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#Post#: 2754--------------------------------------------------
Part II: Fighting for Freedom
By: Sans Date: September 23, 2017, 8:04 am
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Welcome to the Finale! Here I do have to lay down some rules so
that we can all have a good time~
- Do not god-mod/puppet other players without permission.
- Regarding above, only exceptions are placed by myself or
designated characters exclusively for story purposes or it is
the consequential result of your character's actions only.
- If your character gets de-powered or have certain things
removed from them, it is because of their choices, actions
and/or lack of choice/action when it really mattered. This
includes being indecisive, not doing or saying anything to
contribute to the story. This is not permanent but will last
until the end of the mini arc.
- If this applies to you, you have the choice to either have the
character leave the thread and no longer be a part of the mini,
or you're just gonna have to get creative and think outside of
the box.
- Please do not take consequences made against your characters
personally, this is just RP lol.
- I control all NPCs, environmental effect, ED units and JOHN
unit. If you want characters to do stuff to them, make your
attempts like usual and see what happens. Or ask permission from
me on Discord.
[color=orange]- If something appears to not be working, try
something else.
- RP Etiquette guide regarding combat RPS -[/color]
HTML http://undergroundunlimited.createaforum.com/rules-and-guidelines/role-play-etiquette-guide/<br
/>
Have fun! :D
Attention! I do need specific characters to post first for this
set up. Please refrain from posting until the set up has been
completed and I say it is okay for you to post. This set up is
required due to certain events being triggered and help I'm
getting from buddies in order for this mini finale to work. So
their (and my) posts get priority! ;)
[hr]
[sub]In Character Date: 13th November UUY 1[/sub]
[hr]
Just as the group exit the tunnel, the whole thing collapsed
behind them; luckily though, they all made it out just in the
nick of time. The group seemed to have taken one of the lesser
known tunnels which lead directly to the Core, bypassing all the
infamous puzzles in Hotlands. The Core looked to be in pretty
bad condition, just from a distance it could be see that it was
overheating, parts of it were lifted off or peeling off, smoke
and steam gushed out from various parts but at the very least,
it was still... stable.
The group of monsters would find that they had reached a higher
level overlooking fairly large island of rock at the very base
of the Core. It was surrounded by lava - rising lava in fact -
but not at a rate that is alarming. It was quite the distance,
they were possibily three stories high and the base of the
higher land form they were standing on was about one hundred
metres from the base of the core. At this distance, however,
there were still some figures stood out and could be seen. First
off, there was that vibrant yellow glow from a floating
heart-shaped soul, pulsing with incredible power and second
there was a massive, bulky quadruped robot built like a tank.
Upon closer inspection, from this far, its form resembled
closely to some form of bull or cattle, standing at
approximately ten feet tall and with twin long rod shaped
objects parallel to each other on its back. Whatever it carried,
it sure was heavy, for every aggravated step it took the
mechanical bull could be heard bellowed; its cry sounding like a
mix between an organic bull's bellow and mechanical, static
shrieking.
Sixteen of the flock of E.D. units could be seen gliding towards
the figures but one remained on a nearby boulder near the
entrance of the collapsed cave. It hopped and scuttled upon the
boulder until it noticed the group of monsters and it froze. Its
red eye shifted to a cautious yellow, watching.
#Post#: 2757--------------------------------------------------
Re: Part II: Fighting for Freedom
By: RiverPerson Date: September 23, 2017, 8:57 am
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The group however, was not alone, or at least, was even less
alone then what they where beforehand, as others where also up
on the higher ledge with them.
A hooded figure, most would know to steer the boat down the
river ways of the underground, would be found on the ledge,
dragging the familiar face of a certain cheetah whom ran off
earlier on from the group.
The figure would drag Gust back, stopping once he and she where
nearby a couple of passed out Royal guards. Once she had stopped
dragging the monster cat, she would sink to her knees, bringing
her hood back and up just a tad to get a better look at the
feline.
"[font=arial black]Such a brave young man.. Next time, perhaps
it would be more dashing to run your head, before your feet...
[/font]" She would murmer, wether or not Gust was actually awake
or not to hear her was debatable. Running a hand along his
jawline to look him over, the river person would take a quick
moment to glance him over a couple times to check, before it
seemed as though she had decided that he was okay enough to at
least not need emergency attention.
"[font=arial black]Ssssss... Sssssss.. They said it sounded...
The ceiling.. Why would the ceiling hiss...Mmmmm...
Thump..Thump, like a trample.. Then something fell.... Hisss....
How odd to speak in open-ended sentences... A voice.. Deep... I
wonder.... [/font]" She would pause, looking up, and out to the
lava, "[font=arial black]Or at least. I did. I realise now.
Thump... The trample.. The fall.. It was this giant metal beast,
crashing the ceiling. With the castle as it's
destination...[/font]" She would pause again, taking a halted
breath as she took a glance back to the group. "[font=arial
black]This beast of metal took a soul here and has attatached
itself to the core... Traa laa laa laa...[/font]"
#Post#: 2758--------------------------------------------------
Re: Part II: Fighting for Freedom
By: Luxin Date: September 23, 2017, 9:47 am
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[glow=white,2,300]"There is a fine line between brave and
stupid, dear river guide... The boy is alive. It is the least I
could allow for him, considering how he has helped me."[/glow]
Mere seconds after Riverperson had dragged Gust along to
relative safety; a voice echoed upon everyone exiting the now
collapsed tunnel. In front of them was a vast expanse, the cliff
bringing the ragtag group dangerously close to the Core. Before
any of them could make any sudden movements, a bit of the ground
ruptured slightly, and out from it curled ominously thorned
vines which were accompanied by a hissing. This hissing could
easily be mistaken as sounding identical to the mechanical
beings, but to those with a trained ear or decent scientific
knowledge; it would be obvious. This hissing was indicative of
something acidic or slimy.
From the hole that had ruptured the ground, behind the vines
emerged a strangely armored individual. Something about them
was... Daunting or dangerous. Thankfully they seemed peaceful at
the moment and made no move to attack anyone.
[glow=white,2,300]"Mm? Is this all of you? Interesting. You are
missing a few people this time around. The Sullen Blacksmith,
the Vengeful Flame and the Dark Knight to name a fair few. I
wonder how this will go for you all without them here?"[/glow]
The stranger held out their hands to their sides, as if they
were gesturing to the group as they spoke.
