2018-01-15: Sound Judgment

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===========================<* Great Aveh Desert *>============================

The heart of the Republic of Aveh is its great desert. The rolling dones and blistering heat here are infamous, and all but the most foolhardy would ever dare to cross it on foot. Most do so via the great rail lines running north to south, east to west, leading as far as Krosse and Adlehyde. The ones who do cross it on foot will find the heat isn't the only danger. Mirages can lead men astray, oases are few, and great and terrible beasts sink beneath the sands until they find their prey.

DC: Virginia Maxwell switches forms to Winged Drifter Virginia!
<Pose Tracker> Asteroid the Kid has posed.

Asteroid the Kid has been Asteroid the Kidnapped!

Naturally, 'Alex' or Professor Alexander Castle as Jacqueline Barber's team into Seven Sages was able to learn from the undead rulers here, hasn't exactly said where he intended to take Asteroid the Kid but Jean's personal interaction with him and some suggestion that the Time Statue might be present indicates he's unlikely to have left the site just yet. He likely intends to take Asteroid and the Statue back to wherever he came from.

Going through the entire ruin to hopefully reach Castle isn't very likely to work but luckily in past visits, a portal leading directly to the computer room you first met Castle has been stuck open, allowing you to skip the dungeon! Thank developer foresight!

Once through, it's just a small walk down a hallway into the server room. Inside, a computer with a nearly complete countdown on its viewscreen ticks down. Asteroid the Kid is wearing some manner of strange tech manacles that keep her arms firmly gripped to one another. Her ARMs are on a nearby counter. A large blonde man, easily eight feet tall and similarly broad stands tall, watching the screen with incalculable patience. Two large red ARMs are firmly attached to his fists. He reaches up and fwips out his labcoat.

"The timer's too slow." He murmurs to himself. "What a pity..."

He turns to face the forces of the assorted.

"I don't suppose you are interested in leaving me to my duties."

<Pose Tracker> Virginia Maxwell has posed.

        Virginia was freshly cleansed of her Malevolent aura, only what seems like a short amount of time ago... and she's fresh and raring to go -- and she knows she's got a duty above all else that can't wait. Time, indeed, was precious.

        That's why she's here right now as she sprints into the server room, having discovered the dungeon shortcut back when she was here as a Hellion. Her dual silver pistols are released from their adorably baby-blue holsters with rose embroidery print. "I'm here to get Astie back, you jerk!"

        She locks the Rapier Ex and the Bantorain, holding them gangsta-style as she readies her aim.

        "You're not hurt, are you, Astie...?! We're gonna get you out of there!"

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

        One of the defining gestures leading to the interruption to one Professor Castle is the ever-startling sound of Ethius slamming the butt of his quarterstaff against the ground. The gesture that demands attention. Compliance. Silence.
        The rest of him, standing among the gathered, is that of a six-foot man who stands without slouch or rest. His eyes do not waver before the intimidatingly huge man and the dangerous addition of their ARMs. Quite the opposite - Ethius seems to be standing before them emboldened. No emotion reaches his eyes as he simply stares out to the large researcher.
        "Release her at once." He does not say 'or else.' He makes the demand clear.
        Earlier, he tried to talk Jay down about including some of the gathered within the party - he expressed, specifically, that the likes of Kourin and Jean should probably not be there. Virginia, in wake of what she went through, was one he expressed concern about.
        His concerns did not win out. What's done is done.
        He leaves the matter of addressing Asteroid proper to those who would call the odd rock-headed young woman a friend - his business seems to be more specifically with this one Professor Castle, as evidenced by his unwavering eyes upon the large-bodied researcher.

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

Over the past few days, Catenna feels like she's been run ragged.

But that does not matter, she decides as she presses onward in time with the rest of her group. Asteroid came for me when I was too weak and small to escape that Kislev prison camp. And... she is my friend.

It does, at least, help that they skip the dungeon.

The mere sight of the server room is enough to give Catenna an awful feeling. It's cold - sterile, oddly electric. A sick shudder rolls through her as she spots Astie so cruelly bound - and then her eyes travel the large man. The very large man with ARMs for, uh, arms.

With a whisper of steel, the moon priestess unsheathes her sword and holds it across her body, planting one heel forward and apart from the other. She lowers her chin and raises her shoulders, curling a little into a ready position.

"Release our friend immediately," she says flatly. "You have no right to hold her, in this way or any other."

<Pose Tracker> Carina Wynne has posed.

Carina has never met Asteroid the Kid. But her CaraKin friends are intent on rescuing her, and as the saying goes, a friend of a friend is a friend indeed.

Not that Carina will be participating. That would be very silly.

METAL DIGGER LOCUS, who hasn't stopped sort of looking like Carina, acting like Carina and obviously being Carina, is here in her stead. Clad in a sleek red armor with a face-obscuring, bug-themed helmet, she simply landed alongside the group as it gathered, after what must have been a bit of an absurd jump from behind a nearby boulder.

She bwoops through the portal ("Aw yeah!") and follows the group into the server room, her ponytail trailing behind her way too lightly for its size. She then stops in her tracks at the sight of Asteroid.

"W-Whoa, I thought the asteroid part was figurative," the ridiculous bug-headed superhero says before assuming a battle stance.

"Experimenting on innocent space rocks to further your sinister plans, aren't you? That's a major jerk move! We won't let you get away with this!" She brandishes a fist.

<Pose Tracker> Jean has posed.

Jean got to face down this man once, herself--while she was already injured, and he had the upper hand. ...She doesn't intend to leave it like that, least of all with Asteroid on the line--Asteroid...

Well, the Shadow Dancer--the Fiend hunted by an alien church--is here now, with Virginia Maxwell, dressed relatively unassumingly, in normal clothes, with fur-trimmed fans hanging on her hips as weapons, her hair bound in a blue bandana. And as for including those in the party...

The expression that Jean shouldn't be here got a raised eyebrow from her and an indication that if he's got a problem he can go pound sand. Jean has been here before... and she was the last to see Asteroid.

So right now, she steps out of Virginia's shadow, hefting her fans in a martial arts style, one up and one down--or the opening maneuver to a dance. ...It could be either. "I said it wasn't the end of things!" Jean said.

"...Everyone, careful of his energy fields." Jean's eyes are narrowed still.

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

Jacqueline had been making preparations for this ever since she and Cyre visited the Seven Sages Ruin, and spoke with the Professors there. They had told her that the man responsible for Asteroid the Kid's abduction was dangerous, and so she decided that it would be best to approach this with care and consideration...

Now, however, it is time. She leads her friends - of the Caravan Kinship, plus other reliable individuals she believed would be helpful here - through the portals, and into the room where a certain man is present.

He's practically a giant, and though she is...somewhat concerned, she doesn't let it show on her face.

Jacqueline strolls into the room after Virginia. She nods a greeting toward she of poofy dress and baby-blue holsters.

Even though she had heard that Virginia had been purified, it was a bit of a surprise to see her...there, and not in Hellion form. If the situation wasn't as dire as it was, she'd congratulate her. But now's not the time for that.

"You must be Professor Castle." Jacqueline states, her tone cool and authoratative. She studies the large man carefully, though she does keep an eye out for those arms he was said to carry. "What are you doing here? And why did you abduct our friend?"

DC: Shalune Amira switches forms to Girl of Blue Skies!
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.

Catenna isn't the only one who is being run ragged. There's another here, too, who seems to have spent the past few weeks running halfway across Ignas. There have been a lot of fires to put out. A lot of work for him to do. Cyre appears alongside the rest of the Caravan Kinship, his staff tapping idly against the floor.

"Professor Alexander Castle, I presume?" The shaman says from under his hood, his haggard eyes doing little to suggest that he's anything but absolutely done with all this nonsense. He'd probably be in an even worse mood if he didn't get to completely skip the entire dungeon. Maybe he has the local doctors to thank for that?

Or maybe it's just luck.

One way or another, the wind priest is Not Happy. A kidnapping is one thing, but kidnapping someone as (not very) harmless and (definitely not) innocent as Astie is another thing entirely. She's a Baskar! She's a Demihuman! That means they're basically family!

"I'd suggest that you kindly return our friend and stop pursuing whatever it is you're doing." If not... Well. They don't need to say that part.

<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

        Shalune's of two minds on this place. On the one hand, it calls to her naturally; full of interesting technology and bizarre things to learn, research - and, y'know, maybe steal a few things for her own purposes. No-one's using them anymore. There's common law stuff, right?

        On the other hand it's deeply disturbing on some level, the madness that pervades the place a real and present warning about delving too deep too quickly. Occasionally, when she's trying to fix odd bits of the Golem Diablo, she takes a look at its odd construction and internals, its strange mix of mechanical and biological parts that don't make any sense, and she thinks back to this facility.

        She sucks in a deep breath, though, and presses forwards into the rift that pulls them through non-euclidian space in a manner she'd love to study were it not threatening to turn her stomach inside-out. Emerging with a muted 'urp', she totters forwards several steps to Jacqueline's side, mostly going for bravado even if she's not terrifically sure who a lot of the other people present even are.

        "--y-yeah!" she blurts, hopping from foot to foot as Virginia and Jean pose; that evidently scores big with the pink-haired mechanic, who can appreciate a dynamic entry when she sees one.

        Trying for one herself, she puffs out a breath, pulling a slim white rod of metal from her belt and a thick canister from her pocket. Looking more like a baton, she presses a button on the side, letting the entirety of the staff telescope outwards - reaching up, she drives the canister home onto one end with a sharp click, then hefts the staff up into her hands at the ready. It's not a graceful twirl or anything, but last time she tried that she sent the battery flying off into the distance after she bounced it off the floor. Don't Give Up, Shaluneton...

        "Don't underestimate what we'll do to get someone back!"

<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.

Kourin has come along. She's still a little bit ginger about her recent injury, but her job isn't to be sitting around the Caravan while everyone else is in danger for a friend. Spirit stays close to her. Kourin poses...but doesn't say anything. Just glares, a serious, jaw-set stare that speaks of what she is prepared to do for her friend.

<Pose Tracker> Emma Hetfield has posed.

 
Someone has come with the group. Someone in green and pink.

This mysterious figure has helped; her ARM seems to do wonderfully in a support capacity, and she has been able to use mag-accelerated death dealing punch shots from a personalized sideARM.

She has given advice. She has helped with puzzles and challenges. She has even played encouraging music and attempted to sing along, even when nobody else was in the mood.

BUT NOW...

"And for THAT matter, Mister Castle," Emma Hetfield says, strutting forwards as if she owns the runway despite Castle being, like, three times her size, "I think that before you say a single blessed thing about your DUTY, you explain some of the key principles that you have VIOLATED and why you have violated them!"

Emma begins to slap the Emulator as if it were a stack of books, addressing him. "Abduction! Instigation! Theft of vital personal property! Endangering the planet through poor scientific ethics! Or any scientific ethics at all! Science may break a few eggs here and there, mister, but you're sticking a thermal probe up the backside of the World Cucco and trying to flash-scramble your breakfast. And now, of course, you've reaped the metaphorical whirlwind."

"Who did you even study with?" Emma concludes, her tone withering. "Did you become a 'Professor' from the back pages of the Nortune Advertiser, or did you spend a Gella and send away to Thames for a certification in Aquaprimatology??"

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

"Please do not awaken the World Cucco," Catenna murmurs. "Filgaia is not ready for the Vast Cluck."

<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.

"Oh come on, everyone knows that old myth about the planet being an egg is just a myth," Cyre huffs. "It's the sun. The sun has the cucco."

Oh my, there seems to be a difference in mythologies at foot...!

<Pose Tracker> Avril Vent Fleur has posed.

        Seven Sages was an ancient ruin. It was said it dated back to the Zeboim era. While perhaps this was but a rumor, a certain young woman had felt... intrigued. There might be some clue within its depths pertaining to her own mystery, or even a statue -- or hints to the location of one.
        Or barring that, something they might be able to use to help them in their aims.

        So she'd went.

        Nevertheless--

        They had approached a strange device. She lingers before it, a frown on her lips. "How odd. This... I feel that I might know this," she had murmured, before resting her hand on the plate. "Where have I seen this before? Ah-?!"

        The machine roars to life and lights up, a black red-tinged expanse opening up beneath her feet. She falls through the gate--

        --Abruptly, a portal opens up on the ceiling of the little lab, its edges tinged blue.

        A split-second later a woman falls through it, landing a little heavily onto the floor of the laboratory.

        Avril Vent Fleur, mysterious-maiden-at-large, blinks a touch owlishly at first, apparently more than a little surprised by the situation she's found herself in as some people might be to see her here.

        But as her gaze treks its course across the room and lingers on Asteroid, she quickly rises to her feet and draws from the depths of her wrap her ARM, manifesting its blade with a twist of her hand. "...You are holding her against her will, are you not? I request that you release her." The request is polite. Avril meanwhile hoists the blade, directing its tip towards the ceiling.

        As if the situation didn't already speak of something untoward going on -- what with Asteroid bound -- other people weigh in. Avril's expression hardens. "Immediately," she adds.
        'Poor ethics'... that reminds her of something. But the feeling attached to it is...

<Pose Tracker> Asteroid the Kid has posed.

Asteroid perks up at Carina. "You know what asteroids are??" SOCIAL LINK UP. She seems shocked by the presence of so many people. Jean she sort of figured since Castle struck at her kung fu pride, but all of Carakin? Ethius? Well okay she expected Ethius. Actually, in this moment, Asteroid can't help but wonder why she doesn't feel more surprised. Shouldn't she be? Hasn't she walked around with chips on her shoulders all this time? There's even a...

