First Blood Shed

*By this point, its armor has cracked off & its underlying structure has been damaged, as more bytes rain down, more than enough for Flynn & Sam to reprogram their bikes & follow suit. After it peels itself off of Euryale's Glider, it rockets out of the way & fires a multitude of laser bullets at her as she taps her Glider, causing the data to seep through the cracks & close them in a flash. Quorra circles around, destroying the other Recognizers & heading for the Hostile Program. Meanwhile, the sky around them becomes a criss-crossed cage of Light Ribbons from possibly hundreds of jets.*
======================================
*Cerberus falls to the ground, legs twitching. The eyes on his left most head flutter & begin to open. Hades unleashes a vicious combo on Lilith that eventually forces her to the ground & follows up by blasting a steady stream of fire at all of them.*

L"You're not really helping!"

N"No, but this will!"

*Nero jumps into the air & brings the barrel down on Hades's head. As the water washes over him, the flames completely go out, revealing a bald & smoking head. Hades falls to his knees, head & tongue lolling as his eyes bulge & a comical lump grows on his head, which suddenly falls to the ground as Roatha swings both of his keyblades from behind like a pair of scissors.*

R"Ha-HA! Kill steal! Take THAT, corpse-boy!"

*After rolling a few feet, the eyes of Hades's head snap open & look around before glaring at him.*

Hades<You can't kill a god, you degenerate. But I'll remember to set up some kind of eternal head-cutting trap in Tartarus once you die.>

*Hades's body calmly walks over, picks up the head, & puts it back on his shoulders--upside down. He gives it a spin to get it right again, then cracks his neck. But he's still limping noticeably, & trailing smoke from his wounds.*

They drop a couple bolts on Cerberus to make sure it stays down as no one wants to deal with that asshole a billion times.

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

If Taiyo borrowed one of Hitomi's Keyblades, she could possibly deal with that, but that would mean turning The Grid into the AU story about how Noah didn't have an ark, so she blasts the Hostile Program with another Thundara as something will surely deal with the light cycle things blotting out the sky.

As this was going on, Kyohaku had continued to take care of the Hostile Program. Naturally he figured that Quorra was going to be able to help him in just a few moments. While he realized that the goal was not necessarily to destroy it, he figured that they would have done so incidentally anyway.

He thought to himself that Quorra would have certainly been a good looking woman if he wasn't a software creature that reproduced by making copies of himself and then ultimately pasting them in a different directory.

*Monu uses Wind Raid on the leftmost head, the he runs over to Lilith and helps her to her feet*

Monu:<You're not hurt, right?>

*Artexi crosses her arms, still holding both keyblades*

Artexi:<You done with this little game yet?>
===
*Safian roars and sends a fireball at the hostile program, then looks up. Her hair starts to stand on end*

Safian:<There's hundreds of them!>

*Sparks are thrown from the cracks in the Hostile Program before it finally explodes. However, it's put some dents in their armor/gliders, & as a final attack, it leaves behind a series of spiky-looking data clusters that slowly zig-zag toward them. Quorra puts the visor of her helmet up, revealing a pale, light-eyed woman with a dark bob.*

Quorra<Rinzler will be coming soon. If we go down to the streets, we should be able to return to the wastelands.>

E"No. Let him come, it's time we finished this."

*Sam fist pumps.*

Sam<Yeah! We can't let him keep getting away with this!>

Kevin<Look around you! Do you really believe you can defeat this entire fleet? Stop being so reckless!>

Th"Mr. Flynn raises a valid point, but we can't afford to hide here forever while the outside world is in peril. If Rinzler is confident enough to chase after us himself, then we will simply need to lure him away from his fleet."

*The Light Jets above them start firing as they swoop past, Thiera using Reflect.*

Quorra<But where can we go that they can't follow?>

Kevin<The Mesa! Only myself, Rinzler, the Solar Sailor, the Throne Ship have the passkey for the firewall!>

E"And you say that, if we destroy a jet, the force-field it makes will disappear too?"

*Seeing what she's getting at, Quorra flies for the nearest trio of Light Jets, shooting at them. Kevin & Sam follow suit, as Euryale whirls around to follow.*

Th"I don't want to destroy them. It isn't their fault that Senthose is using them."

E"I know. But if we want to survive this & save the worlds, we're going to have to do some things we don't want to do."
===============================
*Cerberus's faces are now a bloody mess, he's probably not getting up any time soon. Roatha glares at those who defeated him menacingly, as if challenging them to a fight.*

Hades<You kids--not in any position--to bargain...>

*He leans over, clutching his side.*

Hades<Gotta stitch! Just gimme a minute, & I'll be back to killin' you. Maybe...maybe cluster together a little, that'd really help.>

L"Look, we may not be able to kill you, but we can clearly hurt you. And do you know what powers these possess?"

