RPG Final Quest for Glory 2: The Final Battle

[Aaryanna]

[COLOR="goldenrod"][FONT="Comic Sans MS"]Agent Fluff knew she should not go to meet the Beast, Crystia was right, Beasts do not bargin. But what else could she do? Even the doctor could not cure her mother. She had not even got out of the hospital when a tiny whine caught her attention. Startled she turned around to see Aaryanna meekly following her.

"[B]No Aaryanna![/B]" Fluff said as she picked her up. "[B]You can't come! You're no match for that horrible Beast.[/B]" But Aaryanna refused to leave. With a sigh Fluff went back to where her mother was resting, slipping in quietly so as not to wake her up. With tears in her eyes she set Aaryanna on the bed.

"[B]You need to guard mother Aaryanna, take care of her for me okay?[/B]" Fluff reached out and scratched her ears and then smiled a bit when Aaryanna curled up next to mother and put her head down between her front paws.

"[B]Be a good girl Aaryanna,[/B]" Fluff whispered before she left, closing the door tightly to keep Aaryanna in. Though she doubted she would leave now. Aaryanna always knew when someone was sick and until they got better she would refuse to leave their side. She would stay with Mother.

Minutes later Agent Fluff slipped out of the hospital and headed into Otaku City. More than anything she wished they had cured her mother. After all, why would the Beast give her an antidote? They were going to destroy OtakuBoards weren't they? Even if he gave it to her and Mother recovered, they were going to kill everyone anyway.

"[B]We should not have come out here Gadget[/B]" Fluff said.

"[B]Nonsense, you won't know until you try Fluff.[/B]" Gadget replied, his voice slightly muffled from the duffel bag he was in.

"[B]But what if the Beast simply kill me and takes you anyway? What good will that do?[/B]" Fluff reasoned. "[B]I can't stop either one of them, Gavin or the Beast.[/B]"

"[B]No doubts Fluff,[/B]" Gadget said firmly. "[B]You have do do what you can.[/B]"

But what can I do? Fluff wondered. She shrugged it off and continued off into the night. If she was going to do this, now was the time, while everyone else seemed to be elsewhere. Fluff continued on her way into Otaku City.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Shy]

Grape Ape was assured that the handcuffs were just a safety precaution, but he knew that Retribution was enjoying his former colleague’s imprisonment. After brief questioning, the once-great Event Master was now charged with the deaths of Japan and Premonition. He wondered whether or not Retribution was working alongside Gavin and The Beast; or maybe it was a direct order from James. At this point Grape Ape had more enemies than he could count, and it appeared that his allies were dropping one by one.

The two sat in the back seat of a moderator patrol car as it headed downtown. Grape Ape had made this trip far too many times himself, but never was the one being detained. He knew that in a few minutes the ceremonial questioning would begin, followed by a swift ban from the site. Justice in Otaku City was swift, if not a little misguided. The fact was that Grape Ape was at the murder scene was all too convenient, and given James’ lukewarm response to his warnings, it was unlikely Dagger and Desbreko would hear him out.

“[b]You know I’m innocent, Retribution,[/b]” Grape Ape said as he stared out through the barred windows of the patrol car, “[b]I may be a lot of things, but a murderer isn’t one of them.[/b]”

“[b]That’s not the point. Tonight is far too important to get disrupted by… [I]your kind.[/I][/b]”

Grape Ape’s eyes widened.

“[b]Tonight? What’s so important about tonight?[/b]”

Retribution sighed.

“[b]I suppose there’s no reason you can’t know…[/b]” he replied dryly, “[b]Tonight is the launch of OtakuBoards: Evolution. It‘s going to be the quickest, and largest upgrade the site has ever seen…[/b]”

The driver nodded in agreement as he made a sharp left turn. Retribution stopped for a moment, but eventually continued speaking.

“[b]You see, this is going to be a version of the site unlike any that has preceded it. James has promised us something totally revolutionary. If only you hadn’t gone so far, Shy, you could have been a part of it as well.[/b]”

“[b]A fresh coat of paint and a jukebox aren’t going to matter if The Beast and Gavin destroy the site,[/b]” Grape Ape sighed, noticing that the squad car was pulling into a dark alley, “[b]You need to stop this nonsense and join me in my fight. Your post counts, your signatures… none of it is going to matter if we don’t hurry.[/b]”

The vehicle stopped, and the driver slowly pulled the keys from the ignition.

“[b]Peanut?![/b]” Retribution asked as he tapped the driver on the shoulder, “[b]Where did you take us?[/b]”

“[b]Oh I’m not Peanut…[/b]” The man turned around, revealing himself to be Sour Candy, “[b]I’m the @#^% Final Flash!!![/b]”

Before Retribution could react he found a “Lock” mod rod pistol pointing at him in the face. The young moderator inched his head back further and further as the barrel of the weapon set its sights on his forehead.

“[b]Sout Candy? You lived?![/b]” Grape Ape exclaimed, “[b]How did you survive the destruction of the terrorist base?[/b]”

Sour Candy grinned madly.

“[b]Please, Shy. I used to RP with Warlock and Chaos. You think I can’t handle a little godmodding?[/b]”

[Allamorph]

[SIZE="1"][indent][align=justify][B]?Well,?[/B] Shades observed mildly, arching his brow as he watched the possibly reformed and certainly touched Terror Stick flee into the desert. [B]?That was?convenient.?[/B] He stood at Kathy?s window until the peculiar popsicle in the distance could no longer be discerned. He had heard the entire conversation, of course?smoke diversions were nothing new to him; he had outgrown them years ago?but he had felt it prudent to let Stick do his thing. Actually, he had been planning on using A_M and her condition to reach Stick where reason obviously could not, but as it had turned out the would-be bomber had done Shades? work for him.

He sighed. The atmosphere in the room was tangibly morbid. The situation did not bode well for the site?s honorary mother. Shades wondered how long it would be before the Beast?s poison had completely ravaged her, and if the efforts to save her were only prolonging the inevitable.

That line of thinking was unnecessarily depressing and completely unproductive, and so he shoved it to the side. Glancing around, he spied some crumpled sheets of paper in a nearby wastebasket; with a little concentration, the sheets? molecules destabilized, and he began the slightly taxing process of reconstituting them. After a few moments, and some minor difficulty (Damocles had been right; those O2s were damnably irritating, always wanting to zip off to the nearest lung instead of going where one wanted them), the task was completed, and Shades placed the sunflower delicately in Kathy?s hair, just above her right temple. Feeling slightly better, he left her to her peace, and hoped she was actually having some.

There was still the matter of the bomb to be dealt with, and so he slid hastily down to the sublevel, pushing his way through various hospital staff members milling about until he reached the chair-bound Webster, who was issuing pithy queries and commands to what looked like a staff surgeon. He noticed that Webster?s disgruntled nurse was gone, presumably relieved (in more ways than one) by the surgeon. Shades was certain no one had minded much.

[B]?What have we got??

?It?s an F-bomb,? [/B]replied Webster.

Shades cursed under his breath. [B]?Frill!?

?No pun intended, I?m sure,? [/B]Webster quipped. Shades rolled his eyes, remembering too late that no one would notice.