Asteroid squints at Carina. Then she realizes it. It must be some bugheaded beastman who is afraid of showing her face to humanity less they try to squish her. She nods sympathetically to her.

But she just blushes severely and looks down rather than answer Virginia directly. She sniffs faintly. "Ginny, I..."

But heartfelt behavior will have to wait because Castle studies the group very carefully. He takes numbers. He considers the abilities he knows and, more importantly, the abilities he doesn't know.

"You're making a mistake." Castle says. "You don't even know what this creature is. But I suppose this is why your people have always needed shepherds to guide you. Very well."

He throws off his labcoat, casting it aside as he adopts a fighting stance before he punches the ground hard, cracking the floor and sending a shockwave launching out at you even as an X-shaped electrical fence takes form in front of him, seperating the group between the four quadrants. The fence twists slightly, trying to slam right into Jean.


Asteroid bends over and starts biting at her restraints unsuccessfully.

OPTIONAL BOSS FIGHT

ALEXANDER CASTLE

CONDITIONS: Survive his onslaught!

Bonus Objectives: Free Asteroid the Kid
Defeat Alexander Castle!

"Sorry. I went to a real school." He tells Emma Hetfield. "You wouldn't have heard of it." Avril's sudden appearance throws him off and he frowns at her. "Just because something is person-shaped..."

DC: Asteroid the Kid switches forms to Professor Alexander Castle!
GS: Asteroid the Kid has attacked Cyre H. Lorentz with Kiai!
GS: Asteroid the Kid has attacked Jacqueline Barber with Kiai!
GS: Asteroid the Kid has attacked Ethius Hesiod with Kiai!
GS: Asteroid the Kid has attacked Virginia Maxwell with Kiai!
GS: Asteroid the Kid has attacked Shalune Amira with Kiai!
GS: Asteroid the Kid has attacked Kourin with Kiai!
GS: Virginia Maxwell takes a solid hit from Asteroid the Kid's Kiai for 93 hit points!
GS: Disrupt! Statuses applied to Virginia Maxwell!
GS: Asteroid the Kid has attacked Catenna with Kiai!
GS: CRITICAL! Jacqueline Barber critically Guards a hit from Asteroid the Kid's Kiai for 31 hit points!
GS: Ethius Hesiod critically Guards a hit from Asteroid the Kid's Kiai for 20 hit points!
GS: Catenna takes a glancing hit from Asteroid the Kid's Kiai for 45 hit points!
GS: Disrupt! Statuses applied to Catenna!
GS: Asteroid the Kid has attacked Carina Wynne with Kiai!
GS: Asteroid the Kid has attacked Emma Hetfield with Kiai!
GS: Asteroid the Kid has attacked Jean with Arc Bolt!
GS: Asteroid the Kid has attacked Avril Vent Fleur with Frown!
GS: Asteroid the Kid has completed her action.
GS: Carina Wynne takes a solid hit from Asteroid the Kid's Kiai for 107 hit points!
GS: Disrupt! Statuses applied to Carina Wynne!
GS: Jean takes a glancing hit from Asteroid the Kid's Arc Bolt for 71 hit points!
GS: CRITICAL! Cyre H. Lorentz takes a glancing hit from Asteroid the Kid's Kiai for 91 hit points!
GS: Disrupt! Statuses applied to Cyre H. Lorentz!
GS: Emma Hetfield takes a solid hit from Asteroid the Kid's Kiai for 110 hit points!
GS: Disrupt! Statuses applied to Emma Hetfield!
GS: Kourin takes a glancing hit from Asteroid the Kid's Kiai for 50 hit points!
GS: Disrupt! Statuses applied to Kourin!
GS: Shalune Amira guards a hit from Asteroid the Kid's Kiai for 75 hit points!
GS: Disrupt! Statuses applied to Shalune Amira!
GS: Avril Vent Fleur takes a glancing hit from Asteroid the Kid's Frown for 0 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Virginia Maxwell has posed.

        Virginia is impressed that Jean's so coordinated with her! She nods boldly as she says, "This is just the beginning, Astie!" She is already on the run when Professor Castle throws his labcoat aside, punching the floor and sending shockwaves a-flying. Virginia dives upwards and holds her arms out--

        --and nearly gets flung away into a crash, landing against something solid with a wince. But there's a grin on her face...?

        ...

        Because a crest is in her hand, and it glows. It's not a tindercrest, or a galecrest, but...?!

        ...

        A portal's opened through the shockwave afterwards, and out comes--

        The hero who never gives up... Skeleton!

        "Go, Skeleton! Undo Asteroid's binds for us!" Virginia shouts. Skeleton has no eyes, but you could still see the glimmer in the sockets where his eyes would be, because as the bony friend stops by the chair, he pulls out...

        A skeleton key.

GS: Virginia Maxwell has attacked Asteroid the Kid with Just for Pun!
GS: Virginia Maxwell has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

        The ground shakes violently under the might of Professor Castle's fist. The world rattles underneath the actions of a giant man who moves the understanding one has of the world with mind and might alike. Shockwaves spread outward, looking to throw people off their feet and scatter them like trash as the electrical fences raise to split up the group into fours.
        Ethius slams the butt of the quarterstaff, one-handed, into the shockwave as it comes to him. It disperses. He does not bow to the shock and awe of Castle's initial maneuvers to separate and scatter the gathered that have outnumbered him.
        Others may have words of protest about how the man describes her - 'this creature.' Dehumanizing. (Derockheadizing?) Robbing her of personhood and identity, to treat her as a little plaything. Ethius does not voice his indignation through long-winded verbal counter-punches.
        The Caravan Kinship knows full well how Ethius operates. Where awkwardly long-winded sentences with roundabout phrasing end, relentless and decisive violence begins at a ferocity and intensity that make him seem less a 'curious person' and more 'relentless, remorseless killer.'
        The syllables that escape his bandanna-covered mouth are, paradoxically, both muffled but crystal clear as he flutters the fingers on his right hand. Light patterns escape what's visible of his tattoos - and about the air and ground nearby - as he fires off a Symbological spell to start raising the ambient heat around Castle.
        Subjecting him to sweltering heat would only be the beginning, if Ethius is not sufficiently deterred by what overwhelming force and power the Professor can bring to bear against the primitives that dare interrupt his work.

GS: Ethius Hesiod has attacked Asteroid the Kid with The Part Where Ethius Starts Trying To Burn Things!
GS: Ethius Hesiod has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Jean has posed.

Jean doesn't huff about myths, or answer the others here; she keeps aware of it, but... That's all. Her focus is on Asteroid and on Alexander, at the moment. "...We're here," she says to Asteroid, and looks to Ginny beside her. Castle studies the group... And talks about a mistake. The shockwave comes out--the fence taxes form, and Jean spins in place, the fence burning along her back instead of trapping her as she adopts another fighting stance.

"I don't care what she is," she answers. "I'm still not going to let you keeper. ...And neither are they." Ginny was crashed off, but--it seems... she has a plan already. ...And Ethius--Ethius's manner, the way he fights, starts to strike a chord with Jean already. It's not a good chord. She shifts her stance immediately--

"Hup--" She weaves her hands in an S-shape, and suddenly--splits. Thre are three Jeans all around Alexander, spinning in place on one foot each and then ducking down to start hurling needles to poison and sap at the man's defenses from all angles. ...And step... Closer...

GS: Jean has attacked Asteroid the Kid with Needle Step!
GS: Jean has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.

What kind of weird, arrogant professor-type can spontaneously generate shockwaves by flexing?

This kind, apparently.

Cyre growls as he's caught in the gut by the blast wave. His boots skid, carving dark streaks across the polished floor. But no amount of treading will save him from the power of Flexing. The shaman is knocked flying right into...!

Nothing at all, because Cyre has a parachute.

The shaman sails gently to the ground. The parachute... collapses on top of him. There are downsides, it seems, to even the finest safety gear.

It takes a moment, but Cyre eventually works himself out from underneath his chute, carrying... a...

Soccer... Ball?

Cyre locks eyes... Locks eye with Astie for just long enough to nod meaningfully over at the girl in the chair.

What is he going to do with a ball, though...?

Short answer: He's gonna kick it.

Long answer: He's going to light it on fire and THEN kick it straight through an inexplicable magic circle. What emerges on the other side isn't a ball.

It's a laser ball.

An incendiary laser ball.

GS: Cyre H. Lorentz has attacked Asteroid the Kid with Astral Impulse!
GS: Cyre H. Lorentz has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.

Kourin is staggered back a bit, but...well, honestly, she turns her recovery into forward momentum for her lunge, whipping the rapier free from its sheath to bring it out in front of her, thrusting forward in a leaping rush!

She's not looking at Asteroid, not yet. It's not time to have her focus split.

GS: Kourin has attacked Asteroid the Kid with Lunge!
GS: Kourin has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.

Just so there is no confusion Cyre is kicking the ball at the guy with the muscles.

Not at Asty.

That would just be bullying.

GS: Asteroid the Kid guards a hit from Cyre H. Lorentz's Astral Impulse for 85 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Emma Hetfield has posed.

 
Emma's backtalk has kept her from speaking to the rest of the group immediately, and when she finishes and receives a riposte, she seems puzzled. Baffled really; what? He didn't simply give under? Now she's going to have to actually fight, isn't she? The electrical fence erupts around them and Emma dives out of the way, ending up perhaps trapped with strange bedfellows.

"Did you go to Hipster," Emma begins, when CHOOM! The ground is struck and she is staggered. Perhaps it was an error in her planning, perhaps she'd been less focused than she thought. Sinking to one knee, she exhales.

Her eyes go back to Professor Steroids. "Sir," she tells him, "I have never been a sheep, and I have always been a goat." As she keys something into the Emulator, she continues: "I graze incessantly, I'm good at climbing, when I was young I would scream endlessly for no reason--"

A surge of green light, shaped light weird characters in a meta-script, rises around Emma. The Emulator is held out, totemically, as red and blue spheres try to draw... SOMETHING out of Castle, and into the ancient ARM.

"And I," Emma says, glasses slightly askew, "have always needed to be led, not herded."

GS: Emma Hetfield has attacked Asteroid the Kid with Download!
GS: Emma Hetfield has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

'This is why your people have always needed shepherds to guide you.'

Catenna starts moving immediately after that sentence leaves Castle's mouth, Behind her normally calm grey eyes, sparks of anger flare to life - but only her scowl betrays the intensity of that fire.

As the huge scientist slams his fist into the ground, that fence rips itself out of the floor, dividing the group into quadrants. The shockwave pushes her back and prevents her from doing what she wants to do.

Throwing herself to the ground as the wave slams into her, Catenna hits the floor on her side and rolls, letting the worst of it roar over her. Wincing, she plants her sword against the floor and pushes back up once the wave has passed, setting her shoulders and taking a look around.

"...Separating us from our friend will not work," she huffs, scowling. However, for the moment, it does seem to stymie her. Catenna's spells are gravity-related and water-related; neither could adequately tear down a fence and allow her to get through to Asteroid.

Skeleton may have it covered - but Catenna clicks her tongue as a spark of inspiration hits her. "Asteroid!" she calls. "Please do not think less of me if I do this wrong." Blushing, she reaches behind herself, into her stereotypical RPG inventory.

        > Heal Berry.......... 99x
        Rogan Josh.......... 20x
        Josh Rogan.......... bluh bluh, Carina!!x
        Heal Tea............ 2x
        Dark Scimitar....... 0x
        Soccer Ball......... x0

"...Oh, right," she murmurs, glancing at Cyre. Fortunately he's about to kick it right where it belongs. The incendiary laser ball goes through the hole -

Should it slam into Alexander, or in fact should it not slam into Alexander, a sudden surge of gravity will take hold and loop the ball back around the fencing. It'll fly in a weird arc back the way it came, through another hole...

...to where Catenna is running up to it. "How do I do this," she gasps before winding up.

"SCOOOOORE...?!" Catenna shouts as she kicks the soccer ball as hard as she damn well can, accelerating it back towards Alexander as if to hit him with it a second time!

GS: Asteroid the Kid takes a solid hit from Emma Hetfield's Download for 52 hit points!
GS: Emma Hetfield drains Asteroid the Kid! Emma Hetfield gains 52 temporary hit points!
GS: Catenna has attacked Asteroid the Kid with Somewhere there's a commentator shrieking about Dennis Bergkamp!
GS: Catenna has completed her action.
GS: Asteroid the Kid guards a hit from Catenna's Somewhere there's a commentator shrieking about Dennis Bergkamp for 65 hit
points!
<Pose Tracker> Carina Wynne has posed.

Locus rubs at the back of her head as her unlikely knowledge of space rock trivia seems to cheer the prisoner up. "Aw, shucks."

But this giant science man is being a real butt, referring Asteroid as a 'this creature'. Not cool at all! It doesn't take much more than that for Locus to rush ahead of the pack and draw back a fist crackling with electricity--

Only to be sent flying by a shockwave and bouncing off an electric fence. Sparks fly, scorching parts of the Locus armor. Carina screams and rolls along the floor, but is back on her feet soon enough.

"'Person-shaped?' Wow! Wow!! Listen to yourself, Professor Evil McBrainiac! I may not know who or what the heck she is," she points to Asteroid, "but you can't go around hurtin' people like that, EVEN for science reasons!"

And with that, she resumes attempting what she set out to in the first place, that is to say, give Alexander Castle a faceful of a fistful of lightning. "THUNDER PUUUUNCH!"

