>>39004206

Far, far above, the shield hums. The sky is a wretched selpic blue, threaded with millivolt electrical impulses - Blinking whiskers of lightning, there then gone, stretching above the burning city. Arcadia is a necropolis, a cemetery city whose streets are choked with scorched hulks of wrecked armor, irradiated winds gusting flakes from the dead in swirling dust devils. Towers stand on the burning horizon like broken teeth in rotten gums, backlit by flames from the barrowfires that continue to rage; looming rigs, their surfaces corroding in the stellar radiation.

Grit clatters against your armor. The smoke that swirls through the empty streets is thicker than ever, blinding. Here and there, car hulls rot in the sickly light, already darkened by rust, giving infected-teeth leers from their corroded windows. The ground is cracked, churned and blasted - torn raw in the wake of bombardment, chasm-scars graven deep across the fallen districts.

Barricades of tumbled rock. A skyscape of toppled towers and dead spires.

Beneath you, the Ophanim idles - smartwheel condensed, emanating a stink of ozone and heat. Sensors flicker on the dash, showing only snow - the drive system whining as it cycles, the same engine note from earlier.

At this very moment, you give it no thought at all.

(Continued)

>>39004272

Two hours huh.

>>39004291
Just multiply any time JQOP gives by two.

>>39004272

The weight of Volt Regios's sword turns your wrist. The grip fits into your hand as if molded for it, the thorn-blade curving into a vicious cleaving edge, a stabbing point - the hilt bristling with spikes and recurved barbs, a cage of psycho-receptive steel quills. Patient little tics of electricity flicker across the surface; Internal systems informing you of the thought-commands to change modes, to make it unfurl into quad-prongs, to discharge a constant writhe of scourging lightnings.

And a name:

[PERUN]

"It was something," Distortion Haze says. He is caked in dust, the sulfur-yellow flicker of his eyes like candles guttering in the wind. He is shaking, as fog continues to bleed from the vents of his frame; the armored sleeve of his arm ratcheting shut at last, his hand coming up to wipe at his mouth. His fingers - syringes at the knuckles, ratcheting spikes below the wrist - are trembling minutely, too.

"I can't - Even now, I'm...It was a-all so mad, everything happening at once. One moment, there was *nothing* - And then..."

He stares off into the distance, the hiss of his systems like the echo of ragged breath.

"They were all over us, when the Shield came up. So many *people*, all trapped - All trying to get *away*..."

"I tried...We tried - to f-fight, you see? But there w-were so many bodies shoving forward...Whatever we did, we'd hit *someone*. It was the black - the black *rain*, coming down from above; There were C-correctors *everywhere*, and the other Players...the crazy ones, the mad ones, n-not just the *Smilers*..."

He swallows, staring down at his hands.

"-We wanted...we wanted to get away, to go somewhere *safe* - But there were too *many* of them. Coming from the dark places, dragging people down...I think - I think they were *waiting* for this. I think they knew what was going on. They just...They were killing everyone. The whole lot of them, like it didn't even matter..."

(Continued)

>>39004399

"I don't...even know where Volt Regios came from. There was no order - Just a jumble, desperate, frantic - crazy random shooting..."

Haze's articulated fingers interlock, tight.

"Joker?:

"-When it got really bad...I mean, when it was really close-in..."

"I - I think I might have killed one of ours." the cables beneath his armor writhe and bunch, echoing his slightest motion. "I'm...pretty sure I did it, too."

[ ] "Sometimes, it just gets like that."
[ ] "-Finish the story."
[ ] "You're alive. That's what counts."
[ ] "...I see."
[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>39004426

So do you have a long list of relics and their upgrades or do you just pull things out of your ass?

>>39004426
>"Then it''s your duty to live, Haze. If you survived at the cost of your ally's life, you ought to make it count."
>[ ] "-Finish the story."

>>39004291

(My apologies for that. An important political figure died recently, and this week has been rather complicated in general.)

>>39004426
>"You're alive. That's what counts."
>"-Finish the story."

>>39004471
>An important political figure died recently
And there's the confirmation that you're Australian.

>>39004482
I'd have said exactly the opposite, what with Lee Kuan Yew biting it.

>>39004548
Oh, I didn't actually bother finding out if any other politicians had died.
That makes much more sense.

>>39004458
>>39004472

> "Then it's your duty to live, Haze. If you survived at the cost of your ally's life, you ought to make it count."
> "You're alive. That's what counts."

The light in his eyes flickers. Yellow, yellow...Green.

-then yellow again.

"Yeah," Haze says, and looks away. "-yeah."

> "-Finish the story."

"We couldn't - we couldn't leave all those people *behind*, you see?" there's a kind of desperation in his voice, a hope for affirmation. "-we had some of Geist's squad...Some Players we'd never seen before - Some of the *new* ones...We thought, if we could hold them off for *just long enough*-"

"-Then, we saw them. The...the monsters." Haze's voice falters. "They were like...We thought they were more Correctors, but - they were huge. Massive. Something like, like...Like a chess knight, but when it opened up - there were these *bites* out of the ground, out of buildings - a walking *tank*, with weapons, with *guns*...Then one that could hit us with these - these fields of *time*..."

He shivers. "I saw people...whole *families*...become skeletons, become bones, become dust-"

There is a long, damned pause.

"And t-that...That was *it*, you see? We couldn't stop them. How do you...How do you *fight* something like that-?"

Haze's bitter gaze fastens on the sword you now hold. His words are softer, now - hushed. "...I saw Regios kill one of them. The one that *swallowed* things - It was right on top of him, and..."

"-And I think he knew what was going on. I think he knew what he was doing. He was next, y-you see? He couldn't get away. So he...While it was *eating* him, he called down the lightning and - there was this blast, this *blaze* - This terrible shriek, this howl like the fastest wind..."

"He took it with him. He just...the whole lot of them just went. And that was it. That was the end."

[ ] "-Jesus."
[ ] "How did you get away?"
[ ] "And the others?"
[ ] "Are you sure he's dead?"
[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>39004482
He's actually from Singapore.

>>39004577
>[ ] "How did you get away?"
>[ ] "And the others?"

