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Enter The Arena As Your Avatar -- The Spinoff!

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Rbade [PASIO] from Woodstocks Since: May, 2015 Relationship Status: Non-Canon
[PASIO]
#332251: May 18th 2020 at 7:03:54 PM

"Mhm, mhm, but you guys have the coords, right? For the door."

"Wherever you guys end up, you're definitely gonna need equipment. You guys think you have enough already? I've got a lot of junk to spare if you need anything."

He moseys on over to take a look at the instructions sheet.

/\。。/\
KiriK The Grey Pilgrim from across time and space Since: Mar, 2015 Relationship Status: Singularity
The Grey Pilgrim
#332252: May 18th 2020 at 7:08:19 PM

Terlette and Crank exchange glances.

"Anything we don't have, we can summon to ourselves at will."

"But, Oca... could you maybe stand out here with Syana? If we need any emergency action on a part of Megan that we can't handle from within, we'll be counting on you to do... surgery stuff."

"A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to."
Rbade [PASIO] from Woodstocks Since: May, 2015 Relationship Status: Non-Canon
[PASIO]
#332253: May 18th 2020 at 7:10:05 PM

He shrugs.

"Aight. You guys were here first, I guess." Man, he's gotten humble. Relatively. Possibly.

Cracking his knuckles, he watches Syana work for now.

/\。。/\
OmegaShadowcry Spooky Scary Boneheaded Man from The Arena Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Spooky Scary Boneheaded Man
#332254: May 18th 2020 at 7:21:43 PM

"I can also offer some support while you're in — though, it will be of a different nature, I'm sure. Now that everything is squared away, let us get to work."

Roughly half an hour of tinkering and consulting the others passed before Syana deemed that the door was ready to commit "Fantastic Voyage" Plot.

"The Stick has sentimental value. It's like an enormous, hideous teddy bear we can kill things with." -rikalous
KiriK The Grey Pilgrim from across time and space Since: Mar, 2015 Relationship Status: Singularity
The Grey Pilgrim
#332255: May 18th 2020 at 7:23:40 PM

Terlette and Crank steel themselves, communicators in their pockets. The half-drow keeps a tight grip on a spare cheat sheet, in case they find themselves unable to go back out the way they came in.

They open the door.

The first thing Terlette notices is that the other side of the door has taken on the form of a basic flat-faced, painted-over door, which is labeled Maintenance Hall. "Are we... sure this is the right place?" She looks back at Syana for reassurance.

The first thing Crank notices is that the room they've entered into resembles an observation deck. He runs over to the edge, pressing himself against the glass, and peers out over a bubbling cauldron of acid surrounded by rock that resembles flesh. "Whoa... Hey, come have a look at this."

Terlette runs over... and then the door is slammed shut behind them.

The mages freeze and slowly turn around. Amidst a group of stunned, weary-looking blue-clad workers carrying what look like crystal orbs in carrying cases, there is an assembly of people who are obviously not there for a friendly greeting.

BLUE BLOOD CELLS

Unique type of 'carrier' blood cell specific to the magic-users of certain realities. Transports molecular amounts of magic throughout the body.

Most prominent among them is a collection of people whose common trait is wearing pink, having pigtails, and wielding polearms. There are both men and women among them. Some have lances, some have harpoons, some have tridents, there's even a naginata and a halberd somewhere in the mix.

EOSINOPHIL

Specialized white blood cell type, made specifically to deal with parasites. Falls flat against other pathogens.

However, the one who closed the door behind them is a grungy-looking androgynous fellow who is completely, 100% white as ash, from skin to clothing. They also wear a cap with an antenna protruding from the back, emitting a sonar-like signal.

NEUTROPHIL

Generic white blood cell. Attacks and destroys pathogens such as bacteria or virus-infected cells.

"Intruders. You have ten seconds to identify yourselves before you get ripped to pieces!"

"Well that's rude." Terlette draws her sword. "My name is Terlette, and my partner is called Crank. I can't tell you what we're doing here unless you can tell me where we are."

"Fat chance. With such unique names, you sound like you're just a germ with a bloated ego." U-0108 narrows their eyes and smirks, before suddenly shifting into a deranged, murderous look more like a wild beast than a man, and pounces with a knife in hand!