GS: Carina Wynne has attacked Asteroid the Kid with Courageous Explosion Punch!
GS: Carina Wynne has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

"I don't need your delusions of superiority. She's our friend. That's all I need to know." Jacqueline replies dismissively. That is when Professor Castle discards his labcoat and punches the ground with terrifying force, unleashing a shockwave that seperates everyone.

Jacqueline was prepared for this. Professors Wilkerton and Dayes had warned that of this man's immense strength. As soon as she moves to strike Jacqueline braces herself. She manages to reduce the force applied to her body and minimize the harm...

But it's still enough to send her flying back into one of the walls. She sees stars for a moment as the back of her head collides with the wall...but its a better outcome than if she hadn't been prepared. She might have to thank the two Professors if she sees them again.

Jacqueline's attention soon shifts to the electrical fields that had now separated the party into quadrants. These must be the fields she was also warned about...which must mean that those ARMs of his were somewhere nearby. Jacqueline glances around, studying the room for any sign of them. One hand reaches into her bags for a bottle of her Haywire Draught and the other drawing out a Crest.

For now she settles on invoking a Crest, causing water to bubble up beneath Professor Castle...before shooting upward violently. Ordinarily it'd push him upward, but given his size that might not be possible. But it might at least make a good distraction.

GS: Jacqueline Barber has attacked Asteroid the Kid with Geyser!
GS: Jacqueline Barber has completed her action.
GS: Asteroid the Kid guards a hit from Virginia Maxwell's Just for Pun for 60 hit points!
GS: Asteroid the Kid guards a hit from Jean's Needle Step for 29 hit points!
GS: Break! Statuses applied to Asteroid the Kid!
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

        "It doesn't matter what she is! We're friends with demons an' beastmen an' shamans an' whatever else!" blurts Shalune immediately in response. (Shamans aren't a species, but she's still getting there when it comes to accepting her Medium.) But her proclamation is a little dented as Miss Hetfield, one of the people who helped her develop her budding sense of curiosity and appreciation for all things that go clonk and bloop, kind of reveals some home truths that she wasn't at all expecting.

        It's also dented by the shockwave that races towards them, and it's all that Shalune can do to bring her shotstaff up in front of her as if to block it. It's a nice idea, but the execution is kind of lacking; blocking an entire shockwave is rather hard, especially when the force of it nearly snaps your fancy technological staff in two, Shalune yelping as she skitters backwards and absolutely doesn't take cover behind Jay.

        Ahead of her, several other members of the Carakin race around and through the electrical net, heedless of the danger; just a short while ago that might have been her as well, but she's slowly learning that her own fighting style might be a little more cagey than that. "C-- Clocus! Jay?!" she blurts as the pair are also knocked back; her gaze focuses forwards, and then a bolt of energy rockets out from the front of her staff, aiming for the Professor.

GS: Shalune Amira has attacked Asteroid the Kid with Warning Shot!
GS: Shalune Amira has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Avril Vent Fleur has posed.

        "'Creature'? She is a human being," Avril says, her gaze level on Alexander Castle.

        Her eyes narrow, as if she were leaning in to the full weight of his frown. "'Just because something is person-shaped'... I see. So that is the sort of person you are. I have met those possessing your viewpoint before."

        She shifts her stance with her blade, pointing it directly at the researcher. "Strength, they claimed, and status gave them the permission to treat people like things. I... cannot permit this. Release her."

        When Alexander slams his fist into the ground, she -- as several others soon do -- takes action.

        She races at him, blade arcing once through the air as she closes and leaps, hanging for a moment in midair above the electrical fencing. Artificial lights gleam down the length of the ARM, oddly softened by whatever material it was cast from.

        She swings the blade but once, the Artificial Medium's graces buoying her as she makes her descent.

        Unfortunately, this also cuts her from any chance of reaching Asteroid. She calls out: "Please, try and free her! I will do my best here--"
        'To distract him', she doesn't say, her gaze honing in on the massive scientist.

GS: Avril Vent Fleur has attacked Asteroid the Kid with Seraphic Soul!
GS: Avril Vent Fleur has completed her action.
GS: Asteroid the Kid guards a hit from Carina Wynne's Courageous Explosion Punch for 97 hit points!
GS: Asteroid the Kid guards a hit from Kourin's Lunge for 63 hit points!
GS: Disrupt! Statuses applied to Asteroid the Kid!
GS: Asteroid the Kid guards a hit from Jacqueline Barber's Geyser for 95 hit points!
GS: Asteroid the Kid guards a hit from Ethius Hesiod's The Part Where Ethius Starts Trying To Burn Things for 71 hit points!
GS: Asteroid the Kid guards a hit from Shalune Amira's Warning Shot for 67 hit points!
GS: Asteroid the Kid guards a hit from Avril Vent Fleur's Seraphic Soul for 145 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Asteroid the Kid has posed.

Suddenly there's Skeleton who never gave up no matter how hard or how painful, he never give up. He advances with the key but it will be precarious for skeleton. Asteroid sees skeleton and inches towards him. A dual tech is suddenly in the works, however, as Cyre slams a magical soccerball across Castle's arm. He rolls away from the strike only for Catenna to abuse gravity powers to send the soccer ball right back into him, this time into his arms as he raises his guard to protect himself from it. It bounces askew towards Asteroid who--OH SHIT--

--it's going to be a triple tech!!

Asteroid leaps into the air and headbutts the laserball and sends it flying into Castle's face, sending him stumbling back, but not before he slams her back with her hand and sends her crashing against the far wall, leaving Skeleton to have to walk even more to reach her. It's sure a lucky thing he's not the type to give up.

"Clever, but... you still lack sound judgement." Castle positionined himself close enough to slam Cyre and Catenna together with his hands and then stomp at their legs with his foot, trying to break their legs or at least make them feel not so good. "I've seen you move, I'll make sure you don't walk again."

Before he can really crush them though, Emma DOWNLOADS him. Castle says, "You still scream incessantly for no reason at all." He slides forward in a sharp movement and throws his ARM right into Emma's face, launching his ARM off like a rocket fist in the process to send her flying through one of the electrical fences if she can't roll off it quickly enough. "Though I can provide reasons."

In order to reach Asteroid, Skeleton is going to have to walk through an electrical fence. CAN HE MAKE IT?

Jean makes her declaration and creates an illusion of three Jeans all around him. She keeps throwing neeldes at him, sapping at his defenses, but will it have an effect? It's hard to tell as he closes his eyes and makes a "Hoohh," noise from his mouth. He doesn't argue with Jean. The trickiness of her technique requires absolute concentration.

He thinks he feels it, the wisp of wind coming from a Jean that should be the real one. He lashes out with his fist in that direction, trying to send that Jean into an electrical fence as well. Did he pick the wrong one?

Carina strikes the man in the chin with a THUNDER PUNCH even as Kourin strikes at the man with her rapier. While Carina's strike hits solidly, and Kourin's strike seems to only scrape against the man's remaining ARM, he seems more upset about the latter, stumbling back for a moment. He stares down at it. "...Fuel line cut. Tch."

In this moment Ethius unleashes sweltering heat against him! He starts to sweat severely but leaps back suddenly through Jay's hydroblast INTENTIONALLY--using it to rapidly cool off and then quickly right back out of it before Ethius can BOIL the water instead.

He then leaps up into the air and crashes down for Kourin and Carina, trying to just slam down right on top of them, swinging his arms to the side to catch Jay and Ethius with his fists.

"See that's what I'm saying. You still keep calling her 'friend'. She certainly has you tricked, doesn't she? I'm only saying this to be reasonable."

Shalune says she's friends with all these kinds of people and shoots him in the forehead with an energy blast. He jerks back sharply as he bends back over afterwards and frowns at her before raising a fist and--

--kicking for her gut. Avril slices at him from behind, abusing her series' understanding of hex grid fighting, slicing into the back of his head.

Castle retaliates by ducking.

The ARM he launched at Emma returns from whench it came, threatening to crash into her.

"I don't know of all of you but I know most of your moves." Castle says.

GS: Asteroid the Kid has attacked Carina Wynne with Monkey Jump!
GS: Asteroid the Kid has attacked Kourin with Monkey Jump!
GS: Asteroid the Kid has attacked Jean with Atari!
GS: Asteroid the Kid has attacked Emma Hetfield with Divine Move!
GS: Asteroid the Kid has attacked Shalune Amira with Divine Move!
GS: Asteroid the Kid has attacked Catenna with Sound Judgment!
GS: Asteroid the Kid has attacked Cyre H. Lorentz with Sound Judgment!
GS: Asteroid the Kid has attacked Ethius Hesiod with Seki!
GS: Asteroid the Kid has attacked Jacqueline Barber with Seki!
GS: Emma Hetfield critically Guards a hit from Asteroid the Kid's Divine Move for 29 hit points!
GS: Jacqueline Barber guards a hit from Asteroid the Kid's Seki for 72 hit points!
GS: Asteroid the Kid has attacked Avril Vent Fleur with Atari!
GS: Catenna takes a glancing hit from Asteroid the Kid's Sound Judgment for 31 hit points!
GS: Break and Slow! Statuses applied to Catenna!
GS: Jean has activated a Force Action!
GS: CRITICAL! Jean takes a solid hit from Asteroid the Kid's Atari for 350 hit points!
GS: Asteroid the Kid has attacked Virginia Maxwell with Lightning Barrier!
GS: Ethius Hesiod critically Guards a hit from Asteroid the Kid's Seki for 23 hit points!
GS: Avril Vent Fleur takes a glancing hit from Asteroid the Kid's Atari for 95 hit points!
GS: Asteroid the Kid has attacked Asteroid the Kid with Seki!
GS: Asteroid the Kid guards a hit from Asteroid the Kid's Seki for 86 hit points!
GS: Cyre H. Lorentz takes a glancing hit from Asteroid the Kid's Sound Judgment for 31 hit points!
GS: Break and Slow! Statuses applied to Cyre H. Lorentz!
GS: Asteroid the Kid has completed her action.
GS: Kourin takes a glancing hit from Asteroid the Kid's Monkey Jump for 157 hit points!
GS: Carina Wynne guards a hit from Asteroid the Kid's Monkey Jump for 117 hit points!
DC: MISS! Virginia Maxwell completely evades Lightning Barrier from Asteroid the Kid!
GS: Shalune Amira critically Guards a hit from Asteroid the Kid's Divine Move for 28 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Virginia Maxwell has posed.

        Skeleton is kind of just pumping his bony arms (it's all he's got, ok) as soccer turns into a gravity-assist and then a fiery headbutt back towards Castle, continuing on haphazardly and huffing and puffing--

        Skeleton you lack lungs to do that with

        --but he doesn't give up, continuing onward even if he's kind of terrified the Professor will do something nasty to him!!

        "Y'know, I was just like you not long ago, figuring I got everything figured out--"

        REALLY Ginny??

        "--but it's not like that at all, it turns out! I was making myself miserable, and it's Astie and everyone that helped me through it... so I'm gonna repay the favour! Galecrest!"

        Virginia holds the Crest Graph out and continues to commit sins against all known science of how Crest Sorcery works, because she kind of just--

        Smacks it twice, blows on it, because blowing causes winds to come out of it??

        And sure enough, against all logic that Jacqueline and others would know, a torrential whirlwind whips up to distract the professor.

        And Skeleton is going, going...! How's he going to clear that electric fence?!?!? With the help of...!!

GS: Virginia Maxwell has attacked Asteroid the Kid with Galecrest!
GS: Virginia Maxwell has completed her action.
GS: Asteroid the Kid takes a solid hit from Virginia Maxwell's Galecrest for 136 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

This man...is dangerous. That's the feeling Jacqueline gets as he moves through the battlefield, like a wrecking ball made of pure muscle.

"I'm alright, Shalune. Don't worry." Jacqueline says. She can't take her eyes of Professor Castle for a moment, with how dangerously he moves. It isn't long before he comes for her as well, an arm swinging towards her. Jacqueline quickly invokes an earth pillar. His arm comes crashing through it, momentum slowed but still with enough force to send her recoiling backward.

"Reasonable? Are you sure you haven't fooled yourself, Professor? You've abducted a young woman and now her friends are here to punish you. I'm afraid you've misconstrued the situation." Jacqueline replies. "It won't save you...but explain yourself."

As she speaks Jacqueline returns the Haywire Draught to her bags, drawing out two potions. She retains one for herself and tosses the other to Jean, who it seemed had taken the brunt of the damage.

She also tries very, very hard to ignore the sins against Crest Sorcery Virginia is committing, for Asteroid's sake.

GS: Jacqueline Barber has attacked Jacqueline Barber with Distribution Theory!
GS: Jacqueline Barber has attacked Jean with Distribution Theory!
GS: Jacqueline Barber has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.

Shows what this guy knows! Cyre and Catenna are totally used to being slammed right up against one another!

...

N-not like that, s-stupid.

Regardless! Cyre and Catenna get all smooshed up together; the former takes a side-kick right to the femur. But before the brute of a professor can continue his assault, Cyre instead takes the other shaman by the hand and the pair deftly twirl together right out of the way of the terrible things that guy is about to do to their legs. It's... Only not a dance because Cyre terminates the maneuver after just one jackboot-dodging dip.

"You alright?" Cyre asks with a wince. "How's this guy just a Professor...?"

