The Day They Became Real

Damien stared into space as he slowly felt his basic functions return. His limbs began to return to life; hopefully soon after that she could fix his Jump Kit and his other tools so that he could still be effective in a fight.

For now, he laid there and listened to Iris's story. If she was to be believed, the enemy here were the Time Lords - with infinite-use Dragon Balls.

In so many words; their enemy was God Almighty.

"So. How's she gonna help us? I hope you have a plan for this, because I guarantee you, the second they determine we're an actual threat, all they have to do is wish us out of existence. Poof." He did not at all like the odds they were facing - things just kept getting worse and worse.

"... Heh, thanks, I guess." Jeremy replied as he got back up on his feet, groaning in pain as he clutched one of his arms. "Could be a lot better, though." He added as he followed the rest of the group towards the bus letting everyone in before leaning against the doorframe, poking his head in. The Deathclaw took a moment to catch his breath, still coming down from the adrenaline high of the fight, all the while listening to Lufia's speech, starting with her revelation that Time Lords were behind all this.

Oh boy, here we go... Jeremy thought to himself.
A dissident faction of time lords, at that.
Yup, this is NOT good.
Oh, and they have the Dragon Balls.
OH FOR FUCK'S SAKE
In a pocket dimension, no less, to use them over and over again.
Really? Really.

By the time Iris explained they did all of this for their own amusement, and that the time lords wouldn't help, Jeremy could do nothing but sit there, completely stone-faced, screaming internally. The news about that Angelique girl didn't do much to help with that matter.

"... Okay." The lizard finally let out after a long pause. "Let me get this straight. That Angelique girl, assuming that she got brought in, and that we can get to her before these other guys do, or just wish her and-slash-or us out of existence, can create universes. So what? Are these universes somehow safe from Dragon Balls-induced tempering? Because I'm afraid I ain't gonna settle for a copy of our old world as far as having our lives back is concerned. So what else are we gonna do, summon even bigger fish in that new universe? 'Cause the way I see it, the rogue Time Lords can do that just as well, and this is just gonna drop us on the fast lane to Power Creep Singularity, where the whole bloody thing will be as pointless as two five years old repeatedly "Nuh-uh, I'm stronger-er" over each other."

"Admittedly, the only reason Faction Paradox didn't just 'poof' you all away was because you amused them" Iris responded to Damien. "But right now, we're inside a TARDIS- like I said, this is much, MUCH more than a bus. It's a Time Lord Time Machine, to put it simply. They can't peer inside here, unless they use the Dragonballs- and I set it up so that, if they try, a beacon will instantly alert the Time Lords- and while they may not care much about this universe, they HATE Paradox and will definitely look for a way to ruin their fun. So yeah, they won't touch us directly, especially since as I said, they don't think even I am a real threat to their plans. Which gives us a chance to act."

Jeremy spoke then, to which she responded "Well aren't you a ray of sunshine. Don't jump to conclusions, Lizard Boy. Angelique doesn't just create universes out of nothing. She basically recreates ones that need to be reborn. So, in theory mind you, she could probably return everything in this world to normal. And since Paradox isn't aware she's here, we have an ace up our sleeve, for once."

"Here's the thing, though: Like many others, she's been merged with someone. A poor girl from India, in her case. So, we gotta go find her, help her awaken to her power, and get her to join us. The next step after that would be finding a way to get the Dragonballs away from the Faction. I... am still working on that one" she admitted with an embarrassed little laugh. "But don't worry, I always come up with something."

edited 17th Apr '16 9:16:42 PM by Sijo

Junon and Marcia just listened to the explanation given to them by Iris. Apparently, the bad guys were called Faction Paradox and they somehow got ahold of some magical wish-granting artifacts called the Dragon Balls. They can abuse their wish-granting power whenever they please. One way to combat that is to use another reality-bender, and her name was Angelique. Damien asked why Faction Paradox couldn’t just use the Dragon Balls to wish the group away, and Iris said it was because Faction Paradox were amused by the group’s antics.

