[Nexus] Inside 35

[Lord Magtok]

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[MagMart]

Wolfgang continues browsing the store, confident in Zee's word that he'd find something here. "Hello?" He says in his heavy German accent. "Is there anyone around who can help me?"

MagMart

"Yes, hello sir! My name is Salesbot MX-37, and I'd be more than happy to help you find whatever shifty German scientist supplies you might need!"

The robot beams enthusiastically at the man, as if it hadn't at all insinuated there was anything suspicious about Wolfgang at all.

Spoiler

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Everything in the hospital is back to normal, save Percilia, Tom, and Bellan. Percilia's leg is still busted, but it appears to be healing at an accelerated rate.

She should be deposited in the cart and wheeled around easily enough.

Just across the hallway is the conference room. The brown suited man is sitting at the head of the table, impatiently tapping his right foot and glaring at his watch.

Doctor Howard and Doctor Howard race down the hallway and into the conference room, slamming the pristine, white door behind them.

Tom would have just enough time to make it to the meeting, if he so desired. Of course, that would mean ditching Percilia in an alien world.

Last Hope Hospital?

Ditching Percilia in his strange, freakish world, and on a janitor cart of all places? That's definitely not a good idea, accelerated healing or no accelerated healing. The meeting's not that important, and he just went through hell and back swearing he'd leave this place as soon as possible, so what use would there be in attending such a thing, anyway?

Well actually, he does have some patients to finish up before he can hand in his resignation. He might as well see what's going on in the meeting, make sure the appropriate paperwork and whatnot is filed, come back tomorrow, and then never ever return. No reason not to, right?

Doctor Godlark shrugs, pulls out a pen, and leaves a small scrap of paper wrapped up in Percilia's palm, to tell her to stay put, keep calm, and wait for him in the cleaning supplies closet should she wake up before he gets back. The world seems back to normal, but he'd like to take one last quick look around just to be certain everything's alright. It's not the most gentlemanly of things to do, to leave a lady all alone in a closet and on top of a mobile garbage receptacle, but Tom figures she'll get over it. He's earned at least a little indiscretion after all that crazy nightmare stuff.

"Sorry I'm late, sir! You needed something?"

[Devixer]

[MagMart]

Boris smiles as he adjusts his glasses. Either the remark went over his head, or he was plotting how to easily kill the bot. Can never tell with Germans... "Thank you. I am searching for a small deposit of Elerium-117, a computer hard drive, and several sheets of a titanium alloy. Do you know where I might find that?"

[Darklord Bright]

[Somewhere in the city...]

The night lent itself well to Trix's skills, casting a deep shadow over the city below as she watched the occupants of one of the nearby homes go about their business through the windows. Most of the buildings still seemed active, though their lights were beginning to blink out, bit by bit plunging the street into a quiet slumber. She had been watching this place for a while now - her eyes set on the residence nearby without any signs of being currently occupied. The owners had appeared to have left not long ago, which would make her plan very, very easy.

She wasn't sure what had prompted her to seek this place out. But why not? She had stolen before, right? And why shouldn't she?

And who is going to stop me?

The half-demon pulled the brooch out of her hat, and slipped it around her neck, vanishing in an instant as if the universe itself had thrown a sheet over her head in order to hide her from visitors. With preparations set, she went to business. The brooch would not last long.

Inside the home was silent as the grave - no sound save the muffled noise of her own form crawling along the walls, clinging like an insect to the roof as she made her way through the shadows towards the presence she could feel nearby. She didn't understand it, but she felt as if there was something drawing her - something worth taking nearby... Where was it?

There! A vault lay just within her sight across the living room. She could feel the presence of something behind that door - something hidden from her. What was it? Crawling ever closer, she dropped to her feet just in front of her goal, leaning forwards to inspect the lock even as the brooch's invisibility wore off. The lock had been made to take a code, a dial of numbers and letters keeping her from that tantalizing prize that was so close... How could she get it open? Unless...

The ring on her fingers hummed expectantly, and she gave it a glance. She understood. Nothing would keep her from taking what was hers. Raising her fist, she pointed the ring towards the lock, focusing as a beam of energy blasted out of the strange, alien device. The lock melted easily under the assault, and she tore the vault door away with a burst of strength, a dim orange glow beginning to form an outline around her.

At last, there it was - surrounded by rolls of money that were already finding themselves deposited into her hat's dimensional space. It wasn't a magical item, like she had been expecting - but even she understood how valuable something like this was.

To most, it would look like a watch - but to a thief like her, she saw just how much it was worth. She was looking at a fortune, right here before her very eyes. Reaching out, she grasped it in hand...

