Rhym

[FONT=Times New Roman]Occasionally, I'll get the chance to rent an X-box. When I do, I always rent a nice little mech game called Phantom Crash. It's a blast, and I reccomend it to everyone. It doesn't really offer anything new. It has a lot of customization, but not as much as AC. There's also an Optic Camoflage dealy, but a bunch of other games have probably done that. But even then, it's still an awesome game. The gameplay is really fun and easy to get a hang of, and the camera angles have never screwed me over. You can switch between a default third-person view, a first-person view, side views, and something akin to the cinematic camera of GTA. The music is cool, ranging from techno to J-pop to God knows what, and since it's for the X-box, you can probably upload your own music, although I never tried. There are only three battling arenas, but they never really get old. There are lots of weapons to get, and you can nudge you mech's specs however you like, making it a plodding tank or a zipping terror. All in all, a very fun, entertaining game that doesn't get old. And plus, one of the most satisfying gaming experiences I've had came from swooping down on an unsuspecting mech and eviscerating it with what was essentially a giant shiv attached to my mech's arm.[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman]It was nearing dark and they still hadn't moved on. Max worried about this. [i]I hope we can get a move on soon,[/i] he thought. [i]Before...[/i] they...[i] find us...[/i] He took up his piece of rebar and searched for the others. He heard some sobs emenating from the van, Marcus standing guard. He stiffened with distaste as Max approached. "You'd better not go in. They're a bit distraught right now," said Marcus. Max nodded in acknowledgement. Marcus leaned in, and spoke to him in harsh, quiet tones. "Those were our [i]friends,[/i] you bastard. Why did you have to put the girls through that?" Max drew himself up to his full height. "Look, it's better this way. There's something about this town. When people die here, they don't quite stay dead. They come back as... things. Dunno what they are or why it happens, but they'll kill you if they catch you unawares. Only way to kill 'em for sure is to sever the spine, crush the ribcage, or crush the skull. All three if you can. You wouldn't want to be attacked by your dead friends, would you?" Marcus stared at him in disbelief. "Shit, man. What the fuck have we gotten ourselves into?" "Exactly what I asked myself when I first got here. Best find a weapon. Rebar, heavy tools... Guns are nice, but rarely finish 'em proper. Anything you can find. I'm gonna go see if the other one's okay." [ALIGN=Center]--------[/ALIGN] Max found Zack searching a pile of rubble for a weapon, blissfully unaware of the creature about to pounce on him. Max let out a warning shout, then hit the monster in the back of the head with a flying side kick. Getting between it and Zack, he let fly two roundhouse kicks to its head and a snap kick to its chest, knocking it down. Before it could get up, he smashed its head and chest in with his length of rebar. Max shouldered his instrument of death. "Lesson one: Don't go out alone!" Zack gazed at the smashed monstrosity in horror. "What the fuck is [i]that?[/i]" Max turned to face him. "What your friends might have become, if you hadn't killed them. Found a weapon?" He snapped back into reality. "Oh! Yeah, I do. I found a good wrench in there." "Score. Let's go." [ALIGN=Center]--------[/ALIGN] It was past dark when they returned to the van. A thick mist had rolled in suddenly, cutting off sight past five feet in places. "I gotta check on the cab," said Max. The cab was just as he had left it, unlocked to facilitate quick escapes. Something else was bothering him, however, so instead of going straight back, he checked on where they had put their friends' corpses. The mist cleared for a brief instant. In that moment of clarity he saw several monsters feasting upon their fallen comrades, the sickening crunch of bones emenating from their ravenous maws. Needless to say, Max was in quite a hurry to get back to the van. "Bad news," he said. "The critters have found your friends." "Well, they can't be turned into undead, can they?" asked Marcus. "Turned, no. Eaten, yes. And they'll be done soon. We gotta move. Now." "Won't they be full?" asked Zack. Max turned a cynical eye to him. "They're [i]never[/i] full."[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman]OOC: Sorry about the absence, it was a combination of not having anything to say at first then a death in the family next. But, I'm back for now. Halthan ambled back to his tent after the meeting, head full of doubts. [i]Good on Namia for gettin' elected leader, Oi s'pose. Takes some of the burden off 'f me.[/i] For the past few days he had been doubting his position in the Resistance, or whatever their little splinter group was calling itself. [i]Wot've Oi got tha' they really [/i]need? [i]Well, Oi s'pose there's Reason, but any sap wot can lift it, point it an' press a button can do tha' much. Naw, they really don't need me 'ere.[/i] He reached his tent and began to compose a letter. [i]To whoever this may find: It's been a good run with you lads, don't get me wrong. It used to be fun, seeing the world, looting it, and doing our damnedest to overthrow those Mantean bastards. But things have changed. We're constantly short on help because everyone's always off doing gods know what. Enemies are around every corner, powerful ones. All I have is Reason, my wits, and all of your help, and the last isn't a guarantee. What's happened to poor Tanken is just further proof that this line of work has become too hazardous for my health. Namia, if you read this, I do hope he gets better. One of these days I might just lose my life to some threat or another. The constant stress is just too much for one kender. As such, it's time we part ways. Best of luck to all of you, and happy trails. Regards, Halthan Leomure[/i] Halthan finished packing and reached for the cumbersome Reason. He stopped himself, though, and took up pen again. [i]P.S. I leave Reason with you, seeing as how it'll just be an impediment to me. You chaps need it more than I do.[/i] Leaving Reason on the table and shouldering his traveling bag, Halthan turned to the tent flap. Once more he stopped, however, this time with a mischevious grin. [i]P.P.S. Should you succeed in your endeavors, I expect to be fully reimbursed for my labors. 50 gold an hour for numerous days, to be paid A.S.A.P. I also expect to be completely reimbursed for personal funds spent on business ventures, namely Reason, purchased for 240 gold, as well as ten casks of ammunition purchased for 25 gold each. Pleasure doing business.[/i] With that, Halthan Leomure, heart light and step springing, left the camp and its residents behind him, to seek out his own fortune once more. OOC: I'm leaving the post. Too many things happening, what with all sorts of magical swords and crazy-powerful creatures popping up everywhere. And what's with that whole memory loss thing? 0ber... dude... you broke it with that one.[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman]Max was sitting on his taxi's hood, rebar close by, when he heard something slam into Silent Hill's gate. [i]Better find out what that was,[/i] he thought, swinging into the driver's seat. He drove through the eerily quiet streets of Silent Hill, humming aimlessly. Reaching the square that the gate led into, he coasted to a stop. A car and a van blocked the gate, three figures pulling bodies out of the car. [i]Well, they aren't eating the bodies, so I'm probably not too late. Can I trust them?