[WAR] Role Play: Terminus

[Grassy_Aggron]

Claressa Nissa
Goldenrod General Hospital, Goldenrod City, Johto
Affecter RPers: None. This is getting redundant, yes.
Preparing a pretty pitiful post is a particularly powerful putdown.

Brushing open the door, Claressa was almost trampled by an overly eager orange blob of scales. They hugged her tightly, making her wince from the pressure and, with a heave, she managed to convince Dragon Barney to let go. Don't ask her why Dragonite, in the Pokedex, were classified as "brown" - she believed whoever had done the classifications had been colorblind, because Stark was very far from that color. There was very little she could do, however, so with a shrug she wandered over to the blender on the table, a lovely shade of blue that added a splash of color to the otherwise drab room. Apriblenders were great for trainers on the go, using the natural power of exercise to fuel their blades, but for home or the lazy bum who had a robot fetch their drinks, a normal kitchen blender with a reinforced blade did as good of a job. Better, actually, since you didn't have to wait bloody forever, running around like a nutcase to get a drink.

"HELLO NURSE!" She nearly cringed at the silky, oftentimes described as "ravishing", voice that was thrown her way. She ignored the pilot, instead plopping in one red, two yellow, and three blue apricorns. Pressing the button, it began to whir and grind the fruit together, before she finally decided to deal with the annoying pest that was staring at her back. At least, he better be staring at my back and not any lower if he knows what is good for him. Tony Shoatter, age fourty-eight and still stuck in his teenage years. He was out looking for love, and while he thinks he may have found it, she wasn't really convinced. Claressa was far too focused on her work to deal with a casanova with a hero's complex.

"Nuuuuurse~"

She turned around, sending him a sharp glare. "I am a doctor, not a nurse. The fact you disregard my credentials in favor of trying to sound cute really annoys me." Without hesitating, she picked up the clipboard and looked over his history. He was a fighter pilot, and his jet - he had named it Romeo as it liked to romance its opponents with a "fireworks display of passion" - had been shot down near Tohjo Falls by anti-air missiles set up by Kanto. He has safely ejected, but the resulting flames and shrapnel had riddled his back with plenty of wounds. Getting shot as he fled to safety didn't help much either, but thankfully it had only impacted the arm and had been easy to remove.

Granted, with Tony, you would have thought he had lost a leg the way he favored it and wailed about his appearance being ruined. He was, admittedly, handsome, with jet black hair and a masculine figure decked out in army gear. He was fond of boots anyway, as he had bought a nice pair of black leather boots for normal wear. Men and their boots, honestly. She wasn’t really aware of what else he wore outside of his uniform – she sure as hell wasn’t going to ask the obnoxious flirt, as he would no doubt see that as an invitation. Claressa didn’t do invitations; she dragged your butt where she wanted it to go regardless of complaints filed.

“So, here to give me my medicine?” No, but she would love to give him a tranquilizer. Picking up the top of the blender, she poured the liquid into two cups, handing one to Stark and the other to Tony. While the dragon appeared to greatly enjoy the batch, his trainer crinkled his nose. “Needs more sugar, darling.” Next time, Claressa decided, she was going to add a Spelon berry to the concoction for spite. This man was just grating on the nerves.

“How have you been feeling? The last test was a week and a half ago, and even though I utterly despise you, I need to make sure you are okay.” He reported nothing unusual, and the same went to Stark. The cold cut to the Burst Heart seemed to have greatly helped their bodies, and both were functioning correctly. Stark had taken to practicing his moves on the rooftop, trying to keep in tip top shape while his trainer recovered. It was apparent Tony could return to combat any time he wished, however, he was proving to be very useful with research.

Speaking of research… Pulling out a key and approaching the nightstand beside his bed, she unlocked it and removed a palm sized piece of glass. It was colored red, almost as if someone had taken the “heart” part literal, and honestly remained her of stained glass. In that regard, it was beautiful, and she examined it closely, barely making out the machinery inside. It was most certainly manufactured, but there was a lot more going on than just simple machinery. She wasn’t an engineer and couldn’t hope to figure it out, but there had to be something wrong.

And then she had the bright idea to shake it lightly.

There was a rather notable rattling sound as she did this, and she nearly dropped the device at that moment. Asking both Tony and Stark to listen, she repeated the motion, and they both agreed they could hear it. When asked what it meant, she simply stated that she believed it was a malfunctioning Burst Heart, but since she did not have a genuine article she could not be sure if the noise was normal or not. Considering it was a device with gadgets and junk on the inside, rattling was not something that should be heard.

“You made me use a malfunctioning device?” He was incredulous, to say the least.

She quickly held up a hand. “I didn’t know. I only realized it earlier today, as I was thinking about the results. I intend to get a genuine article…somehow…and test it that way. I would like to test it on someone else, since I can’t risk you and Stark anymore with the side effects. There is the chance…if you kept going…that you wouldn’t be able to come undone. As much as you annoy me and make me lose my mental stability, allowing a patient to slip into an unhealthy condition is against my policy.”

