First Blood Shed

"That sounds like a fine idea!" Apparently Hinode didn't mind the whole concept of slinking around through the back roads until they just found something better to disguise themselves in and then ultimately got a better vehicle.

"I don't want to destroy the guards either, but I do have something that could help us." Hinode looked over toward Euryale, "I know these alleyways like the back of my hand. Remember that this is where I used to hang out back in the day."

His memories, if the streets hadn't changed much in their time away, would have been better than a map.

*Monu grins awkwardly*

<Well, I was wondering...if you would like to, uh, "go out" with me. I don't mean literally go out somewhere, you know what I mean.

*He shakes his head*

<Of course you know what that means, what was I thinking? As I said, this is all foreign to me.>
===
*Artexi just kinda shrugs and stares at the opposing team. She mutters under her breath*

<(Now would be an awful good time for you to uphold your end of the bargain.)>
---
*Safian shadow travels behind the group trying to hit her, then sends a stream of fire at them*

Vega: "I didn't witness your match, so I can't even begin to guess."

=================================

Xyukuse stands, calling the Chaos Ripper.

Xyukuse: "Where are they?!"

=================================

Taiyo moves to avoid the bombs, hurling the Stormfall at the nearest cluster of Black Guards with Aqua Raid.

*The nymphs scatter at the maniac wielding swords at them. The assassins sit up, the woman in pink frowning at him.*

Pink<You lost, fool.>

*Onion Knight groans & rolls over, rubbing his head.*

OK<Oh...what happened? Did we win? The last thing I remember is those pretty ladies looking at me....>

*Celes, who had already been sitting up, looks at him.*

Celes<Yes, but not before you were charmed & struck me down. Our other teammates have not come to visit us, nor do I think they will.>
==============================
*Lilith bites her lip, looking around as if unsure.*

L"...I--think I know what you mean. I know what the phrase means, at any rate. But...do you?"
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*Frowning, she heads into the ring with the others.*

Zeus<Hades, my brother, do you really think your followers can beat MY SON?>

*Hades waits for his bark of obnoxious laughter--which the other gods & even the crowd join in on ("Sycophants," Nero grumbles)--to die down.*

Hades<Well...I think you'll find we have a few surprises for you, Zeusey.>

Phil<The gods have spoken! Let the fight--BEGIN!>

*Nero opens up with a Dark Raid at Hercules, who catches the blade in his hands & throws it back. Nero is just in time to block, deflecting it towards Zack, who was charging at him, & tripping up his attack.*

WoL<Bathe in the light!>

*Sweeping his sword across the ground, he causes columns of light to advance on Daisy, who of course darkens the sky. Zeus snaps his fingers, producing a thunder storm above them to serve as light.*
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*The guards fall, save for the mass that Flynn is fighting, now shooting at them.*

Flynn<Hey, I could use some help here!>
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*They eventually reach the Simulation Hangar, presumably hiding behind something like a cargo crate, by which point the music has calmed down again. It's a sort of open air dock filled mostly with cargo crates, Light Jets, & Recognizers. Air security is not very tight, with only the occasional light jet on patrol, but there are turret towers around just about every corner. Along 1 edge of the canyon is the Solar Sailor module which, when activated, will associate with the light beam above it & head to the Central Computer Mesa. But directly in front of them, past the cargo & jets, is the massive form of Rinzler's cruiser, appearing more like a fortified wall than a ship.*

E"Hey, that's where Rinzler is, right? So if we get on there, we can beat him & end this whole thing right now."

Th"What? That is a terrible idea. First, we're at half strength. Second, it will likely be swarming with guards, not to mention we have no idea when the Heartless will finally show up. Third, has it occurred to you that he may not even be on the ship at all times?"

E"Well, then, what do you suggest?"

Th"The original plan--we obtain a vehicle of some sort and then move on to the Game Grid."

Predictably the calmer music was a bit of a disappointment to Hinode, who made a mental note of starting up a second career as a media player program so that he could restructure the tunes that they played here.

Kyohaku eventually sighed and looked over toward Thiera with a shrug, "Well, for what it's worth, if we do get a vehicle - and there are plenty here - it wouldn't be hard for me to find my way around. I know the layout of this place pretty well."

He blinked a moment, wondering how she was going to respond to that.

Monu:<Uh, I believe I do. It's not something we really, uh, do in my homeworld, but I think I understand the basic concept...>

*He shakes his head again*

<What I mean is, yes. And I would like to do it with you. You know, if you want to...>
===
*Artexi summons her keyblades, tossing life stealing seeds on Hercules and throwing acid at the WoL*
---
*Safian shadow travels over to the group attacking Flynn, then starts breathing fire at them*

Xyukuse leaves the infirmary because none of them are of any use.