[/i] He inched forward to about two car-lengths behind them and got out. He could see the figures more clearly now, two guys and a girl. They were pulling bodies out of the car's broken window, perhaps unconcious, but who could tell in this town? It was a nice car. It saddened Max slightly that they had to break the window. Of course, after being in Silent Hill for several days, Max's taxi wasn't doing so well either. The guy with a green 'fro looked up at Max. "Oh, hello! I didn't notice you, I'm sorry! Could you help us?" "Sure," grunted Max, and helped them with the remaining bodies inside. "I'm Marcus. Marcus De'Silva," the guy said. "This is Zack Sacraments, and that's Cassidy Denver." As he spoke, one of the people pulled out of the car, a girl, coughed and sat up. "Oh, good, Janis is awake. This is Janis Weaver. What's your name?" "Max Hanua." He crouched over the other two that were in the car. "These two dead?" Zack crouched too, and took their pulses. "No, it doesn't seem so." Max eyed the gaping wounds in the two that remained unconcious. "They gonna get better?" Zack frowned. "I dunno, this looks pretty serious. Is there a hospital in this town?" Max chuckled at that, then shook his head. "Do you know first aid?" Max shook his head again. "Well then I don't think they'll be okay." "Then kill 'em," said Max. Marcus whirled to face him, enraged. "What!? I can't believe you! Those are my friends! Why would you even [i]suggest[/i] that we kill them?" Max sighed. "So they stay dead. You're new here, aren't you?" "We're [i]not[/i] killing them," said Marcus, with a tone of finality. "Fine. Then we should go. This town, it's not wise to stay in the same place for too long." He started for his taxi. Zack looked incredulous. "And just leave them behind?" Max turned and shouted. "They get better, they'll catch up!" With that, he slammed the driver door and started the taxi. OOC: Follow me if you want. There's safety in numbers, after all.[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman]Name: Max Hanua Age: 23 Gender: Male Appearance: [URL=http://www.animeworld.pl/anime/vandread/vandread.jpg]Click[/URL] Strengths: Max is a professional driver. He can do just about anything in any car. His only limitations are what the car can do. He also takes a Jeet Kune Do class. He can hold his own in a fight, but he's not as good at Jeet Kune Do as he is at driving. Short Bio: Max is a soft-spoken guy. He can be around other people, he just doesn't say much, and tries not to elaborate. The only time he elaborates is when he tells a joke, and he knows a few. He worked as a cab driver before getting trapped in Silent Hill. One day, he picked up a fare who asked to be driven to the quiet town. Max was quite healthily paid, and the fare disappeared somewhere. Trying to leave, he found himself trapped like the others.[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman]Halthan was perusing the map of the mercenary town, losing patience steadily. [i]Bloody 'ell,[/i] he thought. [i]There's nothin' 'ere to DO. Unless, o' course, ya got a girl like Tanken's.[/i] He slammed his fists on the table and stormed outside. Just in time to see three trees and the tent he was just in violently rip apart. "Bloody 'ell!" Slipping through the newly-formed gap, he came across Tanken and Vaxla fighting a black-haired angelic figure. "Wot's all this then?" asked Halthan. Tanken glanced up to notice Halthan standing on the outskirts of the clearing. "Get help!" he cried, barely dodging a beam from the angel's weapon. [ALIGN=Center]--------[/ALIGN] Halthan ran through the woods, searching for someone to aid. Soon, he came across a small waterfall emptying into a picturesque rock pool. Terra and Namia were sitting by the edge, Namia wrapping up an explanation. "...Well, first off he saw me naked while I bathed in the river at our first camp. Then there was a sort of small discovering session at the city that we recently liberated. Then a two person shower. And then we've been sleeping together for the past few nights. Enough information for you?" Halthan was unable to see Terra's expression, but he was sure it was bordering on shocked. Namia smiled cattily. "Your turn." Halthan, master of tact, chose this moment to reveal himself. "Well, Tanken's sure a lucky bloke if ever there was one." Namia's eyes flashed as Terra whirled to face this new intrusion. "Halthan, you?" sputtered Namia, drawing her spear. "Sorry, luv, but this ain't the time. Tanken is currently in quite the pickle, and needs our 'elp. Shall we rush to 'is aid in a most 'eroic and timely fashion?"[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman]Tanken, Namia, Vincent, Vaxla, Raion, and Densi stood on a hill overlooking the city. All was quiet inside. A figure approached them in the distance. When he reached them, they saw it was a Resistance commander. He saluted "Tanken, sir, Captain Biggs reporting in. The signal for invasion hasn't shown yet, so the army is still hidden outside. Halthan, Prince Cairo, Terra, Sabin and that Jake kid are already inside, sir. I'm sure they would appreciate it if you helped them out. Go in as stealthily as possible. And-" He turned to Namia. "Namia, ma'am, I speak for the entire camp when I say I'm glad you're alive." "Thank you, Captain. Return to your post," said Tanken, dismissing him curtly. He turned to the rest of the group. "You heard him, guys! Let's take this city for the Resistance!" [ALIGN=Center]--------[/ALIGN] Halthan was definitely in trouble. A platoon of soldiers had cornered him in a sealed alleyway, and was slowly advancing. He had killed all of the snipers in the West Square, but when he made the call, a passing patrol caught him. [i]In retrospect,[/i] he thought, [i]p'raps goin' solo wasn't the wisest of decisions.[/i] He donned his hand gauntlets and readied himself. Quite suddenly, there seemed to be some kind of disturbance towards the mouth of the alley. The advancing Manteans' heads whipped around as someone shouted "Halthan!" He saw his chance and leapt upon the vulnerable soldiers, taking three down by the time anyone else had time to react. As Halthan fought his way to the center, he discovered the identity of his saviors. "Tanken! Namia! Bloody great of you to drop by! S'great that you're alright, luv, we were all worried sick about you!" "We're not safe yet, Halthan," replied Namia. They fought their way clear of the alleyway. Tanken explained the situation as they raced across the square. "As soon as we found out you had gone solo, we had to come and help personally. We sent Raion and a new ally, Densi to help Cairo and Terra with the East Square, so they should be alright. We sent Vincent and Vaxla to help Sabin and Jake with the gate mechanism. They were the only iffy ones, aside from you. Think about it. We don't know what Jake's capabilities are, and, as impressive as Sabin's stunt was, he could only do it once and he was through. Considering this, we sent our two next strongest warriors to aid them. So that's how it stands." He wrapped up his speech just as they reached the far end of the Sqaure. They dodged into another alley, this one connected to others. Tanken stopped at the entrance and motioned Namia and Halthan onwards. "You two, go! I'll hold off the troops behind us!" Halthan swept his gaze over the advancing line of soldiers and unslung Reason from his back. "Naw, mate. I've got this one." He placed himself at the mouth of the alleyway, braced for the shock, and pulled the trigger. An all-pervading, deafening whine replaced all noise save one: a morbid grinding noise similar to that of a slab of meat placed in a blender and set to "purée." The front five rows of soldiers were almost instantly liquified. Those "lucky" enough to be behind this wall of meat were now on the ground, moaning in agony. Tanken was clutching his ears delicately. "What...... the [i]FUCK[/i]..... was [I]THAT,[/I] Halthan?" He shrugged nonchalantly. "S'Reason." "If you [i]EVER[/i] shoot that [i]GODDAMN[/i] thing around [i]EVER AGAIN...