Event || Magitek Research Facility

[melodiesmods]

Characters: All the Heroes of Light participating in the event.
Where: Magitek Research Facility; Sixth District of Aqures Ixen.
When: The 22nd of September.
Summary: A letter from Artemicion calls the Heroes of Light for help! Little do they know that they will inadventenly become trapped in the Magitek Facility. The OOC Post for detailed explanations can be found here.
Warning: Weird things, battles, boss battles.

Entrance / Outside of the Facility
Artemicion Q&A
Group A: Mingle || Exploration
Group B: Mingle || Exploration
Group C: Mingle || Exploration
Group D: Mingle || Exploration
Group E: Mingle || Exploration

Boss Battle || Control Room


Group A
[AU] Gaara of the Desert
[AU] Genesis Rhapsodos
[AU] Luke fon Fabre
[OU] Ales Mansay
[OU] Saori Nakagawa

Group B
[OU] Allenby Beardsley
[OU] Angeal Hewley
[OU] Rose Glasdon
[OU] Sho
[OU] Yuna

Group C
[OU] Kobato Hanato
[OU] Princess Hilda
[OU] Sephiroth
[OU] Serah Farron
[OU] Zelda

Group D
[OU] Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca
[OU] Cloud Strife
[OU] Henry
[OU] Sparks Nevada
[OU] Yuffie

Group E
[OU] Baralai
[OU] Genesis Rhapsodos
[OU] Ib
[OU] Link
[OU] Snow Villiers

Comments

[needsteaplz]

[When did that wall show up and why did it feel like the corridor was getting tighter? Saori had to hope the others weren't in trouble like they were. She noticed the oddities including the increase of Mech Guards. ]

Alright. Let's go! Cover me!

[With her Dragoon speed, she dashed at the incoming Mech Guards. At the last second, she sidestepped to the left and her spear swung down at its torso. To add further insult to injury, with the strength from her second job, she went for a high kick to what she hoped was its face. She had to test one before going for the rest.]

[rhapsoidein]

[She nodded, raising her fists and following behind. She gave the nearest mech a hard kick and a punch, using its body to vault over it to strike at another. She ignoring the claustrophobic feeling of the walls.

She wanted to see if maybe she can get the Mech Guard to face the invisible wall and break it.]

[melodiesdungeons]

[ The Mech Guard Saori attacked is quick to fall; it seems these machines are really old and weren't meant to be used. It tries to move when she swung the spear at its torso, and fell into pieces upon being kicked.

The one Genesis attack is much different though. It's nearly as if it's not really there-- No matter what sort of attacks she cast on it, the creature just fades away for a second before re-appearing. Nearly as if it was nothing more than an illusion. The blows it tries to give in return do feel very real though. ]

[needsteaplz]

An illusion?!

[She caught sight of the Mech Guard Genesis targeted. If some of the Mech Guards were illusions...maybe the walls were as well. Still, the first order was to weed out the real ones first then find the source of the illusions. It had to magic given the nature of this world but pinpointing the source is a different story.

Although the corridor was tight and narrow, something might just work. Long before arriving here, she tested the new abilities she gained. It might be a risk but it's worth a shot. She jumps onto the wall and launched herself at the next mook with the spear aimed at her torso again.]

[rhapsoidein]

Ugh!

[Her fists and kicks went straight through, but then it punched back and got her right in the gut, knocking her off balance and smacking into the corridor wall.]

Doesn't feel like an illusion.

[She coughed for her breath, narrowly dodging another as she rolled to her feet, vaulting over what she now knew wasn't real and tried for another one. She raised her fist, aiming to slam it down onto another Mech Guard she thought she saw Saori target earlier.]

[melodiesdungeons]

[ The one Saoria attacks this time is an illusion, though the one Genesis attacks and Saori targeted earlier is very real. Yet, it seems the illusions are much more numerous than the real one-- And their numbers grow quickly.

If they listen closely enough, they may also hear the noise of a door slamming open further ahead where the containment lab should be-- Surely these small mechas cannot open a door the way a human would. The way to the room is filled with more mechas, but they can easilly be outpaced. ]

[needsteaplz]

There's gotta be a way to detect which ones are the real!

[She jumps back to dodge an incoming attack. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to dodge the second one and blow knocked the wind out of her. She slid back a few feet. Back home a punch like that was easy to brush off but not here. Wait, did a door just slam? She barely heard it over the clank of the Mech Guards. Weren't all the doors supposed to be locked during a lockdown? Well, one thing at a time though...]

Don't suppose you got something that'll hit them all, huh?

