Infiltrate the Party in the Sky
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"Will do, thanks for the heads-up," he promptly replied to DragonierMan's caution regarding Zazz/Roc's potential escorts. He then realized he'd become an unwitting doorman, but if it meant securing Roc, he was willing to swallow his pride and keep watch.
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Kismet stared back up at Aya with a lack of recognition, screwing up her eyes so that her already grumpy face looked even more irritated. "Who are you? You're not Mafia at all, are you?" she asked, although Aya was under no obligation to indulge her. Her eyes widened momentarily on hearing Scavenger's name, but then promptly lowered back to half-closed. "What? Scavenger? I haven't heard that name in forever," she sighed, rolling over on her side. "And I thought I'd never hear it again. Scavenger and Stalker were two of the lowest on the totem pole for the Bloodhounds family. The last I heard from her, she assisted the high-ranked Idol, a Teksqp family member, in an attack upon a home for unoperated navis operated by the NP. All three: Idol, Stalker, and Scavenger, disappeared following the mission, which was a critical failure. The fact of the matter is, you're barking up the wrong tree. There's no evidence that she was deleted; although a jackout barrier had been erected over the area for the purpose of the mission, our data shows that she was never caught in it. You should be asking the NetPolice where she is. We confirmed that a transport vehicle left the scene with Idol, implying they were prepared to retrieve our operatives. Chances are, Scavenger was also picked up by them. Your best bet is to go to the NetPolice Tech Division... they must have had some special trick if they pulled Scavenger out of there, or otherwise used their own jackout prevention technology to delete her. We've never received any ransom or hostage exchange from them, though, and we've never heard of her being released either... Kind of weird, right? The NetPolice taking prisoners over an indefinite term? I mean, we'd do that, but you wouldn't expect them to."
She seemed eager to talk, perhaps with the realization that this mysterious group of strangers was more likely to help her than anyone else in the ships, half of them drugged out of their minds and the other half eager to take advantage of those drugged.
MachMan would likely miss the explanation, because he was preoccupied with catching Flambe. He managed to catch her as she ran, he being very fast and her being not so much. With their bodies in such close proximity and having the recent reference of the equally underdeveloped young girl, Pest, it became pretty clear to MachMan that he was, in fact, holding a young boy rather than a girl... but one who had nodded along with being called a girl several times in the past. Regardless, that didn't seem especially important right now. "Let me go! Piper and Gala, those are the ones you guys want! I didn't know what I was doing!" he defended, thrashing about as much as MachMan had worried about. It was quite clear that the navi was attempting to violently strike MachMan with his elbows and legs now, although he wasn't powerful enough to do much or any damage that way. "They've got Gala in there and will have Piper soon! You don't need me!" Flambe reaffirmed, when MachMan managed to edge in a question.
DragonierMan showed up next to meet MachMan and Flambe, suggesting that each of them head inside. Vee stumbled inside easily enough, following DragonierMan, but MachMan had reason to stay outside himself. Given the circumstances, it wouldn't be a great idea to let Flambe go either, so he would wait outside with his captive.
The cloak now hid the tatter of Vee's outfit well enough, although her current mental state didn't allow the modesty to keep it closed very well; anyone looking would see the sash had been retied onto her waist differently than it had been before, as well as trace signs of wear her skinsuit had been torn. "Oh... Looks like bondage is going on in here..." she remarked absently, looking at Kismet on the floor with a vacant expression. Kismet's frown twisted into a further distasteful one as she looked to the side, perhaps recognizing that Vee had probably been ravaged the same way a lot of the others on the ship had been.
As DragonierMan had predicted, the gray minions of Gala soon arrived in groups of twos. The first lightly scorched group was carrying Zazz, one minion to each arm; she was yelling loudly and thrashing her legs. "No way! No way someone asked me to come up there! C'mon, I can't get a date if I try! And don't they know I'm a lesbian?! How do people not know that?! Oh, is it a girl? Is it a pretty girl? Hmmm..." she mused, suddenly growing quieter and more complacent. "Hmmmm... Okay, I guess I'll hear them out!"
The second, limping and scorched but somehow remaining in motion, were carrying an incapacitated, busty, completely naked woman, who MachMan might identify as Roc based on her body and gradient hair color. Seeing her this way was a lot different than how he had last time; she looked vulnerable and a bit pathetic. It was pretty clear that the goons had needed to beat her down before delivering her to the group, although it was unclear how many of them it had taken to do so. One of the goons collapsed in the hallway and evaporated into useless data before MachMan's eyes, leaving behind a scorched smudge on the carpet. The remaining henchman continued dragging the injured Roc into the room with the others.
Seeing that Zazz and Roc had arrived, Gala clapped her hands with a pleased grin. "There you are! Kismet, Roc, and Zazz, just as you requested! My boys had to rough up the bird-girl a bit to get her to accompany them, but you did say you wanted her here!" the hostess giggled, sounding unperturbed by the damage Roc had received. "What's going to happen now, hm? Is it time for another invigorating round of group sex? Or are all of you going to administer fresh justice on all of the wrongdoers here? I'm excited to see what you'll do!"
Kismet looked to Zazz with an irritated grimace; she now had someone she held directly responsible for freeing her in the room. In return, Zazz looked down to Kismet with a shocked expression, then looked between the Neo-Shogun subordinates assembled in the room. "Oh crap! I led the Neo-Shogun Empire right to our big boss!" Zazz exclaimed, clapping her hands to her cheeks now that she'd been released by the goons. "Sorry, Kissie!"
"Don't call me stupid names, Zazz. And don't worry about that, either. I think... by the looks of it... we're lucky they arrived here rather than one of our own people," she murmured, although she stole another glance over to Vee's obvious drugged behavior and ripped wardrobe. "Just what do you Neo-Shoguns want, anyway? There's no way you did all of this just to find out about Scavenger. She wasn't exactly a critical Mafia member, even when she was actively working."
In the mean time, Pest and Skywriter attended to Roc, the latter removing her bomber jacket to help Roc cover up.
She seemed eager to talk, perhaps with the realization that this mysterious group of strangers was more likely to help her than anyone else in the ships, half of them drugged out of their minds and the other half eager to take advantage of those drugged.