[/i] I will fucking [i]KILL[/i] you." Halthan slung Reason back across his back. "Fair 'nough. Let's go."[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman]OOC: Sorry I haven't posted in a while, guys. M. Ali guessed why I wasn't proceeding, and I had kinda forgotten what the orders were. Whoops. IC: It was midnight when they reached the city. The small Resistance army hid in the trees on either side of the main road. Halthan gathered Terra, Cairo, Jake, and Sabin to discuss the plan of attack. "Roight, 'ere's the deal," Halthan explained. "We'll be in three groups: Terra and Cairo, Jake and Sabin, an' I'll go solo. Terra and Cairo, you two take the East Square. Jake, Sabin, you two take the gate mechanism. I'll take the West Square. Kill any snipers you might find, but for gods' sakes, be as stealthy as ya can. Only use guns as a last resort. When each group's done, make this noise." Halthan made a very realistic and distinctive bird call. Terra replicated it with ease, but Jake and Sabin were struggling. "Can you two do it?" asked Halthan. Both Jake and Sabin shook their heads. Jake suddenly brightened, and slung his prized guitar from his back. "I can do this!" He played a small riff. "I always carry an amp with me, so you'll hear it." All four eyed him dubiously. "Jake," muttered Sabin, "Just make sure we're the [i]last[/i] to check in." "Moving on," continued Halthan. "You'll notice that each team 'as a flare gun. When all three squads check in, fire it up. If all goes well, the army will see and charge the city, and we'll 'ave it by tea-time. Should one team fail to check in, proceed to their last point with as much speed as you can while remaining undetected. Should this 'apppen to you, keep this in mind: best case, you'll be rescued. Worst case, you won't 'ave been captured/killed/tortured pitilessly in vain. We don't want this to fail. Let's go!" [ALIGN=Center]--------[/ALIGN] [i]This'll be bloody 'ard with only five people on our side,[/i] thought Halthan, as he scaled the city walls. [i]Let's bloody pray that Tanken and the lot get back in time...[/i] OOC: Just so you know, OliverWhip, Jake can't keep up with the post, so he's stopped. If nothing else, use him as a meat shield.[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman]Halthan approached Tanken, who was looking at a map. "That's the city we'll be invading, then?" asked Halthan Tanken glanced over his shoulder as Halthan joined him in perusing the map. "Yea." "Bloody lot of open space, eh? There'll be snipers." "I noticed that, too. We should plan on stopping by Binthas, the trade city, beforehand, so those that need ranged weapons can get them." "We both do, mate. As impressive as your Crescent Moon fightin' style is, t'won't matter if one sniper gets lucky. My 'and gauntlets won't be enough, either." "Yea." "I'd get me sleep if I was you. It'll be a fairly 'ectic fight." Bidding good night to Tanken, Halthan walked back to his tent. [ALIGN=Center]--------[/ALIGN] The next day, the Resistance, numbers swelled with the clans of Meteo and Rhian, broke camp and marched for Binthas. In Binthas, Halthan accompanied Tanken to the gun store. He was slightly bored, knowing that the regular gun store didn't have what he was looking for. The firepower Halthan needed could only be located in the shadowy underbelly of Binthas. He snapped out of his daydreaming as Tanken's transaction came to a close. "Any luck?" He queried. "No," scowled Tanken. "They didn't have what I was looking for. The type of gun I need is-" he lowered his voice conspiratorily. "One that's not strictly [i]legal[/i]." Halthan's face cracked into a huge grin. "Well, why didn't ya say so, mate? Follow me!" [ALIGN=Center]--------[/ALIGN] Halthan led Tanken to a place he knew well: The Binthas Black Market, a place for all those who craved sheer firepower over potential legal implications. As they stepped inside the dingy warehouse, Tanken's red eyes lit up with the wonderment of a fly's in a landfill. "If you're looking for a custom job, you'll want Nilex, over there. His prices are steep and he's a stingy old bastard, but his work's worth it. Tell 'im I sent you, and 'e'll make you a boomstick so grand it'll kill people you 'aven't even met yet. I'll leave you to it. I've got some old friends to catch up with." Tanken nodded happily, mouth still agape, and wandered blissfully off in that direction. Halthan made for the weapon stand. "Jika, you slimy, conniving weasel, 'ow've things been?" Jika, the proprietor of the gun stand, looked up to see a madly grinning Halthan approach him. "Halthan, you swollen pimple on the ass of society, great to see you again! What're you here for?" "I am looking for some heavy firepower, mate. A sniper rifle for sure, an' p'raps an automatic rifle." Jika slyly grinned. "Why settle for just a rifle?" Halthan was perplexed. "Wot do you mean?" Jika reached below the counter, struggling with something, and at last set it on the table. "Presenting Reason. Six barrels, each two feet long, rotating at 7500 rpms and firing 125 rounds per second, a magic-driven cooling system-" He reached below the counter again, this time with 4 flat, round, metal canisters, held together with cords, with back straps fixed to one. "20,000 rounds of blessed 14mm ammunition-" He went below again to retrieve a sleek sphere, with a strap to sling across the waist. "And a seperate, 5 lb. magic generator. This thing goes beyond automatic. This thing is kill-you-dead-o-matic. All in all, when Reason talks, people listen. Oh, yea," He reached under the counter once more. "And here's your sniper rifle." Halthan ecstatically took out his money pouch. "Jika, mate, 'ow can I resist? Wot's it gonna cost?" Jika winked. "For an old pal, Halthan, the total is 250 gold." "Pleasure doin' business!" [ALIGN=Center]--------[/ALIGN] Sometime later, Halthan rejoined Tanken at the entrance. Tanken gazed wistfully at Halthan's newly aquired firepower, then glanced down at his two pistols. "Why didn't you tell me I could have bought something like [i]that?[/i]" OOC: Yes, it is okay for me to have Reason. We're planning on some funny scenarios with it.[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman]Gray was prone on the ground, still recovering, when Rhym walked over. "What an incorrible ass," he muttered. Rhym spoke. "I think that rules out the chance that Shaull is Drake. You'd think if he was, it would be [i]me[/i] on the ground there instead of you." Rin was skeptical. "He could just be covering his tracks." "He [i]shot[/i] Gray. I'd say that's a tad bit extreme for covering tracks. He probably just got angry at me because a low level like me was compared to him." "Besides," interjected Sako. "His reason seems to hold true. I'm sure that if I was in his position, I'd be a bit peeved to be stuck with us. Maybe not peeved enough to [i]shoot[/i] someone, but peeved nonetheless." "I suppose," admitted Rin. "He's still an ass, no matter what," grumbled Gray, now up. "Back to the hacking ring topic," Sako reminded them. "What mechs will be used? Gray and Kitty, I assume you two will be using the Griffyn, but I have no knowledge of what other mechs you have and might use. What mech will you use, Rhym?" His eyes widened. "Oh, crap, that's right! The Terrapin is out of commision. I have no mech!" Sako looked exasperated. "I can see how that's an issue." "How much are the mods paying for this?" "2 million zen." "Is it possible to be payed in advance? Or charge expenses to that payment?" Sako blinked. "Should be." "And we can use instant