Enter The Arena As Your Avatar -- The Spinoff!

"Whoa. Talk about fancy.", Evan says as the group (sans Fallen Sunny) enters the final area.

"Looks like a final boss area alright.", Cassidy says. She then looks around.

"Uh... but... where is the final boss?"

"It's probably gonna jump out at us.", Evan says, getting ready.

Beat

Beat

Beat

Noah now enters the room as well, looking annoyed and tapping his fingers against the armrest of his chair impatiently.

"'... Exactly how long is this going to take?"

Onyxis, Esche, Hotel

Within a room at one of Esche's hotels, Wanda◊ is currently meditating on her bed, dressed in her lounging attire.◊ After the family's little trip, she figured it wouldn't hurt to stop somewhere for the night before they headed to the Pizzaplex.

Pietro◊, clad in pajama pants and a dark blue tank top, is already fast asleep on the couch.

AI Sada appears in the middle of the room. Charlie, Balan, and Kusanagi immediately go on guard, but she simply waves them off.

"It appears our mysterious guest, not having been bound by rules to remain here, merely got bored of waiting and left."

"... You've got to be kidding me."

"I expected to hear relief in your voice, though I suppose it is right to be incredulous after all of this."

Esche

Magneto is not one to leave family unattended for long. Having seen where Wanda and Pietro went, he patrols the city, ever vigilant to potential threats.

Edited by KiriK on Jan 11th 2023 at 1:49:28 PM

Ody'nami's Spire

"What makes me me..."

Icarus slowly starts pacing around in circles, thinking out loud.

"...honestly, I don't know how to answer that question... what makes a rock a rock? Its chemical composition, but it's impossible to take apart personality the same way..."

He shakes his head.

"I could give you the file that emulates my brain and that the brain simulation software uses to simulate quote, unquote "my" behavior, but that risks a security issue, especially considering all the layers of protection against mindreaders and mind-manipulators that my kind has implemented... what makes me unique?...
...well, I was the first person to complete the Dyson Sphere Program, but that doesn't say a lot, that was more just pure chance..."

He stares off into space.

"Sorry. I don't know what to tell you with that question."

Procrastinatic Battlegrounds

The light mech that's attacked by Nina doesn't seem impressed, and soon, another light mech turns the corner and slams her away! Just in time for her to witness Luna's reckless stunt...

Upon getting boarded, the heavy mech immediately starts lashing around itself - but it can't seem to hit Luna! The mech starts wildly stumbling around. The biggest threat that it currently poses is to Nina, who's surrounded on (almost) all sides by robots, and who now needs to avoid getting stomped by heavy machinery...

Meanwhile, Simón is about to get flanked by two robots.

Round 8/20

"Huh? Left?", Evan asks.

"It can just... leave?", Cassidy asks, looking really confused. Noah, of course, looks pissed off.

"What do you mean, it LEFT!? It can't just leave! It's data from this cyberspace, it's supposed to be here!"

His chair hovers over to the throne as he inspects it. The final boss isn't hiding behind it, and there are no secret passages anywhere.

"I don't get it! The door was locked! It should be in this room right now! WHERE IS IT!?"

Evan tilts his head.

"... so, um... does that mean we won?"

A pause from Noah before he slowly turns to look at everyone with a furious expression. His gaze then shifts to specifically AI Sada.

"Did you do something to it!?"

Tommy and Billy, meanwhile, are sleeping in the room next to them. It's a room connected to the room Wanda and Pietro are in, so they'd be able to check in on them at any time.

Or at least they're supposed to be sleeping. The door leading to the adults' room opens from the other end to reveal a somewhat sleepy but also very concerned-looking Tommy on the other end.

"Mom? Uncle P?", he hesitantly asks, voice sounding as worried as his expression looks. "Um... Billy..."

He doesn't continue. He genuinely looks like he has no idea how to say what he's trying to say. Right after that Wanda and Pietro, as well as Magneto despite the distance between him and the hotel, will probably start to feel some power leaking coming from Billy's room.

Entering the room will reveal that Billy's in his bed, thrashing around in his sleep and sounding frightened. He's clearly having a nightmare, but it seems to be a heavy one, enough for his powers to be active while he's asleep, to the point that smoke is coming off of his blanket as if it's going to catch on fire at any moment. Despite that, Billy himself is cold to the touch, worryingly so.