GS: Jacqueline Barber heals Jean! She gains 100 temporary hit points!
GS: Jacqueline Barber heals Jacqueline Barber! She gains 100 temporary hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

        Ethius squints his eyes as he watches Castle intentionally step into Jay's water geyser in which to deal with the build-up of heat. It reveals some interesting details that he does not rationalize so much as instinctually grasp instantaneously. From where he stands, he's at about at the optimal distance to avoid having an electrical fence swing into him. Should it continue to move and sway, Ethius appears to make a conscious decision to hang more towards his left (Castle's right) for spacing purposes.
        ...Or luring?
        Castle takes to the air, leaping towards them. Ethius hefts up the quarterstaff in both hands and whirls it rapidly in a parrying motion, moving to catch the fist coming for him before Castle can fully stretch it out. Castle is a much larger and stronger opponent, and leverage is on his side.
        Skillfully, Ethius appears to manage to overcome both of these factors to stay upright, though he feels a shock run through his right wrist and have to give up a step in order to soak the inertia.
        Castle promises that he knows most of their moves. Ethius should be seen as a peculiarity in this regard - he is armed with primitive items. Yet, he stands against Castle - and this surrounding environment - with an unsettling comfort. Everything here should be foreign and even scary to someone like him, some wandering murderous hobo on this dying dust-ball of a planet surface.
        There is a marked fearlessness as he weaves through others' own pitched counter-attacks against him at close range. His glare does not lighten in the company of a man who could probably reach out and squish his skull like a grape if he allowed himself to be caught. The man's biometrics may read as human, but there's that little... something... to his manner that seems to speak of him as anything but.
        Viciousness. Someone that seems to be able to shut himself out from the words of the world around him, as people speak of Asteroid's worth to them as a friend. What is Asteroid to him, that he was so demanding of Jay that he have the final say (that he did not get) as to who would be part of the rescue operation?
        With the glare Ethius gives, it's the sort that might make one question as to whether he even values companionship - or the feelings of others - at all.
        More importantly beyond the waxing poetic, Ethius goes to a tumble to the opposite side of Jacqueline - just going under some flying potions - and moves to stab the quarterstaff into Castle's left hip as he may yet remain over-balanced from his deadly leaping attack, expertly aiming the blow in-between the space where Kourin and Locus may yet be reeling and/or maneuvering around the aftermath of the impacts.
        "Far Point!" Ethius calls the name of that extreme precise long-distance quarterstaff lunge, in hopes of striking with enough force to unbalance him and... push him into the electrical fencing?!
        If Castle is still damp from his time in Jay's water geyser, Ethius is willing to test and see how protected he might be against the fences themselves - if he can push him that hard.

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

Truth be told, Catenna likes being close to Cyre. Just not at high velocity and with someone trying to break her shins.

She blinks and tries to roll backwards - but as Castle takes a swing at her, she can't quite get out of the way in time. She hurtles into Cyre, slamming into the catman with a meaty thump.

"Sorry, Cyre," she manages while cheek to cheek with him, before he takes ahold and starts spinning.

"...Cyre...?" she questions with a blush, but she twirls along with him anyway.

Until her left leg gives out beneath her, mostly thanks to Castle kicking her in the knee. With a wince, she drops back to one knee, dipping her hand to rub at her sore thigh. Her teeth catch for a moment around her tongue. "Damnation," she hisses as she lifts her gaze. "I am alright, Cyre," she assures, her voice low. Injured or not...

Injured or not, there's still a battle out there in front of her. A battle in which Asteroid the Kid still needs to be saved.

A battle in which Castle just tried to hurl Jean into an electric fence, full-blast. Catenna's eyes go wide with alarm. "Miss Jean," she shouts.

She darts forward - and, brushing her fingertips over her Medium, she draws in a breath.

There is a sudden surge from somewhere below the floor - and then, with a roar, an immense wave of ocean water rushes up through the pentagram. It crests, then crashes back down, swirling into a vast whirlpool.

And yet, the currents wash away no one. For a moment, though, Catenna and Cyre can feel the shape of something slipping past them, then ghosting on to the next target.

Jean will feel it more clearly: A breath of purifying ocean breeze. A glimpse of a great sea serpent, cresting above the waves, then disappearing again, leaving behind only a healing touch.

GS: Ethius Hesiod has attacked Asteroid the Kid with Far Point!
GS: Ethius Hesiod has completed his action.
GS: Catenna has attacked Jean with Material - Savior of the Deep!
GS: Catenna has attacked Catenna with Material - Savior of the Deep!
GS: Catenna has attacked Cyre H. Lorentz with Material - Savior of the Deep!
GS: Catenna has completed her action.
GS: Catenna heals Catenna! She gains 200 temporary hit points!
GS: Catenna heals Cyre H. Lorentz! He gains 200 temporary hit points!
GS: Catenna heals Jean! She gains 200 temporary hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Carina Wynne has posed.

"I'm okay!" 'Clocus' answers Shalune, offering a tiny finger-salute while still smoking a bit.

True to her new name, Clocus clocks Castle, but doesn't follow it up. This is both because she used up all her juice, and because Ethius' intervention is quickly making the man's general vicinity too hot to handle. She hops away, gracefully--

And a second later gets Goomba-stomped. "GAH!" she cries out, ragdolling as she gets slammed into the floor. Cracks appear in the Locus armor, which may be alarming as that so far hasn't proven to be a thing that can happen.

Carina mostly focuses on wobbling through her own pain, getting back up to see Skeleton... What the...?

"Oh, I see what's goin' on here!" she says, groggily, breaking into a run. It should be noted that she has never... met... Skeleton before...

"THUNDEEEEEER..."

She charges Skeleton, lightning building up around her feet. Huuuuuh.

"JUMP!" Locus calls out, lifting Skeleton overhead and carrying him over the fence, propelled by a bolt of lightning! It should also be noted that Locus has a few times before demonstrated the ability to leap stupidly high with no further aid, so this was really just unnecessary dramatics.

"Toh!" She deposits Skeleton on the other side, flashing him a thumbs-up.

"I can see you're not the type to give up! Good luck on your quest!"

And she leaps back on the other side, leaving Skeleton to figure the rest of it out for himself. W-Well, at least it was better than nothing.

"DID YOU MISS ME, DOCTOR NO-GOOD-AT-ALL? SPIRAL KICK!"

And she starts spinning in mid-air, angled to fall on Castle with both feet! This should give him a taste of his own medicine, Carina thinks, before remembering that he is a giant of a man, while she is not particularly imposing, and also that getting within melee range of him may be very painful in the short run.

Aw, jeez, Carina thinks. Well, too late to change her mind.

GS: Carina Wynne has attacked Asteroid the Kid with Absurd Martial Arts Maneuver!
GS: Carina Wynne has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Jean has posed.

Jean focuses on physicality for the moment, rather than on further statements; she had a chance to talk to this man already, when he took Asteroid. The sound and sensation of the fence here, to start. His words don't hold her much; instead she focuses herself, throwing... and throwing...

His fist lashes out, and unfortunately for Jean he does get it right; the blow strikes her dead-on in the chest, launching her backwards and straight into the electrical fence, where she's caught with a strangled noise that doesn't quite become anything like a scream. There's the scent of burning, definitely, as it keeps her up, sends electircity all through her, as she tangles in it. And then--

Then she falls from it, hitting the ground with a thud unmoving.

Catenna's voice stretches out to her, as Jean catches a potion, forcing herself up. She drinks it, and lets the waters, the ocean breeze wash over her; she has a glimpse of the Guardian... and she rises, still wounded but whole. "...Not yet," she answers.

"You've already seen my moves," she repeats. "...That's fine. I've held a few things back." She can only do so much, but...

As Locus strikes, Jean comes in, stashing her weapons at her sides as she starts forward and handsprings over the fence to get back towards Alexander again, lunching forward and--

Striking with clawed fingers, violet and black smoke trailing her hands as she slashes away. "Hah--"

GS: Jean has attacked Asteroid the Kid with Double Claw!
GS: Jean has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Virginia Maxwell has posed.

        Skeleton spreads his arms as Locus carries him! He flies, over the fence, launched by lightning itself! Skeleton is moving ever faster than his bobbling bobbly feet can move! He lands--

        --Skeleton gives Locus a thumbs up--

        --and then the sheer impact causes Skeleton's body to explode into individual bones.

        "?!"

        This would seem to be the end of Skeleton! But... but Skeleton isn't the type to give up, no... because Skeleton's skull is still rolling, rolling--

        --and the skeleton key is clenched on his teeth?!

<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.

Kourin's not satisfied with just scratching a gun. She's knocked back a few feet by the stomp...but once again leaps back into the fight, expression calm, but grim. This is not the Kourin battling in pure swordplay--this is Kourin as she appears to those who stand against her as an enemy.

Again she says nothing.

Again she slashes, twice, in a cross pattern this time.

GS: Kourin has attacked Asteroid the Kid with Cross Slash!
GS: Kourin has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

        The Professor thrusts a foot towards her with a sudden force and speed that looks completely at odds with his size, not to mention a huge feint that almost seems like cheating - but if there's one thing Shalune was taught (by Lady 'Tachi' Harken, no less) it's to stay light on her feet. Not to mention, it also helps if you wear three or four fuzzy layers and spend most your time looking a little like a multicoloured potato.

        She was already bringing her staff up to block the punch, so it's just a quick motion to flick it aside and catch the Professor's kick; the impact lifts her up into the air and backwards, but it's muffled, and easy enough to turn the momentum into a jump rather than a rebound.

        There is a suspicious sort of 'crack', though - and the pink-haired mechanic winces as she realizes her shotstaff, taking the brunt of the attack, has been bowed into enough of a curve to turn it into a useless mess.

        "A-ah, ma~an--" she winces, tugging down her bobble hat in concern - but there's no time to mourn more than that, and Shalune's forced to toss the staff aside for the moment, resolving to pick it up when they're less fighting for their lives and freedoms. Instead, she lets herself automatically dodge and juke backwards, catching the next blow on her solidly-packed backpack as she swings it off her shoulders to both use it as a shield and fish through its pockets for anything of use.

        Her mind wanders at speed as she watches Ethius push the Professor towards his own barrier. In contrast to the silent man, Shalune absolutely does understand the concept of companionship. It's like attraction, you know? Things resonate, they reach out for each other. Sometimes relationships explode or electrify. Oh, right-- wasn't there--

        Her hand closes around a slim rod stuffed into one side pocket; she'd been setting them up on top of the Carakin, but this seems like an opportune moment to pull out the spare she'd kept around, heft it to get a feel for its weight, and-- "Y-you might wanna move!!" she blurts to an unspecified party, as she flings the last of her lightning rods forwards and towards the Professor.

        Maybe it will disrupt the field. Maybe it'll focus it on their opponent. Shalune hasn't the faintest idea! This is nothing new!!

GS: Shalune Amira has attacked Asteroid the Kid with a significant hand-wave of scientific principles!
GS: Shalune Amira has completed her action.
GS: Asteroid the Kid guards a hit from Kourin's Cross Slash for 98 hit points!
GS: Asteroid the Kid guards a hit from Jean's Double Claw for 65 hit points!
GS: Asteroid the Kid guards a hit from Carina Wynne's Absurd Martial Arts Maneuver for 91 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Emma Hetfield has posed.

 
Emma opens her mouth to answer Castle and is promptly and emphatically struck by a Gunny Punch. Well, she thinks as she flattens against it and her lips thin to a line, this is ironic. Emma does, however, roll well; she flops off before the fist can return to Castle, and others make their blow as Emma, who is your much older sis and not exactly a workout queen, struggles to regain her feet.

Shalune speaks earnestly and cries out. I can't just run away with Shalune here, Emma thinks. Lunie would hate me. Also, I'd hate me. Her eyes come up --

And her vision tightens as Castle speaks words that strike to Emma Hetfield's heart! No, not her brain - that would be talk of the future of Filgaia, or the progress of technology. Not her mind - that might be a challenging puzzle. The words he says -

'She certainly has you tricked, doesn't she?'

- ring in Emma's ears and a terrible determination fills her as she rises to her feet with ponderous discomfort.

She strides forwards, lateral to the main line of the fight as her eyes take in the strivings of Skeleton, but her voice stays focused, condemnatory. "Is that what you are forced to resort to, Mister Castle? To imply that one who behaves in a manner you mislike is less than human? You've done something to yourself, abducted others... stolen a statue... but at the long last, do you have no decency?"

The Emulator is tapped at. Another more furtive glance at Skeleton - a last one - and Emma whirls, having found, it seems, an extremely exact place to stand. "No matter. Behold! The immortal power!" A button is pressed, with great force.

*peep!*

That button seemed to do something. Lightning crackles around and above Emma, and smashes downwards along with what look like four bastard swords, the blades curved and each of them made of some strange metal that takes recondite forms. As they crackle with power, electrical energy seems to gather up. Two of them are facing in front of Emma on the left and the right, as if she's the center of an X. The force of them snaps and burrs. (The close examination would reveal that their names are 'Imagination' and 'Planning'. They are also marked as 'Lv. ??' and can be destroyed if Castle is quick about it.)

The other two have landed on the other side of the barrier. They are NOT crackling with electrical force. One of them, helpfully labelled 'Hope,' lands at just the right angle for Skeleton's... skull, to roll up and get sick air towards the captive Asteroid. The other one, labelled 'Reason', sits with pregnant anticipation.

"The four swords of the mind - can you survive it?!" Emma shouts, replacing acting skill with sheer enthusiasm.

<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.

"Pff," In spite of the tremendous peril associated with the present situation, Cyre still finds it in him to grin just a little bit. "Yeah, we only need one leg to work with, right?" It might be a bit hard to win on one leg. But hey, it's worth the old college try, right? "Let's give 'em hell."