MachMan would likely miss the explanation, because he was preoccupied with catching Flambe. He managed to catch her as she ran, he being very fast and her being not so much. With their bodies in such close proximity and having the recent reference of the equally underdeveloped young girl, Pest, it became pretty clear to MachMan that he was, in fact, holding a young boy rather than a girl... but one who had nodded along with being called a girl several times in the past. Regardless, that didn't seem especially important right now. "Let me go! Piper and Gala, those are the ones you guys want! I didn't know what I was doing!" he defended, thrashing about as much as MachMan had worried about. It was quite clear that the navi was attempting to violently strike MachMan with his elbows and legs now, although he wasn't powerful enough to do much or any damage that way. "They've got Gala in there and will have Piper soon! You don't need me!" Flambe reaffirmed, when MachMan managed to edge in a question.
DragonierMan showed up next to meet MachMan and Flambe, suggesting that each of them head inside. Vee stumbled inside easily enough, following DragonierMan, but MachMan had reason to stay outside himself. Given the circumstances, it wouldn't be a great idea to let Flambe go either, so he would wait outside with his captive.
The cloak now hid the tatter of Vee's outfit well enough, although her current mental state didn't allow the modesty to keep it closed very well; anyone looking would see the sash had been retied onto her waist differently than it had been before, as well as trace signs of wear her skinsuit had been torn. "Oh... Looks like bondage is going on in here..." she remarked absently, looking at Kismet on the floor with a vacant expression. Kismet's frown twisted into a further distasteful one as she looked to the side, perhaps recognizing that Vee had probably been ravaged the same way a lot of the others on the ship had been.
As DragonierMan had predicted, the gray minions of Gala soon arrived in groups of twos. The first lightly scorched group was carrying Zazz, one minion to each arm; she was yelling loudly and thrashing her legs. "No way! No way someone asked me to come up there! C'mon, I can't get a date if I try! And don't they know I'm a lesbian?! How do people not know that?! Oh, is it a girl? Is it a pretty girl? Hmmm..." she mused, suddenly growing quieter and more complacent. "Hmmmm... Okay, I guess I'll hear them out!"
The second, limping and scorched but somehow remaining in motion, were carrying an incapacitated, busty, completely naked woman, who MachMan might identify as Roc based on her body and gradient hair color. Seeing her this way was a lot different than how he had last time; she looked vulnerable and a bit pathetic. It was pretty clear that the goons had needed to beat her down before delivering her to the group, although it was unclear how many of them it had taken to do so. One of the goons collapsed in the hallway and evaporated into useless data before MachMan's eyes, leaving behind a scorched smudge on the carpet. The remaining henchman continued dragging the injured Roc into the room with the others.
Seeing that Zazz and Roc had arrived, Gala clapped her hands with a pleased grin. "There you are! Kismet, Roc, and Zazz, just as you requested! My boys had to rough up the bird-girl a bit to get her to accompany them, but you did say you wanted her here!" the hostess giggled, sounding unperturbed by the damage Roc had received. "What's going to happen now, hm? Is it time for another invigorating round of group sex? Or are all of you going to administer fresh justice on all of the wrongdoers here? I'm excited to see what you'll do!"
Kismet looked to Zazz with an irritated grimace; she now had someone she held directly responsible for freeing her in the room. In return, Zazz looked down to Kismet with a shocked expression, then looked between the Neo-Shogun subordinates assembled in the room. "Oh crap! I led the Neo-Shogun Empire right to our big boss!" Zazz exclaimed, clapping her hands to her cheeks now that she'd been released by the goons. "Sorry, Kissie!"
"Don't call me stupid names, Zazz. And don't worry about that, either. I think... by the looks of it... we're lucky they arrived here rather than one of our own people," she murmured, although she stole another glance over to Vee's obvious drugged behavior and ripped wardrobe. "Just what do you Neo-Shoguns want, anyway? There's no way you did all of this just to find out about Scavenger. She wasn't exactly a critical Mafia member, even when she was actively working."
In the mean time, Pest and Skywriter attended to Roc, the latter removing her bomber jacket to help Roc cover up.
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Though Mach was too preoccupied with restraining the flailing Flambe, his SPs were able to hear Kismet's explanation regarding Scavenger's possible whereabouts. Her disappearance along with her two comrades appeared to be a mystery even to the NetMafia, and Kismet hinted their jackout barrier tech had the capability to report data on program deletions within its area of influence. She claimed their barrier didn't indicate any of the three were deleted, and pointed the proverbial finger at the Tech Division of the NetPolice, citing the reports of their vehicle taking Idol away from the area.
Aera moved closer to Kismet as she addressed her, "Was the home their last known location? If so, where is said building located?" If their investigation of the NP revealed no results, the location of Scavenger's disappearance was still a logical place to look for clues. In the meantime, Vector relayed a message to his Navi. [Kismet claims not to know Scavenger's location, and suggests we look into the NetPolice's 'Tech Division,' apparently it was there vehicle that secured Idol, one of Scavenger's comrades.]
Mach received the message while Flambe, who ultimately proved to be male due to his extremely close proximity to Mach. The development relayed from Vector drew his attention away from pondering why the frantic Navi didn't make any attempt to correct everyone else for referring to him as "her" or "she." However, he seemed very intent on fleeing. "So just to be clear, you'd much rather run alone in a ship full of goons and infected Mafia Navis, rather than stick around a group that hasn't yet shown hostility beyond keeping you close by?" he asked incredulously, maintaining eye contact with Flambe. His eyes then glanced over the Navi's shoulder as he continued, "If that's what you want, then all I can say is "good luck." There were a bunch of Mafia Navis fighting an equally large force of goons just past here, and I noticed PantheonMan prowling the halls. I would advise against letting him see you." He warned, attempting to scare the Navi into reconsidering his plan to flee. Though the warning about PantheonMan was mostly a bluff, if the mafioso was infected it wouldn't be surprising if he would see the effeminate Flambe as suitable prey.
