The crystal had responded just fine, and he could feel the swirl of data that it had released tied to him, but there was very literally no time to even think about decoding whatever it was just yet. The sound, and feel of various fire crashing into the narrow point of the funnel structure was enough to accelerate Courser's already frantic pulse, but at the same time, things hitting it meant things not hitting him, so however close the last few moments had been, they were a good few moments all the same.
His shield was up, and it seemed as though the whole cavalcade of viruses were more or less clustered around the protective funnel, either next to him, just on its other side, or just above. Split awareness through his decoy's eyes showed him that even the Catack was close in now, and any attempt to run would make him a sitting duck no matter what way he went.
Still, if he'd walked the fine line between daring and stupid so far, there was little sense in stopping now. There was just the barest moment of breathing space, but a swift, devilish grin splashed across his face. He flicked open his line to Jenny again, though even Courser himself hear something of the manic tinge to his voice when he spoke.
"Pulsar, Jen. Quick." He spun on one toe, turning to face inward at the body of the funnel itself and Jenny gasped.
"No... NO! Courseman, no, that's—"
"Now!" The data came and he channelled it straight though, raising his arms in a cross-lock; his shield arm came up braced with the forearm vertical, putting the high-pressure wall of water between him and the structure. In the same motion, his other hand joined it, wave-whip swelling into a sonar amplifying dome that he pushed forward through the shield until it was pointed point blank at the surface he'd previously used for cover.
He held himself still while the the sonar pulse built up, and just a few paces away on the far side of the funnel, his decoy went still, all his attention on the important task. As soon as it was charged, the possibly insane aqua navi loosed the pulse directly at the face of the funnel. In the last moment, the rationality occurred to him that, as much as the shield might protect him from the blast wave, it really wasn't going to do much to save his ears. He winced.
-=Splice End=-
Summary
C*) Shield moves with his about face, so, between him and the funnel target.
C3) Pulsar1: (70, Object Triggered Blast2, A(Blast B)) @ Funnel (Blast range predicted to encompass... potentially everything, CourseMan included)
C*) Shadow Assassin Bonus: 20% (14dmg) increase on any target that didn't attack Courser last.
An Attempt in Schadenfreude
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CourseMan didn't have a hard time hitting his target: the only thing difficult about that particular shot was working up the guts and maniac courage to do it. The shot contacted the metal surface of the funnel ahead, and it immediately began reverberating like a kitchenware aisle built upon an ancient burial ground. CourseMan himself felt the most immediate pressure from the blast, but by bracing himself and digging in his heels, he was able to resist the force. His shield, of course, was vibrated until it was all loose droplets, scattering themselves in a violent spray.
As for the others...
The Catack, needless to say, was far too slow to get out of the blast range. The sonic shockwave tore through it. It was sturdy, though, so it seemed to still have some fight left.
The Spikey which had already tried to attack CourseMan was hit so hard it knocked it was knocked from its feet. The beast yelped as it struggled to regain its composure, shaking its head briskly.
The Spikey which had run past CourseMan continued moving. It seemed like it might have been going for an attack, but wisely recognized it wouldn't be able to slow down to aim and avoid the attack all at once.
The Spikey that had tried to blast CourseMan's double was too slow to move out of range, but far enough away that the waves seemed to dissipate before they could do any more than give it a nasty headache. Some of them also appeared to have been absorbed by the mass of the Catack ahead of it. It barked a few curses in response.
The Volgear seemed to realize something was wrong, and CourseMan finally caught a glimpse of it as he saw it had propelled itself over the platform rail in a jump. It managed to clear the blast zone, and landed on the shining rocks to the side of the funnel.
It wasn't clear what had happened to the Shadow...
Then, there was CourseMan's surviving body double. Luckily for it, it probably had some foresight into what was about to happen. Thus, it was prepared to get out of the way and cover its ears at exactly the right moment.
The entire structure was creaking now. It was pretty clear it wouldn't take too many more attacks like that. Faint trickles of red-hot liquid were beginning to trickle through some widened seams.
=Enemies=
Catack: 36HP (at the front of the funnel, beneath the platform)
SpikeyA: 20HP (at the front-right ahead of the funnel)
SpikeyB: 90HP (at the back-right, behind and a movement away from the funnel)
SpikeyC: 90 HP (at the front-left ahead of the funnel)
Volgear: 80 HP (at the mid-right beside the funnel)
Shadow: 80 HP (can't be seen, location unknown)
=Terrain=
90% Unknown Terrain
10% Lava Terrain (center of funnel)
=Friendlies=
CourseMan: 100HP (back-right of the funnel, under the platform)
=Objects=
Funnel:85HP (in front of CourseMan, leaking)
Platform:80HP (above CourseMan)
Mystery Data (Green): ACCESSED
=Special=
Unknown Terrain: A luminescent, glowing white stone, taking up the entirety of the cavern floor, but not the walls.
Upon winning the battle, CourseMan will receive a PanelShot battlechip earned by accessing mystery data.
As for the others...
The Catack, needless to say, was far too slow to get out of the blast range. The sonic shockwave tore through it. It was sturdy, though, so it seemed to still have some fight left.
The Spikey which had already tried to attack CourseMan was hit so hard it knocked it was knocked from its feet. The beast yelped as it struggled to regain its composure, shaking its head briskly.
The Spikey which had run past CourseMan continued moving. It seemed like it might have been going for an attack, but wisely recognized it wouldn't be able to slow down to aim and avoid the attack all at once.
The Spikey that had tried to blast CourseMan's double was too slow to move out of range, but far enough away that the waves seemed to dissipate before they could do any more than give it a nasty headache. Some of them also appeared to have been absorbed by the mass of the Catack ahead of it. It barked a few curses in response.
The Volgear seemed to realize something was wrong, and CourseMan finally caught a glimpse of it as he saw it had propelled itself over the platform rail in a jump. It managed to clear the blast zone, and landed on the shining rocks to the side of the funnel.
It wasn't clear what had happened to the Shadow...
Then, there was CourseMan's surviving body double. Luckily for it, it probably had some foresight into what was about to happen. Thus, it was prepared to get out of the way and cover its ears at exactly the right moment.
The entire structure was creaking now. It was pretty clear it wouldn't take too many more attacks like that. Faint trickles of red-hot liquid were beginning to trickle through some widened seams.
=Enemies=
Catack: 36HP (at the front of the funnel, beneath the platform)
SpikeyA: 20HP (at the front-right ahead of the funnel)
SpikeyB: 90HP (at the back-right, behind and a movement away from the funnel)
SpikeyC: 90 HP (at the front-left ahead of the funnel)
Volgear: 80 HP (at the mid-right beside the funnel)
Shadow: 80 HP (can't be seen, location unknown)
=Terrain=
90% Unknown Terrain
10% Lava Terrain (center of funnel)
=Friendlies=
CourseMan: 100HP (back-right of the funnel, under the platform)
=Objects=
Funnel:85HP (in front of CourseMan, leaking)
Platform:80HP (above CourseMan)
Mystery Data (Green): ACCESSED
=Special=
Unknown Terrain: A luminescent, glowing white stone, taking up the entirety of the cavern floor, but not the walls.
Upon winning the battle, CourseMan will receive a PanelShot battlechip earned by accessing mystery data.
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As the inevitable blast wave rocked over the area, Courser let his shield arm absorb the brunt of the pulse, letting his body flow loose while the sound cleared. Hopefully Jenny would understand that swiftness was the key in the next few moments. He didn't know how many of his targets would have been caught in the sound wave, but he intended to hit whatever he could, and fast, before they recovered from the shock.
The was a half moments' still as the force stopped, the space of a single intake of breath, and then Courser kicked off. Chip data flowed down his left arm as his eyes sighted the Volgear from above, landing just ahead of him. The water coating his hand began to freeze into a Spikey, solid bludgeon, the end of the water trail splashing free as he crouched on on his swirling waters then dove upwards even as he closed with the virus, bringing his fist to bear against it with as much sudden force as he could muster.
The movement twisted his body and he let his feet slide, water splashing out in a spray as he turned, facing outward for a moment as his back passed where his first target was, or had been. A second chip was already loaded in and as his body completed its natural turn, he let his right arm extend with the motion, turning his face to sight along it. Two spikeys, he didn't know which ones, found themselves in line with the extended arm and Courser's eyes as the whip flexed and straightened, drew in, then exploded outward in a dramatic volley of tightly compressed water fletchets with enough penetrating force to rip through both targets, if he could catch them before they recovered from the shock of the explosion.
It was all done in a single, smoothly graceful movement, ducking and weaving forward with one attack following the next, but for all it only took a second or two to execute, one quick burst, after a shake-up like they'd all just experienced, was about all he could manage for now.
At the same time that Courser was attempting to capitalise on the moment after the blast, his original clone faded away. Instead, the decoy slipped apart from courser himself as he began to move. This one looked to bear a fresh water shield on his back, where the real courser didn't, but it moved with him, weaving in tandem. Where the real course ducked low to strike at the Volgear with a rising punch, the clone swerved outward, arcing a little wider so that he could make a show of seeming to blast the virus with a torrent of water from both hands held together and outward. One attack was real and the other wasn't, but provided the real one struck, it would be difficult for an observer to tell which was which.
As the real CourseMan completed his turn and raised his shotgun, the false Courser curved back in instead, ducking under this master's arm and lashing out low and both spikeys with one end of each of his wave whips. Diversion was more difficult with everything bunched in as closely as it was now; instead, deception was what he was aiming for, and any virus that guessed false for true before attacking was one less Courser himself would need to worry about.
Summary
C*) Decoy: Moving and weaving with and around Courser, attacking where he attacks, and dodging where he dodges, but in different enough a position to draw fire on any that mistake one for the other.
C1) ColdPunch: ((70(75)Aqua → 150 to Fire), Impact, Knockback, 6 Uses, B) @ Volgear
C*) Assassin will add 15 Dmg, 30 for Fire, if applicable.
C2) Dodge (Ducking past Volgear's position)
C3) Shotgun: (50, Spread1 - Directly Behind, A) @ SpikeyA & C
C*) Assassin will add 10 Dmg, if applicable
The was a half moments' still as the force stopped, the space of a single intake of breath, and then Courser kicked off. Chip data flowed down his left arm as his eyes sighted the Volgear from above, landing just ahead of him. The water coating his hand began to freeze into a Spikey, solid bludgeon, the end of the water trail splashing free as he crouched on on his swirling waters then dove upwards even as he closed with the virus, bringing his fist to bear against it with as much sudden force as he could muster.
The movement twisted his body and he let his feet slide, water splashing out in a spray as he turned, facing outward for a moment as his back passed where his first target was, or had been. A second chip was already loaded in and as his body completed its natural turn, he let his right arm extend with the motion, turning his face to sight along it. Two spikeys, he didn't know which ones, found themselves in line with the extended arm and Courser's eyes as the whip flexed and straightened, drew in, then exploded outward in a dramatic volley of tightly compressed water fletchets with enough penetrating force to rip through both targets, if he could catch them before they recovered from the shock of the explosion.
It was all done in a single, smoothly graceful movement, ducking and weaving forward with one attack following the next, but for all it only took a second or two to execute, one quick burst, after a shake-up like they'd all just experienced, was about all he could manage for now.
At the same time that Courser was attempting to capitalise on the moment after the blast, his original clone faded away. Instead, the decoy slipped apart from courser himself as he began to move. This one looked to bear a fresh water shield on his back, where the real courser didn't, but it moved with him, weaving in tandem. Where the real course ducked low to strike at the Volgear with a rising punch, the clone swerved outward, arcing a little wider so that he could make a show of seeming to blast the virus with a torrent of water from both hands held together and outward. One attack was real and the other wasn't, but provided the real one struck, it would be difficult for an observer to tell which was which.
As the real CourseMan completed his turn and raised his shotgun, the false Courser curved back in instead, ducking under this master's arm and lashing out low and both spikeys with one end of each of his wave whips. Diversion was more difficult with everything bunched in as closely as it was now; instead, deception was what he was aiming for, and any virus that guessed false for true before attacking was one less Courser himself would need to worry about.
Summary
C*) Decoy: Moving and weaving with and around Courser, attacking where he attacks, and dodging where he dodges, but in different enough a position to draw fire on any that mistake one for the other.
C1) ColdPunch: ((70(75)Aqua → 150 to Fire), Impact, Knockback, 6 Uses, B) @ Volgear
C*) Assassin will add 15 Dmg, 30 for Fire, if applicable.
C2) Dodge (Ducking past Volgear's position)
C3) Shotgun: (50, Spread1 - Directly Behind, A) @ SpikeyA & C
C*) Assassin will add 10 Dmg, if applicable
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CourseMan forced the Volgear to immediately regret its decision to jump into the fray, although it couldn't have simply sat there and let itself get blasted. That said, it might have been a more painless death: as it was, CourseMan's fist seemed to tear through the virus like a hammer through drywall, causing it to skid back and crumple before it could launch its attack. This might have some consequence on the effectiveness of the illusion, if the viruses could indeed distinguish that only the genuine article could impart velocity through impact. However, it was far more likely that the viruses thought of CourseMan as a pair of physical opponents.
With its would-be target gone, the Spikey which had been focusing on CourseMan's double shook its head to-and-fro for a moment, seeming unsure of itself. As such, it began trying to make a bolt for the far side of the platform, trying to obtain its target once again.
Said virus was fast, and as such, it was already out of sight by the time the Navi's attack flew. Its weakened ally, however, was not so lucky. Neither was the immobile staircase behind CourseMan's intended target, which received a blast of buckshot and virus data as the Navi landed his strike.
The Catack responded to the attack thrown in its general direction, rotating its turret as it trekked forward to meet the offender, and releasing its shell with a loud boom. CourseMan's step may have been a bit off from so much movement in such a short time period after guarding his own sonic attack. He made a move, but the entire area around him was a danger zone as the shell exploded on the surrounding terrain. As CourseMan might have expected (or indeed, seen through his visual split: surprisingly, his decoy was unharmed), the strange terrain of the Net remained perfectly intact following the blast. Perhaps because it had impacted with the unyielding terrain, there hadn't been much in the way of a debris spray. Although the payload was strong, it was localized, and the platform structure appeared to be unharmed.