"And as for you--" The shaman turns a glare onto the unnaturally muscular behemoth of a professor. His fingers wrap about the stone tablets hidden somewhere in his robes. "You know, people like Asty and I. We have to deal with a lot of assholes like you. People who assume that we're somehow less human just because we look different. A lot of times, we just have to grit our teeth and bare it, but what we have here is an unusual opportunity."

The winds gather and howl. The atmosphere seems suddenly so much heavier. "Finally. I get to punch one of you jerks in the teeth and feel absolutely no guilt about it. Now--" The shaman's words trail off into an indistinct murmur of sound as the undeniable presence of the Sea Guardian manifests into the world. His lips curl into a slight grin as torn tendons and ligaments repair themselves and strength returns to his leg. As the Lucadia's waves wash over the room, Cyre borrows another aspect of the great sea. Pressure. Wind howls as it spirals inward, the atmosphere seeming to densify in the area immediately surrounding the not-so-good doctor. It would feel as if he were suddenly standing at the bottom of the sea...! "Now. Come on. Let's see just how 'superior' you really are...!"

GS: Cyre H. Lorentz has attacked Asteroid the Kid with Grand Pressure!
GS: Cyre H. Lorentz has completed his action.
GS: Emma Hetfield has attacked Asteroid the Kid with Roar - Txzxna!!
GS: Emma Hetfield has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Avril Vent Fleur has posed.

        "Tricked? I disagree," Avril opines, stepping back on the follow-through from her attack. She exhales a breath, bringing the blade back up in a guard, hip to shoulder. "Perhaps I am not familiar enough to call the person in question a friend, myself. However. The word friend is not one someone uses lightly. They have come here to rescue someone dear to them. Is that not evidence enough of the strength of their feelings and intent?"

        He ducks. Eyes widening, Avril leaps sidelong out of the way of the ARM as it crashes through -- which regrettably causes her to graze the electric fence. Avril has a brief, vaguely unpleasant moment before she jerks away from the barrier, holding her injured arm close. "Is it possible to stop these machines? If we can put an end to them, they should not bar our way further. Ethius! Shalune! Emma! Can you think of anything that might help?

        She, in the meantime, lifts her blade level with her shoulders, tip forward. That stance is held for a good three or five seconds.

        Then, in a flash, Avril surges forth.

GS: Avril Vent Fleur has attacked Asteroid the Kid with Misty Soul!
GS: Avril Vent Fleur has completed her action.
GS: CRITICAL! Asteroid the Kid takes a solid hit from Emma Hetfield's Roar - Txzxna! for 108 hit points!
GS: Asteroid the Kid takes a solid hit from Cyre H. Lorentz's Grand Pressure for 135 hit points!
GS: Asteroid the Kid guards a hit from Avril Vent Fleur's Misty Soul for 120 hit points!
GS: Asteroid the Kid guards a hit from Shalune Amira's a significant hand-wave of scientific principles for 88 hit points!
GS: CRITICAL! Asteroid the Kid guards a hit from Ethius Hesiod's Far Point for 102 hit points!
GS: Jam! Statuses applied to Asteroid the Kid!
<Pose Tracker> Asteroid the Kid has posed.

Virginia summons a mighty wind to rip through Professor Castle and while he's busy dealing with that, Skeleton is able to clear the electric fence and reach Asteroid. He unleashes the power of the skeleton key and sticks it into the manacles with his teeth. Of course while Ginny's doing this she might have a fence of her own to deal with.

...and the manacles come off!

Asteroid gives Skeleton a big hug that lasts about three seconds. She sobs for a while and then looks towards Ginny with huge tears in her eyes.

"I STILL WANNA BE FRIENDS!" She wails.

She wipes at her eyes for a few moments, takes in a deep settling breath and then stands herself up, snapping her ARMs from the table.

"I've gotta help 'em!" She shouts, launching a pair of portals across the battlefield!

Asteroid the Kid is now helping in the fight! You can pick two party members to use the portals to automatically avoid Castle's assault each round! Choose carefully and enjoy your gimmick battle!

"We kidnapped Lydia Seren once." Castle tells Jay, as he lands, taking a moment to crick his neck. "My superiors ensured she died many times on the operating table. She provided valuable data on the art of summoning gods, but I'm afraid I can't let this technology stay in the Caravan Kinship's hands." He frowns deeply now that Asteroid is free(ish). It's unlikely that he's going to let Asteroid just walk right on out of here.

Jean and Kourin dart into melee. They both unleash double strikes which means that all said this is a four hit combo but just at this time, Carina slams her foot into Castle. He reaches up to try and catch her foot and, well, if that happens she's about to be swung hard back into the ground but this moment of distraction gives Kourin and Jean their opening. They tear into his guard though Jean's unusual technique seems extra effective as the dark smoke seeps into Castle's sounds. A thick clawing mark ripples along his arm, heating up briefly--and then cooling as the blow fades into thick scars that just won't heal. "Hanh...?" Castle says before he throws a quick barrage of punches for Kourin and Jean. "A few tricks up your sleeve won't save you! Not if you can't tell the true meaning behind what I say when I say I know your techniques!"

Catenna is their best healer, Castle reflects, kill her first. He punches a shockwave after her to try and catch her and Catenna as his other ARM fist returns and he catches it into his hand.

Emma totally steals his move.

"You stole my technique?! You put yourself in the center of the attack!" Castle says, for the first time sounding actually pissed off rather than coolly annoyed like the true asshole he is. It's probably more at the 'Mister' than the technique stealing but it's hard to tell for certain. Then he's electrocuted a great deal which by Emma anyway. He is losing his focus, it's easier to get these hits in on him. Cyre then slams him hard with his wind blast and he crashes down near Skeleton and Asteroid even as he sends an electrical fence spinning towards Emma even in midflight. Avril dives in with wise words, but Castle doesn't get much of a chance to rebuttal as he slices her blade deep within him in this moment. It's a palpable blow but he STILL keeps going, throwing a jab punch for her to force her back.

He stands up and Ethius chooses this one perfect moment to slam his quarterstaff into Castle's throat and pin him against the electrical field, even as Shalune pours MORE electricity into him. The combination overloads his ARMs and they start to smoke as the man sinks down, gagging and wheezing--and seemingly defeated.

"You..." Castle wheezes. "That technique.... where did you learn it?"

But then he suddenly surges up and grabs Ethius by the face with his hand, eyes wide even as he's charred and burnt from the electrical fields. He squeezes tightly.

"Croak it out as your last words." Castle whispers before, from behind him--

SLICE!

Asteroid picked up one Emma's swords and went right at him, digging into his side. He bleeds, but it's a shallow cut. Asteroid is not good at swords.

Castle drops Ethius and seizes up Asteroid instead by one arm. "You keep saying it's... exterior appearance... I am getting offended by the accusations."

He grips tightly on Asteroid's arm and with little warning RIPS it off, sending it flying. Asteroid screams and he lets her drop. The blood isn't red. It's that strange silver stuff from before.

It leaks out of Asteroid's stump and rapidly, too rapidly really, starts bulging out from the stump, pushing outward and growing longer and longer, rapidly taking the vague form of a new arm, just growing out where the old one is, though it's hardly complete. It doesn't look like skin either, it looks like metal for the moment, for now.

"I know it's what's inside that counts." Castle spits viciously.

GS: Asteroid the Kid has attacked Ethius Hesiod with Atari!
GS: Ethius Hesiod guards a hit from Asteroid the Kid's Atari for 109 hit points!
GS: Asteroid the Kid has attacked Virginia Maxwell with Arc Bolt!
GS: Virginia Maxwell takes a glancing hit from Asteroid the Kid's Arc Bolt for 150 hit points!
GS: Asteroid the Kid has attacked Carina Wynne with Sound Judgment!
GS: Asteroid the Kid has attacked Jean with Seki!
GS: Asteroid the Kid has attacked Kourin with Seki!
GS: Jean takes a glancing hit from Asteroid the Kid's Seki for 63 hit points!
GS: Carina Wynne takes a solid hit from Asteroid the Kid's Sound Judgment for 61 hit points!
GS: Break and Slow! Statuses applied to Carina Wynne!
DC: MISS! Kourin completely evades Seki from Asteroid the Kid!
GS: Asteroid the Kid has attacked Catenna with Kiai!
GS: Asteroid the Kid has attacked Cyre H. Lorentz with Kiai!
<Pose Tracker> Virginia Maxwell has posed.

        Skeleton looks about as determined as a skeleton head can be, which is to say not very, because skulls don't have musculature to form expressions with but it's okay because Skeleton takes the ride of his life (unlife) on the sword of Hope and--

        Swan-dives!

        Straight past the metaphorical electric barrier of ... doubt? And lands upon the sword of Reason on the other side, landing on Asteroid and letting her undo the manacles! Asteroid gives Skeleton a hug!

        This is the best day for Skeleton ever!

        "And we'll continue being friends forever!!" Virginia exclaims, even as she holds her arms up and gets smashed into the professor's electric fence with a loud yelp.

        There's a cheery grin that can't keep her down, though, because like Skeleton, she's not the type to give up.

        "If you thought that one Crest was strong, then get this! If one Crest is strong--"

        OH NO

        "Then two is stronger, right?!"

        OH NO

        Virginia takes the Tindercrest and... slaps it ontop of the Galecrest.

        "Crest Combination!! Double the power!"

        She holds her... impromptu crest-sandwich and holds it up, the symbol of Fray shimmering like she's holding a mini-hakkero or something. And sure enough, despite it violating all known logic and understanding of how Crest Sorcery works, shimmering rays of light seep into that pattern--

        --and exhales out as a large beam of fire, whipped along into a conical shape by wind.

        "Gooooo!"

GS: Virginia Maxwell has attacked Asteroid the Kid with Crest Combination!
GS: Virginia Maxwell has completed her action.
GS: Catenna takes a solid hit from Asteroid the Kid's Kiai for 102 hit points!
GS: Disrupt! Statuses applied to Catenna!
GS: Asteroid the Kid takes a solid hit from Virginia Maxwell's Crest Combination for 146 hit points!
GS: Asteroid the Kid has attacked Avril Vent Fleur with Divine Move!
GS: Cyre H. Lorentz takes a solid hit from Asteroid the Kid's Kiai for 112 hit points!
GS: Disrupt! Statuses applied to Cyre H. Lorentz!
GS: Asteroid the Kid has attacked Emma Hetfield with Electric Fence!
GS: Asteroid the Kid has attacked Shalune Amira with Frown!
GS: Asteroid the Kid has attacked Jacqueline Barber with Frown!
GS: Asteroid the Kid has completed her action.
DC: MISS! Avril Vent Fleur completely evades Divine Move from Asteroid the Kid!
GS: Jacqueline Barber takes a solid hit from Asteroid the Kid's Frown for 0 hit points!
GS: Shalune Amira guards a hit from Asteroid the Kid's Frown for 0 hit points!
GS: Emma Hetfield guards a hit from Asteroid the Kid's Electric Fence for 0 hit points!
GS: Weaken! Statuses applied to Emma Hetfield!
<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.

"You know our techniques?" Kourin says, speaking for the first time during the battle. "Perhaps--but you have not seen all I have to offer! Spirit!" Spirit, who has been hanging around behind her, rushes forward as Kourin lunges, but Kourin is feinting--it's all Spirit, snapping, biting, and then getting out of range of retaliation!

GS: Kourin has attacked Asteroid the Kid with Spirit Rush!
GS: Kourin has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

Lucadia isn't there for more than a couple of seconds before fading away along with the ocean. Catenna breathes just a little easier, limbering up and giving herself a brisk shake.

Of course, now Castle thinks she's the white mage. Perhaps less good than Lucadia.

Castle makes her pay for her temerity. Still ashimmer with Lucadia's magic, Catenna's a little distracted and in a bad position to actually take an attack full-force like that. She throws her arms up and shields herself, trying to put the flat of her sword between her body and the worst of the blow. It doesn't achieve much; the sheer force hurls her backwards, and she slams into a computer console bodily, hard enough to send an explosion of pain shooting through her lower back. The priestess crumples to her knees with a wince and struggles at first to stand again.

But Lucadia's magic is strong - and more than that, Asteroid the Kid is free. The Zortroa priestess's eyes widen. "Asteroid," she calls. "Thank the Guardians!"

[ Found Astie x1 ]

Much more confident that things will turn out alright now, Catenna levels a hand towards Castle. But she stops and listens to his ranting first.

'Lydia Seren'

"What do you mean, you killed her many times," she growls, a sick feeling building up in her throat. "You killed her to learn about the Guardians?" Her anger builds and builds, rising in her stomach like a hot wave. She lets her power build-

The spell breaks, and she widens her eyes in shock as Castle outright rips Asteroid's arm off.

"ASTEROID," she cries again, her voice peaking with terror. Her confidence from five seconds ago outright vanishes, replaced first with horror, then with disbelief, as Asteroid just sprouts a quicksilver arm right there on the spot. Her teeth click tightly together.

"Stop hurting her!" she shouts, because it's the only thing that a friend would shout right now. All that matters is that Asteroid is in pain. Clenching her fingers like a claw, Catenna cranks up the gravity, an immense crushing force beginning to pull and press at Castle as if to try and compress him into a gelatinous cube of concentrated bastard.

"Abishap," she snarls, her cheeks reddening and her eyes dark with a maelstrom of rage and fear. It is probably the angriest CaraKin has ever seen Catenna, and she spits the word out like it's the most vile of insults. "You taint this world by continuing to live in it!"

GS: Catenna has attacked Asteroid the Kid with Grav!
GS: Catenna has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Virginia Maxwell has posed.