[B]?So how is it going??[/B] he asked.

[B]?Hard to say,?[/B] Webster responded. [B]?This bomb is almost at the limit of my expertise. It?s booby-trapped in more ways than I care to count, and the only procedure I was taught to deal with it is extremely complicated. I should be able to disarm it, though, provided I don?t encounter anything odd.?[/B]

[B]?You got all you need here??

?I believe that is the case,?[/B] Webster answered. He went back to issuing instructions to his surgeon.

[B]?All right, then.? [/B] Shades glanced to the monstrosity strapped to his teammate?s back. [B]?Nice Oxford,?[/B] he commented after a moment.

[B]?Thank you,?[/B] Webster replied absently.

[B]?No, really. I have to get one for myself. Haven?t read through one in a while,?[/B] Shades explained. [B]?And the last one was actually a Thorndyke-Barnhardt, so branching out would probably do me good. I do have one question, though.?[/B]

Webster looked up, careful to hide his perturbation; Shades pretended not to notice.

[B]?Why Oxford??[/B] he asked finally.

[B]?I beg your pardon??[/B]

Shades looked thoughtfully at his fellow agent?s contraption. [B]?I just wondered,?[/B] he said. [B]?After all, your call sign is Webster, so why not use Merriam??[/B][/align][/indent][/SIZE]

[Wondershot]

Webster, somewhat flushed, turned his head downwards.

?Well...This dictionary isn?t mine.?

Webster looks up slightly to see the red-faced surgeon before him sweating like a pig. He seems to be eagerly awaiting the next instruction.

?Cut that red wire to the left, if you will.?

The surgeon, stressed beyond rational thought, does so with a surprisingly steady hand. Agent Shades then turns his head back to the X-OED3.

?Not yours? Who else would use a dictionary like that??

Webster, nonplussed, takes a moment to collect himself before replying.

?Well, it belonged to my mentor, who taught me everything I know about languages.?

Shades grins slightly. Webster seems to bring up this ?mentor? quite often, and though he is certain that he could acquire the answers through other means, decides to pursue the story straight from the source.

?Well, who was he, exactly??

?Short, white, a little to the left.?

Shades blinks and looks at Webster.

?Excuse me??

?Oh, I was just answering his query first.?

Webster points to the surgeon, who is now attempting to cut another wire without disturbing the delicate mechanics of the bomb. Shades rolls his eyes skyward and opens his mouth to ask again, but Webster continues.

?He wasn?t an agent, or even originally from the Boards. He was just a private instructor who happened to have a lot of respect for what the CTU represented, and who decided to raise me to be a translator and keeper of the peace.?

?Raise you? Was he your father??

?No, but I?d known him since before I could remember. Multiple doctorates in linguistics and languages, assistant developer to a language translation program and head editor of multiple bilingual dictionaries and grammar texts, alligator clip from the red wire to the blue one.?

Shades looks down to see the surgeon acknowledge the order. Webster returns his focus to his story.

?He would have nothing to do with the CTU directly apart from assist in the construction of their automated translator...which I ruined....but he seemed happy when he first heard I would be an agent there, and stepped up my training accordingly. Unfortunately, he died disbelieving in my ability to act as a competent translator and linguist, and that?s why I have the name Webster.?

Shades glances at Webster?s face as it becomes even more flushed.

?I don?t follow.?

?He was convinced that I would never be ready to handle the might of the Oxford, so I forever remained Webster in his eyes.?

A small smile creases Webster?s face.

?In a way, though, one could say that I am either acting out of guilt in trying to use my mentor?s gift in the defense of my life and those of the CTU agents when I had failed, or out of spite in that I am using it to further my skills and prove that I am capable of using his Oxford on my own. Either way, the reasons for my having it are hardly positive, but ultimately, its presence is beneficial.?

Webster rests his left temple against his closed left fist and sighs deeply.

?Ironic that so much negativity could produce a positive result.?

?Okay, what should I do now??

Webster, barely looking at the bomb, speaks his reply to the floor.

?There?s a single wire sticking out of the circuit board on your left, cut that.?

A hesitation on the part of the surgeon.

?No there isn?t.?

Webster looks at the bomb, face whitening rapidly.

?What??

?There are three wires there, not one.?

Webster, hands shivering, picks up the fiber optic camera and looks through it at the bomb circuit board that he had just pointed out. There were, indeed, three wires protruding from said board, and they all seemed to lead in different directions. Webster?s face paled to the point of transparency when he saw what now lay before him.

?This is...I don?t know what this is. It?s a completely different circuit.?

Shades leans in to look at the fiber optic camera, though he isn?t quite certain what the worry is about.

?What?s the problem??

?This circuit board has been built so it would draw power from the separate elements of the bomb and detonate if anything went wrong, but it looks to me like the wires from this circuit are leading somewhere else and that the system has been built so that the bomb would detonate if any of the wires failed. The entire point of disarming this bomb is cutting the power to the circuit board without triggering the explosive, but since this board is wired elsewhere, it can?t be disarmed.?

?Can?t you figure out where the wires lead??

Webster, head in both hands, trembles as he speaks.

?Even if I did, there?s no telling what system could be powering it, and if I tried to change anything in the power source the bomb would go off for sure. I...I?m not good enough to handle something like this.?

?Then your mentor was right after all.?

Webster looks back up at Shades, but before he can muster a response, Shades continues.

?Look, you said that this was something you could handle, and now you have no choice but to continue on and deal with whatever it was you started. No one else here will be able to figure out what this bomb does now that you?ve started on it, and it?ll all be on your head if something goes wrong. You think your mentor would think any better of you if you gave up now??

Shades then leans forward and strikes Webster on the back of the head with an outstretched palm. Webster flinches with his whole body in response.

?Grow some backbone, man.?

Webster, cautiously returning to his sitting position, glances at Shades angrily before glaring at the bomb silently. Shades looks at the bomb as well.

?What do we do now, Webster??

Webster remains silent.

?I said, what do we...?

?Will you be quiet! I cannot concentrate if I am forced to tolerate these continued interrup...?

Webster?s eyes widen and his hands become completely still. He rises from his wheelchair carefully and turns around to look at the hallway behind him. Without looking back, he speaks to the surgeon.

?Doctor...might I assume that your Nuclear Medicine department has a working magnetic resonance imaging scanner powered by a liquid helium cooled superconductor??

The surgeon stands and looks at the back of Webster?s head.

?Yeah, it?s the best we have. It?s right down the hall that way.?

He points in the direction opposite the way Webster is facing. Webster spins to correct his line of sight accordingly and begins walking in that direction. The surgeon and Shades look at Webster?s retreating form with some apprehension before Webster calls back to them.

?Bring the bomb.?



?I thought you said we couldn?t move it.?

?The bomb?s major component is a mercury switch that prevents it from being moved without detonation. The switch, however, can be easily deactivated and I made sure to get that over with first so that there would be no further issues with moving the bomb if necessary.?

Webster, moving with the intensity of a man possessed, glides down the hallway as Shades and the surgeon, wheeling the bomb in the wheelchair, both struggle to keep up with him.

?Okay, now would you please explain what exactly we are doing??

