The devils gamble...

As Void and Imp walked towards the neon waving cowboy, 3 abominations came to defend their evil glowing overlord. At first glance, Void recognized two of them as Quakers, annoying little guys that hop around until they try to attack you, and then they become annoying BIG guys that try to hop on you. Unfortunately, both Void and Imp couldn't figure out what the third virus was.

"It looks cool," Imp said, cocking his head to one side, "Is it some kind of 'super swordy'?"

"If it is, we could be way over our heads," Damian said, pulling up the virus database, "I'm going to see what I can find, you guys handle the Quakers for now, we don't want to run out of space."

"But what about the... sword... demon... thingy?"

"Simple, if it uses a sword, it must need to get close to attack. Therefore..." Void replied to Imp, holding up a dagger.

"Soulpin! Let it fly!" Imp cheered his approval as Void wound up and sent the dagger speeding towards its target.

Turning towards the two hopping Quakers, Void considered the possibilities. "If we let them hop around too much, they'll try to get the drop on us, so it'd be best if we kill one of them right away, but to do that, they'd need to be on a metal tile."

"So we need to knock one of them onto a metal tile."

"Exactly!" Void said, grabbing Imp by the scruff of his neck and winding up for the throw.

"Wait! You said that you'd throw me if we fought a one armed bandit!"

Winding up, Void replied, "Yes, but since he has only one arm and isn't a bandit, I'm not going to throw you at him." Throwing the panicking ball of blubber, Imp sailed towards one of the Quakers as it was floating in front of a metal tile.

"Void, you're an asshole," Damian simply replied as he slotted in his zapring1.

"I know," Void said, letting the electricity flow through his body, snaps of power illuminating inside of his shadows, "That's what makes it so fun."

Letting the lightning pool in his hands, Void thrust his hands forwards to his intended target. The lightning lashed outwards, heating the air around it as it flared for an instant, then quietly rumbled out of existence.

With one last glance, Void dispersed in several directions, trying to avoid any oncoming attacks in his own special way.

-----

Actions

1) sig attack — Soulpin(hold + 30 dmg) @ nightmare
*) Imp to the head(gust) @ quakerB(move to metal tile)
2) battlechip — zapring1(40 dmg + stun + elec) @ QuakerB
3-4) disperse(autododge)

Void lets the Soulpin fly, but as fate would have it, it goes right through the Nightmare. The virus makes a bizzare sound; almost like laughing, as the attack is wasted.

The Navi, undaunted, goes after one of the Quakers instead. After using a rather unorthodox method of the Gust technique, Void lets loose a Zapring. The metal terrain ensures that the Quaker is gone. The other Quaker, enraged that it's buddy got wasted, leaps high into the air, raising it's wrecking ball high above it's head.

The Nightmare that had previously been attacked suddenly warps behind Void and slashes at him with the unnatural sword growing out of it, but Void manages to ninja out of the way in time.

QuakerA: 80 (IMMA CHARGIN MAH SHOCKWAVE)
QuakerB: GONE
Nightmare: 100

Void: 140

Terrain: 20% Normal (centered on Void), 40% Metal, 40% Glass (Checkerboard across everything else)

The nightmare slashed his twisted blade at Void as he disappeared into rolling black smoke, but the sword simply hummed through empty air. The smoke quickly began to move away from the sword wielding virus as if a strong breeze had suddenly come up swirling back into Void's shape a moderately safe distance away.

"Damian, what in the abyss happened, that virus should not of been able to move into striking range." Void snarled angrily at his net-OP.

<Yeah, I just got the data on them, they're called nightmares; and they seem to have a passive shadow ability.>

"So what does that even mean?"

<Basically, you can't hit them with anything unless it has a "slashing" or "beam" attribute. We have one thing that could work, but...>

"What..." Void asked, knowing the answer.

<It's the rageclaw.>

"In any case, we have to kill the quaker first. Send the zapring2 and the minibomb"

<That's slightly overkill, but it's not like we can use any of the other chips.> Damian muttered as he slotted in the chips before taking a bite from his 3 plate of food.

Feeling the surge of data as the chips downloaded, Void concentrated on combining the two chips together. Void moved his hands in wide graceful movements, the code itself being woven and threaded in front of him. With a final thrust of movement, the code compiled into a robotic ball with several deadly looking prongs and a glaring red optic in the middle.

"SYSTEM-ONLINE. SCANNING-FOR-TARGETS"

Void was about to point out the Quaker, when the machine let out a loud crackle of electrical discharge and started to barrel towards the intended target.

"TARGET-LOCKED. EXTERMANATE!"

Void simply shook his head at the robotic creation. Turning to face the nightmare, Void got into a fighting position, "Now lets do the rageclaw!"

<MFFFFPT> Damian mumbled as he slotted in the battle chip while he tried to swallow the rebellious baked potato he was choking on.