>>39004577
>"And the others?"
>"How did you get away?"

>>39004577
>[ ] "Are you sure he's dead?"

>>39004577
>[ ] "And the others?"

>[ ] "Are you sure he's dead?"
That all seems too... I dunno, clean, I guess? It's not totally unreasonable -- we've got tachyon disintegration and black holing something that might do a similar thing -- but things aren't usually that clear-cut. One minute they're there and the next they aren't, and all that.

>>39004577
>[ ] "How did you get away?"
>[ ] "Are you sure he's dead?"

Guys, we need Tachyon weaponry. Seems like our Scrander can give us a last ditch chance.

>>39004399
>[PERUN]

>"-And I think he knew what was going on. I think he knew what he was doing. He was next, y-you see? He couldn't get away. So he...While it was *eating* him, he called down the lightning and - there was this blast, this *blaze* - This terrible shriek, this howl like the fastest wind..."

OP, are we aware if there's an ability that correspondes with with Haze's description?

>>39004714

(My apologies, I don't quite understand that question: could you clarify it?)

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>>39004591
>>39004600
>>39004623
>>39004625

> "And the others?"
> "How did you get away?"

He shakes his head, wearily.

"I don't know - I don't *know*. Some of them...Some of them got away. They must have. I just - I ran and *ran*, until..."

His voice trails off. Haze's hand settles on the armored shell of his arm - where the virus-charges, the poisons, the lethal contagions he carried with him were stored, once.

Then, slowly-

"All I could think - *all* I could think about - was saving *myself-"

> [X] "Are you sure he's dead?"

"I hope so," Haze says. He stares off into the narrow distance - Unbidden, his fingers bite into the palm of his gauntlet, clenched so tight they tremble. "-If they took him away - if he was still *alive*-"

He lowers his head - And for a long, long moment, he says nothing more.

Then:

"Joker-" almost reluctantly, now. "...what do we do? What *can* we d-"

And then, on the horizon - A flash. A tremor. A judder, racing underfoot - enough that the Ophanim sways, gyro whirring; dust bleeding from the seams in the roadway, the buildings trembling in the grip of the quake. The entire world shakes, the deep, seismic rumble diminishing-

The flickering light of burning buildings dim, the crackling song of transmutive force rising in a high, singing choir - Before a column, a ray, a blast sears into the covetous heavens, illuminating the churning black clouds with inner radiance. It is a pillar of light, lancing through the eerie gloom; the glare-filters of your altered visor cut in, as you glimpse it - Code, raw streamers of it, scrolling across your sensors-

The Manifold Frame.

(Continued)

>>39004722
You described that we are aware of the mode changes that the weapon can undergo.
Is there some mode that sounds similar to "huge ass lightning attack" or something?

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>>39004730
Time to launch the satellite.

>>39004762
I want to build up Meter for the Black Hole Cannon, damnit. I guess the satelite's okay too, though.

>>39004762
I wonder if we can drop the satellite itself from orbit.

>>39004730
>Regios could still be alive.

Thank you based OP. I suspected as much. We're not letting her die.

>>39004769
The Leukocyte doesn't use meter and I doubt that the Diadem will go down easily. We'll get a chance to use the Cannon.
>>39004772
Why the hell would you want that?

>>39004779
I suspect that if that ends up being the case we'll be forced to commit Regicide

>>39004772
We probably could but why the fuck would you want that?

>>39004785
Mostly I want to see how it's changed now we're all Lachryma'd up.

So, aside from satellite blasting (Which weapon? Tachyon?) should we look for clues in this area or go to the next group?
Hopefully Haze can sit with us on the bike without accidentally injecting a lethal poison.

Also, I wonder if Haze has the ability to inject healing agents into organics. He's a master of pestilence, but poison aren't necessarily unhealthy.
That would be a kick-ass Sun upgrade.

>>39004758

(It actually has two modes: Blade mode, where it can be wielded as an electric sword, and Blast mode, which allows you to fire continuous bolts of lightning or charge a larger blast. I'll include a more thorough description at the next juncture.)

>>39004730

It rips across the sky. The discharge is immense - For one blinding, burning instant, Arcadia has no nightside.

"What's-"

Everything shakes. The blast of raw code, of raw energy - the ascending blast - it turns the skyline into matchstick silhouettes, with a howl like reality collapsing upon itself. Your systems - a deeper inner sense - scrawl alien patterns of fractal geometry across your field of vision, as Haze doubles over - clutching his head, a high, shrieking whine pulsing across all channels...

The Manifold blast hits the inner curve of the Shield.

There is a loud, subsonic bang of pressure. Disconnected energies crackle across the surface - the rotation that threatens a storm - a thunderclap of electromagnetic rage splitting the skies; Your vision flickers, in and out - For a moment, you see the battered streets of Seisin High - then Arcadia - then both, images superimposed, overlaid on each other...

The Shield-

-*tears*. The triumphant shriek of clashing energies terminates in an oscillating wave, like the surface of a tranquil lake struck by stones - It is a *ripple*, coursing through the field effect, jags of lightning giving way to coloured bursts that writhe and fire out in arcing streams of destruction; the upper levels of buildings are severed by the wild, undirected forces, great shuddering crashes-

(Continued)

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>>39004825

Rents appear in the Shield. Ugly gashes, a tattered cloak of collapsing energies - segments shorting out, open to the sky beyond. Thinning, in places, the blaze of radiation momentarily diminishing-

It's not going to be enough. Immediately, you know that it's not going to be enough to collapse the Shield itself. A terrible hush descends, in the wake of howling winds - a keening wail building, flames sucked skywards by the sudden change in pressure - But already the field is beginning to scab over, the rents beginning to *close*; with a kind of agonizing slowness, micro-breaches like dozens of miniature impacts-

But for a moment - For one terrible moment - the Shield is weakened.

[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>39004808
Our first job is to regroup with any survivors and go secure the shelters. After that we need to get together with Aoba and prepare a strike team for entering the DIadem.

>>39004785
>The Leukocyte doesn't use meter
Yes it does. Check http://pastebin.com/iCJW0H9m.
The lowest cost it has is 35%.