As if cued in to illustrate Mach's point, two formations of heavily damaged goons came in with two prisoners: the ever-boisterous Zazz, and the surprisingly naked and unconscious Navi that appeared to be Roc. It wasn't surprising; however, to see the grey programs dragging Roc in were in very bad shape, one of them to the point of succumbing from its wounds. Though he wanted to rush to Roc's aid, the goons seemed focused only on delivering the Navi and nothing more. Both Aera and Vector expressed outward shock upon seeing Roc's condition. Aera's eyes went wide as she placed a hand over her mouth, while Vector's eye began to burn so brightly one might worry his face mask would begin to melt, while the slats over his shoulders started to subtly ripple with muted clicking and metal-on-metal squeaks. The pair joined Skywriter and Pest as they tended to Roc. Aera knelt next to Roc's head, and placed her hands on her shoulder, small green bolts of electricity arced between her fingers and to Roc's body as Aera attempted to repair some of the damage. Vector placed himself directly between Gala and the programs surrounding Roc, glaring at her while holding his spear upright in his right hand. Though they were the ones to request Roc be retrieved, beating the Navi to unconsciousness seemed unnecessarily cruel.
"Our intentions are none of your concern, Miss Kismet." Vector responded stiffly. Though he didn't express any animosity towards Kismet herself, her organization included the likes of Gala, who were nearing the top of his proverbial "shit list."
Aera moved closer to Kismet as she addressed her, "Was the home their last known location? If so, where is said building located?" If their investigation of the NP revealed no results, the location of Scavenger's disappearance was still a logical place to look for clues. In the meantime, Vector relayed a message to his Navi. [Kismet claims not to know Scavenger's location, and suggests we look into the NetPolice's 'Tech Division,' apparently it was there vehicle that secured Idol, one of Scavenger's comrades.]
Mach received the message while Flambe, who ultimately proved to be male due to his extremely close proximity to Mach. The development relayed from Vector drew his attention away from pondering why the frantic Navi didn't make any attempt to correct everyone else for referring to him as "her" or "she." However, he seemed very intent on fleeing. "So just to be clear, you'd much rather run alone in a ship full of goons and infected Mafia Navis, rather than stick around a group that hasn't yet shown hostility beyond keeping you close by?" he asked incredulously, maintaining eye contact with Flambe. His eyes then glanced over the Navi's shoulder as he continued, "If that's what you want, then all I can say is "good luck." There were a bunch of Mafia Navis fighting an equally large force of goons just past here, and I noticed PantheonMan prowling the halls. I would advise against letting him see you." He warned, attempting to scare the Navi into reconsidering his plan to flee. Though the warning about PantheonMan was mostly a bluff, if the mafioso was infected it wouldn't be surprising if he would see the effeminate Flambe as suitable prey.
As if cued in to illustrate Mach's point, two formations of heavily damaged goons came in with two prisoners: the ever-boisterous Zazz, and the surprisingly naked and unconscious Navi that appeared to be Roc. It wasn't surprising; however, to see the grey programs dragging Roc in were in very bad shape, one of them to the point of succumbing from its wounds. Though he wanted to rush to Roc's aid, the goons seemed focused only on delivering the Navi and nothing more. Both Aera and Vector expressed outward shock upon seeing Roc's condition. Aera's eyes went wide as she placed a hand over her mouth, while Vector's eye began to burn so brightly one might worry his face mask would begin to melt, while the slats over his shoulders started to subtly ripple with muted clicking and metal-on-metal squeaks. The pair joined Skywriter and Pest as they tended to Roc. Aera knelt next to Roc's head, and placed her hands on her shoulder, small green bolts of electricity arced between her fingers and to Roc's body as Aera attempted to repair some of the damage. Vector placed himself directly between Gala and the programs surrounding Roc, glaring at her while holding his spear upright in his right hand. Though they were the ones to request Roc be retrieved, beating the Navi to unconsciousness seemed unnecessarily cruel.
"Our intentions are none of your concern, Miss Kismet." Vector responded stiffly. Though he didn't express any animosity towards Kismet herself, her organization included the likes of Gala, who were nearing the top of his proverbial "shit list."
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Suzume joined the growing huddle around Roc and draped her cloak over her naked form. She took one of Roc's hands and began to softly sing an Aria of Renewal. Her hands glowed and 30 points of healing energy flowed into Roc. She then reached to her belt and began bringing out several bandages and assorted scraps of cloth to bind Roc's wounds. Directing the others nearby in treatment.
Aya listened to the information that Kismet gave, frowning at the fact that they would have to infiltrate another place to deal with the Scavenger problem. However, they at least knew now that they could leave, having retrieved the rest of the team. Aya attempted to help Kismet to her feet after she answered Aera's question, and then used her sword to cut her bonds, freeing Kismet. She pointed behind her at the unconscious Roc. "The bird girl over there is named Roc. Scavenger is her sister. She contracted us to help her locate her. Now that we know that the NetPolice have her, we have no reason to stay here. You guys can continue this party on your own terms, we're leaving." Aya then handed Kismet her sword. "I assume you have something to say to Gala on that regard. I'll leave you to it."
Aya then took steps backward, ready to spring away from Kismet if she decided to use the sword on her instead of Gala, until she came to stand by Zazz. "Your comments earlier indicate that you might be interested in a career change. There are bound to be others in our organization that share your lesbian viewpoint. In fact, the Head General Yasu seems to be more interested in women than men. And at the moment your NetMafia friends seem more interested in ending your life than preserving it. So the question becomes: Will you continue working for the NetMafia, or will you join the Neo-Shogunate? If so, then come with us."
DragonierMan waited until Roc was stabilized and then went over to pick her up. "It is time for us to leave," he said as Aera and Aya were wrapping up. And with that, unless otherwise stopped, he would try to lead them all out of Gala's room. He stopped in front of MachMan, Aya ducked in front of Drago to report. "The NetPolice have Scavenger. This whole thing was a waste of time."
If Kismet had told them where Scavenger might be located, Aya would also relay this information to MachMan. If Zazz took them up on the offer of joining the Neo-Shogunate, then Aya would introduce the new member.
Drago then gruffly said, "We should go. This place no longer concerns us." And then he would try to move to the opening in the ship again so he could grow into his giant dragon form and fly the group out.