Marcia heard of Dragon Ball once. Wasn’t it that cartoon known for that spiky-haired bad guy who was known for making a really unfunny meme? On the other hand, Junon watched a bit before giving up because of the filler episodes. Are they still heading to Namek? It’s a shame that Junon never heard about Dragon Ball Kai.

Jeremy noted that attempting to stop these evil Time Lords with Angelique will just end in a petty reality tug-of-war between the group and those Time Lords. Jeremy even compared the resulting struggle to two children arguing that they’re stronger than the other.

Iris explained further about Angelique. Angelique can return universes back to their original state, and that she merged with a girl in India. After they find her, they need to find a way to steal the Dragon Balls back from Faction Paradox. Junon smirked and a pair of glasses appeared on Junon’s face. From the way the light reflected off them to the way Junon steepled her hands together, it seemed Junon had a plan.

“Well, we could disguise ourselves as normal humans? I have the spell for that, but it has a catch, though.”

edited 19th Apr '16 2:20:21 PM by josh6243

"Alright. So, we're gonna make a new universe where they don't have any say, and launch a commando raid on Time Lords to take some of their stuff-" - Damien winced as one of his arms came back with much feeling - "alright, sounds good. Now, we need to figure out how the hell we're going to fight Time Lords and get away with it. I haven't seen much Who, but given how unbelievably powerful their civilization is, something tells me that's going to be a near-hopeless prospect unless we get an ace in the hole."

He didn't sound very enthusiastic about their chances, to put it lightly.

"You'd be surprised how similar us Gallifreyans are to humans" Iris explained, even as she continued fixing him. "Without our fancy machines, we are just near-immortal blokes. If we can find Paradox's base and sneak in, all we need is destroy the space fold generator and the Dragonballs will scatter by themselves. Now, I'm not saying that's going to be easy. But it's not impossible, either. And don't forget, we have a world full of wonders to pick from, especially once we find Angelique. Trust me, she's even more powerful than the Dragonballs. Though Jeremy is right, we don't want a cosmic conflict unless absolutely necessary. But she will be our ace in the hole, not to mention the way to return your world to normal, afterwards."

-*bzzzt* her electronic tool went one last time. "There! I've repaired all your prosthetics. Your weapons, as well. Try standing up."

She then turned around and sat at the "bus" controls. "OK, off we go! But, not yet to India. We're taking the long route. We want to give Paradox the impression that we are still lost and despairing. Oh and Junon, tell me about your idea, it sounds promising"

edited 20th Apr '16 5:24:34 PM by Sijo

Junon now had a wide grin on our face. Marcia slowly backed away from her and wondered what was going on.

"Well, if we disguise ourselves, those Faction Paradox idiots won't suspect a thing when we look for Angelique. Also, looking like civilians is a way to ward attention away from the group. If we don't look dangerous, no one is willing to pick a fight with us, right?"

With her jaw wide open, Marcia is astounded that her airhead mom could quickly come up with a plan like that. Didn't Junon exclaim that she wanted to head to Encino while they were in the middle of danger?

Damien, with little fanfare, pulled himself up. He moved his arms and legs about a bit, surprised at how they seemed completely functional - the only signs they had been battle-damaged were the charred clothes he wore, victims of the high current. Of course, Iris was also privy to the fact the synthetic skin had been burned away - but hey, that wasn't necessary for operation. He quickly retrieved his helmet and placed it atop his head.

It powered up and displayed his heads-up display like it had never been broken. Every other system connected to it, from the cameras to the titan caller, reported 100% functionality and operation. As far as they were concerned, the lightning bolt from earlier was a strange anomaly and no damage was being reported. He lifted his helmet off and smiled.

