[ti]story[/ti] PLASMA: Show Me The Door

"Well, as the resident member of the Bay watch, I would say I think I have a rough idea of what to do."

Orion had arrived first, one could say his zeal for this sort of thing was a little fanatical, that he'd perhaps drank a bit too much of the digital cool aid that had been passed around.  The young man would disagree, this game had aced the fucking Turing Test with flying colors, so as far as he was aware this game was realer than real, and its people deserved to have their agency protected, mon and man alike.  Any heroics in game were just as heroic out of the game, and for him any injuries sustained carried the very real threat of chasing him back into the real world. 

All the more likely to treat this all seriously, and plan all the more accordingly.

He'd clothed himself in his standard apparel, black shirt and jeans with a bright yellow bandanna. In his lap Gilgamesh was chowing down on a small pack of Moreos fetched from a local vending machine. On the table two crumpled bags of Doritos and Fritos were sitting, previous victims of the brave bugs mid afternoon cravings. One foot sat crossed over his knee as he lounged in the booth, professor sitting across from in in desperate need of a lint brush and some personal space from all of these god damn cats.

"The Doortal from the junkyard leads right into the bottom of the Bay, and personally speaking I feel like this."  He would plop down a bag filled with scuba gear, "Is our best bet getting you to the surface with minimal issue.  I found a submersible down there, but it looks fucking SKETCHY and mad old, last thing I want us to do is pack you in there and have that thing suddenly and rather explosively decompress throwing you out into the deep with no protection and no air." A frown smeared itself across his face as he imagined the scene, his brow furrowing so deeply it obscured his eyes.  

"While the suit leaves you out in the water with us as we swim, it also means we're right there with you and can play protect the president.  The three of us and some water mon will make the perfect mobile caravan upwards, allowing us the ability to get real jazzy with our movement if we find ourselves being attacked, but also allowing us easy access to grab you and make a mad dash if we gotta.  It seems like the best of both worlds really."

That was exfiltration sorted, but how to get her to the door?  And what route where they taking?  Well, luckily he had two very good partners in crime to answer that.

This was the real deal. There was no going back from this. If they failed, Ash would get hurt. She highly doubted they'd just go and sit in the Jail, and wait to be rescued. With what happened to Bunya... there was no telling what could happen at any moment.

Steeling her resolve, Laguna would carefully listen to everyone else's plans and ideas. Upon hearing orioncayge mention they'd be going through with Ash with scuba gear, Laguna instinctively summoned Marina the Brionne, her starter Pokémon. The seal swam around in the air, ready to act just in case. "Gonna need you later darling. Be ready to blow bubbles for the Professor, just in case."

"Can do!" A few bubbles already began to float around them as the giggled with excited nerves.

When Verai had finished speaking, discussing the Fungal Fields, she finally stepped forwards and swung a backpack around in front. "Not gonna lie Professor, this is probably gonna be awkward for a bit. But as long as we keep our heads down, move quickly, we'll get out of here just fine."

She'd carefully hand over the backpack, intending to give Professor Ash the courtesy of going back inside to change clothes. Inside, she'd find a fairly long blue and white dress, with a few frills at the top, paired with a back-length brown wig and a blue ribbon already tied into the hair. As well as a set of gloves, boots, and other minor accessories.

It was absolutely a costume of Bergamot Gristleborg .

"It's a disguise of... a friend, I think. Point is, I've seen her sneak around a bit, and also disguise up as people. Me included. So if anyone recognizes who the outfit is, they hopefully won't think twice on it either. Besides, most people who live in town don't seem to mind when Trainers act a bit weird."

"And, if they do?" She gives the professor a soft smile, a few snowflakes forming in her hand. "We can make a solid distraction, with hopefully as little violence as possible. Just, prepare yourself. You're probably going to see us do a dozen theoretically impossible things before the night is done. You have our support."

Deep breath in, deep breath out.

It was all Orion could do to keep himself calm in this situation.  He didn't like cops.  He, did NOT, like cops.  Not one fucking bit, specially ones that were obviously crooked and against a very noble cause.  Something in his Cayge blood roiled against this incarceration, and whoever had coded this entire interaction had done so having truly suffered under some harsh mistreatment and had NO qualms letting that venom color this interaction.  It was grittily real, and a subtle reminder that their plight was all too real as well.  His teeth were practically fused together from how hard he was grinding them, and nary a word would escape his lips.