Charging towards the virus before the chip even finished downloading, Void curled his hands as the claws started to grow. In the last few steps from his opponent, the shadow navi gave a sudden lunge towards it, claws extended and ready to tear into whatever fell into their path.


Actions
1)miniboomer(60dmg) ) @ QuakerA
2)elecring2(60, elec, stun) @ QuakerA
3)surprise lunge/dodge(autododge)
4)rageclaw(40dmg, slashing) @ nightmare

Void summons a bomb, electrical machine thinger... and makes it charge at the Quaker, detonating it, and sending electricity ripping through the virus...
If it wasn't already high in the air and avoiding all attacks. Darn.
But as luck would have it, the instant the Quaker came down and unleashed a shockwave of unearthly might, the shadowy navi had already lunged for his other target, the Nightmare, before slashing at it with his Rageclaw.
Nothing else happened.

QuakerA: 80
QuakerB: GONE
Nightmare: 60

Void: 140 [Rageclaw]

Terrain: 20% Normal (centered on Void), 40% Metal, 40% Glass (Checkerboard across everything else)

As Void slashes his claws through the shadowy virus, a large gust of wind and a loud slam as the quaker lands directly behind him, sending cracks through the panel. "I thought we killed that!" Void shouted angrily, spinning around after the slash.

<It was in the air, apparently robots don't fly up> Damian muttered through a mouthful of potatoes, <Keep an eye on your opponent.>

Quickly turning back to slash at the nightmare, Void began to get slightly nervous as the realization of what he had done began to sink in. I'm still making amateur mistakes, after this many years.

"Dude, you just wasted your best chips!", Came a shrill voice from behind the Qwaker, "Let me give you a hand!"

Void's eyes opened wider in surprise as he realized what Imp was doing, and quickly lept to the side as Imp leapt forward, about to slam his giant fist into the back of the Quaker and push it towards the blade of the nightmare. Void took advantage of the situation to slash at the nightmare from the side.

----

actions

1) rageclaw(40dmg, slashing) @ nightmare
2) sidestep(autodoge)
3+*) sig: slamfist(60 dmg, break) @ QuakerA
4) rageclaw(40dmg, slashing) @ nightmare

((bump))

Void attempts to slice the shadow, but it floats out of the way. The Imp delivers a punch to the Quaker, causing it to shudder and temperarily lose focus on Void. The Nightmare creaps back up on Void, getting ready to slice, but he moves out of the way and delivers his own blow to the virus.

QuakerA: 20
QuakerB: GONE
Nightmare: 20

Void: 140 [Rageclaw]

Terrain: 20% Normal (centered on Void), 40% Metal, 40% Glass (Checkerboard across everything else)

Quickly climbing up to Void's shoulder, Imp jutted out his chest with a smug look on his face. "See, that's how much you need me, you almost got crushed by that virus, and wasted your best chips. I totally saved your black butt."

Void's head turned to look at the prideful prog with an annoyed glare, "Imp..."

Opening one eye, he looked at Void's eye, "Yeeeees?"

Raising a clawed hand, the shadowy navi made a talking motion with it, "This is what you're doing... and this is what I want you to do..." Void stopped his hand in the closed position.

Imp simply shrugged, "Ha, you're reduced to such childish comments in my awesomeness. I bet your really regretting that you didn't make that spread attack now."

Void ignored what Imp was saying and continued, "This is what happens when you don't do what I ask..."

Quickly whirling around, Void slashed at the Quaker with such speed the blades made a low humming sound as they flew through the air. Imp grabbed onto Void's shoulder as the sudden movement caught him off guard. Noting the strike's speed more than it's effect, Imp just quietly muttered, "I'll be good..."

Void did a second swing towards the nightmare, guessing that it would dodge again, then stepped to his left and tried to claw at the virus's... unarmed side...

Meanwhile Damian was feeling quite full, and began to order a slice of cake for dessert. Noting a certain individual on the message board that seemed to like to trade chips. Getting ready while the waiter was off with the cake, Damian got ready for a quick jack out...

-----

actions

1) rageclaw(40dmg, slashing) @ QuakerA
2) fent(low accuracy attack, rageclaw(40dmg, slashing) @ nightmare/autododge)
3) sweep around(autododge)
4) rageclaw(40dmg, slashing) @ nightmare

Void cuts through the Quaker with undue force, then goes for the Nightmare, tricking it, then coming from behind and taking it down.
Done.

QuakerA: DELETED
QuakerB: GONE
Nightmare: DELETED

Void: 140 [Rageclaw]

Terrain: 20% Normal (centered on Void), 40% Metal, 40% Glass (Checkerboard across everything else)

-VICTORY-
Get: 450z

Picking up the zenny from the ground, Void looks up suddenly as he hears shouting and the crashing of... dishes?

<SORRYVOIDTIMETOGOFOODWASBAD!> A panicked damian said over the communication line.

"What the hell did you just d---*

Void winked out from the net as the connection line was cut off, leaving nothing but a lone neon cowboy, tipping his hat...