A light flicked on, and she whipped around in a flash of surprise as she saw a confused young man at the far end of the room, hand still on the switch. In a moment, he seemed to realise what he was looking at, and called out to her, telling her to stay where she was - a threat that rang hollow from the mouth of an unarmed man.

"It's, uh - back off. It's mine." she got low, circling him slightly as she went to the edges of the room.

"Give back everything you stole, or I swear..." the man let the words hang as they continued to strafe around one another a little bit more. Then, with her form close enough, he risked a sudden movement, trying to push towards her. Suddenly, her orange aura flared, and she hissed, lunging forwards with a cry!

"It's MINE!" their forms collided, and they tangled together on the floor in a flurry of movement. Fists flew, and sharp teeth sunk down hard into one of the man's arms, until after barely a moment Trix pushed away, leaping out the nearby window with a crash and rolling with the jump. Without missing a beat, she stood and dashed away into the night. By the time the authorities had arrived, all traces of the half-demon's movements were gone, and no report could confirm her exact appearance nor identity.

Nothing could be determined, except for the presence of that strange orange glow.

[Lord Magtok]

MagMart

"Elerium-117, hard drive, titanium alloy..."

The Magbot puts a hand to its chin, as if trying to remember where the three are, before it abruptly scurries away, wheeling back to the Nazi just as quickly with an empty MagCart.

"You'll probably need one of these for a big load like that, sir! The Elerium and Titanium are both in aisle K, and you'll find all sorts of hard drives in aisle E! Feel free to just call my name if you need anything else!"

[The Bushranger]

[Pokecenter]

"Yeah, sounds like a plan." And presumably they will all head back to GLoG. They can probably return off screen if you like, to make plotclone merging a little easier.

And off they go!

[Devixer]

[MagMart]

"Of course. I will call you if I remember anything else." Wolfgang takes the MagCart and heads over in the direction indicated. He finds the Elerium fairly easily (It had that nice glow to it, even though it wasn't radioactive,) as well as the titanium. He has a slightly more difficult time finding a suitable hard drive, but that's mainly because he's more used to early 50's tech.

Eventually, the Nazi will have found a few other things in addition to his original list (wires, keyboards, and monitors,) and he heads over to checkout with his items.

[UncleWolf]

Masks Temple

One morning, Xifra will find Salome resting deeply, with Jezebel looking over the pair with a slight smile. She's changed over the past several weeks, taller, paler, with longer more elegant limbs, but she's also started putting on a bit more weight, growing curvier and softer, beautiful beyond compare. "Good Morning, dear. Have you rested well?" She asks in her crystalline tone.

[happyturtle]

Masks Temple

"I have, Mistress," Xifra says, leaning down to softly kiss Salome, and adding an enchantment to keep her asleep. She looks from Salome, to Jezebel, and moves to kneel at Jezebel's feet. "I don't know which of you is more beautiful."

[UncleWolf]

Masks Temple

Jezebel can't help but chuckle a bit. "You flatter me." She says with a smile before offering Xifra a hand. "Come. I have something to show you, and something to explain." She says.

[happyturtle]

Masks Temple

Xifra takes her hand and follows. The whispers... the whispers are always with her, urging her to Seek, but they seem so unimportant. She slides an arm around Jezebel as they walk, running her fingers along her Mistress's spine.

[UncleWolf]

Masks Temple

Xifra will feel her Mistress' own arm wrap around her own body to keep her close as she heads towards the chapel commons, ignorant of what she looks like and not bothered in the slightest by the fact that she's without her mask. Xifra may notice the odd change from the usual method of doing things, but won't be given a chance to put her own mask on either. Jezebel leads her faithful follower to a stone wall, just to the left of the entrance. "Tell me, Xifra. What is it that you see here?" She says as she gestures at the blank space. Something in her tone suggests that she knows something Xifra doesn't, and that this was a bit of a jest on her part.

[happyturtle]

Masks Temple

Xifra looks at the blank space, and almost checks it out magically, but something (a question answered, blood dripping down her fingers as she tries to claws out her own ears) stops her. Sometimes it's dangerous to know too much. "A stone wall," Xifra says.

[UncleWolf]

Masks Temple

Jezebel nods. "It is." She says before reaching out and pressing a stone, causing a section to slide away. A simple secret door. Behind it, is a staircase, leading up, towards the bell tower. "I suppose it's time to tell you why we chose this place." She says as she takes the first step up the case.

[happyturtle]

Masks Temple

"You know, I never once wondered about that," Xifra realizes, as she follows, watching Jezebel's shapely legs. "Perhaps I was always thinking of other things."