?Only if you make sure to remove all metal objects on your person first.?

Shades does so, and, with much regret, removes his trademark sunglasses and shields his eyes from the hospital lighting. Webster nods assertively despite not looking in Shades? direction.

?All right, the MRI scanner I was referring to uses an extremely powerful superconductor acting as a magnet to create images of the human body. However, it is a powerful enough magnet that it can have a substantial attracting effect on metal objects. What we are going to do now is place the bomb in the center of the magnetic field and turn on the machine, and the major metallic components of the bomb will be ripped right out as a result.?

?Isn?t that, well, extremely dangerous??

?Ordinarily, yes, but part of the disarming process for an F-bomb involves trying to separate the nuclear material from the rest of the bomb so that if something does go wrong, there will at least be no nuclear reaction and therefore substantially less destruction. In this case, what will happen is that since we have already disabled many components of the bomb, the MRI tearing it apart will cause at least some of the explosive to go off, but not enough of it to make the bomb go nuclear, and since the bomb will be completely dismantled before any more explosive can detonate, it will basically be disarmed after the initial blast. I can?t say for sure how much of a blast it will cause, but I assure you, Doctor, that your hospital will need a new MRI afterwards.?

The surgeon grimaces, Shades follows Webster around a corner and is confronted with the machine.

?You?re sure the magnet will be powerful enough to do this??

?No, but it is easily the strongest magnet we have available and our best chance of preventing the bomb from harming anyone.?

Shades blinks. It?s somewhat uncharacteristic of Webster to rely on chance, but clearly this feeling of desperation now prevalent in his eyes is taking its toll. Webster motions to the surgeon to place the bomb in the MRI. He shudders as he does so, as the bomb is being tugged gently towards the machine by its now deactivated magnet, but eventually, they manage to place it directly in the center of the magnet and they retreat behind the X-OED 3 which Webster had set up.

?To protect us from the blast, naturally.?

The dictionary is open, and the surgeon could just barely reach the button to activate the magnet from its position.

?There should be a brief pause as the magnet charges up enough to tear apart the bomb, so don?t expect the bomb to go off right after he presses the button. Wait until after the explosion to get out of the barricade.?

Shades, looking at the spot at which Webster opened the dictionary, can?t help but read the definition for ?moronic?.

?I think I?ve found the perfect adjective to describe this plan.?

?Shut your mouth and cover your ears, Agent Shades.?

Once again surprised by the uncharacteristic outburst, Shades does so. Webster motions to the foreboding green button on the console before doing the same. The surgeon, breaths now coming rapidly, slams his fist on the button and quickly pulls his arm back behind the dictionary. The three crouch and wait, eyes closed.

There?s no telling how long the three remain that way, but it feels like an eternity to each of them, only the thought of getting their heads blown to pieces prevents them from glancing back at the MRI with morbid curiosity. Webster cautiously opens his eyes to look at the wall behind the barricade, and sees a nurse standing there looking at the MRI. Webster jumps to his feet and yells at the top of his lungs.

?GET OUT OF HERE! THE BOMB?S GOING TO BLOW!?

The nurse, befuddled, glances around in worry before screaming back.

?WHERE IS IT?!?

?IT?S IN THE MRI, YOU IDIOT! RUN!?

?I DON?T SEE IT THERE!?

Webster, agitated beyond all reason, moves out from behind the barricade and points at the MRI.

?IT?S RIGHT OVER...?

He glances at the MRI...and sees nothing but air where the bomb used to be. He glances around quizzically before noticing bits of metal and wiring stuck to the sides of the circular MRI, evidently pulled there by the force of the magnet. He looks all around and, sure enough, sees all the major components of the bomb stuck to the magnet, save one critical element.

?No explosive...?

Shades emerges from behind the X-OED3, somewhat flustered.

?What??

Webster falls to his knees and slaps both hands on top of his head.

?I SAID, NO EXPLOSIVE!?

He then collapses to his side and rolls onto his back. He looks at the ceiling in abject defeat.

?It was all there, timer, mercury switch, circuitry, wiring, radio transmitter...everything but the explosive. That Terror Stick didn?t build a bomb, he built a fancy shell that did absolutely nothing. It?s his idea of a joke, and we all fell for it.?

Webster covers his face with his hands for a moment before rising to his feet and yelling indignantly at the terrified nurse.

?WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE ANYWAY? DIDN?T YOU HEAR THERE WAS A BOMB DOWN HERE?!?

?I...They told me to come down and find you...they found someone upstairs...?

?What? What do you mean they ?found someone???

?That other agent here, Sanguinius, he was in the hospital morgue and told me to get you guys...he found someone important, he said.?

Webster, glaring daggers at the nurse, snatches up his X-OED3 and storms after her as she leads him towards the morgue, Shades following. What they failed to notice, however, was the surgeon, eyes screwed shut, ears covered, oblivious to the disappearance of Webster?s barricade, still crouched over and waiting for the blast...



?Glad you guys took care of the bomb.?

?Let?s not talk about that now, Agent Sanguinius. What did you find??

?Well, he was like this when I got here.?

The three agents look at the emaciated corpse of a man on the cold metal table. Hair white, skin so milky it almost reflects the powerful lights of the morgue, cold all over. His face is even twisted into some crazed combination of anger and shock, and the three agents can only speculate at what was happening to him to end up this way. Shades, as shocked as the others, steps forward and takes off his sunglasses to better look at the man. He speaks with a solemn growl as he approaches the table.

?DeadSeraphim...Never before has a username been so apt...?

[Nerdsy]

[color=deeppink]I smirked as I watch the horror slowly dawn on my son?s face. I had never imagined that he would learn the truth; that the sultry terrorist was his biological mother.

He stammered at me. [b]Wha... why.... [u]how[/u]?

I sent her into the future too. Splicing genes is more complicated than one might think; I needed two whole Otakubots dedicated to conceiving and raising you. Once I found a suitable genetic candidate, it was a simple matter of acquiring her DNA, implanting it into the Mother Model, and sending her into the future to... er... splice with N-Man.

But not before we were married![/b] the Rai clone piped in, beaming. [b]Premarital splicing is a sin in the eyes of the Lord! Remember that, dear.[/b] She pinched Nomura?s cheek; Nomura blushed furiously and stared at me pointedly.

[b]Why is she acting like that?[/b] Nomura asked me, clearly puzzled.

[b]Just my little joke.

You?re a twisted guy, Dad. Why did you do all this?

When the Beast returned, I realized that Charlie was growing desperate. I thought it would only be a matter of time before he decided to resurrect the most horrible weapon in the history of Otaku City: the Kuja Virus. I needed a cure, and I needed it fast. My DNA had proven resistant to the Virus in the past; I just needed to find somebody with a complimentary genetic code. I scanned friend and foe for the perfect DNA, but it wasn?t until Rai revealed herself as a drag king that I found it. I procured a sample, and sent the Mother Model into the future to join N-Man.[/b]

My son scoffed at me, clearly unimpressed with my grandiose and convoluted plan. [b]The future? Isn?t that kind of... stupid? You had no idea what danger I could have been in. I mean, just look at this place! You?re the most irresponsible parent in the history of Otaku City.[/b]

His accusations stunned me, and I felt anger swell up within me. How dare he question my actions? Total destruction was imminent, and I had to do something. I didn?t have any time; this was the best option available too me. I had tried to give him a good childhood; I even crafted two parents who would love him. Had I not done the best I could under the circumstances?