*She holds up the Keyblade. Hades waves her off.*

Hades<Yeah, yeah, I heard the whole spiel, open or close any lock, yadayada.>

L"That's right. With these, we could even imprison a god."

Hades<You think I was born yesterday, Red? It'd be an act of war against Olympus. You don't have the guts.>

Azuma: "I doubt the other's share your sentiments."

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

Taiyo makes it rain on the Glider which is probably really annoying, but it'll deal with any wounds to them.

Artexi:<Says the guy that tried make us kill Hercules for him.>
===
*Safian looks at Thiera for a second, the starts sending fire balls at the light jets*

Well, it had looked like the Hostile Program finally exploded, and so Kyohaku's work was done sort of. He knew very well that this was just the beginning, however.

"If the Solar Sailor can get through, then do you think I should be able to take care of business?" Naturally his glider was run as one of them, which made it seem like he should have been able to do precisely that.

"Euryale is right. We might have to do a few things we don't want to." It was obviously hard on Kyohaku. This was his home after all, and these were his people.

*After they shoot down the Light Jets & fly through the gap, [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]*

Quorra<He's coming!>

*Sure enough, hot on their tail is a Light Jet with red lights, & a unique-looking Black Guard with dual ID discs is visible in the cockpit. As he fires on them, they swerve out of the way, & he makes a beeline for Euryale.*

E"Okay, we've got a problem: There's no way I can outrun that thing! You'll have to stall him!"

Th"Just remember not to destroy him, we'll need him to fix The Grid!"

Kevin<Good luck. We'll do our best to clear the way ahead.>

*And so the trio on Light Jets speed off.*
===================================
L"The arrangement wouldn't be pleasant for either party. But even if we get killed, you won't be around to enjoy it. Who knows, maybe we'll even be able to use the Keyblades to get out of the Underworld."

Hades<Not even remotely how it works, Red.>

L"Maybe. Maybe not. We won't have to find out if you cooperate."

*Hades grins.*

Hades<So you're saying...you'd like to make a deal?>

R"That sounds stupid, I vote we just haul him back to the castle!"

Azuma: "Would you consider a vocal agreement?"

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

Taiyo casts Stop on the aircraft pursuing them as she lacks slow or gravity related abilities.

*Artexi crosses her arms*

<Ira has a point. This whole mess is our fault for making a deal with Hades in the first place.>
===
*Safian turns to look at the red Light Jet pursuing them*

<I don't think I have anything to slow him down, unless you think hittin' him a bit will do it!>

"Just how exactly does anyone have dual identity discs?! That guy should be derezzed straight out of existence!" The fact that Kyohaku was reacting like that probably illustrated that he didn't often see anything like this at all.

Nodding his head back to Safian, he then smirked, "Yeah, do it!" He figured that hitting the other individual might have at least slowed him down some, which would possibly have helped immensely. Well, at least he had hoped that it would have helped that much.

*Rinzler is indeed Stopped by Taiyo, but after a few seconds, he becomes surrounded by a dark aura that breaks the spell, wheeling about to open fire on Hinode.*

Th"There's something else in there...could it be--?"

*By this point, the fleet has caught on to their attempted escape. While the other Light Jets tear after them, firing wildly, a row of Recognizers descend from the clouds, dropping bombs on them.*
==============================
L"Frankly, this is none of your business, the Order is taking control now. And who in the worlds is Ira?"

N"Yeah, I don't want to be the Most Wanted Man in Greece. So here's the deal: You tell everyone you made a mistake in blaming us, & agree to back off. No more mind control, no more trying to get us to play along with your evil schemes. Also, we get to keep our new powers. And in exchange, we won't beat the crap out of you & lock you in a freezer like some kind of college prank."

L"And I want information on your plans! What are you after? Whom are you working with? Are you why the Heartless are in this world?"

*Hades's grin slowly turns to a frown.*

Hades<So, that everything? You sure you're gettin' your munny's worth? You don't want me to massage your feet or read you a bedtime story?>
-----------------------------------------------------
*The judges & crowd start to murmur.*

Daisy<What's going on? Why are they just standing here?>

Moving his Keyblade about, Hinode quickly thought to fight back, creating a stream of plasma through the use of his Light Orbit attack. This single strong technique was always difficult for him to use, but if he hit right it generally only ever needed to be used one time.

"What else do you think it is, Thiera?" He cried out, distracted obviously with the firing as he did his best to dodge the fire coming at him with a practiced stance.

Vega: "If I had to guess, I'd say they're resolving their issues like adults."

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

Taiyo shoots fire at the Light Jets.