"H-his powers made me see parts of it too... I... I...", Tommy starts to mutter, but once again he stops, seemingly for the same reason.

Eve decides to worry about herself in the heat of the moment, since she trusts the others have been picked for their abilities to deal with such cases. Deciding that higher magics could be more noticeable or affected, she uses plain old Light Magic to cast her body in an invisible shroud and attempts to scamper out of view, staring out at a corner of the room, about behind one of the tables.

She allows herself to use it up for five seconds, wincing at herself for her inability to blend in as she crawls fast. Once she's out of sight of the sentry (she can't quite see what sight is, so she waits to be slightly behind it) she attempts to keep crawling behind the last row of tables, trying to avoid quickly running away: if she outpace the group, it'd be bad, but she doesn't want to risk the sentry looking back.

merde

...

EVELYN is a bit unhinged right now, having seen her worst vision come true again. Needless to say, once she realizes what she's hearing, she's a big grumpy. Very slightly grumpy.

I don't give a shit about this kid! she yells. And don't pretend you do either! You've tried to make me relive the worst thing to have ever happened to me! Fuck you!

The Tower

Ghua'Hok laughed as not only did she deck an incredible snowball over the head technique, but also being pelted themself, as not only did one of her targets fire upon her, but so too did the brute force of the Greenskins and pyrens soon collapse her into a pile of snow, The Empress... Laughing...

Meanwhile Nakai heard what Reyna had to say and let out a low growl, which reverberated in his chest as much as it did hers.

"Wwwwhhhhhhaaaaaaaaattt... Wwwwoooouuullllllddddd yoooouuuuuuu neeeeeeeeeed?"

Oga meanwhile was trolling up a deal unknowingly with Luin as she took from the stand a massive Squig leg and began to tear into, juices flying from the impact of her teeth.

"Yeah! My... Dad has been wanting a new beast for the Migration for... Ages now! Just hadn't found one that can take the heat..."

Ody'Nami's Spire

"A rock is a good place holder term for a naturally occurring hard object that carries with it no breath of life. That's your answer. So I can dissect you without needing to take your brain apart because frankly that's not how you learn about people."

She slithered around the mech, somehow finding herself parked atop it as she reached for the roof, sliding off him before hanging upside, her face now directly Infront of his.

"You're not exactly innocent no not at all, but you do have a innocent and rigid worldview. You look at yourself at being in the right place at the time when it comes to your achievements... You like thongs organized and easy to dissect and validate... So when asked about yourself you struggle to think of that because to you subjectivity is a shield to hide from things, it isn't something to analyze subjectively either."

She disappeared from his sight and landed behind him, hands behind her back as she continued to muse on it.

"You are an exotic anomaly. Because you wish to be engaged in the world but stand staunchly against it. You are a being of statistics and equations, plunging into a world that is simultaneously predictable, but indeliberately confusing."

Wild Hunt: Fey Wilds

The bread crumbs soon became, distant, sporadic, and underneath a white leaves willow tree the bread crumbs stopped, and in the damp soil accompanying a bubbling brook were travks. Old shoes with flat soles. Epok analyzed the tracks, and than the bread accompanying it. There was a moment where Epok was silent, eyes glowing as he seemed to be contacting something, before abruptly communicating to the gang the discover.

"Dance shoes. A human's dance shoes to be specific... Occasionally... No not occasionally. Humans were part of the wild hunt. The forest demanded blood... It was hurt back than. Apart of it still is. She must have been chased in here... By what..."

Perhaps there were some clues beneath this angelic like tree.

Edited by ArbiterOfTheBog on Jan 11th 2023 at 12:19:42 PM

Wanda immediately snaps out of her mediation when Tommy enters the room, looking suitably concerned.

"Pietro, wake up! Something's wrong with Billy!"

She teleports over to Billy's bedside, a horrified gasp escaping her throat once she sees just how intense her son's nightmare truly was.

"Oh, my god..."

She takes Billy into her arms and gently attempts to shake him awake.

"Billy! Billy, baby, wake up! It's only a dream!"

Pietro jolts awake, leaps off the couch, and dashes into his nephews' room. While his sister works on trying wake Billy up, he notices Tommy's condition and places a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, Tommy? Everything's gonna be alright. Your mom's saved people from worse than this."