>>39004834
Fire two Tachyon Annihilators.

>>39004834
>the Shield is weakened
Should we risk using the Leukocyte?

>>39004834
Fire the Tachyon Disintegrator at the Diadem. No need to halfass.

>>39004848
Search for ANDVARANUT in the pastebin.

>>39004859
Hadn't considered that. I'm assuming we're paying with Cobalt Booster?

>>39004850
First to soften the shield, second to attack the Diadem.

Which upgrade did we get again, loading time or aiming time?

>>39004863
METER is too valuable right now. Definitely Booster.
We have 170%. We can fire two Tachyon Disintegrators and regenerate enough in the mean time to fire the Distortion Cannon.

In fact, why the fuck not?
Two blasts of Tachyon beams and then they think it's over. And suddenly there's a huge-ass rock inside of them, as a final fuck you.

>>39004834
"This is our chance, Haze"
Fire the Leukocyte. Shoot a fully charged Fusion Annihilator at the Shield if necessary.
Use the comms: "If anyone here has an extremely strong long-ranged weapon, now would be a damn good time to use it."
>>39004848
EXEC_POWER TRANSFER

>>39004872
>Shoot a fully charged Fusion Annihilator at the Shield if necessary.
Use the Railgun.
Fusion Annihilator disperses at range.
Railgun gains damage at range.
In fact, if we get the fucking thing to aim for us, it might miss the Leukocyte attack.

>>39004863

(Yes, you can pay with Cobalt Booster.)

>>39004857
>>39004850
>>39004871
>>39004872

(Gentlemen, a very quick question: Which mode are you firing the Tachyon Disintegrator in? Be aware that it has two firing modes - The focused beam affects a fifteen-foot radius, while the dispersed blast affects a much larger area.)

>>39004879
>>39004872

(I'll note that your Fusion Annihilator and Railgun don't do significant damage to the Shield. It's less the relative power of your weapons, and more the magnitude involved - the Shield is large enough to cover an entire city.

The Railgun, for instance, fires extremely large projectiles...On a personal scale, not on a macro one.)

>>39004879
The Railgun doesn't deal much damage against structures,especially ones that can easily fix themselves. The FA has a decent AoE and shoots continuously. It's better suited for weakening something like the Shield.

>>39004892
Fire a single dispersed one to weaken the Shield and a focused one at the Diadem.

>>39004892
>(Gentlemen, a very quick question: Which mode are you firing the Tachyon Disintegrator in? Be aware that it has two firing modes - The focused beam affects a fifteen-foot radius, while the dispersed blast affects a much larger area.)
Start with the focused beam.
If it goes through, follow up with a dispersed one.
Otherwise do two focused beams.
Distortion Cannon to either give a "fuck you" or test if teleporting mass into the Diadem works, depending on how the Tachyon beams fare.

The intention for the railgun was to be used against the Diadem, aiming for anything that looks like a weak point.

>>39004898
I wanted to annoy the Diadem, actually.

>>39004903
Shit, that makes sense.

Now I can't decide if focused or dispersed makes more sense.

Then again, the total power should be identical.

So yeah, start with the dispersed one. It might even allow some people to escape.
Then the focused one can punch through the weakened shield.

>>39004892

Fire the orbital railgun to destroy the shield then fire the dispersed beam.

>>39004922
>orbital railgun
We don't have an orbital railgun.

The Railgun is something that Joker himself has.

>>39004936


55% - KINETIC ANTI-EMPLACEMENT WEAPON (AEW)

Massing just over two hundred kilograms, the LEUKOCYTE's kinetic kill weapons have a simple design: Rods of superdense steel-analogue, with rudimentary guidance systems, thrusters and an ion engine. When activated, the LEUKOCYTE releases the projectile - Which is subsequently guided down to hit the target at roughly 30,000 kilometers per hour, effectively creating a guided meteorite weapon.

While almost useless against mobile targets, AEWs are *hideously* destructive to the surroundings. In the event of anything less than a direct hit, the resulting shockwave is every bit as damaging, and can cause spontaneous - And severe - seismic activity.

It's pretty much an orbital railgun.

>>39004936
He's referring to the Kinetic Anti-Emplacement Weapon.

>>39004949
>It's pretty much an orbital railgun.
A railgun is very specifically a gun that uses two magnetic rails to accelerate a projectile.
A coilgun uses a single coil.

The AEW is a Rod of God.

>>39004958

(Gentlemen, to confirm - One of the above three?)

i) Focused Tachyon blast, then Dispersed;
ii) Dispersed blast, then Focused;
iii) AEW, then Dispersed.

>>39004966
>i) Focused Tachyon blast, then Dispersed;

>>39004966
>ii) Dispersed blast, then Focused;
>iii) AEW, then Dispersed.
One of those two.
Are AEW and Tachyon Disintegrator comparable in firepower?

>>39004981

(In raw dice, the AEW has more firepower.)

>>39004966
>ii) Dispersed blast, then Focused;

>>39004990
Changing from >>39004979 to
>iii) AEW, then Dispersed.
then.

>>39004981

One equivalent to a nuke the other is a scalpel designed to cut someone out of the timeline.

>>39004990
Well, then definitely the AEW first.

>>39004966
>iii) AEW, then Dispersed.

Wouldn't it make more sense to shoot the Dispersed one to weaken the shield first and then the AEW at the Diadem?

>>39005035
Not really. If it was a question of raw firepower, sure, but the AEW doesn't have the temporal bullshit the Dispersed Tachyon Disintegrator can pull.

>>39005035
The Tachyon does interesting time stuff, which we'd like to inflict upon our enemies.
The shield doesn't have feelings. We can't make it suffer.

>>39005070
>>39005043
The problem is that the AEW might not be as effective against the shield as the TD,since it's a kinetic weapon that relies on the shockwave released upon impact to deal AoE damage. It may break right through the shield, but may not do much else to it, since the Shield can mend itself.

>>39005098

If it breaks through the shield it will still fuck up whats underneath it, which we want.

>>39005118
Yeah, if it over-penetrates and hits the Diadem, we'll have a large scale Tachyon bombardement.