Perhaps because its previous target was lost in the blast, the Shadow appeared to want to take a "stab" at CourseMan's illusory ally. A sinister blade whipped through the air, its dark form crossing through CourseMan's decoy and scattering it harmlessly. Once again, it disappeared. However, this time, an observant viewer would be able to spot its form peeking around the bottom of the platform.
The Spikey that hadn't been a target for CourseMan so far seemed to want to hold its favorable position until it could get a clearer shot, and remained expectantly poised. It cast a glance behind the funnel, indicating it may be trying to rendezvous with the virus coming around.
=Enemies=
Catack: 36HP (at the front-right ahead of the funnel)
SpikeyA: DELETED
SpikeyB: 90HP (at the back-right, behind and a movement away from the funnel)
SpikeyC: 90 HP (at the left of the funnel beneath the platform, hidden from view)
Volgear: DELETED
Shadow: 80 HP (at the front-left ahead of the funnel)
=Terrain=
90% Unknown Terrain
10% Lava Terrain (center of funnel)
=Friendlies=
CourseMan: 80HP (right of the funnel)
=Objects=
Funnel:85HP (in front of CourseMan, leaking)
Platform:30HP (in front of CourseMan)
Mystery Data (Green): ACCESSED
=Special=
Unknown Terrain: A luminescent, glowing white stone, taking up the entirety of the cavern floor, but not the walls.
Upon winning the battle, CourseMan will receive a PanelShot battlechip earned by accessing mystery data.
With its would-be target gone, the Spikey which had been focusing on CourseMan's double shook its head to-and-fro for a moment, seeming unsure of itself. As such, it began trying to make a bolt for the far side of the platform, trying to obtain its target once again.
Said virus was fast, and as such, it was already out of sight by the time the Navi's attack flew. Its weakened ally, however, was not so lucky. Neither was the immobile staircase behind CourseMan's intended target, which received a blast of buckshot and virus data as the Navi landed his strike.
The Catack responded to the attack thrown in its general direction, rotating its turret as it trekked forward to meet the offender, and releasing its shell with a loud boom. CourseMan's step may have been a bit off from so much movement in such a short time period after guarding his own sonic attack. He made a move, but the entire area around him was a danger zone as the shell exploded on the surrounding terrain. As CourseMan might have expected (or indeed, seen through his visual split: surprisingly, his decoy was unharmed), the strange terrain of the Net remained perfectly intact following the blast. Perhaps because it had impacted with the unyielding terrain, there hadn't been much in the way of a debris spray. Although the payload was strong, it was localized, and the platform structure appeared to be unharmed.
Perhaps because its previous target was lost in the blast, the Shadow appeared to want to take a "stab" at CourseMan's illusory ally. A sinister blade whipped through the air, its dark form crossing through CourseMan's decoy and scattering it harmlessly. Once again, it disappeared. However, this time, an observant viewer would be able to spot its form peeking around the bottom of the platform.
The Spikey that hadn't been a target for CourseMan so far seemed to want to hold its favorable position until it could get a clearer shot, and remained expectantly poised. It cast a glance behind the funnel, indicating it may be trying to rendezvous with the virus coming around.
=Enemies=
Catack: 36HP (at the front-right ahead of the funnel)
SpikeyA: DELETED
SpikeyB: 90HP (at the back-right, behind and a movement away from the funnel)
SpikeyC: 90 HP (at the left of the funnel beneath the platform, hidden from view)
Volgear: DELETED
Shadow: 80 HP (at the front-left ahead of the funnel)
=Terrain=
90% Unknown Terrain
10% Lava Terrain (center of funnel)
=Friendlies=
CourseMan: 80HP (right of the funnel)
=Objects=
Funnel:85HP (in front of CourseMan, leaking)
Platform:30HP (in front of CourseMan)
Mystery Data (Green): ACCESSED
=Special=
Unknown Terrain: A luminescent, glowing white stone, taking up the entirety of the cavern floor, but not the walls.
Upon winning the battle, CourseMan will receive a PanelShot battlechip earned by accessing mystery data.
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At the end of his graceful series of twists and attacks, the overbearing blast from the ignored Catack sent CourseMan himself staggering back and skidding slightly. One of the spikeys had gotten away, and now his coat was singed again. Oh well. He grit his teeth and took a breath. Mentally, he tried to account for everything on the field, but came up short. Through his decoy's eyes, he'd managed to pinpoint the Shadow at last, right before it had been sundered, and one of the spikeys was behind him somewhere. The other.. out of sight, and the tank right in front of him. His main thought was that there was precious little time to actually worry about what might happen, and just focus on cutting down the numbers some more.
The Catack, with its blast waves, was first priority, now that it was making a pest of itself. There hadn't been any word from Jenny in a while, but he let her be; his left fist was still thoroughly wreathed in frozen ice, and it would hold up for a little more work still, for now anyway. CourseMan pressed forward again, regaining some of his lost momentum, and darted in close, around the outside of the bothersome tank, making the virus into a temporary barrier between himself and whatever else might have been lurking in the blind spot. Once he was near enough in, he put his left hand back and let the wave whip become a more forceful burst of pressure spray that lent momentum to the over-handed punch that he drove towards the side of the virus's treads.
As the punch reached the end of its force, the assisting water-jet from his other hand focused in and spread flat again, cycling the currents around into his broad shield that left the compressed torrent rushing outward from the raised boss, to curl around at the outer edges. He curled his right arm, keeping the defence at his back for now; he could watch everywhere else, but the shadow had an fortunate amount of skill for finding the places where his eyes weren't.
At the same time as Courser himself had been ducking around the Catack, his decoy had re-emerged from his own body, also diving forward, but moving around the inside of the tank instead. This one was holding its faux water-shield to the side, outward from the funnel, but as the clone moved it showed no interest in the tank. Instead, it made a bee-line right for the shadow that had cut it apart before.
"Oi, you! What's the big idea, huh?" It began to shout even before it reached the hard-to-catch virus. "What's your problem? Darting around with your cutting and your stabbing, well, just what did either of us do to you, eh?" Provided it could get to the virus before it attacked again, The clone fully intended to get right up close to it, even to the extend of putting a hand against the funnel to either side of it. "You like your shadows, I like my shadows, why you got to go picking on a guy like me. I ain't done a thing to hurt you yet, so what gives?" Ok so maybe that last wasn't quite true. The borderline insane pulsar blast might count as intent to harm, but the decoy seemed content to gloss over that particular as it shouted its dissatisfaction at the shadow.
The reason for Jenny's silence at the moment was something that might worry, and please Courser at the same time, if he was actually aware of it.
-=Summary=-
C*) Decoy: Splitting left of the Catack, around to berate the Shadow most soundly.
C1) Dodge (to around the outer side of the Catack)
C2) ColdPunch: ((70(75)Aqua), Impact, Knockback, 6 Uses, B) @ Catack [4 Uses left]
C*) Assassin will add 15 Dmg, if applicable... but hoping to get in before it does anything.
C3) Shield Up (1-Hit Shield, guarding back.)
The Catack, with its blast waves, was first priority, now that it was making a pest of itself. There hadn't been any word from Jenny in a while, but he let her be; his left fist was still thoroughly wreathed in frozen ice, and it would hold up for a little more work still, for now anyway. CourseMan pressed forward again, regaining some of his lost momentum, and darted in close, around the outside of the bothersome tank, making the virus into a temporary barrier between himself and whatever else might have been lurking in the blind spot. Once he was near enough in, he put his left hand back and let the wave whip become a more forceful burst of pressure spray that lent momentum to the over-handed punch that he drove towards the side of the virus's treads.
As the punch reached the end of its force, the assisting water-jet from his other hand focused in and spread flat again, cycling the currents around into his broad shield that left the compressed torrent rushing outward from the raised boss, to curl around at the outer edges. He curled his right arm, keeping the defence at his back for now; he could watch everywhere else, but the shadow had an fortunate amount of skill for finding the places where his eyes weren't.
At the same time as Courser himself had been ducking around the Catack, his decoy had re-emerged from his own body, also diving forward, but moving around the inside of the tank instead. This one was holding its faux water-shield to the side, outward from the funnel, but as the clone moved it showed no interest in the tank. Instead, it made a bee-line right for the shadow that had cut it apart before.
"Oi, you! What's the big idea, huh?" It began to shout even before it reached the hard-to-catch virus. "What's your problem? Darting around with your cutting and your stabbing, well, just what did either of us do to you, eh?" Provided it could get to the virus before it attacked again, The clone fully intended to get right up close to it, even to the extend of putting a hand against the funnel to either side of it. "You like your shadows, I like my shadows, why you got to go picking on a guy like me. I ain't done a thing to hurt you yet, so what gives?" Ok so maybe that last wasn't quite true. The borderline insane pulsar blast might count as intent to harm, but the decoy seemed content to gloss over that particular as it shouted its dissatisfaction at the shadow.
The reason for Jenny's silence at the moment was something that might worry, and please Courser at the same time, if he was actually aware of it.
-=Summary=-
C*) Decoy: Splitting left of the Catack, around to berate the Shadow most soundly.
C1) Dodge (to around the outer side of the Catack)
C2) ColdPunch: ((70(75)Aqua), Impact, Knockback, 6 Uses, B) @ Catack [4 Uses left]
C*) Assassin will add 15 Dmg, if applicable... but hoping to get in before it does anything.
C3) Shield Up (1-Hit Shield, guarding back.)
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CourseMan managed to circle around to the Catack's side without much difficulty. However, while outmaneuvering its speed was easy, outmaneuvering its aim was not. The turret continued to spin to keep its aim more or less on CourseMan, as it seemed to recognize his movements as positioning for an attack. The end result was that the two ended up playing chicken, as if testing each other to see who would keep their nerve.
Ultimately, whether due to bad nerves or good survival reflex, CourseMan read an incoming blast from the tank and used his pressure to both dive in and avoid it. However, doing so made him go wide of the tank, his fist connecting with the floor of the Net and resounding with an annoying hum.
Meanwhile, CourseMan's decoy had already made a beeline around the tank, heading for the Shadow. Needless to say, the tank couldn't focus on two targets at once, so it was focusing on the one trying to pound it with a fist. As such, the decoy made its way straight to the Shadow and began giving it a good trash talking.
Narrowing its eyes, the Shadow whizzed out of existence for a brief second, and then back in near the Navi, in the form of a menacing axe. With a swipe, it managed to catch a cut across the Navi's chest, dispelling it. Following that, the Shadow teleported again, this time appearing a short distance behind the actual Navi. It seemed like it was probably trying to get a better view on the overall action.
The Spikey to CourseMan's side followed his decoy with his head, but wasn't fast enough to get a bead on him. On the other hand, CourseMan itself seemed like easy prey. The Spikey immediately bristled, growled, and let out a shot of its heated breath. In a very lucky turn of events, the fire just barely whizzed past CourseMan's back and off into the blackness.
The other Spikey couldn't be seen, but it wasn't too hard to locate. CourseMan heard a howl and then a clang from the platform, clearly indicating the virus had leapt up onto the platform above it. It was remaining behind the funnel for now, so it was impossible to see from the current location.
=Enemies=
Catack: 36HP (at the front-right ahead of the funnel)
SpikeyA: DELETED
SpikeyB: 90HP (at the back-right, behind and a movement away from the funnel)
SpikeyC: 90 HP (at the left of the funnel above the platform, hidden from view)
Volgear: DELETED
Shadow: 80 HP (at the right of the platform)
=Terrain=
90% Unknown Terrain
10% Lava Terrain (center of funnel)
=Friendlies=
CourseMan: 80HP (at the front-right ahead of the funnel)
=Objects=
Funnel:85HP (in front of CourseMan, leaking)
Platform:30HP (in front of CourseMan)
Mystery Data (Green): ACCESSED
=Special=
Unknown Terrain: A luminescent, glowing white stone, taking up the entirety of the cavern floor, but not the walls.
Upon winning the battle, CourseMan will receive a PanelShot battlechip earned by accessing mystery data.
Ultimately, whether due to bad nerves or good survival reflex, CourseMan read an incoming blast from the tank and used his pressure to both dive in and avoid it. However, doing so made him go wide of the tank, his fist connecting with the floor of the Net and resounding with an annoying hum.
Meanwhile, CourseMan's decoy had already made a beeline around the tank, heading for the Shadow. Needless to say, the tank couldn't focus on two targets at once, so it was focusing on the one trying to pound it with a fist. As such, the decoy made its way straight to the Shadow and began giving it a good trash talking.
Narrowing its eyes, the Shadow whizzed out of existence for a brief second, and then back in near the Navi, in the form of a menacing axe. With a swipe, it managed to catch a cut across the Navi's chest, dispelling it. Following that, the Shadow teleported again, this time appearing a short distance behind the actual Navi. It seemed like it was probably trying to get a better view on the overall action.
The Spikey to CourseMan's side followed his decoy with his head, but wasn't fast enough to get a bead on him. On the other hand, CourseMan itself seemed like easy prey. The Spikey immediately bristled, growled, and let out a shot of its heated breath. In a very lucky turn of events, the fire just barely whizzed past CourseMan's back and off into the blackness.
The other Spikey couldn't be seen, but it wasn't too hard to locate. CourseMan heard a howl and then a clang from the platform, clearly indicating the virus had leapt up onto the platform above it. It was remaining behind the funnel for now, so it was impossible to see from the current location.
=Enemies=
Catack: 36HP (at the front-right ahead of the funnel)
SpikeyA: DELETED
SpikeyB: 90HP (at the back-right, behind and a movement away from the funnel)
SpikeyC: 90 HP (at the left of the funnel above the platform, hidden from view)
Volgear: DELETED
Shadow: 80 HP (at the right of the platform)
=Terrain=
90% Unknown Terrain
10% Lava Terrain (center of funnel)
=Friendlies=
CourseMan: 80HP (at the front-right ahead of the funnel)
=Objects=
Funnel:85HP (in front of CourseMan, leaking)
Platform:30HP (in front of CourseMan)
Mystery Data (Green): ACCESSED
=Special=
Unknown Terrain: A luminescent, glowing white stone, taking up the entirety of the cavern floor, but not the walls.