They were fighting the good fight.  

Then she showed up, and his rage all but boiled more.  She dared to use their position above him to try and get him to despoil his ideals?  To betray the professor and use Plasma for Power?  The idea made him rage, and then she made the stupid decision to uncuff him.  Like she owned this situation and he was some sort of well trained pooch who would play nice and never dream of biting the hand that fed.

"FUCK YOU."

Orion slammed into C.L.A.W's nose with his forehead.

It had been instinct, he hadn't turned to see the other two's opinions or expressions, he'd just gone off of raw gut.  He kicked at the desk with their balls, calling out loudly.  "ACHILLES!  LETS SLOW IT DOWN EH?"

In a flash of darkness, the Incineroar appeared behind him, eyes wide with rage.  "IT'S TIME FOR A HEEL TURN!"

The room pulsed with the psycadelic waves of Trick Room, a unique trick forged through their bonds spent together in the Everword.  Fast was slow and slow was fast, and if you weren't expecting it your gut instinct is to move as fast as possible, every instinct driving your forward into the fight.  The untrained mind, the unexepected fighter could never break through all of their conditioning and millions of years of raw instinct.  They would blindly charge forward, faster and faster, their speed instead shackling them further and further.  

But Orion was ready, and had trained to do this.  Self control and mastery of motion, slow movements slid through the air like a freshly greased ham through Chinatown.  He was the tortoise, and slow and steady translated to fast as fuck, which would win this fight before they knew what was knocking their lights out.  Slowly, he snapped the spore grenade from the contraband and tossed it into the air.

"THINK SLOW CHUCKLENUTS"

The gently tossed grenade pirouetted through the air into the cluster of CLAW agents, and with a crack left out a wave of stunning spores, leaving most of the unaware caught in its daze as he turned to the nearest combatant and went to work brawling his way for the door.

"LET'S MAKE LIKE A CHIP AND GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!"

The warmth of fluorescent lights, the soft hum they made. The ache of his shoulders, the clinking of handcuffs against his gauntlets. They're restrained, being questioned, but presumably not yet tortured. All in all, they were being treated well- Verai was surprised they were given chairs.

There was a snap and a sizzle, and the sound of someone choking. And then a voice, smooth like smoke. The game whispered that it was C.L.A.W. He didn't have many interactions with her, before, to which now he saw this was a good thing.

Their pokemon returned, a bit of the ruse falling away. Think of how we could help each other. Their handcuffs were slowly removed, Verai letting his arms move back to his side gently. He wasn't in any rush.

"I'll only say this once, 'PLASMA.' I want you."

At that, Verai sighed gently. He didn't know much about Laguna - he'd never really interacted with the woman before. But he knew orioncayge . And, clearly, C.L.A.W. didn't.

Proven instantly with the sound of bone against cartilage. Verai moved, not grabbing at the pokeballs, but instead simply sliding them off the table, clattering to the ground. The seals were broken; that was enough.

Light flared as the pokemon began spilling forth, warm against his face. Verai was not a veteran of pokemon games. He did not understand, internally, the restriction of pokemon battlefields. He was never used to fighting fair.

The world warped and slowed, the familiar adrenaline of battle, and Verai was in his element.

He didn't speak to his pokemon- they all simply moved. Kitten howled terribly, lunging at the nearest opponent, fur pitch as she sank teeth into their leg, biting savagely. Ta'si Vir was entrancing a group of cops, lights flickering around her in an intricate confuse ray.

Ya'ath had moved into his hands, and Verai lunged, blades gleaming as a sacred sword slammed into one of the cops, Verai wasting no time before following the others into the hall.

"There's always an exit," Verai said, grimly. "If not over- then through." They'd carve their own doors if they needed to- What they were doing was more important than one building in Briarbane.

He turned, hearing the clamor of more forces behind them. And by presence alone, he knew C.L.A.W. was with them, watching. "You want us? You don't even know what we are." He snarled, spreading a hand- an ancient tome appearing in it, pages flicking by some unfelt wind.