[UncleWolf]

Masks Temple - Tower

Jezebel leads her disciple up the staircase slowly, pondering as she speaks. "I told you the truth for the most part. This place, we do plan on making Perfect, but by now, I assume you know that unless we change the very being of the place, that cannot be achieved." She says before opening the door at the top and stepping into the open air. Around them, Xifra will see Red Zone. However, unlike the rest of the place, where it's usually run down, especially here in the UnderHive portion, the Temple and the surrounding complexes have been rebuilt, cleaned, protected and made much more appealing to the eyes. Patrols of Masks walk the streets, keeping the area safe, but she'll also see a few people remove their Masks when they enter the area, feeling secure so close to the heart of the cult.

[happyturtle]

Masks Tower

Xifra has seen it before, how the Masks had helped to clean up this part of the city, but never from this vantage point. As Jezebel says the word 'perfect', Xifra thinks of Perfection, the Object. Perhaps she should...

No. I'm done with that. she thinks, even as she subconsciously reaches up to touch the Bloom, that she wears in her hair at all times.

"So what are your plans then?" Xifra asks.

[Gullara]

Alley Fight

Wind, of course. It pushes Vino up enough to let him land on his feet, though sinking into a crouch to absorb the shock, then moves to swirl around Rose's smoke form to try and keep her immobilized.

Of course as he was tipping over, the Hunter's knife cut a gash in his right buttock. Fortunately it didn't embed itself, and being red hot it cauterized the wound itself. But still, ouch.

[Alley Fight]

The Hunters advance, trying to surround Rose's smoke form. The Avenger is hefting his fire ax, the Innocent fired up his propane torch - looking all the while like he doesn't like what he's doing at all - and the Judge has drawn a katana.

Rose materializes in all her glory. Grinning like all the world is on her side. Her sword materializes in her hand. "If it isn't my old friend?" She says, looking at the Judge. "This is just a delightful reunion, isn't it? I'm looking forward to killing each and every one of you and draining you all dry. Especially you, Vino." She blows her former lover a kiss and readies herself for the coming attack.

[UncleWolf]

Masks Temple

Jezebel gives Xifra a beautiful smile. "We've rebuilt the buildings in a specific pattern, placing chambers in the six points of a star. Under our feet, we'll connect the Altar to Slaanesh's Palace. It's a small connection, but all we need. It'll let His power seep into the area under our control, turning this into a place of Eternal Bliss and Pleasure." She says with a bit of a shiver at the thought. "Our own small realm in this place. A realm, with a place for you in it."

[ThirdEmperor]

Streets

A whisp of green smoke rises from the sidewalk, twisting into a spiral pattern as it rises into the air. Although there is no visible source, more and more smoke pours out of nowhere, until there is a full column of ghostly mist is rising from the streets. A second later, there's a flash of light, and out of the smoke steps a man, coughing into a black paisley handerkerchief and waving at the air with his hat.

The man is indeed an odd personage, dressed in a black vest over a white shirt and green tie. Putting his bowler hat back on his head, he looks around shiftily, his eyes made hard to read by the copious amount of white eyeshadow he wears. Nothin..... Nuthin to see here.

[happyturtle]

Masks Tower

Xifra loses herself in Jezebel's eyes. Being valued - cared for. It was still such an alien feeling to her that it left her completely vulnerable. "I love you," she whispers.

Alley fight

"Not happening, Rose. The day you left me was the second best day of my life," Vino says. He spares a thought to the Hunters. He didn't know who they were, but they were enemies to Rose, so he'd use them. "She has a bone shell around her heart. We'll need to break that first." And the shotgun having been dropped at some point during the melee, he quickdraws his 45 handgun and fires at her torso, hoping the explosive round will reach her before she can turn to smoke again.

[Morty]

[Alley fight]

We hear you, the Avenger says as he and the Innocent move in different directions to try and flank Rose. The Judge remains in place, glaring at the vampire and not taking her eyes off her. It's accompanied by activating an Edge that tries to root Rose to the spot and force her to face the error of her ways - and more importantly, Vino's bullet - here and now.

[Gullara]

[Alley Fight]

Rose tries to dodge, but the Edge holds her in place. She does move enough to cause it to only tear into her shoulder however. She responds by sending her sword spinning at the Judge, and then lunging at Vino if she can get free of the Edge.

[Morty]

[Alley Fight]

The Judge dodges the sword, which leaves an ugly gash on her face. This, of course, makes her break eye contact and ends the effects of the Edge.

((I acted out of post order, but Vino's rection depends on whether the Edge is broken or not, so I felt it was appropriate.))

[happyturtle]

Alley fight

Vino doesn't try to dodge, letting her lunge at him. At the last minute, he puts up his left gauntlet to block her fangs and fires again with the handgun in his right hand.

