It's Turbin' Time (Library of Ruina Modded/Arknights)

[TYW]

This quest is so peak, and somehow scratch an itch I didn't even know I had.

 

[Gun and Powder]

Spoiler: Since Discord broke, I finally got around to posting what I can find on imgur

 

[thenew]

Spoiler: Winning Vote

[X] The second traveler, with the feline furs.
[X] The first traveler, with the elfin ears.

4.14 - First Kindred

The ruler sat on his throne, and contemplated the three travelers.

He closed his eyes as he beheld the truth.

One by one, his vassals dissolved, for mere illusions they were. The Princess of the Stone Bulwark, the Prince of the Wheeled Lance,the Prince of the Predator Forest- the three and many others- vanished. Servants, butlers, maids, cooks, nobles and heirs. Dancers and musicians, handmaidens and poets.

The ruler opened his eyes, and was alone in his castle. As always.

"Dressed in rags you came. You accepted my hospitality, but not my gifts."

He sighed mournfully.

"Fearful of indebtment. Fearful of me. As it often is."

Something deep gnawed at his soul, always. An unchanging being, shackled by unchanging pain. In this world, none could understand; he was not born, he had no brothers, no sisters, no mothers.

"And yet… I cannot blame you. That fear will serve you well. Humans fear me, and for good reason. But…"

A frightening smile extended from his face.

"...I have decided to correct this. It is not your fault that you fear me. It is mine. My fault for being this creature that I am. If a king orders his subjects to hurl themselves into the sea, they will rebel, no? I can only ask of you what you can give."

A long, clawed arm extended. An offer of friendship.

"A ruler must command his subjects fairly and wisely- to command one to do what is not in their nature is foolishness. So, I must change your nature. I must grant my gifts- to all of you, so you can stay with me forevermore." the ruler grinned with a grin far too wide to fit a human face. "I will not grant your boon, but I have paid a worthy price. I am a generous sovereign, am I not?"

He had broken his promise- for in the ruler's heart, there was no valour or pride. Any notion of nobility had died millenia ago- if it ever existed at all- and mere pretence was all that remained.

All that he had was hunger and emptiness. The world emptied his heart through no fault of his own, and left them surly and bumbling and bony; why should he give a hoot for honour or fair play?

Silence unfolded.

---

...he's expecting an answer. The bastard's grinning at you, pleased as a plum.

You don't let a heartbeat pass before giving your response by shooting him in the head- only for the Bloodfiend to catch the projectile mid-air and give you a look of mild amusement.

"How rude!" he smirks. "I am a gracious host, but it would be wise not to test my pa-"

The bullet promptly explodes, taking a good chunk of the creature with it.

You just bought yourself a second of respite, but that's all you have- an instant. You grab Ferdinand and Muelsyse by their wrists and run for it- ignoring their panicked yelps.

"What are you doing?!"

"Saving you from a lifetime of suffering!"

He's already getting up, gargling something that sounds awfully displeased as smoking flesh reforms. Damn it. You cling tightly to them both, and leap through the first window you can get close to.

It shatters, shards of stained glass cutting thin, bloody lines in their flesh, and minuscule nicks in yours- not even enough to draw blood. You don't look back.

Muelsyse clings to your back, screaming- and you flip Ferdinand into a bridal carry. Then you break into a wall-run, your feet moving too quickly for gravity to assert its position with the efficiency it's normally renowned for.

You hear an ear-splitting hissing sound coming out of the glass that you just shattered. The sound of flesh ripping apart follows shortly after. You don't, can't look back- it'll slow you down.

The thump-thump-thump of huge limbs, something bulky and misshapen crawling through a too-small opening. Whatever's following you is large.

You leap through another window and back into the castle. Unlike before, there are no attendants, no maids, no servants and no nobles. The castle is dilapidated, in disrepair. It hasn't been maintained in a long time, and you tear through layers of cobwebs as you swerve and curve through the confusing patchways.

But you should be safe, it should have to shrink down to get back inside, if it even can shrink down that freely, this window was much smaller than the last one-

The sound of a wall being broken through. You're wrong. It doesn't have to shrink down at all.

You grit your teeth. The chase is on. You push back the terrifying sensation coursing through your veins- the sensation of being prey, the mouse being toyed with by the cat- and keep running.

A bit more and you should make it out of the castle. Then you should be able to get back to the sea where they won't get you. You can swim, so you can leverage their fear of water to get a better negotiating position, or just find this exit by yourself later.

But you're not letting them both get turned into Fiends, trapped here forever with a master they cannot even think of defying. You're supposed to protect them- you can't let them be cursed into that kind of life.

Your reflexes flare up and you flip in the air, out of the way of your enemy's strike- a gigantic claw coming out of a passageway, fumbling blindly for you. It nearly swats your head off, but you swerve mid-air- then duck out of the way of the following downswing, just in time.

"Damn. I should have packed water." you mumble.

"H-huh? Water?" Muelsyse says in your ear, clinging to your back for dear life like a terrified monkey. "Why do you need water-"

"He's a Bloodfiend. Crippling, seizure-inducing fear of water." you say curtly, before leaping out of the way of another devastating swing. You lash out with your pocket knife, cutting into the place where the nerve should be- and the arm twitches uncontrollably- he has humanoid proportions. Kind of. The nerves are where they should be, and cutting them causes the same effects.

