Enter The Arena As Your Avatar -- The Spinoff!

Hjaalmarch

Fu spontaneously materializes. "Hey, I get image training, but don't you think a real target would be better?"

Stopping in his tracks at the sound of Fu's voice, Pietro wheels around to face the demon scientist.

"What can I say, man? My usual sparring partners are a little busy right now, and I don't have the keys to any VR training rooms."

He then folds his arms.

"And since you're here... wanna explain to me why you threw Rin back in time against her will? Yeah, she told me everything that's happened to her lately, so don't bother playing innocent."

Fu laughs it off. "Haha, why would I bother lying to you?"

"For fun," he answers with a shrug. "During my time-jumping, I saw some old Porky Bots in the past that had never seen the light of day and thought 'hmmm, who in the arena is an expert at demolishing entire armies with style?' and Rin was the first person who came to mind. She's kind of a badass back in her own world, don'tcha know."

"And you can't deny that I did you a service. Imagine if Porky found those Bots in the present day."

Edited by KiriK on Feb 26th 2021 at 3:05:06 AM

"There's the escape pods. Let's be on our way." Zero remarked in the fusion's shared mind.

However, Miles hesitated, "I can't...not until I know Kazami and the others are gonna get off safely too!"

"Miles, this is not the time to play the hero. Get-" Zero never got to finish as Miles proceeded to pry open the door and pull down the goggles.

"Kazami! Where are you and the other Avali right now?!"

Pietro lets out a sigh, and shakes his head.

"Knowing you, I probably should have expected that answer. Remind me never to introduce you to Cinke."

He walks over to Fu.

"Well, you're right about Rin being a badass and getting rid of those bots before Porky could get his hands on them, but she didn't come out of that little experiment unscathed. The first time me and Seras saw her after she'd gone missing, she was depressed, angry, and probably a little drunk. She even went on a mini-rant about how her life was her's to control after I... kinda lost my temper with her."

He nervously rubs the back of his head at that last part.

"We asked what happened to make her like that, and she brought up two specific events. I think you can guess what the first one was."

Edited by IchigoMontoya on Mar 24th 2021 at 11:51:47 AM

"Yeah. I also know what the second one was." Fu puts a knuckle to his chin.

"I can tell you what she experienced with Polyphemus... but you may not want to hear it."

Yahaba chuckles a little at Narktus' response. "Well, if I can avoid being a single father..."

Susamaru grins and blows a raspberry at her companion. "Lord Narktus is more like a cool uncle or something."

Yahaba places a hand on Rakna-Kadaki in preparation for teleportation to the base. He briefly feels its silk, soft like a dress yet durable enough not to tear when pulled. "What an curious creature... I reckon that if it allowed us to harvest that weave, it could have some potent applications in creating silk clothing that is as durable as armor. Maybe once you both get comfortable and acquainted with the base, you can train it in this way, Rui. After all, you're probably the one it will respond most favorably to."

"Hang on tight, we're outta here!" Susamaru warns before teleporting back with Rui, as Yahaba leaves with the spider beast.

"Probably not, no. But I just can't stand seeing Rin so miserable and... broken. It's like all the sass and feistiness was just ripped straight out of her."

Pietro sits down on a nearby rock.

"Maybe if you told me what happened to her in Polyphemus' lab, I could actually help her get through this."

Edited by IchigoMontoya on Feb 26th 2021 at 1:45:52 AM

Space Fortress Gravitas

Narktus is waiting for the group in the teleporter room. "Hello."

There are bags of sleeplessness under his eyes. "I'll get Rakna-Kadaki squared away, but you'll want to bring Rui to Mu-..."

Rui's expression turns wary.    "..."   

"... to your master."

"Well, Rin prided herself on her humanity. She believed herself and her sisters, the Muses, to be a shining example of the species, and that they were the basis for many things beyond mankind."

"In a way, this is true. Rin's entire reality is virtual - imagine the Matrix but there are no actual humans, only simulations of one. Rin is a near-perfect recreation of a human teenager as a computer program, and the Muses' AI was used as the basis for the other beings of her world... but she was so certain she was human and took such pride in her status as such, that all Polyphemus had to do to break her was reveal the truth."

Edited by KiriK on Feb 26th 2021 at 3:47:55 AM

Yahaba's expression turns into one of worry. "I am not certain that it is a good idea to bother Lord Muzan over this. If he had felt it to be his concern, he would probably have reached out to us in the first place." It's obvious that Yahaba is trying really hard not to say or imply that Muzan is cruel and might punish Rui for his past failures, but despite that, the implication still hangs heavy in the air.

"... I'll be right there just in case."

—

Infinity Castle Chamber

Rui looks up at Muzan, his figure seeming to tower over the boy.

He slowly lowers himself to his knees.    "Master..."   