[glow=white,2,300]"What is perhaps most interesting this time
around is..."[/glow] Though they did not move very much, it was
incredibly clear who exactly this unknown variable was looking
at, perhaps the smallest of the bunch. [glow=white,2,300]"The
Flower Child."[/glow] Asriel, the now miraculously revived
prince. [glow=white,2,300]"Not that [b]I can complain. The enemy
of my enemy is my friend."[/b][/glow] It would not at all be
clear what was meant by that. This stranger was either being far
too vague, or suspiciously specific.
A dry chuckle reverberated from the being standing between the
group and their goal. [glow=white,2,300]"But I digress. I only
gave this situation a little nudge in an interesting direction.
Good luuuuuck~[/glow] The powerful glow of the glowing Soul
intensified, so much so that the gathering energies began to
make a shrill shrieking sounds, as if steam was being let out
from a very tight funnel. In the chaos of the intensifying
light, the ground churned once more; and the person that just
spoke to the group was gone from their sight, and the hole they
could have left was gone too! Of course, they were a
distraction!
#Post#: 2759--------------------------------------------------
Re: Part II: Fighting for Freedom
By: June Date: September 23, 2017, 10:26 am
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Following a very convenient distraction, the blaring light of
the yellowest of yellows died down just as quick as it had
erupted into it's gloriously shining state, the screeching that
it had caused abruptly stopped. Dirt and rubble uplifted by
whatever had just happened obscured the form and shape of
something... Something new. The missing Soul was no longer just
that. There was now more to it than a simple heart-like shape.
No, it was far more complex than that.
Now, it had a tangible body. A human body.
[center]
HTML https://68.media.tumblr.com/060431bd5f3705f54e4c97538397502c/tumblr_ooflzxPdiI1tdfdkho1_500.png[/center]
They stepped forward only a few paces, and they were still far
enough away from the group that any greatly or immediately
distinguishable features would remain uncertain, but one thing
was clear as day; their outfit. Something of a modern-day take
on the ol' wild west sheriff type. The revived Human adjusted
their hat before taking what looked like a deep breath before
calling out to the group at full force, belting out words with
utmost confidence. "Okay, I see all a' y'all! That damn speedy
cheetah varmint was right lucky we don't feel like doin'
anythin' violent!" With a voice that loud, one might wonder why
they stepped forward to begin with. "So whadd'ya want huh?! I
damn sure doubt ya'll're here for some sissy tea-party!" Given
this manner of speaking, the inflections and stance they took,
one could almost mistake them for a certain Royal Guard, had
their voices and species not been very obviously different...
However, to some, this Human would be familiar... Perhaps
painfully so. Upon closer inspection of the group and seeing two
people in particular, the Human looked very very steamed and
agitated 'Of all the Monsters I din' wanna see ever again in my
life, both of them show up!! NNNNGGGGAAAHH!! NOW THIS IS BLOODY
[i]PERFECT!!!'[/i] The Human stomped their right foot a few
times internally cursing to themselves in their mind.
"Alright, I'm gonna make the point of this here rodeo real
clear. I ain't goin back with y'all. I ain't gonna get stuck
back in that dang tube again!" Growling, the Human stepped back
and glanced towards the mechanical bull, a heavy breath escaped
their lungs, as if they were pained by what they were about to
ask of their companion. "John, I need armaments Six and Seven!"
Then, they looked to the birds. "Eds, eyes on the registered
threats as well as Sardine and the Goat King!"
Fierce eyes glared at the group now. This Human's entire being
now fueled by
[glow=yellow,2,300][font=courier]Justice.[/font][/glow]
#Post#: 2760--------------------------------------------------
Re: Part II: Fighting for Freedom
By: Gust Date: September 23, 2017, 5:21 pm
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"Uuuugh.." moaning and groaning in pain, eyelids fluttered open
revealing dull grey eyelids, a sign of magic sucked away from
his essence, without a mirror he wouldn't notice the change
unless someone among the group point it out. "Where am I?.." he
picked himself off the ground, viewing the various number of
party participants minus a few key members, did they called it
quits? He also spotted a human sheriff, eager to throw down
against the bunch alongside her giant mechanical bull whom she
called "Johm"
"Ow.." he winced, a sharp pain jolted his back trying to move,
getting flashbacks of being shot by an anti magic railgun, the
impact caused his magic to respell around Gust making it
unavailable for usage. "Now I remember, that piece of junk
zapped away my powers, this stinks, once I get a hold of him,
its off to the recycling bin he pounded his fist, there is still
some fight left in him.
He faced the others willing to share some information he
discovered scouting ahead, "Before you all tear me apart for
being reckless just hear me out, I am going to drop an info dump
you guys cant pass up, that big ass tin can would only get riled
up if we get close to that horse riding yeehaww over there, it
would only attack us if she is threatened or she give it orders
to attack" he furrowed his eyebrows taking the situation
seriously.
"if that metal bull resorts tp using its railguns, it will
attach itself to the core stealing its energy enough to juice up
the weapons needed to fire, the machine shuts down every time it
fires its weapons casuing it to shut down and needing to reboot
manually" dull grey eyes gazed upon the towering mechanical
menace. "There is a force field protecting the thing, magic wont
work so we need to find a way to get rid of the barrier, without
my powers I wont be much help, regardless ill do my best" he
glared at the woman in question, its clear she could control the
beast and this gives him an idea.
"We need to make the robot fire a shot so it can shut down, when
that happens we must bring her down quickly before she could
turn it back on" he pointed.
#Post#: 2769--------------------------------------------------
Re: Part II: Fighting for Freedom
By: john Date: September 24, 2017, 12:40 am
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HTML https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYE1sWKYkzQ&index=6&list=PLvZ7-dE8Kur3xktCxAiFKOkTKlZ7RWQPe
Seeing the Core overheating, but not anywhere a critical state
as of yet, Sans shook his head, [font=comic sans ms]"Always
thought it was kinda dumb cooling the Core down with blocks of
ice from Snowdin. Would have thought the genius behind that
would have made a dedicated coolant system for it."[/font] he
commented with a mild bite to his words.
Sixteen E.D. units did so as they scuttled along the ground
towards the colossal-sized mechanical bull. The birds then
stretched their wings, crouched and ejected another large burst
of steam so that they could make that dramatic ten foot jump and
land on J.O.H.N.'s back. The birds scrambled and scuttled in an
incoherent mess along its back until it found a row of nine
coin-sized holes at either side of its back. Soon some wires
were unraveled from the breasts of the mechanical birds and
inserted; uploading the information they have gathered from
interacting with the monsters.