[b]I... I thought sending you to the past would have corrupted you; I thought it would be better to risk it on the unknown. It seems I was partially right, too; you were somehow stolen from the past, and look at you. A terrorist and an assassin. Made your mother proud, didn?t you?

I?d rather impress a mother who didn?t know I existed than a father who didn?t care.[/b]

We began to glare at each other; gradually, I became aware of the Rai Otakubot humming a merry tune. She caught my eye and gestured towards the now lukewarm cookies. Nomura collapsed in a seat. [b]Jesus... I?m exhausted. All this exposition at once is tiring. You said you didn?t take the DNA until after she revealed she was a woman? How? We were never aware of the two of you having any contact; did she willingly meet with you to provide you with material?

No.... no, I doubt she has the slightest clue that you?re her son. I doubted that she?d willingly give me her DNA; fortunately for me, I had already had an inside man - er, woman. I believe you knew her?

You mean... Madhat?

Yes, the first of my Otakubots. I?m pretty proud of her. [/b] I frowned. [i]When did I become so dishonest and manipulative?[/i] I thought to myself. [i]Is this because of the terrorists? Did I gaze too long into the abyss?[/i]

[b]I can?t believe it. It was because of [u]you[/u] that our temple was destroyed? There?s more of me in you than you think, Ploppy. How many Otakubots do you have, anyway?

Four. There?s the Father and Mother models here, designed specifically for raising a child. They?re pretty stripped down; all their weapons have been removed, and replaced with... well, things parents need. You know, diaper dispensers and stuff like that. Then, of course, there?s Madhat, designed for infiltration. Unfortunately, her body was destroyed in the explosion. Ironic, no?

And the fourth?

Well, the last and greatest of my Otakubots is possibly the most advanced Otakubot in existence. She?s my pride and joy; my magnum opus, my Sergeant Pepper?s. She...[/b]

A noise in the distance made me freeze. [i]No.[/i] I couldn?t believe it. It had to be wrong; the alternative was unthinkable. I saw N-Man tense up as the sound grew louder. Even the Mother Model?s smile faltered; the only one who did not appear worried was Nomura.

I rounded on N-Man, screaming. [b]WHY DIDN?T YOU TELL ME? I?M A BEACON TO THEM! THEY CAN SENSE THOSE THAT USED TO BE MODS; HELL, I STILL CARRY MY ITEM OF POWER! I?VE LED THEM RIGHT TO US!

Uh... Dad? What?s wrong?[/b][/color]

[kuja]like omg... lol[/kuja]

[color=deeppink]I felt the color flee from my face; there was no mistaking it now. They were right at the door. Somehow, they had managed to get down the elevator shaft; they were craftier than I remembered. [b]N-Man, we need to leave, now. Is there a back way?

Yes, master. Angel, get Rufus, and lead them away. I will hold them off.

The Mother Model scampered into a back room, returning with a small child in her arms. I turned again to N-Man.

[b]You can?t hold them off for long, you know. You aren?t built to fight.

It does not matter; I have a duty to protect our son.

N-Man, this is madness.

No, master. This is Otaku City.[/b]

I smiled; it was best to leave it at that. We fled, following the Mother Model to the alternate exit; another elevator. The sounds of muzak filled our ears, although they were unable to drown out the sounds of the battle raging below. Nomura again confronted me.

[b]You named me [u]Rufus?[/u]

I thought it was appropriate, given the circumstances.[/b][/color]

[Shy]

“[b]WTF?![/b]” the young staff member shouted in frustration, “[b]Just a minute ago Petey was driving the car and Sour Candy was dead. When did this change?[/b]”

“[b]My story of survival isn’t of importance right now, $#@%,[/b]” Sour Candy said as he pressed his Lock even further into Retribution’s forehead, “[b]We need to get out of here, Grape.[/b]”

A strange glow began emanating from Retribution’s pocket, lighting up the patrol car.

“[b]No, you can’t. You don’t understand… You need to explain everything to me, or I’m going to explode![/b]”

Grape Ape’s jaw dropped.

“[b]You’re going to do what?[/b]”

“[b]It’s a new failsafe device in my Mod Rod, [I]everyone‘s[/I] Mod Rod…[/b]” Retribution replied sheepishly, “[b]If a moderator lets things get too spammy or chaotic the weapon will self-destruct.[/b]”

“[b]Well $&@# that ^%# out of me![/b]” Sour Candy exclaimed, “[b]That’s absurd![/b]”

Retribution slowly withdrew the glowing object concealed in his pocket.

“[b]That’s why the staff seems so uptight at times. It’s not because we’re jerks. We have to maintain order on the boards or we’ll be blown to smithereens.[/b]”

A bead of drip fell softly from Grape Ape’s forehead as he assessed the situation. While he felt no sympathy for the man, he could understand the frustration he was feeling. Only a moment ago Grape Ape was under moderator custody for the murders of Japan and Premonition, crimes he did not commit. Now, thanks to yet another strange twist of fate, the tables had turned and Retribution was the prisoner. The rate at which things were happening was almost too much to comprehend.

Fortunately Grape Ape was an oldie. He is used to things not making any sense on the boards.

“[b]…Times certainly have changed. Haven’t they, Sour Candy?[/b]”

He lowered his pistol and turned towards Grape Ape with a terrified look on his face.

“[b]Does this mean that if we don’t maintain some superficial level of quality…[/b]”

“[b]--My Mod Rod will destroy this thread and everyone in it![/b]”

“[b]I guess I’d better start from the top then…

"I’m sure you’re familiar with Charles and his love of cats. As an innocent prank he allowed a friend to create an account for a real-life cat, Naps. Within an hour of joining Naps the Cat was banned by staff, and a war of words erupted between countless members over whether or not that was a fair decision.

"Sadly this whole situation turned Charles against the boards in the worst possible way. Baptizing himself in kitty litter Charlie Bin Laden and the Terrorist Cell was born. They vowed to destroy OB once and for all. While I thought Naps the Cat was harmless as a member, I could not agree with Charlie Bin Laden’s militant plans to overthrow the site. Using my connections I assembled the OtakuBoards Counter Terrorism Unit to challenge him. Things would never be the same between us…

"Many weeks passed and it appeared that the two sides were evenly matched in a game of chess that spread across the boards. Little did we realize that under both mine and Charlie’s command lay two even larger threats to our site: Gavin and The Beast, formerly known as Papa Smurf.

"The two had formed a dark alliance to reclaim the glory days of their illustrious pasts, and in a moment of weakness they managed to destroy both team’s headquarters with a set of powerful bombs. It was during these explosions that Sour Candy and Ploppy the Spaceship had gone missing, and were presumed dead.[/b]”

Retribution raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

“[b]Then why aren’t they dead?[/b]”

“[b]Before the explosion Ploppy and his child, Nomura, thrust themselves into a frightening future version of the site. It was there they learned of Gavin and The Beast’s ultimate plans to destroy these boards. From there they traveled back to the present to make contact with us and try to change OtakuBoards’ fate.