        Virginia's face drops as her spell finishes, though, since Castle grips Asteroid at one hand and--

        RRRRIP

        --she clenches her hands on her Crests tighter, looking horrified as she stares and gasps, exclaiming, "ASTIE!!"

        Silver blood...?? She's never-- seen a Metal Demon or anything that might bleed silver like that before, but Asteroid can regenerate-- so quickly?!

        "You don't know a single hoot about what's inside that counts! You big dumb jerk, you wouldn't know a thing about feelings or friendship!"

        She starts charging her next spell, since this is the same round.

        "I'll send you straight to heck!"

<Pose Tracker> Emma Hetfield has posed.

 
"Sometimes, making yourself the center," Emma says, "is the real way to put yourself assssnngghghhgh"

This would hae been a more eloquent discourse, but she just suffered a shock to the metaphorical shammies, one that's making her teeth grind hard enough that she really hopes they won't crack. Her eyes turn towards Asteroid's disarmament - then -

Fascinating! she thinks, in between electrical micro-blackouts.

Wait - torturing her?

Guh! Emma then thinks.

"Hm, hm... it's not - not stealing," Emma says, reaching unsteadily towards her coat. "If you cite your sources... it's research!"

GS: Emma Hetfield has attacked Asteroid the Kid with Get Wild And Tough!
GS: Emma Hetfield has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Carina Wynne has posed.

For what it's worth, Virginia, Carina thinks what you're saying sounds like sound logic.

Despite her misgivings, Locus commits to her spinning kick, which at least works as intended before she's grabbed and SLAMMED into the ground. At least the others provide a distraction while she crawls away and staggers back onto her feet, her antennae crooked and one of her bug eyes cracked.

She's okay, she's okay, she keeps telling herself, even as it becomes less and less accurate a statement. But at least Asteroid is freed, which is good news. If they can't win this, maybe at least they can escape. That would be good, too, because this guy continues talking about EXTREMELY UNETHICAL things and to be honest, she'd rather not find herself on a dissection table.

"Hey, let's be friends too!" she proposes, with another one of her thumbs-up, as she hops and hops and HOPS like a grasshopper, putting an electric fence between the boss man and herself. She pulls out a red glowing sphere from... somewhere, popping it into her very toyetic belt to replace the yellow sphere that was already there.

                             ELEMENT MARBLE: FIRE_

"Okay, Mr. Data-Data-Data, let's HEAT THINGS UP!"

Electricity crackles around her, then is replaced by a swirl of flames. She puts her hands together to--

And this is about when Asteroid's arm is torn off.

"What's WRONG with you, you damn PSYCHOPATH? FLAME BLAST!" Locus performs motions very reminiscent of one about to unleash a blast of focused chi, but instead, it's unmistakably sorcerous fire that comes out of her arm guards, accumulating into a large ball before rocketing into the fence and straight towards Castle.

Asteroid's arm grows back, and it's... very odd, but Carina will worry about that later. Really, it's the principle of the thing.

GS: Carina Wynne has attacked Asteroid the Kid with Admirable Elemental Blast!
GS: Carina Wynne has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

        Shalune's not immune to drama, despite her usual appearance as a large pink blob that likes to roll around and flop on people. If anything, she's rather sensitive to it, worries and stress sending her into a bobbling mess that-- well, that rolls around and flops on people even more out of sheer worry. But she's kind of getting the hang of how Filgaia works, as much as she tries to keep her head high.

        The talk of shamans being experimented on goes a little over her head, if she's honest about it - especially given there's a more immediate danger to focus on. She finds herself wincing even before Asteroid's limb is torn away, instinctively recognizing what's coming when the Professor's grip shifts. "Don't-- don't you dare--!!" she blurts as she suddenly surges forward at the fence in her way; her shotstaff is useless to her right now, but she can at least scoop up the lightning rod she threw out as she passes it, hurling it overhead at the barrier in front of her to make it distort just enough for her to slip straight through.

        Already, her hand is straying to her pocket; she's trying to not use her bombs, but she can make an exception just this once-- when she's brought up dead by the sight of the girl's arm arcing away through the air, a hand going to her mouth as she fights down a wave of nausea.

        ... Shalune is kind of a special soul at times, though. Seeing the arm begin to reform itself as if out of nothing, extruding out of the wound as if it were never torn away, is actually kind of a relief. More to the point, it's something she can reconcile within herself easily for the time being, and she spares it no further thought as Avril's yell reaches her ears and makes her scan the room.

        A target presents itself, and she pushes herself back up to her feet, racing for the Professor. "--didn't you hear me say we'd befriended all sorts?!" she challenges, blue eyes lit up with anger... as she dives into a haphazard roll under Castle's guard and then straight past him, towards one of the banks of consoles and instruments that line the wall. Her hand delves into a pocket before she flings forwards an array of small - but very volatile - explosive devices towards the scientific devices, aiming for a plain sabotage of the laboratory's systems.

        Ethius would probably be proud.

GS: Shalune Amira has attacked Asteroid the Kid with Handball!
GS: Shalune Amira has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Avril Vent Fleur has posed.

        "...You 'killed her'?" Avril, to put her reaction in a word, isn't certain she's heard or understood properly.

        Asteroid is freed soon after, prompting a brief exhalation of relief from the young woman. "Cover her!" she calls out, glancing sharply towards the door. Unstated: she will continue to attempt to hold Castle's attention.

        He throws a punch; this time, Avril's anticipating a retaliatory blow and ducks low before stepping sidelong. Still, his current level of aggression means that remaining within close range to him is a poor choice; she pulls back, Absolute Zero held in a low guard.

        Before Asteroid, wielding a sword, takes advantage of the moment and stabs the researcher in the back. "Wait--"

        Before the researcher siezes Asteroid by the arm. "Let her go--!"

        Before he grabs ahold of her and tears. "--No!!"
        There isn't blood. None at all. Silvery matter...?
        Like Metal Demon blood? No, that isn't right. What's... happened to this girl?

        Avril has a moment to parse it.
        In moments like these, the heart speaks.

        It doesn't matter who she is--
        --She's our friend!

        The ARM's blade vanishes into thin air. Leveling the now weaponless ARM at Castle, Avril's expression is fleetingly a colder one.
        There and gone, like frost under the morning sun.

        "The contents of one's heart mean more than one's form," she states, taking a step forward. "True bonds cannot be so easily broken!"

        She moves.
        She's fast. Light erupts from the end of her ARM, snaking through the air wildly as she lashes the edge of the beam weapon forward.

GS: Avril Vent Fleur has activated a Force Action!
GS: Avril Vent Fleur has attacked Asteroid the Kid with Absolute Zero - Plasma Arc!
GS: Avril Vent Fleur has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

        Ethius does not give Castle his space as he seems to be in the throes of probable death by electrocution. The white-haired Symbologist is thorough. He may be complying with Avril's requests indirectly. He starts to chant the syllables for an electrical spell to try and overload the system if it has a redundant back-up.
        He is content to leave Castle's question unanswered. Ethius has a terrible track record about answering peoples' questions. How many times did it take, on average, for any of his acquaintances to get him to say his name?
        His overzealousness in inflicting uncompromising destruction against people to a pattern and criteria that continues to baffle and scare those he travels with costs him, as the Professor's inhuman wingspan ensures he gets one giant hand around his head. He flinches once from the crushing sensation about his skull, but that is as much surrendering to the pain as he suffers as he tries to hold his hands around the massive wrist. Ethius is (in)famous for his sheer endurance in the face of whatever seems to send him to a destructive trance - but Castle has him dead to rights.
        Where did he learn that technique? Castle demands an answer as his last words.
        His life flashes before his eyes..
 
---
 
As far as the eyes can see, lush vegetation. Eye-pleasing soft colors shine and glisten under the mid-day sun. Underfoot, tall grass of a mixed purplish-green hue sway gently not from a wind that passes through.
        But from the artful movements of two very young men holding lengths of wood - quarterstaves. From the eyes of Ethius, his young hands are calloused from the vice grip he has held around his own. Blisters and bruises go up his dark-skinned hands as he ducks his head down to the right to avoid a swing from his opponent.
        Someone around his age? Very young. Their entire body, what of it is visible, is covered in brownish-gray hair. A simplistic leather tunic adorns them. Their dark gray flesh is pronounced around their hairless hands, their brow, and their large, oversized jaws. A simian-like person or another.
        They say something with a wide, laughing smile. Words are said from Ethius' right. He knows their meaning, but he knows not why.
        He murmurs these syllables softly. They are, to everyone else present, complete nonsense.
        Ethius' opponent swings in low with the staff and tags him in the gut, sending him to his knees. Someone yells loudly, but there's no urgency. His opponent walks over to him, lowering a hand on his shoulder with a smile and a laugh.
        Ethius remembers reaching out with his hand. His opponent - or maybe a friend? - reaches out to grasp it--
 
---
 
        Asteroid's timely interventon snaps Ethius back to the real world. Rather, his inarticulate and clumsy fall against the ground does. Ethius' eyes are wide for a few moments, as he draws in breath. His gaze takes note of Asteroid's wounding - an arm? The color of her blood, no, wait, what's happening, what does it mean if he sees this - this means something. His right hand goes to his forehead...

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

        "...No." He responds to Castle, far too late for it to have impact since he's already had his life saved. Others move to Asteroid's care as she suffers and spasms. He picks up the quarterstaff off the ground in his left. "I will not allow it."
        Allow what? Is he agreeing about not letting the technology fall into Caravan hands, or... is he talking to Castle, or himself, or--
        "Lydia Seren is a young woman who, through her piety, has been given a blessing from the Guardian of the Stars, Rigdobrite." No, that is not what happened, Ethius. Castle has been politely explaining Her Deal(tm) to these dumb primitives. He has no evidence of these words. It is complete nonsense.
        The glare in his eyes suggests that he will not be listening to the actual truth. He is choosing to define it, as he slams the butt of the quarterstaff into the ground again.
        "She will live the rest of her days among her friends and family. They will be filled with joy. Sadness. Anger. Hardship. Mirth... and they will be hers alone to live." He reaches out with his right hand, flicking a few gestures. The chanting doesn't come yet. This may just be an attempt to fake out what spell he might cast next, if Castle is already familiar with what he does.
        "At the termination of our time together, as it were, however the circumstances, it will be as though you never existed." This long-winded threat conceals the trick - Ethius sneaks through the proper syllables for the spell he intends to cast through them, concluding with the tell-tale sounds and sights of Symbological sorcery.
        "Grave Dust."
        Dust particles start to form around Castle - but not just around. Inside, if Ethius can focus them in there. To fill the crevices of his ARMs, and even his own biological body, with a sickening, agonizing, painful sensation. A cruelty that seems... far more suited for what researchers of Castle's ilk would do to subjects.
        Ethius does not use this for study.
        Ethius uses this spell to ensure the target is incapacitated and in utter agony for as long as it takes for them to either purge it or expire - whatever comes first.

GS: Ethius Hesiod has attacked Asteroid the Kid with Grave Dust!
GS: Ethius Hesiod has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Jean has posed.

Asteroid's emotional reactions are a good sign for Jean. The portals, also a good sign. The name... She knows half of it. Dying on the operating table. Summoning--

"That's monstrous." Jean's answer is breathed, but she can't quite put enthusiasm into it at the moment--she can only slip it through, keep fighting, working in tandem with the former Guard for the moment and then Carina as they fight. The punches lauch right back at her in turn, and most of these she dodges, save one that hits her hard in the side, around kidney level. "It's more than that," Jean answers. "...And I don't care about your true meaning."

"You don't want to see what else I can do, Professor. And I don't want to show you." What's inside... What's inside is what counts, hm?

"BEcause there's a lot inside you don't know about." Jean pulls her fans, at that--and then darts forward. She adopts a stance she didn't use in the tournament, the steps to an old dance from Lunar, quick on the beat, playing only in her head, and with each swish of her skirt and slash of her arms, she slides razors towards her opponent. "And--"

She stops short, at Ethius's spell. Her breath slows, an she keeps fighting. ...She doesn't answer... yet. Instead--

Asteroid is growing. Asteroid has... a stump. An arm. "Maybe someone should show you how that feels," Jean says darkly.

GS: Jean has attacked Asteroid the Kid with Razor Dance!
GS: Jean has completed her action.
GS: Asteroid the Kid guards a hit from Ethius Hesiod's Grave Dust for 135 hit points!
GS: Asteroid the Kid guards a hit from Emma Hetfield's Get Wild And Tough for 62 hit points!
GS: Asteroid the Kid takes a solid hit from Shalune Amira's Handball for 132 hit points!
GS: Asteroid the Kid guards a hit from Jean's Razor Dance for 93 hit points!
GS: Asteroid the Kid takes a solid hit from Avril Vent Fleur's Absolute Zero - Plasma Arc for 160 hit points!
GS: Break and Disrupt! Statuses applied to Asteroid the Kid!
GS: Asteroid the Kid guards a hit from Carina Wynne's Admirable Elemental Blast for 72 hit points!
GS: CRITICAL! Asteroid the Kid guards a hit from Catenna's Grav for 99 hit points!
GS: Poison! Statuses applied to Asteroid the Kid!
GS: Asteroid the Kid guards a hit from Kourin's Spirit Rush for 154 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

Jacqueline listens as Professor Castle explains the situation. She stands there with her arms folded in front of herself. She doesn't like what she hears.

"Did you now." Jacqueline says, any trace of kindness disappearing from her voice. Her tone is now one of cold professionalism. "I don't suppose you'd tell me who your superiors are?"

She shakes her head, then, with a hint of disgust.

