Cross Effects 3.0 - April 13, 2015—June 23, 2016

[Kotomine_Rin]

Vanguard

"I am not heavy. Simply attracted to the Earth, thank you very much." he rebutted, feigning an overly severe tone.

Of course, it only lasted for so long until he allowed himself to laugh. It was... strange. He had almost forgotten how his own laughter sounded.

Pausing, he carried on with a kind voice. Warm, gentle. Almost like a father's.

"I am glad, Sakura. It seems you have found what you sought, that is quite fortunate. Few can boast of accomplishing such a thing, and you are one of them. So rejoice, Sakura Matou. I too am truly happy to hear such great news."

Then, he was laid on the kitchen table. Her sudden change from cheerful to abrasively competitive was quite jarring, but he did not mind it. On the contrary, it was far from unpleasant. He had done well to choose servitude under such a master.

Hopefully the child of destiny would be able to live as happily once she discovered of her duty. He would do all in his power to ensure that, of that he had no longer any doubt in his mind.

[Arch-Magos Winter]

Abigail and Forest



They really think you can control him.

Well we could, sort of?

You're not strong enough. If I was not bound to you though...

Forest frowned at the "Conversation" between Law and his "Driver" and wondered what the hell it all meant. 

Law shook his head. "It's not that simple. He's sort of different than your run of the mill ghost that I've met with before." He leaned against the tree as well, rubbing his head. "I could do something but he's not around here right now anyway, and I doubt it'd make much of a difference to him."

Forest frowned and asked, "Could you find him?"

Abigail swallowed, stood to her full height and said, "Uh, I might be able to find who he's looking for at least . . ."

"If he was close by, I think I could. But he's off doing something right now. Hunting his other self, you said? He might not get lucky and have to find me again. I am his anchor to the world after all. That should count for something..." Law scratched his cheek. Then Abigail spoke up.

"Abby, it's late, I'm tired, and we've still got the stuff in the car to get inside. Even if we found him I doubt we could stop him right now."

[Panda]

Adjutor

Adjutor's minor amusement at the show of colors was abruptly forgotten when a corpse crashed down upon the psychedelic floor with a meaty thunk. The teen stared for a moment, revulsion tearing at him. The corpse would have been a disturbing sight by itself, with the barely evident hints of sadism present in the myriad wounds borne by the child, but more disconcerting still was the resemblance the body bore to Adjutor.

No way.

Eh?

What the fuck, there's no way that could be-

The hell are you going on about?

...Never mind.

...Wha-...Oh. The kid got you pretty good, didn't he?

I suppose so...regardless, that was in poor taste.

Had Adjutor had a mental projection of himself that could have interacted with the child in his head, said mental projection would have been frowning. Before the teen could say anything, however, the distant sounds of gunfire and screaming drifted into the abandoned building. Adjutor's surprise kept him immobile for all of an instant before he slipped into the shadows, leaving Laivatain out as he sped off in the general direction of the screaming.

Exiting the shadows a short while later already Reinforced, the teen found himself overlooking a lot preceding what appeared to be a blast furnace. From his vantage point, Adjutor could make out what appeared to be a disorganized mob rampaging around the place. Oddly enough, trailing behind them was a man in priestly robes. The main yard still bore traces of the fighting Adjutor had heard earlier, blood and dismembered bodies littering the ground near the entrance.

...Wait a minute, aren't those the Halloweeners?

So those Monsters the other day weren't kidding when they said there were more.

Even so, they never really seemed like the type to pull off something like this...

Suspicious, Adjutor released the seal on his eyes, warm brown giving way to pupil-less silver as he scanned the crowd again.

No magic users...

Okay, seriously, what the hell is going on here?

I mean, those are Halloweeners down there. Not really much to debate on how to deal with them when they're on a rampage like this...

At this point, Adjutor decided to call Laivatain and Rahab back, the Elementals sliding into their sheaths soon afterwards, but decided to leave Valmanway to its current task as he continued to scope the situation out, already planning out possible escape routes, marking any cover he found.

Well, at least we're running pretty hot in terms of mana...

Perhaps we could...