>>39005007
>>39005018
>>39004999

ABOVE:

The Leukocyte. Gleaming, perfect - A silver satellite travelling across the face of the Red World, at almost twenty-eight thousand kilometers per hour. Through the uplink, the execution of a simple command program-

Automated clamps activate, releasing huge steel-analogue bars layered in ablative shielding. Guidance jets flare to life, released vapor hissing; tiny ion thrusters flaring, the great mass rotating serenely for re-entry. A flash, a brittle *fzzzht*, the sound lost in airless Umbral space. All systems are nominal - Hardened alloy spear, ablative shielding, miniature ion drive and tiny attitude thrusters. Disposable, simple, robust; by the time the spear impacts at ground level, all of the above - as well as a fair bit of the final warhead itself - will all have burnt away...

-Leaving more than two hundred kilos of hardened steel travelling at well over thirty kilometers *per second*.

The main engine ignites, stabs out a plume of electric flame. The trajectory is hardly precisely calculated - at distances this vast, there are variables, unknowables, made worse by the distortion of the angle of entry, atmospheric density, and other concerns. But ideal accuracy is also a minor concern, too; for a weapon like this, 'close enough' is all that matters.

High above Arcadia, high above the shield, a slowly-developing dark cloud develops. Smoke, from ablative shielding burning off in the atmosphere.

The center of the cloud grows red. Then orange. Then pale as a blue-white star, as the afterburners kick in.

The angle is all wrong, for re-entry. It is coming in far, far too fast for any spacecraft to do anything more than disintegrate on impact.

But this is not a spacecraft, and it is not intended to survive.

(Continued)

>>39005137
>The trajectory is hardly precisely calculated - at distances this vast, there are variables, unknowables,
>yfw we miss and hit the next city over

>>39005137

It is a comet. A shooting star.

By the time the AEW's thrusters burn away - when the incredible heat makes it glow like molten iron, shedding it's own atmosphere envelope - it is little more than a fused mass, hurtling down from above. Atmospheric disturbances buffet it, sending ripples racing through the steel; Even with your beacon guiding it home, it is less than 'accurate'-

But the target is equally vast, and the bombardment is all.

----------------------------------

"...What's that?" Haze's voice is low, tense despite his misery - his head turned up, up, tilted back, following your gaze as targeting information scrawls across your sensors. He shields his eyes, leaning forward - an instinctive gesture, willing his optics to focus, though of course it makes no difference against the glare of the field above. "Joker, what are yo-"

At thirty thousand kilometers per hour, and *accelerating*-

You miss the Diadem. Of *course* you do - For a barely-guided projectile, at stratospheric ranges, to make contact anywhere in the target area's vicnity is a miracle in itself. But it is not the Diadem you're aiming for, not for this first barrage...

-It is the Shield.

There is an extraordinary noise, as the AEW falls. Like the world splitting in half, like a blow from God's hammer. There is something primal about it, in the thunderclap that peals across the burning city; An impact of staggering magnitude, communicating itself in a vast discharge of sound. Your vision darkens to near-opaqucity, to spare your optics - but in the last moment, you actually glimpse the point of collision: the savage destruction wreaked by the falling star, a splintering, a *shattering*-

(Continued)

>>39005244
Well, cat's out of the bag.
If anyone didn't know we had the Leukocyte yet, they sure as shit do now.

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>>39005244
> "Joker, what are yo-"
>You miss the Diadem. Of *course* you do

This is fucking hilarious.

>>39005244

...hope we didn't any friends.

I wonder if we could go to a high location and spam SMITE everywhere.

>>39005296
REGIOS, NOOOOOOO

>>39005244

The Shield shatters. Not all of it, but a sizeable segment; Cracking, breaking, with the sound of smashing glass. Flaws skitter across the wavering surface, already undermined - sharp chips of the energy shell raining down like flechettes, the shredding, fizzling surface sobbing and squirting burning light...And then comes the heaving shriek of the imminent landing, a pounding blast that comes when the hardened steel projectile rips through the wailing air...

The blast transcends sound.

----------------------------------

Switch. Grand pylons align, tachyon particles racing - A light gathering, falling into the Leukocyte's firing cylinder. The entire structure expands, like a blossoming flower; revealing row after row of capacitors, charging rings coming to life one after another...

-At precisely 14.8 seconds after first and final impact, well before the echoes of the collison have died away, the weapon fires.

The blast is different from any before it. Not a beam, not a ray - But a *radiance*, that begins on the horizon; expanding ever-outward, *fracturing*...

(Continued)

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More

Guys, when we get the Hollow Sun back, I suggest this upgrade

>[ ] ALL-ASPECT SENSOR ARRAY (Increases the Leukocyte's accuracy.)

And Vector Drive might be the perfect counter if we ever get cut off again.

>>39005399
No, that's a terrible idea. Next thing to be upgraded is Communicators. Then, we decide on what new stuff is available.

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>>39005377

The structure of the Diadem is a curious one. It is perhaps the final evolution of Player armor, overlaid and altered for structural integrity on a vast scale - the sheer impossibility of it's size further supported by subtle systems, by suspensor fields and gravimetrics, powered by the sullen glower of fusion engines. It does not exist solely in the dimensions you can perceive, the *reality* of itself expanding through space and time; like threads, woven into a complex, intertwined tapestry-

At the last moment, the Tachyon beam splinters. Refracting, into dozens of crazed lines - raining down from above, a hail of light-

"Oh shi-"

Haze jerks, involuntarily. You think, for a moment, he might be turning to run.

In it's dispersed form - Meant for use against Players, not grand structures - the warping effect is less pronounced. From where you stand, space *twists* - reality warps, in bizarre, eye-hurting ways; there are inexplicable transformations, inexplicable interactions in that triumphant blast. Buildings crumble, collapse - a rippling chain of explosions disperse across the grand structure. Parts of it glow with crackling corospant - there is a brittle shattering sound, like glass - parts of the surface turning to a fused mass - other parts charring, catching light...

(Continued)

(Gentlemen; My sincerest apologies, but I need to step away for about half an hour. I'll return as soon as possible.)