While the E.D. units were helpful, being machines, they couldn't
go against their programming when voice commands were
recognized; they too were also assessing the monsters. They
recorded how many there were, how many were speaking to them -
the robots concluded by their programming that said monsters
whom interacted with the E.D.s were considered sentient, which
monsters demonstrated prowess, whom were aggressive, whom were
passive, whom were assertive, whom were timid, whom were
considered dangerous and whom were considered violent. They
asked the monsters if they knew where June was, not because the
robots didn't know where they were, but as a part of their
assessment of the nearing group.
The bull bucked its head up and down in a repeated motion;
causing for the singluar ring piercing it's artificial snout to
clang and and clack against the upper and under sides of its
head. The singular, yellow, headlight-for-an-eye flickered with
aggravation upon realizing that not all E.D.s were there to
deliver the information to it; along with hearing June's
passionate outcry. The robots didn't appear to recognize the
difference between June's form as a soul alone or one with a
physical body.
The avian machines seized up and spoke one after the other with
the same deep, pre-recorded voice:
[font=courier][Input command received.]
[User: June recognized.]
[Welcome to the E.D. and J.O.H.N. network interface. We will
protect you and adhere to any commands you may have.]
[Command type recognised.]
[Processing...][/font]
A side panel of the bull opened up to reveal an arsenal of
different firearms for June to pick from, and once taken from
their racks the panel closed up again and the bull resumed it's
organic movements; circling around June as long, thick wires
connected from its lower back to a base part of the Core. The
sixteen E.D. units spread out to the outer perimeters of the
island, all of which kept their cautious, yellow eyes on the
group from below.
[font=courier][Charging Juggernaut Optimized for Hazardous
Nullification unit.][/font] it decreed,
[font=courier][Electromagnetic Rail Gun primed. Extraordinary
Mystic Nullifying Rail Gun primed. Default settings: E.M.N.
Non-lethal.][/font]
[font=courier][Scanning...][/font]
It looked up to the group. The yellow light turned red.
[font=courier][Hostile detected.][/font]
Loud revving sounds of a large, heavy weapon sounded, along with
the entire Core shutting down so suddenly and drastically from
having all that power being drained from it all at once caused
for the ground to quake. Albeit, not quite as violent as the
last one, but still enough to shake the ground about.
If it was sheer luck, pure skill or he just had damn good
reflexes, Sans didn't know or stop to think about it. In half a
soul beat Sans' left eye flared up as a vehement, cold, blue
flame as the icy feeling and pressure of his magic burst out
from him; causing for his formal attire to flicker violently
about his bones. Monsters with absolutely, incredible, inhuman
eyesight would have just barely caught a glimpse of what had
just happened; the first being a flash of blinding light from
one of the Railguns on the behemoth of a robot's back. Then
Sans, Papyrus, Toriel, Asriel, Undyne, Asgore, Cherry, Zydras,
Muffet, Hiss, Lily, Sakura, Gust, Riverperson, the unconscious
guards and Generva had vanished, were propelled suddenly forward
and just as their feet touched the ground of the island below;
the beam of bright light shot through the air right at where the
monsters were standing but a moment before.
[font=courier][Target within range. Commence EMN
Detonation.][/font]
An explosion of bright light erupted from the higher level and
shimmering sparkles rained from above; sending that blast of a
pulse the monsters had grown familiar with. Being so close each
and every one of them, for a fleeting few seconds, felt
completely displaced; similarly to a feeling of losing the sense
of touch, blindness and deafness all at once.
Sans gasped and leaned against his brother for a moment after
pulling these monsters through a shortcut so suddenly and with
this many souls present to avoid the collision. After the pulse
he welcomed the opportunity to dilute the burning flame to a
mere glowing eye which flickered through blues and yellows.
[font=comic sans ms]"Oh crap." [/font]he breathed with dread,
[font=comic sans ms]"I don't think I got everyone."[/font]
He looked around and realized just who was missing. A very tall
monster. It wasn't intentional by any means, but that didn't
change the outcome.
[font=courier][Direct hit. Target neutralized. Threat level:
decreased.][/font]
It's eye then reverted back from a violent red to a cautious
yellow; and then going out completely. The machine's head
lowered as it powered down and the Core went back online.
An E.D. unit scuttled up to June and leapt to their shoulder,
[font=courier][J.O.H.N. requires your attention to go back
online. Some of his functionalities are still active, but the
efficiency is vastly decreased. Please access the emergency
power override panel and re-calibrate J.O.H.N. unit.][/font]
Back on the upper level, just outside the collapsed tunnel,
Haruno had taken a direct hit from the blast to her abdomen. She
wasn't physically injured in any way, but the magic she
possessed from conjuring instruments, drawing strength from or
otherwise from the darkness all the way to how she could change
clothes at will were depleted. Use of her magic, other than from
keeping her form, was repelled and sparked dangerously around
her. She would still be conscious, move around, speak and all
that, but use of her magic had been utterly taken away from her.
Following up soon after, the small, scratched up television
screen on the side of the bull closest to June flicked on as
soon as June's voice was recognized. There was no visuals on
screen yet, but the recording of a voice June would easily have
recognized to have belonged to her eldest brother sounded. His
voice sounded just as scratchy and noisy as the prerecorded
voices of the robots.
[font=arial][Hello? June? You must be there if yer hearin' me.
Otherwise this here message wouldn'tah started playin'. You
haven't forgotten abou' yer goof of a brother, Austin, now have
ya?][/font] A forced chuckle rattled through the speakers,
[font=arial][ This is such a relief lil sibs, 'n' don't you
worry no nothin'. J.O.H.N. won't hurt you. Please go with it
June, we miss you. It's gettin' a mighty quiet around these here
parts without ya slingin' those revolvers all mighty
impressive-like.][/font]
There was a noticeable pause before a sigh was heard,
[font=arial][Ah 'dun know if you just disappeared because you
were taken or ran away from home, but if ah did anythin' to make
you mad, ah'm really sorry. Please come back home.][/font]
A click and some static sounded shortly after to indicate the
end of the recording.
---
((A/N: Here we go! Anyone can post now! :D Please note what
happened to Haruno is the result of her actions and lack of
actions made in the Mini. Like Gust, she will get her powers
back by the end of the mini.))
#Post#: 2770--------------------------------------------------
Re: Part II: Fighting for Freedom
By: guest96 Date: September 24, 2017, 1:10 am
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The first thing that hit Papyrus as they emerged from that
tunnel was the wash of heat, the air thick and almost
suffocating as the magma bubbled and seethed far below. It
tickled his mind with the faintest reminder of that earlier
vision, but the anger seething through him left no room for
fear, the thought crisped into oblivion by that inner heat.
