Lower Element Containment Mysteries [Network Advancement Mission for Jazz]

Slamming his hands on the control panel yielded no answers or salvation of Jazz amidst the pulsing warning lights. Despite his cries, nothing responded until Stephine's voice helped the distressed hare pull himself together. In the brief moments that followed, the stunned viruses in the room failed to shake off the paralysis of the resonant shout that had stopped them cold, but Jazz's own struggles proved more fruitful as he reached to the reminder of a friendship he was determined to hang on to, despite what he had seen.

He burst out into the hall beyond, flying past the disoriented and shaken viruses who failed to react and the boost of extra speed from Prose's cross sent him flying back around the long loop towards the rest of the facility at record speed. As he went, the warning siren continued and the sounds of rebelling programs continued to hammer at him from all sides. To his left as he passed by, another of the darkened containment windows shuddered and fractured, sending a spiderweb spiral of cracks spreading out through it; there was no time to stop and look. Ahead, a containment crashed open, sending a wave of steam into the hall and the suddenly louder sounds of something shrieking repeatedly down below. A shape moved in the steam as a large, clawed hand tipped in sparkling pinpoints of light reached out through the broken glass, but Jazz was able to dart past and under the grasping mitt.

At the end of the loop, he arrived at the stairs down; they led to a round landing that he'd passed across the first time; the way forward, he knew, lay back towards the broken tunnel and the empty void space beyond; it might be a possibility, but there was no telling how far the transit lock extended, or how far out into the void he'd need to venture before Stephine could extract him properly.

The other option was the switchback stair that led down into the rest of the facility, or at least the parts that seemed well maintained. If there was a designated safe extraction point, it would probably be there somewhere, but Jazz still couldn't read the signage of this place, no matter how familiar it seemed.

On the landing nearby, a large section of the curved wall began to glow, warp and then melt; several long limbs started to poke through, spider-like, segmented and with hooked claws on the end, they pressed through the hole as it became moltern lava. More glowing points began to melt across that section of wall, as more pinpoints chewed through. The head of a massive, insectoid creature appeared in the first hole, behind the legs; black eyes and exaggerated mandibles on either side of a maw that roared with the glowing heat of a furnace. Another head appeared at the next hole, melting its way out of whatever location it had been held in. Stephine's PET pinged the appearing creatures as Myriads; the F-series that produced magma and other fire-aligned terrains. Prose had mentioned the facility having a few of them on hand. They didn't look peaceable right now. The first one coming through the wall opened its mouth to release a scorching, furnace roar of sound and heat in Jazz's direction, and a gout of fresh lava splattered across the floor, changing it as Jazz only just had the time and speed to duck aside. It seemed more like a warning from an escaping creature, than anything more pointedly hostile, and staying to fight was probably not ideal; it might be better to pick a path and keep running.

His mind rushing as his body continued along his path out of the area, Jazz barely evading underneath a clawed hand that reached out to rip him apart, he managed to reach the end of the loop as his eyes darted left and right as he tried to figure out a better course of action than simply standing around and letting himself get caught. Though before he could make his decision, the monsterous creature, the Miryad-F, had spat out a torrent of lava and steam to the side as he barely evaded getting an unwanted hotfoot at the moment. His body almost trembling as he felt the heat on his body, sweat pouring across his fur as he slowly moved back away from the changed paneling and letting out an agrivated sigh.

Chaos was certainly reigning in Chaos Net, but all the same, his options were getting more and more limited as time went on and with that Miryad-F warning Jazz, he couldn't let himself get caught between that thing and his escape route. God damn it...god knows how much space I'd have to go through to escape...but I forgot my path through to here in the first place...I'd probably be wondering between those asteroids and meteors for a while if I went that route...but I have no idea where this route will go if I start going down...fuck me and my stupid bullshit! He began to think out loud, his mind a mess at the moment as he continued to dart between the staircase that lead down and the path he took to here in the first place. Letting out a grumble, the hare immediately darted to the stairs, gods knew how well maintained things were down there, but it seemed like a better option than just tangling with slowly moving, randomly drifting asteroids and meteors in the nothingness of space.

(Down the switchback staircase!)

The stairs descended in a rapid zig-zag that Jazz passed through in a blur, coming out into a secondary lobby about one storey down, as near as he could tell in the moment. The pulsing lights bathed this area in warning glows as well, but it was clear enough to see a curved desk one one side of the space, like a reception of sorts, with a row of hanging data strings fastened to small hooks on a long board behind the counter. There were tow terminals on the inside of the desk, but from the stairs Jazz couldn't see their screens.

Signs displayed illegible information above each of the three ways out of the space, as well as printed lines on the floor repeating the information. To his left, the corridor ran on for thirty feet, before beginning to branch into side rooms, but a glow was beginning to build in the passage and electrical sparks started to jump wildly from panel to panel; within seconds it was swiftly becoming a light grid of dancing shocks, before a buggy mass of... something... shot across the corridor from one doorway to another, bleeding electricity as it went. The body of whatever it was seemed long and amorphous, comprised of an infinitude of tiny erratic lights and dark crackles in between as it flowed and slithered... and just kept going. A glowing, sparking current was spreading out from it, down towards the lobby now as well, even as the swarm continued to flow from one door to the next, blocking the corridor.

The forward path had the most lines continuing along its floor, though some of them branched at early junctions. One, he could see, turned off just a dozen feet ahead of the lobby area; the symbols above the door made him think that it was probably a recreation space. He couldn't see those details, but the thought surfaced and a second glance showed that he was right; the room continued seating, vending machines, a few monitors and what might even have once been a pin-pong table. the symbols that were alongside the illegible scrips moved across his gaze again; Recreation; of course it was. That was what those symbols meant.

Ahead, commons, living quarters and safe testing labs. Right; resources, data storage, records and dangerous material storage; left unsafe and volatile testing labs. The script was still illegible, but in the midst of the desperation, the distantly familiar symbols had meaning, somehow. The safe exits zone would be where everyone had access; it was a certainty that was hard to place. Forward was the way to go... but data and records were to the right...

To his left, the mass of buggy, blue and yellow flickering electro-static parted as a large virus, six arms and huge bladed swords in each, cleaved out into the hallways, swinging wildly and rending the panels from the walls in a way that exposed circuitry and netspace structure underneath. It flailed about, as though attacking the swarm of electrical data, which receded, before suddenly bursting from the ground in a rushing torrent that obscured the blade-wielding virus. The swarm dispersed to the sides and fell back down again, regrouping as it left behind a frozen figure in the shape of the virus; it toppled and shattered and for a moment there was a brief glimpse of something behind it; large, glowing citrine eyes in the heart of the swarm, watching Jazz as he passed by. They blinked and were gone again.

While her navi fled, Stephine had too much information to deal with coming from her PET; there was too much going on to track all at once; a security block was still preventing her from reaching Jazz to pull him out, but at least everything else seemed to be working. To her, the left hand branch showed only the old bladia virus, for just a moment before it blinked out again, while the corridor itself was distorted by visual anomalies but seemingly empty. Forward, there were more viral signals, but they seemed normal, if chaotic in their movement and behaviour.

Bounding up the stairs as fast as he possibly could, Jazz's feet continued to push him forwards as he bounded up the stairs, his feet barely lifting high enough to climb, his senses in tune with Prose's enhanced speed as he made sure to go fast, but not stumble across the metal steps. Finally reaching the top and going out into a lobby-like area, his breath beginning to catch up with his mind as he soaked in every detail he could, slowly walking forwards into the area, eyes darting back and forth across the area...then he noticed the sparks and electrical shocks in the air, jumping across the area as it bled electricity all the while, bugs practically leaking off the creature as it continued forwards, going back and forth between the corridor to every possible doorway. His eyes fixated...tranced in on the unknown creature.

Pulling up his overalls just a bit, he cautiously moved forwards, even as he read what he could of the moon runes in front of him and off to the sides, he began to slowly pick up meanings and paterns, far from being able to legibly read them he was picking up on their subtle clues, their subtle meanings quickly even while he was fighting off the urge to explore all the same as the symbols and the areas themselves were helping him pick up on these subtleties in the language he was reading. But as he continued, his head swiveled down towards the buggy mess of static, parting away...a large, monstrous, looking virus wildly swinging and attacking all around the room. Arms flailing as it attacked the static creature all the same, he stepped back and let the virus attack...but it was quickly felled by the electrical creature, the virus toppling over and shattering into pieces...and then he saw the citrine eyes in the heart of the storm before blinking and disappearing, causing Jazz to whisper to himself.

Id? No...that was someone else...Prose? I swear, I'm going crazy...please, please be okay... He spoke under his breath, turning around to where he supposedly saw the data storage room...biting his lower lip, he seriously began to think he had time to stop by, grab something...anything...but then shook his head. No. I need to get going...if I'm gonna learn anything about here, about what's been going on, I'm gonna learn it from -her-...not gonna go searching though files behind her back...doubt I could read them anyways. He continued before swiftly turning back around and hurriedly continuing down the corridor he was in, the sooner he got out, the sooner he could get his answers from the cybeast's rabbit's mouth.

All the while this was happening, Stephine quickly tapped away at her computer, keeping an ancillary look on her PET as she did, typing heavily at her computer keyboard as fast as she could. She would wait for Jazz to say something before turning her full attention to the PET and him...but all the same...an uneasy feeling wrapped around her, squeezing like a snake after it's prey...they always say no news is good news...but, when nothing's wrong...nothing's okay...and that's when she saw the old-type Bladia model on the PET screen disappear supposedly without Jazz's intervention...that's when she began to get even more worried, having gone as far as spread all her chips across her desk in case something happened and she needed to slot in quickly for his benefit.