Breath the stirring wind
I stretch my wings far open
And become the sky
For what is life without air
Without the breath of new life?

Lightning crackled around him, forming the barely-perceptible form of some great bird, with sharp feathers and a thin beak, the creature shrieking as it slammed into the group.

His pokemon kept close behind, still causing problems- Kitty wailing and crying, Disarming Voice keeping those still standing off-guard, and Tama had hooked his claws into a guard, vital throwing him into the wall, concrete shattering into dust.

Prince's Spellbook summoned Bolt Beak

"What do you mean you got no plan! Think on the fly, Cayge!" Laguna would bob and weave through the crowd, attempting to dodge attacks left, right and center. A powerful Bolt Beak from a spellbook slamming into a group, and a Taurus slammed through a group of foes. When a hand was offered to pull her up, Laguna denied it for now. She had her own idea that would resolve in less people being hurt.

"This is getting nowhere, fast! Sir Hail!" She called out, and suddenly the Cryogonal appeared at her side, her loyal knight as always. "I need you to cut through the wall! Rapin Spin!"

"There is no glory to be found in this combat." The Cryogonal replied, already beginning to spin up. "We shall escape, post-haste!" Suddenly like a buzzsaw, the snowflake began carving straight through the stone wall of the prison building, but it was going to take a few seconds.

"Split up!" Laguna called out to her fellow Plasma members. "They can't chase us all if we're not toget-"

Suddenly, a massive poison needle fired by a guard's bug Pokemon began flying straight towards her face, and everything seemed to happen in slow motion for just a second. The needle so laced with poison it was obviously dripping even as it flew through the air. Laguna's immediate instincts were to swiftly duck, but the Trick Room had her almost frozen in place.

"Laguna!" Her Brionne immediately cried, directly putting herself in between Laguna and the needle as she swam through the air and intercepted the attack. The powerful needle immediately digging into them.

"Marina!" Laguna immediately called out, fear in her voice. "Are you okay?"

"I'm- I'm okay." The Brionne replied through a strangled breath. Suddenly, all the concrete dust in the air from the Vital Throw earlier and the wall being carved away was swiftly sucked up and absorbed by the Pokemon. Their obvious wounds healed as they Shore'd Up their health, taking in the sand into their body. "N-never better, hah. Let's get out of here."

She had never been more thankful for nearly drowning in a river than she was right now.

Finally, the Cryogonal had carved a large enough hole in the wall that concrete fell in a massive chunk, giving her a way out with her fairly small Pokemon. Laguna swiftly crawled through the hole as she continued to shout. "I'll meet you all at the meeting place! Let's get going!"

Slipping outside, her Crygonal and Brionne flew and swam right by her side before she turned around. With a furious exhale, Laguna would swiftly cover her exit hole in ice to prevent her from being followed.

It felt terrible leaving Verai and orioncayge insde. But they were capable, they could make it. They had to. What... other choice did they have, if they wanted to evade capture and prevent being followed to the Junkyard, other than splitting up?

"Might I suggest-"

"Running? Yes, absolutely."

Her Pokemon suddenly vanished into her Pokeball as Laguna began to run as fast as she could. Pulling up her UI, she swiftly replaced Swimmer with Bolter temporarily, only to be immediately carried forwards almost as if she was running on a bolt of lightning, sprintng incredibly fast. Paired with her Trailblazer Kicks, fire, snowflakes, and electric sparks were all left in her wake as she sprinted, slid, and zoomed as fast as she possibly could to a safe zone. The wind was even on her side, as her magic Wand of the Winds and a powerful ice-cold Tailwind carried her through.

In the end, Laguna would find her way to the Junkyard after weaving and ice-skating through alley after alley to get anyone who was following her to lose her trail. No doubt confusing many NPCs and Players alike. But here she sat atop an old washing machine trying to catch her breath, shaking and shuddering.

At least Professor Ash escaped unharmed. She had to remind herself to thank Bergamot Gristleborg for being just a bad enough villain that people thanked her for not being evil, but not so evil that the cops even remotely cared about her.