Prismatic eyes turned toward the Core, the state of it making
him wish he’d insisted on his brother and him going as an
advance party. The genius that had made it had been their
father, after all, which somehow made him feel a sense of
responsibility for it.
A glance toward the collapsed guards and Gust made him
reconsider that thought a moment later.
Attention shifted to the bovine creature with its agitated
lowing and heavy steps as he heard the Riverperson’s words
again, the familiarity of them filling him with the faintest
threads of regret for having not asked her about them yesterday
as he wondered whether it might have prevented this catastrophe
from occurring in the first place.
Well, no sense second guessing now.
The brilliant yellow Soul drew his gaze next, and were it not
for the dire situation and his own mental state, the skeleton
would have been filled with wonder for its breathtaking purity.
It was the first time Papyrus had ever seen one of the Souls,
and a part of him was determined that it wouldn’t be the last.
The fact that it wasn’t in its container was concerning, leading
to questions of just how it had gotten out, though with the
words of the ferry worker and the obvious power of the taurus,
it wasn’t difficult to imagine it had simply been smashed open.
A new voice pulled him from those spiritual reflections,
Papyrus’ frame tensing slightly with readiness like a spring
being coiled, his embrace of Sans against his chest tightening
an equal amount in response. The figure that emerged sent a jolt
of recognition through the sentry as he realized this was the
thing he’d seen departing along the edges of their perimeter
before the quake had hit and forced their evacuation. The
corrosive sounds coming from that being made him want to take a
step back but he held his ground, acknowledging but not acting
on the alarmed jangles at the back of his mind.
The figure that emerged had the skeleton’s full attention as it
oozed that intimidating presence, Papyrus’ aura one of readiness
despite making no overt actions as he took what seemed the wiser
course and listened. This person clearly knew a number of them,
making the skeleton wonder if this being had some part in the
events that had nearly cost him Sans. The next words diverted
that thought as his focus was turned to Asriel, the words
seeming to echo inside his skull as some revelation was finally
pieced together.
The Flower Child.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Petals.
Weeds.
H[glow=palegreen,2,300]o[/glow][glow=yellow,2,300]wd[/glow]y!
For a moment, the familiar face of a plant Papyrus had
considered a friend overlaid the prince’s own as the pieces of
that puzzle finally fell into place with a soul shaking clash.
Asriel was Flowey. He had been imprisoned by the King and
Captain. That meant he had done something unthinkable. His
brother had nearly died in that recent conflict. Someone had
tricked or controlled Sans into attacking and even killing other
monsters. Sans had clearly wanted nothing to do with Asriel when
he arrived. Visitors to the prince had clearly been limited from
what had been said. That wouldn’t have been done unless the
isolation was very necessary.
Flowey had hurt Sans, nearly killed him. Likely made him hurt
those he loved.
The sound of a Gaster Blaster’s rising frequency filled the air,
a familiar scream ready to punch a hole in whatever had the
summoner’s ire.
Except there was no familiar skull there ready to rain hell down
upon that target.
Papyrus’ soul was the one screaming in that rising crescendo.
The tall skeleton took a step toward Asriel in eerie echo of the
one Sans had taken much earlier that evening, his eyes still
flickering with that prismatic flame as his heart cried for
vengeance. He had trusted Flowey, been his friend, and this was
how he was repaid by that ungrateful weed?!
Asriel was Flowey.
Was.
Was.
WAS.
Past tense.
Papyrus stopped. He felt Sans in his arms as his breath came
harshly, his entire being trembling as a part of him shouted
with the need to dole out justice. To judge that plant for his
actions and see him dusted into utter oblivion, never to hurt
him or his family again.
But Asriel wasn’t Flowey anymore.
He was a child who had made mistakes. Terrible mistakes, yes,
but admitted them. Wanted to own up to them. To do better. To
grow, to learn, to become more.
He couldn’t do that if Papyrus snuffed his tiny life out before
it had barely begun.
The screaming of Papyrus’ soul finally ended, the suddenly
reduced pressure of his gathered magic being allowed to
dissipate like a crushing weight being lifted. Soul raced in his
chest as the adrenaline crashed through his bones, the skeleton
taking back that step as he forced himself to take in a deep
breath despite holding Sans so close against him, bones rattling
as that violence finally started to ebb from the dangerous peak
it had nearly reached.
He was going to owe Sans so many apologies later.
The dry chuckle pulled him back to the present as Papyrus’
breath sighed from him, his energy still crackling but feeling
more centered as he regained his focus on what was important in
the here and now. The sudden brightness made the skeleton
squint, trying to keep seeing what was happening as the
mysterious stranger slinked away, leaving them only the
machinations of the Soul and its companions to concern
themselves with.
As the light died back down, he focused on the changes that had
occurred in those time-stretched moments, getting a good long
look at the new form before him, no longer the familiar shape of
that heart, but something far more.
There once would have been a time that he’d have asked his
brother if that was a human. The notion left him with the
ghosting feeling of a familiar, cold breeze across his
cheekbones, like a memory forgotten. Today though, he knew
beyond a shadow of a doubt that the shape of this Soul was
indeed human. It was missing something, however. He could see
the shape of it, the image it projected, the physicality of it
all, and yet as he looked deeper with his newfound sight it
became apparent that this appearance was literally only skin
deep; it was an illusion in a way, as unlike Asriel this person
had not come back to life. They were existing by sheer force of
will alone in the twilight between life and death.
Papyrus felt sympathy for them in those moments of realization.
His intense scrutiny of the soul came to an end as June began to
speak, reminded of Undyne in some ways, but seeing in others how
they were definitely their own person. Someone who once had
hopes and dreams, just like they all did.
Noticing the direction which the human glanced prompted the
skeleton to follow it, seeing how it led to Undyne and Asgore.
It was no surprise the source of June’s agitation then; he
couldn’t even blame her for it as her foot stamped so mightily.
Her declarations and calls for arms had Papyrus’ mind shift into
a defensive state, prepared to defend the rag tag group from
whatever this cowgirl had in mind to throw at him. Gust’s groans
made his gaze flick briefly toward the cheetah, though he soon
turned his focus back to the woman and the bull, still listening
closely to the intel that was given as he began processing it
with due haste as the mechanical beasts were clearly preparing
for something.
If the bull didn’t have the skeleton’s attention before, it
surely did now as the words hostile detected reverberated forth
from the beast. The world seemed to slow for Papyrus as his
heightened senses kicked into full gear, watching the shutdown
of the Core even as his magic gathered in an instant of thought,
ready to defend against the obviously imminent assault.
