All posts by ShinJae

Champions of Battle: AD7 – Awakening #28

Tosca walked off disappointed.  She grabbed a hand truck from the storage room just as Doctor Yu suggested.  She had to think of something that would get the sphere droid to open.  That is, if it opened. Wait.  That would change everything!  With this new idea in her head, she rushed back to her work station.  There was a possibility that she was going in the wrong direction with this project.  She had to get back to test her theory.

Adrianne watched as Tosca rushed off.  Who knows what she was thinking about now?  It was only good that she didn’t stay disappointed for long.  She must admit having AD7 react to a working droid had come to mind, but the risk was too high.  For all they knew it could be a bomb or a mind control device.  Better not take that risk.

Doctor Adrianne Yu turned back to the other side of the thick protected window just in time to see their test subject turning back to the targets.  AD7 regained her fighting stance and began attacking the shattered remains of the targets with renewed vigor.  Adrianne just realized that during her brief conversation with Tosca, she had heard no thunderous smashing from AD7 in the testing room.

Was she just watching us?  Adrianne could help but play with the thought.  AD7 had been helpful.  Thanks to her, they had enough information to engineer many weapons and helpful devices.  Still, she could be learning about them as well.  What would she use that information for?

It would make sense if AD7 eventually tried to escape.  No matter how nice she was to them, it didn’t change the fact that she was a prisoner.  The mind behind the Mech War had to be quite cleaver.  She could be plotting to take over the facility.

“I’m just thinking crazy,” Adrianne said to herself.  It all made little sense.  There was no way for AD7 to even know where she was.  There were no national symbols in the facility.  The Mech Fortress was utterly destroyed.  Even if she escaped, where would she go?

Still, why was she looking this way just now?  The observation room was cut off from the testing facility.  Adrianne could control everything in the testing room with no immediate danger to herself.

She kept watch with many cameras and a very thick window high enough on the wall that no one could see her torso.  There was no way AD7 could have heard them or seen anything in the observation area.  Still, it was safe to add extra guards and watches to AD7’s apartment.

AD7 had helped them greatly by only looking at the circuitry from destroyed droids.  Adrianne was eventually planning to have her interact with a functioning droid.  It seemed like a risky idea at the time.  Now, it was crazy.  Adrianne took notes to cancel all future experiments between AD7 and working devices.  Hopefully this precaution would be enough to prevent a catastrophe.

#1 – Awakening #27

Champions of Battle: The Very Best – Opportunity #027

Jaquan stared speechless as Catlin and Neely rush off at Catlin’s whim.  He, Liana, and Justice had nothing to say that would help the two or change Catlin’s mind.  Understandably, Catlin felt a great deal of responsibility about Brisa’s situation.  She was going and Neely was going too; just… because he was.

As they watched Catlin and Neely run into the distance, one of Catlin’s abandoned bags fell over.  Neely left his bag as well.  Distracted from the spectacle, Liana grabbed both of Catlin’s larger bags.  It only seemed right since her suit greatly increased her already considerable strength.  This left Justice and Jaquan each of the remaining bags.

“Well, that just happened,” Jaquan said as he watched half of the BigBad Crew run off in frenzy.

Watching them run through the street, Justice couldn’t help but comment, “expected.”  He learned a little about Jaquan’s companions but expected was the best fitting word.

“Ironic,” Liana chimed in.  She added a few mechanical modifications to Neely’s armor during the shuttle trip.  It should help them in their task.  She had also seen Catlin modify Brisa’s armor in a fraction of the time with her enchants.  Catlin’s used immense power and concentration to help Brisa become a “warrior” in a few hours.  She used Neely’s Holy Talent boosted Empowerment Aura through the work and still almost changed into a dreaded Unholy Beast with all her work.  Brisa must have meant a lot to her.

Jaquan paused again watching Catlin and Neely run.  They were almost out of sight still frantically looking for the reporter.  The two that usually got into side adventures were off on another one.  Each adventure made them stronger so it made since to let them be for now.  “They should be fine,” Jaquan added.  Still, he’ll give them a call in a few hours.

The three followed the attendant to their assigned resting area to sit and relax.

—–

Brisa followed the mysterious warrior through the city.  It seemed he knew where he was going.  She learned his name was Kiley Qu and that he’d lived and trained in this city for a few years.  That was good because she was completely lost.  At best, she could find her way back to the Sword Mastery School.

Kiley was from a clan called Sour Grapes.  His clan was powerful though not the strongest.  His clan’s symbol, a black diamond with a bright yellow-orange circle in the center, was displayed proudly on his cape.  He was aware of Brisa’s recent escapade into the city.  Though he knew all the shortcuts, he made sure to stay on the main paths so she felt most comfortable.