"A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to."
OmegaShadowcry Spooky Scary Boneheaded Man from The Arena Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Spooky Scary Boneheaded Man
#332256: May 18th 2020 at 7:36:28 PM

Syana moved over to Megan's body and wove together an observational spell. Essentially, it was the same kind of Scrying Sphere spell that Tiamat was fond of — just more specialized and less concerned with stealth. Crank and Terlette would fairly easily notice the object if they cared to look for it.

"Let's see if they ended up in the right place..." she said, half to Oca, and half thinking out loud.

"The Stick has sentimental value. It's like an enormous, hideous teddy bear we can kill things with." -rikalous
Rbade [PASIO] from Woodstocks Since: May, 2015 Relationship Status: Non-Canon
[PASIO]
#332257: May 18th 2020 at 7:47:38 PM

He shrugs and peers into the spell.

"Ah. That doesn't look like a good situation."

"Can they hear us, through this?" Wait. "HEY! Can y'all hear me?"

/\。。/\
KiriK The Grey Pilgrim from across time and space Since: Mar, 2015 Relationship Status: Singularity
The Grey Pilgrim
#332258: May 18th 2020 at 7:50:44 PM

Doesn't look like they can. That or they're more focused on the fight than chatting.

Terlette sidesteps the Neutrophil with such ease, she could be mistaken for hovering. She bops them on the noggin with the hilt of her sword, literally caving the white blood cell's head partway in.

"GLAAUUUUGH!"

Terlette scratches her head in confusion, then notices a javelin-wielding Eosinophil bearing down on her. "Welp, I've done it now. Crank, do... whatever it is you do."

"Say no more." Crank begins playing a tune that his instrument definitely should not be able to produce. Hey, though, 20th-level bard, let's not question it.

SOUQ Round 1 (A Grain of Sand 1st) - Tekken 7 OST

Terlette deflects the javelin with her sword, knees the Eosinophil in the gut, and whips around to counterattack another one with a horizontal swing of her sword.

When her blade cleaves the white blood cell in two like butter and cytoplasm erupts in her face, she goes wide-eyed and stops dead.

Edited by KiriK on Jul 21st 2021 at 11:33:57 AM

"A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to."
OmegaShadowcry Spooky Scary Boneheaded Man from The Arena Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Spooky Scary Boneheaded Man
#332259: May 18th 2020 at 7:55:40 PM

"Well... no. They can't. That's what the communicators were for. If I were to take a guess... it looks like they're in conflict with Megan's immune system on some level. While magical cures only serve to further fuel the inferno that is Magia mors, perhaps a more lightning bolt-like use of it could help our friends. Hmm..."

Syana checked Megan's vital signs and deliberated on a course of action for a moment.

"... Unfortunately, I'm not well versed in alchemy enough to inform her immune system that these are not hostiles. I wonder if.... Do you think Megan has a book on this subject somewhere here?"

"The Stick has sentimental value. It's like an enormous, hideous teddy bear we can kill things with." -rikalous
Rbade [PASIO] from Woodstocks Since: May, 2015 Relationship Status: Non-Canon
[PASIO]
#332260: May 18th 2020 at 7:57:59 PM

He shrugs. "Dunno. She never really struck me as the medical type, though. ... You think an nanobot injection would help?"

"I wonder how they would manifest there, actually."

Edited by Rbade on May 18th 2020 at 8:00:25 AM

/\。。/\
KiriK The Grey Pilgrim from across time and space Since: Mar, 2015 Relationship Status: Singularity
The Grey Pilgrim
#332261: May 18th 2020 at 8:00:50 PM

Crank casts Fly on himself, taking to the air to avoid attacks. "Looks like they're really squishy, what do?"

"I..." Terlette is still catatonic.

Crank sighs and snaps his fingers, releasing a huge shockwave (Thunderclap), which blows away the other white blood cells surrounding the pair.

"W-wait, no! Don't kill anyone else!"

"They attacked first." Crank shrugs.

Terlette runs and kneels down in front of the Neutrophil. She holds a hand up to them, healing their trauma.

"Who... are you?"

"I was trying to help someone. Please, I want to keep killing to a minimum. Could I at least have a name?"