It's already healing, but you can get out of the way now- good. Still held in your bridal carry, Ferdinand throws a look at the gun strapped to your back

"You- do you have a spare?" he says. "I've served my time in the army, I can use one. Quite good with it, even-"

You nod, take a pistol out of your pocket and pass it over to Ferdinand.

"It doesn't need Arts to work. Just aim and pull the trigger. Twenty-one bullets in the magazine." you spit out alongside a cloud of smoke. The Bloodfiend's hands- is the damn bastard stuck in the hallway? He's trying to dissipate it, but it's already too thick.

Muelsyse yelps as you leap through another window. There. The gates. You're almost there-

-but he moves with unbelievable speed, tearing through rubble. Wings spread out, he charges for you. You bend out of the way, shivers wracking your body as a clawed limb comes dangerously close to taking your head- but now he's blocking the gates. And you can get a clear look at his form.

Something washes over you. A strange sensation, as if your body was enveloped by something. You don't have time for it right now- just bear with it, keep fighting.

It's huge. Its entire body is covered with blood-red eyes- slitted pupils covering its torso and arms. Its enormous, twisted mouth is full of sharp teeth that look barbed- anything caught on those would be torn to pieces. Two gigantic claws, two powerful wings- and it stares fixely at you.

Terror once again floods your veins. Every instinct you have screams for you to run away, cower, beg for mercy. As you struggle to not weep, the stories that Arabella told you- stories passed through Bloodfiend to Bloodfiend through history- flow back into your head, even as your feet feel literally rooted to the ground. Tales of building-sized colossi, bodies so swollen with blood that their mutated veins could be used as tow cables for castles.

What stands before you is a god. A god of blood, of the City's ancient past.

"CHILD." its voice booms. "KNEEL."

It takes all your willpower not to kneel before it. But your hands fail you, and you drop Ferdinand to the ground. Thankfully, he gets back up with surprising grace- cat, you suppose- throwing you a look.

You grit your teeth. It's not your fault!

The Bloodfiend lowers his- its? Maybe its head, though it's also its torso, giving the three of you a good look. Ferdinand's already aiming his pistol at the biggest eye.

"I OFFER YOU IMMORTALITY, AND YOU SPIT UPON MY GENEROSITY."

You snort. Like fuck he was being generous.

"It's not generous. I know what it means."

"HA. AS IF."

There's something that's bugging you, now that you think about it. He wants to turn all of you. But can he? Bloodfiends have a limit- two Kindred. If you recall well, Arabella has never made one- she had a child, but never turned her. She doesn't turn children.

And you're… not sure if Ayam counts.

Will he force one of you to turn the other? Not impossible. You need to get away.

"What the hell are we going to do?" Ferdinand whispers to you, clutching the borrowed pistol with white knuckles.

The Bloodfiend makes no effort to take the first move. Instead it stands in bemused silence as the three of you frantically confer. It knows there is no other escape, not out in the open. Trying to run again would be completely futile- the only way out of this decrepit castle is through its master, who stands firmer than any battlement. This is going to be a rough fight.

"Get ready to shoot and move. You too, Muelsyse - I've got something smaller caliber, wait one-" you whisper back, but she shakes her head.

"I don't need it." she looks both terrified and embarrassed, still holding onto you for dear life. You drop her as delicately as you can, and she waves her hands.

Blobs of water gather in her hand, floating. What the- Arts? Without a focus? How did she manage… is she Infected? Must have been a secret, if it got out that a Rhine Labs Director was an Infected, it would be a scandal for sure. Damn it, you didn't want her to try and kill herself to save you. But if it's what'll get you out of this…

You give her a nod. Ferdinand looks like he wants to ask a lot of questions- especially with the way he's looking at your gun- but he's willing to put it aside for the moment.

"HAVE THE CHALLENGERS PREPARED THEMSELVES?" the Bloodfiend says, laughing. "LET US BEGIN. BOW TO ME. IT IS ONLY PROPER."

Something passes over you. Power- authority.

But, despite the overwhelming force that washes over you all-

Despite the sensation that your heart will explode out of your chest, that your very veins are boiling-

Despite the agony that coats every capillary in your body-

You don't kneel.

You stand up straight. And so do the others.

Ferdinand grits his teeth so hard that you can hear one crack. Muelsyse lets out a small whimper, tears falling to the ground as she begins to weep uncontrollably.

But they don't kneel.

"I WILL FORGIVE YOUR TRANSGRESSIONS. JUST THIS ONCE. YOUR PUNISHMENT WILL BE MEAGER. ALMOST NOTHING." the Bloodfiend huffs, spreading out its monstrous arms in a mockingly charitable gesture.

Then it's right on top of you, swinging one of these same arms down like a mallet- you almost didn't see it move. Your rifle is unslung in an instant- one, two, three shots as you roll out of the way.

A flimsy wave of water follows shortly after, Muelsyse's hands moving wildly in the air. While dodging the bullets would be trivial for something that fast, it swerves to dodge the water first, and two of your projectiles catch it in its left leg.