Upon winning the battle, CourseMan will receive a PanelShot battlechip earned by accessing mystery data.
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Avoiding the tank shell, while necessary, had cost Courser the clean shot he wanted, and it was adding up to a great many just-not-good-enough moments in this latest scuffle. Despite doing his best to keep his cool, straightening his lapels briefly as he jumped up and back in recovery from his failed blow, a small growl still made its way out of his throat.
His decoy wasn't quite so reserved. It faded into sight, back to back with its master, looking towards the shadow and spikey ahead while the latter was still keeping an eye on the tank. His growl was much louder and came along with an overly wider stance, arms low and out with his fists clenched inside his wave-whips.
"Arghh... I've right well had it with this lot!" It was nothing short of a quite furious shout, and he cast an glance over his shoulder at the real CourseMan. "Hit something, would you?!"
"Maybe I could if you'd keep more of them off me!" The original's snap back was still quiet, but no less fierce than the deocy's reprimand. That it was the sign of a man struggling, and failing, to keep calm was probably reinforced by the fact that he was shouting at himself.
"You've got enough ordinance to blow them all sky high! Just use it already!"
"Fine, Fine, whatever, just keep them busy! Jen, you there?" He'd shouted that too, and decided that he needed to calm down before talking to his operator. Fortunately, Jenny didn't answer right away. Taking a deep breath, CourseMan darted away from the mess that had swiftly surrounded them, moving back in to the precariously damaged funnel and circling around it to get as hidden from as many things as he could manage.
Jenny chose that moment to get back to her bedroom and reclaim her PET, though she winced when she checked the display.
"Courser? What's going on; I heard a shout." CourseMan himself didn't trust himself to answer yet, but his decoy glanced skywards in between assessing the targets surrounding him.
"Boss-man's feeling mad because he can't hit a mountain with a sniper rifle at point blank. Go on and feed that addiction of his, an' give him the one that explodes, huh, beautiful?" The girl started back from being addressed, and so unexpectedly crudely, by a shadow decoy, rather than her actual navi, but after a glance at the screen she grabbed the chip and slotted it for him.
"I was just letting mum and dad know that I'm thinking of nipping out to get an extra chip or two for him, just in case he wants to go deeper. It's a pain to have to get a bus over to ACDC, and I really, really, don't feel like leaving the house today, but..."
The decoy hadn't taken the time to listen, though; he still had a job to do, and was busy trying to do it. With a sigh, the clone had raced forward, water kicking up from his feet as he locked onto the newly repositioned shadow again.
"You want to dance with shadows, mate, you're going to have to do a bit more of a permanent job of it than that! But if you want to go all slice and dice on us, that's fine with me. Bring it, you dull-edged piece of junk." As he approached, the clone flourished its wave-whips and flexed his fingers, opening his hands wide then gripping down again. As his fists closes, the whips burst short with a splash and left the decoy holding a pair of fine-bladed watery knives in each hand instead. He twirled them once and raised them towards the shadow.
Courser, meanwhile, couldn't help but feel annoyed that he was back to -this- again. There was something manically gleeful about using the chip, and the devastating results that came with it, but it was also subtly worrying him as well. More than once, so far, he'd done outright stupid things, for the prospect of a large explosion, and the sanest part of his mind was worried that it was becoming a trend. That wasn't the sort of man he wanted to be. Not that there was much choice left, for now.
Keeping his shield up, to the side that he'd just come from while he put his back against the funnel, Courser let the icy data filter away from his free hand. Instead, the increasingly familiar complex chip data that made up the Countbomb chip replaced it, and he extended the hand to actualise it with a flat expression.
More similar to the first time he used it, what materialised near Courser's feet far more resembled a sea-mine, than the traditional formation; it was large and metal, rounded, but bearing a lot of heavy-duty contact pressure spikes. There was still a small window on the front that displayed the downward-counting red numbers, though. The navi shook his head.
"You've got loads of blanks, right Jenny? You're telling me there's really no online download options that you can get without having to go out? That seems really backwards, in this day and age." He sighed all the same and cast his eyes about, trying to keep attentive to what was going on around him, rather than the sheer strangeness of that fact. His operator had no answer for him.
Summary
C*) Decoy: doing his best to remain the most visible Courser on the right side of the field, but focusing mostly on the shadow.
C1) Movement: back to, and around the funnel to the far side, trying to get as out-of-sight as he reasonably can. Shield is facing the way he came, back is to the funnel.
C2) CountBomb1: (100Hp object, 100 To-All(enemies) after 2 turns, S), placed more or less at his feet.
C3) Prepared Dodge
His decoy wasn't quite so reserved. It faded into sight, back to back with its master, looking towards the shadow and spikey ahead while the latter was still keeping an eye on the tank. His growl was much louder and came along with an overly wider stance, arms low and out with his fists clenched inside his wave-whips.
"Arghh... I've right well had it with this lot!" It was nothing short of a quite furious shout, and he cast an glance over his shoulder at the real CourseMan. "Hit something, would you?!"
"Maybe I could if you'd keep more of them off me!" The original's snap back was still quiet, but no less fierce than the deocy's reprimand. That it was the sign of a man struggling, and failing, to keep calm was probably reinforced by the fact that he was shouting at himself.
"You've got enough ordinance to blow them all sky high! Just use it already!"
"Fine, Fine, whatever, just keep them busy! Jen, you there?" He'd shouted that too, and decided that he needed to calm down before talking to his operator. Fortunately, Jenny didn't answer right away. Taking a deep breath, CourseMan darted away from the mess that had swiftly surrounded them, moving back in to the precariously damaged funnel and circling around it to get as hidden from as many things as he could manage.
Jenny chose that moment to get back to her bedroom and reclaim her PET, though she winced when she checked the display.
"Courser? What's going on; I heard a shout." CourseMan himself didn't trust himself to answer yet, but his decoy glanced skywards in between assessing the targets surrounding him.
"Boss-man's feeling mad because he can't hit a mountain with a sniper rifle at point blank. Go on and feed that addiction of his, an' give him the one that explodes, huh, beautiful?" The girl started back from being addressed, and so unexpectedly crudely, by a shadow decoy, rather than her actual navi, but after a glance at the screen she grabbed the chip and slotted it for him.
"I was just letting mum and dad know that I'm thinking of nipping out to get an extra chip or two for him, just in case he wants to go deeper. It's a pain to have to get a bus over to ACDC, and I really, really, don't feel like leaving the house today, but..."
The decoy hadn't taken the time to listen, though; he still had a job to do, and was busy trying to do it. With a sigh, the clone had raced forward, water kicking up from his feet as he locked onto the newly repositioned shadow again.
"You want to dance with shadows, mate, you're going to have to do a bit more of a permanent job of it than that! But if you want to go all slice and dice on us, that's fine with me. Bring it, you dull-edged piece of junk." As he approached, the clone flourished its wave-whips and flexed his fingers, opening his hands wide then gripping down again. As his fists closes, the whips burst short with a splash and left the decoy holding a pair of fine-bladed watery knives in each hand instead. He twirled them once and raised them towards the shadow.
Courser, meanwhile, couldn't help but feel annoyed that he was back to -this- again. There was something manically gleeful about using the chip, and the devastating results that came with it, but it was also subtly worrying him as well. More than once, so far, he'd done outright stupid things, for the prospect of a large explosion, and the sanest part of his mind was worried that it was becoming a trend. That wasn't the sort of man he wanted to be. Not that there was much choice left, for now.
Keeping his shield up, to the side that he'd just come from while he put his back against the funnel, Courser let the icy data filter away from his free hand. Instead, the increasingly familiar complex chip data that made up the Countbomb chip replaced it, and he extended the hand to actualise it with a flat expression.
More similar to the first time he used it, what materialised near Courser's feet far more resembled a sea-mine, than the traditional formation; it was large and metal, rounded, but bearing a lot of heavy-duty contact pressure spikes. There was still a small window on the front that displayed the downward-counting red numbers, though. The navi shook his head.
"You've got loads of blanks, right Jenny? You're telling me there's really no online download options that you can get without having to go out? That seems really backwards, in this day and age." He sighed all the same and cast his eyes about, trying to keep attentive to what was going on around him, rather than the sheer strangeness of that fact. His operator had no answer for him.
Summary
C*) Decoy: doing his best to remain the most visible Courser on the right side of the field, but focusing mostly on the shadow.
C1) Movement: back to, and around the funnel to the far side, trying to get as out-of-sight as he reasonably can. Shield is facing the way he came, back is to the funnel.
C2) CountBomb1: (100Hp object, 100 To-All(enemies) after 2 turns, S), placed more or less at his feet.
C3) Prepared Dodge
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As CourseMan muttered his curses and tried to make a break for safer cover, the Catack that had been next to him did its game best to keep its lock on him. Unfortunately, that ended up not being nearly enough, in this case. The Catack was rolling at about half the pace of the Navi, and as a result, by the time he'd made his way behind the funnel, the Catack had just turned a corner. Pressing himself against the funnel, CourseMan was able to break line of sight with it. As if in frustration, the Catack turned to the ceiling above and ahead of it. The shot actually caused the point of impact to deflect upward, and raised a shout of alarm from both Spikeys. The one on the ground ducked low, and the one in the air jumped off the platform, landing a short ways off on the other side of the stairs from CourseMan. As one might expect, firing that close caused the Catack to char itself in the explosion. As one might also expect, the impervious stone of the Net remained more or less impervious.
Perhaps surprisingly, CourseMan found himself staring at the blast mere inches from where he'd placed his shield. His equipment would have defended against it, anyhow, but it was good to know the virus wasn't going to get the satisfaction of seeing its plan had worked out. The bomb he had placed, however, had been slightly damaged by the explosion. Furthermore, the platform above him seemed like it was going to come down any time, and it would probably be wise to be out of the way when it did.
The Shadow still wanted to deal with the guy trying to make a fool of it, and it wasn't looking for a fair fight. As soon as the mock-CourseMan raised his weapons, the virus had already disappeared, plunging as a dagger through the decoy's back. It then disappeared, but without a clear line of sight (or a double in place to visually link with), CourseMan was at a loss to say where. He wouldn't quite have seen it even if it had chosen to come to a stop where it was.
=Enemies=
Catack: 16HP (at the right, beneath the platform)
SpikeyA: DELETED
SpikeyB: 90HP (at the back-right, behind and a movement away from the funnel)
SpikeyC: 90 HP (at the back-left, behind and a movement away from the funnel)
Volgear: DELETED
Shadow: 80 HP (Unknown Location)
=Terrain=
90% Unknown Terrain
10% Lava Terrain (center of funnel)
=Friendlies=
CourseMan: 80HP (at the back of the funnel) (EQUIPMENT: NCP Shield)
CourseMan's Countbomb: 80 HP [2 turns remaining!]
=Objects=
Funnel:65HP (behind CourseMan, leaking)
Platform:10HP (behind CourseMan, falling apart)
Mystery Data (Green): ACCESSED
=Special=
Unknown Terrain: A luminescent, glowing white stone, taking up the entirety of the cavern floor, but not the walls.
Upon winning the battle, CourseMan will receive a PanelShot battlechip earned by accessing mystery data.
Perhaps surprisingly, CourseMan found himself staring at the blast mere inches from where he'd placed his shield. His equipment would have defended against it, anyhow, but it was good to know the virus wasn't going to get the satisfaction of seeing its plan had worked out. The bomb he had placed, however, had been slightly damaged by the explosion. Furthermore, the platform above him seemed like it was going to come down any time, and it would probably be wise to be out of the way when it did.
The Shadow still wanted to deal with the guy trying to make a fool of it, and it wasn't looking for a fair fight. As soon as the mock-CourseMan raised his weapons, the virus had already disappeared, plunging as a dagger through the decoy's back. It then disappeared, but without a clear line of sight (or a double in place to visually link with), CourseMan was at a loss to say where. He wouldn't quite have seen it even if it had chosen to come to a stop where it was.
=Enemies=
Catack: 16HP (at the right, beneath the platform)
SpikeyA: DELETED
SpikeyB: 90HP (at the back-right, behind and a movement away from the funnel)
SpikeyC: 90 HP (at the back-left, behind and a movement away from the funnel)
Volgear: DELETED
Shadow: 80 HP (Unknown Location)
=Terrain=
90% Unknown Terrain
10% Lava Terrain (center of funnel)
=Friendlies=
CourseMan: 80HP (at the back of the funnel) (EQUIPMENT: NCP Shield)
CourseMan's Countbomb: 80 HP [2 turns remaining!]
=Objects=
Funnel:65HP (behind CourseMan, leaking)
Platform:10HP (behind CourseMan, falling apart)
Mystery Data (Green): ACCESSED
=Special=
Unknown Terrain: A luminescent, glowing white stone, taking up the entirety of the cavern floor, but not the walls.
Upon winning the battle, CourseMan will receive a PanelShot battlechip earned by accessing mystery data.
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((Turn 1 with Jenny absent))
Even as he darted away, courser felt the blast from the frustrated Catack hit his cover and cast his eyes upwards as it began to look like the whole lot was coming down around him. Not good. Also on the list of things that weren't in the realms of good, circling around to avoid the tank had left him more or less facing the two Spikey, with no real cover between him and them. Frankly, he preferred the tank, in retrospect. With the platform beginning to break up, though, he didn't have a lot of time to worry. He needed more cover, but he also needed eyes. An upward glance made him take a breath and try to keep his focus, before he darted further around the funnel, keeping his back to it for now, despite the crumbling framework, and his eyes open for the Shadow.
Above him, on the increasingly unstable platform, the shadows coalesced into courser's decoy, perched precariously in a crouch with his hands down for balance. After a moment, however, he stood upright and held his hands out.