"White blood cells don't have names. We have numbers. And why should I identify myself to someone DRENCHED IN THE INNARDS OF MY COWORKER?!"

Crank pays close attention. He pulls out his communicator and speaks to Syana and Oca. "Yeah, we're in the right place. Seems like it took a stylistic approach, though; instead of being shrunken down, we're in a world where the individual cells of Megan's body are people like us. However, they don't have any bones, muscle, or what have you, so... well, Terlette cut one in half by accident."

"Did you say... accident?"

"A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to."
OmegaShadowcry Spooky Scary Boneheaded Man from The Arena Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Spooky Scary Boneheaded Man
#332262: May 18th 2020 at 8:06:27 PM

"I see," Syana replied to Oca. "I suppose I should ready my back-up plan, then. Have you all of your tools, as well?"

She messaged back over the communicator, saying, "Hm... Keep on your toes down there. The magia mors could be lurking anywhere. The majority of regular cells don't have the abilities needed to handle it from default, so you may be on your own until you can down one. And... try to be careful. The collateral damage might amplify itself like light through glass between where you are and Megan's physical body."

"The Stick has sentimental value. It's like an enormous, hideous teddy bear we can kill things with." -rikalous
Rbade [PASIO] from Woodstocks Since: May, 2015 Relationship Status: Non-Canon
[PASIO]
#332263: May 18th 2020 at 8:06:57 PM

"I think so. Even if I don't, I can always just go get more."

"Man, this whole thing feels kinda screwed up. Does this mean every time I kill one guy, I also kill a billion little guys like them?"

/\。。/\
KiriK The Grey Pilgrim from across time and space Since: Mar, 2015 Relationship Status: Singularity
The Grey Pilgrim
#332264: May 18th 2020 at 8:08:19 PM

Crank ponders. "I mean... it's more like the ones we're interacting with parallel the actual cells. The reality we're in is a representation of Megan's body, not what it truly is. I guess if you kill someone, the cell-people in their parallel world just... give up and retire, maybe? Or maybe this entire world is just a way of making something much greater comprehensible to our minds, and there isn't necessarily one for everyone until we decide that there is...? This is hurting my head, let's stop talking about it."

Meanwhile...

"Please. I don't want to kill anyone else. I'm trying to help this body, not damage it."

"Why should I believe you...?"

Terlette clears her throat. "How do I put this...? This world is under assault by a rampant anti-magical bacteria, which is literally destroying it. The body is comatose, so the bacteria has likely already breached whatever defenses the nervous system has."

U-0108 hangs their head in shame. "I... I already know. It detected the anomaly and sent this huge force to stop whatever came out of that door. We were powerless to defy it; it has central command hostage and could kill them all at any moment if we don't obey."

"And now?"

"Since we failed... it's been alerted."

Terlette instinctively whips around. She sees it; it looks like a humanoid made out of PS1-era polygons, covered head-to-toe in suave-looking armor not all too dissimilar to Izanagi. It has six wings made entirely out of geometric shapes, made to resemble angel wings.

   "By the Holy Order of Law and Entropy Prevention... All magical anomalies... will be TERMINATED."    Its eyes glow red underneath the helmet as it flies at Crank and rams into him.

Mishima Building Final Round (Metallic Experience 2nd)

Edited by KiriK on Jul 21st 2021 at 11:30:40 AM

"A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to."
OmegaShadowcry Spooky Scary Boneheaded Man from The Arena Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Spooky Scary Boneheaded Man
#332265: May 19th 2020 at 9:15:10 AM

Syana stepped back to a reasonable distance, and took out a oblong metal rod, atop which was held a glowing, rounded-off sliver of some luminous, pale crystal, with which she began to trace out an arcane circle. It was a notably intricate pattern, since she needed to transport a fairly heavy and complex object, and didn't want to risk skimping out on the stabilizer runes. She nodded to Oca in regards to the tools, and spoke again into the communicator.

"Keep your eyes open — I've never been able to observe one of these bacteria in action before. Its hard to say what it might pull out, but I'd guess that magic isn't as effective on it as on other cells. Please be careful."