Aya listened to the information that Kismet gave, frowning at the fact that they would have to infiltrate another place to deal with the Scavenger problem. However, they at least knew now that they could leave, having retrieved the rest of the team. Aya attempted to help Kismet to her feet after she answered Aera's question, and then used her sword to cut her bonds, freeing Kismet. She pointed behind her at the unconscious Roc. "The bird girl over there is named Roc. Scavenger is her sister. She contracted us to help her locate her. Now that we know that the NetPolice have her, we have no reason to stay here. You guys can continue this party on your own terms, we're leaving." Aya then handed Kismet her sword. "I assume you have something to say to Gala on that regard. I'll leave you to it."
Aya then took steps backward, ready to spring away from Kismet if she decided to use the sword on her instead of Gala, until she came to stand by Zazz. "Your comments earlier indicate that you might be interested in a career change. There are bound to be others in our organization that share your lesbian viewpoint. In fact, the Head General Yasu seems to be more interested in women than men. And at the moment your NetMafia friends seem more interested in ending your life than preserving it. So the question becomes: Will you continue working for the NetMafia, or will you join the Neo-Shogunate? If so, then come with us."
DragonierMan waited until Roc was stabilized and then went over to pick her up. "It is time for us to leave," he said as Aera and Aya were wrapping up. And with that, unless otherwise stopped, he would try to lead them all out of Gala's room. He stopped in front of MachMan, Aya ducked in front of Drago to report. "The NetPolice have Scavenger. This whole thing was a waste of time."
If Kismet had told them where Scavenger might be located, Aya would also relay this information to MachMan. If Zazz took them up on the offer of joining the Neo-Shogunate, then Aya would introduce the new member.
Drago then gruffly said, "We should go. This place no longer concerns us." And then he would try to move to the opening in the ship again so he could grow into his giant dragon form and fly the group out.
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Kismet turned her eyes up to Aera and momentarily relaxed her frown. "The home for unoperated navis is in Internet City, it's taken care of by a guy named Cranium. He's ex-NP, so even though the NP doesn't officially have a stake in the shelter, a lot of people view it as an NP asset, self-included. Scavenger and Stalker were attacking DimensionMan's SPs during a demonstration there and were defeated," the green-haired mafioso reiterated. Aya finally provided her an escape from her bondage; she rose back up and rubbed her wrists with an uncomfortable grimace. She turned her eyes to Vector and furrowed her brow. "What the Neo-Shogun Empire is up to is always going to be my concern, whether you or I like it or not. You all should get used to showing up as a big red blip on everybody's radar... mine included."
Aya and Zazz's conversation broke the monotony of mistrust, with the red-head giggling obnoxiously. "I can't cut and run now! I know I seem like a great person and all, but I'm still a mafia girl at the end of the day. I like the money, the attention, and the freedom from rules and regulations! If you guys are trying to becoming the net's official army, then sorry, I just don't have any place in an organization like that. I'm a bad girl! I'm always going to be on the bad side," Zazz explained, causing Kismet to glower at her, perhaps wishing she had offered a more convincing advertisement for their organization. "That said, I am toootally up for cooperating again in the future! We'll make it a date! A date with you, me, and all of the Neo-Shogun girls you can bring!"
On the other hand, DragonierMan didn't sound like he thought much of the cooperation so far or the results of their efforts here. In the end, they hadn't gotten a definite confirmation of where to find Scavenger; coming out with only another thread to follow had left a sour taste in his mouth. Vee held onto one of his arms and turned her head up to him again. "That's not the only thing we got out of this mission, though..." she reminded him. Pest looked in the direction and buzzed absent-mindedly, perhaps not understanding. Skywriter bit her lip and refocused her attention on caring for Roc, perhaps fully understanding.
"You've been wonderful guests! Toodles!" Gala waved, as Kismet drew her hood back around her head and summoned a new mask, like an unbroken white orb, encompassing her whole head. The NetMafia head family member then summoned a lengthy green blade atop one of her arms and faced the party's hostess. "Someone looks like they have a temper! So sorry you couldn't win the little game yourself, Kismet. You may be lucky, but sometimes luck isn't e-nuh... N-Neh!" Stammering, Gala stumbled back as the effect of a ridiculously fast sword swing became apparent across her face, causing the small eye-mask she wore to fall in half before opening a leaking wound from her forehead, down the bridge of her nose, and across her lip. Data spilled out repulsively as she fell backward onto the edge of her bath. "Neh-hehehe! Hehe-hrrrah!" she continued laughing, even as Kismet approached and slashed her again across the shoulders.
"You've been protected by the Oni and the rest of the Teksqp bastards for a long time, Gala, but it's a war zone up here and disappearances are going to happen. That's out of my control," Kismet spoke quietly. The hostess started to crawl away towards the other side of the room, her towel nearly riding up to an obscene point of her hips, before Kismet skewered her leg with one blade and summoned another sword to the free arm. "I should thank you for giving me the opportunity to reign in the foolishness of the Teksqp family, actually." Data was now leaking from Gala into the side of the bath, staining a portion of it red. Kismet would probably finish dispensing her justice shortly, but there was no reason the others had to stick around and watch it.
Partially recovered now, Roc slowly opened her eyes and recognized those before her. "Skywriter... Pest... Aera and... the armor... I'm hot," she growled in a guttural tone, breathing heavily but otherwise not moving. Between the pain and the very real possibility that she'd been having sex non-stop since being infected, her temperature was probably as bad as she was making it look. Skywriter and Pest stood back up, supporting her and the cloak around her, and now assuming that DragonierMan and his group were ready to go report in at the base.
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Back outside the door, Flambe continued struggling; he'd probably be beating the crap out of MachMan now to escape, if he was capable of such a thing. He wasn't, of course, and instead thrashed ineffectively. "A-Ah! I can hear it, the Head Family member's free! She'll murder me!" the chef navi wimpered. He seemed to think that Kismet knew plenty about his involvement with preparing the tainted meal that had set tonight's events into motion. If MachMan still had a view into the room, he'd see that Flambe did have at least one valid point: Kismet seemed to be in a murdering mood, judging by what she was doing to Gala.