=================================

Taiyo casts Waterga on the Black Guards.

*Clearly outmatched, those guards who are not destroyed flee. Flynn absorbs some of the cubes into his body, the grid lines on his outfit turning red as he begins to put on some of their armor.*

Flynn<We have to hurry, they'll be sending in the tanks soon.>
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E"But which vehicle?"

Th"These flying machines would probably be the swiftest method, but they would also be conspicuous, as we would need to travel in a formation of 3."

*She pats the jet they're hiding behind, for emphasis.*

Th"We could try to seize another Recognizer. That would fit all of us, & they may expect it to be on patrol."

E"Those arch-shaped things? I didn't really like those."

Th"Well, what other options are there? Even if we find more Light Cycles, we'll probably just crash them again, an event which we barely survived in the first place."

*She tries to make herself smaller & more still as she sees Black Guards filing out of the cruiser.*

Th"(We'd better decide soon, or we won't be able to remain hidden for long.)"
==============================
*Presumably Xshittyname can see the Order sans Lilith & Monu lurking nearby, the match, the stands, & Vega lurking in the shadows.*
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*Warrior of Light blocks with his shield. When Hercules sees what the seeds are doing to him, he flexes his muscles, shattering them.*

Hercules<Try this on for size!>

*He leaps high into the air, falling back towards Artexi with his fists clasped over his head. Nero is busy trying to protect Daisy from the light attack by using Collision Magnet to drag Zack in its path, & finds himself vulnerable to a series of glowing swords fired by the Warrior of Light. Daisy promptly does something which would be insane for any other fighter & stabs herself through the neck, spraying grossness all over the ground in front of her & Zack.*

Phil<Personally, I think not dying from stabbing yourself is cheating. Not that it matters, they'll never beat Herc.>
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L"...I'm still not sure if you understand what you're asking me. In many worlds, 'dating' means--well, it's--"

*She looks to the ground to her left, redder than ever, mumbling "a courtship ritual."*

L"So...what is it that you really want?"

"I say the Recognizer. We wouldn't be very noticeable, and if the bad guys haven't changed out the codes then I actually know how to make us look like we actually belong here." Eventually Kyohaku smirked a bit and threw back his head.

While he could be cocky at times, the knowledge would have been rather useful. He could have made them at least superficially seem to be a Recognizer that was out on a regular patrol, and lie to any security systems about that.

"If you two hate flying in it, then I could fly it. I promise not to get you killed." Apparently, though, he didn't promise not to get them seriously injured in the process.

*Artexi uses a dark corridor to teleport behind Hercules, then uses Sparkga on him. She then throws her keyblade at the WoL, using Spark Raid*

<(Hey Hades, we could sure use your help!>
===
*Monu nods*

<That was what I was hoping for, yes. I...I thought you would rather me use the word "dating" than "courting," or I would have used the later to begin with.>

*He reaches out to take her hand*

<So...?>
---
*Safian tries to do the same thing as Flynn is*

<Then lead the way!>

I see why she'd cause such a commotion.

Xyukuse: "Where are they?!"

Vega: "They were never here. Ask Vexen for the details. Maybe he'll be kind enough to explain it in a manner you'll understand."

Xyukuse: "Why don't I rip the details out of you?"

Vega: "I don't have them. Nor do I have any reason to be personally involved."

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Assuming Fynn does lead the way, Taiyo follows.

*Thiera looks from side to side. The Recognizers are clustered on the ends of the docks, the closest ones being about 20 feet away. Either way, they need to pass directly in front of the view of the Black Guards. Thiera lowers her voice.*

Th"(Very well, now here is the next question: How will we reach the ships? The guards will see through our disguises if we move. Even if they don't, they're sure to be suspicious when a Recognizer flies off of its own accord.)"

E"(We still have those ear pieces Flynn gave us. Maybe we could just tell them to go somewhere else. Those Black Guards all sound basically the same, just talk through your throat, like you're gargling coral."

Th"(If Kyohaku knows their address or whatever the equivalent term is, then I suppose that could work.)"
===========================
*So he leads them through a winding, but relatively short tunnel. They eventually reach a glowing blue room with a door that looks like a huge bank vault, but sure enough, guarding it are a dozen Black Guards, 4 Devastators, & seemingly countless Strafers, well, strafing around the room.*

<Where are the Key-Users?! We've warned Lord Rinzler, but he wants them derezzed before they step foot on the Game Grid!>
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Zeus<What is she talking about, Hades?>

Hades<Just a bit of business. You'll find out soon enough.>

*Though Hercules misses her due to teleportation nonsense, when he slams his fists on the ground, aside from the shockwave, he also generates a glowing dome of golden light. Her attacks bounce off of this, flying back towards her. Also, not expecting this, Daisy's left arm is caught in the blast & she shrieks as her flesh dissolves, leaving behind bone. Warrior of Light points his glowing sword at her.*