"The Stick has sentimental value. It's like an enormous, hideous teddy bear we can kill things with." -rikalous
Rbade [PASIO] from Woodstocks Since: May, 2015 Relationship Status: Non-Canon
[PASIO]
#332266: May 19th 2020 at 11:09:09 AM

"I'm assuming antibiotics wouldn't work too well on this thing?"

He takes out a can of Hetap. Doctoring is thirsty work.

/\。。/\
KiriK The Grey Pilgrim from across time and space Since: Mar, 2015 Relationship Status: Singularity
The Grey Pilgrim
#332267: May 19th 2020 at 11:10:53 AM

Crank suffers the impact, but smirks as he simply glides out of the way and the Magia mors goes crashing into the wall behind him.

"Crank, isn't there anything else you can do to help us gain their trust?"

"Yeah. Can you make sure I don't get interrupted for an hour?"

"Damnit... Fine."

"Cool." Crank descends upon the upper half of the Eosinophil Terlette had killed, and begins to cast Resurrection.

"Hey, you!" Terlette says, pointing at the Magia mors. "You're fighting me now."

   "You will regret trying to command a warrior of the Holy Order."   

"Yeah, yeah, eat my ass." Terlette's eyes glow blue, and she unleashes a torrential cone of water, swirling like a hurricane or a whirlpool, at the Alchemist's Rot.

The bacteria simply holds out a hand and absorbs the attack like Android 20.

"... Crap."

It flaps its wings and launches a volley of Feather Flechettes at her. She throws her cape over herself to block the projectiles, but is forced to discard it after that. As it divebombs at her, she grabs it by the throat and slams it into the floor. However, when she tries to stab it, it suddenly vanishes from underneath her, causing her to stab into the ground as it materializes behind the mage and promptly unleashes the absorbed water blast back on her.

"A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to."
OmegaShadowcry Spooky Scary Boneheaded Man from The Arena Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Spooky Scary Boneheaded Man
#332268: May 19th 2020 at 11:17:14 AM

Syana kept an eye on the happenings of the scrying orb, and said, "Careful, Terlette. The bacteria seems to outright absorb magical effects. I cannot confirm if it has some limit, but I'd worry more about where all that energy goes — you may end up providing the errant spark that starts a wildfire."

She continued drawing the rune-circle, completing it with an understated flick of her arcane focus. The runes spun about one another as the spell ran through its programming.

"As for antibiotics... good question. Most assumption has been that it wouldn't, being that this is a magical disease, but it's worth at least a small test, perhaps. 'Sea against stone' and all that— er, no, sorry, that's not a common phrase at all..."

"The Stick has sentimental value. It's like an enormous, hideous teddy bear we can kill things with." -rikalous
Rbade [PASIO] from Woodstocks Since: May, 2015 Relationship Status: Non-Canon
[PASIO]
#332269: May 19th 2020 at 11:19:35 AM

"It's always worth a shot. Oh, what about drenching it in isopropyl? That shit eats right through thinner cell walls and capsomeres."

"It's a fairly simple chemical – I could probably generate a liter of it in just a couple seconds."

He pulls out a syringe labeled "NanoExtermina – Yersinia Pestis 300504"

Edited by Rbade on Aug 26th 2021 at 12:15:52 PM

/\。。/\
KiriK The Grey Pilgrim from across time and space Since: Mar, 2015 Relationship Status: Singularity
The Grey Pilgrim
#332270: May 19th 2020 at 11:21:19 AM

Terlette turns around in time to counter the water blast with another, stronger one of her own, blowing the Alchemist's Rot back. However, it then comes charging through the torrent and blows her away with a kick.

"Oof!" I had forgotten how to fight without being weighed down by my legs...

She creates a torrential wind around herself and launches herself off the ground at the bacteria, performing a slash across it as she passes by.

At that exact moment, it erects a 20-sided Beehive Barrier around itself, blocking the sword strike. Terlette lands behind it. The Magia mors teleports in front of her... and she puts a hand on the capsule.

"Hey."

   "Unhand me at once."   

"Do you know the best way to destroy biological material?"

   "What are you getting at?"   

A huge burst of fire erupts from the palm of Terlette's hand, burning away the protective capsule. She promptly rushes forward and stabs her sword into the foe's upper-left wing, before shearing it off with a single upwards sweep.