transmission freely?" "Yea, the mods are paying for it." "Awesome. Then I should have a mech in about two or three game days." With that, Rhym teleported to Cragos, the industrial planet. [ALIGN=Center]--------[/ALIGN] Rhym and his new mech teleported back to Katenea after two game days' time. [ALIGN=Center][SIZE=2][b][u]RHYM'S NEW MECH[/u][/b][/SIZE][/ALIGN] Rhym's new mech is a [i]Reaper[/i]-Class mech, which resembles a praying mantis. Unlike a [i]Terrapin[/i]-Class mech, [i]Reaper[/i]-Class mechs are very fast and agile, with only moderate armor. They are favorites of melee-geared fighters, but are adaptable to ranged weapons. [ALIGN=Center][SIZE=2][b][u]SPECS[/u][/b][/SIZE][/ALIGN] Armor: Moderate Speed: Moderate-High Agility: High Armaments: Twin energy sickles (EST-R, using Takuya's rating system, so that's Energy Sickle Twin - Reaper), in retractable slots in the arms, which are the defining weapons of the [i]Reaper[/i]-Class. Other than that, twin sub-machine guns (SGT-A, Submachine Gun Twin - All mechs), a shoulder-mounted rocket pack (RPD-A, Rocket Pack Dual - All mechs), and another Reaper-specific weapon, a back-mounted heavy blaster cannon covered by retractable armor plates (RCE-R, Retractable Cannon Energy - Reaper). Extras: All Reapers are equipped with vertical thrusters to allow for short bursts of flight or very big jumps. Also, Rhym has upgraded the sensors, this time buying the dirt filter. Level: Low AA, more than enough. OOC: Is that mech okay? Oh, and you guys can explain what happened in those two days Rhym was gone if you want.[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman]Halthan, followed closely by Cairo, William, and Sabin, found Namia and a long-haired kid with a guitar strapped across his back, both supporting Tanken. They were about a quarter-mile away from the clearing. "Oh, bloody 'ell, Namia, why'd you move 'im? He's sure to be worse off now." Tanken seemed to wake up long enough to grunt out, "I'll be fine," before lapsing back into unconciousness. Namia looked apologetic. "We had to. Some Mantean bastards found us. Thankfully, Jake here and a dark elementalist killed them off. There was a commander, though, so the dark elementalist told us to run while she held him off." They gently lowered Tanken as Sabin approached. "Well," said the healer, "He's lucky the arrows aren't very deep, otherwise he'd be dead. I can heal him, but would you guys at least [i]try[/i] to avoid running through Mantean camps in the future?" Tanken, now fully recovered, drew his swords. "That elementalist is still back there. We should help her out." All agreed, and they ran back to the clearing. [ALIGN=Center]--------[/ALIGN] They arrived just in time to see the commander take a dark blast of energy full in the chest. He appeared unfazed, however, and readied himself to charge the elementalist. Halthan donned his blade-gauntlets, and addressed the Mantean officer. "Oi! You!" The officer, surprised, turned to face him. "Lay off, ya wanker!" The Mantean's eyes took in the fearsome entourage standing behind Halthan. Tanken, Namia, Jake, Sabin, Cairo, and William all had weapons trained on the officer. He was intelligent, if nothing else, and sheathed his swords. "I know when I'm outgunned. But rest assured, Resistance scum. You haven't heard the last of Lord Luca Blight." With that, he teleported away. The elementalist turned to them. "Thank you very much." Halthun grinned. "No problem, luv. The name's Halthun Leiomure. I assume you've already met Tanken, Namia, and Jake. The healer's name is Sabin, and the other two blokes are Prince Cairo of Oxenol and William Collins. Care to enlighten us with your moniker?" "I go by the name of Vaxla. I see you are with the Resistance. While I may not side with you, I, too, have a score to settle with Deus. Traveling with you will certainly further my means. May I accompany your group, if only for now?" "Sure thing, luv. Follow us to camp." OOC: If you think something else should happen, Takuya, just tell me.[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman]OOC: Jeez, you guys, try to leave an opening for someone like me to slip in, whydontcha? Also, 0ber, this is a fantasy world, correct? Are you certain their blasphemy would be the same as our blasphemy? So, like, instead of "Aww, Jesus, Tanken!" it'd be something like "Aww, Miratos, Tanken!" I dunno. Just a thought. Anyways, back to the story. IC: Halthan, like Namia, was stuck in Balkazaar as well. He was just about to jump down from his perch on the roof and help her with the platoon when Tanken appeared. They exchanged words, drowned by the clash of battle below. Halthan once more prepared to join the fray when Tanken straightened and brought both swords above his head, leaving his torso horribly exposed. [i]You poor, stupid git, Tanken,[/i] thought the Kindred. [i]I thought you were too skilled a bloke to pull a move like THAT...[/i] But as the Mantean troops approached, five words sounded pure and loud from Tanken, reaching even Halthan. "Crescent Moon in the Heavens." Tanken disappeared then, and something happened that was too fast for Halthan to keep track of. Needless to say, when Tanken reappeared, the guards were [i]very[/i] dead. [i]Bloody brillant![/i] Halthan thought. [i]Now 'ow are you gonna escape the bloody city?[/i] Halthan was on the verge of offering his aid once more when Tanken said something. "Hey, Namia..." He was looking at her in a particular way. Halthan nearly laughed out loud. [i]The bloke's in love! Brilliant![/i] "What do you say we try to get out of here? I have a plan." It involved her clutching to him as he charged the city's walls. [i]Wot's he bloody thinkin'? Those walls must be six bloody feet deep![/i] There was another blur of movement from Tanken and, to Halthan's amazement, a rather large hole in the wall. Namia swung down to his side and ran alongside him, both now clear of Balkazaar. [i]Bloody brilliant,[/i] thought Halthan as he lept from rooftop to rooftop. His lithe form easily vaulted over the city's formidable walls, and he followed the two's path. [ALIGN=Center]--------[/ALIGN] Which led, unfortunately, straight through a Mantean encampment. Halthan blended with the forest surrounding it and skirted the camp, but Tanken and Namia, not blessed with stealth and cursed with inertia, blazed through. Some distance later, in a clearing, Halthan caught up with them. Namia was fine, if winded, but Tanken was slumped over strangely. She was fussing worriedly with him. Halthan materialized on the edge of the clearing. "'Allo, luv," he said. She snapped her head upwards. "Halthan! Thank Gods you're here! When Tanken rescued me from the city, we ran through- can you fucking believe this?- a Mantean camp! I'm fine, but Tanken isn't looking too good. We need some damn help, and right fucking now," she explained. "I know, luv. I was followin' you. Don't you fret, I'll go and get some 'elp. But, I expect to be-" She glared at him. "You even fucking [i]think[/i] of charging for this and I will fucking tear out your guts and wear them as a fucking [i]hat.[/i]" He corrected himself with almost no change in tone. "I expect that he'll thank me a bloody great lot when this is all done. I'll be off now, luv. See you soon." With that, he faded back into the forest. [ALIGN=Center]--------[/ALIGN] Finding the other resistance members who had succesfully escaped from Balkazaar about two miles southwest of the clearing, he swaggered into the center of their camp. "Right, you lot! The name's Halthan Leiomure for those wot don't know, and I 'ave a message of fairly dire importance! Tanken's about two miles northeast of 'ere, quite resemblin' a pincushion. Namia's with 'im, don't you fret, she's fine, but Tanken requires fairly immediate medical attention. For those as can keep up, follow me!" OOC: If you haven't guessed by now, Halthan has a british accent.