WoL<I do not wish to strike at a weakened opponent, but my mission is clear. You fought well. But you cannot win. There will be no shame if you choose to surrender.>

Zack<Yuck! Oh well, I got this!>

*The blood starts to grow into multi-jointed fingers that claw at him, of course, but he sheathes his sword behind his back & does a kind of quick multi-punch combo. He then quickly dashes to Nero, who's so shocked by everything else going on that he forgets to defend himself. After being socked in the stomach & face several times, he finds Zack suddenly at his back, shoulder-ramming him so hard that it produces an explosion. As he's sprawled on the ground, Hades grins & snaps his fingers, at which point pillars of darkness erupt around Artexi & Nero.*
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Zeus<HADES! YOU CAN'T INTERFERE IN THE MATCH!>

Hades<Thing is, Zeusy, this deal was made long before they stepped into the ring. Read it & weep.>

*He shows Zeus the contract that he'd pulled out of his toga. Those closest to it can see that it appears to have been signed in blood.*

Hades<They were already the proud owners of these shiny new powers. They just hadn't been delivered yet. It's perfectly legit, isn't that right, Itty-Bitty Goatman?>

*He puts his hand on Phil's shoulder. Phil nervously nods at all of the other gods glaring at them.*

Hades<See? I just want to give my precious little nephew somebody big & strong to play with. A bit of fun never killed anybody.>
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*Lilith's mouth hangs open & she is virtually indistinguishable from her hair.*

L"I--I don't know--you really mean it? This isn't your idea of a joke?"

Taiyo: "They went that way."

She points down the hall they came from.

"Actually, I do know the code if that's what you were looking for. At least, unless something has been changed, but I should be able to figure it out if that were the case anyway. Where's the ear piece?" Kyohaku looked toward Euryale, since she was the one who brought the plan up in the first place. He figured that they would have been in a Recognizer soon enough, so he could have afforded to take huge risks at this point.

OOC: Zeus interfered in the match earlier though...

*Artexi had been about destroy the attacks flying back at her when the pillar of darkness erupts around her. Presumably, stuff happens*
===
*Monu shakes his head and smiles*

<That would be a terrible joke. Don't worry, I'm completely serious.>
---
*Safian dives into the shadows and starts sneaking towards the assholes*

*They saw them enter, so of course they see her doing that, presumably motorcycle & all.*

<We are deceived! The Key-Users are in disguise! Derez them immediately, in the name of Lord Rinzler!>

*Everything starts firing on them. Also, since no one said anything about stopping, I assume the rest are driving right towards the blockade. Flynn taps the head of his Light Cycle, creating a pair of guns that he uses to shoot the Black Guards. Doing his best to swerve between shots, he also initiates a Light Ribbon to bounce the attacks he evades right back at them.*
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*As I can't remember whether or not Hinode got one, Euryale unclips hers from her ear & passes it to him. Some of the guards start to patrol & a Light Jet flies overhead, sweeping the area with a search light. The girls catch each other's eye.*

Th"(Remain calm! They may not notice us if we don't move!)"
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*Fortunately, the dark pillar deflects the attacks once again, & Hercules is not fast enough to swat them all aside. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] as Nero rises to his feet, & then a foot off of the ground, darkness billowing around him. He raises his Keyblade to the air & some of the darkness surrounding the arena shrinks away as it flows into him. He soon becomes a shadowy version of himself, red eyes & a silhouette being his only identifiers. Zack slashes at him, but just emerges on the other side, confused, at which point Nero begins teleporting around, hacking the shit out of him. The blood from the floor flows back to Daisy, regrowing her flesh.*

WoL<Bathe in the light!>

*He tries to launch swords of light at her & Nero, but Daisy raises a wall of ice to block them.*
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L"Well...okay, then...."

*Still looking stunned, she awkwardly holds out her hand.*

Having not actually have received one before as far as he could tell, Hinode took the unit and attached it to his own ear.

Soon enough he remained quite still, but seemed to soundlessly modify something in the earpiece. He actually admittedly had known the address just like Thiera had suggested before.

"Guardsmen units, maintain patrol. Do not stop and allow these three units to pass."

For what it's worth, he did sound actually like a Black Guard, so they might very well have not known exactly who it was saying it and taken the bait.

Fortunately, he didn't exactly breath or make any sort of exhalation noises, due to his species, that would have made a sound here. He had to relearn how not to breath, admittedly, since he'd been doing it when he had become a human.