"Ash..." Laguna would start to speak, only to need to take another deep breath. "They knew where we were heading. Someone set us up. C.L.A.W. was there, she knew the Code Word. She wanted power, she claimed to want in, but-" She sighed heavily, attempting to calm her nerves. They still had the most dangerous part ahead.

"If they knew what route we were taking, someone probably knows where we are going. We shouldn't linger too long. The others should be here soon... I hope."

Used an Everworld Move +5
Total: 37

"BLUE!"  

Panic filled Orion's heart as Laguna denied the offered hand and went on her own way. She had a point, if they split up the forces chasing them would also need to divide.  What might be an overwhelming force to overcome for all three of them could be divided in such a way that perhaps one of them could escape and get back to the professor, to warn her of the coming danger.  It was all they could hope for, and despite the knot in his stomach telling him to go back and get the others, he soldiered on.

"Don't stop runnin primo."  

A phantom voice whispered in his ears, sending a chill down his back.

"One foot in front of the other, fast as you can.  Go get pops, he'll know what to do."

Tears welled in Orion's eyes as he continued forward through the wreckage wrought by Asterion.  All around him the rest of his team was running rampage, a veritable parade of bulls screaming fuck the police as they tore through the hallway.  But Orion wasn't there in that moment, he was standing on seering hot blacktop smeared with streaks of crimson.  His white trainers stained at the bottom with blood as he kneeled over his cousin, desperately applying pressure to wounds that would not yield.

"Alexander!"
"Don't you ever stop running Primo."
"I wanna fight!"
"That's what... got us... into this mess."
"I want revenge!"
"And eye...for an eye... leaves us all blind,"
"I don't care!  You're gonna get better!  We're gonna get them back."
"No,"  

Orion stared down at his dying cousin, no older than fifteen yet wiser than his years as his lifeblood drained out onto the searing blacktop, his olive skin growing pale.  Watching his future fade away, his potential flicker to nothing.  Tears streaming down his face.

"This city will kill you Primo, you keep livin by the sword you're gonna die by that same fuckin sword."
"This city is our home!"
"This city is your cage.  Run Primo, don't ever look back."
"No!"
"Don't stop running."  
"No!"
"Live Orion, Live a fucking great life.  Do great things."
"We'll do them together!  Get up Alexander!"
"Tell me all bout it when we see eachother again."
"ALEXANDER!"
"Adios Primo, I'll see you in the sands."


An enraged howl escaped Orion's lips as they smashed through the front door, Asterion a bullish battering ram and the rest of the brigade blitzing through broken barricades from behind.  Bulls had bested the pigs, their pen penetrated by plenty of punches.  And yet as his cavalcade of comrades continued to cruise, his eyes failed to find any of his friends.  Panic continued to settle in his stomach, but he pushed forward.  

The professor was potentially in peril, and needed protecting.  The others would be fine, they could log out and get out of danger if needed.  They'd all chosen their paths, and they'd all chosen to walk by the sword.

They would face the repercussions later.  

"Come on Zeus!  Lets keep running!  Everyone else scatter and lose em!"

And so Orion made his mad dash out of the city, sneaking and slinking along side streets and shadows.  Some sort of bomb or something went off in the police station, so pursuit was paused possibly, but proper procedure needed to be practiced pending being proved otherwise.  Yet, when he arrived he was able to find both Laguna and the professor both seemingly unharmed.  

"Thank fuck!"  He barked hopping off the Zap Zebra and giving him a few appreciative pats as he joined the two.  "Where's Verai!  We need to get the fuck out of here like four hours ago!"  Instinctively he would begin to look over both Laguna and Ashe looking for any injuries or wounds despite the numerous scrapes and scraps that lined his body.

He had no clue what had happened.

"You don't have to tell me nothin', hon," Stiletto heels click into view before Verai, half-buried in rubble. Slow, measured steps. Final heartbeats. System Admin:Claw has no need to rush—she knows she's won. "I'll just know. Don't worry your pretty head about those friends of yours: a lady keeps her promises. Even if some of y'alls mommas didn't teach you any manners."

A gaze upwards would reveal a swollen face streaked with blood, yet flushed with victory. Twizzler lips curve blissfully upwards in a smile like a fresh slice of apple.

"Welcome to The Creed."