"I can hear you out there," Kismet announced from far in the distance, causing the orange-haired navi in MachMan's arms to scream out in terror. "You're right: you and Piper are both going to pay for this too. I know that the two of you have been working in conjunction... I'm a Head Family organizer, remember? I'm fully aware that you and Piper were the ones who poisoned that meeting of NP women a while back in just such a manner as what's happened tonight. The fact that you're up here, along with Piper, who is ex-Mafia, only proves my suspicion that you assisted her again to infect all of us, this time to aid her revenge scheme. That makes you just as guilty as her... and just as dead as her. The ironic part is that she's probably sitting in a locked room somewhere, completely unaware of what's coming to her."
"N-No! She tricked me, this time and that time, honest!" Flambe defended, contorting as hard as he could to try to free himself. "I'll even show you where she is! Just don't hurt me!" Kismet nodded, perhaps indicating that was a suitable arrangement. Again, none of this was really MachMan or DragonierMan's concern, now that they'd finished interrogating Kismet. That had been there mission, in the end.
Aya and Zazz's conversation broke the monotony of mistrust, with the red-head giggling obnoxiously. "I can't cut and run now! I know I seem like a great person and all, but I'm still a mafia girl at the end of the day. I like the money, the attention, and the freedom from rules and regulations! If you guys are trying to becoming the net's official army, then sorry, I just don't have any place in an organization like that. I'm a bad girl! I'm always going to be on the bad side," Zazz explained, causing Kismet to glower at her, perhaps wishing she had offered a more convincing advertisement for their organization. "That said, I am toootally up for cooperating again in the future! We'll make it a date! A date with you, me, and all of the Neo-Shogun girls you can bring!"
On the other hand, DragonierMan didn't sound like he thought much of the cooperation so far or the results of their efforts here. In the end, they hadn't gotten a definite confirmation of where to find Scavenger; coming out with only another thread to follow had left a sour taste in his mouth. Vee held onto one of his arms and turned her head up to him again. "That's not the only thing we got out of this mission, though..." she reminded him. Pest looked in the direction and buzzed absent-mindedly, perhaps not understanding. Skywriter bit her lip and refocused her attention on caring for Roc, perhaps fully understanding.
"You've been wonderful guests! Toodles!" Gala waved, as Kismet drew her hood back around her head and summoned a new mask, like an unbroken white orb, encompassing her whole head. The NetMafia head family member then summoned a lengthy green blade atop one of her arms and faced the party's hostess. "Someone looks like they have a temper! So sorry you couldn't win the little game yourself, Kismet. You may be lucky, but sometimes luck isn't e-nuh... N-Neh!" Stammering, Gala stumbled back as the effect of a ridiculously fast sword swing became apparent across her face, causing the small eye-mask she wore to fall in half before opening a leaking wound from her forehead, down the bridge of her nose, and across her lip. Data spilled out repulsively as she fell backward onto the edge of her bath. "Neh-hehehe! Hehe-hrrrah!" she continued laughing, even as Kismet approached and slashed her again across the shoulders.
"You've been protected by the Oni and the rest of the Teksqp bastards for a long time, Gala, but it's a war zone up here and disappearances are going to happen. That's out of my control," Kismet spoke quietly. The hostess started to crawl away towards the other side of the room, her towel nearly riding up to an obscene point of her hips, before Kismet skewered her leg with one blade and summoned another sword to the free arm. "I should thank you for giving me the opportunity to reign in the foolishness of the Teksqp family, actually." Data was now leaking from Gala into the side of the bath, staining a portion of it red. Kismet would probably finish dispensing her justice shortly, but there was no reason the others had to stick around and watch it.
Partially recovered now, Roc slowly opened her eyes and recognized those before her. "Skywriter... Pest... Aera and... the armor... I'm hot," she growled in a guttural tone, breathing heavily but otherwise not moving. Between the pain and the very real possibility that she'd been having sex non-stop since being infected, her temperature was probably as bad as she was making it look. Skywriter and Pest stood back up, supporting her and the cloak around her, and now assuming that DragonierMan and his group were ready to go report in at the base.
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Back outside the door, Flambe continued struggling; he'd probably be beating the crap out of MachMan now to escape, if he was capable of such a thing. He wasn't, of course, and instead thrashed ineffectively. "A-Ah! I can hear it, the Head Family member's free! She'll murder me!" the chef navi wimpered. He seemed to think that Kismet knew plenty about his involvement with preparing the tainted meal that had set tonight's events into motion. If MachMan still had a view into the room, he'd see that Flambe did have at least one valid point: Kismet seemed to be in a murdering mood, judging by what she was doing to Gala.
"I can hear you out there," Kismet announced from far in the distance, causing the orange-haired navi in MachMan's arms to scream out in terror. "You're right: you and Piper are both going to pay for this too. I know that the two of you have been working in conjunction... I'm a Head Family organizer, remember? I'm fully aware that you and Piper were the ones who poisoned that meeting of NP women a while back in just such a manner as what's happened tonight. The fact that you're up here, along with Piper, who is ex-Mafia, only proves my suspicion that you assisted her again to infect all of us, this time to aid her revenge scheme. That makes you just as guilty as her... and just as dead as her. The ironic part is that she's probably sitting in a locked room somewhere, completely unaware of what's coming to her."
"N-No! She tricked me, this time and that time, honest!" Flambe defended, contorting as hard as he could to try to free himself. "I'll even show you where she is! Just don't hurt me!" Kismet nodded, perhaps indicating that was a suitable arrangement. Again, none of this was really MachMan or DragonierMan's concern, now that they'd finished interrogating Kismet. That had been there mission, in the end.
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Aera made a mental note as Kismet detailed the specifics regarding the navi shelter, as well as its caretaker. She was about to inquire why they were sent to attack the shelter, but the now standing Navi had shifted her focus to Vector. He remained silent, to not antagonize Kismet further, but kept himself strategically placed as a barrier between the Mafia Navis and his allies. Aya explained their reason for being there, completely stripping the veil of mystery around their operation, but truth be told their objectives were fairly benign even for the NetMafia. However, Aya rightfully didn't mention the fact Piper was in cahoots with the NS. Tensions were already running high, and that tidbit of info would only fan the flames.