The Bloodfiend snarls, and shakes its damaged leg. It seems to bloat for a second, before shriveling up again- unharmed.

Strands of water spin and twist around your body, encircling you in a defensive formation. The Bloodfiend's eyes narrow before both its claws slash down- and the waves of wind grow blood-red and keep going.

Ferdinand catches it on the back with a shot, and it stumbles forward- the blades of air go wildly off course. Twenty bullets left.

The Bloodfiend turns towards him, but both of you are already firing again. It can charge at great speed, but it can't turn all that well. With a body this huge and misshapen, that's to be expected.

"Keep circling it!" you shout. The Bloodfiend grunts in frustration, trying to catch Ferdinand between its claws. He leaps out of the way surprisingly well. He has some actual battle-tested training, it seems.

Dodge, dodge, land a shot, dodge, dodge. Spit out smoke to blind and hurt its eyes, let Muelsyse herd it into traps. It can't keep regenerating forever; unless it runs off to drink from whatever Bloodbags it has hidden in this castle, it'll eventually exhaust its stock. And if it runs, you've won.

"THIS FORM IS LIMITING." it muses.

A crackling sound, and his form twists back on itself, like origami- and the body you see is the youthful Bloodfiend, once again. A swirl of red energy manifests a wine glass into his hands. Full of red liquid, but not blood. From the smell, it's actual wine.

He's completely unharmed. You almost tore off the larger form's leg with a volley this time, but now he's not even limping. He takes a lazy sip out of his drink.

Ferdinand runs up behind you, red-faced and huffing- in bitter contrast with the completely unwinded Bloodfiend.

Now that you think about it, while he does have combat experience, you are pretty sure he hasn't made much use of it for a while- and the time he's spent in the goat's operating table hasn't helped.

"How many left?" you ask.

"Ten," he gasps, forcing himself to stand up straight.

You toss him another magazine - but in that moment of distraction, the Bloodfiend moves. It's on you impossibly fast, and yet again you avoid being gutted by a hairsbreadth. But it lands a blow, even if a minor one- there's a line in your cheek, a small cut, but already bleeding uncontrollably.

You clean it with your forearm, and fall into another familiar rhythm. He fights like Arabella- all aggression. Solid footwork, no care for dodging. Just as you leap out of the way of a haymaker, his arm begins to twitch- and as he swings again, it erupts and transforms into the arm of the monstrous form he had before.

You spin around, a burst of your own speed surpassing his, and shatter his wine glass with a kick, pushing the broken shards into his eyes.

He can transform halfway, but not instantaneously- takes a good three seconds or so-

His leg bends impossibly and bursts, spouting tendrils of hardened blood-

And he pierces through your ankle. You gasp, and he kicks you in the chest. The sheer strength behind that kick is enough to make you spit out the tar inside and double over. But he could have just went clean through- he didn't.

He's still playing around.

As you fall to your arms, the Bloodfiend stands over you, canines gleaming in a hungry grin. He plants his deceptively dainty foot on your shoulder and glances at your wound with evaluating interest.

"A fair bout!" He smugly announces, effortlessly pushing you to the ground. "But the outcome was never in dou-"

Muelsyse suddenly screams and charges at him. You try to grunt out a warning at the clear trap - but there's no air in your lungs nor time to speak. The Bloodfiend gives her naught but an irritated glance at being interrupted, and swings his mutated arm back with enough force to shatter every bone in her body.

To your complete shock, Muelsyse splatters into liquid on impact. Was that - she can fake her appearance with water? Sieghart's lightclone comes to your mind, and you smile.

The Bloodfiend screams with the first pain you've heard him make since the fight started, loud and awful enough it hurts to listen. His distended arm seems to wither and boil away, and he staggers back incredulously. Seizing the moment, you twist and plant a kick in the creature's chin, powering through the pain- and when he turns on you, face now a furious rictus, another hail of water promptly nails him in the side.

The real Muelsyse- where is her? On the other side, close to the gates! She could just escape, but-

"You little pissant!" he shouts, shivering furiously, soaked and reeling. You roll out of his range, and before he can recover, there's a blur- Ferdinand catches him in a chokehold. He's got thirty-five, forty centimeters on the Bloodfiend so it looks pretty ridiculous. He starts making the moves to transform again- but then, the pistol you gave Ferdinant is below his chin.

One, two, three shots. He falls limp on the floor.

Ferdinand drops the now furiously twitching body like a bomb and stumbles over to you, expending an arm to help you up. Your ribs scream with the movement, but every moment counts, and you waste none sprinting for the exit. Muelsyse follows, waving her hands, a water bubble manifesting around the Bloodfiend's body just as he begins to get up.

"You dare?!"

The Bloodfiend bursts through the thin film of water, shaking and screeching, but he doesn't transform even as you three make through the gates and run into the forest.

He simply stretches out a pair of red wings and leaps backwards- into the air. He raises the fingers of his left hand to his mouth- and blows.

What resounds is a startling, quacking noise that nearly makes you falter. You hear the sound of wings- bats. Hundreds. Thousands.

You're almost to the sea. Muelsyse nearly trips on a root as the three of you push through branches and thickets, but a firm tug from you gets her moving again- none of you can stop for a moment.