*Safian turns back to follow Flynn, swerving to avoid shots and firing fireballs at the Black Guards*
---
*As soon as she is able to, Artexi leaps out of the dark pillar, hurling one of her keyblades at Hercules, using Venom Raid. Carefully to stay out of punching range, Artexi also hurls some acid at him*

Artexi:<I hope that was more than a cool display!>
===
*Monu squeezes her hand, still blushing profusely*

<We-uh-better get back to Hitomi and Azuma and decide what to do next.>

I would assume taking on disguises would involve stopping, but w'ever. Taiyo blasts the Black Guards with bubbles, swerving to avoid their attacks.

*They are now dangerously close to ramming into the remaining 5 guards, who are stunned, but not backing down. The Devastators leap towards them & begin to transform into their close combat forms, emitting electricity. Flynn circles back, encasing his attacker in a Light Ribbon as he shoots at the Strafers.*
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*So they break off, continuing to patrol. When none are looking, & the ship flies away, Thiera glides over to the Recognizer. Hiding behind its leg, she makes the stop gesture, then when nobody is looking, she motions for them to follow, which Euryale does.*
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L"Y--yeah. R--right."

*As they head back to the arena, her jaw drops at Team Hades suddenly kicking ass. After having the shit beat out of him for a while, Hercules--who appears to be sunburnt from the attacks--flexes his muscles & begins to glow.*

Herc<Okay, time to get serious!>

*Meanwhile, Nero swiftly takes down Zack with a Dark Firaga, & then aims the remaining blasts at the Warrior of Light, who had bashed through the ice wall with his shield. He tries to hide behind it, but Daisy--making sure to slither away from Hercules--stretches out her fingers, grabbing the shield to hold it down. The Warrior of Light proves quite adept at parrying, however.*

L"Since when were they that powerful!?"

*Artexi circles Hercules, remaining light on her feet in order to be harder for Hercules to hit. She continuously throws life draining seeds and acid on him*
===
*It takes Monu, who is still grinning broadly, to realize what's going on*

<I...something must have happened while we were talking.>
---
*Safian sends a steady stream of fire at the Devastators*

Trusting that Thiera had some sort of a plan to get them inside, Kyohaku followed along as well. He figured that in doing so they would have gotten him into the cockpit. That was going to be his stronger suit, of course, since he had already plenty of experience when it came to the various vehicles here on the Grid, even if his previous outing on one of the bikes had seemed to suggest otherwise as it were.

Taiyo attempts to stop in a manner that doesn't involve crashing into something because that would suck, casting Waterga in the process.

*They have Keyblades, so they just sort of point them at the cockpit & it opens to admit them. A Black Guard looks back.*

Guard<Recognizer F-01011 appears to be activating of its own accord. Control, what are your orders?>
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*Assuming that was the most retarded way of saying that she slows down ever, . Meanwhile, Safian crashes into a Devastator, the resulting explosion hurling her back, blowing off her armor, & stunning said Heartless. Taiyo's Devastator is likewise stunned. Flynn continues heading towards the guards, having destroyed his assailant, & shoots at them. Some block his attacks, while the rest begin to raise both a literal firewall & some kind of beehive barrier in front of the door.*

Flynn<You can turn these Light Ribbons on or off! They fade away in a few seconds! The trick is to not run into them!>
==================================
*Hercules emits another explosion, while attacks seem to just bounce off of him.*

Phil<Herc has tapped into his godly blood, & is now invulnerable! Team Hades will get what's comin' to 'em!>

*He jumps, yowling as Hades sets his tail on fire with a flame from his finger. Hera stands up to take his place.*

Hera<Of course, to be fair, cherubs will periodically deliver barrels of water from the underworld. If any of this splashes onto my son, he will be temporarily depowered and stunned.>

*On cue, flying baby things swoop down & drop barrels into the far-off corners of the arena. Meanwhile, Hercules rears back, winding up, & dashes at Artexi with his fist outstretched. Nero dismisses Overshadow, dashing towards the Warrior of Light to use Dark Firaja, forcing him to keep jumping aside. Daisy uses another ice wall, boxing him into a corner & allowing Nero to defeat him. She then points her Keyblade at Hercules, lobbing the blood on it as a ball, which turns into a ball of tangled, twitching fingers.*
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L"Ew! How is she hoping that will defeat a god? Force him to quit in disgust?"

*She looks around, pointing at Hitomi & Azuma upon spotting them.*

L"Let's ask what we missed."

*Artexi summons her glider and rockets away from Hercules, heading towards the bucket of water*

<Hey, having a god in this competition is totally bullshit!>
===
*Monu nods and heads over to Azuma and Hitomi, presumably still holding Lilith's hand*

<Sorry for the wait. What did we miss?>
---
*As soon as she's able to, Safian starts moving back in the direction of Flynn and Taiyo, sending a few shadow clones to crash into the Devastator she hit earlier*