[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman]Knowing 0ber, he can't get on OB at home, only at school. Considering we had today off of school, the post probably won't be started until tomorrow. At the earliest, it'll be posted late tonight, if he sneaks on. So, yeah. Just to clarify that.[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman]"Well, Rin, here's what I think," explained Rhym. "Hacking is a [i]much[/i] more serious crime than in-game theft. Also, they mentioned it was a large hacking ring, and that they are outgunned, even [i]with[/i] the help of players. Hacking really spoils the game, too. If we get rid of these guys, we'll have a better chance of not encountering someone who ruins the game for us. And, plus, we need to level up, now don't we? This is sure to get us some nice experience." "That's all very well," growled Gray, "But what makes you so sure the mods won't just betray us when all is said and done?" "Well, I don't tell many people this," Rhym quietly mentioned, "But I had a run-in with the mods a while ago much like this one. I used to have a higher level character, a thief. I did my fair share of thieving, and the mods didn't like it, of course. But, in addition to a good thief, I was an expert mech pilot, so no one sent after me ever caught me. I was so good, in fact, that when a huge hacking ring was exposed, the mods grudgingly asked for my help to bust it." Gray was still skeptical. "What hacking ring?" "Have you ever heard of the hacking group called |-|4x0|2z-u|\|173|)?" His eyes widened. "I thought that was just a myth! You mean there actually was a hacking ring by that name?" "Yes. And I helped destroy it." Gray was silent, still skeptical. Zisagawa was amazed. Rin had a question, however. "Did you meet Shinobi_01? He was the one who turned the tide of that battle!" Rhym chuckled quietly. "I knew him better than anyone." "Really? How?" "Because my old username [i]was[/i] Shinobi_01." Both Rin and Zisagawa were struck dumb. Gray slammed his fist down on the table. "Impossible. You expect us to beleive that [i]you[/i] are the legendary Shinobi_01?" "Do you honestly think anyone [i]but[/i] Shinobi_01 could do what I just did back there in a [i]Terrapin?[/i]" "Well then, why did you stop playing with that character? Did the mods delete it when you were done fighting?" "No. The mods were as courteous as you could hope for. They let me go scot-free, with a clean slate and some nice freebies. In truth, I stopped playing because the game just got boring at such a high level." "Rhym, that's-" began Rin, but he cut her off. "Please, all of you, call me Gregor. It's my real name." Rin beamed, to Gray's quiet displeasure. "Gregor, that's amazing! I feel a lot safer cracking down on a large hacker ring with Shinobi_01 at my side!" "Thank you. I think you all know my answer." All looked at him in admiration and expectancy. "I say, let's do it!"[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman]Nicknames, huh? I've had my fair share. My first name is Patrick, so there are the obvious variations on that, i.e., Pat, Patty, Patty Boy, etc. This is funny because my last name is O'Malley. Can you get any more Irish? Maybe if my name was Seamus O'Hoolihan. One given to me in the sixth grade was Minkus. I only learned a few years ago that Minkus is some obnoxious know-it-all character on Boy Meets World. I wasn't aware of this because I never watch TV. Melts your brain and all that. Especially the Disney Channel, where Boy Meets World is conveniently placed. I suppose back then I did sort of share a personality with him, so after a particular display of my knowledge, one of the jerk classmates says, "Minkus, Minkus, Minkus..." in a sort of condescending tone. Since I was oblivious of the sinister background behind that name, I adopted it as my own, and a good many online screennames were spawned from that. However, about freshman year, I finally learned the truth. I immediately rejected that nickname and quested for a new one. It took 10 long years, a king's ransom, and my left arm, but I finally gained this current one, Rhym. No, wait, I remember. I asked my friends what a good new nickname was, and one suggested "Rhym." I like the other story, though.[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman]"In order to evade the mods, we must leave the planet," explained Gray. "Question," asked Rhym. "Can't they just close all out-bound trafic from the planet?" "Not likely," Gray explained. "This game goes beyond massive. You think they'd close all traffic to a planet just because of little ol' us?" "He has a point, Rhym," interjected Kitty. "We may have committed [I]some[/I] crimes, but none of [I]that[/I] caliber." "All right, all right," admitted Rhym. "But, consider this: that was a [I]Hunter[/I]-class mech that one of those guys had. There's a reason those things are called Hunters. Gray, your ship was in sensor range for more than enough time. He's bound to have an engine emission signature that he could easily give to the mods." "I see," said Gray. "That's a serious issue. What do you propose?" "Well, we'll at least need a new engine. A very fast one, preferably. If you can't get one of those, then we might have to just get a new ship." "But, wait..." Zisagawa spoke up. Everyone turned to him. "How can we possibly hope to afford that? You know how much ship parts cost, right?" Gray, Kitty, and Rhym merely smiled.[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman]Hiro and Max faced off in the grove of trees. "Let's do this, man! Go, Hive!" Max's MC uploaded Hive's stats. [I]Oh, snap! He's a way higher level than Frost![/I] "Be careful out there, Frost. He's a much higher level than you." [COLOR=SlateGray][I]I shall exercise the utmost vigilance, Max.[/I][/COLOR] Frost and Hive circled cagily, neither wanting to be the first to attack. Max gave in first, shouting, "Frost, Icicle!" Frost fired several icicles, which Hive easily dodged. Hiro countered. "Hive, Blitz!" Hive flew stinger-first towards Frost, rotating faster and faster. "Look out, Frost!" Frost almost dodged, but Hive changed course at the last second, damaging Frost. Max, glancing at the health bars, saw Frost's gauge drop by one fourth. [I]Three more of those and Frost is done. And that wasn't even a direct hit...[/I] Hiro took advantage of Frost's momentary daze. "Blitz again, man!" This time, with Frost still stunned, the Blitz caught him full-force. His health bar dropped to 25%. Frost fell to the ground. [I]We should have leveled up before this. Frost wasn't ready for this caliber of play yet. If only he was stronger. If only I was a better handler.[/I] Suddenly, Frost began to glow. It was the same glow as the night of Oni's attack, but dimmer. Hiro noticed this too. "No way, man! That's a Platinum Monster! You're so lucky, man! I should have guessed, what with him talking!" As the glow subsided, two beeps sounded from the MC. Looking down, Max noticed the "Attacks" button was flashing. Opening the window, two new attacks were listed, "Avalanche" and "Glacier." Frost had changed as well, transforming from a small blue wisp to a waist-high snowman. "Frost?" [COLOR=SlateGray][I]Yes, Max?[/I][/COLOR] "Let's show 'em what we can do! Glacier!" [COLOR=SlateGray][I]Right away![/I][/COLOR] Frost pointed his hands palm-first at Hive. The ground behind him began to freeze as swirls of frost circled in, gathering in an icy barrier in front of his outstretched hands. "Quick, dude! Blitz!" Hiro desperately instructed Hive. He barreled towards Frost, but the ice wall had completed its formation. Once launched, it proved an impassible barrier for Hive, freezing him in midair. Encased in a block of ice, Hive lost all upwards lift and crashed into the ground. Hive's health gauge plummeted to zero, and the battle was over. [ALIGN=Center]--------[/ALIGN] "Nice job, dude. That was amazing." "Hey, don't congradulate me. It was all Frost here." Hiro bent over to shake Frost's hand. "Nice job, little dude. Good luck in the future." [COLOR=SlateGray][I]Why thank you. Hive was a worthy opponent.