"Thanks, Iris. Everything seems like it's back to normal. I owe you one - suppose helping you out here will pay back the debt, huh? Though, if I'm gonna ask a question - how are we gonna get to India? Last I checked, everything everywhere was rearranged like the planet's a Rubik's Cube. I presume you've got some fancy tech that'll negate that problem for us?"

edited 21st Apr '16 11:43:02 AM by SpartyMcFly

"I'm french, I've got a complaining quota to fulfill." Jeremy replied to Iris with a smirk. "Jokes aside, that ace isn't in our sleeve yet until we've got her with us. If she's willing to help us to begin with."

"Oh, also, speaking of the bus... For the love of whatever you're worshipping, please warn me before pulling some trick like you did back there in town. I can catch up with an accelerating bus, not with a bloody teleport." He added with a small nod, pausing to listen to Junon's idea; he was just about ready to yell at Iris over it back when he caught up with the group, but the fight with Lufia pretty much drained his aggression for the moment.

"Hrm, not really sold on the disguise idea, to be honest. Considering the bullshit we had to deal with already, there's a non-zero chance someone in our way happens to be an asshole that got lucky with the transformation fairy; The disguise might backfire and get us picked on because we look weak. That's a gamble I'm not sure I want to take right now."

"Besides, they don't even know Angelique exists, or that we're looking for her." He added, briefly glancing back at Iris.

"How did you learn about her, anyways?"

edited 21st Apr '16 7:34:59 AM by FokiasTheJester

"We didn't leave you behind on purpose" Alicia quickly responded to Jeremy. "How were we supposed to know this thing could blink out? I thought Iris was going to drive us out of town!" She stared harshly at the Time Lady.

"Hey, we were on a hurry, right?" Iris explained, not sounding terribly concerned. "Besides I knew the Zanti were no match for a Deathclaw. And he did find us easily enough, as I also knew he would."

"As for how I know about Angelique... well, that was luck, to be honest. You see, most Time Lords, even Faction Paradox, rarely step beyond their own reality; they have enough to deal with there. But, like the Doctor, I'm a renegade. In my case, I explore other universes for the fun of it. And I happened to be studying Angelique's when The Change occurred. Afterwards I did some tracking of residual energies, and found out what Paradox was up to, and how. But, I realized if I was going to put my plan in motion, I was going to need allies. That's where you come in."

"We will use Junon's idea: we'll have her change our appearances- as long as we are in the TARDIS, Paradox cannot see us change. Then I'll teleport us around, change its "bus" form into something else, and finally drop us off in Calcutta. With a little luck, we should find Angelique with little problem. Could things get fouled up? Well, duh. Life's not predictable, not even for the Faction. But by that same token is that we have a chance to begin with."

"By the way, we must decide what to do with you, Crocodile Dundee" she smirked at Jeremy. "We obviously cannot disguise you as a person. Junon, you have any suggestion?"

Felix listened to all of this patiently, much like a mother might listen to their son's explanation of their latest exploits in some video game—listening just enough to repeat back what was being said, occasionally nodding his head at appropriate junctions. One thing that playing Skyrim without skipping much dialogue had taught him was how to listen to something you don't really care about.

Of course, he did care about all of this. Somewhat. As much as it pertained to his continued survival. But he still had his own agenda, a primary goal. So, when the plan was ironed out, he raised his hand.

"I only have one question. Now, I'm not sure how much it actually pertains to this whole plan, but I kind of have someone I'm looking for, and I think I need to address my own goals." He pulled out the picture of Xion/Alex again, presenting it to Iris. "So have you seen this woman, and what are the chances we'll see her during this whole escapade?"

"...Actually, that's two questions, but you get the point."

Iris looked the picture. "Hmm... no, I'm afraid not" was her answer. "But! We can look for her, if it makes you feel better. In fact, that would be an excellent way to confuse Paradox about what we are doing before we head to India. Just tell me where she lives and I'll take us there."