The moment hung, briefly, as he caught site of the brilliant eyes within the swarm, seeming to draw their lustre and luminescence from the rest of the flickering light motes around them, but when they blinked closed Jazz was moving again, breaking down the central hall towards the exit point. Behind hi, a sound followed him, like pulling a static sheet off a carpet, but magnified a hundred fold in a chorus of micro snaps and clicks. Jazz ran, and behind him, the swarm of light motes flowed out into the lobby, amassing up one wall and curving back around to circle on itself for a moment. Something that looked almost like a head lifted up and craned around to the screens behind the desk, and the eyes blinked again before they both crackled and changed – one began to grow grow thick vines that looked like they were made of sponge and belched fire across the ceiling, while the other turned blue and starting ringing like a distressed telephone from ages past. The entity seemed briefly amused, but soon lost interest, and turned her gaze back towards Jazz's retreating tail.

Further up ahead, Jazz had to follow his instincts, tracing the symbols and turning once where the main thoroughfare forked. The side rooms contained what looked like labs that were more for theoretics than actual tests; terminals and models on the work spaces, with large digital boards containing complex reasoning or formulae in styles he didn't recognise. He started to move past them, following the line on the floor that he was reasonably sure was leading toward the emergency gathering point, but behind him a crackling sound gave him a glimpse of a long, snaking entity composed entirely of individual light motes and electrical crackles seething and pulsing through the hallways behind him. Sometimes it diverted into a side room, then emerged for another one a little further on, perhaps on the ceiling, or climbing across the wall, but it definitely seemed to be pursuing him through the pulsing red light, warning sirens and wild, erratic sounds of viruses tearing the facility apart.

Ahead, a rumbling and a crackling of lighting panels heralded a section of the walls bursting inward on both sides as a trio of heated electrical plasma beams sliced across the hallway. As more of the wall gave in, it revealed two testing labs on either side, in a shambles, with a trio of floating eyeballs floating amidst the ruins – two on the left and one on the right. They turned their gazes towards the on-rushing hare, but Jazz didn't have time to slow down.

-=In The Way-=
DemonEyeDemonEye (KillerEye)

KillerEyes do not move or dodge during battle, though they can move under their own power between battles. They can, however, turn in place. KillerEyes are a passive threat, not an active one. They direct their sensor eye in the general direction of a sensed threat, and emit a laser trip beam for the enemy to run across. If the enemy does run into the beam, they fire their Sensor Beam attack at the speed of light, which is practically guaranteed to hit, before recharging for an action.

Area: NAXA, NetVegas

HP: 180
Attack Damage/Effect: Trap(Movement In Laser Beam's Path) + Seeking: (75 Elec + Stun 1 + Beam Attack + Recovery Time 1)
Attack Accuracy: S
Attack Description: The KillerEye emits a visible Sensor Laser beam from its eye. The Sensor Laser ignores all forms of stealth, but cannot see through or be triggered by stationary objects. Any object or creature that actively moves through the Sensor Laser breaks it, where there is a fraction of a second time delay before the KillerEye responds with a plasma beam that zaps everything along the path the Sensor Laser occupied previously. The KillerEye must recharge for an action after firing its plasma beam before creating another Sensor Laser.
Element: Elec
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): Sensor2, Zenny
Special: Immobile. Can use Barrier on itself once.
Special: KillerEyes cannot beam sweep with either the Sensor Laser or the plasma beam attack. Every time it is moved, whether by its own rotating to direct its beam, by outside force, or by any other means, the beam it emits deactivates until it is stationary again. A: 180Hp [Metal][Left lab]
DemonEyeDemonEye (KillerEye)

KillerEyes do not move or dodge during battle, though they can move under their own power between battles. They can, however, turn in place. KillerEyes are a passive threat, not an active one. They direct their sensor eye in the general direction of a sensed threat, and emit a laser trip beam for the enemy to run across. If the enemy does run into the beam, they fire their Sensor Beam attack at the speed of light, which is practically guaranteed to hit, before recharging for an action.

Area: NAXA, NetVegas

HP: 180
Attack Damage/Effect: Trap(Movement In Laser Beam's Path) + Seeking: (75 Elec + Stun 1 + Beam Attack + Recovery Time 1)
Attack Accuracy: S
Attack Description: The KillerEye emits a visible Sensor Laser beam from its eye. The Sensor Laser ignores all forms of stealth, but cannot see through or be triggered by stationary objects. Any object or creature that actively moves through the Sensor Laser breaks it, where there is a fraction of a second time delay before the KillerEye responds with a plasma beam that zaps everything along the path the Sensor Laser occupied previously. The KillerEye must recharge for an action after firing its plasma beam before creating another Sensor Laser.
Element: Elec
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): Sensor2, Zenny
Special: Immobile. Can use Barrier on itself once.
Special: KillerEyes cannot beam sweep with either the Sensor Laser or the plasma beam attack. Every time it is moved, whether by its own rotating to direct its beam, by outside force, or by any other means, the beam it emits deactivates until it is stationary again. B: 180Hp [Metal][Right Lab]
DemonEyeDemonEye (KillerEye)

KillerEyes do not move or dodge during battle, though they can move under their own power between battles. They can, however, turn in place. KillerEyes are a passive threat, not an active one. They direct their sensor eye in the general direction of a sensed threat, and emit a laser trip beam for the enemy to run across. If the enemy does run into the beam, they fire their Sensor Beam attack at the speed of light, which is practically guaranteed to hit, before recharging for an action.

Area: NAXA, NetVegas

HP: 180
Attack Damage/Effect: Trap(Movement In Laser Beam's Path) + Seeking: (75 Elec + Stun 1 + Beam Attack + Recovery Time 1)
Attack Accuracy: S
Attack Description: The KillerEye emits a visible Sensor Laser beam from its eye. The Sensor Laser ignores all forms of stealth, but cannot see through or be triggered by stationary objects. Any object or creature that actively moves through the Sensor Laser breaks it, where there is a fraction of a second time delay before the KillerEye responds with a plasma beam that zaps everything along the path the Sensor Laser occupied previously. The KillerEye must recharge for an action after firing its plasma beam before creating another Sensor Laser.
Element: Elec
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): Sensor2, Zenny
Special: Immobile. Can use Barrier on itself once.
Special: KillerEyes cannot beam sweep with either the Sensor Laser or the plasma beam attack. Every time it is moved, whether by its own rotating to direct its beam, by outside force, or by any other means, the beam it emits deactivates until it is stationary again. C: 180Hp [Metal][Left Lab]

-=Getting Out of Here=-
Jazz.Exe: 200Hp [Metal] [Middle of the main corridor]

-=Compromised Containment=-
100% Metal

• Cannot be Broken or Cracked except with Geddon/PanelShot, cannot be Burrowed into.
• Elec attacks: +100% Source Damage.
• 100 Damage Aqua attacks: Change terrain hit to Cracked.
• 100 Damage Fire attacks: Change terrain hit to Furnace.
• PanelShot: Imbue Elec + Break.

(A long main corridor, with occasional turns. Doorways open at regular intervals into other rooms of different sorts; most are labs or bunk rooms)

Terrain Quick-Slip: Things mare moving quickly; terrain changes to the area will not last, as the battlefield moves past them.

-=Battle Mode=-
Chase:
- Jazz is Fleeing. Stay ahead of your pursuer for three rounds to get away.
- Dedicating actions to movement is not required, unless you're doing something that would warrant it on a stationary map; you're presumed to be moving forward to the best of your abilities as you fight.
- Each round, the present viruses will have the opportunity to attack as you pass them by, and Jazz will be able to attack them if he wishes.
- These viruses will be left behind at the end of the round, and three new viruses will join the battle instead as you move forward.
- The chase ends early if Jazz is prevented from moving forward or is caught by the pursuer.
- All deleted viruses will give full rewards at battles' end.

-=Battle 5, Start!=-

As Jazz continued on through the desolate halls, the hare grumbling at himself as he tried to get a better way through the halls towards a potential exit point, his feet continuing to slap heavily against the paneling beneath as he continued to hold onto the cross he had transformed into. All the while, his head turned to see the sparks, the flickers of lights and it's motes beginning to coalesce into a creature...the sounds of static beginning to magnify into clicks and snaps as he picked up his pace, continued to run faster and faster like he was in some sort of horror movie as the creature behind him began to chase him, a "head" lifting up to taunt him...remind him of Craven Head from earlier...and the sounds of an old telephone working, ringing in his ears. Oh fuck you! You're having such a lark at me, why don't you-JUST RUN! I don't know what the fuck that is, but it looks like you'd be deleted if it caught you, my PET is acting buggy and I can't get a reading on it regardless! JUST FUCKING GET OUT OF THERE OLD MAN! Jazz began to retort to the creature behind him before snapping back at Stephine's voice, inhaling and shaking his head before snapping back to the front so he could keep running without slamming into an oncoming wall.

Jazz continued to rush, his processes making sure his lover's cross was kept in tact unlike last time. His eyes quickly reading over the scrawls that he could manage reading at this point, even with the jingle of tools and parts in his pockets echoing out across the area, he managed to make his way into what was considered an R&D department of sorts, he needed to continue through his facility...his head practically swiveling to catch a glimpse of the creature behind him...it had become some sort of serpent at this point, practically swallowing the corridors behind him as it chased his bunny ass, ready to devour him if it came to that. But before he could say anything to the oncoming creature, Stephine spoke up. Viruses up ahead! DemonEyes! OF COURSE! WHY NOT PISS IN MY CEREAL SOME MORE, GOD! NOT LIKE I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH ON MY PLATE AS IS! First I get posessed by my Ego, then I fuck up keeping a cybeast contained, NOW I'M GONNA DIE! He screamed out after Stephine finished, the hare obviously getting more than a little manic at the day he's had up to this point, but otherwise, he was still running. But before long, he began to take small hops while trying to keep his momentum, his smaller hops barely bringing him up off the ground, one, two, a half dozen small hops before launching himself off the ground with a small twirl in the air to try and hopefully avoid crossing the KillerEye family's eye lines, knowing full well he'd be slowed down if he was touched by them, before sliding across the ground for a second upon his landing, before pushing himself forward some more in an attempt to potentially miss getting hit by a stray beam from the DemonEyes.