As for Sour Candy, um… Maybe he was found by the Mole People, who took them to the safety of their underground kingdoms? Does that make enough sense?[/b]”

The Mod Rod began to hum louder and louder, forcing Grape Ape to shout.

“[b]That’s not good enough! The Mod Rod doesn’t respond to lies. It needs the truth![/b]”

“[b]Then leave it to me…”[/b] Sour Candy shouted as he grabbed the Mod Rod from Retribution’s hand, “[b]There’s no reason you have to endanger yourselves to lie for my sake…

“When I received Grape Ape’s mission briefing my first instinct was to follow his orders, but the more I thought about it the less this war made sense. It’s true that back in the day I was a great champion against spam, but the truth is that I’m not cut out for OtakuBoards anymore, at least not yet. If I had your job, Retribution, I’d probably hang myself.[/b]”

A tear slowly fell from Retribution’s face.

“[b]And I think about doing that everyday, too.[/b]”

“[b]I’m really honored that Grape Ape thought enough of my moderation to try and recruit me for their cause. But even though the Spriting forum seems really cool in hindsight, at the time it was a wasteland. For all the crap you guys give it, this place is much better now than we ever could have dreamed.[/b]”

“[b]But how did you survive the explosion?[/b]”

“[b]I survived the explosion because I ran away from the base as soon as I got there. It’s not that I wanted to let anyone down, but this wasn’t my fight. Not anymore.[/b]”

“[b]I… I’m shocked. The legendary Final Flash ran away?[/b]”

“[b]As soon as I returned to Otaku City I heard about the explosions. That’s when I tried to track you down, Grape Ape. I figured that if I could help you get away from these tools…[/b]”

“[b]--Hey![/b]”

Sour Candy slapped Retribution across the face.

“[b]Shut up. I figured if I could help you get away from these tools I could slip back into limbo with my reputation intact.[/b]”

“[b]But if what you say is true, why isn‘t James helping you save OtakuBoards?[/b]”

“[b]You said so yourself, James has no patience for oldies such as myself. I have tried several times to warn him, but those warnings were met with disbelief. He honestly doesn’t think this site could be destroyed by the likes of Gavin.[/b]”

“[b]Crystia is a moderator, and so is Fluff. Why are they fighting for your cause against James’ wishes?[/b]”

“[b]If this war is as trivial to James as I think it is, he probably could care less if his staff has some involvement. Why the deaths of Peacock and Gurt were ignored is beyond me...[/b]”

“[b]If this threat is as big as you say it is, how do you expect to stop Gavin and The Beast?[/b]”

“[b]That is a little more tricky. Gavin has an army of OtakuBots at his disposal. Using Gadget‘s remains, who is an OtakuBot himself, we should be able to find their headquarters. Perhaps if we hurry we can surprise our enemies and stop them before they have a chance to act.[/b]”

The Mod Rod’s humming finally stopped, and the bright light softly dimmed into a feint glow. After the three of them had shared a sigh of relief, Retribution withdrew a key from his pocket and released Grape Ape’s handcuffs.

“[b]Then go on, you two,[/b]” he said, trying to hide a smug grin, “[b]If you’re going to save OtakuBoards you need to do it now.[/b]”

Grape Ape placed his hand on Retribution’s shoulder. The two locked eyes and exchanged a nod.

“[b]Right. I knew you’d come around eventually, Retribution. Thank you for everything.[/b]”

Sour Candy carefully placed his Lock back into his jacket pocket.

“[b]You did good today, Retri… I’m sorry for calling you a tool earlier.[/b]“

“[b]It’s fine. I get that a lot.[/b]“

And with that Grape Ape and Sour Candy began walking down the dark alleys of Otaku City to eventually reunite with their comrades. Retribution watched the two disappear into the shadows, and waited a moment before moving himself into the driver seat of the patrol car. He quickly reached for the patrol car’s radio.

“[b]Did you get all of that?[/b]” Retribution whispered into the microphone.

“[b]You have served your site well, moderator,[/b]” a deep voice replied from the speakers, “[b]Please return to the staff forum so that we can discuss the next phase of our… Evolution….[/b]”

[Horendithas]

[COLOR="Indigo"][SIZE="1"]Crystia was relived that the bomb had turned out to be fake, but at the same time she was beginning to wonder where the hell Grape Ape was. From the moment she had left the terrorists and joined the CTU things had gotten worse. She was beginning to doubt his ability to lead. It just seemed to her that he was constantly weighed down by all that had happened instead of being more determined to put an end to it.[I] Something needs to be done.[/I] She thought grimly as she went to check on Agent Fluff and her mother.

But when she arrived Aaryanna was curled up next to mother and Agent Fluff and Gadget were no where to be seen. Alarmed she started checking the hospital until finally she ran into one of the nurses who checked new patients in.

"[B]Fluff? Sure I've seen her, she left and headed into Otaku City a while ago.[/B]" Anomaly said with a smile. "[B]She was carrying a duffel bag with her. Did you need anything else Crystia?[/B]"

"[B]No, thank you Anomaly.[/B]" Crystia left to go and find the others, a thought forming in her mind as she did so. It didn't take long to find out where a number of them were and she caught them as they were leaving the morgue.

"[B]Agent Sanguinius, Shades and Webster,[/B]" She greeted all three. "[B]Agent Fluff has disappeared along with Gadgets head.[/B]" She didn't give them time to be shocked over it, instead she simply explained what had happened and the likely reason that Fluff had left.

"[B]What do you want to do about it?[/B]" Shades asked. "[B]It's not like we know where she went after all.[/B]"

"[B]I know, but it does bring up why I am here. It's clear to me that Grape Ape is no longer capable of keeping this fight organized.[/B]" She ignored how all of them sort of looked away, trying to hide what they were thinking.

"[B]Admit it, he's become disillusioned by all the things that have gone wrong, all the changes that have happened, in spite of all the improvements made here at OtakuBoards. As a result we're now facing utter destruction at the hands of both Gavin and the Beast. Neither Charlie nor Grape Ape could see beyond their misguided view of the Boards to see the very real danger in Gavin.[/B]"

"[B]Don't you think you're being a little harsh Crystia?[/B]" Sanguinius asked. "[B]Grape Ape's been around for a long time. I'm sure we'll handle this.[/B]"

Crystia shook her head negatively, "[B]No I'm being realistic, even James can see that Grape Ape has lost it. Unfortunately because of that it seems that even he does not see the danger.[/B]"

"[B]Wait a second.[/B]" Webster exclaimed. "[B]How do you know that?[/B]"

"[B]I'm a category moderator remember? I have access to information that all of you do not. Believe me, James thinks this is nothing more than some silly game between Charlie and Grape Ape. I've even received orders to simply ignore the nonsense going on unless it's spammy in nature. After all, he does want the members to have fun.[/B]"

Shades leaned back against the wall, reaching up to push his sunglasses back a bit. "[B]If that's true, why didn't you say anything to Grape Ape?[/B]"

"[B]Because until now I thought that fool knew![/B]" Crystia sighed. "[B]I'll get to the point gentlemen, whether you object or not I intend to confront Grape Ape and take control of this operation. At this rate we really will be destroyed and I can't let that happen.[/B]"

"[B]But...[/B]" Webster started to object.