You can hear the sound of wings getting closer. Ferdinand is firing wildly behind him- mistake. Will slow him down. There are too many for the shots to matter.

"Keep running." you spit out.

They almost surround you. They are bloated, sharp things. Eyeballs with wings, some so twisted by the Bloodfiend's powers that they barely count as animals. Others are bats, altered and bloodied but still what they should be. All of them have claws, and their wings have sharp points. They outpace even you, and soon they block your passage from all angles, wall upon wall of beating wings and screaming maws.

A section of the wall parts, revealing the Bloodfiend once again. He strolls forward, composure restored and once again content to play with his food.

He raises his hand- and their voices are silent. Even the wings' sound grows muted.

And then the bastard laughs. He laughs and bows to you. An arrogant bow. A flourish of a victor acknowledging cheers.

"I am victorious!" he announces to what you know to be a false crowd, and spends a moment luxuriating in pretend applause.

He takes a step closer. You aim your gun at him, and he laughs.

"One move and they close in. There will be nothing left of your charges."

You give him the nastiest look you can think of.

"Feisty." he says, laughing again. "Now, drop the toy. Both of them." He commands, snapping his fingers expectantly.

Your hands shake. But-

Damn it.

Your rifle clatters to the ground. You hear Ferdinand's pistol doing so shortly after.

He takes another step, places his hand on the Director-

-and flinches as if burned.

So that's what that sensation was.

"A film of water over herself." he looks at her. "Over you, too… and him. Remarkable." he looks at Ferdinand, who's shaking with anger even as he struggles to stay silent.

Muelsyse's eyes are wide in terror. She tries to say something- and the Bloodfiend's slender finger shushes her.

"Unmake it."

She waves a hand. Suddenly, you feel very dry.

"I can't take it off, I-"

"Silence." he hisses, and she gulps. "I don't care. Unmake it."

She shakes. The bats draw closer.

"I can't, I'll-"

The Bloodfiend lowers himself to her neck, and with a claw, he slits his own wrist over her. The blood trickles down into the water covering her skin, and slowly but surely it mixes with the liquid. Almost an entire minute passes before the film drips out of Muelsyse's skin, the scientist shivering as it disappears- her control of it unmade. A puddle in the ground is all that's left.

"There. Not water anymore. Just… diluted blood. Mine, not yours."

Before Muelsyse can say anything, he sinks his teeth into her neck. Her veins bulge as her blood is drained- and then her body begins to writhe, changing, twisting from the inside.

She does not scream. She drops to the ground, unmoving. He steps over to look at Ferdinand.

"You little…"

"Hush. It'll all be over soon."

He meets Ferdinand's eyes, relishing his hateful gaze. He floats higher in the air. Again, he places his bleeding wrist over his head, waiting, waiting and paying no mind to his curses.

You want to try and at least throw your knife at him, but you can't- the bats are watching your every move.

You've lost.

When the Bloodfiend sinks his teeth into his neck, Ferdinand gasps- and stops moving, falling limp.

You're the last one.

Damn it all. You failed. You made a mistake. He'll force them both to stay here forever. But Sieg should be able to beat him, you know it- and get them both out.

"I know what you are thinking. But don't worry." he says, taking your chin with his hand. His nails are sharp. "The Nosferatu always pays his debts."

The… Nosferatu?

The progenitor?

How?

"I won't turn you. I do detest ingratitude, after all." he smirks, drinking in the moment like another glass of chardonnay. "But I'll let your merry trio go. Entertainment is... worth generosity, don't you think?" He says with a tittering chuckle, and after a moment of concentration, allows a minor blemish to form in his forehead - something that could charitably be called a scar, right where you first shot him.

"So long~" Nosferatu laughs, before pulling back a single finger and flicking you.

It's like being hit by a truck. As everything goes dark, the last thing you see is a mocking, hungry smile.

---

Your name is Saria. You are not in a good condition.

"They left?" you ask, controlling yourself. With the iron mass running amok through the city…

"I believe we received an emergency call?" says the secretary. "They said they needed to pick up Operator Diciassiete in the edge of the city. They would be back quickly."

You rub your forehead. What a time for that to happen. If you recall well, he was scouting the criminal elements of the city- with his past, he was deemed suitable for that.

"When will they return? There is critical information I need to relay."

"I don't know, miss." she puts her hand on her chin. "They took a communicator with them as they left, though. You could send a message, I think, if they're not too busy..."

"I will." you nod. "Thank you. Who left?"

"Operator Ifrit is in her dormitory, I believe- would you want me to call her as well?"

…no.

"That won't be necessary. And Operator Silence left as well, then?"

"Operator Silence left, yes. The new consultant Abel went too."

That was all? You suppose that if it is just a matter of picking up Capone… no matter.

While you make the call, there are things you should get done already. You look at the metal bottle in your hands.

It's barely holding on. The small chunk of the iron mass- barely the size of your thumb- bounces furiously against the sides, trying to punch through. Only your Arts keeps it inside.

You found it after the mass left, lodged in the wreck of a car. It has a will of its own, you're sure. It's also definitely not an Arts construct, you're sure of it.