Letting out a huff, Jazz felt data entering his sytems, then turning towards the left, he took a quick second to line up the attack with the conial area of effect his next chip had, making sure to keep moving as he did. Pushing his hand out, the navi let loose a loud blast of radio wave electricity, sparks flying forwards as he attempted to clip the two DemonEye viruses in it's area of effect, sparks and trails of light flashing forward with a heavy roar of energy, enough to dicombobulate whatever was caught in it's range, panels lighting up with energy as they doubled whatever damage that would happen to hit with, before the navi continued his way forwards, kicking off from where he was and rushing to get some more distance from whatever creature he was being chased by.

Overview
*Floatshoes: active
*STAB: Wood chips get +20 Single Hit, single target, +10 AoE/Multi-Hit
*Active: Smash, add Breaking property to one attack
*Passive: Mass Destruction; All AoE chips with Blast, Spread, Nova and Splash get +1 Coverage
1: ProseCross v1: +10 to Null chips, change element to Null, change subtype to Speed with Overclock and High Gear
*Overclock: Once per turn, Imbue to a movement, movement then travels in a straight line to go as far as possible
*High Gear: All Dodges, Movements and Feints gain 10% Base evasion
2: Jump forwards over possible Sensor Beams (Movement?)
3: Dodge forwards
4: Line up next attack (Take Aim?)
5: ElecPulse2Damage: 120 + Seeking + Glitch + Cone Attack
Accuracy: C
Description: Blast up to 4 enemies with a cone of electromagnetic waves that disrupts invisibility and causes glitches.
Duration: Once
Element: Elec
Special: Close range only.
Trader Rank: C--->Fire into the left labs (x2 Base damage due to Metal, Cone attack)
6: Movement forward to keep ahead of the wall of electricity

With the swarming, electrical mass filling the corridor behind him and spiralling around the walls as it came on, Jazz would feel the extra speed of his sometime lover giving him the boost he needed to keep ahead of it as the containment facility tore itself apart all around him. Just ahead, one of the eyeballs blinked and laid out a pin-point laser line, partially bisecting the corridor at a steep angle, but Jazz saw it in time amidst his quick hops. With an artful spring, cleared the beam without breaking it, while behind him, a moment later, the on-rushing swarm of sparking motes interrupted the line and provoked a searing laser beam that got lost on the mass of chaos. With an audible hiss, the swarm diverted, racing into the right hand chamber while Jazz pushed ahead.

There was no time to look behind him, but the sounds of breaking and distorting equipment painted an uncomfortable soundscape for the fleeing hare. Feet barely touching the solid surfaces around him, Jazz ducked and dived past the next two laser beam; an ear just barely clipped one of them, but Jazz was already past it an instant later, the heat of it made him feel like the fur at the tips of his ears was probably curled and singed, but he was past the immediate threats. Turning and unleashing an electromagnetic wave of his own, Jazz's attack shuddered the two eyeballs into heaps of junk data and prevented them from sending any further lasers up the hall after him.

The hall branched and Jazz knew, following instinct for the right lines on the ground, that left was the right way to go; behind him, the swarm flooded out of the side room, accompanied by what sounded like distorted carnival music and a mass of lashing, watery tendrils. The panels directly under where it passed all remained highly magnetised, but it was once again briefly distracted by the piles of glitched out junk data that Jazz had left behind in the left workshop. It lasted only a precious extra few seconds before the entity turned its head back up the hall, eyes blinking open and then away again as it flowed after him once more.

Ahead, Jazz was passing into areas that bore a great many smaller doorways, some open ,msot shut. One that was open gave a brief glimpse of a fairly compact, yet cosy living space with multiple bunk beds and small furniture. A swordy virus was busy hacking at a mattress and sending fluff everywhere, too preoccupied to notice Jazz pass by.

Just ahead, however, a pair of grey-helmed metools trooped out of a bed chamber, carrying pillows proudly above their heads. They turned to look at Jazz, but before they could react further, a pulse of screeching static raced up the hallway, changing panels and making the lights burst. The two metools quaked with some kind of sudden shock, before their forms seemed to melt and sag, then soften. As the pulse cleared, it now looked like a pair of very out-of-place snoozy viruses instead, still clutching their stolen pillows tightly. One of them yawned. The corridor was a mess of different panels now, but one in the ceiling had flipped over, extending a metal scarecrow out of it which was now crackling with electricity of its own, unperturbed by its unusual angle.

While she fought to operate for Jazz, and work on the other myriad of problems assailing her in the moment, a small, unfamiliar icon blinked into existence in the bottom right corner of Stephine's PET screen. It was tiny, and looked like a little envelope, with cutely stylised red wings, and a red dot sealing the fold. That wasn't where mail notifications usually appeared, but it blinked at her, flashing slowly all the same, waiting to be selected.

-=In The Way-=
SnooziestSnooziest (Snoozy)

Snoozy are about 2 feet tall, and are shaped like a white translucent blob of goo, forming a basic head, body, and arm, with the body trailing behind. The head has an oversized nightcap covering most of it, colored dark blue, with white dots as stars. The end of the nightcap has a hanging moon from it. The lone arm carries a thick white pillow by the corner, with some down leaking out of a tear. The coloring scheme of its main body changes with its version. Snoozier are red, and Snooziest are blue. A menacing black Snoozy DS has an additional feature of serrated teeth forming a giant jaw. EX forms are darker shades of their originals. Snoozy attack by flailing their white pillows around and spreading their apparent sleepiness around. They start their attack by teleporting up to their targets. The teleport counts as a dodge if utilized correctly. They then teleport back to their original spot, and do not move otherwise. They may use their secondary full-heal at any time, though they are more likely to do so when they are injured. Snoozy viruses only appear when there is cover to hide behind, and will stay behind this cover for the entirety of the battle except to attack. They will not appear otherwise. If their cover is destroyed, they will attempt to flee starting next turn if they do not have a specified object chip to be dispensed first.

Area: Yoka, Dentech, Sharo

HP: 180
Primary Attack Damage/Effect: (Teleport) then (Aqua 55 + Sleep)
Primary Attack Accuracy: C
Primary Attack Description: Teleports near an enemy, and whacks its pillow at them. Teleports back to original position shortly after.
Secondary Attack Effect: Self Recover Max + Self Status Cure Max + Self Sleep (1)
Secondary Attack Accuracy: S
Secondary Attack Description: Goes to sleep, and recovers from all of its ailments and injuries. This attack may be used at any time, even when status effects would usually deny it, except for Sleep. This attack has a one turn cooldown after the virus wakes up.
Element: Aqua
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): Pillow3, Zenny
Special: Will not attack sleeping targets.
Special: May use RockCube at any time twice per battle as a standard action.: 180Hp [Sand][Left side of the hall, ahead of Jazz, in front of the scarecrow]
SnooziestSnooziest (Snoozy)

Snoozy are about 2 feet tall, and are shaped like a white translucent blob of goo, forming a basic head, body, and arm, with the body trailing behind. The head has an oversized nightcap covering most of it, colored dark blue, with white dots as stars. The end of the nightcap has a hanging moon from it. The lone arm carries a thick white pillow by the corner, with some down leaking out of a tear. The coloring scheme of its main body changes with its version. Snoozier are red, and Snooziest are blue. A menacing black Snoozy DS has an additional feature of serrated teeth forming a giant jaw. EX forms are darker shades of their originals. Snoozy attack by flailing their white pillows around and spreading their apparent sleepiness around. They start their attack by teleporting up to their targets. The teleport counts as a dodge if utilized correctly. They then teleport back to their original spot, and do not move otherwise. They may use their secondary full-heal at any time, though they are more likely to do so when they are injured. Snoozy viruses only appear when there is cover to hide behind, and will stay behind this cover for the entirety of the battle except to attack. They will not appear otherwise. If their cover is destroyed, they will attempt to flee starting next turn if they do not have a specified object chip to be dispensed first.

Area: Yoka, Dentech, Sharo

HP: 180
Primary Attack Damage/Effect: (Teleport) then (Aqua 55 + Sleep)
Primary Attack Accuracy: C
Primary Attack Description: Teleports near an enemy, and whacks its pillow at them. Teleports back to original position shortly after.
Secondary Attack Effect: Self Recover Max + Self Status Cure Max + Self Sleep (1)
Secondary Attack Accuracy: S
Secondary Attack Description: Goes to sleep, and recovers from all of its ailments and injuries. This attack may be used at any time, even when status effects would usually deny it, except for Sleep. This attack has a one turn cooldown after the virus wakes up.
Element: Aqua
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): Pillow3, Zenny
Special: Will not attack sleeping targets.
Special: May use RockCube at any time twice per battle as a standard action.: 180Hp [Grass][Middle of the hall, next to the other [s]metool[/s] Snooziest]
Scarecrow3Scarecrow3 (Scarecrow)

Scarecrow attack every action, if able. Every time they attack, they recover HP equal to their attack power regardless of whether or not they hit anything. This virus type also has the rare ability to absorb Elec element damage as healing for the same amount. They are immune to any status effects associated with Elec element damage/attacks. Scarecrows are anchored to the ground, and thus enjoy the effects of SuperArmor. Scarecrow are never encountered underground or indoors.

Area: Electown, Dentech, NAXA

HP: 260
Attack Damage/Effect: 100 Elec + Piercing + Recover100
Attack Accuracy: A
Attack Description: Conducts thunder, healing itself.
Element: Elec
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): DollThunder3, Zenny
Special: Immobile.
Special: SuperArmor: Immunity to Knockback, Microburst, Pull, Gravity, and similar effects.
Special: Lightning Rod: This virus absorbs Elec attacks as Healing.: 260Hp [Metal][In the ceiling, directly ahead of Jazz]

-=Getting Out of Here=-
Jazz.Exe: 200Hp [Soil][Middle of the main corridor][ProseCross]

-=Compromised Containment=-
10% Sand

• -20% Evasion and reduced movement speed to all.
• Can Burrow as standard action, incurable Blind1 until turn after exiting Burrow.
• Wind attacks: +100% Source Damage + Blind1, change terrain hit to Normal, trigger Sandstorm for 3 turns: Lose 5 HP/action, Blind1, Fire attacks gain Slashing.
• Fire attacks: Change terrain hit to Glass.
• Terrain changes between Sand and QuickSand do not inflict damage upon burrowed entities, nor do they eject burrowed entities to the surface.
• PanelShot: Blind1.