[rhapsoidein]

[It was rather satisfying to feel her hand throb a bit in pain when that punch landed successfully, the machine whirring pathetically from the hard hit. She heard Saori's question and she's not sure she can answer. Does she have some sort of attack like that?

She's not sure if she does, but there was something she read about when trying to study up on the techniques her class would use. It's not exactly an area of effect move, but it's certainly a line of sight.]

Not really, but I may have something that will help nonetheless.

[Jumping high into the air, she reeled her arm back and, as she landed, her fist gave of a glow and it slammed into the ground, sending a shockwave of energy to the Mech Guards in front of her in a straight line, aiming for about three to four of them in the path. It hurt, but it was all she could offer aside from trying to get to them all one by one.

Even then, she wasn't sure how much her hands could hold out.]

[melodiesdungeons]

[ One of the Mech Guard is physically hit as Genesis' shockwave hit four of them. It can be destroyed easilly from then one.

After this, the remaining illusions will freeze for a moment, blinking out of existence every now and then. They cannot be destroyed, but they will not attack either, for unknown reasons. Likewise, the corridor will go back to its normal proportion. It may only be temporary, though.

The wall blocking their escape path is still intact. ]

[rhapsoidein]

[She does, indeed, destroy the one that was effected by the Mech Guard, but had promptly also stopped when the Guards did, watching with tired eyes as the illusions seemed to blink in and out of existence and it also didn't feel quite so claustrophobic suddenly.]

...what?

[needsteaplz]

Looks like our little illusion caster might be having some stamina trouble.

[Even with the illusions wavering, she still kept her guard up. She got Brigid to take out one of the potions Luke gave her before they split, and gave it to Genesis. ]

Thanks for your help, Genesis. Here, you better use it now before we move on. It might've been my imagination but I could've sworn I heard a door slam during the fight. Why don't we properly introduce ourselves to them while we got the chance?

[Saori sharply sucked in some air. That last hit she received still stung and will definitely leave a mark. So much for being careful.]

[melodiesdungeons]

[ Said door is still closed; but can be opened easilly enough should they slam hard enough into it. ]

[rhapsoidein]

[Hadn't heard the door slam herself, but she doubted it was Saori's imagination nonetheless.]

In a place like this, I doubt it was faked. Let's go.

[Of course, which door was slammed shut was beyond her. She took a moment to open the potion and drink it down, eyeing the guards to make sure they don't suddenly surprise attack her, and sighing softly when the potion set about it's business.]

You should take some as well before we go.

[needsteaplz]

Yeah, better safe than sorry, right?

[She opened the second potion bottle and downed the contents of the bottle. She had two more potions that she purchased herself still with her. Once she collected her breath and the potion's effect faded, she motioned to Genesis to follow as she walked passed the illusions and to the first door in the hallway. The doorknob confirmed it was locked but that didn't stop her from taking a step back to kick it hard. ]

[empirenpcs]

[ When the door is kicked open, it reveals a small room-- There is some sort of machine at the center of the room with a Black Crystal floating over it and a woman about to close her hand over it, seemingly using a very powerful spell to grab it safely. The crystal glows, the purple hue surrounding it being the only source of light in this room.

Judging by the glass shards that can be seen all around the machine, the Crystal was most likely contained at some point and the glass was broken by this woman or at some point in the past. Saori's and Genesis' crystal will glow as well upon entering the room, and the woman will turn to them then, swearing under her breath as the door breaks. ]

Leave this room at once.

[ It seems she is still under the process of finishing whatever spell she's casting over the crystal and lacking in patience. ]

[rhapsoidein]

[She pulls out her crystal once it begins to glow, taking it in as well as looking over at the woman and what she is doing. The broken glass, the purple hue and obvious spell being cast.]

What is going on here? We were dropped here and then attacked, I think we are due an explanation!

[She crosses her arms, she's not leaving without answers.]

[needsteaplz]

Let me think.... No.

[Saori pulls out her crystal. The fact both of their crystals are glowing now concerned her. Still, the stranger looked like she wouldn't go down quietly. She spins her spear once before she gets into a stance. ]

And if those illusions earlier were your doing, then it's payback time for you. Just who are you and what did you do to Jessie?!

[empirenpcs]

[ She winced and let go of the Black Crystal. ]

Dammit, do you have any idea how long the spell to take this crystal is?

[ With her focus on the crystal gone, the illusions start moving again-- And rush toward both Genesis and Saori. In the meantime, the woman also waves her hand in thin air; casting a telekinetic attack on Genesis that should brutally slam her into the wall. It seems she has no time to waste. ]

[rhapsoidein]

No, we don't, because we've yet to have any sort of-

[Genesis doesn't get to finish her sentence as the illusions abruptly started, dividing Genesis' attention from the stranger. A strong hit from the mech had her tumbling forward while the telekinetic wave had her smashing against the wall.