>>39005416

The damage is at once cataclysmic and completely superficial. The mass, the inherent solidity of the structure, works against the Leukocyte - There is simply so much of it, that it is unclear *what* you hit, how deep the rays penetrate, how far the distortion expands. In the reality that you can perceive, that you see, the atmosphere congeals into a toxic caul of ash and soot - hurricane winds flaying the surface of the world, howling through the city as primoridal night descends-

You can't see anything. The sky has been blotted out, in howling darkness. Your view of the Diadem, of the horizon, vanishes in the grand sweep of devastation that follows the discharge-

"Joker - what did you *do*?" Haze has to shout to make himself heard - He shudders, as if he's about shake you - then thinks better of it. "-What the hell did you do?"

[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>39005420
>"I activated a kill sat. No biggie at this point, right?"

>>39005420

Well that didn't work as intended.

>>39005420
>"Allowed a few allies to retreat and temporally scrambled the enemies.
>Unfortunately, I used the wrong fire mode for that second attack.
>I wish I had another charge. And now they know that I've got a satellite.

>So, wanna get the rest of our buddies during the confusion? I bought us time, at the very least."

>>39005420
"Gave us a chance at survival, Haze. Now c'mon, we need to gather the others."
Check the comms and call Kazuya "You alive there? It's time to get the hell out of here."
Search for the other Joker Icons. Have the Leukocyte at read. We may want to use the Maser to take out any weapons that are still active on the Manifold Tower.

>>39005457
>Manifold Tower
*Diadem

>>39005466
That would have been a serious bad end.

>>39005420
Should we go to Crucible squad?
This might be the most urgent one.
Even if they are dead, we can at least murder a few correctors and maybe find dropped relics.

(Gentlemen, back at last. Writing now.)

>>39005416
>>39005420
We really should have used a focus shot for the second one.

Because we may have just accidentally wiped out like... A lot of people. I mean, I know collateral damage is practically Joker's middle name at this point, but still. This might be a little excessive.

On the other hand, I don't think anybody expected THAT.

>>39005709
>On the other hand, I don't think anybody expected THAT.

>"Why is my arm in the future?"

>>39005709
I doubt there were many people left here in the first place. 90% of the casualties are essentially guaranteed to be Correctors or Cryptids.

Man, I really wish we'd used the Hellion army earlier so we could have saved all of our friends.

>>39005736
>>39005709
Guys, there was a huge-ass microwave ECM.
All survivors have been cooked. Literally.

The only survivors are underground. Probably in the Seisin High bunker.

>>39005736
And the 10% that weren't? It's basically guaranteed that Joker just wiped out dozens, possibly hundreds of living people (And a few players as well, I would guess) with the push of a button.

>>39005787
There are no living people here. The 10% I was referring to were random surviving Players and Smilers.

>>39005427

> "I activated a kill sat. No biggie at this point, right?"

"You what-?" Haze's eyeslits flicker, agitatedly - his attention divided between you and the smoke, as if - any moment now - he expects something truly terrible to emerge. "-If you had something like *that*-"

>>39005439
>>39005457

> "Gave us a chance at survival, Haze. Now c'mon, we need to gather the others."

"...the *others*?"

You tune him out, as you turn your attention to the Hellion cycle - even boosted, the Dirac channel is washed with code-noise, the signal disrupted by the brittle pulse of radiation from the Shield above. A countermeasure, to prevent communication - to stop at any attempt at a coordinated defen...

-Wait.

The malevolent, harsh, blue-white light...it's gone. Some combination of the Leukocyte's bombardment, of the Manifold Frame's discharge - the temporal distortions that still seethe across the surface - the disruption is now merely from the choking smog that boils through the air, as you adjust the frequency, cycling through the channels-

And one by one, in a rapid series of shimmering materalisations, the icons for Steppenwulf, Chrome Cypher, Daegal, Vector Geist, Flare Oriole and Rook flicker to life. Once more - for the first time since the city descended into nightmare - you have tactical control.

> Check the comms and call Kazuya.
> "You alive there? It's time to get the hell out of here."

"Anon-!" you can hear the growl and snarl of the Red Comet's engine in the background, the grinding of the combat chassis's treads - Static flickering over the link, interrupted by the crackle of Distortion Halos and the rattle of gunfire. "-Joker, is that you? You're online-!" He sounds like he can't quite believe it - Mingled with an immense relief, over the rumble of the massive Armory Guardian he's piloting.

(Continued)

>>39005864
Haha
I was joking with that reply. I didn't think t would actually be used, but okay.

>>39005864

There's a definite distraction to Daegal's voice, expressive despite the speaker's filters; "...What the hell's going on over there? The Shield's-"

You know.

You can't get more than a vague sense of his direction - Like with all the others - but you can feel the sense of diminishiment, the distance widening by the moment. Still in range, but only just. "We're, uh, we're heading for the shelter n - Hang on." There is a tremendous clamor on the other side, something that sounds like a hundred tonnes of metal being violently slammed into the ground - "...Anon, it's mayhem here. The city's fu-"

The plosive shriek of stakes being launched interrupts his words.

"-weight-five, move to the firing position!"

"-ros, this isn't sustainable-"

Daegal's voice returns, but only briefly - "...nd let me drive this thing - Sorry, say again. There isn't...nough to break through. They say-"

A blurt of sound, conferring with one of his backseat drivers-

"...o the bomb shelter's 'D' entrance - Meet up with you there, over. Licorice thinks-"

You're losing the channel again.

"...orth, go north...est, there's-"

(Continued)

>>39005908
Shit hurry and order a regroup with the other squads

>>39005908
I really wish we would've gotten the communication upgrade earlier.

>>39005908
Northwest then.

>>39005959
Looks like we'll leave Crucible by the wayside, unless Haze wants to go there alone.

>>39005908
>>39005864

Override. Refocus. Priority call from Vector Geist, Steppenwulf's icon blinking feebly in overlap - At your side, Haze stiffens, a hand pressed to the side of his helm.

"-Joker-" Geist rasps the words into the channel, the Player equivalent of a whisper. "...Joker, do you read?"