Muzan cruelly sneers back at the demon boy.    "You bring another failure before me. This one had the audacity to fall from Kizuki. His death was why I wiped out the Lower Ranks."   

Narktus' eyes narrow. He knows this isn't going anywhere good.

Edited by KiriK on Feb 26th 2021 at 3:59:47 AM

"Holy shit... No wonder she was such a wreck when we finally found her..."

Pietro takes a moment to process everything Fu had told him.

"I knew what happened to her must've been traumatic, but I had no freaking idea it was this bad. Man, helping her through this just got a whole lot more complicated," he says. "How the hell do you even come back after learning something like that? Seriously, it's a miracle she's only depressed and not, well.... you know."

Edited by IchigoMontoya on Feb 26th 2021 at 2:15:58 AM

Park in Hub Centralis

A guy and a girl are at the middle of the park, practising their backflips.

Not bad, Stephanie, but you must give them more 'oomph'.

"... Suicidal, yeah," Fu somewhat inconsiderately finishes. "Well, if you want to sever the problem at its roots, there's a way to... go inside her - not in that way, obviously. By exploring a world that runs in parallel to her body and mind, you can learn more about her inner workings and figure out the solution on your own. And the technology to do that is right here in the Arena."

Pietro stares at Fu as if he'd just revealed himself to be Loki in disguise.

"Sorry, I-I don't think I heard you right. You're telling me that I can help Rin not by finding her a therapist or something, but by going into her body? Like something out of an old sci-fi movie?"

He shakes his head, albeit more out of disbelief than anything else.

"That's just... that's just freaking crazy, and this is coming from a guy who's been through some really weird shit in this place. But if you're right and it'll snap Rin out of her funk, I'll give it a shot. Where's the tech I need?"

"Hey, man, you find someone in the Arena with a certified therapy license."

Fu pulls up a holographic map of Hub Centralis with a blinking red dot somewhere in the sprawling city.

"Well, first, you'll need the dimensional door, located here, which belongs to an artificer named Syana - she's very nice, so I don't think you'll need to ask first. Then you'll need to use this scanner-thingy attached to it on Rin in order to find the 'coordinates' of her inner world. I also recommend bringing backup and especially someone well-versed in biology, because this is not your Saturday morning cartoon 'inner world' - the immune cells are people and they will attack you with sharp implements if you can't convince them you're not a threat."

Even with Narktus overseeing the scene, as Muzan's overpowering aura of wrath smothers the room, every fiber of Yahaba's being starts screaming at him. Hundreds of years of conditioning, of slavish servitude, encoded into every demon's being, into their very life and blood. The life and blood that are no longer even their own, but graciously loaned to them by this man, Kibutsuji Muzan. Every demon instinctively knows the rules to keep their right to this life from being unceremoniously revoked. Do not speak of Lord Muzan. Do not disobey Lord Muzan. Do not fail Lord Muzan. And for the love of everything unholy, do not talk back to Lord Muzan.

There, in the twisting corridors of the Infinity Palace, Yahaba does something that no demon has done for hundreds of years. On behalf of this boy he has known for only half an hour or so, he talks back to Lord Muzan. Very politely, but still.

A Doomed Plea

"My Lord, with the greatest of respects due to your eminence, as one of your most trusted Kizuki, I must most politely ask you to reconsider." His actual eyes, the ones on his head, open, locking with Muzan's hollow gaze. "Please recall these two unworthy servants of yours, who, thanks to your boundless mercy-" technically Narktus's mercy but, technicalities, "-came to play a key role in your ascension to the true and perfect form you were always meant to achieve. What is a failure, my Lord, but an opportunity to learn? What is a master but a man who has failed more times than the novice has succeeded? After all... we're all demons, right..? United... by..." But as he stares into Muzan's eyes, devoid of compassion or empathy, his voice dies in his throat and his gaze meets the ground. He never stood a chance.

Then, it's Susamaru's turn to turn to Muzan. She steps in front of Rui, interposing herself between him and Muzan. "My Lord, wasn't it you who saved this boy's life, all these years ago? You saved his life, like the kind and merciful master that you must be... that I know you are... right? Right, Lord Muzan?" Her eyes begin welling up with tears. "There... there must once have been a time where you were there for me too, right? Even if I can't remember it. We... we mean something to you, right? Right? You, the generous lord who shared with us his blood, who gifted us new life and the taste of life's essence upon our tongues. It... can't have all been for nothing, right? You... surely gifted us this life so we could live it in happiness, right? So please... don't take away the little brother I found. Please..." But just like Yahaba's logical arguments before her, Susamaru's flood of emotions shatters against the unfeeling mass of darkness and hatred before her, like a wave against an iceberg. As she realizes the true nature of her master, there is nothing she can do but silently cry...

Pietro studies the map as he listens to Fu's instructions.

