The Rite To Remain (Virus)(Invite Only)

Jacked into the AC/DC network was that unusual, triclops navi. His three eyes push forward and back, like night-vision as the emerald-colored program adjusted his dark clothing, book hidden under one arm in the voluminous coverings. This was Crypto, ready to test the limits of the new techniques he'd recently uncovered with his operator in this, for lack of better words, tome. The motif of hiding such secrets inside a tome was nothing new. The novelty of it has existed in fact and fiction through the centuries, but Crypto in particular was made for such a thing. At least, was, before he learned its dark secrets. Keeping them to himself, he steps forward, eyes scanning to and fro. Was he looking for someone? Was he lost? In truth, he was looking for viruses to eliminate, little baddies to test the limits of his power on.

"Any signs of Virus activity, Crypto?" Quips his operator, who'd just come back from grabbing a brief snack from the fridge, and cracking open a small sports drink along with it. "Fleeting, sir. The path forks, life draws me towards two options." The fork in the road sits with two main hubs, both dusty and decrepit, leading to closed off barriers to each side of a bustling network. A perfect spot to be skulking around, if it were up to him. Crypto waits his operator's response, who simply gestures at the camera, a signal for him to choose. Crypto takes the path dead ahead rather than to his left, trekking along beside the false trees and green panels, rolling his shoulder idly. "Northward, dead ahead sir."

Crypto.EXE Ready!
Crypto, he of dark robes and darker learnings made his entrance onto a dusty byway, and immediately set off. It seemed the beginning of this particular journey was to be a quiet, discreet one. ACDC Net's idyllic vistas sprawled out farther and farther with every year, leaving scores of old abandoned neighbourhoods such as these in the wake of years. Ripe for the plundering by Navi and virus alike, Crypto needed not walk very far at all before his first interruption found him.

A twist in the pathway found the cloaked Navi in a narrow alley between two buildings. A Metool stepped out from behind a recycling bin, twirling its pickaxe, dark promise in its overlarge eyes. A noise behind Crypto alerted him to two more behind him, emerging from a massive pile of refuse they looked to have been feasting on. They didn't look too keen on having their meal interrupted...though, from the matching glints in their googly-eyed glares, the ambush in the making would surely brighten up their day.

-Ambushers-
MetoolMetool (Metool)

Metools not currently attacking will guard. Entering guard mode requires an action. Exiting guard mode does not require an action.

Area: ACDC, Electown, Okuden Valley, Kotobuki Town, Dentech, Beach

HP: 40
Primary Attack Damage/Effect: 10 Null + Piercing + Ground Attack
Primary Attack Accuracy: C
Primary Attack Description: Whacks ground with pickaxe, sending forth a shockwave.
Secondary Attack Damage/Effect: 10 Null
Secondary Attack Accuracy: B
Secondary Attack Description: Throws a mattock at an enemy.
Element: Null
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): Guard1, ShockWave, Zenny
Special: Can hide in its helmet to negate damage.
A: 40 HP [In front of Crypto]
MetoolMetool (Metool)

Metools not currently attacking will guard. Entering guard mode requires an action. Exiting guard mode does not require an action.

Area: ACDC, Electown, Okuden Valley, Kotobuki Town, Dentech, Beach

HP: 40
Primary Attack Damage/Effect: 10 Null + Piercing + Ground Attack
Primary Attack Accuracy: C
Primary Attack Description: Whacks ground with pickaxe, sending forth a shockwave.
Secondary Attack Damage/Effect: 10 Null
Secondary Attack Accuracy: B
Secondary Attack Description: Throws a mattock at an enemy.
Element: Null
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): Guard1, ShockWave, Zenny
Special: Can hide in its helmet to negate damage.
B: 40 HP [Behind Crypto - left]
MetoolMetool (Metool)

Metools not currently attacking will guard. Entering guard mode requires an action. Exiting guard mode does not require an action.