Sans’ own magic collided with Papyrus’ as their reactions
occurred in that same instant, the feel of it as familiar as the
younger skeleton’s own soulbeat. He became aware in that instant
of all the monster souls around them as his brother reached out
to grab them. There were so many and there was so little time.
So much geometry to calculate. So much power needed. There
wasn’t going to be enough power to move them all.
As if in answer to that realization, Papyrus felt his magic bind
itself to Sans’ own, their souls suddenly beating in one accord
as that shared desire to protect reached out to enfold everyone
in the path of that assault. It surprised the taller skeleton as
he realized what was happening, his actions instinctive rather
than cognizant as their magics worked in such synchronicity for
the first time. It was beautiful and he embraced it
wholeheartedly, sharing freely of his newfound power in those
fractions of a second to save everyone.
[font=Papyrus][glow=#ffa500,2,300]...let Haruno be
judged…[/glow][/font]
Almost everyone.
The small voice at the back of Papyrus’ mind still yearning for
justice blocked off the brothers’ grasp of that one monster,
like the disc of the moon eclipsing the sun. It wasn’t a
conscious choice by any means, but it most certainly was a
subconscious one that affected that outcome as the group of
monsters were teleported to the lower platform, leaving one of
their number behind to face the human’s wrath.
As that EMN explosion went off, Papyrus found his arms
tightening around Sans in an overtly protective gesture, even as
his senses blanked out and made him wonder briefly if he was
being turned to dust before the beat of their two souls so close
to each other assured the younger skeleton that they were not.
Sans’ words made him look back up to that ledge, realizing that
the shorter monster was indeed correct. Seeing one of their
number left behind sent a faint twinge of guilt through Papyrus,
but a small voice creeped at the back of his mind like
slithering vines.
[font=Papyrus][glow=#ffa500,2,300]This is what you wanted, isn’t
it…? Justice served…?[/glow][/font]
He felt his soul’s fluttering quicken at that mocking thought as
the feeling of violence ran from his bones like water, turning
his gaze away to focus on what was going on in front of him. The
Core powering back up was a small relief, though he had to
wonder how long they had before it began to destabilize in a
critical fashion without proper cooling being applied. Surely
more of those shots from those railguns would only accelerate
the deterioration.
Gaze flicked to the now powered down monstrosity, turning over
the facts in his mind as he listened to the prerecorded message
from what was apparently June’s brother, feeling a sense of
kinship with this human voice as it made him think of Sans, the
human’s plight somehow intensely relatable through the bonds of
family.
The railgun had fired, and just like Gust had said, the machine
had powered down in the aftermath, requiring the human Soul to
restart the creature manually. He wondered if the force field
went down when the mechanical monstrosity shut off, but
suspected the only way to get an answer to that was to get
closer. Papyrus looked over the assembled monsters around him,
feeling the desire to protect them swelling to replace the void
that had been left when the anger did. It finally gave him the
response to the question he hadn’t even realized he’d asked.
Violence wasn’t the answer.
Perhaps it never was.
Sans was probably going to think he was crazy.
Love usually was.
“[font=Papyrus]Sans,[/font]” Papyrus’ voice was soft as he spoke
in tones that carried the weight of the world on their shoulders
yet full of boundless, soul-deep adoration, “[font=Papyrus]I
don’t think we can brute force this puzzle.[/font]” There was a
faint hint of a crooked smile for his own subtle pun.
“[font=Papyrus]Instead, I'm going to try and solve it in a
different way. I just need you to keep everyone else here from
doing something foolhardy while I'm at it, okay?[/font]" His
eyes were calm now, still wheeling prismatic hues but filled
with love instead of anger. "[font=Papyrus]I know you've got my
back, just like always.[/font]"
With another gentle tightening of his arms to give his brother a
hug, the taller skeleton finally set the elder sibling down on
the ground before straightening himself and his dressy garments,
looking surprisingly presentable despite their earlier
adventures. There was a subtle shift in his posture as he lifted
his head high, summoning all the courage in his soul for what
came next.
The heat was stronger down here, prompting Papyrus to wrap each
monster in a thin layer of protective, orange magic with a brief
thought, creating a heat shield that would allow them to breathe
comfortably, and avoid the blistering burns that the hot air no
doubt could cause. It wouldn’t protect them from something as
foolhardy as falling into the lava, but it would at least keep
them safe from immediate burning, inside and out.
With that protective ward in place, the tall skeleton stepped
forward, moving through any monsters in the group in his way
until he was walking past them, his steps deliberate, his
demeanor calm and non-threatening as he strolled beyond the
group and into the open. A row of bones that was several feet
wide and about four foot high erupted from the ground between
the group of monsters and himself as he pulled away. It wouldn’t
stop someone from going around, but the message it gave was
clear:
Don’t follow me.
As Papyrus crossed the intervening distance in that slow,
measured pace, he kept his hands visible, wanting for the human
to see that he was not armed and had no ill will towards her. He
could feel the souls of the monsters behind him, able to pick
out familiar ones like Undyne and Toriel from the mix.
And Sans.
That bright blue beacon that was the very definition of home for
the younger skeleton.
Home.
Family.
His gaze turned toward the Core for a moment as he walked,
looking upon the legacy that his father had left them so long
ago. He wondered if Gaster had walked these same paces before,
if he might be following in those footsteps to his own
disappearance, demise, or worse. He wondered if he’d ever get to
hear Sans regale him with tales of the days when he really gave
it his all. He wondered if those days might come again now that
the shorter skeleton’s heart was being opened up once more.
Looking back to June, he offered her one of his classic smiles,
still far enough away that he didn’t yet speak. He could have
yelled, spoke up in his normally boisterous voice, but it didn’t
feel like the right choice. He waited and kept walking.
She had been someone’s sister once. She had had brothers who
clearly loved her very much.
Like he loved Sans.
Like Sans loved him.
That thought set a mild pang through his soul, knowing he had
been unkind in his earlier words to the elder sibling. Sans was
all the family he had. He deserved better. He would get better
from Papyrus in the future.
That was then.
This was now.
The weight of the risk he was taking sat heavy on his shoulders,
knowing that so much could go wrong. He didn’t let himself think
about the possibility of failure, his soul thrumming a bright
orange glow beneath his dress shirt as it hovered just inside
the neat V silhouette of his vest. He would find a way to save
the Core, monsterkind, these people, his friends, his family.
His brother.
For once he would be the protector instead of the other way
around.