[A patch in the doorway the mets came from]
15% Lava

• Non-Fire Elementals lose 5 HP/action standing, 10 HP/action submerged. Doubled for Wood Elementals, nullified for Fire Elementals.
• Aqua attacks: Panel explodes, +100% Source Aqua Damage, change terrain hit to Normal.
• PanelShot: Imbue Fire.

[Section in the mid right, and part of the wall, and some of the ceiling]
30% Magnet

• Non-Elec Elementals get -30% Evasion, and 50% (+/- 25% RP) chance to fail movement off the panel.
• Only Elec Elementals can burrow.
• Wood attacks: Change terrain hit to Normal.
• PanelShot: Imbue Elec + Seeking.

[Most of the space behind Jazz, and a strip leading up the left hand wall]
10% Poison

• -10 HP/action standing, -20 HP/action submerged.
• Zombie nullifies damage, heals 10 HP/action on contact.
• Cannot be in Sigs.
• PanelShot: Poison(20).

[Round puddle just past the snooziest]
5% Ice

• +10% Evasion to all. Non-Aqua Elementals get -20% Accuracy.
• Aqua attacks: 25% Freeze chance, change terrain hit to Normal if triggered. Boost chance to 100% if Ice-type.
• Elec attacks: +100% Source Damage.
• Fire attacks: Change terrain hit to Sea.
• PanelShot: Imbue Aqua + Freeze1.

[A spot just to Jazz's right]
15% Cracked

• Changes to Broken when stepped on, chance to fall in when triggered.
• Burrow: Change terrain to Broken, Null 50 to burrower.
• Panel Crack attacks, >100 Damage Break/Impact/Drop attacks: Change terrain hit to Broken.
• PanelShot: Splash1.

[Scattered chunks]
10% Grass

• Wood Elementals get +5 HP/action.
• Fire attacks: +100% Source Damage, change terrain hit to Soil.
• PanelShot: Imbue Wood.

[Middle of the hall, leading to the poison beyond, and the soil nearby]
5% Soil

• Wood Elementals get +10% Evasion.
• Wood attacks: +100% Source Damage, change terrain hit to Grass.
• 100 Damage Aqua attacks: Change terrain hit to Mud.
• 100 Damage Fire attacks: change terrain hit to Coal.
• PanelShot: Imbue Wood.

[Small patch directly under Jazz's feet]

Terrain Quick-Slip: Things mare moving quickly; terrain changes to the area will not last, as the battlefield moves past them.

-=Battle Mode=-
Chase:
- Jazz is Fleeing. Stay ahead of your pursuer for three rounds to get away.
- Dedicating actions to movement is not required, unless you're doing something that would warrant it on a stationary map; you're presumed to be moving forward to the best of your abilities as you fight.
- Each round, the present viruses will have the opportunity to attack as you pass them by, and Jazz will be able to attack them if he wishes.
- These viruses will be left behind at the end of the round, and three new viruses will join the battle instead as you move forward.
- The chase ends early if Jazz is prevented from moving forward or is caught by the pursuer.
- All deleted viruses will give full rewards at battles' end.

-=Virus Delete Count=-
DemonEye x2

Breathing a sigh of relief as he managed to escape the KillerEye trap unscathed and even got two of them downed in the same breath, Jazz was quickly on his way, turning hard left down the next hallway and continuing to scramble his way through the area in an attempt to escape, but before he could get too much further through what seemed to be a living area, he was quickly met with a duo of Metools and a very angry looking Scarecrow virus...and the Metools had been zapped into the third tier of the Snoozy family, which prompted Jazz to crack a remark at this. Whatcha got against the metools, huh?!They were enough of a challenge, ya bitch! Why ya gOtta make this even harder on me!? I didn't mean to let things get this far!Less talking and more running, Jazz! I don't think whatever that is gives a flying fuck what you want!BAH! Gimmie the BlueMoon, Guard and DollThunder! If one of those Snoozies hit me, I'm gonna die in my sleep!

Letting out a sigh at her manic navi, she complied as she slotted the three chips in one after another. But before she could continue on what she was doing, she got a strange little icon on her PET amongst the static and the craziness. But before she opened it, Jazz was flying off at as high a speed as he possibly could, reaching into the jacket to pull out a futuristic looking pistol. Small, lightweight and most importantly, powerful as hell. The pistol barely fit around his finger as he pushed it through to rest firmly on the trigger and with it, took real quick aim at the snooziest in the middle of the corridor he was rocketing through and pulled the trigger. The trigger clicked before launching a thin line of energy at the opposing enemy, a pinprick if nothing else would go through his target...and then an explosive reaction as that pinprick would widen out tremendously, likely enveloping the creature and erase it off the net, leaving little to nothing that even suggested it's mere existence.

As the weapon crumbled away, Jazz quickly held his arm outwards. A small buckler-sized shield began to form outwards and curved inwards from his hand. The small shield would have to be enough as Jazz tried to prevent himself from getting hit by the Snooziest's attack, that blue blob doesn't deserve to kill him in the first place. But as he was preparing his next set, Stephine tapped on the suprise email to get some words from the rabbit-beast's mouth, if nothing else, it'll help Jazz more than her leaving it unread. Alright Prose, lets see what you've got to say here...

As she opened it up, Jazz slid himself downwards, trying to keep his momentum as much as possible to duck and slide under any incoming attacks, if nothing else, it would give the Scarecrow a run for its money on targeting him. But as he managed to get himself back up and running, Jazz turned towards the aquatic lazy bones with his hand outstretched as he let loose a torrent of lightning at the creature before it could try and evade him, strands of lightning coming out across his fingers before converging on a single point...the Snooziest's body, ready to boil and bubble it to death with a good thousand plus volts of electricity, all across it's extremely conductive body. Almost outta here...almost...outta here... Jazz breathed, heavily sucking in air to keep himself from falling over unconcious, he needed to get out, even as his body ached for rest, for a chance to loosen up...but he couldn't give in just yet...he kept running, kept moving, arm outstretched if his reflective shield was still up. All the while, his body began to be encased in a trio of effects...a barrier wrapping around the outer layer of his defenses...then a casing closing in tightly around his body, just under his shield...and finally, a bright green glow, ready to attach and launch onto whatever attacks he had to use to get out of here.

Overview
*Floatshoes: active
*ProseCross V1, +10 to Null chips, Null/Speed overwrite
*Active: Overclock: Once per turn, Imbue to a movement, movement then travels in a straight line to go as far as possible
*Passive: High Gear: All Dodges, Movements and Feints gain 10% Base evasion
1: BlueMoonDamage: 200 + Lunar Drain + Uninstall
Accuracy: A
Description: Fires a ray of lunar energy at an enemy, which also inhibits the NaviCust. Rare
Duration: Once
Element: Null
Special: Lunar Drain: Removes the target's outermost defense layer, even if it wouldn't normally be removed by this attack. Nullifies any counterattacks from that defense. Still triggers other defenses' counterattacks, if applicable.
Trader Rank: A---SnooziestB
2: 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 attempting to catch SnooziestA's attack
*Stephine opens the message here
3: Dodge
4: DollThunder1Damage: 80 + Line-Attack5
Accuracy: B
Description: Fires a powerful bolt of lightning that pierces through objects and enemies alike.
Duration: Once
Element: Elec
Trader Rank: D--->SnooziestB (x2 Base damage)
5: Signature: Protection Ward to self (Barrier and Casing40 to 1, 2TCD)
6: Signature: Imbuing Spell to self (3 instances of Wood Imbue, 2TCD)

Signature Cooldowns
Protection Ward: 0/2
Imbuing Spell: 0/2

Jazz's backward shouts were met only with the sounds of snapping electricity and discordant, buggy crackling... though to a cynical ear it sounded almost like amused, or possibly curious, laughter. He didn't have time for more than a quip though, dashing on through the bunk rooms and keeping ahead of the on-coming swarm. Shooting on the run was something Jazz was no stranger to, and his pistol shot burst into radiant light down the hallway head of him, vaporising one of the recently turned snoozy viruses; it had tried to pull its pillow over its head, but a pillow was not met helmet. The one beside it, as the light faded, let out a barely audible squeak, flinching back, as suddenly a massive rock cube appeared in front of it, obscuring the virus from Jazz's sight.

Behind him, the swarm twisted around the corridor, sending forward-racing lines of magnetic panels arcing and looping through the mish-mash of other terrain, but the hum and crackle made an appreciate sound for Jazz's light-show. The scarecrow pulses with electricity and blasted a line towards Jazz as he approached, but the hare was faster, dodging under it as he passed the ceiling-mounted virus and keeping his shield ready for the remaining Snoozy instead. Glancing back as he passed it, the virus was forced to realise that its new rocky piece of cover was no use now that Jazz was further ahead. It tried to teleport forward as Jazz sent his own bolt of lighting back towards it, but its timing was poor, and the beam was long enough that it still caught the brunt of the blast, even as it appeared by Jazz, pillow swinging.

Smoking and barely alive, the virus struck, only for its pillow to flop softly against Jazz's waiting shield which glowed briefly before responding with a recoil of energy that obliterated the beleaguered creature. The scarecrow shot again from its anchored position, but Jazz was well past the virus now and the crackling bolt sank into the panels behind him while he prepared more defences on the fly.

In the middle of this hectic running battle, Stephine tapped the small envelope and her PET opened a window in the bottom corner. It looked like a video message. The image showed the figure of Prose, though she seemed to be falling, or perhaps simply drifting downward through black empty space, on her back, curled up slightly. Her wings gave off a soft red glow of light, but they were small again, barely visible at her back. She was holding what looked like a small red data crystal in her hands as her body floated, and the light revealed a mess of tears and wet fur on her cheeks and face. She looked up from the crystal as the message started and the focus pulled in to her face and shoulders more clearly. The bright blue of her eyes looked all the brighter in contrast with the bloodshot red soreness. She opened her mouth the speak, paused, closed it again, then started over.