As a response, Icarus turns on his autopilot and starts floating. His mech will automatically keep a distance of at least one meter to any object.

"So what, what's your point? Are you deliberately trying to startle me? Because I don't get it."

Ody'Nami's Spire

"If I wanted to startle you I'd take off the mask-"

She emphasized this by turning her head completely upside down, her body slowly falling back into place, but doing so with her now upside down and yet gravity not punishing her for it in the slightest.

"Its kind of easy to maneuver. My point however is that you are human. Introspection is not only capable for you to achieve but you can if you're cognizant enough, recognize what I'm saying is true until you can prove otherwise. I don't have that kind of luck. When I look at myself I can not feel that same feeling of... "Clairvoyance". It's like dementia... But you remember everyone else. Just not yourself."

Data Battle

AI Sada holds up her hands defensively. "I have not interfered with any of the entities meant to be fought here. That being was already gone when I entered."

Charlie sighs. "What now?"

It KRIMAAAA

Having never met Ghua'hok, Altina doesn't know what could be strange about her laughing. However, as they are both royalty, she stops chucking snowballs to go help the Empress to her feet and brush the snow off.

—

"Your service in a battle of my own," Reyna explains. "Not now, but in the future, possibly soon. You'll know when the time comes via messenger Cohoot."

Wild Hunt

Ellder kneels down to investigate the base of the tree, while Aldon and Toldor follow the tracks along the brook.

Esche

Overhearing the conversation from outside, Magneto enters the hotel through the front door and runs to Billy's room. His boots thud against the floor with imposing volume, hiding his presence to no one.

Edited by KiriK on Jan 11th 2023 at 2:47:35 PM

Noah growls and begins messing with the screen on his chair.

"No editing data except for my own...", he eventually mumbles angrily. The results don't lie, AI Sada didn't do anything to this room. He suddenly slams his fists against his screen.

"No! This isn't fair at all! You knew it wasn't here! You tricked me, you..."

He points at AI Sada.

"I'm not taking this lying down! Forget the deal, we're doing your idea! A duel, right here, right now! Refuse and I'll break my way out into the wider net!"

He then looks at everyone except AI Sada.

"The rest of you, get out!"

"Um..."

"We can't leave, you still have Addison's data."

"I'll give it back, now LEAVE!", he angrily yells, pointing at the door. Cassidy has an 'alright then' expression on her face as she turns to the others.

"I, eh... guess she has this handled?", she says, talking about AI Sada.

Tommy looks up at Pietro, but he doesn't look reassured.

Billy does not immediately respond to Wanda's words, probably not hearing them throughout his intense nightmare. But then, all of a sudden, his eyes snap open and he screams in a way that can only be described as bloodcurdling. Tommy jumps due to being startled and looks back at his brother.

Billy starts looking around frantically, feeling trapped by Wanda's arms at first. Tommy, Pietro and Magneto will be able to see that his eyes are unfocused, as he's still in somewhat of a panicked daze. It takes him several seconds to really process where he is and who's holding him. But even that doesn't call him down, not yet. He holds onto her tightly and begins to cry, mumbling things that aren't coherent in the slightest. His breaths are fast, which suggests a possible panic attack is incoming if he doesn't try to calm down. If Wanda or Pietro tries to talk to them he won't hear them in this situation, but their voices (especially Wanda's for obvious reasons) alone will still help him somewhat.

What happens next is even weirder, because while it doesn't get to panic attack levels, Tommy now also begins to cry and clings onto Pietro's arm. It's true that he had seen parts of Billy's nightmare, but he hadn't looked like he was about to cry when he came to get Pietro and Wanda. It's as if just knowing what the nightmare was about and seeing Billy's reaction to it was enough for him to understand and feel the same way.

They both stay like this for a few minutes no matter what Pietro or Wanda do. In fact, by the time Magneto reaches them, Tommy will probably have calmed down a little, but Billy will not.

Edited by DevilPsyco on Jan 11th 2023 at 10:04:31 AM

HUB CENTRALIS PARK

It's him. Cyrus. He's here.

I don't know if you could call what he's doing relaxing, but he doesn't appear to be doing much else.