"Right-o! Woah... easy..." He wobbled slightly before looking around, first to get eyes for Courser himself, and secondly to see whose attention he was getting. "Here's the deal then, my lovelies!" The clone's shout carried wide and he flipped and straightened the lapels of his jacket as he called out. "My shadowy little buddy and I have just set a nice little present for you all, an' it packs enough kick to blast each and every one of you sky high, you hear!? Aye, even you mister stab-stab!" If he was able to lay eyes on the Shadow at this point, the decoy would point both forefingers at it, though if not he'd settle for a broad, all-encompassing gesture. Perhaps that was a bit of a bluff, but who was counting at this point? "So the way I see it, mates, is you've got two choices. Either you keep doin' you best to nail me, and fail like scraps of uncompiled code for a few minutes, an' then get blasted clean off your mugs. Or else, maybe, just maybe you might all get lucky and find our little surprise, and try to get rid of it before it gets rid of you." He chuckled again and pointed at the nearest virus he could see long enough to make a finger-gun gesture at it.
"Clocks ticking, boys and girls!" This time around, the decoy was quite clearly sacrificing any chance of avoiding assaults in the name of being clear and getting his warning out. Below him, the real CouseMan continued to edge around the funnel. The Catack was slow enough that he could just keep away from it, as long as his cover held up, but if its last blast was any indication, it might well be trying to remove that from the equation completely. He had been about to call Jenny for the needle chip, before realising that she would have left already. Nothing to do but stall and try to protect his interests then, it seemed. With another short breath he pushed away from the funnel and tried to make some clear space, spinning around neatly on his water current as he made a quick survey of what surrounded him.
"You heard the boss! You had all best make up your minds quickly; we won't stay around all day!" A touch of the mad daredevil had crept back into his voice and onto his lips as he called out, and he raised his second hand in front of him as he did. He mightn't have any new chips to use, but there was one thing he could do that might help his longevity. Though his main hand was occupied holding his water shield in place, he was pretty sure he could manage a second one, if he wasn't planning on using any chips. The second wave whip drew in then spread, creating an identical wall of pressure-cycling water opposite the first. Gliding neatly and with both shields up, he felt a little better about being exposed again, but the ever-present need for flair made him add a little something extra to it as well; as long as the shadow was there to pick his uncovered angle, blocking to any particular side was of limited value to him.
With a laugh that was equal parts daring, and mocking of himself, Courser crossed his hands over and then flexed them out again, setting both pressure shields spinning around his body. It sacrificed sure cover from any one direction, but maybe if he was lucky it would be enough to trip that infuriating shadow up, if it came his way. He turned slowly in the opposite way to the direction his shields spun, as the water current carried him, just to add that extra layer of confusion while he tried to watch everywhere at once. A small voice in the back of his mind was chanting variants of 'come on' and 'try it' quietly, fuelling his smirk.
Summary
C*) Decoy: Limelighting on the platform
C1) Dodge, slightly further around the funnel.
C2) NCP Shield up, to his second hand.
C*) Shield positions set to orbital (Mod discretion on whether an attack finds the 'gap' or not)
C3) Movement, getting clear of the funnel slightly, for better view and to avoid a potential collapse.
Even as he darted away, courser felt the blast from the frustrated Catack hit his cover and cast his eyes upwards as it began to look like the whole lot was coming down around him. Not good. Also on the list of things that weren't in the realms of good, circling around to avoid the tank had left him more or less facing the two Spikey, with no real cover between him and them. Frankly, he preferred the tank, in retrospect. With the platform beginning to break up, though, he didn't have a lot of time to worry. He needed more cover, but he also needed eyes. An upward glance made him take a breath and try to keep his focus, before he darted further around the funnel, keeping his back to it for now, despite the crumbling framework, and his eyes open for the Shadow.
Above him, on the increasingly unstable platform, the shadows coalesced into courser's decoy, perched precariously in a crouch with his hands down for balance. After a moment, however, he stood upright and held his hands out.
"Right-o! Woah... easy..." He wobbled slightly before looking around, first to get eyes for Courser himself, and secondly to see whose attention he was getting. "Here's the deal then, my lovelies!" The clone's shout carried wide and he flipped and straightened the lapels of his jacket as he called out. "My shadowy little buddy and I have just set a nice little present for you all, an' it packs enough kick to blast each and every one of you sky high, you hear!? Aye, even you mister stab-stab!" If he was able to lay eyes on the Shadow at this point, the decoy would point both forefingers at it, though if not he'd settle for a broad, all-encompassing gesture. Perhaps that was a bit of a bluff, but who was counting at this point? "So the way I see it, mates, is you've got two choices. Either you keep doin' you best to nail me, and fail like scraps of uncompiled code for a few minutes, an' then get blasted clean off your mugs. Or else, maybe, just maybe you might all get lucky and find our little surprise, and try to get rid of it before it gets rid of you." He chuckled again and pointed at the nearest virus he could see long enough to make a finger-gun gesture at it.
"Clocks ticking, boys and girls!" This time around, the decoy was quite clearly sacrificing any chance of avoiding assaults in the name of being clear and getting his warning out. Below him, the real CouseMan continued to edge around the funnel. The Catack was slow enough that he could just keep away from it, as long as his cover held up, but if its last blast was any indication, it might well be trying to remove that from the equation completely. He had been about to call Jenny for the needle chip, before realising that she would have left already. Nothing to do but stall and try to protect his interests then, it seemed. With another short breath he pushed away from the funnel and tried to make some clear space, spinning around neatly on his water current as he made a quick survey of what surrounded him.
"You heard the boss! You had all best make up your minds quickly; we won't stay around all day!" A touch of the mad daredevil had crept back into his voice and onto his lips as he called out, and he raised his second hand in front of him as he did. He mightn't have any new chips to use, but there was one thing he could do that might help his longevity. Though his main hand was occupied holding his water shield in place, he was pretty sure he could manage a second one, if he wasn't planning on using any chips. The second wave whip drew in then spread, creating an identical wall of pressure-cycling water opposite the first. Gliding neatly and with both shields up, he felt a little better about being exposed again, but the ever-present need for flair made him add a little something extra to it as well; as long as the shadow was there to pick his uncovered angle, blocking to any particular side was of limited value to him.
With a laugh that was equal parts daring, and mocking of himself, Courser crossed his hands over and then flexed them out again, setting both pressure shields spinning around his body. It sacrificed sure cover from any one direction, but maybe if he was lucky it would be enough to trip that infuriating shadow up, if it came his way. He turned slowly in the opposite way to the direction his shields spun, as the water current carried him, just to add that extra layer of confusion while he tried to watch everywhere at once. A small voice in the back of his mind was chanting variants of 'come on' and 'try it' quietly, fuelling his smirk.
Summary
C*) Decoy: Limelighting on the platform
C1) Dodge, slightly further around the funnel.
C2) NCP Shield up, to his second hand.
C*) Shield positions set to orbital (Mod discretion on whether an attack finds the 'gap' or not)
C3) Movement, getting clear of the funnel slightly, for better view and to avoid a potential collapse.
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CourseMan's double might be surprised to find itself sharing space with another shadow: the virus of the same name, which had apparently taken to this location after running him through earlier. With a look of irritation, the Shadow didn't even give the fake Navi time to finish his speech. At about "Clock's," the virus had already begun carving an arc through the air, and at the end of "ticking," it cut the decoy's speech short. After that, it disappeared...
CourseMan could hear the Catack still trying to follow him, but it sounded as though it was spinning its tracks for some reason. The Navi's line of sight still wasn't restored, but from its position, it was easy to imagine it had just run into the bomb, and was having a hard time crossing. It went silent for a moment. Immediately after, CourseMan could hear the sound of its treads moving farther away.
The two Spikeys still seemed to have their heads most in the game of the remaining viruses. They barked at each other, seeming to have interpreted from the Catack's actions that something new was behind the stairs.
The closer of the two chased down CourseMan's with dogged aggression, almost threatening to put itself within biting distance. In fact, perhaps unwisely, that was exactly what it tried to do: flames rolled from its maw as it attempted to clamp its jaws on the Navi. Trying such a maneuver failed to get even one of the shields of the showboating Navi. The virus muttered a curse, menacing the Navi within striking distance.
The other Spikey, CourseMan could see at some distance, had its nose buried near CourseMan's bomb. The Spikey first yelped, then began to bark furiously before bathing the thing in a spit of fire at close range.
If he could catch a glimpse of it through his orbiting defenses, the Navi would also spot a shadowy figure which appeared to have taken cover near the funnel, on the opposite side of his bomb.
=Enemies=
Catack: 16HP (at the back-right, a movement away from the funnel)
SpikeyA: DELETED
SpikeyB: 90HP (at the back of the funnel, beneath the platform and right by the bomb)
SpikeyC: 90 HP (at the left of the funnel, a movement away from the funnel)
Volgear: DELETED
Shadow: 80 HP (at the front of the funnel, beneath the platform)
=Terrain=
90% Unknown Terrain
10% Lava Terrain (center of funnel)
=Friendlies=
CourseMan: 80HP (at the left of the funnel, a movement away) (RIGHT HAND: NCP 1-Hit Shield) (LEFT HAND: NCP 1-Hit Shield)
CourseMan's Countbomb: 65 HP [at the back of the funnel, below the platform, 1 turn remaining!]
=Objects=
Funnel:65HP (leaking)
Platform:10HP (above funnel, falling apart)
Mystery Data (Green): ACCESSED
=Special=
Unknown Terrain: A luminescent, glowing white stone, taking up the entirety of the cavern floor, but not the walls.
Upon winning the battle, CourseMan will receive a PanelShot battlechip earned by accessing mystery data.
CourseMan could hear the Catack still trying to follow him, but it sounded as though it was spinning its tracks for some reason. The Navi's line of sight still wasn't restored, but from its position, it was easy to imagine it had just run into the bomb, and was having a hard time crossing. It went silent for a moment. Immediately after, CourseMan could hear the sound of its treads moving farther away.
The two Spikeys still seemed to have their heads most in the game of the remaining viruses. They barked at each other, seeming to have interpreted from the Catack's actions that something new was behind the stairs.
The closer of the two chased down CourseMan's with dogged aggression, almost threatening to put itself within biting distance. In fact, perhaps unwisely, that was exactly what it tried to do: flames rolled from its maw as it attempted to clamp its jaws on the Navi. Trying such a maneuver failed to get even one of the shields of the showboating Navi. The virus muttered a curse, menacing the Navi within striking distance.
The other Spikey, CourseMan could see at some distance, had its nose buried near CourseMan's bomb. The Spikey first yelped, then began to bark furiously before bathing the thing in a spit of fire at close range.
If he could catch a glimpse of it through his orbiting defenses, the Navi would also spot a shadowy figure which appeared to have taken cover near the funnel, on the opposite side of his bomb.
=Enemies=
Catack: 16HP (at the back-right, a movement away from the funnel)
SpikeyA: DELETED
SpikeyB: 90HP (at the back of the funnel, beneath the platform and right by the bomb)
SpikeyC: 90 HP (at the left of the funnel, a movement away from the funnel)
Volgear: DELETED
Shadow: 80 HP (at the front of the funnel, beneath the platform)
=Terrain=
90% Unknown Terrain
10% Lava Terrain (center of funnel)
=Friendlies=
CourseMan: 80HP (at the left of the funnel, a movement away) (RIGHT HAND: NCP 1-Hit Shield) (LEFT HAND: NCP 1-Hit Shield)
CourseMan's Countbomb: 65 HP [at the back of the funnel, below the platform, 1 turn remaining!]
=Objects=
Funnel:65HP (leaking)
Platform:10HP (above funnel, falling apart)
Mystery Data (Green): ACCESSED
=Special=
Unknown Terrain: A luminescent, glowing white stone, taking up the entirety of the cavern floor, but not the walls.
Upon winning the battle, CourseMan will receive a PanelShot battlechip earned by accessing mystery data.
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((Second turn with Jenny absent))
With the efficiency at which the swift-moving Shadow virus was repeatedly slicing up his decoys, CourseMan was only glad that he hadn't been on the receiving end of that attention himself nearly as often. Ideally, he wanted to keep it that way as well. He steadied himself with a small curve on his water eddy as he weaved away from the over-enthusiastic spikey, trying to gauge how best to use the short time that he needed to stretch for. There was still no answer from Jenny, so he'd have to improvise. Hopefully she wouldn't be too much longer.
The biggest threat to the plan, as far as he could guess, was also the one that should really be the easiest to remove early, provided he could just get a decent bead on it. If the wolf virus was frustrated at missing its bite before, it probably wouldn't be too pleased about being so thoroughly ignored, but that was what CourseMan did. His shields stopped in their rotation around his body as he kicked off again, with his right handed one remaining towards the Spikey near him, while the other wavered hen locked back into place in front of him. Maintaining two at once was strain enough, he realised; he could set them both spinning, or lock them both in, but not half and half. Oh well. Gliding fast in a wide arc towards the sound the the Catack's treads, he tried to make sight on it as swiftly as he could. Without time to make more than a shot at most, Courser focused on building up enough of a water charge before he reached it; he'd rather make the attack with his whips, they felt more comfortable to him, but at this rate, a ranged shot would have to do.
While the original raced to make his line on the tank, another part of his mind was multi-tasking again and splitting his focus away. The shadows reformed on the crumbling platform, just above his time bomb, and rather than wait for the actual Shadow to slice him again, the Decoy grabbed the lip and swung down nimbly, turning a stabilising somersault to land on one knee near the explosive device. As it landed, the fake Courser held his hands out to either side, bearing what looked like a pair of long, thin-edged water blades, honed by rapid current.
He had been expecting to find viruses, but he'd believed the Shadow was still up top, so it came as a surprise to find it down here as well. For a moment he began to wonder if there was actually more than one, but the flicker passed as the decoy raised its bluffing blades with a shout, one thrust between the Spikey and the bomb, while the other pointed towards the unexpected Shadow.
"Nobody Moves!" With any luck the dramatic entry might help the shock factor... but that was always a difficult question with viruses, sadly. The clone snarled. "We're all gonna to play nice now, you hear? No sudden moves, from any of you!" Truth be told, he wasn't expecting them to listen. If anything the shadow in particular had seemed ever more irked at his persistence, but if it delayed them for even a moment or two longer, that was something worthwhile.