“Stephine... Sorry's no use right now, I know that. You're smart... I'm... I'm a lot of things, but... but you've probably worked out one of them. I...” she paused and swallowed, struggling for breath. “I didn't want to lie. I tried hard, not to... but now that I'm here, it feels like splitting hairs. I didn't technically lie, but... so what? I still deceived you both, I put Jazz in danger, for selfish reasons. I'm even doing it now, damnit...” She stopped again for a moment and took a longer breath. Whatever black void space she was falling slowly through, dark red crackles laced through it in the background.

“I was even going to send this to you while I was till all banged up and bloodied, because I thought it might sway you... but that was dishonest too. I'm fine. I'm very hard to hurt.” She sniffed and scrubbed at her face again, rubbing her eyes; physically perhaps, but she seemed to be struggling on other levels. After a moment, squared her shoulders and shifted so it seemed like she was floating upright now.

“I'm stealing a moment now... not long, but I needed to say something. I'm going to fix this. I will. I promise you that. I know you can't trust me, but I promise, I will. All of the other stuff... your network pass, the mandated stipend, all of that, it's already done. You got it when you opened this message. It's taken care of. Please... Get Jazz out of there. I have to fix this. I can't get back right away. Asteca is in the facility somewhere, messing everything up and I can't stop her right now... she's a beast, like Cresheth... don't fight her. Don't try. Please keep Jazz safe! You have to! If he gets hurt because of me, I don't...” Her voice wavered and broke as her plea grew more and more tremulous with each word. Her body was tense and her shoulders shook, and her head dropped to hide her eyes. The black void crackled as more lances of red forked across it and a sound like rushing wind and screeching static started to creep in in the background. Prose tensed and her wings pulsed. She didn't look up any more, but her voice was hard as she spoke.

“I'm going to fix this. I'm going to make it right. When it's done... I... I don't know how to face him. Everything changes, now that you've seen. I can't undo it, or put that secret back in the bag. I know he promised, but... but it's a big secret.” Head down, away from the view, it was still clear that she was crying, despite her best efforts. “If he doesn't want to see me... it's my own fault. I know that. I understand. I couldn't ever blame him, not over this. Please keep him safe. He doesn't deserve any of this mess I've dredged up for him. Please look after him, and... even if he's angry, or... or horrified, or... just... tell him I'm sorry, for all of this.” The black void shuddered and Prose flexed her wings. As they burst into full radiance, spreading out dozens of feet in both directions, the black shattered and gave way to a discordant mass of scrambled data, light, colour and sound drawing into a perception of wild rushing that Prose herself looked towards, bloodshot eyes on a tear-streaked face and a grim expression. Her wings beat and the video cut out as her form became a crimson blur of motion, lost in the wild static.

By the time Stephine turned her focus back to the battle that Jazz was facing, he had outpaced the scarecrow, which had itself blinked out of existence on her screen, engulfed by the anomaly that she couldn't see clearly. A side notification claimed that her and Jazz's network access qualifications had been updated, as well as listing a summary reward pay out. [Stephine Received: Rogue Network Access Permit, 6000z]

Up ahead for Jazz, the hall was joined into by several others, growing into a wider thoroughfare. Just ahead, only a short way now, he could see the square-arched security checkpoint that seemed to indicate a gathering area. Three scanning devices swept the corridor ahead as it came into sight, one on either side of the arch, and one in the ceiling. An errant eleball skittered across the space from aside corridor, crossed one of the sensor beams, and was rapidly rendered down into safe data. The panels under the arch glowed like a welcome beacon, leading into the large, circular chamber beyond. To his right, the walls melted inward, distorting into a transparent slime that split and bubble,d leaving a roaring static of unformed network behind it, uninhabitable for any program, probably. More lances of magnet panelling circled and spiralled up the corridor under his feet and past him, then, with a crackling hiss, the three anti-virus sensors sparked and warped. Behind him, the swarm meandered after him, a screechy giggle echoing through its multitude of motes. The three sensors remained, continuing to sweep, but they looked different now, malformed and with extra, unnecessary pieces of metal and diode sticking out at peculiar angles.

-=In The Way-=
Satellite3Satellite3 (Satellite)

Area: Netopia, Sharo, NAXA

HP: 300
Primary Attack Damage/Effect: Trap(Enemy in Targeting Cursor) + Seeking: Movement (High-Alt) + Dodge + Lock-On + Nullify Invis
Primary Attack Accuracy: C
Primary Attack Description: Generates a targeting cursor that sweeps back and forth across the field, looking for a target. The cursor ignores decoys, objects, illusions, and invisibility. If the cursor intersects with an actual enemy, Lock-On is achieved, and the virus launches itself into the sky at High Altitude.
Secondary Attack Attack Damage/Effect: (15 Null + Seeking + Enhanced Accuracy) x 10 Shots
Secondary Attack Attack Accuracy: A
Secondary Attack Attack Description: When Lock-On is achieved, this virus fires a barrage of 10 highly accurate shots at its chosen target before landing in its original position. Accuracy debuffs on the Satellite while using this attack are reduced in severity by one rank.
Element: Null
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): Lock-On3, Zenny
Special: Immobile outside of its primary attack.
Special: This virus will repeat its primary attack until it finds a target, after which it will be able to use its secondary attack once. When it changes targets, either of its own volition or its current target's death, or uses its Secondary Attack and lands in its original position, it must repeat its primary attack until it finds a new target.
Notes: Triggering invisibility or an illusion, or moving the Satellite forcefully after Lock-On is achieved does not allow a target to escape Lock-On. Lock-On is a shift in the Satellite's state, not a status inflicted on its target, and thus cannot be removed. A: 300Hp [Metal] [Left of Checkpoint]
Satellite3Satellite3 (Satellite)

Area: Netopia, Sharo, NAXA

HP: 300
Primary Attack Damage/Effect: Trap(Enemy in Targeting Cursor) + Seeking: Movement (High-Alt) + Dodge + Lock-On + Nullify Invis
Primary Attack Accuracy: C
Primary Attack Description: Generates a targeting cursor that sweeps back and forth across the field, looking for a target. The cursor ignores decoys, objects, illusions, and invisibility. If the cursor intersects with an actual enemy, Lock-On is achieved, and the virus launches itself into the sky at High Altitude.
Secondary Attack Attack Damage/Effect: (15 Null + Seeking + Enhanced Accuracy) x 10 Shots
Secondary Attack Attack Accuracy: A
Secondary Attack Attack Description: When Lock-On is achieved, this virus fires a barrage of 10 highly accurate shots at its chosen target before landing in its original position. Accuracy debuffs on the Satellite while using this attack are reduced in severity by one rank.
Element: Null
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): Lock-On3, Zenny
Special: Immobile outside of its primary attack.
Special: This virus will repeat its primary attack until it finds a target, after which it will be able to use its secondary attack once. When it changes targets, either of its own volition or its current target's death, or uses its Secondary Attack and lands in its original position, it must repeat its primary attack until it finds a new target.
Notes: Triggering invisibility or an illusion, or moving the Satellite forcefully after Lock-On is achieved does not allow a target to escape Lock-On. Lock-On is a shift in the Satellite's state, not a status inflicted on its target, and thus cannot be removed. B: 300Hp [Metal] [Right of Checkpoint]
Satellite3Satellite3 (Satellite)

Area: Netopia, Sharo, NAXA

HP: 300
Primary Attack Damage/Effect: Trap(Enemy in Targeting Cursor) + Seeking: Movement (High-Alt) + Dodge + Lock-On + Nullify Invis
Primary Attack Accuracy: C
Primary Attack Description: Generates a targeting cursor that sweeps back and forth across the field, looking for a target. The cursor ignores decoys, objects, illusions, and invisibility. If the cursor intersects with an actual enemy, Lock-On is achieved, and the virus launches itself into the sky at High Altitude.
Secondary Attack Attack Damage/Effect: (15 Null + Seeking + Enhanced Accuracy) x 10 Shots
Secondary Attack Attack Accuracy: A
Secondary Attack Attack Description: When Lock-On is achieved, this virus fires a barrage of 10 highly accurate shots at its chosen target before landing in its original position. Accuracy debuffs on the Satellite while using this attack are reduced in severity by one rank.
Element: Null
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): Lock-On3, Zenny
Special: Immobile outside of its primary attack.
Special: This virus will repeat its primary attack until it finds a target, after which it will be able to use its secondary attack once. When it changes targets, either of its own volition or its current target's death, or uses its Secondary Attack and lands in its original position, it must repeat its primary attack until it finds a new target.
Notes: Triggering invisibility or an illusion, or moving the Satellite forcefully after Lock-On is achieved does not allow a target to escape Lock-On. Lock-On is a shift in the Satellite's state, not a status inflicted on its target, and thus cannot be removed. C: 300Hp [Metal] [In ceiling above Checkpoint]

-=Getting Out of Here=-
Jazz.Exe: 200Hp [Normal][Middle of the main corridor][ProseCross][Casing: 40Hp][Barrier: 40Hp][ImbueWood x3]

-=Compromised Containment=-
40% Metal

• Cannot be Broken or Cracked except with Geddon/PanelShot, cannot be Burrowed into.
• Elec attacks: +100% Source Damage.
• 100 Damage Aqua attacks: Change terrain hit to Cracked.
• 100 Damage Fire attacks: Change terrain hit to Furnace.
• PanelShot: Imbue Elec + Break.

[Around the checkpoint, ahead]
20% Normal

• No effects.

[Corridor that Jazz is running through]
15% Magnet

• Non-Elec Elementals get -30% Evasion, and 50% (+/- 25% RP) chance to fail movement off the panel.
• Only Elec Elementals can burrow.
• Wood attacks: Change terrain hit to Normal.
• PanelShot: Imbue Elec + Seeking.