He glowers into the darkness.

Wanda immediately pulls Billy into a presumably much-needed hug and kisses his head.

"It's okay... it's okay, baby. I'm here now, everything's gonna be alright," she assures, keeping her voice soft as she holds him close.

Pietro looks understandably bewildered when Tommy starts to cry as well, but kneels down and puts an arm around him.

"Hey, hey, what's the matter? Billy's gonna be okay, trust me."

Both twins then glance at Magneto when he bursts into their suite.

"It's Billy. He was having a nightmare and... whatever he was dreaming about, it was enough to make his powers go off in his sleep."

"It affected Tommy, too."

Hub Centralis

Nicole◊ wanders through the streets of Hub Centralis, having since resumed the search Gor had sent her on.

"I still don't know if I can actually trust Gor or if I'm just being lured into some kinda Faustian crap, but unless someone invents a last-minute Shepherd detector, he... she... it... they're my only option."

She blows out a sigh.

"I knew I should've asked for clues or something when I had the chance. This search would be going way more smoothly if I had more to go off of, even if all I knew was what this... Metrostation chick or whatever her friggin' name is looks like."

Edited by IchigoMontoya on Jan 11th 2023 at 1:26:48 AM

Like a sort of video game cutscene, the church of GOR seems to glow an ethereal yellow in the distance, hint hint.

...

HOSPITAL

Elsewhere in the city, nearby citizens yelp in a fright when Bunggod jump all the way down to the front of the hospital. His amazing entrance has been anticipated though: here stand a Eve, calmly floating up a few centimeters away from the ground, looking relaxed as she glances at him up and down.

She glances at the citizen but decide that it's wise to wait for more to go to the hospital or clear out before doing anything. Small as Bunggod is, she's smaller still!

Hello! she greets, holding her hand up. I take it you're not here for a leg operation?

With a swipe of her arm, AI Sada sends the party out of the datascape and back to the physical world. "So be it."

—

Addison breathes a sigh of relief as they all reappear on the other side. "The battle data has all been destroyed... except Monty's, which I'm gonna store on a separate drive, juuuuust in case."

"So we're good?" asks Charlie. "The Glamrocks aren't gonna go nuts on us?"

"You can count on it."

Kusanagi leaves, like 'my work here is done'.

Charlie heads for the door, only to stop and glance back at the computer. "I hope that AI's got this."

"Don't worry, she does."

"... Alright. I could really go for some pizza now."

—

Back in the dataspace, what would've been the secret boss's lair is reformatted into a crystalline cave, with AI Sada standing on a rocky platform slightly above Noah.

AI Sada blocks your path!

Battle! Anti-Skullgirl Labs (Science Fiction - BlazBlue Chronophantasma)

She holds up a hand and materializes a Master Ball, then tosses it to release a creature resembling a giant fuzzy moth with folded wings. "Since it is a rule in Duel Monsters, I will explain my Pokémon. This beast is Slither Wing, the Bug/Fighting Paradox Pokémon. For a literal arthropod, its physical prowess is unmatched.

"Additionally, each of my Pokémon knows four moves, which I will explain as we go along. This way, should I win, you cannot accuse me of cheating or hiding any details."

"The poor boys..."

Magneto nods to his alternate children before turning to his alternate grandchildren. The one time he wishes he had Charles's powers...

He attempts to place a hand on Billy's head. Perhaps if Billy has psychic abilities that are out of control, he can feel out what the boy is feeling.

Evan and Cassidy are nothing short of surprised when they're just instantly back in the real world. At this point they let Charlie do the talking, they just follow her when she goes towards the door to the elevator.

"I don't. I feel like sleeping for a whole week.", Cassidy grumbles with a hand on her head.

"... I could go for pizza.", Evan says.

"Then you two go, I'm going back to the hotel."

Evan is surprised. Cassidy must be really tired if she is choosing to not cling to him like she usually does. ... then again, she fought a lot more here than he did.

—

The lock on Noah's Duel Disk vanishes and his chair rises up. He smirks, but there's a tinge of annoyance to it due to AI Sada standing high above him.

"Another rule of Duel Monsters is that both players have to be at the same level of elevation. Or did you think I'd just let you stand up there and look at my hand?"