"Firebrand, Laivatain," Adjutor muttered, drawing the two-hander and pouring mana into it in preparation.

[yinsukin]

Relius Clover

In an instant, the dog appeared in front of Relius and cut off his leg before he could react.  Now he was going straight for the chest.

He had a grave error.  Just because there was no master unit to interfere with his experiments didn’t mean he had enough power to capture anyone he saw fit.  There were many more variables involved, particularly in this new world.  It hurt his pride but for now he needed to retreat and organize the information gathered in his brain.

Ignis appeared in between Relius and Kenzo in a flash of purple light.  Using the long pink things on her hat, Ignis grabbed Relius and threw him into the train tracks.  At that moment a train flew by the station, not stopping in order to protect its passengers from the brawl.  In that same moment, Relius reached out his hand.  A giant puppet hand sprung forth from his cape and punched a hole in the window of the car.  Upon arriving in the car, the puppeteer was thrown backward violently into the back of the car, sustained minor injuries.

[Kotomine_Rin]

Sakagami Kenzo

Kenzo snarled. He had underestimated the situation and gotten distracted. He didn't notice the train, a grave error.

But it wasn't enough.

It wasn't enough, it wasn't enough to stop him. While the impact blew him backwards, he quickly landed. That man couldn't be allowed to escape. Even if he was inside a fast train, he couldn't be allowed to run away.

Quickly, the demon leapt up the rails and began to run after the train at full speed.

[Kaze]

MOST PLACES IN THE NEXUS

Cable television cut from scheduled programming suddenly to a blank screen with with text scrolling across it. Radio programs halted, and loudspeakers across the metropolis blared to life. Out from many, many speakers came a message.

“Warning! Warning! Extreme gang violence is taking place within the vicinity of the Nexus blast furnace. Enforcers are mobilizing to retaliate. All civilians are instructed to clear the area and remain within your homes!”

The message repeated twice, then the loudspeakers shut down, and radio and television returned to their original programs.

[yinsukin]

Roxas

Roxas kicked the wall in frustration.  Once again he was denied because of his age.  How could he find a life if no one would accept him?  The doctor said he kept him out of the hunt for his own safety but what did he know?  He was more than capable of fending for himself.  Age shouldn't be a problem.  Roxas turned away from the wall, put on his hood and began walking through the streets of the Nexus.

Roxas continued to walk through the streets before hearing the sound of gunfire.  He began running.  He would make a difference here.  He would prove to everyone that he was more than just a kid.  He turned a corner only to take a quick glance at the carnage before him.  It was insane.  Men, shooting one another, strange creatures attacking what looked like officers.  Even if he did try to help them, its likely that he would be overwhelmed.  Besides, if the staff guy were here and saw him attacking these guys for no reason, he would be proven right.  He quickly moved back behind the wall, using his coat to blend into the shadows.

[YOLF]

Shendu

The demon sorceror rumbled deeply from his throat. It had been far too long since someone had referred to him with the proper title of a sovereign. And precisely because of that, he was suspicious. Shendu was not immune to flattery; but he knew it very well indeed. Obvious veils of pleasantry humored him, but he had little patience for those that thought him simply appeased or led on. Fear was as honest as respect, but inked in the intent to sham him, no longer so.

"Is that so?", he asked in a neutral tone, turning his head. Caster was correct. There was indeed a massive beacon of evil chi close to the epicenter of the catastrophe that had destroyed the vessel he sought. By Shendu's own judgement, the information appeared trustworthy. However....

He looked once more towards those who accompanied Caster. "What of those two?", he asked, casting his burning gaze towards them directly.

[Umbra of Chaos]

Mata Boyd

The fleeing group was able to maintain a manageable distance from the horde of rats. They certainly weren't going to lose them at this rate but at least they wouldn't end up eaten alive by the filthy vermin. Then something enormous smashed its way through a tunnel wall and stood several meters before them.

It barely fit within the tunnel and moved forward at a slow speed but sheer mass allowed it to block any attempt at going forward. While it stopped any passage the large, pink rats continued their pursuit relentlessly.