As they walked, Brisa noticed that he disappeared from view every now and then.  She’d get distracted by something on the street and he’d be fading back into sight as she looked forward again.  It was a little disturbing.  It happened a few times before she had to stop and ask what was going on.

Kiley looked at her as though she should already know.  “There’s a cloaked tracker droid following you,” he said slightly annoyed.

Brisa looked behind her and all around.  There was nothing.  No evidence of anything, only the wind and traffic.

Kiley’s eyes flashed open with a sudden revelation, “You’re a new Adventurer aren’t you?”

“Well…  Umm…” Brisa was speechless.

She tried to hide it but, it was the only fact that could possibly explain everything.  She had awesome gear including a large powerful weapon that told all would-be attackers to be afraid, very afraid.  If she learned to use the gear, they would have great reason to be very afraid.  However, no part of her gear had been marked or repaired.  Therefore, it was unused.

Sour Grapes usually helped others in need.  Besides, he had nothing better to do today.  “Don’t worry,” Kiley said, “Just don’t charge off around some building at an enemy,” he smiled at Brisa’s confused look, “We should be fine.”

#1 – Opportunity #26 – Opportunity #28

Sons of Sword: Tales of Glory – Lost and Found #23

Apple Mint Hills, Mole Hill Club:

In the mid-morning hours, a white robed figure walked boldly into the Mole Hill Night Club.  Almost everything on him was the purist white.  Shoes, bagged pants, and hood did not produce a hint of color.  Orange and blue skin peeked from under his hood.  A rust red tint clouded his gloves.  He hadn’t been there for a long while, still he knew his way around.  He walked straight to the backroom.

It was a syndicate club.  Everyone knew it, and everyone knew not to say it out loud.  The crowd was thin this time of day.  He ignored the live music and the ladies of entertainment.  He had a purpose.  It needed to be finished with it as soon as possible.  He walked through the kitchen and by the offices to his destination, the one room where a man of great importance sat.

Two large men in suits blocked the way.  They stood closer to each other as he approached, almost standing shoulder to shoulder as he reached them.  They were only doing their job.  But as Manna pulled back his hood and looked up to them, the cold stare told them he would finish them quickly if they delayed him much longer, “I’m expected.”

“No weapons,” one of the guards said.

“Hey!  Let him through,” yelled a voice from inside the office, “I don’t need any more hurt men.”

At Bluegill’s order, the two men slowly separated.  This wasn’t fast enough so Manna yanked them apart with his magnetism skills.  One on Manna’s right was pulled by his belt buckle, the other by his wrist watch.  With them out of the way and a little disoriented, Manna walked into the room without looking at them.

Bluegill was sitting on his chair, it was almost a throne.  He was an average height male with yellow green skin.  He wore the most expensive and pressed suit in the Thousand Flowers area, Manna knew that much.  His defining feature was the two large blue patches on the sides of his neck.

At entering the room, Manna bowed at the hip to Bluegill then proceeded to the center of the room.  For a matter like this, a phone call was not good enough.  He had to talk to Bluegill face to face though he didn’t like being there one bit.  “Greetings Bluegill,” he started, “Thank you for allowing me to pay back the money that I owed you in such a short time.  I do not speak for Guy, though we were caught in the same situation.”

“Manna, my man.  No worries, no bad blood.  You did a good number on those goons.”

“Yes, that is why I came to talk to you.  In the interest of safety I had to defend myself against a some men that wanted to speak to Guy.  I wanted you to know that this was in no way meant as an offense against you.”

Bluegill chuckled to himself, “Don’t even think about those idiots.  I told them to collect or give a message.  I know those guys a bit aggressive but good hard workin’ guys.  So I say, ‘talk, only talk but make sure he don’t forget,’ then, they try to scare someone.  Not what I told ‘em.  The new guys, they always want to impress me.  Your costume still works I see.”

Manna believed what he heard.  If Bluegill was one thing, he was honest.  Of course, the things he didn’t say were always open to interpretation.  “Yes,” Manna said with respect, “The way they spoke to me, I figured they didn’t know me.”

“They do now,” Bluegill said laughing.  “They came in here cryin’.  They never thought a ‘Green Child’ would smash in teeth.  That clown talked too much anyways.  I was trying to find a way to teach him to listen.  Now he don’t have a choice.”

“Thank you for your understanding,” Manna said as he prepared to leave the room.

“Hey stay a while, have some coffee,” Bluegill said, “We can talk a bit.”

Manna knew too well the dangers of accepting such an offer.  Not only was consuming highly caffeinated drinks illegal, doing so with the likes of Bluegill only invited trouble from Bluegill’s allies and enemies.  Besides, the conversation would probably be Bluegill’s attempt to hire him for a job.  “I’m sorry sir,” Manna spoke as he turned, “I have to get to work.  I’m late already.”  At that, Manna left the room.

#1 – Lost and Found #22 – Lost and Found #24