[/I][/COLOR] Straightening up, he turned back to Max. "Maybe we can battle again some other time, dude. Next time I won't hold back!" "Yeah, maybe. It was fun." Hiro walked off. "See ya, man!" "Yeah, later!" He noticed someone clapping behind him. Turning, he saw the woman from the sign-up desk, the girl that had called the meeting, Sakura, and her monster, Zephyr, who had also evolved, it seemed. "Bravo, Max, bravo. Congradulations on your Platinum Monster's first evolution." "Great job, Max! I saw the fight!" "Well, thanks," said Max. "But really, it was all Frost." "Ah, yes, Frost," said the woman from the desk. "I knew all along he was a Platinum Monster." "That, I could guess," said Max. She coughed nervously. "In any event, my name is Michelle. Care to join us while your other comrades finish up?"[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman]Hey, man. I warned you. Name: Halthan Leiomure Age: 182 (about 22-23 human years.) Race: Kindred Class: Thief/Wanderer Weapon of Choice: Twin hand-blades. Also a needle gun for when hand-blades might result in death. He rarely uses it, however. He considers it dishonorable and not challenging enough. Weapon Style: Fullmoon Windstrike Side: Resistance Reason for Fighting: Sheer monetary profit, glory, and maybe somewhere down there, smothering in greed, is an inkling of doing what's right. History: Halthan grew up in the Kindred forest city of Narhiltoan. When he completed his basic worldlore, combat, and stealth training at the age of 130, he set out on his own, common for Kindred youths to do. Several years ago, when he heard of Deus' find of the Paragon, the consequent conquests, and the formation of the Resistance, he began to feel the first pangs of Kindreds' greed. I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, but, should the Resistance storm the imperial palace, there's bound to be a fair amount of loot, am I right? Hair: Dark blue. Skin: Average complexion. Eyes: Green with gold flakes. Build: Lightweight, agile, fast. Clothing: He has one of those crazy hats. You know, the huge wide-brim kind? It's dark blue. He wears lightweight, baggy, dark blue clothes. He has various sashes useful for concealing weapons, and a large sack. For loot. Because he's a thief. He also keeps his lower face concealed with a crimson scarf. All in all: The money-grubbing shifty character with a potential heart of gold. Er- bronze. Copper? Um... lead, at least.[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman]Rhym was just thinking that the worst might be over when the Terrapin detected the Hunter targeting him. [I]Won't these people just let me sit here in peace? I suppose not.[/I] Just as the Hunter landed, he shot forwards, but, due to the Hunter's agility, only managed to clip its leg, and not that seriously. The Hunter's pilot was very skilled to be able to not only dodge a completly unexpected close range attack but to then land and immediately let loose with an RLD-H. Only one shot hit, but it was enough. [I]Dammit! What can I do?[/I] The Hunter's pilot contacted him. "I'd think about surrendering now if I were you," he said. [I]What can I do but stall?[/I] "I don't think so. I'm not out of this yet." The pilot laughed. "You're missing a leg. That ramming trick of yours-which was quite clever, by the way-won't work now, because I know about it now, and if you uncurl to use any other weapons, you're an easy target, and much more vulnerable. I'm sure you can figure out that the odds are in my favor." [I]I hope he can't tell that I'm bluffing completely...[/I] "I don't care about the odds." "Nor do I, but that doesn't change the fact that they favor me. With your mech in its present condition, I don't see any way you can possibly take me. I offered you a chance to surrender. You should have taken it." Rhym quickly contacted the Griffyn. "Gray! Kitty! Are you guys okay?" A weak reply came from the mess at the bottom of the cliff. It was Gray. "A bit shaken. It's nothing." "Stop downplaying this! Gray, do you have a ship?" "So what if we do? We can win." [I]What is he thinking? How can he be so belligerent at a time like this?[/I] Kitty came on the line. "Gray, don't do this. Just forget about it. It's nothing. Right now, we [I]need[/I] the ship!" Gray sighed. "Fine, I'll call it down." "Thank you, Gray. As soon as you can, get yours and Zisagawa's mechs onboard. I'll be right after you." Rhym geared up the treads, and in doing so was met by a transmission from the Hunter. "What are you doing? Are you suicidal? I offered you a chance to surrender, and you pull this tired trick? I'll take pleasure in deleting you." The Hunter leveled the RLD-H at Rhym's mech. Just as he fired, Rhym shot off, but not towards the Hunter. Instead, he hit a stray piece of building at an angle that launched him into the air. The Falcron turned, but too late. Just before the impact, an all-channel transmission came from the Rhino. "DRAKE!" The Terrapin exploded into the Falcron, crushing it like a paper cup. A transmission came in from the crippled Falcron. "YOU BASTARD! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU ALL! KAY! KAAAYYYY!!!" Rhym replied with a touch of smugness. "Sorry, buddy. Better hope the mods can get you a new mech!" He then opened transmissions with Zisagawa, Gray, and Kitten. "All of you, now's our chance to get onboard! Gray, order your crew to fire upon the Hunter and the Rhino so we can get on safely! Let's GO!" [ALIGN=Center]--------[/ALIGN] On Gray's ship, now flying safely away from the moderators' minions, the mood was slightly congradulatory. "Thanks so much, Rhym," said Zisagawa. "I owe you my account!" "Yea, great job out there," said Kitty. "That some some real quick thinking." They all grew silent as Gray approached. He sized Rhym up. "Sorry about the mech." "Hey, it's not problem," said Rhym. "It needed a remodeling, anyways." "...Thanks." Gray quickly walked away, slightly flustered, and busied himself in the maintenance of the ship. Kitty looked at Rhym with great respect. "What is it?" He asked. "If you've known Gray for as long as I have," she replied, "That's high praise." OOC: Whew! Is that acceptable?[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman]Just so everyone knows, I know 0ber0n the Neko outside of OB and have better access to the internet than he does. So, if you have a question, you could ask me or him, it's just that I'll probably have the same response back to you sooner. For right now he says to make sure to include a physical description of your character. Also, to any moderators who eye the rating for this post suspiciously, 0ber explained it thusly: it is rated as a [I]potential[/I] R, depending on [I]if[/I] those participating in the post choose for it to [I]deserve[/I] an R rating. (I really just expect about a PG-LV rating for it.) If that made any sense, okay. If not, it's his fault. Now for my character. Name: Halthan Leiomure Age: 182 (about 22-23 human years.) Race: Kindred Class: Thief/Wanderer Weapon of Choice: Twin cestuses. I think that's how you spell it. Also small knives, daggers, kunai, stilletos, etc. for more convenient assassination methods. Weapon Style: Fullmoon Windstrike Appearance: Halthan has dark brown hair and dark green eyes. He is about 5'8". He has one of those crazy hats. You know, the huge wide-brim kind? It's dark blue. He wears lightweight clothers with dark, earthy colors that blend in with his surroundings. He has various sashes useful for concealing weapons, and a large sack. For loot. Because he's a thief. He also keeps his lower face concealed with a scarf. Side: Resistance Reason for Fighting: Sheer monetary profit, glory, and maybe somewhere down there, smothering in greed, is an inkling of doing what's right. History: Halthan grew up in the Kindred forest city of Narhiltowan. When he completed his basic worldlore, combat, and stealth training at the age of 130, he set out on his own, common for Kindred youths to do. Several years ago, when he heard of Deus' find of the Paragon, the consequent conquests, and the formation of the Resistance, he began to feel the first pangs of Kindreds' greed. I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, but, should the Resistance storm the imperial palace, there's bound to be a fair amount of loot, am I right? All in all: The very untrustworthy-seeming, shifty character with a potential heart of gold. Er- bronze. Copper? Um... lead, at least.