"...Probably not. Are you referring to nanotechnology? I care far less about that than I do about my friend." She replies. Sure, she was interested in the possibilities, from what the Professors told her...but he was reducing it, speaking about it if it there wasn't a human being attached to it. He attacks her friends...and what's worse, he tears one of Asteroid's arms off.

Jacqueline recoils backward in horror, mouth agape.

"N-no...!" She breathes out...but the arm regenerates...? Was that the power of nanotechnology...? The Professors said it was going out of control. Did that have something to do its current look, or was it not complete yet?

Even so...Catenna is not the only member of the Caravan Kinship who's anger has reached a point the others have never seen. Even at the finals of the Lacour Tournament of Arms, she was more disgusted by them than angry.

"On the inside, you say? And what's inside you, Professor? Is there even a single shred of humanity? You talk about killing another human being, multiple times, as if its nothing to you. As if it's just another experiment." Jacqueline says.

"I tell you this. There is no question that she will be leaving here with us. But the more you speak, the less likely it is that you leave here in one piece." And with that, Jacqueline draws a Crest. She does not do so with any sort of flourish. It is a simple, matter of fact movement that aims to invoke a pillar beneath his feet and send him as roughly and painfully as possible into the ceiling.

She doesn't want him dead. But she doesn't particularly care if they have to knock him unconscious. Ethius's spell might complicate matters...but Jacqueline does not yet realize what it does.

GS: Jacqueline Barber has activated a Force Action!
GS: You have activated the Force Action Full Clip!
GS: Jacqueline Barber has attacked Asteroid the Kid with Pillar Crash!
GS: Jacqueline Barber has completed her action.
GS: Asteroid the Kid guards a hit from Jacqueline Barber's Pillar Crash for 100 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.

'Killed her.'

'Repeatedly?'

For weeks-- weeks and weeks, Cyre has had to deal with all manner of terrible things. He has endured being almost turned inside out by a bird possessed by a legendary darkness he had never even heard about before. He'd faced an unquestionable confirmation of a totally different faith by dint of almost being obliterated by it. He's waded through face-deep muck imbued with elemental evil and watched as his childhood stomping grounds were turned into some monster's plaything. He'd almost lost his brother. He'd learned that the monsters he had learned to fear and hate as a child were not only real and trying to kill the world, but that there were good people among them and that he had almost made the same mistake they did.

But this?

This is something else.

"You..." Cyre chokes. His pulse beats painfully against his eardrums. His eye twitches ever so slightly. "Your masters did what now? You--" There's a sound like an limb being torn out of its socket.

"You--"

Astie's arm drops to the ground with a wet plop.

This is something different.

This is the last straw.

A bestial roar, something that sounds as though it had lept straight out of the nightmares of primordial man. Something that sends terror screaming right out from the heart of the lizard-brain. "You think you're superior!? You call US monsters!?" Cyre charges, tossing his staff aside. His hands... his hands burn with an awesome power.

Their brilliant light tells him to rip a face off.

"You... You are SCUM!" He screams, driving his claws in over and over and over again, crescents of prismatic energy arcing out of every blow. "You are nothing but a shitstain upon this world and I will stop at nothing until you and all your masters are NOTHING BUT DUST IN THE WIND!"

GS: Cyre H. Lorentz has attacked Asteroid the Kid with Valkyrie!
GS: Cyre H. Lorentz has completed his action.
GS: Asteroid the Kid takes a solid hit from Cyre H. Lorentz's Valkyrie for 187 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Asteroid the Kid has posed.

Asteroid lies on the floor for a while. The silver arm ripples and shrinks back, falling apart. Then it tries to form again, and again. Whatever her body is trying to do, it's just not quite working right now. Guess it's not going to be THAT easily fixed.

"Hmph." Castle says. "She would have had little to worry about had she focused on her talents rather than acted on emotion."

Emma provides perfect sass against his argument and for someone like Castle, this actually does inflict damage as he glowers at the LAMB that thinks it can school HIM.

But perhaps more direct vengeance is best suited for a man like Castle. Ginny slams him with fire and this time, he doesn't get out de way or anything, it just hits him straight on. He reaches out to counterattack but his aim is disrupted, and his attention diverted by Shalune.

"NO!" He shouts. "Not until I find the other Seven Sages Labs! Not until I find the statue!!" For the first time, panic enters his voice. Failure is not tolerated well within the organization he's a part of apparently. He turns his back on the party. Never get too excited and declare a premature Atari, folks. He throws a vicious punch for Shalune as hard as he can which is very hard indeed, but luckily for Shalune she does get to throw her explosive device just as the timer on the console hits zero and blows the whole terminal up.

He's likely going to murder her in spite of all the pain heading his way but Ethius reaches him first. His spell rapidly infects his ARMs, it rapidly infects him. Castle sinks down to one knee and howls in agony. He raises his fist to keep striking but Jaqueline.

"How do you...ghgaahh....know..."

But that's the last of what he can say. He's crushed by Jay's pillar and it FURTHER holds him into place, allowing SPIRIT of all people to dive in and start biting at him, but Spirit won't want to stick around too long because there's a lot of flashy shit flying in at Castle. Like Jean's razors, that sink deeply into Castle's back.

Ethius tells Castle what will happen in Asteroid's life. Or Lydia's, really. Asteroid is even concious enough to hear it, mostly. She stares up at Ethius. For the moment, the globular silverish muck holds shape. Her heart is pounding. "Ethius...." She says, looking guilty. All those times she said sassy stuff about him behind his back, all those times she was just a total brat. She can't help it, it's who she is, but sometimes she doubted he cared.

How can she ever doubt him again after this?

Carina adds more fuel to the fire. More fire, more fire. Castle roars in agony. Jean makes a suggestion. Maybe Castle should feel what it's like.

And it's Avril that provides that feeling. She swipes upward with her strange blade and punches through his ARM's armoring and right on through the skin, the bone, and everything all the tway out to the other end. Now it's Castle's arm that is flopping around on the ground and he's bleeding red, so he doesn't seem to have that weird gunk that Asteroid has going for her.

Cyre claws into him, over and over and over again. He doesn't chop off a limb or anything, but he does dig deep gouges into his flesh, tearing off armoring, skin, blood, fat, muscle. For a moment, Castle is helpless to do much of anything.

But Castle is nothing if not always thinking. Even in this agony, he is thinking, and it's when Catenna unleashes ultimate crushing force upon him that he sees his opportunity. The cracks in the floor grow wider as Castle shifts his body. You get one last good look at his face..

You've crushed his glasses, but his brief flirtation with rage and panic is over. What's done is done. He is as annoyingly calm as ever.

"I'll adjust my strategy." He says, through the pain of Ethius's dire spell. "But you'll have to come back....If you want the Statue. I'll be waiting."

He rears back with his fist and slams it into the floor with all his remaining strength. With the help of Catenna's gravity, that's enough to do it, and the floor shatters beneath him--

--sending him into the depths below even as an electrical fence ripples into place behind him to discourage pursuit.

Asteroid curls up even as her arm tries to regenerate over and over again but it's not working.

"Cuh...can I still make a ship like this?" Asteroid manages. She has priorities ok.

GS: Asteroid the Kid has attacked Shalune Amira with Atari!
GS: Asteroid the Kid takes 8 damage from Poison!
GS: Asteroid the Kid has completed her action.
GS: Jacqueline Barber used the Force Action Protect! She takes Asteroid the Kid's attack on Shalune Amira on herself!
GS: Jacqueline Barber has activated a Force Action!
GS: Jacqueline Barber guards a hit from Asteroid the Kid's Atari for 113 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

You haven't even begun to experience ultimate gravity yet. But Catenna has no interest in bringing Celesdue into this right now. Destroying Castle is going to be all her. Tightening her grip, she glares on with anger in her eyes, unable to muster even a token outrage as Ethius Hesoid does something horrible. "She is our friend," she growls, her voice low, but clearly enunciated, each word like a knife. "The Guardians stand with her. And so... do... we...!"

Before she can finish her work, however, Castle smashes his fist into the floor and falls into the abyss below, his glasses smashed as if to present Catenna with some vindictive little moral victory. But he's gone before the rest of them can secure it, that shocking fence crackling away behind them.

The priestess steps up to the hole, scowling bleakly down into it. A million things to say crop up in her mind.

She can't find the right words. Ignas-speak isn't her first tongue, and she wants to find them in Zortroan right now. Instead she just lets out her breath and closes her eyes.

And listens as Asteroid the Kid sadly asks if she can still make a ship.

Catenna sighs deeply, the anger beginning to ebb away to the other emotions it papered over: Worry, fear - sadness. She opens her eyes again as she turns towards Asteroid, moving to kneel by the wounded girl. Delicately, she moves a hand forward, but doesn't touch.

"You can do whatever you wish to do," she murmurs. "And I know that we will support you. Please...." Her brow creases, and she whispers a few words in Zortroan.

A shimmer of bluish and silver sparkles dances from her palm, whirling slowly around Asteroid. Catenna has no idea if the arcana of Lucadia, as powerful as the spell of Critical Healing is, is even capable of healing... this.

She tries anyway. Bowing her head, she channels Lucadia's power, at least trying to heal Asteroid's quicksilver stump. Emphasis on trying.

<Pose Tracker> Jean has posed.

Jean, as the Professor drops away, leaps backward away from the hole, flipping through the air and landing on her feet to glare at where he was. "...You won't succeed," she promises him, straightening her shoulders and her stance. ...THe healing magic that's washed over her is beginning to dull a little, and the pain of her wounds shines through... But she ignores them as best she's able--which is pretty well.

Jean looks over Ethius, for a few moments, before focusing on Asteroid again, walking closer to her and her strange, silvery stump. She kneels down, at an angle not to get in the way of the healers and says, "Hey. ...You can. You can hold tools with one arm as easy as two, and that brain of yours is in something too hard to hurt, right?" She speaks gently, with a little touch of lightness--a very big sisterly way of speaking. "Just try to relax. They'll take care of you, okay? ...You're not alone here."

<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.

Kourin stares after the departing foe for only an instant before moving to Asteroid's side--though staying far enough back to allow those who can heal her to work.

"I do not know what kind of ship you wish to make...but if I have learned anything this past year, it is that with friends like you have--friends like us--you can reach the most distant heights, if you only trust those who care about you, who you care about."

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

"Shalune!" Jacqueline reacts instinctively, as Professor Castle's fist, with intent to kill, heads straight for one of her dearest friends. She dives in the way, but before she can get a pillar up to protect herself...Professor Castle's fist slams into her gut. The force sends her to her knees, doubled over and coughing.

Even if she wanted to try and pursue him, she can barely stand right now. But she sees him depart, and her expression darkens somewhat.

He wasn't going to get away with this.

"Sh-shalune...are you alright...?" Jacqueline murmurs to her friend.

With some effort Jacqueline finds something to support herself as she stands, legs shaking, and offers Asteroid a weak smile.

"W-we'll...w-we'll think of something..." She says. ...She's still wheezing a bit from that punch. "Have you...met Gwen...? M-maybe we can get you...a cool arm like hers..."

She looks toward Catenna, though. Was it possible...? Could the power of the Guardians help in this situation?

...All they could do was hope.

<Pose Tracker> Carina Wynne has posed.

Carina pants Castle is engulfed in the sum total of the group's collective anger at his monstrous acts. "Did we do it...?" she asks, mostly for herself, as the flames from her attack die down around her.

No, it turns out she did not participate in killing a dude (yet). Well. At least they succeeded at what they came here to do.

She runs over to look at Asteroid, hands over her bug helmet's faceplate, though doesn't get in the healer's way. "Aw jeezy frankenfurters... That's a right mess..." she mutters. She's seen liquid metal before, of course, but she's never seen it do... that.

"Yeah, you just hang in there," she adds, "we'll get you out of this freaky place and then you can make a spaceship and we can become friends, n' other fun long-term plans. Okay?" She gives Jean a solemn nod, recognizing the power of a fellow user of the Big Sisterforce.

She remains silent for a beat. "Ooooh, friendship. Nice!" she gives Kourin two thumbs-up.

She considers asking Jay what a monomachine is, but for once succeeds at her Read The Freaking Room roll and keeps it for later.

<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.

Someday, Cyre would be able to quench his rage. Someday, he'd sheath his claws into that man's body and tear them out of that man's corpse. That day is not today.

The beastman, in a manner altogether too stereotypical for his kind, unleashes a frustrated howl as it becomes clear that they won't be murdering Alexander Castle today. "Prepare all you like," Cyre spits after the monster in man's shape, "I'll take you apart, Alexander Castle. Brick by bloody brick."

But not today.

Today... Cyre is left with nothing but to stew in his own rage.

And to tend to... healing.

"Catenna-- Asteroid," the Shaman steps hesitantly toward the two of them. His lips draw into a tight line. "...Don't you worry, Astie. You'll have a lot more than just two hands, now. Promise. And we'll get that guy back. We'll get him back bigtime."

That... Is perhaps an understatement.

<Pose Tracker> Avril Vent Fleur has posed.

        Absolute Zero cuts true.

        Avril's expression doesn't shift an iota. Light flashes, snapping against the flooring and cutting a gouge there before the charge dies; she draws back, that stare maintaining as he cuts his losses -- under the fully-expressed fury they've all mustered -- and retreats.

        The way is barred.

        "I do not think we can easily follow," she comments, before turning.

        Dismay flutters its way across her features. "Oh..."

        The Original Medium may be able to assist... but this is a fact Avril is merely hoping may be so rather than something that is so.
        But this is not very different from a Metal Demon, is it?

        Or, a part of her voices quietly, a Golem.