Area: ACDC, Electown, Okuden Valley, Kotobuki Town, Dentech, Beach

HP: 40
Primary Attack Damage/Effect: 10 Null + Piercing + Ground Attack
Primary Attack Accuracy: C
Primary Attack Description: Whacks ground with pickaxe, sending forth a shockwave.
Secondary Attack Damage/Effect: 10 Null
Secondary Attack Accuracy: B
Secondary Attack Description: Throws a mattock at an enemy.
Element: Null
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): Guard1, ShockWave, Zenny
Special: Can hide in its helmet to negate damage.
C: 40 HP [Behind Crypto - right]

-Ambushee-
Crypto.EXE: 150 HP [Middle of alley]

-Terrain-
100% Normal
  • No effects.


-Objects-
Recycling Bin: 100 HP [Next to Metool A]
Garbage Heap: 40 HP [Between Crypto and Mets B/C]

EXTERMINATION - DESTROY THE VIRUSES!
Battle #1: START!!
Here came the entourage, on all sides of Crypto, they marched, stomping in with their picks held high, believing themselves to be the ones to wipe this smudge in the name of ethics off the net. How wrong they were, to believe an entity separate from the greater whole. Whispers speak to Crypto, they're part of a greater piece, they're... A voice cuts in from the fog, as his battle routines kick up. Howard was there, bringing his friend back from the depths to get him to focus on the task at hand. "Crypto! Get in gear, we've got company." Howard informs him, getting the chip-folder set up, and ready to set him on the beasts. "Yes, sir. Now then..." He takes a breath, drawing close, and flourishing, book held out in hand, fluttering open. This first Metool would be simple, allow the mass to handle them. Crypto consults the book, quickly skimming as to not give them a chance... "Ah, here we are. Ruhast!" He calls out, swinging an arm up. The unknown, evil presence in the tome flares in a black-and-purple fire, summoning forth a mass of tendrils from beneath the surface of the net. They burrow out, taking hold of each other into a massive, wadded ball of undulating, oozing limbs. He puts his back to the limbs, which gently tread by his body, grazing their new master with a sense of familiarity, as though they'd always known him. Crypto takes his chances next, "Sir, lineup." "On it, Crypto." The response was rapid, and so was the deployment of the Cannon battlechip. Crypto lines up the shot, arm leveled, book tucked away in his robes for now. He places his free hand onto his forearm, and takes a breath in, and out. During the exhale, he fires that shot right at the second Mettool, the left one, just passed the garbage heap. If he misses, it's likely to blast the heap into bits. After the concussive blast, he takes a knee, moving with the recoil as he had in days passed. He swings his arm out, the second shot lined up with a shotgun. The same deal, breath in, arm braced, breath out, fire. The blast was choked slightly, set to the center of the two Metools. His shot intended to shred the two here. The fluid motion was unlike Crypto. Howard didn't comment on the matter, merely taking notes and observing his Navi moving mostly on his own. With the two shots out of the way. The first being more of a testing shot to see if this new knowledge was worthwhile, and the second a clear killing blow if need be, he strides casually around the corner, the book fluttering page from page, fitting into a new passage. One that didn't have a direct ritual tied. Rather, the book's pages begin glowing... Hell, the actual tome itself begins pulsing red..! Veins begin reaching across his arm, and the overload was too much to bear with how much energy he'd spent in this fight. He draws his hand across the current page, and fires off that vitriolic shot. The heavy, laden energy hisses and surges with malicious intent, screaming as it flies across the battlefield towards the final Metool.