[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman]OOC: I'm back. Sorry it took so long. It might be crappier than usual, I'm still trying to get back into the swing of things. "Wow, our first tournament! Are you excited, Frost?" [COLOR=SlateGray][I]Indeed I am, Max. A veritable parade of pugilism, and I am permitted take part! What a joyous occurence![/I][/COLOR] Max chuckled. "You're no fist-fighter, man. C'mon, let's go sign up." [ALIGN=Center]--------[/ALIGN] The woman at the desk welcomed Max to Japan's first MN tournament and instructed him to plug his MC into the terminal. Frost appeared in the digital field, hovering in mid-air as usual. "So that's... Nietszche and... Frost. Wow, another one." The small comment seemed out of place tacked on to the end of such a uniform speech. Max did not fail to notice. "Excuse me?" The woman's face grew nervous. "I'm sorry?" "You said, 'Wow, another one.' What did you mean?" "I meant-" her eyes darted. "I meant it as in, 'Wow, another ice creature.'" Max was sceptical at best. "I keep track of them, you know." She seemed to regain confidence as she continued to weave her explanation. "It's such a repetitive job that I like to keep track of Plat-" Her eyes widened more than Max thought physically possible as she cut herself off. She slumped to the desk. "Well, thank you for registering me." From her face's position on the desk, her mumbled, resigned, monotone reply was barely audible. "Your first opponents will be Hatoun and Hive you may fight them as soon as you find them." "Right," said Max, as he began to walk off. He stopped himself, however, and walked back to the desk. He tapped the woman on her shoulder. She looked up at him. "Sorry," he whispered. She nodded. "Shouldn't you see about the line?" [ALIGN=Center]--------[/ALIGN] "It's nice of them to equip the MC with a GPS. Now we can find Hatoun easily." [COLOR=SlateGray][I]I await his discovery with great earnest.[/I][/COLOR] They found Hatoun enjoying the shade provided by a stand of trees. A large hornet was buzzing amongst the lower branches, but he didn't seem to notice. "Excuse me," called Max. "Are you Hatoun?" The teen, who looked to be about 17, sat up and regarded Max. "I am." He had a friendly face, with open, trusting, hazel eyes. A small pair of glasses perched delicately on the tip of his nose. His hair was dark brown and curly in a large mass at the top of his head, and he had a small goatee on his chin. "I'm Nietszche, and this is Frost," He gestured at Frost, hovering over his shoulder. [COLOR=SlateGray][I]Pleased to be of acquaintance,[/I][/COLOR] Frost said audibly. "But you can call me Max. We've been assigned to battle in the tournament." "That's cool, man. You can call me Hiro. This is Hive." The large hornet strayed from its circuitous route around the trees to buzz around Hiro's head. "Your Monster talks? That's crazy, man. I wish mine did. I think someone posted something like that on one of my gaming forums." "Yea, that was me." "No way, man! That's pretty crazy. So, we gonna battle?" "Yea. Let's go!"[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman][I]I need to get away from that Rhino,[/I] thought Rhym. [I]I'm getting whomped out there...[/I] Kitty's voice crackled over the intercom. "Here to help?" Rhym sighed. "Here for sanctuary, if possible. That Rhino pilot is tricky." "Good luck. We're not faring too well ourselves." "That's a sh-" The Terrapin's proximity warning went off. "Dammit. Have to go." Rhym strafed right, spinning around just in time to see the Rhino charging. He unloaded his rocket pack into it while quickly strafing to avoid it. The Rhino, knocked off course by the blasts, crashed into a building, sending up a huge cloud of dust. [I]It's times like these that I wish I had gotten that particle filter,[/I] he thought. "Quick moving there, Rhym," said Kitty. "Thanks, but I don't think I can keep it up for that much longer. We may have to escape soon." "We'll see. Good luck." Meanwhile, the Rhino had recovered from the crash and was preparing to attack Rhym again. [I]This might get a bit sketchy,[/I] thought Rhym.[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman]"It's a nice night out, Frost. Care to take a walk?" [COLOR=SlateGray][I]A moonlit stroll doth please the soul.[/I][/COLOR] "I never knew you were a poet." Max put on a jacket, slipping his dark green MC into the pocket, and went downstairs, Frost hovering behind. His dad called from the bedroom. "Where are you going, Max?" "Just out and about. It's a nice night out." "When will you be back?" "I shouldn't be too long. I'll be back before..." Max glanced at the hall clock. It read 10:15. "11:30. Is that okay?" "Well, I suppose. Just don't go down any dark alleys, understand?" "Yes, dad. I understand." It was the same conversation that occured any time Max felt like taking a walk. [ALIGN=Center]--------[/ALIGN] [COLOR=SlateGray][I]Your father appears quite concerned for you safety, Max.[/I][/COLOR] "I suppose. You kind of have to be when you're a dad. And I do this a lot, so that conversation's sort of become a routine." [COLOR=SlateGray][I]On that subject, Max, what exactly compels you to take such lengthy promenades?[/I][/COLOR] "That's a good question. The world seems like a different place at night. Like all of the problems of the daytime just fade away under the moon. It also seems quiter at night. You have more time for introspection." Max's eyes strayed to the road ahead, and noticed a dark figure in a trenchcoat. "Frost," he said quietly, "hide somewhere. Now." He kept walking forward, as breaking stride would be conspicuous. As he neared the figure, it stepped out to block his path. "Is there a problem, sir?" Max asked, trying to be as polite as possible. "Nietzche?" the figure queried. Max relaxed. "You had me worried for a second. I thought you were some kind of murderer or something. Sorry, but if you're looking for a fight, I'm not interested. I've had one today already." "Ah," the figure exclaimed. "That is where you are mistaken. While I may not be 'some kind of murderer', I am not here for a fight, either. I am here," at this point, he pulled out a gun from his coat, "to detain you and delete your Platinum monster." Max's eyes widened, his throat constricted, and his pulse quickened. "Woah, woah, WOAH! What's all this about a 'Platinum monster?' I just bought the game, I didn't know anything about this!" "Ignorance, as they say, is no excuse. Now, will you come with me, or will I have to make use of this nasty little device in my hand?" Max gulped. The seconds stretched out interminably long. There was a crackling sound, and the man yelped and dropped the gun, clutching his fingers. The gun shattered when it hit the ground. The man grinned, still cradling his frostbitten fingers, and looked up at Max. "So, it's an ice creature? We shall see," he reached into his coat again, this time removing a jet-black MC, "how your pathetic Frost handles my associate." He pressed the summoning button on the MC, and shouted, "GO, ONI!" A vortex of blackness erupted from the MC, coalescing into a sinister, horned shape, completely devoid of detail save for two hideous, glowing red eyes. Its arms ended in wicked claws, as well as its legs, which bent backwards. Oni spotted Frost hovering several meters above them. It snarled, and leapt to seize Frost. Frost deftly floated above the vertex of Oni's jump. After several more failed attempts, it finally stopped. It looked at the man, and spoke to him. Its voice was all of the evil in all of human history given voice and condensed into syllables.