        Briefly discomfited, she takes approaches to lend a hand.

        "Perhaps we should move her outside... if she can be moved?"

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

        Ethius takes off in a jog forward as Castle punches his mighty ARM-bearing arm into the floor to create himself an escape route. He has to halt himself when he comes to recognize that the hole in the ground is covered through thick ripples of electricity that he may not survive jumping down. He crosses an arm inward and slurs a single syllable... but ceases, and relaxes his arm.
        This is not to say that he is giving up pursuit. Indeed, as his gaze sweeps out towards the rest, there may be reason to have pause if he so much as looks at any of them. Those eyes are no different from the gaze he gave the ginormous scientist. In the heightened emotion among the room, with people so full of anger for Castle and worry for Asteroid, one might assume that Ethius seems about ready to take down just about anyone else.
        It's in the man's otherwise guarded body language - at his simultaneous best and worst, he is a man who seems to only have it in him to destroy. There is an apparent acceptance and comfort in this entire scenario that might give even career assassins pause.
        Though Asteroid does say his name as she curls about herself in fear of what this recent development means for her and her future, he doesn't approach her. His words might speak of a kindness of some kind that does not get attributed to him on a regular basis, but he's not running out over to hug her. Distant. Does the man not know how to show such sympathy in a frightening time for all?
        His eyes scan the surrounding environs. Shalune's handiwork did quite the number to the equipment already. He'll praise her for her initiative later.
        He can't avoid taking in the sight of everyone moving to comfort Asteroid, even as they now face an uncertain, new truth about what their friend is made of. What does he have to say? How does he feel about this? There is that unease in the air again as he holds a palm out to the open air. As a Symbologist, all the spells that are available to him do nothing but destroy. Harm. An outstretched hand from Ethius is a gesture that can only be a prelude to further death and suffering.
        He lowers it. He closes his eyes, folding his hands behind his back. What do I do? He is conflicted. He knows that this is a question he needs to ask, asking himself as though he should know the answer. He doesn't have one.
        Maybe he doesn't have one that he likes...?
        "I understand there is a need to see to her well-being." Ethius speaks, a ways away from Asteroid. Not even his shadow reaches out far enough to her. In this moment of reaffirmation of one's friendship and care for their friend, no matter who or what she is, a part of him stands separate. "This situation must be treated delicately. We will go through the means available to us first." Herbalism, healing spells, and the like.
        "If it turns out we must go further out to see her receive the proper assistance..." A real possibility. This sort of thing is new to just about everyone here, isn't it? Including him? Maybe? Maybe not? Does he already know? He's not sure. He continues to speak, as though following a carefully outlined script, delivered without flair or personal touch. "I will ask that you all exercise the utmost discretion in discussing anything that has transpired before you."
        Ethius opens his eyes again. That same stare as always. Eyes that just take in everything around it, and not give anything back. Nonetheless, based on his words - if he had spoken them with any sincerity or truth when he spoke to the monster of a man that is Castle - his end goal does seem to be ensuring she can live a life without further disturbance or dictation from people like them.
        Is this the first time?

<Pose Tracker> Virginia Maxwell has posed.

        Virginia's exhaustion doesn't show, as she hurries along and drops down to Asteroid's side. She's staring confusedly as that arm begins to keep growing-- and growing-- her eyes widen further, and she bites her lip in her confusion.

        "Of course you can! You can build a spaceship, we're gonna go out to space together, we're gonna keep eating more and more ice cream! Don't talk like it's the end!" Virginia exclaims desperately.

        She stares towards Ethius for a moment, then the others-- scratching her head. "I don't get it... who can help-- um--" she hears Jacqueline. "That's it! Isn't her Auntie some-- kind of-- she must have some experience with it! Or Miss Emma, you're a genius too, right?! There must be some way...."

<Pose Tracker> Avril Vent Fleur has posed.

        The approach to Asteroid's side halts as she espies something out of the corner of an eye. She turns her head to look at it.

        A small device, just slipped from Castle's severed hand. Tentatively, Avril steps towards it, then stoops to the ground to pluck it up.

        Even in her hands it's small. In his, it would have been tiny.

        She tilts it in her hands as if seeing it again, for the first time.

        "This... I... remember this?"
        Less a memory. More of a feeling.

        She rises to her feet, clutching the tiny thing to her chest.

        This belonged to her. What was it doing here?

        Shaking her head, she turns away, hurriedly heading over to Asteroid's side.
        Later. She would consider this later.

<Pose Tracker> Emma Hetfield has posed.

 
Emma grins to herself as she seems to have hit a nerve. The words of Castle ring through her ears. Seven Sages labs? There are other ones, she thinks. Other places than this. Her pectoral muscles contract and she nearly drops -- whatever it is she's fishing for - as she looks upright, even as the lightning arcs across her now and then, hot licks of electrons against her fabric-wrapped body.

But - he's -

He's leaving -

There is no reason to maintain this effect. With a "bwip!" the stolen four swords vanish and Emma slumps down like someone just dropped an Emmasized tube of Go-Gurt. "Woogh," she says, tilting her head back. "I'm getting too old for this SHALUNE please come give Auntie Emma a hand if you have a momenttttttuh."

After this Emma pinches her nose, adjusts her glasses, and sets back. She steadies herself.

Looking over towards Virginia, she says, "A space-ship? Hmmm. You'd need different principles to a standard aircraft, but if you sealed it up and had sufficient power to operate purely on thrust without lift, I don't see any reason why you couldn't make it all the way to space. After all, if those quacks can do it, so can science itself."

To Ethius, she states: "Of course. I practice the utmost discretion in my intercourse with Drifters and prisoners."

Back to Asteroid... ...and Emma does not say anything. No words of sympathy can come to mind. But...

She asked a question, Emma reminds herself.

To Asteroid, then, she says with decision, "Yes: You can."

Then she bites her tongue tip and only thinks instead of actually saying the part about how it definitely is going to raise costs for contractors. Emma can do this occasionally, with effort: she just usually does not care.

<Pose Tracker> Asteroid the Kid has posed.

Asteroid the Kid says, "So like... I'm not the only person seeing the beetleborg there, am I?" It's a bit beyond her capacity to believe that a superhero came to fight a mad scientist on her behalf even if, you think about it, that's probably something for any superhero's bucket list? Including the mad scientist swearing eternal revenge or something? Sure.

Asteroid is, mysteriously, not in the mood for puns even if she's both into spaceships and also space ships. Kaguya and Lemina? Ambrosius and Ethius? It could happen.

It's Jay ironically who mentions Gwen which has a side effect because Asteroid actually knows who Gwen is! Indeed, Asteroid looked up to Gwen back before she left her village because she was a SUPER COOL COURIER DRIFTER GUYS. She looks up at Jay for a moment and smiles, "Hey, yeah, Gwen's got a weirdass arm too."

She looks to Jean and says, "Hey um. Thanks for talking me out of my stupid yesterday. Um, sorry for dragging you into this mess. If you guys ever need any help," She means the Fiends. "...Yeah."

Catenna tries summoning the power of a Guardian to fix Asteroid's arm. Lucadia, Asteroid thinks.

The bitch, she thinks mildly, who didn't help Kaguya.

She doesn't hold it against Catenna though but she doesn't expect this is going to do it and even though it does look like for a moment it will fix Asteroid's arm, indeed it starts to take form again but--when the spell is over, the arm gloops away. There's some pre-requisite that isn't being fulfilled here though on the plus side, it does seem like it could be useful in the future.

"Hey, we should get my arm on ice." She reaches over and plucks it off from the ground. "Not to put it back on or anything but like if someone opens up the box thinking there's drinks in there and then suddenly--the arm--they'd be totally freaked out." She laughs hoarsely. "Oh--no, better idea. We could give it to Skeleton and he could stick it on and he'd get to have a flesh arm for a while. Skeleton performed really well today, he deserves a hand. And an arm."

Asteroid is assured of friendship and she nods to Avril, standing up and giving Virginia a hug with her remaining arm. "...I'm sorry Ginny." She says again. "I really want to be friends."

She considers Ethius for a long moment. "Ethius, um..." What the heck, don't talk about this? Okay, she'll pretend to agree.

"Um..." She reddens faintly. "....Okay." She doesn't need to say it, she thinks, Ethius doesn't seem to like things like this being said. She just has to know it. That's fine for her, at least for now.

Man, she thinks, Emma Hetfield's really a genius. She smiles at her. That kind of confidence, she wonders, can she reach it? She can already be kind of a jerk like Emma, so all she has to do is believe in herself like Emma and she'll be on her way to being true engineer!

She squints her eyes and manages to get the flow of strange goo from her arm to stop. She is a little lightheaded from the effort. She doesn't understand how this works.

She looks over to Skeleton. They never gave up on her, she thinks. What lesson should she take from this? The warm feeling in her chest is great, but she wants to be a better person too. What can she do?

"Thanks everybody. You guys are the coolest."

She considers Carina for a moment.

...
...
...

Okay, she thinks, even that weird lady, you're being a nicer person now, Asteroid. Baby steps.

<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

        Shalune has just a moment to grit her teeth in triumph before the Professor's arm catches her in the side and flings her across the room; her yelp is muffled as she bounces and rolls with the impact, automatically bringing up her arms to cover her face. If her fighting style could be described as anything at all, it's 'neophyte street brawling and also weird inventions', and even the most neophyte knows that someone that angry is going to put the boot right in--

        --but Jacqueline is there to intercept the next hit, doubling over but enduring it for long enough at least for the strange scientist to decide to recoup his losses. "J-Jay!--" the pink-haired girl calls automatically, before the tail end of whatever she was about to say is swallowed by a hacking cough - still, she forces herself back up to her feet, scurrying over towards the alchemist's side to do her best to help Jacqueline back up. --except she's diverted by Emma's call, and scurries over in that direction to Emma's side with another yelp, throwing a shoulder under her to support her. "H-hold on! It's all okay! Just-- just rest a bit, yeah?" she kind of says to the both of them.

        She's perhaps feeling a frantic adrenaline catch up with her, and it isn't helped when she spies Asteroid casually picking up her arm. "W-wahwa--" is her slightly incoherent noise of panic, but then she keeps it down and forces herself to take a deep, solid breath, letting it out deliberately slowly. Not that it helps all that much, but, little steps. "R-right! Wayside deals with that sorta stuff, don't they? Maybe they'll know, um-- some kinda technique you can use! Or we could take a look at what it's made of, y'know, I've got a little microscope somewhere in here--" she adds in a nervous rush as she fishes through her bag hurriedly.

<Pose Tracker> Carina Wynne has posed.

Carina looks around as people pick themselves up and calm down from this whole big fight. She crosses Ethius' gaze and... chills run down her spine. No, seriously, what IS this guy's deal? She's never sure what to think. But then, from what she's already gathering, this seems to be the correct reaction to Ethius.

"I am not a beeblebrox," Locus corrects, raising a finger indicatively, before transitioning to (what else?) a thumbs-up, "I am a Metal Digger! Metal Digger Locus! It's nice to meet you!"

She seems to be included in being called one of the coolest. Good! Good. She crosses her arms and nods appreciatively. One of her antennae, half-broken, threatens to fall off.

All is well that ends well??

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

In fairness, Catenna isn't sure it's going to work, either; she's pretty confident in her ability to heal meat, but not so much in her ability to heal quicksilver warp fluid. As the spell passes and Asteroid's arm slops away, the priestess presses her lips together, pushing her hand up through her hair and letting out a breath. "...That might be wise," she murmurs, settling back into a crouch and giving Asteroid a little bit of room.

At least the girl's sense of humour is intact.

"We should get you somewhere safer than this," she suggests in a quiet voice, looking up to the others, and then to Jacqueline. Presumably she means the CaraKin; as far as places that are Safe For Astie goes, the CaraKin's about as Astie-Safe as she can think of.

"You are our friend. Leaving you here was never an option," she assures Asteroid with a little smile before edging to the side to let people with more muscle than her take care of any required Astie-hoisting. "Besides which... you did the same for me, once."

She remember a prison cell, with Astie and Kaguya sharing a dismal situation with her. For a little while.

<Pose Tracker> Asteroid the Kid has posed.

"Okay. Okay Metal Digger Locus." Asteroid says. "You look really, really."

Stupid?
Weird?
No no, this is someone you like.

"Unique." Asteroid says. "Very marketable."

Yes. Perfect.

She is reminded of when she went out to help Catenna. She laughs to herself, smiling.

"That's us. Kaguya, you, me. The Rowdy Three."

She can be carted off without further incident.

But what was that of the Time Statue? It seems you will have to return once more. Even Asteroid looks back and stares at the hole left behind by Castle.

He hasn't found it yet, she thinks, as a shaman--she has to make sure he doesn't get away with that Statue. It's impossible to tell how much time Shalune bought the forces of--

--well people who aren't dickholes, really.

MISSION COMPLETE!

BONUS OBJECTIVES: COMPLETE!

TO BE CONTINUED...

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

Fortunately, Shalune returns the favor by helping her up. Jacqueline offers her a weak smile. She's a little unsteady as she manages to finally stand up fully. She then returns Asteroid's smile, and takes stock of the situation.

Healing sorcery wasn't working...which Jacqueline honestly expected. This wasn't a situation created by Sorcery...or at least she assumed. She had no idea what nanotechnology actually entailed.

"Right..." Jacqueline says, nodding toward Catenna then looking back toward Asteroid.

"We can put you up in one of our guest rooms, for now. Everyone else, you're welcome to stay as long as you like." Asteroid had a lot of friends here, after all, and she wouldn't want to turn them away.