... yeah, that's totally why he's going up high. It's not an ego thing at all.

He grabs his deck and takes out about half of his cards while AI Sada explains how she'll go about their fight. He activates some manner of antigravity above the panel his screen projects onto and lets his cards float there. No way is he going to be holding onto 20+ cards in his hands.

"That thing looks more adorable than terrifying.", Noah says upon seeing Slither Wing, grinning. He glances at his hand. Naturally he made sure to keep his ace monster and the card he needs to summon it. But should he summon it now, or should he wait? He doesn't know what AI Sada's creatures are capable of, after all.

... Best to play safe for now.

"I summon the monster known Yaksha◊ and attack your Slither Wing!"

The monster takes form in front of Noah, then immediately rushes towards Slither Wing, attempting to land a strike with its blade.

"She doesn't have Spells and Trap Cards, so even if this ends up being a waste, I won't have lost out on any strong effects.", Noah thinks to himself.

Even after Magneto had arrived, it still takes over a minute before there's any noticeable change in Billy. Not because he's calming down, but because he's exhausted himself. At least this allows him to take some deeper, slower breaths again.

Tommy, meanwhile, is still distraught as well, but he at least begins to react to what people are telling him again. He's still somewhat hard to understand due to his crying, but he mumbles about some things. The most understandable words he mumbles are 'home', 'Sparky', 'soldier' and 'Agatha'.

As for what Magneto is attempting, he'll not only feel just how utterly terrified Billy is right now, but he'll also be treated to a very brief vision from Billy's point of view.

He's lying on the street, seemingly trying to reach out to someone. Tommy is to his side and, disturbingly, looks like he's in the process of disintegrating. Once Billy's hand comes into view, Magneto will be able to notice that he too is in that same process of disintegrating. There's someone with a red aura standing in the distance, most likely their Wanda. And there's someone standing in front of the boys, presumably the one who put them in that horrifying state.

The vision ends, and Billy finally begins to calm down a little. He has to try to focus to prevent his exhaustion from making him fall asleep in Wanda's arms. And despite the occasional hiccup of a sob coming from him, he begins to regain some control over his emotions.

As Wanda gently strokes Billy's hair, she shifts her gaze to Magneto as he moves to help.

"Tommy said he had a brief vision of whatever Billy was dreaming about. Are you seeing it, too?"

Pietro shows Tommy a confused but no less concerned look.

"Hey, hey, slow down. Who are Sparky and Agatha, and what's this about your home and a soldier?" he inquires.

Nicole glances at the Church in the distance.

"Huh. Guess if you wanna find a religious zealot, a place of religion's always a good place to start."

She begins making her towards it, as she thinks back to her conversation with Gor.

"Now, what do I have to talk to Motorcross about again? Actually, did Gor tell me what I was supposed to say? Looks like I can add that to the list of things I should've asked them... or maybe my memory just needs to be jogged."

Edited by IchigoMontoya on Jan 11th 2023 at 2:36:42 AM

Wild Hunt

Lápiz smells the shoes, seeking for some clues.

Dancing shoes... Pretty, but why do they would use it to traverse the forest?

A goes behind the tree, while B and C study the footsteps and crumbs.

Tere-Tere's house

Tere-Tere greets the invitees:

Ah, welcome to the party! Go ahead!

Benvenutti!

Are they your new friends, Belén? Those... "Shepherds"?

Belén approach them: Yeah! How are you? Let me introduce us: They are Emi, Nacho, Carolina, and my cousin, Tere-Tere. I am Belén, nice to meet you.

Sorry to making you come amidst of the nothing... We had some... Issues with powerful foes, and we are hiding here.

Tere-Tere asks in all seriousness: And where are your... sheeps?

Nicole, by something that she'll know is not her memory being clearer than usual, will suddenly remember exactly what Gor told her a little while ago.

There's a gaze on her, motivating her to go forward. Not forcing her but she might need to make the whole walk towards the church. After all, as she should remember, Gor hinted that the lives of her allies could depend on completing this very mission!

Slither Wing is slashed, scattering some moth-dust all over.

"Slither Wing shall use Will-O-Wisp to inflict a lingering burn that will halve your Yaksha's attack power."

With a beat of its wings, it sends a slow circling ring of purple fireballs at Noah's Yaksha, to do exactly as Sada described.