Elsewhere, Courser had reached a workable line of sight with his own target, and raised his left arm towards the Catack. He was looking at it through his shield, the rush of water panning outward from the raised boss in all directions, so rather than simply trying to launch the charge of water he had built in the left whip, he lifted it to the surface of the shield, as though to reclaim it directly with that hand. The very centre of the shield was where the water cycled back to the front again, so it was the strongest point for resisting force that come from the outside, but it also make it thee point of least resistance, and more importantly, least structural degradation for him to push his hand into. As he did, the shield rejoined with his wave whip, and locked onto his hand instead, coming free of the frontal position, though he still pointed it that way manually. The waters rippled as he pressed his hand further through the centre, but held together until it resembled more of a wrist-mounted guard, with his whip beginning to reform and curl slightly on the outside.
Whether it would still stand up to a blow or not, Courser had no idea, but he could hope. The more important issue was lining up his shot with the Catack and loosing the ball of water he'd prepared for it, and sending the tightly spinning sphere of energy hurtling from his palm towards towards it. His arm recoiled from the ball of energy tearing free from its sheathing whip, but he didn't try to pull his hand back through the guard; that would make it collapse for certain. Instead he did his best to steady himself and get a clean outlook on the result of his effort. Jenny really needed to get back soon.
Summary
C*) Decoy: Whazzapian Standoff in front of the bomb?
C1) Movement, chasing the Catack until he can make LoS on it clearly.
C*) Shields re-locked, one towards the Spikey, and one forward as he chases the Catack.
C2) Buster Charge
C3) Half-Charge Shot (20Aqua, A) @ Catack.
C*) Assassin would add 4, if applicable, though this is largely irrelevant either way.
With the efficiency at which the swift-moving Shadow virus was repeatedly slicing up his decoys, CourseMan was only glad that he hadn't been on the receiving end of that attention himself nearly as often. Ideally, he wanted to keep it that way as well. He steadied himself with a small curve on his water eddy as he weaved away from the over-enthusiastic spikey, trying to gauge how best to use the short time that he needed to stretch for. There was still no answer from Jenny, so he'd have to improvise. Hopefully she wouldn't be too much longer.
The biggest threat to the plan, as far as he could guess, was also the one that should really be the easiest to remove early, provided he could just get a decent bead on it. If the wolf virus was frustrated at missing its bite before, it probably wouldn't be too pleased about being so thoroughly ignored, but that was what CourseMan did. His shields stopped in their rotation around his body as he kicked off again, with his right handed one remaining towards the Spikey near him, while the other wavered hen locked back into place in front of him. Maintaining two at once was strain enough, he realised; he could set them both spinning, or lock them both in, but not half and half. Oh well. Gliding fast in a wide arc towards the sound the the Catack's treads, he tried to make sight on it as swiftly as he could. Without time to make more than a shot at most, Courser focused on building up enough of a water charge before he reached it; he'd rather make the attack with his whips, they felt more comfortable to him, but at this rate, a ranged shot would have to do.
While the original raced to make his line on the tank, another part of his mind was multi-tasking again and splitting his focus away. The shadows reformed on the crumbling platform, just above his time bomb, and rather than wait for the actual Shadow to slice him again, the Decoy grabbed the lip and swung down nimbly, turning a stabilising somersault to land on one knee near the explosive device. As it landed, the fake Courser held his hands out to either side, bearing what looked like a pair of long, thin-edged water blades, honed by rapid current.
He had been expecting to find viruses, but he'd believed the Shadow was still up top, so it came as a surprise to find it down here as well. For a moment he began to wonder if there was actually more than one, but the flicker passed as the decoy raised its bluffing blades with a shout, one thrust between the Spikey and the bomb, while the other pointed towards the unexpected Shadow.
"Nobody Moves!" With any luck the dramatic entry might help the shock factor... but that was always a difficult question with viruses, sadly. The clone snarled. "We're all gonna to play nice now, you hear? No sudden moves, from any of you!" Truth be told, he wasn't expecting them to listen. If anything the shadow in particular had seemed ever more irked at his persistence, but if it delayed them for even a moment or two longer, that was something worthwhile.
Elsewhere, Courser had reached a workable line of sight with his own target, and raised his left arm towards the Catack. He was looking at it through his shield, the rush of water panning outward from the raised boss in all directions, so rather than simply trying to launch the charge of water he had built in the left whip, he lifted it to the surface of the shield, as though to reclaim it directly with that hand. The very centre of the shield was where the water cycled back to the front again, so it was the strongest point for resisting force that come from the outside, but it also make it thee point of least resistance, and more importantly, least structural degradation for him to push his hand into. As he did, the shield rejoined with his wave whip, and locked onto his hand instead, coming free of the frontal position, though he still pointed it that way manually. The waters rippled as he pressed his hand further through the centre, but held together until it resembled more of a wrist-mounted guard, with his whip beginning to reform and curl slightly on the outside.
Whether it would still stand up to a blow or not, Courser had no idea, but he could hope. The more important issue was lining up his shot with the Catack and loosing the ball of water he'd prepared for it, and sending the tightly spinning sphere of energy hurtling from his palm towards towards it. His arm recoiled from the ball of energy tearing free from its sheathing whip, but he didn't try to pull his hand back through the guard; that would make it collapse for certain. Instead he did his best to steady himself and get a clean outlook on the result of his effort. Jenny really needed to get back soon.
Summary
C*) Decoy: Whazzapian Standoff in front of the bomb?
C1) Movement, chasing the Catack until he can make LoS on it clearly.
C*) Shields re-locked, one towards the Spikey, and one forward as he chases the Catack.
C2) Buster Charge
C3) Half-Charge Shot (20Aqua, A) @ Catack.
C*) Assassin would add 4, if applicable, though this is largely irrelevant either way.
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CourseMan's decoy accomplished little in the way of actually intimidating the viruses: the Shadow still seemed more peeved than threatened, and the Spikey at the Countbomb was still far more concerned with the ominous device than the boisterous foe. Once again, it transformed into a dagger and shot through its illusory adversary, disappearing from sight at the end of its travel. Not seeming to have much time for their antics, the Spikey began chewing on the bomb, looking as though it was trying to root it from the ground.
In the meantime, CourseMan made his dash around the stairs and the scene surrounding his bomb. He could sense that the Spikey behind him seemed to have backed off, evidently judging that CourseMan's shield was going to be too difficult of a defense to penetrate alone. This left the Navi uninhibited as he made his way to smack around the Catack some more. While CourseMan had put a lot of effort into his attack, he wouldn't be able to blame anyone but himself for missing the results. After all, it was his own bomb which soon blew, demolishing the intended target for his attack instantly.
CourseMan was nearly knocked off his feet from the impact, as the shield he'd put to his back was eviscerated, but luckily, he himself was unscathed. When he turned back towards where his foes (and his clone, if he cared) had been only moments earlier, however, it was like a scene from the Apocalypse. The funnel and platform were nothing more but smouldering wreckage. Even the Spikey which had been cautiously distant was completely removed from sight.
The only thing remaining was the Shadow, which remained floating over a center of lava that had begun to pool out from where it had previously been contained. The virus looked a bit ominous, floating over the hellish landscape with a thin string of lava dripping through it. More importantly, however, it looked like it was going to be hard to hit without some preparation: there was a walk of lava between it and CourseMan, now.
If CourseMan was to look carefully, he might notice a shimmering, bubbling effect at the edge of the lava pool... which gradually seemed to be shrinking into its center, revealing more of the bright stones beneath.
=Enemies=
Catack: DELETED
SpikeyA: DELETED
SpikeyB: DELETED
SpikeyC: DELETED
Volgear: DELETED
Shadow: 80 HP (above the center of the lava area)
=Terrain=
60% Unknown Terrain
40% Lava Terrain (center of the battlefield
=Friendlies=
CourseMan: 80HP (at the back-left of the area, right next to lava, a movement away from the center of the pool) (EQUIP 1: NCP 1-Hit Shield)
CourseMan's Countbomb: DETONATED
=Objects=
Funnel: DESTROYED
Platform: DESTROYED
Mystery Data (Green): ACCESSED
=Special=
Unknown Terrain: A luminescent, glowing white stone, taking up the entirety of the cavern floor, but not the walls.
Upon winning the battle, CourseMan will receive a PanelShot battlechip earned by accessing mystery data.
In the meantime, CourseMan made his dash around the stairs and the scene surrounding his bomb. He could sense that the Spikey behind him seemed to have backed off, evidently judging that CourseMan's shield was going to be too difficult of a defense to penetrate alone. This left the Navi uninhibited as he made his way to smack around the Catack some more. While CourseMan had put a lot of effort into his attack, he wouldn't be able to blame anyone but himself for missing the results. After all, it was his own bomb which soon blew, demolishing the intended target for his attack instantly.
CourseMan was nearly knocked off his feet from the impact, as the shield he'd put to his back was eviscerated, but luckily, he himself was unscathed. When he turned back towards where his foes (and his clone, if he cared) had been only moments earlier, however, it was like a scene from the Apocalypse. The funnel and platform were nothing more but smouldering wreckage. Even the Spikey which had been cautiously distant was completely removed from sight.
The only thing remaining was the Shadow, which remained floating over a center of lava that had begun to pool out from where it had previously been contained. The virus looked a bit ominous, floating over the hellish landscape with a thin string of lava dripping through it. More importantly, however, it looked like it was going to be hard to hit without some preparation: there was a walk of lava between it and CourseMan, now.
If CourseMan was to look carefully, he might notice a shimmering, bubbling effect at the edge of the lava pool... which gradually seemed to be shrinking into its center, revealing more of the bright stones beneath.
=Enemies=
Catack: DELETED
SpikeyA: DELETED
SpikeyB: DELETED
SpikeyC: DELETED
Volgear: DELETED
Shadow: 80 HP (above the center of the lava area)
=Terrain=
60% Unknown Terrain
40% Lava Terrain (center of the battlefield
=Friendlies=
CourseMan: 80HP (at the back-left of the area, right next to lava, a movement away from the center of the pool) (EQUIP 1: NCP 1-Hit Shield)
CourseMan's Countbomb: DETONATED
=Objects=
Funnel: DESTROYED
Platform: DESTROYED
Mystery Data (Green): ACCESSED
=Special=
Unknown Terrain: A luminescent, glowing white stone, taking up the entirety of the cavern floor, but not the walls.
Upon winning the battle, CourseMan will receive a PanelShot battlechip earned by accessing mystery data.
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As he lined up the shot, aiming carefully and picking the best moment to release, while his foe wasn't watching, the sudden blast of his own bomb rocked the area and threw Courser off his feet to roll roughly away from the blast threshold. He tumbled out onto his back, spread flat for a moment as the shock left him winded.
Again. He'd miscounted it again. He set it up, knew how long it counted for, had an impeccable internal clock, and somehow, again, he'd lost track of it. Flat on his back, with his one remaining shield defaulting to hovering above his face, Courser stared up into the blackness through it, and found himself trying hard not to laugh. There had been a moment, when, looking through his decoy's eyes, he'd seen the primer click over to detonation, just before the shadow had ripped through his chest. Only one had been a surprise, but both of them had hurt. He did laugh, in the end, a helpless chuckle that resounding deep in his chest. In his mind, he knew that it wasn't a particularly good laugh, or a healthy one; it was the same part of him that was concerned by the sense of mad glee setting off these explosions was giving him. At least it was done with now.
"Courser, I'm back. Courser? CourseMan, get up! There's still something there!" Jenny's voice brought him back to reality a moment later and he blinked. Something was still alive? That was enough to give him the jolt he needed, and he curled quickly to kick to his feet and look around.
The destruction was about that he'd expected; everything obliterated, and this strange bright flooring utterly untouched. There hanging above the broad spillage of lava, however...
"Of course..." The muter had escaped his lips before he caught himself, and CourseMan shook his head before beginning to walk towards the opponent that was swiftly coming to feel like some sort of intangible nemesis to him. As he did, he flourished his whips, bringing them to the ready again and letting the long snakes of water coil and twist.
"Alright... Just you and me now." His form blurred, Courser veering ever so slightly leftward, as his decoy phased out just as gradually to the right.
"Aye, Just you an' me." There was no show-boating deception this time; the navi and clone moved in perfect sync with one another, every action identical, down to the grim expressions they both wore. CourseMan could feel Jenny slotting two more chips quickly; he was glad to see that at least one of them was what he needed, but there was no harm trying the other first. With a unified flicking gesture, the two CourseMen shifted their shields around to their respective backs.
"You want to play?"
"So let's play!" They crossed their arms in over their bodies as he felt the first chip channelling through to his hands and seeding several shards of hyper-compressed water through his wave-whips. Two sets of tentacles writhed as the shards formed and grew, before both men flung their arms out and wide, casting a small storm of the water projectiles in a fast arc that all dived in towards the Shadow as it hung above the bubbling lava. Only three of them were actually real, but at this point it was the effect that mattered.
As the navi and his clone lowered their arms again they stopped by the slowly receding edge of the lava pool. He wasn't about to take his chances trying to cross it, but that was no worry; the Shadow had shown no hesitation about coming to him so far, and he didn't expect it to stop now. As one they took a more defensive stance, bringing their fists up and clenching them tight to crush and quench each elongated whip of water into a shorter, sharper honed edge that rushed quickly enough to slice, cut or even deflect where necessary.
Each clone kept one eye on the shadow, and watched his partner's off side, holding their guards ready, but neither made a move to attack right away; they had to wait for the Shadow to come to them, and the first goal was to handle whatever it tried. The virus had shown a fondness for bladed weapons so far, and Courser was ready to try and catch whatever shape it turned into on his own blade, if he could, before hammering in a slash of his own with the other hand. If the coin flip went his way, and the Shadow went for his decoy instead, he'd probably miss any chance of a parry, certainly, but with luck it would make scoring his counter blow easier, before it teleported away again.
Summary
C*)Decoy: Right beside CourseMan, an exact duplicate in ever manner and action, save sharing some of their lines.
C1) AquaNeedle1: ((20(25) => 50 If still over Lava) x3Aqua, Variable, Drop, B), all to Shadow
C*) Assassin Adds 5(10 if Lava), to first Needle to strike, if applicable.
C2) AquaKnife: (60(65) Aqua, Slash, B), Used as Parry against Shadow Attacks
C3) AquaKnife: ((60(65) => 130 If Still over Lava) Aqua, Slash, B), at Shadow (4/6 Uses Left)
C*) Assassin Adds 13(26 if Lava), if applicable.