Artexi:<Wait a minute, I didn't get any new powers! This is so much bullshit.>

*She looks around at the others, then sighs*

<Fine, whatever. But now that you've mentioned foot massages...>

*Monu interrupts her*

Monu:<I believe everything has been covered already.>
===
*Safian sends some fire balls at the jet*

Th"It must have something to do with Senthose!"

*Thiera uses Reflect to protect them from the Recognizers' bombs, heavily damaging the ships' legs in the process. The Light Jets, including Rinzler's, swerve away from the incoming attacks. Rinzler grabs both ID Discs from his back with 1 hand & chucks them at Safian & Hinode, the latter of whom is lagging increasingly behind from the rest of the group. As soon as he levels off again, he also fires at Euryale's Glider.*

Th"If we dive into the city & weave between the buildings, we should be harder to hit!"

E"I know, I'm kind of waiting for someone!"
==============================
*Hades glares at them for a while & then, grumbling, snaps his fingers. In a burst of soot, another contract appears with a decaying feather quill & ink blot floating in the air.*

Hades<Just sign on the dotted lines.>

Azuma: "Anyone gonna take the time to read that and check the fine print for some 'you'll die in seven days' clause?"

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

Taiyo shoots bubbles to intercept the attack coming at Safian from one Keyblade while shooting bubbles from the other at Rinzler's aeroplane.

While he wanted to ask Euryale what she had meant, Kyohaku was tied to more practical means, especially considering that he was starting to lag behind because of his actions. Doing his best to catch up by running while he did his best to use his Keyblade staff to block the ID Disc that was chucked at them, he trusted that Safian would have been capable of handling the disc that was hurled at her.

If he was successful, then he would have been able to deflect it and catch up with the group that he was supposed to be traveling with.

*I guess Monu starts trying to read the contract*

Artexi:<I hate to say this, but I agree with bitchy Order guy. Someone needs to read it to make sure we all don't end up dead.>
---
*Since Taiyo deflected the disk coming at her, Safian uses Fire Raid on Rinzler's light jet*

OOC: Gods, I hate you both.

This document, notarized by Hades, Lord of the Dead, God and Ruler of the Underworld, under the authority granted to him by the Fates, signifies the terms of the ceasefire with the parties broadly referred to as "The Keyblade Order" & "The Organization," following an altercation that occurred between the aforementioned three parties at the end of the first

R"Oh my GOD, this is so BORING & STUPID!"

*Roatha snatches the document, signs it, & hands it back.*

(1st) match of the second (2nd) round of the first (1st) iteration of the event dubbed by the Olympus Coliseum authorities as "Mt. Olympus Tournament," prepared with cooperation by various deities, including the aforementioned God of the Underworld, etc. himself. This document further specifies that this agreement is continuous with the following Underworld Pact:

*Hades, Lord of the Dead, etc. agrees to grant, in perpetuity, Artexi and Nero Schwarz full control over the darkness normally sealed away inside of their hearts. In return, the aforementioned parties agree to the removal of Team Zeus, particularly Hercules, from the aforementioned Mt. Olympus Tournament event.

To wit, Hades (Lord of etc.), hereafter consents to allow the parties ............ and ............. to retain their dark powers. He furthermore agrees that the previous pact has been fulfilled and the aforementioned parties were not, in fact, attempting deicide upon his nephew. Acknowledging his mistake, Hades (Lord of etc.) agrees to not seek retribution related to or justified by his erroneous claim. He further specifies that his Divine Wrath will not befall Artexi, Nero, or any of their associates in The Organization in relation to the aforementioned Underworld Pact, under the understanding that they have fulfilled the terms of their bargain with him in full. Both nonagression agreements will also extend to other members of The Organization, including [Roatha "Ira" Arelaz's signature], who also participated in the aforementioned altercation with Hades, Lord of etc.

The terms of these nonaggression pacts will also extend to those parties broadly specified under the "Keyblade Order," represented by in this contract by ............, ............., ..........., and ..............., under the recognition that their intentions in attacking Hades (Lord of etc.) were born of noble intent to maintain the peace, and not an attempt at blaspheming the Gods. Hades (Lord of etc.) will not seek retribution on the Keyblade Order (hereafter referred to as "Order" or "the Order") for events connected to the agreement(s) outlined in this document. Finally, Hades (Lord of the Dead, etc.) consents to answering questions regarding any Underworld Pacts sealed without the inclusion of a confidentiality agreement.

In return, the Order and The Organization, represented by the aforementioned signers, acknowledge that further attempts to engage any of the following parties in physical or verbal combat, without permission from a Deity with jurisdiction, will constitute the crimes of blasphemy and (in the case of a God) attempted deicide:

*The God and Ruler of the Underworld, or any of his representatives (including servants, offspring, pets, et al.)
*Any of the other Gods of Mt. Olympus, or any of their representatives (including servants, offspring, pets, et al.)