"I'm more concerned about big and scaly" she added, looking at Jeremy. "I guess you'll have to ride on top the bus, unmoving, and if anyone asks, we'll pretend you're an unusual ornament. Like, part of a parade float, or something."

edited 21st Apr '16 1:34:21 PM by Sijo

Jeremy was annoyed that he was left behind to deal with those freaky ant-people. He was peeved that the bus could teleport anywhere in an instant. He also pointed out a simple flaw in Junon’s plan: the possibility of the disguise backfiring because of them looking vulnerable to the common eye. He also asked Iris how she learned about Angelique.

Alicia said that the group didn’t leave Jeremy behind on purpose. She was just as surprised when she heard that the bus could teleport willy-nilly like that. To emphasize her point, Alicia just gave Iris a mistrustful glare.

Iris explained that she was lucky when she found out about Angelique. Unlike the other Time Lords, Iris likes to wander the universes in search of adventure. When the Change happened, Iris was doing some research on Angelique and learned about what Faction Paradox was doing. In order to enact her plan, she needed some allies.

Iris further explained her plan. While in the TARDIS, the group was going to use Junon’s magic to disguise themselves. She’ll teleport them to Calcutta and turn the TARDIS into something else. Iris noted Jeremy’s criticism of Junon’s idea and said that there’s always a little unpredictability when it comes to enacting a plan. Iris asked Junon what form Jeremy should take as a disguise.

Felix asked Iris if it’s possible if she could find Alex and pulled out a picture of a cute black-haired girl. Iris simply incorporated the search of Alex into her plans because it would throw Faction Paradox off the group’s scent. Iris suggested that Jeremy could disguise himself as an ornament or a parade float.

Junon replied, “Well, I was going suggest that Jeremy should disguise himself with a trenchcoat, but your idea is better…”

Marcia was taking inventory of her potions while listening to other people talk and make plans. Marcia saw Alicia’s glare in Iris’s direction and flinched even though the glare wasn’t even meant for her. From what she heard on the current conversation, Iris had a different sense of morality compared to normal humans. Maybe this different morality allowed Iris to come up and modify her plans on the fly.

edited 21st Apr '16 3:30:10 PM by josh6243

Felix blinked, surprised that Iris was so open to his wishes, then smiled. "She's said that she lives in San Francisco, but she never gave me an exact address. We only talked by internet up until now."

He scratched his neck. "Mostly because I have a hard time making friends in real life..."

Jeremy raised an eyebrow, letting out a slight chuckle as he listened to the exchange between Junon and Iris.

"Making me into some sort of roof ornament? Really? Might be better to just drop me outside of town, if you can't disguise me."

edited 23rd Apr '16 7:01:53 PM by FokiasTheJester

Damien folded his arms at the plan everyone seemed to agree to. "A disguise, eh? Do I get a choice in what I get polymorphed into, or is it gonna be up to random chance?"

Jeremy chuckled and questioned Iris’s idea for Jeremy’s disguise. Since Iris came up with the idea in the first place, it’s best that Iris answered for Junon. The Deathclaw sarcastically suggested that he should be left at the outskirts of town while they were looking for Angelyne. Still a little sore, huh?

Damien asked if he has a choice to his disguise and Junon just nodded. “Sure. Any disguise you have in mind? To prevent any mistakes, could you describe it for me?”

Concerned for Felix, Marcia looked at her and asked, “Is t-there a, um, reason for that?” If Marcia could get behind the reasoning for Felix not having friends, maybe Marcia could sympathize with Felix better since they have something in common.

"Sorry, Lizard Boy" Iris addressed Jeremy, "But it's better if we don't split up the party. For one thing, your appearance is a dead giveaway of our presence, so we'll *have* to change it. And leaving you outside of town will probably just scare the bejeebers out of anyone who saw you, so that's out too. Now climb on top, 'cause we are leaving for Frisco!" she added as she sat at the Bus' controls and pressed some buttons, causing the vehicle to roar to life.