"[B]No buts. That's what's gotten us in this mess in the first place. Now, I've already spoken to the hospital staff so I want all of you to work on finding what did DeadSeraphim in. I have a feeling that it's more than just a random death.[/B]"

The three hesitated a bit, still unsure over Crystia's sudden forwardness. "[B]Move it gentlemen![/B]" She barked at them, causing them to jump a bit. Then once it was apparent that they were moving she left to go and find anyone else who was left. Then once Grape Ape returned, or even if he didn't, she'd get things going.[I] I won't let it end like this.[/I] She thought as she headed towards the admitting room for the hospital.[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Charles]

Everything was quiet. Otaku City was completely still. The formerly ever-present buzz of life was no longer to be heard; it's substitute was a painful, unnatural silence. Even the city's power had been cut off. There was only darkness.

Each step Fluff took sounded like a drum beat in the empty night. She carried her mother's salvation in a duffle bag, but upon looking at the husk on the horizion that was once a thriving populace,she wondered just how meainingful her efforts were.

An impossibly large, full moon hung over the OB City bridge, bathing it in a gastly glow. The bridge was paved with corpses as far as the eye could see. Among the dead, Fluff recognized oldies and newbies alike--for the blue demon did not discriminate. But still, Fluff's actions were not being governed by courageous resolve--she was being lead by desperation--hopelessness.

Before she could ponder the sheer terror that was welling up within her, she saw [i]him[/i] only a few yards ahead. He stood overlooking the bay area, his back to her. He stood easily, leaning one arm against the faltering bridge. Agent Fluff paused; she wondered why she had not noticed him sooner.

"It'ssssssss a lovelyyyyy eeevening," The Beast said, "Wouldn't you sssay, Agent Ffffluff?"

Fluff flinched at the sound of The Beast's gutteral voice but remained silent.

"Ah, what a beeeautifulll ssssight to behold," The Beast said, "I can barelyyyyy withstaaaand to take it all iiiiiiin. It's sssssalvation, it'ssss, it'ssss----glooooorious."

The Beast's yellow eyes remained fixed on the city that had finally fallen silent to him.

"I've brought Gadget's head," Fluff said, "Now give me the antidote so I can return to my mother."

The Beast continued to look upon the empty, desolate shell of Otaku City--her words seemingly lost to his ears, until suddenly he was upon her with inhuman speed and animation. His bony fingers were wrapped around her wrist in a vice grip and he was hunched ove the duffle bag, sniffing it like a hound.

Fluff shrieked and tried to wrench herself free.

"Aaaah," The Beast said, "Soooo, you have fulffffilled your eeeend of the bargaaaain. Yesssss, yessss, thissss is what I have so dessperately ssssought. Or sshhould I ssssay what you haaave sssso desssperately delivered?"

"The antidote," Fluff demanded.

A wry smile spread across the Beast's face. He produced a vile of vermillion liquid and closed it in Fluff's palm. The sight of the antidote softened Fluff and she unwittingly released the bag into The Best's possession. The Beast withdrew Gadget's head. Gadget closed his eyes, for he could not bear to look into the eyes of his captor. However, he did not regret his decision, he had accepted his fate.

The Beast smiled a slick smile and crushed Gadget's head between his hands. The Beast howled in delight as it exploded.

Fluff let out a deep cry.

Slowly the Beast began to stalk toward her.

Suddenly a strange figure dropped from the sky, in-between them.

"Get back to the hospital," the figure said, looking back at her.

Fluff couln't believe her eyes.

"Grandpa?" she said.

[Aaryanna]

[COLOR="goldenrod"][FONT="Comic Sans MS"]Agent fluff froze, too startled by the sudden appearance of Terror Stick. [I]What is he doing here? [/I] She clutched the antidote tighter, wondering if it was too late or not, wondering if what she had done was forgivable. A sharp voice brought her out of her feelings of regret.

"[B]Move it![/B]" Terror Stick barked at her.

With a strangled sob Fluff turned and ran as fast as she could, blocking out the sounds of the terrible fight behind her as best she could. [I]I have to save Mother! [/I]The thought ran through her mind like a never ending litany. But at the same time, her thoughts kept going back to Terror Stick who had intervened.

Once again she came to a confused halt, uncertain as to what to do. [I]If he had not interfered, the Beast was going to kill me.[/I] She lifted up the vial of antidote and looked at it closely. [I]Does that mean this is a fake? [/I] Cautiously she pried the lid open only to gag at the sweet stench of liquid syrup, the kind used for sodas. [I]So it is a fake, [/I]she thought in despair. [I]He must have simply put some food coloring in it to make it look like something else. [/I]

"[B]No...[/B]" She whispered to herself even as a cry of pain reached her ears. In the offhand chance that it just might be real, she carefully closed the vial and tucked it safely into one of her pockets. Then turning around, she ran back to where the Beast and Terror Stick were fighting.

This time she did not go in secret but instead sounded the alarm, alerting other moderators in the area to the trouble that was brewing. Then moments later she was back, just in time to see the Beast strike Terror Stick down before turning and vanishing into the darkness.

Fluff ran to Terror Stick's side and tried to stem flow of blood from his injuries, patiently waiting while others arrived and then arranged for both of them to be transported to the hospital. As they took him back into the emergency room to treat him, Fluff had only taken a step when she was halted by a voice.

"[B]Agent Fluff.[/B]" A woman's voice said sternly. "[B]Where is Gadget's head?[/B]"

Wincing she turned to face Crystia. "[B]I'm sorry, the Beast destroyed what was left of Gadget.[/B]" Fluff looked at the floor as tears ran down her face. "[B]The antidote was a fake. The doctor said he'd try to see if he could analyize the blood of the Beast since some of it was on Terror Stick's clothing, but...[/B]" She choked unable to continue. She didn't want to think about what he had said about the chances of him creating an antidote in time were slim.

"[b]I see.[/b]" Crystia said in a softer voice. "[b]In that case, go to your mother Agent Fluff, and please, stay put this time.[/b]"

Fluff tried to wipe away the tears but they wouldn't stop. With a heavy heart she nodded and then went back to the room where her mother was. [/FONT][/COLOR]

[Shy]

Grape Ape and Sour Candy approached the Otaku City Hospital from the back alley, hoping to avoid from any more moderator interference. Retribution was kind enough to have let the two of them go freely, but there was no telling if the rest of the staff would be so understanding. Still, the whole encounter left a bad taste in Grape Ape’s mouth. The idea that mod rods would self-detonate when confronted with spam seemed even more illogical than the strange chain of events that had gotten everyone to that point.

As Grape Ape was about to enter the hospital he noticed out of the corner of his eye that Sour Candy was trying to walk away.

“[b]Candy?[/b]” he asked, motioning for his friend to enter the hospital, “[b]Where are you going? Everyone will be thrilled to see that you have survived.[/b]”

The former moderator bowed his head in shame.