Zazz's loyalty to the NetMafia didn't waver, but it became clear she'd likely become a potential ally again sometime in the future; the NS's supply of eye-catching females is impressive to say the least. Luckily for her, Kismet's anger quickly became directed solely on Gala, as she drew weapons on the Navi. Vector's grip on the spear tightened in anticipation to defend his position, but the now masked Navi appeared interested only in attacking Gala, who still laughed while it plainly appeared she was in the process of being murdered. The brutality was hard to watch, especially for Vector, but it served an appropriate moment to gather everyone up and depart; interfering likely would only bring Kismet's blades directed towards him and his allies.
He turned his back on the pair, and had his spear "melt" back into his body to allow him to utilize both of his hands to assist DragonierMan and the two other Squadron members get Roc back on her feet. "Allow me, Sir DragonierMan. We'll tend to Miss Roc, as you still have Miss Vee in your care," he requested politely. Though DragonierMan looked to be more than capable of carrying a couple Navis, Vector didn't want him to be burdened further, especially if they needed to fight their way out. Vector would work with Skywriter and Pest to keep Roc steady, with him willing to bear most of the weight, as his fractal body would serve a rather effective crutch. "Hang on, Miss. We'll get you out of here," he said in an attempt to reassure the Navi. He'd try to have one of her arms up and over his shoulders, so he could help her stay upright. Aera followed close behind, ready to step in if they started to waver or lose their balance.
Mach watched as DragonierMan lead the group out of the room, and advise it was time to depart. He acknowledged Aya's report with a nod, then responded to DragonierMan. "I agree, lead the way. I'll make sure no one falls behind." Though Flambe continued to thrash ineffectively, Mach decided to slightly reduce the amount of physical control on the Navi, electing to simply hold Flambe by the back of the collar of his chef outfit. Unless he wanted to slip out of the white sleeved garment, he'd still be secured in place. However, the commotion in the room between Kismet and Gala appropriately terrified the Navi. Kismet's voice came out of the room, further incriminating Flambe by claiming he also had a part in a group of NP Navis being poisoned in a very similar fashion. Mach craned his neck to give Flambe a critical, "really?" look, complete with both eyebrows raised. Flambe then sang like a canary, still claiming innocence and being deceived by Piper. He even pleaded with Kismet to lead her to Piper in exchange for mercy.
Mach weighed the options, it appeared Kismet would honor the agreement, but that meant Piper's head was now on the chopping block. Since the NS worked with Piper to execute this mission, it meant they'd lose a potentially useful resource. However, Piper's method was unpredictable, and it still appeared she betrayed the NS by poisoning the majority of the team. It looked like a good opportunity to burn a loose end, as they still would have Zazz as a potential "in" with the Mafia. Having decided, he released Flambe and began to follow his group down the hall. "Fine with me, saves us the trouble."
He kept his wings tucked tightly to his back as he quickly caught up with the rest of the group. He put a hand on Aera's shoulder, causing her to glance back to catch him nodding to her reassuringly. As he did so, he sent a message to General Yasu.
The group continued to follow DragonierMan as they attempted to navigate back out to the fire-scarred entrance. They wouldn't want to loiter, as Gala and her goons likely would fail to hold back the resistance he saw fighting in the cargo hold, or any of the infected guests still on the ship.
Zazz's loyalty to the NetMafia didn't waver, but it became clear she'd likely become a potential ally again sometime in the future; the NS's supply of eye-catching females is impressive to say the least. Luckily for her, Kismet's anger quickly became directed solely on Gala, as she drew weapons on the Navi. Vector's grip on the spear tightened in anticipation to defend his position, but the now masked Navi appeared interested only in attacking Gala, who still laughed while it plainly appeared she was in the process of being murdered. The brutality was hard to watch, especially for Vector, but it served an appropriate moment to gather everyone up and depart; interfering likely would only bring Kismet's blades directed towards him and his allies.
He turned his back on the pair, and had his spear "melt" back into his body to allow him to utilize both of his hands to assist DragonierMan and the two other Squadron members get Roc back on her feet. "Allow me, Sir DragonierMan. We'll tend to Miss Roc, as you still have Miss Vee in your care," he requested politely. Though DragonierMan looked to be more than capable of carrying a couple Navis, Vector didn't want him to be burdened further, especially if they needed to fight their way out. Vector would work with Skywriter and Pest to keep Roc steady, with him willing to bear most of the weight, as his fractal body would serve a rather effective crutch. "Hang on, Miss. We'll get you out of here," he said in an attempt to reassure the Navi. He'd try to have one of her arms up and over his shoulders, so he could help her stay upright. Aera followed close behind, ready to step in if they started to waver or lose their balance.
Mach watched as DragonierMan lead the group out of the room, and advise it was time to depart. He acknowledged Aya's report with a nod, then responded to DragonierMan. "I agree, lead the way. I'll make sure no one falls behind." Though Flambe continued to thrash ineffectively, Mach decided to slightly reduce the amount of physical control on the Navi, electing to simply hold Flambe by the back of the collar of his chef outfit. Unless he wanted to slip out of the white sleeved garment, he'd still be secured in place. However, the commotion in the room between Kismet and Gala appropriately terrified the Navi. Kismet's voice came out of the room, further incriminating Flambe by claiming he also had a part in a group of NP Navis being poisoned in a very similar fashion. Mach craned his neck to give Flambe a critical, "really?" look, complete with both eyebrows raised. Flambe then sang like a canary, still claiming innocence and being deceived by Piper. He even pleaded with Kismet to lead her to Piper in exchange for mercy.
Mach weighed the options, it appeared Kismet would honor the agreement, but that meant Piper's head was now on the chopping block. Since the NS worked with Piper to execute this mission, it meant they'd lose a potentially useful resource. However, Piper's method was unpredictable, and it still appeared she betrayed the NS by poisoning the majority of the team. It looked like a good opportunity to burn a loose end, as they still would have Zazz as a potential "in" with the Mafia. Having decided, he released Flambe and began to follow his group down the hall. "Fine with me, saves us the trouble."