[Morty]

[Alley Fight]

The Judge staggers backwards, wiping the blood off her face. The two other Hunters, however, advance. The Avenger kneels and hacks at Rose's knees with his ax. The Innocent starts up his torch and approaches her slowly.

[Gullara]

[Alley Fight]

Rose turns into smoke for just a moment. Long enough to wash over and around Vino, and of course to avoid the attacks directed at her. When she reforms she should in theory be behind Vino. Not only that, but her sword is once again in her hand and she's aiming a powerful slash at his back.

[ThirdEmperor]

Abandoned Umbrella Factory

The nearest penguin is slain by Merrak's attack, but the frozen door is definitely not the one opened by the key. In fact, it doesn't even appear to have a lock, it's just frozen in place. As Merrak runs towards the exit, he'll have to contend with several more killer penguins, one of them sliding towards his legs and trying to trip him while six more make odd, hacking sounds like they're about to regurgitate a hairball....

And spit fire at him. Who the hell makes firebreathing penguins?

Ruined Temple

If Zefir is nimble and has a good enough memory to remember both which tiles will appear next and where they will appear, he should he able to get to the exit. The real problem is that he only has a small amount of time to do it. If he doesn't reach the exit within about fourteen seconds, the song will end, and all the tiles will vanish for good.

[VampireRot]

[Abandoned Umbrella Factory]

Merrak curses in drow once again as the penguins try to trip him up. Not good. He dives over the penguin and into a smooth roll to get away. This also means the fire being breathed either misses him or only hits the cloak on his back, which is quite fire proof. Drow aren't very flammable, luckily.

The skilled warrior jumps up to his feet straight from the roll, and dashes toward the door. He'll probably slam into it at full force before trying the key in the lock and trying to open it.

[Zefir]

Ruined Temple

Since he has the knowledge thanks to Boris and the ears to make out how this goes he won't have a problem with that. It's only a question if the 14 secounds are enougth to pass the way. And thats not in his hands.

[The Alexandrian]

[Never Lose Hope Hospital]

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Last Hope Hospital?

Ditching Percilia in his strange, freakish world, and on a janitor cart of all places? That's definitely not a good idea, accelerated healing or no accelerated healing. The meeting's not that important, and he just went through hell and back swearing he'd leave this place as soon as possible, so what use would there be in attending such a thing, anyway?

Well actually, he does have some patients to finish up before he can hand in his resignation. He might as well see what's going on in the meeting, make sure the appropriate paperwork and whatnot is filed, come back tomorrow, and then never ever return. No reason not to, right?

Doctor Godlark shrugs, pulls out a pen, and leaves a small scrap of paper wrapped up in Percilia's palm, to tell her to stay put, keep calm, and wait for him in the cleaning supplies closet should she wake up before he gets back. The world seems back to normal, but he'd like to take one last quick look around just to be certain everything's alright. It's not the most gentlemanly of things to do, to leave a lady all alone in a closet and on top of a mobile garbage receptacle, but Tom figures she'll get over it. He's earned at least a little indiscretion after all that crazy nightmare stuff.

"Sorry I'm late, sir! You needed something?"

Doctor Godlark

It would be quite odd to wake from a nightmare in a cart of any sort, with or without a note.

With any luck, however, Percilia won't awaken until Tom returns.

The bossman gruffly greets Tom in an overly formal manner.

"I'm glad you found time in your busy schedule to grace us with your presence, Doctor."

Sarcasm a bit much?

"I called this meeting to inform you of the fact that some of you are fired. The rest of you will be getting something nice."

The bossman's eyes swivel about the room, reading the expressions of the medical professionals gathered about him. Some of the staff gathered around the table begin to hyperventilate. With anticipation? With fear? It is hard to tell.

"We're shutting the hospital down. It is too costly to maintain. Without a uniform currency in the Nexus, we find that we are acting more like a bank and less like a medical...thing."

"In short, we are converting the hospital into a huge bank. Yeah."

"You're all fired while I get something nice, a CEO position in a soon to be flourishing bank!"

A murmur of protest begins to arise among the medical professionals, but none of them vocally oppose the bossman as of yet.

-----

[No Hope Hospital]

Cal and Jacques

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No Hope Hospital

Easy. Cal takes a crowbar from his coat pocket, and attempts to remove the cover of the elevator control pad so that he can get at the wires beneath. Should that be successful, he will try to hotwire the elevator to take them to the fourth floor.

[No Hope Hospital]

Somehow, I get the feeling that floor 4 is the one that we want...

Upon opening the elevator control pad, Cal might notice something peculiar.

There are no wires to be found attaching it to the elevator itself.

The buttons begin to flash as the metal doors of the elevator snap shut.

The elevator ascends like a rocket, spiraling upwards at a breakneck speed.