There is no spray of 'blood'. This worries Terlette immensely.

As the Alchemist's Rot raises an arm which morphs into a blade, she pulls out her own comm and yells, "Backup, backup, backup! We're in the stomach area, I think!"

"A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to."
OmegaShadowcry Spooky Scary Boneheaded Man from The Arena Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Spooky Scary Boneheaded Man
#332271: May 19th 2020 at 11:23:22 AM

"... Oca? Is that the black death? Please tell me that's not the black death."

Syana pulled a set of rather unusual goggles over her eyes, granting her the kind of augmented sight that she would need for micro-precision spellcasting.

"Target that communicator, if you can. I don't want to risk a fight with multiples of them," she said to Terl. She also addressed the assembled body cells, and asked, "Body cells, what else can our friends expect from the Magia mors? We're going to do everything we can to save this body, but we'll need your help, too."

"The Stick has sentimental value. It's like an enormous, hideous teddy bear we can kill things with." -rikalous
Rbade [PASIO] from Woodstocks Since: May, 2015 Relationship Status: Non-Canon
[PASIO]
#332272: May 19th 2020 at 11:32:44 AM

"I don't know any black death. What I *do* know is that this thing is filled with tiny robots."

Hm...

Oca quickly and cleanly snips a piece of Megan's top off to expose her stomach, rubs a semirandomly chosen spot with an isopropyl wipe, douses it in HP Drink, and jams the needle into it.

/\。。/\
QuirkyTurtle101 Fluffy/10 from Paradox Space Since: Jan, 2018 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
Fluffy/10
#332273: May 19th 2020 at 11:32:54 AM

Wherever the bolts hit, they detonate in a small splash of purple flames that seem to stick to and ignite just about everything. Meanwhile, The Devourer keeps up the barrage of bolts, now aiming them at Kakarotto's own shots to counter them.

KiriK The Grey Pilgrim from across time and space Since: Mar, 2015 Relationship Status: Singularity
The Grey Pilgrim
#332274: May 19th 2020 at 11:33:07 AM

Responding to the disembodied voice of Syana like a god speaking down upon them (which it might as well be given the scale), U-0108 looks up at the ceiling. "I... We haven't been able to kill one of them yet. If we could just take down one, we'd have a full analysis ready and start producing antibodies in little time, but..."

Suddenly, nanobots!

The Alchemist's Rot turns its attention away from Terlette and in the direction of the giant tube poking out from the sky that is now dispensing robots like rainfall. It snarls, flies up to the surface, and fires a barrage of feather-shards in their general direction.

"Quickly, we have to follow it!" Terlette starts to run for the stairs. She pauses and makes a beckoning gesture to U-0108 and the Eosinophils.

"A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to."
OmegaShadowcry Spooky Scary Boneheaded Man from The Arena Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Spooky Scary Boneheaded Man
#332275: May 19th 2020 at 11:38:46 AM

Syana nodded back in the macro-world, and said back, "There's no shame to be found in struggling to take down a Magia mors bacteria. This body has likely never encountered it before, and I'd hazard a guess that it's ancestors didn't encounter it recently either. However, with the right coordination and a no small amount of courage, I believe that it can be done. Terlette and Crank believe — will you help them?"

U-0108 thought for a moment, feeling powerless as the Magia mors ascended towards the needle and its nanobots.

"If.... if we rebel, the bacteria could kill the body outright. They've stated as much themselves. We might stand a chance with them, but what about the rest of the cells in the body? How can we ensure their safety? Or can we at all?"

An Eosinophil spoke up, saying, "And with how weak — or at least, how overspecialized, some of we immune cells are, we may stand even less of a chance. The Killer T cells have unable to mobilize properly, the NK and Macrophage cells don't have the right gear... We eosinophils likely don't even have a place in this fight, either... And the MG Cells might not even be alive, much less able to deal with a threat like this in the first place."

MG Cells — specialized magi-immuno cells that roam the body and provide a defensive barricade against most magical threats to the body — both on a large scale like reducing some damage from a fireball, and on a small scale such as capturing some forms of magibacteria. Short for "Mana Guardian" Cell.

"The Stick has sentimental value. It's like an enormous, hideous teddy bear we can kill things with." -rikalous

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