He kept his wings tucked tightly to his back as he quickly caught up with the rest of the group. He put a hand on Aera's shoulder, causing her to glance back to catch him nodding to her reassuringly. As he did so, he sent a message to General Yasu.
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General Yasu, we obtained the information we needed, I'll give you a report once we all return. No casualties, though I recommend you destroy all data trails tracing to Piper. She's about to get the axe, and I wouldn't want any wild claims about our involvement having any supporting evidence.
The group continued to follow DragonierMan as they attempted to navigate back out to the fire-scarred entrance. They wouldn't want to loiter, as Gala and her goons likely would fail to hold back the resistance he saw fighting in the cargo hold, or any of the infected guests still on the ship.
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DragonierMan nodded as Vector took on the burden of Roc. Gently handing the heated navi over to the supporting group. "Very well Vector, you can have her." He then turned to the twins. "Suzume, Aya, you have the lead," he told them.
With a flash of light, the two SPs were once more in their armored forms and moved to get in front of the procession as they left the room, to the sounds of Gala being murdered by Kismet. Drago took up the position behind the twins, leading Vee by his arm (as she was wrapped around it). They looked like a couple at the ball. A rough ball that had shredded their garments a bit. And they completed the wealthy look by having Aya and Suzume be their bodyguards out in front.
"So, did you have a fun time at the party my dear?" Drago asked Vee in his attempt at a mockingly posh voice. "I think we should top off the evening by heading back to your place for a quiet dinner. The soiree was quite... vociferous. Wouldn't you agree?" Once they got to the burnt-out room where the hole to the outside of the blimp was, he would turn into his giant dragon form and take those that couldn't fly on his back.
With a flash of light, the two SPs were once more in their armored forms and moved to get in front of the procession as they left the room, to the sounds of Gala being murdered by Kismet. Drago took up the position behind the twins, leading Vee by his arm (as she was wrapped around it). They looked like a couple at the ball. A rough ball that had shredded their garments a bit. And they completed the wealthy look by having Aya and Suzume be their bodyguards out in front.
"So, did you have a fun time at the party my dear?" Drago asked Vee in his attempt at a mockingly posh voice. "I think we should top off the evening by heading back to your place for a quiet dinner. The soiree was quite... vociferous. Wouldn't you agree?" Once they got to the burnt-out room where the hole to the outside of the blimp was, he would turn into his giant dragon form and take those that couldn't fly on his back.
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MachMan's group and DragonierMan's both came to the decision that it would be best to leave the ship as soon as possible, for many reasons: the possibility that Roc's condition would start acting up again due to the persistent music, the lack of a need to observe Kismet's violent clean-up process, and the duty to report to General Yasu quickly were all factors. Here, they would cut ties with those they'd met: Zazz would presumably help or at least follow Kismet, Flambe huddled into a corner and waited for Kismet to finish (as running would likely forfeit his one possibility of escaping deletion), and Kismet and Gala were now caught up murdering and being murdered respectively. Amazingly, the guards made no move to help their controller as she was brutally slashed in punishment for her actions. MachMan would receive another message from the First General:
Leaving the gruesome scene, which looked like it would probably end about how Kismet had said it would, everyone returned to the hole from which they'd entered. Neither PantheonMan nor any of the other Bloodhounds that MachMan had spotted earlier could be seen in the hallway.The group would find they could head out of the ship without incident; from there, they'd just need to return the public Neo-Shogun subordinate's camp. From the outside, it would become apparent that the second ship had fallen at some point; a flaming wreckage down below on the floor of NetVegas Net, which had flattened some unwitting establishment, was now surrounded by NP presence. Apparently, their jurisdiction extended even out here where the Mafia had interests in most of the businesses.
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Please report back as soon as possible. I'll be waiting to receive your report at the gate between camps. Excellent work, to all of you; completing the task with no casualties in such an environment must have been a trying task indeed.
Leaving the gruesome scene, which looked like it would probably end about how Kismet had said it would, everyone returned to the hole from which they'd entered. Neither PantheonMan nor any of the other Bloodhounds that MachMan had spotted earlier could be seen in the hallway.The group would find they could head out of the ship without incident; from there, they'd just need to return the public Neo-Shogun subordinate's camp. From the outside, it would become apparent that the second ship had fallen at some point; a flaming wreckage down below on the floor of NetVegas Net, which had flattened some unwitting establishment, was now surrounded by NP presence. Apparently, their jurisdiction extended even out here where the Mafia had interests in most of the businesses.
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With no immediate threats inbound, their exfil from the ship seemed to go quite smoothly. Vector continued to support Roc, while Aera followed closely behind, occasionally readjusting the cloak that seemed to slip slightly from Roc's unabashedly naked form as they moved along. Even behind the cloak it left little to the imagination, and in less dire circumstances Aera would feel some rare jealousy over her ally's notably more voluptuous features. They warily watched the goons lingering in the halls; they made no move against them, neither did they rush to their master's aid... It seemed strange to all three programs, was Gala unaware of her own peril, too focused on her own delusions to use her best asset, or not actually in significant danger? While that thought lingered in his SPs' minds, Mach received a response from Yasu.
Her message seemed rather... nice, actually. She didn't seem as abrasive as before. [[i]Hm, guess she's more complementary now she knows we're trustworthy...[/i]] Mach wondered before he replied.
As they made their way out to the ashen exit, Vector advised Skywriter and Pest. "Carefully now, we must keep Miss Roc steady." Slats near his shoulder blades and his calves opened before inky white smoke oozed and circulated in the eerie blue glow of the vents, causing his body to rise several inches in the air, hopefully carrying Roc along before they floated out to the open air. If Skywriter and Pest were still assisting, they would likely have enough power to keep from falling behind, plus Aera would move to assist if they appeared to be struggling to maintain altitude. Aera's wings hummed calmly, only occasionally snapping with a thin cyan bolt of electricity amongst its feathers.