Had she been her usual mako-enhanced self, that sort of attack would be easily brushed off. But now she was re-learning first hand just how fragile the human body was, especially one who was a Monk.

Genesis was gone before she hit the floor, blood pooling from the back of her head.]

[needsteaplz]

GENESIS!!

[Saori's eyes went wide in horror. She tried to dodge the incoming attacks but some of them landed. Damn it! She lost her grip on her spear after she got thrown to the ground. A large shadow coming down on her meant no time for rest as she rolled away from an incoming punch. She snarled as her eyes fixed on the woman. The true target was her, not the illusions. Take her out and hopefully the illusions would go.]

Lady, you picked the wrong goddess to piss off.

[Her body throbbed in pain but she wouldn't back down just yet. Fingers managed to get a hold of the spear just in time. Saori launches herself at the woman. In that brief moment, it almost felt like her powers came back. A fox cry could be heard when she kicked her target to sweep her off her feet in order to launch her into the air. She made sure each spear strike didn't hit anything vital just yet. Oh no. She wasn't done with her yet. In a blink, it looked like Saori was gone but she was now behind the woman to slam her back in the ground.

The woman's hands were held behind her back by Saori's left foot pressing down against her wrists. Saori couldn't afford to be hit by her telepathic attacks after what happened to Genesis. The tip of the spear was close to the woman's head. As motherly as Saori was to others, she wasn't one to hold back when necessary.]

Call off your illusions now or losing that crystal is the least of your worries.

[empirenpcs]

[ Needless to say, the limit break surprised her and she wasn't fast enough to react and counter it. Even if she had been, the Job hadn't been designed to wisthand that sort of assault. She was pretty badly hurt-- But yet she managed to laugh, weakly so as Saori held her hands. ]

That's not bad at all... So that's what Lady Kalki warned us about.

[ The illusions all faded within an instant, but at the same time the woman disappeared, away from Saori's grip. The way she disappeared was different from the illusions though, more alike to a teleportation spell. Her voice can be heard, but the woman is nowhere to be seen. ]

Maybe you could have killed me if you weren't alone. For now... You still can, if you so choose. Or you could go protect your three other friends before my illusions cause them to die as well.

[ The invisible barrier that blocked her path away earlier would be now gone; but she has to choose between protecting the crystal or going to protect the others. ]

[needsteaplz]

Damn it!

[She punched the floor and bit her lip to stop herself short from crying. The lady was right. There were only two options now. It's not like she could take the crystal with her, right? The woman had to use a spell in her attempt to extract it. At the same time, she implied she would go after Ales and the others.

Saori fell back to sit onto the floor. Brigid noticed her hero's hands were shaking. The moogle didn't have to be told to get another potion. As Saori drank it down, she began to calm down. She stood up and looked at the crystal. A part of her wanted to get a better look at it. ]

She said the spell she tried to use took a lot of time. Still, if only I could take it with me...

[melodiesdungeons]

[ The longer she'll stare at the crystal, the more Saori will feel instinctively attracted to it, nearly as if the black crystal compelled her to grab it. But before she could do so, a voice will ring in her head if she approaches it, strong and alarmed: ]

Don't take it!

[ The voice will soon fade. She may recognize it as the same voice that told her to Wake Up when she first arrived in Aqures Ixen. ]

[needsteaplz]

[If it wasn't for the voice she would've touched it. Immediately she pulled her hand back. She was about to ask Brigid if she heard that but there was more pressing details at hand. ]

Right. We got to let Ales and the others know about her. Now for Genesis....

[Genesis' s body hadn't crystallized just yet when Saori turned to her. Saori, as someone who had died but got better in her world, she had a great respect towards the deceased. She carefully moved Genesis onto her back and wiped the blood off her face with a spare handkerchief she had. Her attention turned to poor Monty and she went over to the moogle and hugged him. ]

I'm sorry, sweetie. I won't push you to stay with me if you don't want to but I need to let Ales and the others know what's going on, okay? Be safe, little one.

[Monty gave her a nod. He decided to stay close to Brigid and Saori. Her own moogle focused on comforting him as the trio leave the room to find the others. ]

[melodiesdungeons]

[ If she is to backtrack, she'll be able to realize that even though the lockdown is still going on, not only the invisible barrier is gone, but so are all the mechas and illusions. Somehow, this place feels a lot less oppressing without all the illusions and killer robots. She will be able to go where Luke, Ales and Gaara went if she so wishes, but the door leading to the room they are in is locked...

Mod Note: this will have to be continued in the Boss Battle thread as soon as the other group will have unlocked it. ]