactly."

[Thor]

Thor watched the trio of small girls as he walked toward them. They seemed to have access to very advanced equipment for their apparent youth. They chattered amongst themselves, seemingly unaware of Thor’s approach. He did not usually seek aid in the form of such young allies, but perhaps their technology could succeed where his Hammer had failed. He walked toward them, red cape flowing behind him. As he drew closer to them, Thor could hear that they were talking about jobs and alliances and the like. They were talking about politics, and worse they spoke of it in the same dialect that Iron-man and his different creations used. Thor found it somewhat confusing, yet comfortably familiar. It reminded him of shawarma. He smiled at the fond memory of him and his comrades sharing a victory meal. He entered into the girls circle.

“Hello, young maidens. My name is Thor. You seem well versed in your equipment. Do you have a device to communicate with others beyond a the gates? I must reach my companion at Death Mountain and the gate to the realm he is in seems to be warded against me. If you are able to assist me I will gladly lend you my services as a warrior and guardian.”

[Schwi Dola]

The three together looked over at Thor and paused for a moment to evaluate him. While the two Beezle were robots and had eyes that didn't move, TBG was humanoid so her eyes darted up and down before focusing on his hammer. It looked curious and with his offer she scanned the weapon. One of the arms on her backpack adjusted and opened its palm. A brilliant blue light formed in front of it and it closed to grabbed as the weapon she was mimicking materialized. There, she was now holding a copy of Thor's hammer. Adjusted of course, for TBG's strength. The weapon was quite heavy and she did not have the same strength as he did which was obvious. She swung it by the little loop at the bottom and tossed it skyward, holding out her hand to recall the weapon.

Nora, one of the Beezle, was the first to reply. She did have a bit of robotic dialect he heard as did Caren. She said, "We do have communication devices! Who are your friends?" Caren added, "We would need their number first." Toybox Girl nodded, and looked away, blushing slightly embarrassed at doing that old habit again. She had done it so recently with Doomguy's BFG 9000 but now she had seen this person's hammer and replicated a copy without thinking. She said, sounding perfecting human, "I'm sorry I didn't mean to copy your weapon, it seems pretty interesting! I'm Toybox Girl ADAPT, Cosmic Hero of the Wiz Union of the Cosmic Ark. These are my squadmates, Caren and Nora. I don't think I've heard of 'Death Mountain'. Which verse is that located in?"

[Thor]

Thor looked at the hammer that the girls tech had spawned. The little girl must have seen the change in his expression, for even as her bee-like robots began to answer his question he watched her turn her head in shame. She then began to apologize for copying his hammer. Thor began to smile.

“Small maiden, no apology needed. It is good to met you and your companions. My friend’s name is Red-Hood and his is in the Ashen Steppes. I need him to know that I am alive but that I am being prevented from returning to his aid. In return for delivering this message I lend you my services for the time being.” Thor smiled and offered his hand.

[Schwi Dola]

Toybox Girl tilted her head a little bit, her hands shuffling a little on the arms of her backpack. Her humanoid hands were always on the arms of her backpack really, it was rare to see them not supporting the heavy weight on her back. But she didn't often express much with her robotic arms attached to the backpack. One of those bigger hands reached to take the hand offered by Thor to shake it. She dropped the hammer she had copied which bounced once on the ground before dissolving back into the blue energy it had been constructed from. She asked, "You cannot go back there? Why is that? Has the gate access been blocked? That would be troublesome." A gate being blocking in the multiverse would have to be big news, so she automatically started a search of the dataverse for information on the subject. She would do what she could do to help but there was a limit to what she was willing to do for a complete stranger. If this was the middle of a warground between the two major factions of the Omniverse she would  sit aside.

Caren said, "The situation could be critical if something like that has happened. We may need to bring in more help." Nora said excitedly, "Let's find some other cosmic hero primes in the Omniverse! Surely we will find some trace of them on the Dataverse?" They had been looking so far, but like TBG they were probably keeping themselves low profile on social media. There was no reason to call undue attention to yourself in unclaimed territory in a war. It would allow the Demon Force to find them that much easier. If one of them was a prime, that would be bad news indeed. They probably would hole up somewhere underground with a camouflaged bunker mining resources until they amassed an army.

[Thor]

Thor stood there for a moment, hand outstretched. The little girl shifted her grip on her massive pack but did not take his hand. The mechanical arm that had been holding the copy of his Hammer dropped it, took his hand and shook it. Thor watched the fake Mjolnir bouncing across the endless white of the Nexus before vanishing from existence and then looked at the massive mechanical hand shaking his own. The God of Thunder laughed. Then the girl asked about the gate.

“I know not what blocked my travel, but I can show you if you wish to study the problem yourself.”