Softer, now - Someone beside him - "...ell him we *don't want to be here*-"

"Shut up," he orders. You can hear the clatter of rubble, stone sliding over stone. "-down to *seven Players*, Joker. We're caught in a holding pattern - they're *hunting* us. Listening in. Crucible's squad is already gone-"

Steppenwulf's voice cuts in. He doesn't sound snide or sure of himself any longer - Right now, at this moment, he sounds all of twelve years old.

"...*lunacy* has gone far enough. Taking on a force this size - trapped here like rats - Joker, *where the fuck do we go?*" A pause, a hiss of unneeded breath. "-Do you have *any answers at all*?"

[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>39006020
>"What's the status of your team? We have an objective to regroup at but me and Haze can be there SOON if you need the relief."

>>39006020
"Fuck, Crucible is already down?
Can't tell you where to go as long as they are listening in.
Can you follow my position marker?"

Try to close the distance to get a better connection.
Lead them to an area close to the shelter, but not the shelter itself.

>>39006047
Added:
Tell Daegal that we've got reinforcements. Also, that the connection is insecure and that he shouldn't give away tactical information.

Can we use one of our weapons as a position marker in case the connection breaks?

We could fire our Vulcans into the sky periodically or something.

>>39006020
>If you need help I can get where you are in a few minutes, but keep in mind I also have a dozen other people in need.
>Can you two join up with the others? The Comms are back for now, so you might be able to rendezvous with another team. Just be mindful that Communications are unreliable because of the atmospheric conditions and might be kinda sorta compromised And enemies might be listening.

>At any rate, we need to get the gang back together and plan the next step of the plan. Or just make a plan at all.
>And as for answers... that depends on the questions, really. There are some things I'm as much in the dark as you.

>>39006127

(You could try, but there's so much going on that another weapon-discharge would be fairly easy to miss. Unless you fired something really large, like the Fusion Annihilator.)

>>39006043
>>39006047

> "Fuck, Crucible is already down?
> Can't tell you where to go as long as they are listening in.
> Can you follow my position marker?"

There is a long pause.

"You-"

Perhaps wisely, Geist cuts in. "-not halfway across the city. The buildings are coming down on us - flyers and puppets, too. If we try to move-"

> "What's the status of your team? We have an objective to regroup at but me and Haze can be there SOON if you need the relief."

"Stand by, Joker-"

In the background:

("Sound off.")

The voices that answer him are distant and muffled. "-twelve of us left, and we're getting hammered down here-"

>>39006236

> Can you two join up with the others? The Comms are back for now, so you might be able to rendezvous with another team. Just be mindful that Communications are unreliable because of the atmospheric conditions and might be kinda sorta compromised And enemies might be listening.
> At any rate, we need to get the gang back together and plan the next step of the plan. Or just make a plan at all.

"That's good. That's *fantastic*. We can get together, so they can wipe us off the map *all at once*, instead of *one at a time*-"

("Steppenwulf, *shut up*, they'll hear-")

"...It doesn't look good, Joker. Wulf's right; the fog's up, but we have combat-ineffectives. At this rate, we'll..."

(Continued)

>>39006318
I guess we need to go to them first and bail them out.

>>39006318

"Joker."

Rook's icon pulses. There is no visual of his form, but you can hear the howl of the wind - Flight, at immense speeds. There is a brittle crackle, a cawing; still human, but only just. Haze tenses, and mouths-

"...Rook?"

"-Rook?" There's a distinct note of surprise to Geist's voice - then a kind of grim acknowledgment. "-thought you were dead-"

"Haze. Geist. Long time."

That's about all the recognition he gives them - you can hear the distance in his voice, a kind of strain, mingled with the rush of wings. *Many* wings, beating in uncertain rhythm, ragged and tattered and leathery.

"Joker. Where do you need me?"

[ ] "-Move to support Geist and Steppenwulf."
[ ] "Converge on my location."
[ ] "Track Chrome Cypher and Daegal."
[ ] "...What's that noise? Where are you now?"
[ ] "You're going alone?"
[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>39006412
[X] "-Move to support Geist and Steppenwulf."

>>39006412
>[ ] "-Move to support Geist and Steppenwulf."
>[ ] "You're going alone?"
"Daegal's squad would likely murder you on sight for not being pure anymore."
"Daegal, do you need support right now?"
If not or if he can't be reached, we support Steppenwulf and Geist.

This reminds me, wasn't there another squad? Who was their leader again?
Maybe we should try to contact them, as well.
Or did they already join the others?

>>39006412
>"-Move to support Geist and Steppenwulf."
>[ ] "...What's that noise? Where are you now?"
>[ ] "You're going alone?"

>>39006412
>[ ] "-Move to support Geist and Steppenwulf."

>>39006412
>"You're going alone?"
>"What's the noise? Where are you now?"
>"Move to support Geist and Steppenwulf. Guide them to Daegel."

Deagal and Co sound safe enough an Rook Could probably handle relief of Geist and Wulf.

Is there any other squad that needs help or should we try to find Volt?

>>39006544
Help the squad.
It will give us points for actually reinforcing them and make the fight easier for everyone.

>>39006515
>>39006543
>"What's the noise? Where are you now?"
Can we ask that without implying that we want him to broadcast his position over the channel?

>>39006465
>>39006473

> [X] "-Move to support Geist and Steppenwulf."

"Roger that."

> [X] "You're going alone?"

There is a dark, dirty chuckle on Rook's end of the channel. The background noise - the rush of flight, the shrill hunting cries and shrieks - becomes louder, the rush of sound swelling to drown out his voice.

> [X] "...What's that noise? Where are you now?"

"-I've found some new friends, Joker. Bringing them to the party."

Before he can elaborate on that rather alarming notion, the channel cuts off - Too quickly to be another disruption. Deliberate.

"Rook - Rook-!" Haze's voice is almost a shout - "Damn it," he mutters, a curious mix of relief, exasperation and concern to his words; "...I didn't know he was *back* - He didn't even *try* to tell me..."

He stops, mid-sentence. So suddenly, the vapor that hisses from his rebreather coils up to wreathe his helm.