==Action Summary==
1). Hexed Wall of Flesh
[30 HP Wall of Flesh, Counter (damage dealt): 10 Null {A}]; 1TCD
2). CannonDamage: 60 + Knockback
Accuracy: A
Description: A decent sized cannon with a single shot.
Duration: Once
Element: Null
Trader Rank: E
at Metool B
3). ShotgunDamage: 50 + Spread 1
Accuracy: A
Description: A gun whose shot penetrates an enemy to hit another one directly behind it.
Duration: Once
Element: Null
Trader Rank: E
at Metool B/C
4). Charge
5). Charge
6). Buster Shot at Metool A (40 DMG due to 1/1/1 Buster)
==Status Screen==
Crypto.EXE: 150/150 HP
Wall of Flesh: 30/30
Condition: N/A
Cooldowns: Hexed Wall of Flesh (0/1)
The Metool's response to having a malevolent wall of exotic horror raised before it was, perhaps, predictable in its outcome. Which is to say, its attempts at looking fierce were abandoned in a meep of terror, in favour of jumping into the dumpster it had emerged from, and cowering under its helmet. To this display of abject cowardice, the wall had no comment (or perhaps, none that those present could hear).

Putting his back to his summoned servant, Crypto turned to the two viruses blocking the way he'd come, only to see a shockwave coming right for him...at least that was the initial impression. The reality was that the Metool's aim, if that was the word for it, was so truly awful that it not only failed to hit Crypto, but somehow managed to miss the wall-sized wall at his back on its way past, instead hitting the dumpster and flipping the virus hiding in it upside-down. Invisible to everyone present, it kicked its little feet in the air and proceeded to make an awful lot of noise lamenting its general lot in life.

Crypto's initial reply, as though cursed by the sheer lack of aim the Metool had managed, had similar luck trying to nail the pesky thing with his summoned Cannon. He did, however, blast apart the garbage heap they'd been feasting on, getting aerosolised rubbish pretty much everywhere. The foul-smelling sludge didn't seem immediately toxic, but it certainly wasn't doing much for his wardrobe. Mercifully, he had slightly better luck with his Shotgun, though in the time it took him to load it, his targets had both had enough time to pop off a shockwave more each. One buffeted him on its way past, but his aim was sure enough to shred one of them. Angered as it was in turn struck, the wall lashed a tentacle at the survivor, catching it with a wince-inducing poke to the eye.

Looking past his Wall of Flesh, Crypto found he could not see the Metool from where he stood. He could see a large bin making a whole lot of Metool-esque noise, so that made as good a test subject for his new power as any. The metalloid wall of the receptacle scorched beautifully under the bloody light, but the Metool within was unharmed aside from the earlier friendly fire.

-Ambushers-
MetoolMetool (Metool)

Metools not currently attacking will guard. Entering guard mode requires an action. Exiting guard mode does not require an action.

Area: ACDC, Electown, Okuden Valley, Kotobuki Town, Dentech, Beach

HP: 40
Primary Attack Damage/Effect: 10 Null + Piercing + Ground Attack
Primary Attack Accuracy: C
Primary Attack Description: Whacks ground with pickaxe, sending forth a shockwave.
Secondary Attack Damage/Effect: 10 Null
Secondary Attack Accuracy: B
Secondary Attack Description: Throws a mattock at an enemy.
Element: Null
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): Guard1, ShockWave, Zenny
Special: Can hide in its helmet to negate damage.
A: 30 HP [Inside Recycling Bin] [Upside-down]
MetoolMetool (Metool)

Metools not currently attacking will guard. Entering guard mode requires an action. Exiting guard mode does not require an action.

Area: ACDC, Electown, Okuden Valley, Kotobuki Town, Dentech, Beach

HP: 40
Primary Attack Damage/Effect: 10 Null + Piercing + Ground Attack
Primary Attack Accuracy: C
Primary Attack Description: Whacks ground with pickaxe, sending forth a shockwave.
Secondary Attack Damage/Effect: 10 Null
Secondary Attack Accuracy: B
Secondary Attack Description: Throws a mattock at an enemy.
Element: Null
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): Guard1, ShockWave, Zenny
Special: Can hide in its helmet to negate damage.
B: 30 HP [Behind Crypto - left]
MetoolMetool (Metool)

Metools not currently attacking will guard. Entering guard mode requires an action. Exiting guard mode does not require an action.