As he drew close enough for conversational tones, his smile grew
a little, expression the epitome of genuine friendliness. The
human would find no prevarication in his bones as he carried
himself and spoke with the genuine Integrity that his brother
had raised him with. “[font=Papyrus]You must be June; I’m glad
that your bird friends were able to find you.[/font]” He stopped
a few feet away, keeping well outside any range that would make
him appear an immediate threat to her person. “[font=Papyrus]My
name’s Papyrus.[/font]” A glance to the taurus machine,
expression curious. “[font=Papyrus]It sounds like your brothers
went to an awful lot of trouble to help you find your way home.
I’m sorry that they weren’t able to find you sooner.[/font]”
He looked at her like she was a person, because despite her lack
of true body, the skeleton perceived her as such, and thusly
treated her like one. “[font=Papyrus]I can understand not
wanting to go back into that tube again; I get pretty cranky
when I’m cooped up for too long too.[/font]” A soft chuckle.
“[font=Papyrus]I know that what they did seems pretty
unforgivable to you,[/font]” head jerked slightly toward Undyne
and Asgore so far behind him now to add clarity to his words,
“[font=Papyrus]but I know that at the time it seemed the right
thing to them, even if maybe it was the wrong choice. I know I’m
in no place to judge them, since I’ve made mistakes of my own
when I thought I was doing the right thing too.[/font]”
Stance shifted slightly to one side, letting his posture be
casual, open, friendly, and even inviting as he continued
speaking in those thoughtful tones. “[font=Papyrus]I don’t know
why you came to the Underground in the first place. Maybe your
brother Austin made you mad, like he apologized for.[/font]” A
fond smile. “[font=Papyrus]My brother Sans makes me mad
sometimes, but I still love the bonehead anyway. Wouldn’t want
to imagine life without him and his bad puns. Truth be told,
they brighten my day more than he knows.[/font]"
Papyrus looked back to June, his expression sincere.
“[font=Papyrus]But I would be honored to know your story and
journey if you would share it with me. And perhaps in the
knowing, we could work together to find a way for you to return
home to your brothers. It may be a very great puzzle, but I
believe together we could solve it.[/font]”
“[font=Papyrus]Family is the most important thing in the world,
after all.[/font]”
#Post#: 2771--------------------------------------------------
Re: Part II: Fighting for Freedom
By: Cherry Date: September 24, 2017, 8:58 am
---------------------------------------------------------
More shrieking, the bird bots where back and now there was
another, even larger robot.. Thing, she'd never seen a bull
before either, so like with the birds, she did not know that the
design of the robot was based on a surface creature. She was
rather taken aback by it actually since it was literally like
nothing she had seen before, it was such a large creature too,
she was a tough cookie and this bull looked like a tough
challenge.
That wasn't all though, the soul was here too and it took the
form of a human, Cherry's jaw dropped a bit, she'd also never
seen a human EITHER and although this was nod a full bodied one,
the soul and what had formed was enough of a surprise. There was
a lot going on here, and there was a fair amount to address.
One thing that caught her eye in particular though, was one
certain cheetah, unfortunately for him.
The second she saw him, her blood would begin to boil again, she
would scrunch up her face and let out an angered breath, trying
not to smack her tail down against the floor too hard- the
quakes where bad enough on their own.
The SodaShark would march over to the cheetah, her eyes never
leaving his face as she stormed over to him, when she reached
him, she would grab hold of him tightly by the scruff of his
chest, pulling him down to eye level with her, going nose to
nose with him so she knew she for sure had his attention. She
would bite her lower lip as she looked him in the eyes, trying
to find the right things to say. But what was the right thing to
say when you wanted to just give him a good punch to the gut for
being dumb?
She would close her eyes and bare her sharp teeth, before moving
her hands to his cheeks, opening her eyes back up at him, her
anger for the cheetah burning in her eyes.
She would bring her head back.
Oh god was she going to headbutt him with that big head of hers?
She was wasn't she.
Bringing her head back, she would pause before... Gently
pressing her forehead to his.
"[sub]You jerk...[/sub]" She'd whisper, looking aside. "You said
you wouldn't leave me behind again..." Upset was not something
she often was, but it was certainly what she sounded at this
point in time. Hurt even. "You're an idiot Gust" She would add,
looking back up at him. Where her eyes misty or?
"[sub]What about your dreams?[/sub]" She would asked him softly,
"[sub]Catching up to your dad.. Going faster then light..[/sub]"
Her fishy ears would lower sadly, her eyes dropping down to her
feet. "Was simply being first more important then those things?
... Was it more important then your promise?" She knew there
where other things she should focus on now too.. The human soul,
the bots, staying safe..
Cherry would step back a bit from Gust looking hurt, she'd take
in a deep breath, scrunching up her face to try and cover up how
upset she truly felt with something that looked more like anger,
to add to this. She would throw a punch at the cheetah, aiming
to hit him on the shoulder, much harder then what she'd done
back when they where tussling on their date, as this punch was
filled with upset, hurt and anger.
"Well. Then congratulations. You got here first and lost more
then just the speed that got you here in the first place.." She
would say, as she turned her back on him, brushing her eyes as
she began to walk away.
She had became a little absorbed with the cheetah, but was
quickly reminded of everything else when they where jolted to
safety by Sans. She dared not to look back at the cheetah as she
forced her full focus on the situation at hand now that she felt
she had made it clear to Gust just how much breaking his promise
meant to her.
The cat shark would watch the taller of the two skeletons begin
to talk to the human soul. Papyrus' words where not something
Cherry was going to interrupt. His speech was actually rather...
Heartwarming.
"[font=Papyrus]My brother Sans makes me mad sometimes, but I
still love the bonehead anyway.[/font]"
She would cross her arms. She too had someone who made her mad,
but she seemed to still love him anyway. Even though that
probably wasn't all that clear for him at the moment. She forced
herself not to look at Gust still.
How where they to solve this?
The soul wanted to leave, yet she no longer had her body. And
her leaving would leave the underground with one less human soul
to break free from the barrier with eventually...
It was a tricky situation. She hoped that Papyrus' words had at
least calmed the soul down so that they weren't shot at again.
#Post#: 2773--------------------------------------------------
Re: Part II: Fighting for Freedom
By: Haruno Date: September 24, 2017, 9:35 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Haruno looked around at their new found area. "How interesting."
It was then she heard a robotic voice chime in a familiar way to
what she heard earlier. It was all so sudden but before she
could blink the others had disappeared around her and a blinding
light made her shield her eyes. Her eyes were forced wide open
when a loud blast rang out throughout the area, hitting her in
the abdomen which felt more like a punch to the gut. She thought
she'd vomit if she hadn't already been rid of all she consumed.
The black haired woman looked down at her hands, opening and
closing them repeatedly to check if there was anything wrong
with her.