It… was likely a Distortion. The idea is still strange. But you have to accept it.

But that means there was no controller. You searching for one in the previous fight was a mistake- one you will not repeat.

That said, even if it's a… Distortion, there must be something you can learn from analyzing it. It has to have at least physical properties to narrow down.

It was time to get to work.

---

This smell is unbearable.

People really don't talk enough about the disavantages of Fixer implants. There's too much talk about the amplification of humanity and how technology permits humans to achieve feats that no natural creature would match and too little talk about how often you smash your own kitchen sink to rubble with a fist because you ended up misjudging the force level you could output after a fresh strength upgrade.

And definitely too little talk about how enhanced senses can fucking suck.

Sure, you can turn them off. But would you really leave yourself vulnerable like that after spending eight million Ahn on a new nose?

No. You'll just bear the fetid smell of what you are pretty sure is just a barely disguised illegal dumping site. Rot and rust and bugs. You like bugs, but not this many. These puddles of fetid water are breeding grounds for the worst sort of insect. You're pretty sure there's an Originium contamination zone to your left- better steer clear of that one.

"Capone, are we close?" you say through your radio.

"Did you see the corpse pile?"

"The what-" you are interrupted by Silence's horrified yelp. "Right. That."

There really isn't any other way to describe it. A ton of corpses all put in a hole and left to rot in the sun. Identifying features carved away. Lower parts of the skull hacked off, so no dental records.

There's a thicker smell of something else, now that you come closer. Some sort of chemical. Probably meant for covering up the pile. You had already caught it before, it permeates the whole place. But here it's more intense.

…it got stronger in some other spots, too.

Add "Syndicate corpse disposal" to the list of things you think this place is.

"Oh, by the Law." Silence mutters.

"I'm seeing the shack." you comment. It really is discreet amidst all the piles of waste. Maybe it's because it looks like a pile of waste too, if you squint. "You okay?"

"Yes, I've seen bodies before. It's, well, just a bit shocking." she sighs and adjusts her grip on her hammer. "I'm fine now. Let's go."

You nod and continue walking.

---

She is here.

The one- the one you hate. The audience is eager. They want to see you crush her. You can feel her presence.

But you can't go now. Not now.

Why?

Why, why not now!? Haven't you waited long enough? Are they not entertained enough, after all your efforts, after all you did-

Just a little bit longer.

You just have to wait for them to leave the hideout. I'll tell you when.

Fine. But not much more. You cannot bear to wait much more.

You will not wait much more. You will not let her go. You will see her broken as she broke you. You will crush her dreams, destroy her hopes- even if it kills you.

---

"Boss, how are things out there?" you say. "Is the, huh, Distortion anywhere near?"

"If it's here I can't notice it. The smell you said it had should be pretty recognizable." a pause. "Though the chemical smell may help covering it up."

"... chemical smell?"

---

It was when they opened the hatch- when they were all inside the cabin- that it happened.

It barely took a second. All it took was a match. A lit match.

A small tendril of iron liquid, left behind- but still mobile. Still able to be controlled.

The Color stops to answer a call.

"Capone, wait a bit. I need to answer this. Hello? Who's there?" a pause. "Saria? What happened?"

It lights the match, and casts it into the liquid- pools of flammable chemicals, spread by the Distortion hours before.

The landfill goes up in flames. A veritable firestorm around and within the cabin.

"Boss!" the shout comes. Alvar was looking forward to this- he'd missed him.

How could it all go to hell- quite literally- so quickly?

Mr. H started beating at the wall of the bunker. He would tear it down if it meant saving him.

"I'm fine!" the muffled shout through the communicator.

Then-

-the sound of the ocean.

---

It barely took a second. You stepped into the cabin with Silence, and then everything, well-

Everything exploded.

Before you could muster rational thought, you took her in your arms and leaped out of the fires' reach.

You heard Abel shouting and dissolving into light- and then you opened your eyes, and were in the sky.

You were planning- well, not exactly planning, it wasn't really calculated- but intending to try to put the flames out as you fell. With your sword. If you still had your old Dilaceration Workshop blade it would be a trivial matter- just disable the burn mode and swing in every direction.

That said, it's good you had the alternative of the Book of the Dreaming Current, to buy you some time at least.

You are…

"Sieghart?" whispers Silence.

Oh. Yes. You're still holding her. Must be uncomfortable.

"Yes?"

"Are we- are we submerged in…?"

You shake your head.

"It's not exactly water, no."

You look downward. The flames- the wild colors and suddenness indicate a chemical fire.

The fires have engulfed the entire landfill by now. The entire city must be seeing the spectacle. It'll last for some time, going by how bright they're still burning- this sort of thing was enemy action, for sure.

"The Distortion made this place into a trap." you say. "And we fell for it. Hook, line and sinker."

"We…" her eyebrows shoot up. She looks at the communicator you're still holding. "Capone! Are you there!?"

"Yes! What the hell is happenin' there?!" there's muffled shouting coming from the other side. It's distorted- after all, it's coming through a layer of liquid. You push it out of the bubble and expose it to the air.

"Let me talk to him, thumb-up-your-ass!"

"PUNY BABY DOG MAN WILL LET GO OF THE RADIO NOW!"