These crimes, and their associated penalties, are defined jointly by the Fates and Gods of Mt. Olympus. At the time of this document's signing, the penalty for these crimes, as well as violation of the aforementioned agreements, fall under the discretion of the aggrieved Deity in question, unless successfully appealed to Zeus, King of the Gods, Lord of Mt. Olympus, and God of Thunder and Lightning.

[Hades's signature], Lord of the Dead, God and Ruler of the Underworld, formally agrees to the terms set forth by this document, and confirms that he has personally witnessed its signing by the aforementioned parties.

Once this document is signed, it automatically becomes part of the Tapestry of Fate, and cannot be altered, even by the Gods or Fates themselves. The agreements made therein must be followed to the letter, for it is predestined.
--------------------------------------------------
*The crowd starts booing.*

Daisy<I agree with them, I thought this was supposed to be some kind of action-packed tournament, not paying to watch a bunch of people sign a contract.>
================================
*Rinzler veers up, & once Hinode catches up with them (he's on his Glider, but whatever), Euryale veers down, weaving between the city's skyscrapers. Some of the Light Jets try to follow them, but rethink that decision when they crash into the buildings, triggering bright explosions of data. Occasionally, through a gap in the skyline, they can see Rinzler keeping pace with them above the city. They can also see, from the distant hangar, his battleship rising into the sky.*

Artexi:<I hope you just agreed to have a cactus jammed up your ass for all eternity.>

*Monu looks at Lilith, and nods slightly*

Monu:<Everything seems to be in order. I can't find anything I have a problem with. What about you?>

Azuma: "A little civility might be nice."

As if there still isn't something shady about this.

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

Vega: "You got out of that bout unscathed. If anything, this works out in your favor."

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

Taiyo: "Is that where we're going?"

"Rinzler is keeping pace with all of us, and his battleship is inching up there!" While he figured that everyone else had already seen it at this point, Hinode was doing much better about keeping pace at this point and had been perhaps unable to control himself from calling something like that out.

"Where did Safian go? I haven't seen her anymore!"

Naturally he didn't want to get this little troop split up any more than it already had been.

*By this point, the music has died down, replaced with the sounds of silence. And booing. And the audience throwing food at them.*

L"Wow, you really covered all of your bases."

*She looks up, staring into Hades's shit-eating grin.*

L"...I can't tell if you have a really bad poker face or if that's just how you always look."

Hades<Enough stalling, are you going to sign, or are we going to have to get our respective clubhouses involved?>

L"Fine, if this is the only way to get what we need while still keeping the peace...."

N"And I think I've shown that I can take care of any cheat you try to throw my way."

*And so they sign, Hades holding it out to the rest of them.*

Phil<Hold on, folks, it looks like the God of the Underworld is entering into some kind of agreement with the teams. We'll get this sorted out & get you back to the action as soon as possible. Heheh....>
===================================
E"No...that's just big, big trouble."

*The ship begins firing on them, enormous blue bursts of energy consuming the tops of skyscrapers & causing them to collapse. The shockwaves from the explosions hurl them through the sky, Euryale doing her best to hang on to Taiyo & Safian, Thiera regaining control as quickly as possible to use a shield to protect them from a falling building. As they zoom towards the Mesa Canyon, they see Flynn on the ground next to the tower. He shoots out some kind of beam, which opens an arch for them to fly through. Seeing that Rinzler has made a sharp break, Thiera grabs him with Collision Magnet & throws him to the ground on the other side of the canyon, his Light Jet falling in & being destroyed in a column of energy.*

E"Brace yourselves!"

*Euryale lands extremely roughly on ground that looks like it's cracking off & falling into the canyon, Glider skidding across the surface. She jumps out as Rinzler rolls to his feet, throwing a disc at the side of the tower, causing it to ricochet toward Euryale, who blocks it, & using his other disc to strike the ground below her. She jumps across to another islet just before it collapses.*

Quorra<The battleship won't fire on the Mesa, but we don't have much time before it gets here & starts unloading troops! Follow my lead!>

*She & Sam try to flank Rinzler from either side, but he catches his discs, blocking their attacks, hooking Quorra's arm, spinning him into Sam, & kicking them towards the edge of the Mesa, Kevin touching the ground just in time to raise a wall to catch them.*

Kevin<No! Tron, if you're in there, I need you to listen to me! It's me, Kevin! You remember the times we used to have, right?>

*Rinzler glances back, but ignores him, refocusing his attention on the Order.*