Area: ACDC, Electown, Okuden Valley, Kotobuki Town, Dentech, Beach

HP: 40
Primary Attack Damage/Effect: 10 Null + Piercing + Ground Attack
Primary Attack Accuracy: C
Primary Attack Description: Whacks ground with pickaxe, sending forth a shockwave.
Secondary Attack Damage/Effect: 10 Null
Secondary Attack Accuracy: B
Secondary Attack Description: Throws a mattock at an enemy.
Element: Null
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): Guard1, ShockWave, Zenny
Special: Can hide in its helmet to negate damage.
C: DELETED

-Ambushee-
Crypto.EXE: 140 HP [Middle of alley] [Covered in garbage]

-Terrain-
100% Garbage

-Objects-
Recycling Bin: 50 HP [Next to where Metool A formerly stood]
Garbage Heap: EXPLODED
Wall of Flesh: 10 HP [Counter Expended]

Special: Garbage
You smell disgusting. Everything smells disgusting. No further effects.
Foul odors were nothing new to Crypto in the delving of his tome. Nothing new in the delving of his insidious research, or his pragmatic way of life. Howard winced, only imagining how that could feel, being blasted by trash-odors and aerosol rubbish. "I'll clean you after this, Crypto, fear not." "I had none to begin with, and none to end. Pursuing targets on my own. Put that recover on standby, I may yet need it before the day is through." "Got it, Crypto. Hang in there." After their brief parley, Crypto scoffs. Hanging in there was his specialty, among other things. He turns, around, arms out as he drew in more of that power. A single arm thrust fires off the first volley of destructive force. The thrust forward drives the book out, sending out a wailing, grasping, gnashing energy globule at the Metool that had hid so precariously behind filth and garbage. Its deletion was nigh. Would it dream? Feel? Hopefully not.

The next order of business was twofold. A swung arm out, and Crypto requests simply. "A claw, sir." "On it." the fast reply filled out the RageClaw, that long weapon along his other hand. It was time to get a little creative. The hellacious, tenacious navi, having hopefully either deleted or scared the mettool behind him, now turns towards that bin. Oh it was time... time to give the last breath to this little bugger. He reaches that claw down, and turns the bin up-side down once he had a good grip on it. One could swear there was a glint of beastial hunger in his triclopian eyes. A bit of cruelty, but that was mere conjecture, right? He reaches upward to its full height, before throwing all his weight down, and slamming the bin down where the Mettool might be. It felt right to do this... Almost as though this raw, primal act was made for him. Perhaps it was?

Crypto stands back, seeing no further action necessary.

==Action Summary==
1. Charging Buster...
2. Charging Buster...
3. Buster Shot (40 DMG) at Metool B
4. RageClaw1Damage: 40 + Slashing (Attack) OR 20 + Impacting (Throw)
Accuracy: B / B then B
Description: Creates an impressive bear claw. Can be used to slash or throw enemies or objects.
Duration: Until Overridden/Broken. Breaks automatically after 6 uses.
Element: Null
Special: Throw: The wielder must first grab the target to be thrown, then the target is thrown in the direction/area indicated. A second check is made if against another object/enemy. Throw deals damage to both thrown object/enemy and the second object/enemy. Damage occurs at point of collision with the ground/wall/ceiling/etc. or an object/enemy, not during initial grab attempt. Objects deal their max HP in damage (instead of the chip's damage) if they hit an object/enemy, then break. If they miss, the object just takes the chip's damage. This chip has a variety of uses.
Trader Rank: D
used on Recycling Bin to throw at Metool A.
==Status Screen==
Crypto.EXE: 140/150 HP
Wall of Flesh: 10/30 (Counter Spent)
Condition: N/A
Cooldowns: Hexed Wall of Flesh (0/1)
Sensing that nothing good would come of Crypto's rising power, the Metool made one last attempt for its life. A shockwave rocked Crypto off-balance and finally managed to drive off his summoned wall, but it was never going to be enough. The angry red light burned the virus clean off the face of the Net without a word.