"Hey, hey, wait- aaaughh! What the hell-" the sound of Alvar's hammer parting a skull. Silence stares in utter shock.

"Boss! Boss! Are you okay?! What happened?" Alvar says. There's Siracusan cursing in the background, now. And the sounds of Capone's tendrils reforming.

"The landfill went up in flames. It seems the Distortion laid a trap for us here. It was much more aware then we thought."

"Fuck." Capone again. "Boss, I'm sorry, I was sure he didn't notice. I shouldn't have listened to her…"

Listened-

Abel's presence bursts into your head, kicking the door down like a Zwei with a warrant.

His torso manifests in Light, connected to your by faint glowing threads. His face is just a glowing spot, and his suit is diffuse- imprecise.

"Carmen talked to you!?" he shouts.

"Told me your… real name? To use as a password for them. Sieghart Izlinde. Fuck, it slipped my mind. Blame these two for hitting it with a sledgehammer!"

"Eh. Thought you could take it."

Well, damn.

"I guess she wanted to bring us all here. Didn't anticipate this, though. And it's not like a fire would have killed me."

You are encased in water, now, so that's not a concern. Behind you, a trail of water gently drips down, drops sizzling and fading into vapor when they hit the flames- like a gentle rain.

Silence's head and most of her torso is stuck out of the water bubble, same as your hands.

You look behind you. Your tail is coiled around your leg, swinging in random directions, pushing water up and down- hyperactive.

The Plague Doctor's presence surges in your mind only to withdraw again. You feel something almost like… dissatisfaction?

Is this the psychic equivalent of a thumbs-down?

Your tongue… it's longer then usual. Silence is staring at you in disbelief. You must have been affected by the book.

"What do I look like?"

"Your tongue… it's covered in… stripes? Like a rainbow."

And it's flapping around like a nervous fly, trying to feel the water that encases you. You can keep your entire body controlled, but this thing just lets all of your anxiety out. It and your tail.

"Anything else?"

"There's scales… on your neck."

Abel lowers his head, looking into your eyes from below your hat.

"Extremely dilated pupils. Pitch-black instead of the original brown. If you weren't encased in a membrane of water, I suspect it would be dripping tears."

You don't feel any different, mentally. Maybe a bit relaxed. Like you had time.

Strange.

Silence looks below her, and shudders.

"We're just floating?"

It seems so. The Current can do that, you guess? Float stationarily in the water it just… suspends midair.

You're pretty sure sharks can't do that, though. They need to keep swimming. Otherwise they sink.

"Carmen." Silence says. "She wanted to kill… me, then?"

A reasonable guess. A fire wouldn't kill any of you Turbulence Office members. Damage seriously, sure, but you could have ran through the flames and out of the landfill, Alvar is fast enough to outrun them even if he wasn't protected by the bunker, Mr. H is nigh unkillable, and Capone is Capone.

"Might be me." Alvar says. "The Distortion ruined my leg. I wouldn't be able to escape."

"Maybe." you nod, ignoring the sudden flash of rage. "Maybe it was Silence. Maybe she doesn't want someone to have control of an E.G.O like yours? I don't know, honestly."

"Boss, how did you get out of the fire?" Alvar says.

"I flew. I can fly now. I grew a tail. Long story."

"...this is that Abnormality's bullshit again, right?" Capone this time.

"Abnormality…?"

"Long story."

"YOU, CALL HIM SENPAI."

"W-what?"

"Heavy, what the hell..."

You sigh.

"Is everyone OK?"

"Yep."

"Yea."

"TINY BABY FIRE DID NOT TOUCH ME."

Right. You wrack your head. How much weight can you support like this? The book inside your coat rattles. You feel a happy gurgling sound in the back of your head.

The Dreaming Current's presence does not speak. But it… implies? Somewhat.

The answer is "a lot."

Right.

"I'm going to go down and burst through the bunker walls. Disable any defences yoy have. Silence here will push the flames out of the way with her hammer."

She stares at you in disbelief.

"It'll be fine. E.G.O instantly beams up the knowledge of using it into your head, right?"

Abel sighs.

"It does, yes."

"When I go down, everyone lies in the ground and waits for me to smash the bunker roof. Then you jump and grab me by the legs. I'll fly and we get out of here."

"Right." Silence nods, steeling herself.

You hear the spread of tendrils- Capone is anchoring himself to the ground.

"Done."

A click, and the hum of a powering-down sequence. Defenses disengaged, you would guess.

"Complete."

The rattling of someone taking a ton of guns and putting it on their back.

"Da!"

Alright.

Time to break through.

---

The second you put the damn iron thing under a microscope- the second you stopped because your call got through- is the second where the city explodes.

"Sieghart?" you ask. No answer. The signal was lost?

You almost forget to keep the thing encased in a layer of Arts- because the flash and the explosion takes your mind out of everything else.

Windows shatter just as you look out of the window- and a corner of the city has went up in flames, the wake of the explosion washing over you in an instant as you stare in horror.

That place-

It's where they went. The signal was lost.

"Silence!"

The thought emerges, but you don't vocalize it. The one who does is a floor above you.

Ifrit!