"I don't feel anything...perhaps heavier...and a bit dizzy." She
blinked a few times and turned her head opposite to where it had
been facing along with her body. "How strange." She muttered
with furrowed eyebrows. Her eyes scanned the surrounding area
and finally they fell upon the group. They were below her? "I
suppose it is time to rejoin." She jumped from the higher rock
and down she went like a speeding bullet as gravity did it's
job. Her hair whipped about rapidly while her now dull, gray
eyes remained locked on them. When she landed a small crater
formed beneath her, fist and knee to the ground. "Hmm I really
am heavier." One strand of hair reached out to caress her hand
in an attempt to comfort her.
Her eyes scanned over the group carefully, no one seemed to be
missing and everyone seemed to be alright if not a little
rattled. Not that she truly cared but at the same time- she did.
If someone died it would affect another horribly. Someone would
always suffer from another's loss.
#Post#: 2774--------------------------------------------------
Re: Part II: Fighting for Freedom
By: Zydras Azar Date: September 24, 2017, 1:21 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Zydras brought up the rear of the routed company as they escaped
the imminent tunnel’s collapse. He felt the wind on his back as
the falling rocks pushed the air inside out in an abrupt rush as
they crashed down with a note of finality. There would be no
going back the way they came, which meant the only way through
was forward.
He felt the heat in the air press against him, though being made
of starfire himself it was only a background note as he listened
to the sound of the magma below, the labored workings of the
Core, and the metallic groaning of the bull creature. The source
of power for the whole Underground was the most immediately
concerning, noting that it was definitely starting to overheat
even if it hadn’t reached critical mass yet. It was obviously
only a matter of time and thermodynamics before that ceased to
be the case.
Turning his attention to the bovine once again, he was pleased
to see the flock of avians making that glide down to the lower
ledge, counting them up before seeing one missing and looking
around to find it staying near the front of the group along the
rail-less edge of the ledge they were on. Not letting us fully
out of their sight it seems.
Returning to inspecting that distant, much larger creature, he
stepped lightly toward one side for a better look, squinting to
focus on the strange cylinders on its back. It was difficult to
see with the heat making the air waver, but there was something
about them that sparked an intimate familiarity in Zydras as he
took a long moment to soak in the details. If he’d had any
further doubts before, what was affixed to that long back
removed any doubts in the elemental’s mind about it.
These creatures definitely weren’t made by any monsters of the
Underground.
The sound of new voices -- specifically to start the
Riverperson’s -- drew him from his sudden slew of mental
acrobatics on that realization, deciding that now probably
wasn’t the best time to get lost in hypotheses and intense
studies. Of course, her words only confirmed what he had already
deduced for himself, but also deepened the mystery in other ways
too. Clearly this creature had come here purposefully, as had
the birds. It seemed that the yellow soul was most likely the
June they had asked about previously, which made their questions
more puzzling. Why ask after what had already been found? Were
they being tested, evaluated? Or were they unsure that they had
found what they sought?
A second voice joining the first made Zydras’ insides run cold
in the most unpleasant way, like a fire choking from not enough
air in the mix. Nicknames -- codenames? -- were mentioned,
raising still further questions in the elemental’s mind as he
simply stopped and listened as the brief darkness that stuttered
through his body eased, resuming the more aloof shade of blue
that was his norm while the thing slithered up from the earth
like some acid-secreting insect, spouting nonsense. Or valuable
data.
It was hard to tell.
The sudden sound of that rising frequency and the intense
magical pressure that weighed even on his robust soul heavily
jerked Zydras’ gaze toward the center of the group, fully
expecting to see some kind of summoning hovering above the
skeleton, particularly after that earlier display.
Realizing that the scream of rising power was coming straight
from the monster’s soul was somehow worse.
His flames fluttered in shock as he saw Papyrus take that step
toward Asriel, breath held abruptly with the imminent promise of
violence explicit in every line of the man’s body. He would have
expected it to be directed at the strange, sinister mystery
figure, but instead it was clearly directed at this child. He
had no idea why -- the skeleton hadn’t been particularly violent
before -- but he had a feeling that something the stranger had
said had tipped the monster off to some critical realization he
was not a part of.
Still, whatever it was, he wasn’t sure he wanted to witness a
child being dusted.
Fortunately, whatever cascade reaction that had set off the
skeleton in that intense manner was resolved without the need
for outside interference, the magical weight easing and allowing
Zydras to breathe again as Papyrus took that deliberate step
back. He sighed out a relieved breath before taking a fresh one,
only to have the next figurative bombshell blind him with its
yellow brilliance.
The light made him think of the sun in its golden wash,
something which he had been fortunate to witness firsthand
recently. He didn’t squint, though he also couldn’t see anything
for a few beats before it eased and left the monsters on the
ledge with a new, much more interesting -- possibly unsettling
-- sight to behold:
A human.
Listening to the words she had to say while watching those
movements very closely, Zydras couldn’t help but feel a modicum
of amusement at the mention of a tea-party. Sounds like she’s
met Asgore before. His inner observation was droll but brief as
the cowgirl had something of a mild hissy fit in response to
something she clearly saw, his own glance going toward Asgore
and Undyne as he connected those dots rather easily. Definitely
has met Asgore before.
The call for those armaments has the scientist’s full attention
though, realizing his initial assessment of the creature most
likely was correct. He keeps a close watch on the movements as
well as he can from so far away, wishing he’d brought some
particular supplies from home given the way this evening had
turned out so far. Certainly not the way he’d thought with that
saucy water elemental, much to his disappointment.
Still, there was a lot to be said for getting to see something
of great personal and professional interest unexpectedly. It
might even lead to some breakthroughs.
Assuming he survived the night to implement them.
Gust’s words drew his ears attentively, the mention of the word
railgun of particular interest, since it certainly wasn’t
something you heard in the Underground everyday. So it’s using
the Core as a power source. No wonder we’ve been getting
blackouts. The shutdowns and restarts are probably disrupting
the tectonic plates it’s tunneled through from the pressure
changes and causing the quakes. Definitely not something we want
to keep happening.
The fact there was a force field around the thing that was
immune to magic was particularly interesting, as being
impervious to it meant that the person who built it must have
had at least some kind of exposure to it in the past. It was
also possible it was simply a fluke in the design, but words
like force field and magic impervious weren’t something that
tended to go together by accident.
Zydras watched as the avians -- Eds apparently -- flocked to the
creature known as John, apparently interfacing with it, likely
providing the intel that they had gathered from the group
earlier, before they fled. It made him glad he hadn’t yet really
put on a show, since he could have the element of surprise, but
at the same time, was violence really the best solution here? It
had resulted in the mess he now carried in his pocket, among
other more dire consequences.