Mach waited for the entirety of the team to depart, facing back into the ship to keep an eye for anyone attempting to follow. His still-primed cannons materialized under his right forearm, which he pointed down the hallway in preparation to cover his team's exfiltration with fire if necessary. He occasionally glanced back to the exit, waiting for everyone to move clear of the ship. Once they did, he kept his weapon raised and kicked backwards as his wings unfurled. He floated a few inches from the blackened floor as he glided backwards until he saw the scarred hole in the hull pass around him. Once he was clear, he cut power and started to plummet to the floor below. He pitched backwards as his body rolled, leaving him inverted with his front facing the direction of the airship before his wings snapped outwards and pitched upwards, causing him to pull out of the dive and use the momentum to shoot forward and possibly climb to catch up to the rest of the group.
"Let's jump to the camp. Vector, Aera, secure Roc so she'll come with us," he said calmly to his SP's then raised his voice so the leaders of the group could hear, "DragonierMan! We'll meet you back at the encampment!"
Vector's head rotated nearly 180 degrees to look back at his Navi, possible only due to his fractal design, and nodded dutifully before addressing the two Navis assisting him with Roc as Aera approached. "Lady Aera and I will bring Miss Roc. We'll meet you at the encampment." Aera moved in to take her place next to Roc opposite of Vector, and cleared Skywriter and Pest off to link in to the NS Camp at their leisure. Aera moved under Roc's other arm and wrapped her own around Roc's waist to keep her steady, her hand inadvertently brushing against Roc's butt as she took hold of her waist. She also had a much more in-depth awareness of Roc's bustiness, causing a light redness to grow on Aera's face.
Once it appeared his SP's had a good hold on the injured Navi, Mach hailed his NetOp. "Mazer, we're ready to jump to the NS camp, but I don't think Roc can initiate the link. Can you try to send us all as one group?" Mazer adjusted his glasses then started to pull up some menus on the PET's screen. ["Should be possible, stand by."] A few moments later, he'd notify them if he was able or not. If so, he'd give them a countdown. ["Teleport in 3... 2... 1... now."] Mach and his SP's were instantly wreathed in cyan light and rocketed up and out of the network, hopefully with Roc in tow, making the three appear like one large beam shooting skywards before disappearing.
((To Public NS Camp))
Her message seemed rather... nice, actually. She didn't seem as abrasive as before. [[i]Hm, guess she's more complementary now she knows we're trustworthy...[/i]] Mach wondered before he replied.
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Thank you, General. We're on our way back now. I'll give you the details in person, but it seems our search continues.
As they made their way out to the ashen exit, Vector advised Skywriter and Pest. "Carefully now, we must keep Miss Roc steady." Slats near his shoulder blades and his calves opened before inky white smoke oozed and circulated in the eerie blue glow of the vents, causing his body to rise several inches in the air, hopefully carrying Roc along before they floated out to the open air. If Skywriter and Pest were still assisting, they would likely have enough power to keep from falling behind, plus Aera would move to assist if they appeared to be struggling to maintain altitude. Aera's wings hummed calmly, only occasionally snapping with a thin cyan bolt of electricity amongst its feathers.
Mach waited for the entirety of the team to depart, facing back into the ship to keep an eye for anyone attempting to follow. His still-primed cannons materialized under his right forearm, which he pointed down the hallway in preparation to cover his team's exfiltration with fire if necessary. He occasionally glanced back to the exit, waiting for everyone to move clear of the ship. Once they did, he kept his weapon raised and kicked backwards as his wings unfurled. He floated a few inches from the blackened floor as he glided backwards until he saw the scarred hole in the hull pass around him. Once he was clear, he cut power and started to plummet to the floor below. He pitched backwards as his body rolled, leaving him inverted with his front facing the direction of the airship before his wings snapped outwards and pitched upwards, causing him to pull out of the dive and use the momentum to shoot forward and possibly climb to catch up to the rest of the group.
"Let's jump to the camp. Vector, Aera, secure Roc so she'll come with us," he said calmly to his SP's then raised his voice so the leaders of the group could hear, "DragonierMan! We'll meet you back at the encampment!"
Vector's head rotated nearly 180 degrees to look back at his Navi, possible only due to his fractal design, and nodded dutifully before addressing the two Navis assisting him with Roc as Aera approached. "Lady Aera and I will bring Miss Roc. We'll meet you at the encampment." Aera moved in to take her place next to Roc opposite of Vector, and cleared Skywriter and Pest off to link in to the NS Camp at their leisure. Aera moved under Roc's other arm and wrapped her own around Roc's waist to keep her steady, her hand inadvertently brushing against Roc's butt as she took hold of her waist. She also had a much more in-depth awareness of Roc's bustiness, causing a light redness to grow on Aera's face.
Once it appeared his SP's had a good hold on the injured Navi, Mach hailed his NetOp. "Mazer, we're ready to jump to the NS camp, but I don't think Roc can initiate the link. Can you try to send us all as one group?" Mazer adjusted his glasses then started to pull up some menus on the PET's screen. ["Should be possible, stand by."] A few moments later, he'd notify them if he was able or not. If so, he'd give them a countdown. ["Teleport in 3... 2... 1... now."] Mach and his SP's were instantly wreathed in cyan light and rocketed up and out of the network, hopefully with Roc in tow, making the three appear like one large beam shooting skywards before disappearing.
((To Public NS Camp))
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As the group left, DragonierMan turned to Suzume, who was scribbling something on a notepad. "What are you writing?" he asked. Suzume gave a cat's grin and showed Drago the notepad. A series of notes had been scrawled on the paper as if she was writing a new song. "I have been listening to the song from Piper as it was broadcasted all over the ships. I think I might have the whole tune, but I can't be certain. Perhaps when we combine it with the cake you took we can find a way to prevent anyone from succumbing to it again," the songstress chirped. Aya smirked, "Or use it to our own ends." Then she frowned. "Although it might be more trouble than its worth."
Then MachMan and crew disappeared. "Well let's return then. Hop on," he said as he turned into his giant dragon form and flew Vee and the twins off into the horizon. Disappearing through a portal back to the Public Neo-Shogun Camp.
Then MachMan and crew disappeared. "Well let's return then. Hop on," he said as he turned into his giant dragon form and flew Vee and the twins off into the horizon. Disappearing through a portal back to the Public Neo-Shogun Camp.