Again. He'd miscounted it again. He set it up, knew how long it counted for, had an impeccable internal clock, and somehow, again, he'd lost track of it. Flat on his back, with his one remaining shield defaulting to hovering above his face, Courser stared up into the blackness through it, and found himself trying hard not to laugh. There had been a moment, when, looking through his decoy's eyes, he'd seen the primer click over to detonation, just before the shadow had ripped through his chest. Only one had been a surprise, but both of them had hurt. He did laugh, in the end, a helpless chuckle that resounding deep in his chest. In his mind, he knew that it wasn't a particularly good laugh, or a healthy one; it was the same part of him that was concerned by the sense of mad glee setting off these explosions was giving him. At least it was done with now.
"Courser, I'm back. Courser? CourseMan, get up! There's still something there!" Jenny's voice brought him back to reality a moment later and he blinked. Something was still alive? That was enough to give him the jolt he needed, and he curled quickly to kick to his feet and look around.
The destruction was about that he'd expected; everything obliterated, and this strange bright flooring utterly untouched. There hanging above the broad spillage of lava, however...
"Of course..." The muter had escaped his lips before he caught himself, and CourseMan shook his head before beginning to walk towards the opponent that was swiftly coming to feel like some sort of intangible nemesis to him. As he did, he flourished his whips, bringing them to the ready again and letting the long snakes of water coil and twist.
"Alright... Just you and me now." His form blurred, Courser veering ever so slightly leftward, as his decoy phased out just as gradually to the right.
"Aye, Just you an' me." There was no show-boating deception this time; the navi and clone moved in perfect sync with one another, every action identical, down to the grim expressions they both wore. CourseMan could feel Jenny slotting two more chips quickly; he was glad to see that at least one of them was what he needed, but there was no harm trying the other first. With a unified flicking gesture, the two CourseMen shifted their shields around to their respective backs.
"You want to play?"
"So let's play!" They crossed their arms in over their bodies as he felt the first chip channelling through to his hands and seeding several shards of hyper-compressed water through his wave-whips. Two sets of tentacles writhed as the shards formed and grew, before both men flung their arms out and wide, casting a small storm of the water projectiles in a fast arc that all dived in towards the Shadow as it hung above the bubbling lava. Only three of them were actually real, but at this point it was the effect that mattered.
As the navi and his clone lowered their arms again they stopped by the slowly receding edge of the lava pool. He wasn't about to take his chances trying to cross it, but that was no worry; the Shadow had shown no hesitation about coming to him so far, and he didn't expect it to stop now. As one they took a more defensive stance, bringing their fists up and clenching them tight to crush and quench each elongated whip of water into a shorter, sharper honed edge that rushed quickly enough to slice, cut or even deflect where necessary.
Each clone kept one eye on the shadow, and watched his partner's off side, holding their guards ready, but neither made a move to attack right away; they had to wait for the Shadow to come to them, and the first goal was to handle whatever it tried. The virus had shown a fondness for bladed weapons so far, and Courser was ready to try and catch whatever shape it turned into on his own blade, if he could, before hammering in a slash of his own with the other hand. If the coin flip went his way, and the Shadow went for his decoy instead, he'd probably miss any chance of a parry, certainly, but with luck it would make scoring his counter blow easier, before it teleported away again.
Summary
C*)Decoy: Right beside CourseMan, an exact duplicate in ever manner and action, save sharing some of their lines.
C1) AquaNeedle1: ((20(25) => 50 If still over Lava) x3Aqua, Variable, Drop, B), all to Shadow
C*) Assassin Adds 5(10 if Lava), to first Needle to strike, if applicable.
C2) AquaKnife: (60(65) Aqua, Slash, B), Used as Parry against Shadow Attacks
C3) AquaKnife: ((60(65) => 130 If Still over Lava) Aqua, Slash, B), at Shadow (4/6 Uses Left)
C*) Assassin Adds 13(26 if Lava), if applicable.
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The shadow looked nonplussed in the moment the two CourseMen rushed launched their attack. If their goal was to make it move, however, they would not be disappointed. It wasn't clear whether or not the needles would have pierced the ethereal form of the Shadow, and it didn't seem it would become that way, as the Shadow quickly left its position. The needles which had been intended for it sailed by and sizzled out some inconsequential portion of the lava.
The Shadow had moved to assault the defensive position of CourseMan and his decoy. The two had to play a guessing game of where it would strike. It seemed it had predicted the two would cover each others' backs, and appeared over them as a sword, attempting to slash from above. However, trying to attack both at once with a wide strike had an unexpected disadvantage. The virus first cut through CourseMan's clone, giving the genuine article the time he needed to move his shield into position. As the shadow blade pressed into his whirling water shield, CourseMan still had a free arm to bring his own blade across the virus.
To the Navi's likely dismay, he could tell he hadn't quite managed to finish off the virus. He could see its thin, flickering form reappear on the other side of the lava lake, floating just over its edge. However, he couldn't see its eyes, which most likely meant it had its "back" turned to him...
Additionally, the lava lake had gotten considerably smaller. It seemed to be draining away at a faster pace. CourseMan might estimate it was still more than a single leap to the other side, but just barely.
=Enemies=
Catack: DELETED
SpikeyA: DELETED
SpikeyB: DELETED
SpikeyC: DELETED
Volgear: DELETED
Shadow: 2 HP (other side of the lava)
=Terrain=
75% Unknown Terrain
25% Lava Terrain (center of the battlefield)
=Friendlies=
CourseMan: 80HP (at the back-left of the area, right next to lava, less than a single movement from the center of the pool) (EQUIP 1: AquaKnife 4/6)
CourseMan's Countbomb: DETONATED
=Objects=
Funnel: DESTROYED
Platform: DESTROYED
Mystery Data (Green): ACCESSED
=Special=
Unknown Terrain: A luminescent, glowing white stone, taking up the entirety of the cavern floor, but not the walls.
Upon winning the battle, CourseMan will receive a PanelShot battlechip earned by accessing mystery data.
The Shadow had moved to assault the defensive position of CourseMan and his decoy. The two had to play a guessing game of where it would strike. It seemed it had predicted the two would cover each others' backs, and appeared over them as a sword, attempting to slash from above. However, trying to attack both at once with a wide strike had an unexpected disadvantage. The virus first cut through CourseMan's clone, giving the genuine article the time he needed to move his shield into position. As the shadow blade pressed into his whirling water shield, CourseMan still had a free arm to bring his own blade across the virus.
To the Navi's likely dismay, he could tell he hadn't quite managed to finish off the virus. He could see its thin, flickering form reappear on the other side of the lava lake, floating just over its edge. However, he couldn't see its eyes, which most likely meant it had its "back" turned to him...
Additionally, the lava lake had gotten considerably smaller. It seemed to be draining away at a faster pace. CourseMan might estimate it was still more than a single leap to the other side, but just barely.
=Enemies=
Catack: DELETED
SpikeyA: DELETED
SpikeyB: DELETED
SpikeyC: DELETED
Volgear: DELETED
Shadow: 2 HP (other side of the lava)
=Terrain=
75% Unknown Terrain
25% Lava Terrain (center of the battlefield)
=Friendlies=
CourseMan: 80HP (at the back-left of the area, right next to lava, less than a single movement from the center of the pool) (EQUIP 1: AquaKnife 4/6)
CourseMan's Countbomb: DETONATED
=Objects=
Funnel: DESTROYED
Platform: DESTROYED
Mystery Data (Green): ACCESSED
=Special=
Unknown Terrain: A luminescent, glowing white stone, taking up the entirety of the cavern floor, but not the walls.
Upon winning the battle, CourseMan will receive a PanelShot battlechip earned by accessing mystery data.
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[--Splice Ahead--]
A part of him had been expecting most of his efforts to fail against the dangerously evasive virus, but Courser still found himself disappointed that amongst the barrage of watery spines, real and fake, nothing had found a mark. The rest of his plan worked passable well, though it was an effort not to let out an oath when the shadowy villain warped away again, clearly alive despite his best efforts. He'd scored it well with that strike, and he felt sure that it couldn't have much left, unless it was a far more horrible virus than he suspected. Rachel's database was hazy on the details, unfortunately.
With his clone cut away, though, Courser had his whole focus on events through just the one pair of eyes as the Shadow warped out and reappeared across the lava, and as hard as it was to be certain about such things his instincts made the situation seem clear. It wasn't facing him directly, so it was either running, or disoriented. Either way, he didn't allow himself the luxury of hesitating.
Quickly, he brought his hands together to re-condense the knife data into a single blade, sighted carefully, then drew his arm back in a smooth, well-practiced motion and flicked forward again in a blur. His body twisted slightly to let the momentum flow and keep his aim clean as he released the blade, whipping it across the lava in a straight line towards his target. Despite his normal grand-standing attitude to showmanship, there was no spinning or flourishing in this throw; there was nothing that needed counterbalancing, and this was all cold, efficient business. The knife travelled much more like an assassin's pin-blade, straight and stable, point first and edge sharp.
[-Splice-]
Summary
C1) AquaKnife: (60(65) Aqua, Slash, B), at Shadow. (Weapon spent by action, 0/6)
A part of him had been expecting most of his efforts to fail against the dangerously evasive virus, but Courser still found himself disappointed that amongst the barrage of watery spines, real and fake, nothing had found a mark. The rest of his plan worked passable well, though it was an effort not to let out an oath when the shadowy villain warped away again, clearly alive despite his best efforts. He'd scored it well with that strike, and he felt sure that it couldn't have much left, unless it was a far more horrible virus than he suspected. Rachel's database was hazy on the details, unfortunately.
With his clone cut away, though, Courser had his whole focus on events through just the one pair of eyes as the Shadow warped out and reappeared across the lava, and as hard as it was to be certain about such things his instincts made the situation seem clear. It wasn't facing him directly, so it was either running, or disoriented. Either way, he didn't allow himself the luxury of hesitating.
Quickly, he brought his hands together to re-condense the knife data into a single blade, sighted carefully, then drew his arm back in a smooth, well-practiced motion and flicked forward again in a blur. His body twisted slightly to let the momentum flow and keep his aim clean as he released the blade, whipping it across the lava in a straight line towards his target. Despite his normal grand-standing attitude to showmanship, there was no spinning or flourishing in this throw; there was nothing that needed counterbalancing, and this was all cold, efficient business. The knife travelled much more like an assassin's pin-blade, straight and stable, point first and edge sharp.
[-Splice-]
Summary
C1) AquaKnife: (60(65) Aqua, Slash, B), at Shadow. (Weapon spent by action, 0/6)
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CourseMan's guess was on the money, and his focus paid off. He could feel in his bones (assuming he was programmed with a proper skeleton) that the virus was mere seconds away from a teleport, but before it could move, the Navi's blade tore through it and kept on going into the blackness.
=Enemies=
Catack: DELETED
SpikeyA: DELETED
SpikeyB: DELETED
SpikeyC: DELETED
Volgear: DELETED
Shadow: DELETED
=Terrain=
90% Unknown Terrain
5% Lava Terrain (center of the battlefield)
5% ???
=Friendlies=
CourseMan: 80HP (at the back-left of the area, right next to lava, less than a single movement from the center of the pool)
CourseMan's Countbomb: DETONATED
=Objects=
Funnel: DESTROYED
Platform: DESTROYED
Mystery Data (Green): ACCESSED
=Special=
Unknown Terrain: A luminescent, glowing white stone, taking up the entirety of the cavern floor, but not the walls.
Upon winning the battle, CourseMan will receive a PanelShot battlechip earned by accessing mystery data.
=BATTLE 4 VICTORIOUS!=
Reward: Panelshot, TankCannon1, 1450z
By this point, even with the battle over, CourseMan had a number of interesting circumstances to consider (assuming he wasn't in a rush to leave). The lava from the funnel had almost entirely disappeared, making clear that the lava wasn't simply being reclaimed by the stones: it was funneling into what looked like a hole in the center of the pool, now that the thickness of the lava had thinned out. It might not be safe to go down a hole in which CourseMan had just seen plenty of lava drain, but his curiosity to know where it went might well be biting. The lava pool itself was small enough that CourseMan probably could jump across clear to the other side, if he wanted.
On the other hand, the Navi could hear a distant rumble from above. It sounded like something might be shaking in the ceiling... Courseman could observe the thin lava stream shake for a moment, then displace farther as a louder noise resonated through the cave. It might be worth simply sitting around to see what came next.
Then again, there was always the option of simply keeping on across the slope and trying to leave this whole scene behind him.
=Enemies=
Catack: DELETED
SpikeyA: DELETED
SpikeyB: DELETED
SpikeyC: DELETED
Volgear: DELETED
Shadow: DELETED
=Terrain=
90% Unknown Terrain
5% Lava Terrain (center of the battlefield)
5% ???
=Friendlies=
CourseMan: 80HP (at the back-left of the area, right next to lava, less than a single movement from the center of the pool)
CourseMan's Countbomb: DETONATED
=Objects=
Funnel: DESTROYED
Platform: DESTROYED
Mystery Data (Green): ACCESSED
=Special=
Unknown Terrain: A luminescent, glowing white stone, taking up the entirety of the cavern floor, but not the walls.
Upon winning the battle, CourseMan will receive a PanelShot battlechip earned by accessing mystery data.
=BATTLE 4 VICTORIOUS!=
Reward: Panelshot, TankCannon1, 1450z
By this point, even with the battle over, CourseMan had a number of interesting circumstances to consider (assuming he wasn't in a rush to leave). The lava from the funnel had almost entirely disappeared, making clear that the lava wasn't simply being reclaimed by the stones: it was funneling into what looked like a hole in the center of the pool, now that the thickness of the lava had thinned out. It might not be safe to go down a hole in which CourseMan had just seen plenty of lava drain, but his curiosity to know where it went might well be biting. The lava pool itself was small enough that CourseMan probably could jump across clear to the other side, if he wanted.
On the other hand, the Navi could hear a distant rumble from above. It sounded like something might be shaking in the ceiling... Courseman could observe the thin lava stream shake for a moment, then displace farther as a louder noise resonated through the cave. It might be worth simply sitting around to see what came next.