There's no time for you to think anything else, as she shouts again, a scream of terror. The sound of a wooden bed, then a wooden shelf, shattering.

She leaps out of the window, and you jump out as well- clutching her in your arms as panic- almost- overtakes you.

"Saria!?"

You smash into the ground of the clinic's terrace, breathing heavily.

"Ifrit, what did you-"

Your eyes shoot up and you see what just came out of the window that she just jumped out of.

The iron mass. Its tendrils stretch through the air lazily- in two of them, it holds the clinic's patients by their neck. They stare at you in fear.

Another tendril beckons, and another points at Ifrit.

The message is clear. Two lives for hers.

[ ] Write-in.

 

[Taut_Templar]

Damn, Carmen just took us for a ride. I should've put together that although Jesselton's out of his mind, she has an agenda - one that seems fixated on Saria and Ifrit, if I had to guess.

Now we've gotta put together a battle plan on the fly. The situation ain't ideal, putting it mildly, but we have to put our heads together unless we want this situation to genuinely spiral. Saria doesn't have the means to take down Distorted Jessleton, but perhaps he'll prove more vulnerable to being chat-boiled by Ifrit? The trick is keeping her safe during the fight - J's mobility is considerable, and his delight in collateral damage apparent.

 

[LucidProp]

God damn, I love how the fight scenes are written in this quest. Had me pacing back and forth while I read the fight with Nosferatu! We're really getting two 1st Gen Bloodfiends out of that? I hope Arabella's in a good mood when we come back with her new cousins.

Also, damn, Distorted Jesselton is way, way smarter than we gave him credit for. It's easy to forget that he actually is a professional assassin with all the craftiness that implies even when Distorted. We're on the backfoot right now, but I think we have a way out of this.

Right now, we have to deal with Jesselton. It's hard to think of a way to save both the patients and Ifrit. The situation is designed specifically to hurt Saria emotionally due to Jesselton's grudge, but maybe framing it as putting her trust in Ifrit would work? I don't actually think Jesselton would let the hostages go if Ifrit walks up to him, but Ifrit's not so fragile that she can't defend herself even if she walks up to Jesselton.

Maybe constrain his movements with Saria's S3? Not sure if that'll work since Jesselton probably doesn't have an ounce of calcium in his body.

 

[gale]

Before Muelsyse can say anything, he sinks his teeth into her neck. Her veins bulge as her blood is drained- and then her body begins to writhe, changing, twisting from the inside.

She does not scream. She drops to the ground, unmoving. He steps over to look at Ferdinand.

Click to shrink...

He might regret that in the coming days given ah what some lore points to with here.

Spoiler: Arknights Lore

They hide it in a skin, but well she may not be an elf. But rather what made them, their marker Feranmut.

 

[LucidProp]

He might regret that in the coming days given ah what some lore points to with here.

Spoiler: Arknights Lore

They hide it in a skin, but well she may not be an elf. But rather what made them, their marker Feranmut.

Click to shrink...

Wasn't the implication that the Elves all have a tiny spark of the Feranmut that made their race? Not that they're all Feranmuts since they don't display the same abilities as folks like Nian who are shards of one.

 

[Redsoff]

Saria doesn't have the means to take down Distorted Jessleton, but perhaps he'll prove more vulnerable to being chat-boiled by Ifrit?

Click to shrink...

Wasn't there some notes about DJ man being immune to fire? I can't recall where...

 

[Zlitchh]

Before Muelsyse can say anything, he sinks his teeth into her neck. Her veins bulge as her blood is drained- and then her body begins to writhe, changing, twisting from the inside.

Click to shrink...

NOOOOO, not muelsyse!!! Im fine with Ferdinand becoming a bloodfiend but not her!!! That's it! send the whole AH squad on Nosferatu's ass let's see if he can enjoy being hunted

 

[John_Cruelty]

I think we need to put our trust in Ifrit. Saria should try to stall.

 

[LucidProp]

Would Saria be able to armor the hostages with calcium? We've never seen her use her Arts on other people during in-game cutscenes, but I think her S3 counts for that since she uses her Arts to slow and weaken enemies in a AoE around her?

Armoring the hostages and having Iffy burn Jesselton sounds like it'd be a good first move, I think, if it's possible. Problem is that it leaves Saria immobile until the hostages are safe.

 

[gale]

Wasn't the implication that the Elves all have a tiny spark of the Feranmut that made their race? Not that they're all Feranmuts since they don't display the same abilities as folks like Nian who are shards of one.

Click to shrink...

Need this to post this
That is the base one, a new skin expands on this. One that points to the fact she may outright be the Feramunt who made them.

 

[LucidProp]

[X] Saria immediately attempts to armor the hostages' vitals and weaken the Distortion with her Arts. Meanwhile, Ifrit will use her Arts to try and sever the limbs holding the hostages.

Best plan I can think of. This is a really difficult situation since we don't want the hostages harmed and we don't want to give Ifrit over either, but we're lacking options on how to effectively do that. I had the idea of having Ifrit try to bring Jesselton down by melting the part of the terrace he's standing on, but that might harm the patients too.