[Spiralling strips running through the other terrain]
15% Missing

• Permanent bottomless hole.
• Doubles dodge penalties for bad RP.
• EJO if you fall in.

[Large chunks of the right wall and flooring]
10% Solar

• Elec Elementals get +5 HP/action.
• Wood attacks: +100% Source Damage, change terrain hit to Cracked.
• PanelShot: Imbue Elec + Stun1.

[Panels across the checkpoint threshold]

Terrain Quick-Slip: Things mare moving quickly; terrain changes to the area will not last, as the battlefield moves past them.

-=Battle Mode=-
Chase:
- Jazz is Fleeing. Stay ahead of your pursuer for three rounds to get away.
- Dedicating actions to movement is not required, unless you're doing something that would warrant it on a stationary map; you're presumed to be moving forward to the best of your abilities as you fight.
- Each round, the present viruses will have the opportunity to attack as you pass them by, and Jazz will be able to attack them if he wishes.
- These viruses will be left behind at the end of the round, and three new viruses will join the battle instead as you move forward.
- The chase ends early if Jazz is prevented from moving forward or is caught by the pursuer.
- All deleted viruses will give full rewards at battles' end.

-=Virus Delete Count=-
DemonEye x2
Snooziest x2

As Jazz continued on, faced with the threat of a trio of Satelite3s, the air was pregnant with pause even as his feet smacked against the terrain, his mind racing as he was on his way. Stephine, despite her front, was quiet just the same...at least until she opened her mouth. Jazz...Prose... He began before being cut off with a firm I Heard...I know...I'm still connected to the PET regardless of what I'm doing. from Jazz. His hands beginning to tremble, tears beginning to run down his face again onto the flooring, flying off his face at high speeds as he was getting ready to fight another trio of viruses. Every time...EVERY TIME I get close to someone...something happens because I was too stupid, slow or weak to stop things! To put things back into order before someone leaves me or dies! The hare balefully shouted, the wings on his jacket beginning to glitch, the white wings becoming more and more distorted, flecks of far larger wings, big enough to even clip through the sides of the remaining hallways and filled to the brim with soft crimson feathers glitching in and out as he continued to run. Give me the Shadow and Widesword, Stephine. I'm almost outta here...and I'm gonna give our persuer something to take to Prose... He spoke before long, doing everything he could to try and compose himself.

Jazz clenched his teeth as he began to tap into the chip's power, mind slowly becoming less chaotic as his wings shrank back to their normal size...albeit as crimson feathers than the "wings" he had from before. Try and hit me, I won't let you stop me... His body taking on an inky black shadow, his body weaving and wavering with every movement he made, almost see-through at this point as red eyes pierced through the darkness...and a third eye upon his forehead opening again, but instead of the sapphire blue, the eye showed the exact same crimson red as he turned briefly to make a decleration to the cybeast chasing after him. You won't stop me from my escape. I'm gonna see Prose again and you'll help me with that.

Turning back to the "immediate" threat ahead of him, his hand reaching outwards to his side, being careful to avoid the holes on the right side of the hallway, his hand began to shift and shape, not equipping himself with a sword this time, but letting his basic programming shape his arm into a heavy, top heavy widesword, points curving downwards as the blade took on its namesake. The broad blade taking on earthy tones and rust as he leaped towards the viruses. His hops low, but making his leap after the third, an attempt to make his way up to catch the trio of Satellites should they lock onto his shadowy form. Blade brought back, Jazz quickly threw his arm forwards, a wide sweeping slash using the entire blade to try and cut through the three secruity turrets. Using his momentum to carry him forwards, Jazz continued to slash as carefully as he possibly could, attempting to catch each turret in his blade's sweeping slashes and repeating that with a third and final slash forwards, swinging the blade in a way to cause him to twirl about briefly in the air as it broke in half, pixelated data drifting off the broken blade before disappearing and returning his arm to normal in the process. But before he tried to get through the checkpoint, the three-eyed hare twisted his body around, throwing the beast chasing him a flat card with a note attached to it without a second thought. Give that to Prose if you actually give a fuck about your fellow Cybeast, Asteca! She's in a bad way and needs a friend, even if it's a navi like me! He shouted at the oncoming Asteca, turning back around and continuing to run ahead towards the checkpoint for his escape.

Overview
*Floatshoes: active
*ProseCross V1, +10 to Null chips, Null/Speed overwrite
*Active: Overclock: Once per turn, Imbue to a movement, movement then travels in a straight line to go as far as possible
*Passive: High Gear: All Dodges, Movements and Feints gain 10% Base evasion
1: Shadow2Effect: Shadow
Accuracy: S
Description: Grants the user Shadow. This reduces all incoming non-Slashing attacks to 0 damage, and reduces accuracy on ranged attacks by 20%.
Duration: 2 turns
Element: Null
Trader Rank: C -2 Accuracy ranks at long range
2: Jump to reach Satellite3s if they're in High Altitude state
3-5: WideSwordDamage: 80 + Slashing + Wide Attack
Accuracy: B
Description: Creates a sword made of solidified energy, with a thick blade perfect for wide slashes. Can hit up to 3 targets per slash with good RP.
Duration: Until Overridden/Broken. Breaks automatically after 3 swings.
Element: Null
Trader Rank: C---Satellite3 A-C (Add WoodImbue to each attack, x2 Base damage to each attack)
6: Throw Asteca Homepage key/message for prose

Almost at the secure jack out point, Jazz only had a short distance left to cover as his form became an intangible shadow. A sound like a far off explosion made the hall he was in lurch and more of the right hand wall melted away into scouring, inhospitable data streams. Behind him, the swarm seemed to have engulfed most of his view, filling the corridor as she snaked after him; where once she had seemed only mildly curious and leisurely in her meandering pursuit through the halls, now she seemed focused on Jazz, rushing through the space after his speedy flight.

As Jazz reached the archway, the beams from the three mutated scanners swept the hallways again; the two one the ground both passed across Jazz's indistinct form and seemed to lock onto something, though the one in the ceiling carried past him without seeming to notice. The two on the ground beeped wand flashed a series of new lights, then with a rush of smoke and steam rocketed themselves upwards, to crunch with a damaging-sounding impact against the ceiling of the tunnel. Their thrusters continued on, forcing them against the metal panels. It left them lined up enough for Jazz's first leaping strike to clear through all three, rending the scanners-turned-virus badly.

The locked pair twisted as their thrusters drove them, and began to fire a heavy stream of tracer lights through the desperate hare, to no effect, just as he prepared another sword strike; as he swung, the middle scanner swept again, catching him this time – its own thrusters burst into life, shooting it fiercely down towards the ground, where its engine drove it viciously into the panel with another loud crunch, although it meant that the second sword sweep from Jazz only managed to finish off the other two. Even so, he landed in the threshold of the safe zone, and swung once more, cutting down the last virus neatly before turning to fling his parting message back at the chasing swarm.

The head of the creature lifted up, seeming to catch the card as she moved towards him, and it disappeared into the chaotic mass amidst more of the entity's amused, high-pitch giggles. There was no acknowledgement of his words from the creature, though it seemed that she must certainly be sentient, to some degree. From just this glimpse though, it was hard to tell if it was the curiosity of a wild animal, looking at strange things... or the curiosity of something deeply intelligent, looking at ants. There was no time to check. Jazz slid through the arch and a light came on, washing the room in a green glow. A dome of energy spread across the circular chamber, just as the swarm entity seethed over it, chewing away the remaining panels all around him.

In a matter of moments, the flecks of multi-hued light and dark crackles had covered all other sources of entry or exit, and Jazz could see the walls of the chamber being rapidly eaten away as blades of electricity cut at them, or glitched code injections distorted and destroyed them. Wherever the walls were consumed, the green dome of energy held, for now, but there would soon be no terrain left at all. The dome itself began to develop purple spots here and there, which slowly spread out like expanding inkblots. Electric crackles dripped through the barrier, beginning to morph into viruses as they hit the ground.

On Stephine's PET, the indicator for safe jack out came to life again; the dome was facilitating a controlled extraction point, for now. She could get Jazz out, if she wanted, or possibly they could fight for a few more seconds in the hopes of learning or communicating with the creature outside... it didn't look like the dome would hold forever, though, and she didn't seem talkative... All across it, the swarm covered everything else, and the motes of her body seemed to sizzle and react to the barrier – but she wasn't being put off.

-=In The Way-=
ElderPhoenixElderPhoenix (FirePhoenix)

FirePhoenixes are medium sized birds, constantly emitting fire from their body. Despite being able to fly, they lack some of the grace other flying viruses, and have only average dodging capability. Higher versions are truer to their name, and are capable of reviving themselves. However, a Wind-type attack will blow away their ashes before they can regenerate, and if they're deleted with an Aqua attack, the ashes don't form.

Area: Hades Isle, Kotobuki Town

HP: 250
Attack Damage/Effect: 80 Fire + Wide Attack
Attack Accuracy: A
Attack Description: Launches a wide wave of fire, shaped like a bird.
Element: Fire
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): PhoenixShot3, Zenny
Special: OmniShoes
Special: Rebirth: When this virus is deleted by a non-Aqua attack, it fades to ashes, then rises from them at the end of the turn at 110 HP. This effect only works once per virus. Does not trigger if the virus was deleted by a Wind-type attack, or if a Wind-type attack is used on the ashes prior to revival.
Special: Can use FireAura2 once.: 250Hp [crackling with blue and yellow sparks as it flies around the small space]
SludgefeeshSludgefeesh (Mudfeesh)

This virus looks like a sausage shaped fish with a brown underbelly, a blue/green/red/black back (depending on the version) with a wavy dorsal fin, a mouth that constantly gasps for air, beady little eyes and a large flat tail that it uses to propel itself. It moves by flopping around very erratically, granting the family a passive dodge effect.