"Get back to the hotel safely," Charlie tells Cassidy, and that's that.

"I think the sheep are people. The Shepherds - or I guess the Neo Shepherds now - protect and guide those who can't protect themselves. Like a regular shepherd herds sheep."

Itsuki bows. "Anyway, I'm Itsuki Aoi."

The others introduce themselves in succession.

"Tsubasa Oribe."

"Kiria Kurono."

"Eleonora Yumizuru."

"And I'm Mamori Minamoto!"

"We're performers with Fortuna Entertainment, but we can fight if we have to."

Magneto winces and grunts in pain as the vision rushes through his head.

After it's over, he turns to face Wanda with a horrified look. "They disintegrated, Wanda. You were off in the distance, and someone else was right in front of them, as they fell to dust."

Throat of the World, Stolopost again

The highest peak in all of Skyrim, covered in perpetual snow. It was quiet, peaceful. The perfect place to relax. Until a sound similar to jet engines suddenly interrupted the peace as a red comet streaked through the skies above, soon crashing down onto the peak to reveal itself as Scarlet Meteor Valstrax. The Elder Dragon stomped around, inspecting the area as dragon energy flowed out of its wing vents. It had sensed more dragon energy in the environment and was considering making a roost for itself here.

Disappointingly there was very little in the ground itself, more likely this was merely a place other dragons had roosted in. It snorted and prepared to leave when it heard the flapping of wings. Scarlet Meteor Valstrax roared a challenge, expecting a wyvern like Rathalos or perhaps even a fellow Elder Dragon.

"What brings another dragon here?" said a deep voice, in a completely unrecognizable language. It was indeed an elder dragon, though not the kind it had been expecting. He landed across the jet dragon, looking it over. "Hmm... I see. You are not a true dovah. Merely a pale imitation, a beast."

Scarlet Meteor Valstrax snorted indignantly, it spread its wings in a threatening display, dragon energy flowing out in higher amounts.

"Ha! You wish to intimidate me, beast?" the talking dragon taunts. "That may work on your fellows, but I am Nonvulkul! A true immortal son of Akatosh!"

"YOL TOOR SHUL!" he then shouts, spitting fire at Scarlet Meteor Valstrax who snarls at being scorched but shakes it off. It then blasts at its opponent like a rocketship, both landing in a snarling heap of claws. Nonvulkul finds to his surprise this 'pale imitation' is tougher than he expected, only scratching its hide. They soon separate and Nonvulkul takes to the air, spitting more fire down on his opponent.

This time Scarlet Meteor Valstrax uses one of its wings to block and for a moment Nonvulkul feels like he saw it smirk as it pointed its strange wings at the ground. Scarlet Meteor Valstrax then blasts into the air, flying past Nonvulkul at speed unheard of for even the mightiest dragons.

He doesn't have much time to process that before Scarlet Meteor Valstrax crashes into him from above, sending them both back down to the ground with Nonvulkul bearing the brunt of the impact. Scarlet Meteor Valstrax then pushes off of him and roars again, drawing in more air into its chest vents.

"Hmph. Not bad for a beast." Nonvulkul admits before this time firing frost breath. Scarlet Meteor Valstrax has to stop to block, lest the freezing breath enter its vents. This gives Nonvulkul the opportunity to close in and slam into it with his full force. The Elder Dragon stumbles and gets slashed across the face but is undeterred.

Scarlet Meteor Valstrax flips its wings entirely to face forward, to Nonvulkul's surprise that they had such a range of motion. He's further surprised by the ensuing barrage of dragon energy projectiles burning his face. He roars and stumbles back, temporarily blinded. He can't see but he can hear the sound of his opponent drawing in air and guesses that's a bad sign and attempts to evade by flying away.

His vision returns soon enough to see that Scarlet Meteor Valstrax is now completely wreathed in scarlet dragon energy, roaring as it starts gathering even more into its wings. Nonvulkul fires more fire breath at his opponent but Scarlet Meteor Valstrax simply opts to grit its teeth as it charges up.

Then, before he can really react, a massive red beam of dragon energy fires out of Scarlet Meteor Valstrax's wings at him and engulfs him. Soon the dragon lands on the ground with a thud, not dead but mangled. He struggles to stand once more, glaring at the beast before him as it advances on him like a cat before a trapped mouse.