Then again, there was always the option of simply keeping on across the slope and trying to leave this whole scene behind him.
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After a fight that had felt far longer than it needed to be, CourseMan felt a long, slow breath leave him as his final throw connected and banished his shadowy adversary from the net. He relaxed and rolled his shoulders, then cautiously began collecting whatever usable bis and pieces he could from the remains of the fight, while the lava drained away.
He felt bone weary, despite the top-ups that Jenny had given him, and exploring the inhospitable net as ill-prepared as he was was really taking it out of him. Jenny's voice reached him in the moments of quiet.
"So... had enough yet?" She sounded better, to his ears. Everything else aside, the busting, and the short trip out, seemed to have perked her up. That was good. His curiosity was still itching at the strange terrain he was walking about on, though. A few screen shots were nice, and notes about the way it seemed to behave and resist damage or change might be helpful... but he wanted a data sample of it to bring back, too. IT was fascinating, and even if neither he nor Jenny could make any sense of it, he felt sure that Rachel would be beyond thrilled to study something so unusual.
"One more, Jen. Give me one more. That data gave us a chip that might actually help me get a sample of this stuff, if I'm lucky..." and he also wanted to see how the new chips performed as well, but he kept silent from mentioning that bit. "I'm pretty tired, but I think I can hold out just one more. What do you say?" There was silence for a few moments, then he heard a small sound that might have been somewhere between a laugh and a sigh.
"I think I knew you were going to ask, and I'm glad I bought what I did, in the end. Here you go, you show off. Patch up and we'll see what's waiting for us then. But I'm pulling you out once this one is done, whether you win or not, alright?" He nodded, then murmured an agreement when he realised she might not be watching the screen directly. As he did, he felt another wash of restoration reach him from one of the subchips Jenny had picked up. Some of the energy cascaded over him and flooded away, in excess, but it wasn't too bothersome. Better to be as ready as he could be, given how tired he was feeling elsewise.
The next question was where to go. He'd finished sifting what he could from the previous fight, and there was very little left of the structures he'd happened upon when he'd first climbed the ramp here... that gap that the lava had flowed into made him wonder just what was underneath, but he wanted to remain within easy reach of the odd stones, for now, and he couldn't be certain that there would be more of it down there.
The deep rumbled from above caught his attention and he looked up into the darkness. It had been pouring a thin stream of lava, and he felt himself suddenly overcome by the mental image of some dark vault giving out above, and drenching him and everything else in a flood of magma. Not fun. Cautiously he backed away from where the structures had been, but kept his eye on the flow of lava. with a small breath he calmed himself again then reactivated both of his wave-whips, letting the thin water tendrils snake down and coil near his feet.
"Alright then... come on, whatever you are. Let's see what you've got..." In the back of his mind, his decoy muttered crudely that he was going to regret this, though it didn't actually show up anywhere just yet.
Ready for Battle 5!
He felt bone weary, despite the top-ups that Jenny had given him, and exploring the inhospitable net as ill-prepared as he was was really taking it out of him. Jenny's voice reached him in the moments of quiet.
"So... had enough yet?" She sounded better, to his ears. Everything else aside, the busting, and the short trip out, seemed to have perked her up. That was good. His curiosity was still itching at the strange terrain he was walking about on, though. A few screen shots were nice, and notes about the way it seemed to behave and resist damage or change might be helpful... but he wanted a data sample of it to bring back, too. IT was fascinating, and even if neither he nor Jenny could make any sense of it, he felt sure that Rachel would be beyond thrilled to study something so unusual.
"One more, Jen. Give me one more. That data gave us a chip that might actually help me get a sample of this stuff, if I'm lucky..." and he also wanted to see how the new chips performed as well, but he kept silent from mentioning that bit. "I'm pretty tired, but I think I can hold out just one more. What do you say?" There was silence for a few moments, then he heard a small sound that might have been somewhere between a laugh and a sigh.
"I think I knew you were going to ask, and I'm glad I bought what I did, in the end. Here you go, you show off. Patch up and we'll see what's waiting for us then. But I'm pulling you out once this one is done, whether you win or not, alright?" He nodded, then murmured an agreement when he realised she might not be watching the screen directly. As he did, he felt another wash of restoration reach him from one of the subchips Jenny had picked up. Some of the energy cascaded over him and flooded away, in excess, but it wasn't too bothersome. Better to be as ready as he could be, given how tired he was feeling elsewise.
The next question was where to go. He'd finished sifting what he could from the previous fight, and there was very little left of the structures he'd happened upon when he'd first climbed the ramp here... that gap that the lava had flowed into made him wonder just what was underneath, but he wanted to remain within easy reach of the odd stones, for now, and he couldn't be certain that there would be more of it down there.
The deep rumbled from above caught his attention and he looked up into the darkness. It had been pouring a thin stream of lava, and he felt himself suddenly overcome by the mental image of some dark vault giving out above, and drenching him and everything else in a flood of magma. Not fun. Cautiously he backed away from where the structures had been, but kept his eye on the flow of lava. with a small breath he calmed himself again then reactivated both of his wave-whips, letting the thin water tendrils snake down and coil near his feet.
"Alright then... come on, whatever you are. Let's see what you've got..." In the back of his mind, his decoy muttered crudely that he was going to regret this, though it didn't actually show up anywhere just yet.
Ready for Battle 5!
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Luckily or unluckily, CourseMan wouldn't have to wait long for the surprise he was waiting for. Less than a minute passed before an object came plummeting from the sky at high speed, accompanied by a rain of stones and stalactites that CourseMan had no trouble dodging. The object appeared to be a large, spherical construct of unadorned metal, and appeared to have been badly banged up in the fall. The dented shell split in half, one half sliding down the slope and plugging the newly vacated hole. The lava which had coated the floor earlier had mostly been reclaimed, but this shell was now being filled with the trickle from above.
Someone appeared to have been holding onto something in the front half during their ride, and now cast it aside to rise to their feet. Staggering slightly and then dusting himself off, the shape appeared to be wearing a white labcoat... but not a clean white labcoat, as it was coated in the debris of his fall. No amount of light brushing was going to clear that off. More distinct was the white headgear he was wearing, which looked something like a hazmat hood with a pitch-black visor. Dark grey pants and boots were also visible below the hem of the Navi's coat, and silver-colored gloves of the type that (colored appropriately) might appear at home on a medical drama covered his hands.
"Crystal... they really can't do anything about that ride in, huh?" the Navi spoke, his voice muffled and crackly in a way that might remind CourseMan of early astronauts, were he familiar with them. The new Navi suddenly reached into the sleeve of his coat and pulled out a large green hologram like a sheet. It seemed to be covered in complex numbers, text, and charts. He stood for a moment, his visor reflecting the color of the datasheet in front of him, and didn't seem to recognize CourseMan was there until a moment later.
"You there!" his voice spoke up again, sounding a bit like a middle-aged gentleman of Netopian descent. "Do you know what happened to the equipment we'd... ah, nevermind," the man suddenly spoke up, laughing softly. "Protecting that equipment, like the rest of this operation, isn't 'financially feasible,'" he spoke up, making fingerquotes in the air that surely must have looked out of place on his appearance and in his setting. "Viruses, natural causes, or whatever else could have torn that thing apart."
"You look like a civilian... at least, I hope you are. My name's ResearchMan, and I'm with the NetPolice. I don't like the policing portion of my job very much, but between you and me, I do like the authority it gives me in this particular case." The Navi laughed congenially again, before stopping sharply, and coughing. "Ahem. Sorry, I mean, I guess it's not particularly likable for you. You see, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. The NetPolice hasn't officially claimed this territory... I mean, we're not the NeoShogunate or anything, ahah... but I do have a number of tests to run and tasks to perform that I simply can't do with another Navi hanging around and disrupting things. Especially one that is, and excuse me for saying so if this is a touchy spot, sir... designed by a teenager? I'm guessing based on the, ah, attention to 'cool' details. Impressive work, but yes..."
ResearchMan stood straight, looking at his datasheet instead of the other Navi as he talked. "How about that, hm? Are you willing to just leave, and let me do my work here? Oh, and, in addition to that... could you please leave whatever you might have found and taken next to the equipment that was here earlier? I'll need to be running some tests on that, as well... ah, and I might need you to sign a non-disclosure agreement about anything you've seen up until this point... will that be fine as well?" CourseMan would be unable to avoid detecting a hint of goading in the Navi's voice as well, as though he was aware the things he was saying and requesting might not pass as inoffensive. "Unless, of course, you'd like to show me how you wield that fascinating equipment you've got there? I'm always curious to see how the younger generation is designing these days. Yes, Crystal, you're not the younger generation anymore! Ahaha," the Navi finished, clearly switching to speaking to someone else at the end.
Someone appeared to have been holding onto something in the front half during their ride, and now cast it aside to rise to their feet. Staggering slightly and then dusting himself off, the shape appeared to be wearing a white labcoat... but not a clean white labcoat, as it was coated in the debris of his fall. No amount of light brushing was going to clear that off. More distinct was the white headgear he was wearing, which looked something like a hazmat hood with a pitch-black visor. Dark grey pants and boots were also visible below the hem of the Navi's coat, and silver-colored gloves of the type that (colored appropriately) might appear at home on a medical drama covered his hands.
"Crystal... they really can't do anything about that ride in, huh?" the Navi spoke, his voice muffled and crackly in a way that might remind CourseMan of early astronauts, were he familiar with them. The new Navi suddenly reached into the sleeve of his coat and pulled out a large green hologram like a sheet. It seemed to be covered in complex numbers, text, and charts. He stood for a moment, his visor reflecting the color of the datasheet in front of him, and didn't seem to recognize CourseMan was there until a moment later.
"You there!" his voice spoke up again, sounding a bit like a middle-aged gentleman of Netopian descent. "Do you know what happened to the equipment we'd... ah, nevermind," the man suddenly spoke up, laughing softly. "Protecting that equipment, like the rest of this operation, isn't 'financially feasible,'" he spoke up, making fingerquotes in the air that surely must have looked out of place on his appearance and in his setting. "Viruses, natural causes, or whatever else could have torn that thing apart."
"You look like a civilian... at least, I hope you are. My name's ResearchMan, and I'm with the NetPolice. I don't like the policing portion of my job very much, but between you and me, I do like the authority it gives me in this particular case." The Navi laughed congenially again, before stopping sharply, and coughing. "Ahem. Sorry, I mean, I guess it's not particularly likable for you. You see, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. The NetPolice hasn't officially claimed this territory... I mean, we're not the NeoShogunate or anything, ahah... but I do have a number of tests to run and tasks to perform that I simply can't do with another Navi hanging around and disrupting things. Especially one that is, and excuse me for saying so if this is a touchy spot, sir... designed by a teenager? I'm guessing based on the, ah, attention to 'cool' details. Impressive work, but yes..."
ResearchMan stood straight, looking at his datasheet instead of the other Navi as he talked. "How about that, hm? Are you willing to just leave, and let me do my work here? Oh, and, in addition to that... could you please leave whatever you might have found and taken next to the equipment that was here earlier? I'll need to be running some tests on that, as well... ah, and I might need you to sign a non-disclosure agreement about anything you've seen up until this point... will that be fine as well?" CourseMan would be unable to avoid detecting a hint of goading in the Navi's voice as well, as though he was aware the things he was saying and requesting might not pass as inoffensive. "Unless, of course, you'd like to show me how you wield that fascinating equipment you've got there? I'm always curious to see how the younger generation is designing these days. Yes, Crystal, you're not the younger generation anymore! Ahaha," the Navi finished, clearly switching to speaking to someone else at the end.
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((Sorry for not noting it formally above, my error, but Jen used one of her mini energies to top courser off after the fourth battle, just in case this breaks out into unexpected fighting...))
As one part of him had been hoping, and the rest of him had more rather feared, the ominous rumble from above soon revealed itself to be an incoming arrival, in truth, in a fashion not entirely dissimilar to his own unplanned entry to these depths. Even so he remained cautious as the figure emerged from his... pod?
He held his tongue while the science-type got his bearings, but when the other navi's tone turned condescending a wry smile played across his lips. He took a step to the left and began to glide, skating neatly on his current of water as he circled the area slowly, feigning as much unconcern as it was possible for a navi to show. his hands clasped behind his back as he moved, whips dispelled for now. Truth be told, some of his comments actually stung: his body was the way it was, and he knew that at least part of it had been decided upon by, he had to face it, a teenage girl drowning in hormones. Not that there was anything wrong with it. He was a handsome devil, even if he did say so himself... But it was a low blow to disparage a navi based on something they had no control over. He turned about as he coasted around the scientist, gliding backwards now so that he could still face him as he skirted the ruins of the structures that had been here previously.
"Not very up on the scientific method to go making snap judgements like that, is it mate? You don't know the first thing about me, or why I'm here, and you're going to go make a judgement call like that based on an assumption?" He shook his head and sighed, then turned once neatly in place. "Still..."
He began to glide forward right up to the other navi, but as he did he left his clone behind, standing where he had been, arms folded and tilting its head, watching the man from afar. Courser himself glided close enough to stand almost toe to toe with ResearchMan, leaning forward.
"Still, if we're going to go about judging books by their covers, how should I think about you and yours, hmm? Well, I'd have to look at you, and hear your Op, and reason that she must be a late forties prim old spinster of a scientist who never thought anyone else was ever good enough for her attention or worth her time, so she's got you, instead, to be her 'safe' little go between for her and other people.. and you're just what an old, past her prime biddie would want; blunt, aloof, superior to others but reasonable to her, and of course, utterly impotent and non-threatening, even if you weren't a navigator." He turned and glided past him, crossing to the opposite side as his clone while he moved away again.
"But see... that wouldn't be very fair of me, to make a judgement like that, would it? So let's neither of us go shooting off our mouths with unflattering little insults, shall we, ResearchMan?" Over the other side, His clone stretched its arms and began to slowly circle in the same direction as CourseMan himself, always keeping exactly opposite, with the scientist in between.
"You can call me CourseMan..." It called out. "Or Courser, if you like." The decoy shrugged and waved a dismissive hand as it circled. "Whatever makes you feel safer."