“[b]Didn’t you hear me back there? Those days are over, Grape Ape. This isn’t my fight.[/b]”

Grape Ape nodded slowly.

“[b]I… I guess I understand. Thank you for coming along this far, Flash.[/b]”

“[b]Anything for OtakuBoards,[/b]” Sour Candy replied with a grin, “[b]Now can you point me in the direction of the Spriting Forum?[/b]”

“[b]OB doesn’t have a Spriting Forum anymore, Sour Candy.[/b]”

“[b]Oh… this place sucks.[/b]”

And with that, the man once known as Final Flash disappeared into the shadows, leaving Otaku City forever.

Grape Ape entered the hospital, sneaking past a few security guards to make his way into Dr. Wolf’s office. He opened the door to discover Crystia and the handful of others that made up his former CTU. With their numbers greatly reduced, Grape Ape hoped that his team’s spirits would be able to carry them into the final battle. Sadly, the chilly reception he found waiting for him was definitely not a good sign.

“[b]Grape Ape![/b]” Crystia shouted as she rose to her feet, “[b]Where have you been? All of Otaku City is looking for you after what happened to Japan and Nomura…[/b]”

“[b]I know…[/b]” Grape Ape replied, “[b]And you all need to know that it was The Beast that attacked them. I did everything I could to fight him off, but…[/b]”

“[b]How did your meeting with James go?[/b]”

“[b]As well as can be expected. He refuses to believe that his site could be threatened by the likes of Gavin and The Beast. In fact, he went so far as to call me a traitor.[/b]”

“[b]Then it appears my historical records are still alarmingly accurate,[/b]” Ploppy said, pressing a few buttons on his PDA, “[b]He won’t be able to acknowledge the epidemic of the Kuja Virus until it’s too late.[/b]”

“[b][I]Kuja Virus[/I]?![/b]” Shades asked, “[b]What exactly is a [I]Kuja Virus[/I]?[/b]”

“[b]It’s a form of internet bio-terror the likes of which has never been seen before. It attacks the parts of your brain that control grammar and good judgment until there’s nothing left.[/b]”

“[b]My father and I saw the horrors of it in the future,[/b]” Nomura added.

Webster thought about this for a moment.

“[b]I imagine that the mystery ailment that claimed DeadSeraphim might be this Kuja Virus,[/b]” he said, “[b]If that’s so, the question then becomes ‘How did he contract it?[/b]’”

Ploppy’s eyes widened in surprise.

“[b]That’s impossible. My records show that DeadSeraphim left the site after becoming frustrated with work on OtakuBoards: Evolution.[/b]”

“[b]What has our tampering with the time stream done, father?[/b]” Nomura asked nervously.

“[b]I have no idea, son. I almost wonder if our records weren’t faulty to begin with…[/b]”

Crystia motioned towards the door.

“[b]The rest of you, go and try to figure this out,[/b]” she said sternly, “[b]I’m going to discuss a few things with Grape Ape about our operation, and then we’ll head out on our final strike against Gavin and The Beast.[/b]”

The others nodded and existed the room quietly. Grape Ape sighed softly.

“[b]I can’t thank you enough for commanding the team while I was away, Crystia. Now that I’m back I wanted to discuss my strategy for--[/b]”

“[b]I think not, Grape Ape,[/b]” she replied, “[b]Several questions about your leadership have been raised, and I have decided to take action.[/b]”

“[b]What exactly are you trying to say?[/b]”

"[b]You'll be answering to me from now on, Grape Ape. I've assumed control of the CTU.[/b]"

[Horendithas]

[COLOR="Indigo"][SIZE="1"]"[B]You'll be answering to me from now on, Grape Ape. I've assumed control of the CTU.[/B]"

"[B]I see,"[/B] Grape Ape said, suddenly looking even more tired. "[B]How do the others feel about this?[/B]"

"[B]That's besides the point Grape Ape, what is the point is that you could have prevented all the recent deaths if you had been more focused on the task before you. It's clear that you are burned out on this war.[/B]" Crystia stated bluntly, ignoring Grape Ape's surprise.

"[B]How can you say that? I've put everything I have into this.[/B]"

"[B]You're lost your vigilance and determination Grape Ape, whether you want to admit it or not![/B]" Crystia asserted forcefully. "[B]If you were more on top of things I would not have needed to step in and organize everyone.[/B]"

What Grape Ape would have said was lost when Gadget's voice interrupted their argument. "[B]That's enough you two![/B]" Startled both of them looked around until it dawned on them that Gadget was speaking to them from the hospital's computer network.

"[B]What is going on here?[/B]" Crystia demanded. "[B]Agent Fluff said she handed you over to the Beast and that he destroyed you.[/B]"

"[B]It's simple Agent Crystia, I uploaded myself to the computers here at the hospital before Fluff left. Also,[/B]" Gadget addressed Grape Ape this time. "[B]Crystia is right Grape Ape, both you and Charlie lost sight of what was important in the end. I'm sorry, but it's better that she takes over and leads the CTU.[/B]"

"[B]I see,[/B]" Grape Ape said as he sat down in the closet chair looking even more tired.

"[B]Don't be like that Grape Ape![/B]" Crystia said, her voice softening a bit. "[B]I still need your help with this if we are going to put an end to Gavin.[/B]" She turned back to Gadget who spoke up again.

"[B]Speaking of Gavin... I've located the forum his headquarters is in. He's in the Otaku Archives forum.[/B]"

"[B]That's fantastic! Grape Ape! Go and get Nerdsy, once we get Gadget uploaded into his PDA, we move out![/B]" At that precise moment Crystia's moderator communicator that all category mods were given beeped, it was an incoming feed from James. As soon as Grape Ape had left she opened it up.

"[B]Sir, what can I do for you?[/B]"

"[B]Crystia, I need you to get all moderators to cease contact with the CTU immediately.[/B]"

"[B]But sir! Is that really necessary?[/B]" Crystia started to object.

"[B]Crystia, please don't argue with me, I have my reasons, I promise I'll explain them in detail in the staff lounge later.[/B]" James asserted.

"[B]I see, very well, I'll get on it immediately.[/B]" Crystia closed the communicator and put it back into her pocket. "[B]Great, now what do I do?[/B]"

"[B]Nothing, ignore the order Crystia.[/B]" Gadget spoke up.

"[B]I can't Gadget. It's my job to follow James's orders.[/B]" With a bit of a sigh she sat down.

"[B]What if it wasn't James?[/B]"

"[B]What? But, who else would have the authority to transmit on that frequency?[/B]"

"[B]I'm afraid that if we don't hurry, we'll be too late.[/B]" Gadget said. "[B]Crystia, that wasn't James, that was an OtakuBot that you just spoke to.[/B]"[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Gavin]

[size=1]Has it really been six weeks since my last post ?

|||||

Gavin watched with rapt interest as the conversation between Gadget, Crystia and Grape Ape continued. He had not expected the Otakubot to upload it's synthetic consciousness into the hospitals databanks, though on reflection it was certainly a possibility he should have taken into account. He chuckled softly, despite all his best efforts, not only had he failed to kill the CTU agent, but now Josh knew exactly where to find him.