In your PARTY MEMBERS screen, Verai's name flips to venom-red.

Nothing hampers Laguna and Orion's dash to the rendezvous point. The way is strangely clear— no more searchlights, pursuers, or anonymous tips. The sounds of distant scuffles might reach you, but they are none of your concern. You have one priority: Reach the Junkyard. Meet Professor Ash.

Go through the door.

Please check your comments for extra interaction.

LOADING: CYCLE 3

SHOW ME THE DOOR: PLASMA STORY QUEST

BZZZZSHHHHHH!

At the bottom of the sea, in the Ostellia harbor, a flash of light sputters in the depths. A Doortal, activating at long last.

The party emerges: two Swimmers, freely breathing in ocean like oxygen, one professor in scuba gear, and a number of previously-promised "water mon." These Pokemon are here for protection, not mobility—the three of you are limited to your own muscle power to carry you upwards. Stroke by stroke. Silent, arm over arm. Feet, kicking rhythmically. Peaceful, even, despite your aching muscles.

Safe, but slow.

You realize the darkness has become dimness— not from the light above, but from ones below. Professor Ash turns to look, brows furrowing beneath her scuba mask, and you see her eyes widen in amazement.

Beautiful, translucent shapes rise alongside you, spiraling from deeper in the trench. They are vaguely familiar: [tangent=]Nihilego[/tangent], soaring like moon-jellies through the sea. They have just come back from a catch— some hold small, fish-like Pokemon. Others hold small balls of pure light, taken from who-knows-where. Still more cling to small relics which crawl with latent Corruption, shimmering in dark contrast to their luminous bodies. A trio even soar past with a particularly bulky prize: a white marble casket.

Some, unfortunately, are empty-handed. But that can be changed.

The unburdened Nihilego change direction, fanning out and surrounding your water Pokemon with clear interest, anemone-like tentacles fanning. They make no move to attack. Instead, a numbing toxin spreads from them in waves, washing over your Pokemon before they can even realize the nature of the threat.

Slowly, slowly, the beasts drift forward. Slowly, slowly, they reach out, spooling in your stunned Pokemon in like thread, binding them in a nest of luminous polyps.

"No!" Ash cries, words lost in a stream of thin bubbles from the scuba mask, as the Nihilego begin to drift away.

Nihilego have stolen orioncayge's casket.
Nihilego have stolen Laguna's Pokemon.

^{If you allow this to happen, you will not get these back until after the World Event.}

Kicking out powerfully, Ash swims towards the Nihilego, releasing her Runerigus. Her command is indecipherable underwater, but the ghost-type seems to understand. Shadowy arms slither and extend like spools of caution tape, attempting to cut the invasive species off before they can leave the harbor. Its stony head grinds against its body, draconic runes changing to a fierce snarl.

The Professor points after the cloud of jellyfish, beckoning to Laguna and Orion. Hurry! she seems to say, her hair a teardrop-shaped cloud of silver. Before they—

Your expressions change before hers does. You see it first.

One last Nihilego drifts up from the depths and settles its arms, like an old friend, around Ash's neck.

SPOILER: Click to show

{FINAL RESULTS}

CYCLE 3: What has been prepared to help Ash reach the surface?
A) Scuba Gear
B) One of your Pokemon (Specify)
C) Ancient Submarine

<PROFESSOR!> Runerigus roars in your minds, the first time you've ever heard it talk. The woman is stiff, shocked, limbs jerking spastically as the neurotoxin settles into her system. The Nihilego nestles closer, drawing her in, fitting its glass-like bell over her head.

She jerks as if stung.

Then her face floods with sudden emotion. Fear. Wonder. Joy. Confusion. But fighting for the top, and winning in the end, is what can only be described as...

She— Nihilego— spins in the water, an undersea pirouette.

...ᖇᘿᒪᓰᘿᖴ.

Then her eyes open, and Nihilego swims down.

Down, down, down to the Doortals; woman and alien in perfect sync, perfect harmony. A tentacle wraps around a human arm like a brace, guides it eagerly to the handle.

Nihilego has stolen System Admin:ProfessorAsh.

The Doortal activates. Light and water bend to fit the shape of a new world, taking Professor Ash with it.