Karen Archer

In a dark room the only source of sound was the sound of fingers rapidly tapping on a keyboard and the sounds of television.

[u.1:0.1] You've seen the news?
[u.2:0.1] Yes.
[u.1:0.2] Were they ever this active?
[u.2:0.2] Not as far as I know.
[u.1:0.3] Why now?
[u.2:0.3] There may be a new player. Things are too chaotic to be sure.
[u.1:0.4] Will it be our concern?
[u.2:0.4] Possibly. I will keep eyes on it. Has he been acting within our expectations?
[u.1:0.5] Yes. He is predictable enough to us. There is no need to worry about him.
[u.2:0.5] Good. We will meet with the others later.
[u.1:0.6] Same place?
[u.2:0.6] Same place.

The redhead closed the messaging client and for a moment her eyes were glued on the text file that was simply titled DX-1120. She blinked for a moment and simply closed the laptop instead of opening the file. Some things could wait. Then she just turned to face the television and waited. Perhaps things would get interesting.


Infected

Above the confrontation at the blast furnace red bird began to gather. Some circled the area while others found perches to survey the area but all of them watched unnervingly as the scene continued.


Ghost Child

The ghost didn't make the slightest fuss as the corpse was promptly overlooked in favor of the bangs of guns. However, by the time they had made it there he was already ready to play another game. As the teen readied himself an apparition appeared right next to him. Ghost Child with a wide grin on his face as he looked at all the new toys to play with. The one he was in was too weird to be a toy. Maybe he was like the tall man.

The hallucination turned its head to Adjutor and said, "Let's play good guys and bad guys, mister. We can be the good guys and they can all be the bad guys. Wanna play?"

[Elf]

Abigail

The redhead cast Law a sympathetic look and nodded, "Yeah, we should unload the car and I really need to let my dog out.  He's been inside all day and really needs to go out."

She did give Forest a look and said, "However, if you want I lend you one of my familiars.  He might be able to help you look for this guy that Archer may try to kill."


Forest

Forest felt a surge of annoyance, but had to force herself to remember that, despite all of their extraordinary abilities, Abigail and Law were just kids with normal lives.   Nothing that I know anything about, she thought with more than a touch of bitterness.

Before she said something, the klaxon call of a siren rang through her ears and flinched. 

“Warning! Warning! Extreme gang violence is taking place within the vicinity of the Nexus blast furnace. Enforcers are mobilizing to retaliate. All civilians are instructed to clear the area and remain within your homes!”

The blond rubbed her forehead and said, "You two had better get your junk in and get inside.  Baton down the hatches as it where.  Now I'm wondering if its the damn werepumas or the Halloweeners causing this nonsense."


Chef Shirou

Shirou smirked at Sakura then stared at the talking, disembodied head.  He frowned and asked, "Did Alphonse Elric get his armor blown up again and Ed's not here to fix him?"

Then he reached up and poked the helm.

[Kaze]

EMIYA SHIROU

The Emiya magus didn’t even want to question why a massive, flaming, talking lizard was hovering right in front of them. He had seen far too much in the Nexus to pay the strangeness of the situation much mind. Rather, he was more focused on the lizard’s presence itself. There was a malignance in the way he smelled. Fire and smoke, obviously, but there was also the sour, gut churning scent of sulfur. There was a heaviness in the air, pushing down on him, as though this being was trying to dominate him with its existence alone.

Caster must have sensed danger as well. The magus was being submissive, overly so. The lizard man didn’t seem impressed, and turned his gaze over to himself and Mia. Shit.

Shirou held his tongue, not sure what to say. He wasn’t good at lying, but being perfectly open to such a malicious presence seemed like a bad idea.

The simplest solution was to tell only part of the truth.

“I don’t know much about what happened. There was a girl holding a cup that was pouring out something strange. It was muddy like a mass of curses. There were a lot of people fighting down there and one of them shot a fire arrow at me, and I didn’t see anything after that. I might have died if Caster hadn’t saved me,” he said, gesturing to the oddly dressed magus.