Area: Yoka, Okuden Valley, Beach, Yumland

HP: 140
Attack Damage/Effect: 75 Wood + Impact + Poison(10)
Attack Accuracy: B
Attack Description: It leaps at its target, attempting to slam into it with its poisonous belly.
Element: Wood
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): MudFlop3, Zenny
Special: One passive dodge per turn.
-Creates poison terrain where it moves.
-Immune to poison terrain and poison effects.
-Poison(10): Deals 10 poison damage per action to the victim starting the turn after this attack hits. This effect stacks with other timed damage effects, including other Poison effects. Poison lasts for one turn. Can be cured with Status Cure.: 140Hp [Grinning madly a few steps from Jazz]
FelonyFelony (Melody)

Melody viruses move, dodge, and attack by jumping. There is no distinction between these 3 actions.

Area: ACDC, Kotobuki Town, Netopia, Dentech

HP: 220
Primary Attack Damage/Effect: 100 Null
Primary Attack Accuracy: C
Primary Attack Description: Jumps on the enemy.
Secondary Attack Damage/Effect: 50 Null x 3 attacks
Secondary Attack Accuracy: E
Secondary Attack Description: Bounces around with complete disregard for whoever or whatever is in the area. Can hit obstacles as well as enemies.
Element: None
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): Binder3, ColorBall3 (Rare), Zenny
Special: Increased evasion.: 220Hp [Playin' tunes and doin' crimes, to Jazz's right]

-=Getting Out of Here=-
Jazz.Exe: 200Hp [Metal][Middle of safe zone][ProseCross][Casing: 40Hp][Barrier: 40Hp]

-=Compromised Containment=-
50% Metal

• Cannot be Broken or Cracked except with Geddon/PanelShot, cannot be Burrowed into.
• Elec attacks: +100% Source Damage.
• 100 Damage Aqua attacks: Change terrain hit to Cracked.
• 100 Damage Fire attacks: Change terrain hit to Furnace.
• PanelShot: Imbue Elec + Break.

[Circle of the safe zone, covered in a barrier]
50% Missing

• Permanent bottomless hole.
• Doubles dodge penalties for bad RP.
• EJO if you fall in.

[Nothing is visible beyond the dome, except the swarm]

-=Battle Mode=-
Chase:
- Jazz is Fleeing. Stay ahead of your pursuer for three rounds to get away.
- Dedicating actions to movement is not required, unless you're doing something that would warrant it on a stationary map; you're presumed to be moving forward to the best of your abilities as you fight.
- Each round, the present viruses will have the opportunity to attack as you pass them by, and Jazz will be able to attack them if he wishes.
- These viruses will be left behind at the end of the round, and three new viruses will join the battle instead as you move forward.
- The chase ends early if Jazz is prevented from moving forward or is caught by the pursuer.
- All deleted viruses will give full rewards at battles' end.

-=Virus Delete Count=-
DemonEye x2
Snooziest x2
Satellite3 x3

-=Battle 5, Victory Condition Met!=-

Jazz may Escape for free at any time.

Letting out a held in breath as he managed to get himself into the containment, Jazz sank to his knees and sprawled out in the middle of the area, chest heaving up and down from the "exercise" he's been subjected to today, staring up at the dome that protected the area, even as she looked down at him from above like an ant underneath a magnifying glass. His crimson reds staring back at the creature, back at Asteca, as he had a moment to catch his breath. His mind racing through the entire day he's been in, and hopefully, he'd see Prose again before long...even if she came knocking at his door in the middle of the night. The hare slowly leaning forward, cross finally expanding itself completely as he returned to his drab appearance, the navisuit clinging tightly to his body and soaked from collar to foot in sweat, his emblem gleaming underneath the motes of light all the more as he was examined...as he was treated like a specimen under the watchful eye of the presumably Electric Cybeast above him.

Y'know...I REALLY need to stop meeting people and cybeasts like this. Maybe give Riccio a try down the road...but not any time soon...no way in hell I'd survive against him like I am now... He finally quipped, breathing far more steadily before flopping onto his back again, groaning at the soreness in his body...even if he didn't take a hit from all this running, funnily enough, he was still worn out, tired and exhausted...mentally and physically. Fuck...if she could see me now...she'd probably tell me to get back on my feet right about now... He quipped again, staring vacantly at the cybeast above him, no fear...just contempt for himself for what happened, contempt for his weakness, his inability to be smarter...but all the same...he wasn't gonna leave Prose out in the cold and leave things like this. Alright...enough self-loathing from me...Stephine, jack me out...we'll...just have to wait...and see if Prose comes back...and talk things out before things get out of the realm of fixability... He spoke, the energy lost in his voice as his muscles throbbed and ached across his form. After...I dunno...figure out where to allocate all this money to...? Figure out how to make things up with...whoever Prose works for? Kinda...hard to think...right now... He spoke again, before Jazz's body began to disappear with just a final parting conversation to...whoever would hear his pleas. Just...let things go right...for once...please...

(Jacking Out)

-=Battle 5, Victory=-
Spoils: 8400z, 49 BugFrags, Pillow3Damage: 90 + Sleep
Accuracy: B
Description: A fluffy pillow that will make anyone drowsy when it hits.
Duration: Until Overridden/Broken. Breaks after 3 swings.
Element: Null
Trader Rank: B
==

Collapsing in the safe zone and staring up that the mess of crackling motes blotting out everything beyond the dome, Jazz finally let the exhaustion catch up to him. As the dome wore through, and the purple blotches spread further and further, strands of electrified data began to drip into the space, like drizzles of acid. More viruses began to pour in, taking shape as the swarm above and around him ate through the last defence, but before it could collapse completely Jazz was whisked away to the safety of his own PET.

==

A heavy-feeling evening followed, then a new day; on the GNA mission boards, Jazz's request disappeared, picked up, fulfilled and closed, with seemingly no issues, or any comments; services rendered and payment confirmed, without problems. The updated network credentials checked out as well, undetectable as anything other than completely legitimate GNA-issued confirmation. The sheer normalcy of it, after Jazz and Stephine's experience, was stark.

It was late in the evening, a day later, when Stephine received a new message, blinking on her PET in Prose's custom mail icon. A short message, just a single line of text: “Can I come in?”

Stephine had been at her PC for a while after picking up some stuff for Jazz, she was busy integrating things into Jazz's programming as the message came in. Taking a sip of her off-brand cola, she responded back immediately. "Come in. Jazz is laying in bed right now, but he should be awake still. He was pretty tired after the mission, funnily enough. Maybe seeing you again will put a spring back into his step, even managed to get out without taking a hit from the viruses or Asteca. You should have access to the homepage."

There was no particular fanfare, and Prose didn't respond directly; just as when she'd visited before, Stephine's PET simply clicked over from registering one navigator to two, with only a small, barely noticeable increase in code weight.

From Jazz's perspective, between one restless turn and the next, she was simply there; white fur under soft blue denim, curled up at the end of his bed, knees drawn up and with her arms wrapped about them, making her already diminutive form seem particularly small and delicate. Her body moved subtly with the slow rhythm of her breathing, and her ears, lying back flat, twitched independently at each small sound in the room, but her gaze just looked at the nothing just past her knees. It was a few seconds before she spoke, but when she did it was soft and quiet.

“Marridite, First of Five, hidden within the core of all life. The Cycle Inevitable; Beast of Timeless Earth...” She paused and drew a breath, then continued. “Seranox, Second of Five, hidden within the heart of fire. The Sky-Dancer; Beast of Burning Freedom... Asteca, Third of Five, hidden within the tractless static. The Myriad Blade; Beast of Chaotic Storms. Hraltish, Fourth of Five, hidden within the lightless womb. The Ocean's Song; Beast of Shadowed Depths. Cresheth, Fifth of Five, hidden within the well of cages. The Shattered Chain; Beast of Wrath Beyond Reason.” She paused, falling silent for a moment, then swallowed, eyes closed tight as though swallowing something bitter, and when she spoke again it was a whisper.

“Prosopopoeia... Sixth of Five, hidden upon the open stage. The Mask's Gift; Beast of Will Personified...” The rest of her breath came out in a long sigh, and her head dropped onto her arms, hiding her face. Her next words were understandably muffled.

“I'm not feeling very wilful, right now, Jazz... I'm just scared.”

Jazz immediately perked up as he saw Prose, the navi's body, while still heavy with tiredness and stress, came up as if there was nothing wrong with him, though he held back a groan of pain as he began to crawl over to the huddled up Prose, stopping briefly as she began, his own ears flattening from her, letting her speak. His eyes closing slowly as he listened, hands slowly reaching out for Prose.

Gently, his hands landed on her side, slowly dragging her over to him if she'd allow it as she finished. Slowly but surely, the hare wrapped the bunny into a hug, bringing her against his body and wrapping her in warmth. Even as the eye atop his head opened, even as he opened his crimson red eyes, he held her gently against him. I'm sorry, Prose. He whispered into her ears, holding onto her tightly. I'm sorry I wasn't better...I'm sorry I couldn't help more...I'm...I'm just sorry about everything that happened...I wish I could have been stronger...smarter...faster...I...I don't care what you are, Prose. I only care for the woman I'm holding, about who she is. I will do everything I can to make you happy...I only want to make you happy...I- He continued, holding back tears, holding back the bile in the back of his throat at his own self-loathing. I still love you Prose, I won't turn my back on you. And if anyone has a problem with it...they can take it up with me. I am going to get stronger for you, Prose. I am going to do anything and everything to try and make things right...I'll be here for you whenever you need a chance to decompress, when you need to cry...whatever happens, it's okay to be scared, it's okay...we'll get through this, differences between us be damned.

In the quiet, Prose didn't resist as Jazz gently pulled her in. Despite all he knew now, the body in his arms was warm, soft, and trembled faintly as he spoke. She relaxed against him, head against his chest and eyes closed.