June pulling out those weapons made him think she disagreed with
him a little.
The priming of the nullification unit had him thinking she
disagreed with him a lot.
When the light turned red on that bull’s eye, Zydras was
prepared for the worst, a half formed idea for a shield or
diversion of that impending projectile on his mind as the gun
went off -- it was fascinating, really -- and the brothers
yanked him through reality in nearly the same instant, suddenly
on different ground than they had been. He’d have loved to
analyze the magic that had just occurred as it sparked a sense
of something in his being, but when the EMN pulse went off
everything went blank, like suddenly being in the heart of a
black hole for several seconds.
As his senses returned he decided that he really didn’t want to
experience that again first hand, for as fascinating as it was
on a scientific level, it was also extremely uncomfortable on a
personal one.
Glancing back toward the ledge, he worked to calculate the
distance and estimate the time traveled, having to assume that
their teleport added no additional time to his estimate for the
purposes of determining projectile speeds. The speed he came up
with was ridiculous enough to make him double and triple check
the calculations before shaking his head in disbelief in those
seconds that passed. It was really no wonder even the rapid
feline hadn’t been able to outrun it. Hell, they’d had to
teleport to get out of its way.
One thing was certain in his mind now, however. The immunity to
magic was most certainly not accidental. Not when the creature
apparently had a railgun that could eat magic for breakfast.
Or, was it eating it?
He recalled the way the pulses had progressed, the first one
having left them feeling incredibly strong in those few seconds
as it moved through, the next one not nearly as strong as the
first, the third a little draining and now this last one…
Zydras turned his focus to Gust and the guards, stepping around
so he could take a closer look at the figures that had already
been subject to the direct effects of that magical
neutralization. Monsters were made mostly of magic, so to be
non-lethal it had to be purging them down to very miniscule but
somehow not lethal levels. Now paying close attention, the
scientist could see the crackle in the air around the affected
monsters, reminding him of magnetic particles being repelled
away from an oppositely charged magnet.
Was the gun creating a nullifying field around the target?
Thinking a bit more on it, he came to theorize that what the gun
was doing was somehow generating some kind of grounding field
rather than true nullification. It was enough to keep the
monster from gathering any kind of power to them -- attempting
to do so would likely result in a rather unpleasant zap he
expected -- and discharged any latent power outward in those
arcs they had encountered earlier, but it could only pull so
much at a time from monsters it didn’t directly hit.
It was amazingly brilliant and also extremely horrifying.
The sound of the recording being played pinged on his awareness,
making him look up again. He would have loved to take that
creature apart and understand it, but something told him he
wasn’t likely to get that opportunity when this was all said and
done. The thought earned a regretful sigh from Zydras even as
his attention drifted to the faintly voiced interactions between
the two skeletons.
Well, at least Papyrus seemed to have regained his composure,
which he decided was a good thing. It was really a marvel he’d
heard nothing of the tall one up to this point given the
apparent prowess he possessed, but it was a concern for another
time he decided as he watched the lanky monster walk through the
throng with such confidence.
Yes, those hips really were just as nice from this angle as the
others.
The sudden eruption of those bones with that clear message made
him decide it was time he started taking some actions as well,
moving over to where Sans had been left standing to speak with
him about his observations. He seemed the most likely of the
group to understand them, plus with the other brother’s request,
he thought the information might be helpful to whatever crazy
scheme that the sentry had.
“Sans, right?” Despite the intensity of their situation, he was
able to offer a small smile, his voice steady in its rolling,
enunciated tones. “I have some theories and calculations that
may prove useful given our current situation.” He took the time
to share his theory as succinctly as possible regarding the
grounding field that sloughed off all but the most essential
magic of a monster’s being, leaving some kind of repelling aura
in its wake that prevented the monster from using any magic for
an unknown period of time. Additionally he made note of his
theories regarding the pulses they had felt in conjunction to
this from before, laying out his evidence for the short skeleton
if he would listen. Finally, he shared his calculations
regarding travel time: “Based on the distance and the time it
took it to travel, I’m estimating projectile speeds from the
railgun around 2400 meters a second.” A glance toward Gust.
“It’s no wonder the cat was unable to outrun it.”
Having said his peace, he took a moment to glance to where
Papyrus was, now far away from the other monsters as he
interacted with the human. “At any rate, if there’s anything I
can do to help, let me know.” Zydras took a step back, giving
Sans some space. “In the meanwhile, I think I’m going to see if
I can’t repair the Ed unit that was smashed.” He reached into
his pocket, pulling out a loose cog for emphasis and
elaboration. “Perhaps we could use it to our advantage if it
works.” Giving the shorter skeleton a slight bow -- a sign of
respect rather than submission -- he withdrew to the back of the
group, wanting to keep his work out of sight from the human and
the Eds around them, using his body to shield it from behind
while the other monsters were in front of him.
The starfire elemental knelt, carefully removing the contents of
his pocket to lay on the ground. He’d given himself enough space
from the rest of the group that nobody could accidentally
trample his work in progress, but he still kept a mindful eye
out so he could redirect anyone who got too close to his
makeshift worktable.
Once all the pieces were on the ground, he began to array them
into sections that made sense to how the creature had been
originally, starting to use gentle bits of force from his
fingers and magnetic magics to reshape the pieces where they
were bent. For the broken ones he carefully applied his heat
like a soldering iron, repairing the worn metal with the
precision of someone long used to working with delicate parts.
It seemed that his earlier scooping had netted him all the
important parts at the very least, and perhaps even all the more
aesthetic ones, though he couldn’t be completely sure of that
until it was fully assembled.
With the worst of the damaged parts repaired, the scientist
picked up what appeared to be the data storage portion of the
unit. It was small, likely not containing large sums of
information, but enough to obviously operate the artificial
intelligences of the drones. There were many ways to store data,
but based on his prior experience this one looked to be a
classic magnetized one, which meant he could read it and
possibly rewrite it. Zydras was very glad his studies had led
him to learn programming and that languages varied only minorly
once you got down to it, particularly with machine code.
In the end, everything was just on or off.
Still, it was going to take time to read and process. Eyes
closed as he kept his ears open, focusing on his mental space to
use as a whiteboard for the data as he reach each piece
sequentially off the unit, slowly formulating an understanding
of the programming. He wasn’t so lost in his thoughts that he
couldn’t move abruptly if the need arose, or if someone called
him, but for the time being, he was working on this task as
rapidly as he could test the magnetic state of each bit.
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