"Immune cells that are actually people... only you could say something like that so casually, man. Alright, so we have to go through this Syana lady's dimensional door, use the scanner on Rin, and convince the... cell people that we're not threats."

"Now, who should I bring with me? Seras is obviously a no-brainer, but who do I know that's good with biology? Stark's more of a robotics scientist, Platinum's probably busy with a crapload of other things... Claus does have that scanner of his, so maybe he'd be a good pick."

Edited by IchigoMontoya on Mar 25th 2021 at 4:35:28 AM

Muzan is completely unmoved by his subordinates' pleas. He raises a hand, and his flesh warps into a bony knife-edge. It glistens with a coat of fluids of some sort.

"Alright. I have hit my    fucking    limit."

   "Lord Narktus?"   

Narktus suddenly bursts forward and tackles Muzan across the Infinity Castle room, then places a hand on the Demon King's face and warps him to the Arena. The bracer Muzan could otherwise have used to return... tumbles to the bottom.

Rui sits there blinking in surprise.    "What... just...?"   

Trembling in awe and terror, he collapses to the floor, shedding tears of panic, confusion, remorse, but also gratitude that he would yet live another day.

Narktus, meanwhile, has but one thing to say. "Never could stand that asshole."

Riften

Muzan appears before a wandering Joseph Joestar.

"Whoa!" the Hamon-wielder jumps back with a start.

The demon king simply gives him an ice-cold glare in reply.

This guy's bad news, thinks Joseph. Without a doubt. Should I engage?

Muzan's skin seems to ripple and distort into something otherworldly, and a tendril of flesh lashes out.

Too late for that! Joseph rolls out of the way and pulls out a Tommy gun.

Barbarous Beast - Magnamalo

"I can find someone to help you!" says Fu. "Someone from Rin's own world who knows a bit more than she does."

A shot rings out, and a bullet attempts to strike Muzan in the back of the head, though he'll have time to dodge since the shot was fired from decently afar and he has Super-Speed at his disposal.

If he turns around, he'll see a peculiar individual, clad in some rather grim, body-concealing clothes, making their exact gender hard to pinpoint. Their face is wholly hidden beneath a tall collar and a thick pair of pink glasses of all things, but he might focus more on the flintlock pistol (with a fuming barrel) and the massive axe they're carrying, the latter weapon being slung over their right shoulder in a casual manner.

They approach slowly at first but subsequently pick up the pace, approaching faster.

Edited by Bolded1 on Feb 26th 2021 at 1:04:56 PM

Yahaba simply stands there, staring ahead with an expression of shock, while Susamaru wraps her arms around Rui, still sobbing. While both are surely grateful to Narktus, it's probably going to take some time before they can express it, on account of, y'know, being in the middle of reevaluating their entire life.

—

Meanwhile, in Riften, the commotion with Muzan attracts the attention of someone who had up to that point been sleeping on the upper floor of the Bee and Barb. A young girl's face peeks out of the windows, watching with interest the battle unfolding in the main square...

Pietro nods.

"That'd be appreciated. I'm guessing you're talking about one of those sisters of hers you mentioned? You know, the Muses who aren't from Greek mythology."

Riften - Zagreus

The son of Hades saw the exchange between Joseph and the Demon King happen right in front of him. The shadows seemed to coalesce into his palms as he stared that the flesh that had lashed out at the Hamon wielder. A crimson blade◊ appearing in his hand. He knew that this thing had to die, right now.

Riften - Rimuru

The slime wasn't as close to the first contact as Zagreus, but was close enough that he could feel the power emanating off of Muzan, a dark mist appearing around him as he grew large bat wings, taking to the sky and staring at it.

Hey Sage... What the hell am I looking at?

An otherworldly human that became a monster with the ability to spread his condition to others. Has ascended into the Ultimate Life Form.. Detecting a strength factor of.... Immeasurable.

Shit...

The slime stayed hovering in the air, the slightest sound of electricity crackling at his fingertips, an intense heat able to be felt by those around him emanating from his body

This is gunna be one helluva fight... Might need your help to take on this baddie Sage.

Muzan turns around at the gunshot, irritated but barely harmed.

At that moment, JoJo unleashes a spray of bullets from his tommy gun, which also do very little other than aggravate Muzan, as he morphs his arm into a line of blades and sweeps it in a circle around himself.

Then he notices the other foes and grimaces, before launching a barrage of blood bolts at Zagreus and Rimuru.

Joseph ducks under the sweep and continues firing.

And then a brutal-looking hook is fired at Muzan along a chain, aiming to dig into the Demon King's flesh and carry the Doom Slayer◊ unto him.

"Nope! Someone else."

Edited by KiriK on Feb 26th 2021 at 6:23:01 AM

Pietro raises an eyebrow.

"And here I was hoping to meet the rest of her family. So, if they're not a Muse, who'd you have in mind?"