“You didn't do anything wrong, Jazz... none of it was your fault. You think it was, and that's my fault... my doing. Because I messed up, and I always cause other people to take the blame. I want it to be true, what you say... but you don't know who I am, Jazz. That's what I'm scared of. We flirted, and we slept together, and we shared a night's worth of pillow talk in between... Navis bond quickly, I know that... but, it's a thin bridge to test heavy weights on. I'm not scared of what's out there, or what's going to happen after all of this mess... I'm scared because I promised you answers, and now I'm going to tell you who I am... and I'm scared you won't think or feel that way once I have.” Despite her words, she huddled against him, seemingly unwilling to pull away, or look up to meet his eyes. A few seconds stretched as she licked her lips, still shaking, seemingly with nerves.

“I don't know what to say. I messed everything up, and I can't take it back. I didn't want to deceive you... but I chose to, because I never meant for you to know. That's the truth, Jazz. I was never going to tell you. I would have kept it from you, forever; for one more date, for one more night; forever. I'm scared... of telling you that.” He felt her draw a long breath, her fingers reaching up to hold onto his arm as he hugged her.

“I'm a lot of things... but I'm a liar, and a deceiver as much as anything else. I'm the Mask's Gift; I'm a pretty picture and a nice story to make people happy and ignore anything that lies underneath. I'm an easter bunny, and a hallow's spook, and a festive elf... I'm a cybeast, with enough power to put another one in its place... and I hide it, and let others be endangered, for the sake of keeping up the mask.” She lifted her head now, letting it fall back against Jazz's arms, though her eyes remained closed. “I love to run and dance and fly, to race the wind and feel the grass between my toes; I'm essence without form that doesn't really grasp any of those things; I'm a quadriplegic, from the jaw down, can't even chew my own food...” She shook her head and kept murmuring quietly, pausing in between each set of contradicting phrases. “I'm a mascot, or the idea of one; I'm as old as the first time two sentient beings shared a common concept of something together, old as shared social imagining; I was coded three years ago; I'm turning twenty-two next month. I'm a force without parentage or origin; I'm an experiment that isn't really trusted to exist on its own; my mother raised me when my father left, and she's cared for me since the accident.”

“I know thousands of netnavis, and they know me... but only in passing; my mum has been my only human contact, aside the doctors, for years. I'm a virgin, and I'm almost certainly going to die that way; I'm an incorrigible slut who'll throw herself into the bed of anyone who shows even a little bit of interest, and have done, dozens of times, even when I'm not supposed to; I've never gone on a proper date before, and I wanted one... so I was selfish, and tried to get what I wanted, without caring about the danger I was putting you in. I thank navigators for helping make the net safe; I maintain virus producing programs and make sure there's always more threats to fight; I watch, when navigators bite off more than they can chew, and get hurt, and I do nothing to help them.”

“I am Prosopopoeia, the beast of will personified; I have a name, recorded on a birth certificate, in my mum's filing cabinet, in a home, on a street, in a city in netopia and I'm never going to tell you what it is; I'm Prose... pretty little words and a cute little story... just a fun girl who likes to fool around, and pretend that's all I am; sometimes I don't even know what's real and what's acting; sometimes I can't tell. I am all of those things, and I'm no single one of them alone; I'm a liar, and a deceiver and I was never going to tell you any of it. And I'm scared... I'm scared of what it means, now that I've said all of that.” The nervous shaking in her form continued throughout the bunny-girl's list, even as she seemed to be forcing herself to get through it with uncertain words, but once her words fell to silence, the soft tremble was replaced by tension, almost as though she was physically bracing herself.

Jazz simply held onto Prose, holding her tightly as she spoke, letting her words flow, her contradictions, her truths and lies...he did not want to interrupt her, he wanted to listen to her in full before responding, gently squeezing the beast in his hands, tensing as she continued. Even as she finished, he stayed silent, he processed, moments passing painfully to the parties involved.

Jazz chose to go along with it all. He chose to risk his ass for you. Give the old bastard some credit, bunny girl. Stephine spoke, breaking the pregnant silence with her blunt words. You said it yourself, Prose. On our brief "date" at the cafe. "We all have our secret crosses". It took me till now to realize what you meant...it took my dumb ass up till you put Cresheth on his back to realize what you meant. Jazz followed up, squeezing her tightly against him. I won't say I know perfectly what you've gone though. But I can sympathize to a degree. Outside your "family", outside your work...you've been just as lonely as I was...for fear you'd lose others. I know that feeling...I know it all too well... He continued, a tear falling down onto Prose's fur, the hare's arms trembling against Prose, inhaling briefly before continuing.

I am Jazz.exe. I was once a murderer, a genocidal maniac and nearly brought Sharo to it's knees forty years ago, singlehandedly. Because of my wonton desire for power, I put my netop in debt, heavy debt to the mafia. He died because of me. And that started my rampage, psyche shattered into three pieces, the "Freudian Trio". Ego. The creature that piloted the shell of Jazz forty years ago, hellbent on revenge even without a netop. Id. The one to control the drive of the Ego and the demands of the Super-Ego, failing to do either in the end. Super-Ego. The failure that could not try and stop the Ego from his rampage and his genocide. Jazz continued, trembling even more with Prose in his hands, in his grasp, pausing briefly to let the definitions linger. I never intended to tell you about what I actually was, either. But you knew well before I nearly had a mental breakdown today. But every time I held back my true nature...my true past...someone finds out...they get angry, they attack me...half of these scars, these burns, are from those who lashed out at me, because I tried to keep secrets from people, crosses trashed where applicable, leading me back to net zero... He continued on, trembling against Prose, body shaking like nothing else as he spoke again. back to crushing depression and loneliness...time and again I wondered if it was worth existing...time and again, I contemplated trying to get into the undernet to die like I deserved...but it wouldn't bring back the lives that were taken...my penance... He looked down to Prose again, holding onto her. You need someone...someone to hold onto...we're both liars...but that can change...all we can do is take steps to change, Prose. That's all we can do...and make steps to make things right.

A small, silent exhale of breath accompanied the tension giving way to soft pliability again as the smaller woman lay against Jazz and listened to his response, though if he was looking at her, he might still catch a small wince, quickly smoothed away, when Stephine chipped in and announced her listening presence.

Even so, Prose kept quiet as she listened in return, shifting so that she cloud lie down alongside him instead, and press her back against his chest. Her hands reached up to hold his arms about her as she pressed in close; she wasn't looking up at him or making face to face contact, but there was a closeness of psychical contact that she seemed to take more comfort in, in a more intimate way. She squeezed his arm and rolled the back of her head softly against his chest.

“I... I knew, but, I didn't know everything. There's files, on all the house-guests, in each facility, all across the net... but they don't really paint as full a picture as they should... but Jazz, please... please let's not talk about self-destruction or anything like that. There's always a better answer... I believe that. I have to. If I'd given up after the accident I wouldn't be here now. Someone, something would be, but not me... So, if you're... if you're really okay with me, and this, whatever this is... then promise me that, okay? No giving up.” She drew a longer breath, settling against him in a way that ended up being more physically suggestive that the bunny girl probably intended, in the more serious moment.

“So... So what happens now? I don't want you to see me differently, or think of me differently, I don't... but... that's not really possible. I never really needed you to protect me, any of those times, but... but knowing that you wanted to... that mattered, it really did! It was nice, and I liked it... Things are changed now... it's one of a dozen other little things that just can't be, and can't happen now, not really. Is that petty and selfish? I feel like it probably is...” She sighed and curled up a little, taking a moment to breath. “First question... Jazz, do you still want to see me, after all of this? I know, you've said you still love me, again and again, and it makes me so happy to hear it, but there's lots of types of love, and I have to ask, before I do anything else... I can help you sort out your demons, find out which facility your other parts are lingering at, help you, however you need, as... as colleagues, if that's what you want. We can be friends, if you want... or, if... if you still really want me, we can be... this...” As she spoke, one of her hands squeezed his arm while her other slipped down to rest on his hip and squeeze him closer, while her foot lifted just enough to entwine across one of his and lock her leg over his. “If you want...” After a moment of pressure and tight holding, she relaxed again. “How do you want this... us... to be, Jazz?”

Jazz shook as he held onto Prose, squeezing her gently at her words as his mind continued to surge with ideas, with words he couldn't get out there as everything happened, everything was said, he was still uneasy with Prose, but before long he nodded. As long as you stop blaming yourself entirely for today...I think I can make that promise. I didn't know what I was getting into, but I still jumped to help you, any opportunity to help...make up for my past. Still, the chains were still my fault in the end, I'm man enough to admit to it, I waited too long to launch them to keep you from having to put them together and inadvertently put you in danger regardless. He spoke, simply, calmly. Besides...those thoughts were long ago, after...I lost someone important to me because I couldn't fight back against her assailants, too weak to protect the woman I loved at the time...it's been years, but it still stings. Along with everyone else before I met with Sephine. He continued, closing his eyes as he felt Prose beginning to squeeze his arm and lock her leg with his. He smiled as he gently brought his hand to hers and entwined his fingers betwixt hers.

I want us to be more than just colleagues. I want to be more than just close friends. I want to be as close as we possibly can be, despite our differences. He spoke again, the cross he had used to show her slowly wrapping around him. But despite that, it changed, small crimson wings came out of his back, but even then they grew...encompassing the two in holographic feathers. Jacket slowly grew out to a greatcoat, twin tails of fabric stretching out under the wings and big enough to leave plenty of room for the hare with plenty of items inside. His bodysuit taking on the same crimson sheen, even the pompom from before began to appear and drooped down over his head with the hare letting out a chuckle. Even then, white leather gloves began to slowly move across his hands and upon his feet, a pair of leather boots in white, slowly going up towards his knees. I want to be there for you when you're down. I want to be your boyfriend...husband...more than just "friends with benifits"...and if I can help the folks you work with, all the better. I still have my own things to do, busting viruses, dealing with my "other selves"...but I'll help you wherever I can. he continued in a solem tone, leaning down to kiss the scared bunny on the nose. Even if it's far less than what you can do for me. I have more secrets from my past...it's been about seven years since I somehow escaped...and my past seems to be catching up to me...