"As for the rest of this..." The real courser had reached the ruins of the destroyed platform structure again. "Well, I'd think a research-minded man might want to know the truth of something, even if it wasn't exactly mission critical, no... Let's look at our options... you say there was something here before, but there sure ain't now. Maybe I destroyed it? Not too likely that one. I'd need a reason, for one thing. There were a bunch of viruses around her not long ago... Perhaps it was them? Destructive little blighters, aren't they?" Opposite him, his decoy took over.
"We got rid of them just before you got here. We're pretty deep for a normal net though, so, I can't imagine there won't be more of them before long. And here's you..." One Courser sped up, closing the gap in their circling enough until CourseMan's second double could slip into existence when the wider gap happened to be to the researcher's back, however he happened to turn or move. It spoke next as soon as it had matched rhythm with the other two.
"Down here to do tests and research. That's going to be difficult if you're trying to do it with viruses getting all over your things. Can't imagine they'd be any more respectful to your controlled environment than a single curious navi would be, no?"
The three CourseMen paused in their circling, each stopping to fold their arms over their chests in unison. One of the clones spoke next while CourseMan himself remain passive and still.
"Really, I'd rather be friendly. I'm dead curious about this stuff we've got here, and if you know more about it than I've been able to learn down here so far, I'm hooked, mate... But make no mistake, I'm not planning on leaving until I get a sample of the stuff to take back for further study. I'll not interfere with you. Heck, I'd even help you out, if you wanted... But I'm not leaving just yet, thanks." Each clone took a moment to straighten their lapels and snug their fingerless gloves briefly. The real CourseMan continued next.
"And let's not beat around the bush; this is the net, so you can rest assured that it's a given truth that somewhere out there, there's a navi designed more recently, by the younger generation, that's faster, smarter, more thorough, more capable, and all over better than you in every way."
"And more stylish too!" Chipped in a clone.
"Not that that's hard..." The other returned. The real CourseMan picked up as though the interruption hadn't happened.
"That's just the relentless march of technology, friend. No avoiding it." He raised his hands in a helpless shrug, grinning. One of his clones mirrored the action exactly, but the third one stretched and flexed his fingers instead, then spoke.
"NetPolice has no jurisdiction to lock down civilian transit here, unless it be for our own safety. I'll take my chances. So the real question, ReasearchMan, is not whether I'm going to make problems for you. It's whether you're going to make problems for me." None of the CourseMen had made any mention of the researchers request that he surrender his other finds; that fell into the domain of finders keepers, even if it had belonged to the scientist first which he severely doubted. In the back of his mind, he heard Jenny mumbling something about threatening officers of the law, but he had taken the precaution of setting her line to mute ahead of time, so a voice in his own ear was all she was, and not something anyone else could hear.
As one part of him had been hoping, and the rest of him had more rather feared, the ominous rumble from above soon revealed itself to be an incoming arrival, in truth, in a fashion not entirely dissimilar to his own unplanned entry to these depths. Even so he remained cautious as the figure emerged from his... pod?
He held his tongue while the science-type got his bearings, but when the other navi's tone turned condescending a wry smile played across his lips. He took a step to the left and began to glide, skating neatly on his current of water as he circled the area slowly, feigning as much unconcern as it was possible for a navi to show. his hands clasped behind his back as he moved, whips dispelled for now. Truth be told, some of his comments actually stung: his body was the way it was, and he knew that at least part of it had been decided upon by, he had to face it, a teenage girl drowning in hormones. Not that there was anything wrong with it. He was a handsome devil, even if he did say so himself... But it was a low blow to disparage a navi based on something they had no control over. He turned about as he coasted around the scientist, gliding backwards now so that he could still face him as he skirted the ruins of the structures that had been here previously.
"Not very up on the scientific method to go making snap judgements like that, is it mate? You don't know the first thing about me, or why I'm here, and you're going to go make a judgement call like that based on an assumption?" He shook his head and sighed, then turned once neatly in place. "Still..."
He began to glide forward right up to the other navi, but as he did he left his clone behind, standing where he had been, arms folded and tilting its head, watching the man from afar. Courser himself glided close enough to stand almost toe to toe with ResearchMan, leaning forward.
"Still, if we're going to go about judging books by their covers, how should I think about you and yours, hmm? Well, I'd have to look at you, and hear your Op, and reason that she must be a late forties prim old spinster of a scientist who never thought anyone else was ever good enough for her attention or worth her time, so she's got you, instead, to be her 'safe' little go between for her and other people.. and you're just what an old, past her prime biddie would want; blunt, aloof, superior to others but reasonable to her, and of course, utterly impotent and non-threatening, even if you weren't a navigator." He turned and glided past him, crossing to the opposite side as his clone while he moved away again.
"But see... that wouldn't be very fair of me, to make a judgement like that, would it? So let's neither of us go shooting off our mouths with unflattering little insults, shall we, ResearchMan?" Over the other side, His clone stretched its arms and began to slowly circle in the same direction as CourseMan himself, always keeping exactly opposite, with the scientist in between.
"You can call me CourseMan..." It called out. "Or Courser, if you like." The decoy shrugged and waved a dismissive hand as it circled. "Whatever makes you feel safer."
"As for the rest of this..." The real courser had reached the ruins of the destroyed platform structure again. "Well, I'd think a research-minded man might want to know the truth of something, even if it wasn't exactly mission critical, no... Let's look at our options... you say there was something here before, but there sure ain't now. Maybe I destroyed it? Not too likely that one. I'd need a reason, for one thing. There were a bunch of viruses around her not long ago... Perhaps it was them? Destructive little blighters, aren't they?" Opposite him, his decoy took over.
"We got rid of them just before you got here. We're pretty deep for a normal net though, so, I can't imagine there won't be more of them before long. And here's you..." One Courser sped up, closing the gap in their circling enough until CourseMan's second double could slip into existence when the wider gap happened to be to the researcher's back, however he happened to turn or move. It spoke next as soon as it had matched rhythm with the other two.
"Down here to do tests and research. That's going to be difficult if you're trying to do it with viruses getting all over your things. Can't imagine they'd be any more respectful to your controlled environment than a single curious navi would be, no?"
The three CourseMen paused in their circling, each stopping to fold their arms over their chests in unison. One of the clones spoke next while CourseMan himself remain passive and still.
"Really, I'd rather be friendly. I'm dead curious about this stuff we've got here, and if you know more about it than I've been able to learn down here so far, I'm hooked, mate... But make no mistake, I'm not planning on leaving until I get a sample of the stuff to take back for further study. I'll not interfere with you. Heck, I'd even help you out, if you wanted... But I'm not leaving just yet, thanks." Each clone took a moment to straighten their lapels and snug their fingerless gloves briefly. The real CourseMan continued next.
"And let's not beat around the bush; this is the net, so you can rest assured that it's a given truth that somewhere out there, there's a navi designed more recently, by the younger generation, that's faster, smarter, more thorough, more capable, and all over better than you in every way."
"And more stylish too!" Chipped in a clone.
"Not that that's hard..." The other returned. The real CourseMan picked up as though the interruption hadn't happened.
"That's just the relentless march of technology, friend. No avoiding it." He raised his hands in a helpless shrug, grinning. One of his clones mirrored the action exactly, but the third one stretched and flexed his fingers instead, then spoke.
"NetPolice has no jurisdiction to lock down civilian transit here, unless it be for our own safety. I'll take my chances. So the real question, ReasearchMan, is not whether I'm going to make problems for you. It's whether you're going to make problems for me." None of the CourseMen had made any mention of the researchers request that he surrender his other finds; that fell into the domain of finders keepers, even if it had belonged to the scientist first which he severely doubted. In the back of his mind, he heard Jenny mumbling something about threatening officers of the law, but he had taken the precaution of setting her line to mute ahead of time, so a voice in his own ear was all she was, and not something anyone else could hear.
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ResearchMan continued to keep the visor that indicated where his face must be following the CourseMan circling him. He continued to remain completely silent until the Navi finished his piece, before finally letting out a genuine belly laugh, holding up his hands in a "you got me" jesting gesture that, again, looked out of place on his body. "Haw, haw! You hear that, Crystal? Would you say our friend had it pretty much on the money? Ahaha... hoo..." The Navi slapped his knee and continued to listen, placing his hands on his hips.
"Rest assured, ah, Courser, was it? I mean no disrespect when I refer to your design. Many of the most powerful and influential Navis on the Net have that look about them, many of them in our ranks, no less! But, yes, I suppose it's bad science of me to jump to a conclusion without a full period of information gathering beforehand. Science and conversation, though... two different things, wouldn't you say, young man?" The Navi coughed into a fist, folding his hands behind his back. "Conversation... and threat assessment, as well."
At about this point, he gave up on trying to follow the CourseMen circling him and simply faced whichever happened to be in front of him. "Anyway, I'm sorry if you're, ah, expecting I'd feel I 'owed' you anything for fighting viruses out of this area. Whether you did or you didn't, the only service that may have mattered to me was if the equipment could have been protected. Seeing as it is very much gone, and seeing as yon hole is very much closing... Fascinating, isn't it? Ahem, seeing as yon hole is very much closing as we speak, you'll forgive me if I'm not a grateful disposition."
The Navi remained quiet again, letting CourseMan finish his speaking before raising a hand to the back of his head. "Aheh, I think you'd be surprised to learn how much of the Net the tech department feels is theirs to rope off. But I digress. Let's not make this about the NetPolice, all right? Let's make it about an old codger and a young whippersnapper. Or, group of whippersnappers, as the case may be. I do believe there's an age-old tradition whereby two Navis who randomly encounter each other on the Net can engage in impromptu NetBattle? I'm eager to give that a shot! I wouldn't call myself 'battle-hardened,' by any stretch, but I think you'll find- What? Yes, yes, Crystal, I really mean to challenge him! Yes, really. Come now, he called you an old primster! Surely you're- yes, that's what I thought."
The Navi adopted a fighting stance, spreading his knees and raising his fist (in yet another pose which looked bizarre for his getup). He'd since dispelled the datasheet he'd been reviewing. "How do you feel about a little wager, CourseMan? Whoever gets the other to a single HP, the other shall, at that time, reveal what he knows of this area to his better. Of course, I fully intend to force your jack out, you steamed me so! However, get me to 1 HP, even if I end up with the final hit, and I'll gladly tell you what I know. All the same... I'll understand if you and your buddies here are a little scared now that they've seen me, ahem, flex these guns. If that's the case, feel free to flee now."
=Enemies=
ResearchMan.EXE: 220/220 HP
=Terrain=
95% Unknown Terrain
5% ??? (Hole, plugged by Shell A)
=Friendlies=
CourseMan: 100HP
=Objects=
Shell A (half-shell of ResearchMan's pod, slightly larger both ways than a Navi is tall, plugging the hole): 120 HP
Shell B (half-shell of ResearchMan's pod, slightly larger both ways than a Navi is tall, just beside CourseMan and ResearchMan): 150 HP
=Special=
Unknown Terrain: A luminescent, glowing white stone, taking up the entirety of the cavern floor, but not the walls.
(CourseMan and ResearchMan are less than a movement from each other. You can determine which side of ResearchMan the real CourseMan is on.)
"Rest assured, ah, Courser, was it? I mean no disrespect when I refer to your design. Many of the most powerful and influential Navis on the Net have that look about them, many of them in our ranks, no less! But, yes, I suppose it's bad science of me to jump to a conclusion without a full period of information gathering beforehand. Science and conversation, though... two different things, wouldn't you say, young man?" The Navi coughed into a fist, folding his hands behind his back. "Conversation... and threat assessment, as well."
At about this point, he gave up on trying to follow the CourseMen circling him and simply faced whichever happened to be in front of him. "Anyway, I'm sorry if you're, ah, expecting I'd feel I 'owed' you anything for fighting viruses out of this area. Whether you did or you didn't, the only service that may have mattered to me was if the equipment could have been protected. Seeing as it is very much gone, and seeing as yon hole is very much closing... Fascinating, isn't it? Ahem, seeing as yon hole is very much closing as we speak, you'll forgive me if I'm not a grateful disposition."
The Navi remained quiet again, letting CourseMan finish his speaking before raising a hand to the back of his head. "Aheh, I think you'd be surprised to learn how much of the Net the tech department feels is theirs to rope off. But I digress. Let's not make this about the NetPolice, all right? Let's make it about an old codger and a young whippersnapper. Or, group of whippersnappers, as the case may be. I do believe there's an age-old tradition whereby two Navis who randomly encounter each other on the Net can engage in impromptu NetBattle? I'm eager to give that a shot! I wouldn't call myself 'battle-hardened,' by any stretch, but I think you'll find- What? Yes, yes, Crystal, I really mean to challenge him! Yes, really. Come now, he called you an old primster! Surely you're- yes, that's what I thought."
The Navi adopted a fighting stance, spreading his knees and raising his fist (in yet another pose which looked bizarre for his getup). He'd since dispelled the datasheet he'd been reviewing. "How do you feel about a little wager, CourseMan? Whoever gets the other to a single HP, the other shall, at that time, reveal what he knows of this area to his better. Of course, I fully intend to force your jack out, you steamed me so! However, get me to 1 HP, even if I end up with the final hit, and I'll gladly tell you what I know. All the same... I'll understand if you and your buddies here are a little scared now that they've seen me, ahem, flex these guns. If that's the case, feel free to flee now."
=Enemies=
ResearchMan.EXE: 220/220 HP
=Terrain=
95% Unknown Terrain
5% ??? (Hole, plugged by Shell A)
=Friendlies=
CourseMan: 100HP
=Objects=
Shell A (half-shell of ResearchMan's pod, slightly larger both ways than a Navi is tall, plugging the hole): 120 HP
Shell B (half-shell of ResearchMan's pod, slightly larger both ways than a Navi is tall, just beside CourseMan and ResearchMan): 150 HP
=Special=
Unknown Terrain: A luminescent, glowing white stone, taking up the entirety of the cavern floor, but not the walls.
(CourseMan and ResearchMan are less than a movement from each other. You can determine which side of ResearchMan the real CourseMan is on.)