[Arch-Magos Winter]

Abigail

The redhead cast Law a sympathetic look and nodded, "Yeah, we should unload the car and I really need to let my dog out.  He's been inside all day and really needs to go out."

She did give Forest a look and said, "However, if you want I lend you one of my familiars.  He might be able to help you look for this guy that Archer may try to kill."


Forest

Forest felt a surge of annoyance, but had to force herself to remember that, despite all of their extraordinary abilities, Abigail and Law were just kids with normal lives.   Nothing that I know anything about, she thought with more than a touch of bitterness.

Before she said something, the klaxon call of a siren rang through her ears and flinched. 

“Warning! Warning! Extreme gang violence is taking place within the vicinity of the Nexus blast furnace. Enforcers are mobilizing to retaliate. All civilians are instructed to clear the area and remain within your homes!”

The blond rubbed her forehead and said, "You two had better get your junk in and get inside.  Baton down the hatches as it where.  Now I'm wondering if its the damn werepumas or the Halloweeners causing this nonsense."

"Werepumas?" Law cocked an eyebrow, before just shaking his head. "Nevermind, I think I get the idea." Heading to his car, he grabbed his .45 and stuffed it into the holster he'd 'aquired' at a milsurp store earlier, shoving the entire thing into his hoodie pocket, as he slung the rest of the bags of clothes into his hands and over his shoulder. "I have no idea where the blast furnace is though, so I think we're safe for... a while? Enough to let the dog out at least."

Law shut the door with his foot, locking his car with a turn of the key. "So, um... good luck finding Archer."

[Puck-Chan]

Cu Chulainn

"Abby, it's late, I'm tired, and we've still got the stuff in the car to get inside. Even if we found him I doubt we could stop him right now."

"Maybe not you two, but I can," Cu said with a small smirk and then somewhat sympathetically, "Just help us find him and you two don't have to be involved any further. That should be good enough, yeah?"

Both of them didn't look all at well. Not that he really minded so as long as he could finally get Gae Bolg clashing against Archer's double blades. In fact, having them would probably just get in his way anyway. Cu had no doubt that Archer would do anything underhanded. It is him, after all.

She did give Forest a look and said, "However, if you want I lend you one of my familiars.  He might be able to help you look for this guy that Archer may try to kill."

"Aye, that'll work, lass," he nodded approvingly, "Appreciated."

“Warning! Warning! Extreme gang violence is taking place within the vicinity of the Nexus blast furnace. Enforcers are mobilizing to retaliate. All civilians are instructed to clear the area and remain within your homes!”

The blond rubbed her forehead and said, "You two had better get your junk in and get inside.  Baton down the hatches as it where.  Now I'm wondering if its the damn werepumas or the Halloweeners causing this nonsense."

"Werepumas? Halloweeners?" he quizzically raised an eyebrow at Forest, "What's that about?"

[Cherry Lover]

Shirou and Rider

Rider raised her eyebrows at Rin's statement.

"Really? You expected Shirou to go to a kitchen and just sit and drink tea?" she responded with a smirk.

Meanwhile, Shirou handed over the items, and Rin began to work on the scrying.

"She's not my Sakura.  She's a version of my sister, but she's not my actual sister", she said, as she worked.

Oh, so she's not from this world either? thought Shirou, somewhat surprised at that revelation.

And, then, Rin said something else, seemingly to herself.

"This would work better if I had a map of Nexus . . ."

Shirou was confused.

"What's Nexus? Is that the name of the city we're in?" he asked.

"And, if you're not from this universe, then why are you here? And what happened to the Rin from this universe?"

[Knick]

Mia

The beast arrived, a long serpentine beast that radiated power and maliciousness. It spoke to the man, asking about the disaster they were just leaving from. Asking about what caused it.

But he did not pay attention to it, as she sat upon Shirou’s lap she was subdued and calm, the child who wanted nothing more than to be with her parent taking priority.

Even as the beasts eyes focused on them, even as Shirou spoke, even as subconsciously Mia prepared for combat, her psyche was currently a small child that was rarely taught anything in her life. 

And so as the beast looked at them she giggled, “Hehehe, flying lizard has a funny voice.”