The insectoid robots began to chatter about the implications of a gate being blocked and the need for reinforcements. Reinforcement? Thor had learned from his time in the Omniverse. Anything you need is attainable as long as you want it enough.

“If reinforcements are all that you need we stand at the gate into this world.” Thor motioned at the fountain. “We simply gather all willing to aid us as they emerge from the fountain. If that does not fill our ranks sufficiently The Smiling One has given us the power we need,” Thor pulled Omnilium from within himself, “to make our own armies. Though I do not see how reinforcements will help with the gate problem.”

[Schwi Dola]

Toybox Girl frowned at the mention of Omni and making armies. She looked back at Nora and Caren. She had been careful about bringing allies to her side. These two were comrades, a pair she may have met in passing at some point before being forced here. Fortunately they are happy to help though they knew little beyond what TBG knew.

Toybox Girl said, "We should not trust this power so easily. We can bring others here but then they will be trapped here with us. I do not wish this fate upon anyone. We should reserve it for only the most direct circumstances. Omni is not benevolent." The Beetle pair said nothing since she was referring tangently to them. They would rather be hhome on the Cosmic Ark, not that they would admit it to TBG.

[Thor]

Thor looked at the girl. Thor had not thought that bringing someone into the world with Omnilium might actually steal them from the world as he had been. Thor would ponder that later. Right now he was growing annoyed with this girl and her mechanical companions. They asked questions and chattered among themselves, yet none of them seemed to make any motion that might indicate that they were sending his message. If they were not going send his message then he would be done with them.

“Regardless, the first half of my suggestion still holds. However, I could care less if we gathered an army or not. If you have need of my strength then send my message. If you do not then do not waste my time.” Thor looked at the little girl expectantly.

[Schwi Dola]

Toybox Girl gave the Norse God a funny look and then back to the other two and back to Thor. She wasn't sure if he was serious about this or just inexperienced with tech. "You mean through the dataverse right? Like I said I just need their number... or contact information to get a hold of them. Technology is not so easily worked that you can put in the name of a random person you don't know and get the right person. Even a curious search of the name Red Hood comes up with hundreds of people who have assumed that name or variations of it online. Even if it was just a one off posting. Without the correct information there is no way for me to contact your friend. The most I could do is put a posting up in some location with your message in public which then anyone in the Omniverse could read. If you know of such a website that your friend frequents, then that would be your best bet. But if I do that blindly on a random location it will just get lost in a sea of social media." Toybox Girl made a big gesture around them to make an indication of vast numbers. "Do you know how many people online call themselves Thor?"

[Thor]

Thor was very disappointed to hear this. This technology was obviously similar to the type found on the Midgard of his own universe. It was needlessly complex and put Thor in a fighting mode.

"Well, then, you cannot help me in my endeavor. I apologize for wasting your time. I will leave you now unless you would like to join me in my travels." He gave her a moment to respond then began to walk toward the fountain.

[Schwi Dola]

Toybox Girl held up a hand. A Cosmic Hero didn't turn down a request, her honor was at stake for such a matter. Toybox Girl spoke, "Hey wait, I'm sorry I didn't mean we couldn't help you. But your specific request doesn't work and you didn't respond that you didn't have the information required to do it. A Cosmic Hero doesn't turn down a citizen in need whether pay is delivered or not." Toybox Girl gestured to her two companions. "But you've given us a lot to suddenly process. A blocked gate, friends on the other side. You need to tell them that you are alive and you don't have their email or phone number." Toybox Girl wirelessly transmitted her simple plan to the Beezles who accepted it readily. It wasn't a plan TBG would need to be involved with directly, this was a courier mission perfect for a pair of scouts. 

Caren spoke first, she said "We will take your message personally. My sister and I are specialists at scouting and we can find anyone. Tell us what your friend looks like." Nora said, "The more detail the better! Also tell us about the location you last saw them and how you got there. Major landmarks from the gate to the location you left." TBG nodded, the pair could fly and keep their distance until necessary and even assist the target should the need arise with TBG on call in case things got dicey. Although it would take some time to get their for them and TBG was going to find her own mission to attend to. "This is assuming we can get past the gate ourselves. If the gate is blocked for one it can be blocked for more than one. Everyone is more likely than specific individuals. But if the gate does indeed have some logic about what is allowed to pass then maybe we can discover what that is."

[Thor]

Thor stopped and looked back at the girl.

"If you can get through the gate, My friend wears a red helmet and a brown jacket. Last I knew of him he was somewhere in death mountain. It is the largest peak in that realm and will be easy to see, but be careful when you reach it. I died for awakening the dragon whose lair is within that mountain. The dragon may still be on the rampage. If you see such a beast you must flee. I will not have a child die in my name. I appreciate your help. When you find him, bring him to Camelot. I will meet you there. I must find someone to fight."