[/FONT] [FONT=Impact][COLOR=DarkRed]What now, Shoryu?[/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Times New Roman]"Well, if we are unable to capture the creature," Shoryu, as his username was, eyed Max, "then we must settle for... the master!" Oni turned his gaze upon Max, who turned and started to run. Too late, though, as Oni catapulted into him, knocking him to the ground, and stood on his chest, keeping him down. Max's MC was knocked from his pocket and skittered along the ground. [COLOR=SlateGray][I]Max![/I][/COLOR] Frost cried. Oni increased the pressure on Max's back. [I]I can't breathe,[/I] thought Max. [I]This thing is crushing my ribcage...[/I] He managed to choke out, "Frost, run!" before Oni's foot dug down harder.[/FONT] [FONT=Impact][COLOR=DarkRed]You do not talk, human![/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Times New Roman]Shoryu walked over slowly and picked up Max's MC. "Dark green? Hmmm... Aesthetically pleasing." It suddenly began to glow and hum. Shoryu let out another cry and dropped the MC, blowing on his burnt fingers. The same bright glow emanating from the MC was enveloping Frost. [COLOR=SlateGray][I]Oni! Desist at once, or face my wrath![/I][/COLOR] Oni seemed to smirk, and ground into Max's back harder.[/FONT] [FONT=Impact][COLOR=DarkRed]And what can you do, Frost? Shoot an icicle at me?[/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Times New Roman]He laughed. The glow had subsided, but instead of a wisp, a warrior emerged, encased in an armor of ice and wielding a blade of ice. Crashing into the ground, Frost rose and pointed the sword at Oni. [COLOR=SlateGray][I]Your time of reckoning has come, Oni![/I][/COLOR] His blade wove an intricate path in the air, and he roared, [COLOR=SlateGray][I]Ice Age![/I][/COLOR] Oni's eyes widened in shock as the maelstrom of ice fast approached him. He was frozen completely as shards of ice ripped through him. The torrent continued for quite some time until, at last, the storm dissipated and Oni slumped to the ground. Shoryu called him back into the MC and nervously eyed Max. "You may have one this time, Max, but next time I shall destroy you utterly! My orders are clear! You will see me again!" He fled down the street. Frost had lapsed into wisp form by the time he hit the street, unconscious. Max slowly got to his feet, retrieved the MC, and returned Frost into it. [I]You deserve the rest, friend.[/I] He yawned, then winced as his ribcage protested. [I]Come to think of it, so do I. Let's go home.[/I] OOC: To clarify this vacation deal: I'm leaving this next Wednesday and coming back the Sunday after Christmas. So I probably won't be able to post from then until later then.[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman]The Terrapin's armor was dented, a signifigant feat to pull off. [I]That's a strong melee attack on that Rhino,[/I] he thought. [I]I'll have to avoid it if I want to win.[/I] He opened communications with the pilot of the Rhino, a user named Kay with a female avatar. "That wasn't very lady-like of you," he said. "Hey, I'm not treated like a lady from you," she replied. "True, true." Rhym had to give her that. "Enough talk," she said, and closed the channel. Her mech opened fire with the buster cannon and positron blaster. [I]That's not a very good strategy,[/I] Rhym thought. [I]In fact, she isn't handling herself very well. Perhaps she's new to the Rhino?[/I] Shots were, in any event, hastening towards the Terrapin, pulling him out of his internal monologue. He curled his mech up into a ball and fired up the treads. The Terrapin shot forward and smashed into the Rhino, too fast for Kay to dodge. It damaged the Rhino considerably, but the fight wasn't over yet. OOC: Well, I'm doing the same thing as Takuya, sadly. I'm leaving on Wednesday and coming back the first Sunday after Christmas. So, maybe this post is just gonna have to hibernate for a bit. Or maybe someone can take over my posts, I don't know.[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman]Max watched Kitty's and Uindo's argument over the kuri-manja with growing amusement. "Oh, please, you two," he laughed. "Just settle on something! The single peices of kuri-manja aren't [I]that[/I] expensive!" Kitten glared at him, but when Uindo looked at her, she grudgingly bought some single peices of kuri-manja. Max whispered to Frost. "What did Uindo say?" [COLOR=SlateGray][I]He said, "See? He knows how to treat me right!"[/I][/COLOR] Max chuckled. They left the store, in search of somewhere to battle. [ALIGN=Center]--------[/ALIGN] Later, in an abandoned lot, they began the fight. A screen popped up on Max's MC, listing the available attacks. The only one on the list was "Icicle." "We're ready when you are, Nietzsche," Kitty called from across the lot. "Please, call me Max! Ready on this end! Shall we start?" "Go!" Uindo charged across the lot towards Frost. "Quick, Frost! Make the air around you really cold!" Uindo pounced, but the air surrounding Frost was so frigid he was physically repelled. Uindo recovered almost immediately, and from across the lot, Kitty called out, "Uindo! Shock!" Electricity began circling Uindo's ankles and arced towards Frost in a blinding flash. "Look out, Frost!" Max called. Frost tried to dodge, but to no avail. Electricity surrounded him and stunned him. When he came to, Uindo had already leapt. "ICICLE!" roared Max. Just in time, Frost shot an icicle point-blank into Uindo, who was flung backwards once more. Max noticed that both creatures were breathing heavily and noticably hurt. "Kitty!" He called to her across the lot. "Perhaps we should stop. We don't want our creatures to die, do we?" "Good idea, Max," she called back. "And please, call me Rin!" Max smiled as he called Frost back into the MC. "Will do. Nice fighting. You handled yourself well." He walked across the lot and shook her hand. She returned the smile. "Thanks, Max. So did you. Good luck in the future." "You too." [ALIGN=Center]--------[/ALIGN] By the time Max returned home, Frost was fully recovered from the fight and circling Max's head as he lay on his bed. [COLOR=SlateGray][I]I battled terribly, Max. How shall I ever live with myself?[/I][/COLOR] "Don't beat yourself up about it, Frost. You fought amazingly, considering it was your first fight." [COLOR=SlateGray][I]Do you honestly think so?[/I][/COLOR] "Yeah. Yeah, I do. You were awesome, man." Frost's eyes gleamed. [COLOR=SlateGray][I]Thank you, Max. My gratitude is deeper than you know.[/I][/COLOR] "Don't mention it, man." They were both silent for a while. Frost voiced both of their thoughts. [COLOR=SlateGray][I]When shall we next engage in combat?[/I][/COLOR] OOC: I'm going to be away for a while, what with winter vacation and all that, so I won't be able to post for maybe two weeks.[/FONT]