A haunting instrumental music gently played in the background of the spacious but sparsely decorated room, it seemed apt for the mood, the end was drawing near. Shifting his attention away from the monitor feed he gazed silently out onto the region known colloquially as The Archives. It was a mass of empty buildings, an entire city which had simply ceased to be inhabited when Otakuboards had entered it's next incarnation.

In the end, Gavin supposed his cardinal sin was that he could not let go of the past the way so many other did. More often than not he had looked backwards instead of forwards, fondly recalling memories of better times and old friends. Now, after so many years, and despite all his power, he felt almost completely alone.

"[B]That's fantastic! Grape Ape! Go and get Nerdsy, once we get Gadget uploaded into his PDA, we move out![/B]"

Shaking his head, the Irishman entered a series of commands into the keyboard in front of him. He respected Crystia, but she had not been on OtakuBoards nearly long enough to be the one to fact him in the Archives, that honour was reserved for Josh alone. If Gavin killed Josh, he would have removed the last obstacle from his past that mattered, and be free to destroy OB completely. If Josh killed him, then he would at least die by the hand of someone he had considered his friend and mentor.

Nearly instantly, the category moderator's communicator activated and the Otakubot he had replaced James with ordered her to terminate the staff's affiliation with CTU. He expected her to comply like a good little moderator, leaving Grape Ape to lead the assault on Gavin's stronghold himself. Instead he was forced to look on as Gadget once again thwarted him, revealing the artificial nature of the Site Director to Crystia. As the latter’s expression transformed from disbelief to anger, he could only accept that fate was not going to allow him such a perfect finale.

After what had seemed line an eternity of performance, the melody finally ended with a delicate flute solo. Switching the view of the screen to the exterior of the base, Gavin watched the shifting form of the Beast slither inside. So many of it’s qualities reminded him of a serpent, not least of which was it’s venom, so recently demonstrated on Aaryanna’s mother. While others saw the malevolent demon as nothing short of the personification of evil, Gavin had always seen it as a means to an end.

He could not accurately call it a tool, given that the Beast’s strength had been greater than his, but much like an ancient holocron from Star Wars, Gavin had learned all that he wished from the creature and now was the time to sever his apprenticeship.

“[b][color=blue]I have returrrneddd servant.[/b][/color]” It’s lips pulled back into an unnatural smile, exposing the sharp fangs coated in dried venom and blood. “[b][COLOR=BLUE]Whattt hass occurrrrreddd in my absenccce.[/b][/color]” Several large droplets of crimson saliva fell to the ground with last syllable. Gavin remained completely impassive.

“[b]It seems that Gadget survived, and now CTU and it’s allies are on their way here. They are also aware that James has been replaced with a synthoid. It is now likely that they will attempt to halt OtakuBoards: Evolution and the dispersal of the virus.[/b]”

The Beast’s eyes narrowed to slits, a low growl emanating from it’s throat.

“[b][color=blue]I thoughtt that youuu had safeguardsss in placcce to preventtt exactlyyy thisss from happeninngg.[/color][/b]” How typical, it sought to place the burden of blame on him.

“[b]It seems that Gadget was able to trace on the signal I’ve been using to control the Otakubots and pinpoint the source.[/b]”

“[b][color=blue]Youuu havve faileddd meee for the lasssst timmme Gavinnn.[/b][/color]”

Through inhuman speed, the Beast lunged for it’s prey, extended claws ripped through the fallen member’s chest, only for “Gavin” to explode as a mass of code. The creature howled in rage and drove it’s fist through the console Gavin had been sitting in front of, leaving the room in total darkness.

“[b][color=blue]Youuu cannnottt hope to winnn. I ammm the darknesssss.[/b][/color]”

With a hiss, the Irishman’s blood coloured lightsaber blade erupted into existence and shot towards the Beast’s exposed back, slicing through the outer cloak and searing the flesh beneath. The sound the creature made was terrible, a fusion of pain, hatred and malevolence. Dark tendrils flew forward, threatening to impale Gavin, but the latter moved with an alacrity previously undisplayed and brought his blade upwards the slice through the vines. Lunging forward, he drove his shoulder into the Beast’s midsection, throwing the demon off balance. With a final wave of his hand through the air, thousands of strike-through needles warped into existence.

“[b]More than you expected ?[/b]” Neither Gavin’s face nor his voice betrayed emotion.

“[b][color=blue]Youuu have grownnn stronggg boyyyy. A fine mealllll youuu willlll makkke.[/b][/color]” Despite the illumination of the lightsaber’s blade, the blackness of the Beast’s eyes seemed to drink it all in like a void.

“[b]I don’t think so.[/b]”

The thousands of spikes speared through the creature’s dark cloak, shredding it to pieces and drawing streams of black blood from the ancient evil. It roared in pain, and Gavin watched as the needles were pushed slowly back out of the Beast’s fur and fell few by few to the marble floor beneath them until none remained within the creature’s hide. Bringing his weapon into a defensive stance, Gavin prepared for the counter attack.

It came faster than he expected as an invisible blow the side of his head send him hard across the room and into one of the concrete walls. The stone gave way under the force of the impact, creating a fissure beneath Gavin’s body. The Irishman could taste blood in his mouth, and bringing his hand to his forehead, felt a damp spot a few inches away from his temple. He had been lucky, a closer strike would have killed him outright.

Climbing out of the wall, Gavin could not see the Beast anywhere within the inky darkness of the room, but it’s deep, angry breathing was enough for him to knew it was close. Throwing himself to the ground, he felt another invisible attack sweep over him, it crashed into the wall and sent several chunks of concrete flying and releasing a large cloud of dust. Sensing his opportunity, Gavin brushed his hand through the dust and watched it settle to the floor around him like a carpet. When the first footstep of the Beast made it’s mark, Gavin struck, leaving another deep sear in the creature’s flesh.

Seeing that it could not longer rely on not being seen, the Beast lunged forward at him enemy again, this time one of it’s sharp claws managed to pierce Gavin’s shoulder and pin him to the wall. The lightsaber clattered to the ground, and a look of immense pleasure poured over the Beast’s face.

“[b][color=blue]Seemmmmssss youuuu werrrre nottt quitte stronnngggg enouggghhh.[/b][/color]”

Gavin smiled. That same smiled he’d given off moments before he’d destroyed both the CTU headquarters and Charlie’s lair, the Beast knew that smile and it’s eyes widened in fear and surprise. “Gavin’s” flesh began to slowly dissolve around the wound, giving way to a metallic sheen. His visual features began to contort and became more feminine and then the synthoid’s fist shot forward through the Beast’s chest, locking the two together.

“[b]My father says goodbye.[/b]”

On the other side of the Archives, Gavin watched as the top five floors of his base erupted in a white light and was reduced to nothingness. He lowered his head for a moment, a single tear running down the unmasked part of his face for his creation’s sacrifice. Wiping it away with his free hand, he walked slowly back towards the base, Josh would arrive soon, and after that, one way or another, it would all be over.

|||||

Alright that’s pretty much everything, the blast at the end was caused by Alan’s admin rod, which has destroyed Gavin’s “daughter”, the gynoid he was building earlier in the thread, and sent The Beast to the Otherworld as planned.[/size]