At the very edge of perception - a new icon blinks to life. Tentatively, at first; pulsing, like a beating heart. A loop, over and over again-

"...Is that-" he begins. Then - "I don't *believe* it-"

(Continued)

>>39006592
>At the very edge of perception - a new icon blinks to life. Tentatively, at first; pulsing, like a beating heart. A loop, over and over again-
Is... is it Volt?

>>39006592
Fucking Kouichi

>>39006318
>>39006412
Looks like the icon upgrade is definitely active.

Thanks, OP.

>>39006617
He destroyed his emblem after deserting.
Also, Haze doesn't know him.

>>39006592
TELL DAEGAL TO GO TO THE HOLLOW SUN. WE'RE SAVING REGIOS.

EVERY MOMENT THINGS GET BAD, OP MAKES IT AWESOME AGAIN.

File: joker regios.jpg (227 KB, 644x803)

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>>39006592

Out of the smoke. Blackened and wounded, yet still regal. His armor is scarred and battered, the cloak that hangs from his shoulder-pinions little more than tattered scraps, now; Limping, thousands of dents and holes pockmarking cobalt blue armor, all ornamentation now scarred away. Sparks jag from the deep, hideous rents in his looming frame, one horn snapped off at a jagged angle; there are places where the plating has been ripped away, placed where the ripped edges would otherwise be cutting into myomer muscle...

And Volt Regios growls, in a crackling electric buzz - A hand extended in your direction.

"-Joker-"

Blue light flickers fitfully in that crested helmet's eyeslits.

"-that's not yours."

"But-" There's no hiding Haze's disbelief, utter and complete. "I saw you *die*-"

Regios turns his head. His gorget impairs his range of motion, and he moves like a cripple. It doesn't stop his slow advance.

"Thought I did, too." he says, that static-buzz rasp in his voice. "Thought wrong."

His gaze locks on you, takes you in-

[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>39006738

Wait, how is he not dead?

>>39006738
"And here I thought I had failed at saving a damsel in distress.

I'm glad that you survived. Are you up for another bike ride?"
Give her the sword. Scan the environment with Argus, just to make sure.

I have three possible explanations:
- She survived
- She got revived through Tachyon shenanigans
- This is a trap

File: image.jpg (12 KB, 234x216)

12 KB JPG

>>39006738
Bring it in

File: image.jpg (132 KB, 474x522)

132 KB JPG

>>39006779
Or the dice gods and OP smiled upon is this day

>>39006764

The tachyon bombardment affects time, remember?

>>39006738
"Thank you, Ixion. Tachyon weapons are the best."

>>39006738
"Indeed it isn't."
Return the sword. Check her with Draw Forth to see if she has any lachryma corruption.

>>39006738
"You should thank Tyrian Edge. The Tachyon satellite was his idea."

>>39006738
>You have no idea how freaking happy I am to see you, Volt.

>The hugs will have to wait though. I'm not giving you anything before I can be certain it's really you and not some kind of zombie player corrector thing pretending to be my friend, or that you're not being mind controlled, or... well, you get the idea.

>Call me paranoid, but Necromancy and crimes against the natural order of the world are exactly the kind of thing I've come to expect from Correctors and Smilers.

>>39006871
So, Nihl scan, Argus and test for Lachryma?

>>39006892
Pretty much, yeah.
Don't misunderstand, I AM happy that Volt is still alive, but when you consider things like Amaglam, Lachryma, Rust Kaiser and Uber-Correctors exist, necromancy becomes a serious concern, especially considering how Volt Disappeared.

>"...I saw Regios kill one of them. The one that *swallowed* things - It was right on top of him, and..."

>"-And I think he knew what was going on. I think he knew what he was doing. He was next, y-you see? He couldn't get away. So he...While it was *eating* him, he called down the lightning and - there was this blast, this *blaze* - This terrible shriek, this howl like the fastest wind..."

>"He took it with him. He just...the whole lot of them just went. And that was it. That was the end."

So, she was being eaten alive by a huge Corrector, released a super-attack and then -She and all the Correctors Disappeared-.
And now she appears out of nowhere.

Really. Fucking. Suspicious.

>>39006779
>>39006782
>>39006810
>>39006830

> "Indeed it isn't."
> Return the sword. Check her with Draw Forth to see if she has any lachryma corruption.

Regios's gauntlet clamps around the thorn-blade's hilt - the point grounded against the battered cobbles underfoot, as he leans against it like a crutch. There is the low hiss of damaged hydraulics relaxing, a whirr of internal gyros-

You focus. With that strange perception that you're only beginning to understand - the one that allows you to perceive black Lachryma like flaws, like cracks, like cancer cells or threads of black ice. It is not quite sight, but a *sense* for it...

-It's in you. It taints the world around you, a constant background surrusation-

But not on - not *in* - Haze. Not in Volt.

Volt's head cants to the side. Spined shoulders lift in a shrug.

> You have no idea how freaking happy I am to see you, Volt.
> The hugs will have to wait though. I'm not giving you anything before I can be certain it's really you and not some kind of zombie player corrector thing pretending to be my friend, or that you're not being mind controlled, or... well, you get the idea.
> Call me paranoid, but Necromancy and crimes against the natural order of the world are exactly the kind of thing I've come to expect from Correctors and Smilers.

"-Could always kill me again, to be sure." Regios's speakers filter all emotion from his words - But the cycling *clunk* that follows, the crackle at the end of his words...They might almost be amusement, as he gives Haze a long, hard look.

"I didn't mean-" Haze begins, and Volt Regios cuts him off with a raised gauntlet, a weary gesture.

"-Enough. No more mistakes, Haze."

> "You should thank Tyrian Edge. The Tachyon satellite was his idea."

"Hnh." A low sound, uncomprehending. "-if I see him, I'll tell him."

> "And here I thought I had failed at saving a damsel in distress. I'm glad that you survived. Are you up for another bike ride?"

(Continued)

>>39006970
It's tachyons I don't have to explain shit.

>>39006988

Volt Regios's helm doesn't display emotion, but the withering look he gives you...Yes, that's Shion all right.

He doesn't dignify that with an answer, limping to the Ophanim instead - the hovercycle wobbling like a rowing boat in slack water, as he clambers his bulk up into the seat; leaving the cargo cage for Haze, exposed to the slipstream.