"Oh and Junon, be a dear and begin with the disguising. Save Lizard Breath for last, we'll change him mid-teleport so Paradox doesn't notice."

(Players: choose what you want your characters to look like.)

edited 24th Apr '16 12:55:25 PM by Sijo

"Well... we're gonna look like civilians, right? Maybe just... make me look the way I used to," mused Damien.

Junon nodded to Damien and Iris's requests and her hands began glowing. Junon chanted and sparkles began to surround Damien and covered his armor in an instant. The armor suddenly changed into a casual vest/undershirt with matching jeans (the guy on the left).

Marcia stared wide-eyed at the amazing magic spell happen in front of her eyes , and asked, "C-can you cast that spell on me n-next?"

Junon simply complied with Marcia's request and changed Marcia's outfit into a more covering tanktop and torn jeans◊. Marcia looked at her new outfit, and jumped up in ecstasy. That previous outfit was simply too embarrassing to wear in Marcia's opinion.

edited 25th Apr '16 2:00:29 AM by josh6243

Damien took a few seconds to look himself over. He couldn't ever remember having actually worn any of these clothes... but he didn't really mind, either. This was better than the t-shirt-and-jeans he usually wore, to a degree.

"Eh. It's not very accurate, but I'll take it." He nodded to Junon. "Thanks."

"As for me" Iris said, "I want to look like a Movie Star! No, not one of those Barbie Doll Starlets; a True Diva, like in the days of classic cinema."

Junon's spell took effect, and Iris' appearance changed- somewhat; she was still a middle-aged woman, but with short, auburn hair and fancier clothes, including a feathered boa. "Ohh, I love it!" she gloated.

"Just make me a Latina again and I'll be happy" Alicia said matter-of-factly. She was tired of looking like a big-boobed blonde bimbo.

(Junon spellcasts)

Alicia looked at the result: her skin was brown again, a bit darker than she originally was, but it was OK. Her hair was black again, too. And best of all those extra-heavy breasts were gone! She smiled for the first time in a while.

Felix sighed. "Like I said before. I'm weird, and weirdness makes it hard to make friends."

Then things turned to disguises. "Hmm...Alex only knows what I look like now, and I need her to recognize me...make me look like a normal girl."

"A disguise?" Ryan said as he heard the idea given by the group, having boarded the bus. He then shrugged.

" I guess I'm fine with it. After all, a 7 feet tall super soldier who comes from a very famous franchise would be super obvious. Make my disguise look like an average civilian." He said.

Damien studied his outfit more closely and noted that this isn't what he usually wore. Still, he thanked Junon for giving him a normal outfit.

"You're welcome... Ever thought about becoming a model?"

After asking that, Junon gave Damien a thumbs up as a sign of approval. Junon smiled, and then worked her magic on Alicia and Iris. Iris and Alicia wanted to be a movie star and wanted to be as normal as she could, respectively.

Junon granted their wishes as best as she could. Iris became a fancy movie star, complete with elegant clothes. Junon silently wondered what a movie featuring Iris be like. Knowing Hollywood these days, they'd butcher the story into mediocrity. From the chats at the water cooler in her lab, she heard that Hollywood screwed up a lot of movies based on video games. Then again, Junon wasn't all that interested in video games, so her fellow scientists could just be blowing hot smoke.

Alicia was quite amazed with her disguise. It seemed she was back to normal... Well, just as normal as Junon's spell allowed. She goofed up with Alicia's skin color a bit. Alicia also seemed happy that she wasn't busty.

Now disguised, Marcia asked, "...A-and what makes you w-weird? Isn't, um, that subjective?"

Junon began pondering what disguise to give Ryan and Felix. Felix wanted to be normal, and Ryan wanted to look like a civilian. Junon cast her usual spell on them and hoped for the best.

edited 27th Apr '16 11:10:09 AM by josh6243