"Tch! You may have bested me, beast. But true dragons are immortal! I will-" he attempts to say but Scarlet Meteor Valstrax simply brings both its wings, now in a spear like shape, down on his neck. It snorted, this wyvern talked too much. It looked around, this was still not a suitable roost for it, but at least it found some food.

"Yeah, will do. Bye.", Cassidy says, going off on her own once they're outside the lab again. Evan is a little worried, but he figures that Cassidy would tell him if she wasn't feeling well.

As Cassidy leaves, her shadow briefly takes on a Freddy-like shape.

—

Yaksha gets struck, dropping its ATK to 950.

"That's a powerful effect. ... unfortunately, it'll do you little good.", Noah grins. Yaksha suddenly begins to glow and disappears from the field. Noah takes the card in his hand and turns it to AI Sada. Mostly for show, considering the distance between them.

"I use Spirit monsters, which return to my hand at the end of each turn if they aren't destroyed. Any effects on cards that get sent back to the hand are rendered null and void."

He puts it back with the others, then takes out two others.

"I summon Nikitama◊ to the field and activate its effect, allowing me to summon a second Spirit monster this turn. So I summon Amano-Iwato◊."

As both monsters appear on the field, Noah smirks.

"During the turn Amano-Iwato is on the field, all effects are negated except those of Spirit monsters. Your attack-halving technique is useless, and I..."

He snaps his fingers.

"Have two attackers for the turn."

Nikitama attacks with bellowing winds, while Amano-Iwato makes the 'earth' underneath Slither Wing quake in an attempt to deal damage to it. The former may have but a mere 800 ATK, but the latter has 1900 just like Yaksha did.

Tommy lets out a sniffle, letting go of Pietro's arm but not saying anything anymore. He looks like he's unsure if he should.

Until Tommy hears what Magneto says. After a moment of silence he shakes his head a little.

"That's not really...", he mutters. Billy then finally speaks up.

"Bathroom...", he mumbles. "My face feels gross..."

Tommy looks at him, concerned, and now goes to him, Wanda and Magneto, pulling on Wanda's sleeve.

"I'll help him wash his face, Mom. And I'll talk to him about maybe telling you..."

He glances down.

"... something we should've told you sooner... is... is it okay if you, Uncle P and Grandpa wait in your room?"

Edited by DevilPsyco on Jan 11th 2023 at 12:14:37 PM

Wanda looks equally horrified by Magneto's description of Billy's nightmare.

"Oh, god..."

She considers asking who this mysterious third figure was, assuming Magneto had managed to get a good enough look at them, only for Tommy to get her attention. Answering him with a nod, she lets go of Billy, then motions for Pietro and Magneto to follow her as she walks into the other room. The Scarlet Witch sits down upon her bed and lets out a heavy sigh.

"I can't imagine how awful that must've been..."

Pietro follows his sister, approaches the mini-fridge, and sifts through it for a moment. After retrieving two water bottles, he awkwardly offers one to Magneto.

"Just, uh... thought you might be thirsty. You know, after coming all this way."

Regardless of whether or not Magneto accepts the offered drink, he sits down beside Wanda.

"So, in this dream, Tommy and Billy were disintegrating?"

Wanda answers her brother with a nod.

"Damn... no wonder his magic was going haywire."

"Oh, yeah, now I remember. God, that was such a long day..."

Once she reaches the Church, Nicole wastes no time strolling through the front doors before looking around for any sign of Meteorika.

Slither Wing's fluffy coat seems good at dampening blows, as it doesn't look too hurt by the combined attack.

"In that case, Slither Wing will use U-Turn to attack your Nikitama and return to me."

It jumps into the air and slams into the strange creature surrounded in spirit fire! On impact, it bounces away, returning to its Master Ball.

"And in its place, I send out Brute Bonnet!"

AMONG US AMONG US AMONG US AMONG US AMONG US AMONG US AMONG US AMONG US AMONG US AMONG US AMONG US AMONG US AMONG US AMONG US

Magneto follows Wanda to her room and takes the drink. "That is indeed what it looked like. What I saw when I touched Billy. Though Tommy implied there was more to it than that."

He sips his water as he contemplates.