Mustering more vigour, Crypto stalked the length of the alley and indulged his inner alley-brawler a moment. With the Metool squealing madly inside, the damaged bin creaked ungainly as it was bodily lifted and thrown against the dingy wall. The captive virus pinballed madly inside, the force of the throw compounded by the extra flying, bludgeoning surfaces on all sides. It was, all in all, simply too much for the tiny thing, and what little resistance it had was shattered by the trauma. When the dumpster crumpled to the ground, a small scattering of data flew from its open lid to land at Crypto's feet.

-Ambushers-
MetoolMetool (Metool)

Metools not currently attacking will guard. Entering guard mode requires an action. Exiting guard mode does not require an action.

Area: ACDC, Electown, Okuden Valley, Kotobuki Town, Dentech, Beach

HP: 40
Primary Attack Damage/Effect: 10 Null + Piercing + Ground Attack
Primary Attack Accuracy: C
Primary Attack Description: Whacks ground with pickaxe, sending forth a shockwave.
Secondary Attack Damage/Effect: 10 Null
Secondary Attack Accuracy: B
Secondary Attack Description: Throws a mattock at an enemy.
Element: Null
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): Guard1, ShockWave, Zenny
Special: Can hide in its helmet to negate damage.
A: PINBALL WIZARD
MetoolMetool (Metool)

Metools not currently attacking will guard. Entering guard mode requires an action. Exiting guard mode does not require an action.

Area: ACDC, Electown, Okuden Valley, Kotobuki Town, Dentech, Beach

HP: 40
Primary Attack Damage/Effect: 10 Null + Piercing + Ground Attack
Primary Attack Accuracy: C
Primary Attack Description: Whacks ground with pickaxe, sending forth a shockwave.
Secondary Attack Damage/Effect: 10 Null
Secondary Attack Accuracy: B
Secondary Attack Description: Throws a mattock at an enemy.
Element: Null
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): Guard1, ShockWave, Zenny
Special: Can hide in its helmet to negate damage.
B: DELETED
MetoolMetool (Metool)

Metools not currently attacking will guard. Entering guard mode requires an action. Exiting guard mode does not require an action.

Area: ACDC, Electown, Okuden Valley, Kotobuki Town, Dentech, Beach

HP: 40
Primary Attack Damage/Effect: 10 Null + Piercing + Ground Attack
Primary Attack Accuracy: C
Primary Attack Description: Whacks ground with pickaxe, sending forth a shockwave.
Secondary Attack Damage/Effect: 10 Null
Secondary Attack Accuracy: B
Secondary Attack Description: Throws a mattock at an enemy.
Element: Null
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): Guard1, ShockWave, Zenny
Special: Can hide in its helmet to negate damage.
C: DELETED

-Ambushee-
Crypto.EXE: 130 HP [Middle of alley] [Covered in garbage]

-Terrain-
100% Garbage

-Objects-
Recycling Bin: 30 HP [Middle of alley] [Glowing?]
Garbage Heap: EXPLODED
Wall of Flesh: REPULSED

Special: Garbage
You smell disgusting. Everything smells disgusting. No further effects.

-Battle #1: VICTORIOUS!-
Rewards: Guard1Effect: (1 Hit Shield) + (Reflect(up to 60 + Piercing + Line Attack): On Hit)
Accuracy: S
Description: Generates a 1-Hit Shield upon activation. When this shield blocks one hit from a non-Break attack, it responds with a hyper-fast damage ray.
Duration: Until broken or overridden.
Element: Null
Special: Negated by Break. Ignores Impact.
Special: Reflect: Damage returned is equal to the damage of the attack blocked or the damage cap listed, whichever comes first. Reflect is not subject to negation by Impact.
Special: Status Guard: This chip blocks debuffs.
Trader Rank: E
, 450z

-----------------

A faint glow shines, obtrusive in the alley's gloom. It seemed to be coming from the dumpster Crypto had just abused, shining from cracks in the welding. He could investigate, but he had also just made an awful lot of noise - if anything had been lurking nearby, there was no way some wouldn't be coming to investigate. Whether he searched the alleys for a way out or stayed in the muck where he was, he would have to act fast.