Admittedly, the play here might be to just let Ifrit go, and hope that she can sucker punch Jesselton from close up while Saria armors her with her Arts the moment Jesselton tries to retaliate? I don't trust Jesselton to free the hostages however. He's here to crush Saria emotionally, and he knows he can do that by forcing her into situations where she can't protect anyone at all regardless of what she chooses.

 

[thenew]

Spoiler: Because I had nothing better to do.

 

[zang269]

[X] It won't stop killing until you end it's hateful existence, but it seem like it' prioritizing Ifrit. Tell her to maintain distance from it and inflict as much damage as possible, prioritizing the bone fragments you saw previously. In fact, generate growths and deformities in the bone fragments it has to give you more targets to work with. It responds to pain, which should buy you some amount of time.
-[X] Call for an evacuation of the clinic. You might be the only one who can fight well enough for this, but you aren't the only one who can save lives.

The distortion seems to handle damage to the metal without trouble, but Jessleton's bones seem to be a weakpoint. Entirely destroying them might kill him, but it also might further his distortion somehow. A horrible geigeresque nightmare prison, on the other hand, would be an entirely different mode of operation and I don't think he would like that.

 

[Asabenya]

Is there milk anywhere near us? We could pour milk on him for the calcium...I guess.

 

[Taut_Templar]

[X] There is absolutely no way you're going to let this thing touch Ifrit, and the Distortion could not be trusted even if it you were to comply. But you cannot simply allow it to murder the captured patients without attempting to rescue them. Attempt to deceive it into hesitating from their gruesome obliteration for as long as possible by pretending to offer yourself up in their place, and get as close as possible before the fighting begins.
-[X] Battle Strategy: In the last fight, you were unable to deliver enough damage to disable the Distortion by yourself, due to its resistance to blunt force trauma and your Arts. Ifrit's own pyronetics are incredibly potent, as you've personal experience with - she may be able to more adequately harm the creature, and she will not be safe until it is dead. Focus on keeping the Distortion away from her no matter what through physical interposition and lining up openings for Ifrit to shoot. Use your Calcification to protect yourself from Ifrit's fire so she has less hesitation about friendly fire.
-[X] This is a Rhodes Island safehouse - there will be personnel on duty. Their ability to interdict the Distortion will be limited, but if properly commanded they can still evacuate people from the collateral damage this creature is so fond of, and otherwise assist in controlling the battlefield and restricting it's movement.

Working plan. I frankly don't see any way to get the two patients out alive, but trying to play Jessleton's sadism and hatred of Saria against him might work. Ifrit is a very powerful Caster, so Saria should focus on lining up J for her to roast him, even if that means getting singed herself while preventing the blob from trying to touch her.

 

[zang269]

In the last fight, you were unable to deliver enough damage to disable the Distortion by yourself, due to its resistance to blunt force trauma and your Arts. Ifrit's own pyronetics are incredibly potent, as you've personal experience with - she may be able to more adequately harm the creature, and she will not be safe until it is dead.

Click to shrink...

Saria did manage to deal some amount of damage, I went back to re-read the earlier fight and hitting the bones worked, but she also spent her time looking for a caster rather than capitalizing on it. Ifrit's arts are also most potent when she's wildly unstable, and if she doesn't have an arts unit on hand then she would be killing herself with oripathy to do so. She's also probably not going to react well to Jesselton using human shields, and if she flees then Jessleton is more likely to get away from the clinic of medical patients. Evacuation for the patients might help, I'll add that part to my post.

 

[DuoRogue]

"Whenever Arabella, Best Girl would leave the battlefield, it doesn't." is probably my favorite line of text, though favorite card is probably rat king

 

[thenew]

Closing vote in two days. It looks like you guys didn't finish the planning yet so I'll give you some extra time.

 

[LucidProp]

I don't think Saria offering herself will work. Mainly, because Jesselton knows that forcing Saria to sacrifice someone else is whatbwill hurt her, so I don't see the ruse working.

Meanwhile, starting with an attack on Jesselton will see the hostages die so I'm not a fan of that either. I really think trying to armor the hostages up while Ifrit goes to town is the optimal move.

 

[Toxreg]

I would like to point out that based on the events of ifrits oprec, she's fully capable of controlling her fire now and won't kill the hostages even if she goes all out . Also, this is prime E.G.O manifesting material right here.

 

[CanIChangeMyName]

[X] Saria immediately attempts to armor the hostages' vitals and weaken the Distortion with her Arts. Meanwhile, Ifrit will use her Arts to try and sever the limbs holding the hostages.

Good enough for now, if someone comes up with one I like more I'll change it if I notice but right now we have three plans and only one vote each so temporary tie breaker

 

[LucidProp]

I would like to point out that based on the events of ifrits oprec, she's fully capable of controlling her fire now and won't kill the hostages even if she goes all out . Also, this is prime E.G.O manifesting material right here.

Click to shrink...

It's less that Ifrit will burn the hostages and more that unless we can immediately incapacitate Jesselton, he will kill them regardless of what we do. Hence why I think armoring the hostages is important. Her S3 can affect other people, mainly by weakening enemies and healing allies in a area, so I'm making the gamble that she can armor them with hardened calcium like she does herself.

 

[thenew]

Voting ends in 6 hours.