Insistent, Haze can't help but blurt out-

"...It tore you in *half*-"

"-Feels like it."

And-

You wonder.

*Causing* something to unhappen - Changing time in such a way that you appear not to have changed time...

Haze is still stealing looks at you - hoping for moral support, for some explanation, to have it make *sense* - as he scrambles into the rear seat. Clumsy, all hands and elbows, his chequered armor awkward, scraping the bodywork as he settles without grace.

There is a cycling *clunk*, as Regios clamps her blade back into place. Cobalt-blue gauntlets, chipped and battered, lock around your waist.

"Where are we going, Joker?"

[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>39007067
>"To regroup with Geist and Wulf. Let's ride."

>>39006970
We just shot a time cannon at the city. Wide area temporal bombardment that stretches into the future and the past.

Joker just dicked the space-time continuum so hard that Volt Regios stopped being dead.

>>39007067
"To the bunkers. Rook is thankfully providing support for the other squad. And, from the sounds of it, he's got a swarm of crow Correctors on his side or something.

Haze, this is the power of Tachyons. Remember it well, because the Hollow Sun will soon provide Tachyon weapons.
Fate isn't a hindrance anymore."

>>39007067

Awwww, Regios is holding onto us!

>>39007067
>"Haze, I shot a temporal nuke at the city. Expect to see some strange things over the next few hours."

Anyway, I am wondering if Rook will be enough assistance for Steppenwulf. If so, who is next on the list?

>>39007067
>"Neither of you are in decent enough form to fight. We'll let Rook support Wolf in Geist and meet up with Argent's forces."

>>39007067

(Gentlemen: My sincerest apologies for the abrupt ending, but I have to stop here for now. It is extremely late on my end, and next week is a full working week - I had initially intended to cover a lot more ground, but unexpected actions took this episode in a different direction.

For now, good night and God bless - I hope to continue as soon as possible, and I'll strive to give myself more time to run the session.)

>>39007067
To the bunkers. Haze and Volt are in no state to be fighting. Hopefully Rook will be have enough firepower to get Steppenwulf and Geist out safely.

>>39007158
>I am wondering if Rook will be enough assistance for Steppenwulf
He seems to have followed in Kraken's footsteps and gotten himself a Corrector army. I think he'll be fine.

>>39006988
>>39007067
I'm suddenly glad that we didn't use focused tachyon disintegration.

>>39007176
Thanks for running.
I really enjoyed today's session.

>>39007191
>inb4 one of them shot Cybele and now she's alive again

>>39007207
Should we shoot at where each Demense used to be?
Would it cause the Chalice Queen armor to be multiplied?

>>39007207
Pls no
Pls

>>39007229
I think that is a very bad idea.

>>39007176
OP you ever considered making a Ask so you can answer question somewhere else other than Twitter?

>>39007176
Good night, Joker OP, and thank you for the everything.

Right, missed most of this episode thanks to having to visit Grandma.
Will update Episode Guide now and make it last longer than a week. No idea why I did that.

>>39007741
I already wondered why the thing disappeared.

>>39007741
Haze hands us Regios' sword, a Relic called Perun, and explains what happened: When the fighting started, they were surrounded by the same chaotic hordes that swarmed the rest of the city: Smilers, crazed Players, Correctors, and Simulation Bodies.
Haze hesitantly admits he may have killed one of his allies, but we tell him to live for their sake.
Soon, however, they were nearly overwhelmed by Correctors, much like the ones we faced. Being the next one to get eaten, Regios sacrifices herself, blowing every Corrector sky high with her lightning, saving everyone there. We talk to Haze about how he got away, and he admits he only thought of himself. Before we can comfort him, though, the Manifold Tower fires as promised by Armaros.
The Shield tears, and we see an ideal opportunity to fire the Leukocyte multiple times: first we fire the Kinetic Anti-Emplacement Weapon, a Rod of God, which permanently breaks the Shield, and then we fire the Tachyon Disintegrator in its alternate firing mode at the Diadem.
The blast, when it hits, turns the red sky black. On the plus side, it also removes the ECM, which means we can now communicate with our allies via the Joker Icon system.
We're offered some scraps of information: Daegal is heading northwest, towards the bomb shelter of Seisin High.
Vector Geist and Steppenwulf tell us that they're trapped and pinned down, and that Crucible's squad is down already.
Rook cuts in, and we direct him to help Geist & co. Meanwhile, unexpectedly, Regios shows up.
Though we check her for any signs of tampering, it appears she's fully herself. We hand her her sword and invite her for a ride on the Ophanim, though we hadn't reached consensus on the destination.

>>39008077
>Relic called Perun
[PERUN], actually.
The brackets are important. [KURA] also has them and no other relics have.

>Regios sacrifices herself
Tense. Sacrificed.
Otherwise it implies that we were there.

You might also want to mention that some of the Correctors apparently had special abilities, including an entropy/time acceleration type of attack that caused people to age quickly.

>which permanently breaks the Shield
Are you sure?
Maybe I missed it, but I feel like the shield might still be regenerated. It's probably an energy construct, after all.

>Daegal is heading northwest, towards the bomb shelter of Seisin High.
And requests that we meet up there.

>Rook cuts in,
apparently with feathered reinforcements in tow,

(It's important that he has an entire squad or maybe even more and isn't alone)
>though we hadn't reached consensus on the destination
I would replace it with "at which point OP abruptly leaves the session hanging".

So, the Hollow Sun will get the Tachyon Reactor and Neutronium Refinery.

I hope this means that we can get some of the Tachyon relics that we skipped in favor of the Leukocyte.
I would love to give one of our team members the Infinity Booster.

And the Igniter would be fucking awesome right now.

>>39008204
Changed Perun to [PERUN] and edited for tense troubles.
>which permanently breaks the Shield
>which appears to break the Shield for now
>Rook cuts in,
>Rook cuts in, apparently accompanied by flying reinforcements,
>though we hadn't reached consensus on the destination
> at which point JQOP ends the session abruptly
http://pastebin.com/n7R5jjzY