He grinned. “Well, glad to know you care about me.” She rolled her eyes, groaning. He was never going to change. Still, she had to find a way to get an actual Burst Heart. This meant a variety of things, but the difficulty would be to find one that was not manufactured. She might have to go to the one who created them in the first place, and in fact had an unsent email that had been sitting for quite some time, ready to be go on its epic internet voyage. She'd have to add on some details to it, but she had to consider the risks. The government was more than likely keeping a close eye on him, and if they read that email... Well, to put it bluntly, she might suddenly have a blade to her throat. They didn't exactly take well to research being done on their precious military items.

Everything is so complicated. Greed is such a pain in the gluteus maximus.

[bronislav84]

Karai "Kar" Horoshi
Hellcat chopper, En route to Kanto
Affected RPers: Nobody unless you can fly in the sky in the middle of nowhere

I woke up with a snort-like snore and felt like I'd been sleeping. I don't snore, so why did I wake up like I'd been snoring? I had slid halfway down in the pilot's chair and was actually about to fall off it, probably bumping my mouth against the control panel. The others were asleep too. Kinda weird. I didn't even know when I fell asleep. I checked the display and realized only a half hour had actually passed. We weren't even anywhere near Kanto, let alone Vermillion City. This might take a while.

I looked around the chopper, taking it all in because there really was nothing to do. There really wasn't much to it. Just gray metal walls, floor, and seats with straps for us. There was also a nailed down table for what I assumed to be briefings. The chopper control panel and joystick were in the front of the cockpit, with the chair I'd been using in front of it. Chair. A memory bubbled up to the surface. Another life. A happier life, when I was allowed to truly feel things. I looked as an observer, not even remembering what my parents looked like. I never saw them again after I went to school. Either they went on to do their job without me burdening them, or they died somewhere along the line.

Ekruteak City, years ago. A little girl was returning home from school on her birthday, when the phone rang. Her mom picked it up and was suddenly silent. "Yes sir...yes sir....yes sir. Don't worry, we'll explain it to her." Her mom hung up the phone and greeted the little girl with a warm smile. It was her birthday. Nothing goes wrong on your birthday, right? "Karai, we need to talk honey." Mother motioned the little girl to sit in a chair in the living room.

"What is it mom?" She looked at her mother, who was not making eye contact. "Dad?" The father also wasn't making eye contact. This confused the girl, but her mother pulled a small box from a bookcase shelf. She opened it and pulled out an antique coin.

"Do you know what this is?" The coin was tossed into her hands and she caught it. There was a snake engraved on the coin on one side with an H on the other side. The little girl shook her head no.

"This is the 'ticket' to your new life. A life our family is born into. A life you're destined to lead. You will learn much and become strong, but there is a price." Explained her father as the little girl examined the coin and even bit it. It was real gold.

"A price? What kind of price?" The little girl looked concerned, solemn. Confused even.

"You'll find out when you meet Madame Hebijo. Be strong. Know that we love you very much." Her mother hugged and kissed her as did her father.

The family left the apartment, never to return.

A memory. A different life. No. That's not me anymore. That hasn't been me in a long time. The squad woke up and I could now see the Kanto shoreline. We started to change into our Police outfits and masks.

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
Mossdeep Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: N/A

The trip back to the boat was an interesting one. Some of the cops tried to give going after me another go. One chopper came flying toward me, thinking they could use the awesome power of technology to try and gun me down. And then a sprayed them with a generous slathering of skunk juice.

One cop managed to shoot me twice, hitting me once in the shoulder and another time in my gut. It did hurt, but the actual amount of wounding was minimal. I gassed that bastard so hard I was certain his own family and police force would disown him. Then for good measure, I sprayed him to the point of being soaked in skunk juice, which lead to him puking and then passing out.

Lastly, the SWAT team decided to give it another go while the rest of the cops were withdrawing, having seen what happened to all the other cops that even came close. Sure, their gas masks would suppress some of the stink, but I knew those things had their limits. However, I knew in this form, a Mega Skuntank was quite monstrously obese, so I wasn't going to be able to make a sprint for the boat. Everyone who showed up was something I was going to need to fight back against, since there was no way I'd be able to run off with a massive lard gut like this.

"Open fire!" One of the squad leaders shouted.

I quickly tried to spray them as hard and as thoroughly as I could, starting with the ones that were the closest and were in bunches. Sure, the stink was effective, but it was actually the spray smothering their visors that proved to be the most effective. I decided to slather on the overkill. Even when it looked like they had enough, I sprayed on some more and they definitely decided they had it. They withdrew, and I knew from these chumps, the ride home wasn't going to be any less pleasant. Trying to get that smell out of their skin and clothing... heh, that might just be impossible.

In the end, the whole area around Mossdeep was smothered with a dark, foul-smelling smog and puddles of skunk juice were everywhere. A few cops that couldn't even stay conscious were laying about.

I decided to waddle my way back to the boat. Sure, taking off the Burst form might have been faster, but I wanted to be ready in case any stupid cop stragglers came on by. And then, I heard that voice again.

{I see you're enjoying yourself quite well, aren't you?}

"Piss off, whoever you are," I told that annoying voice.

I mean come on, finally I manage to find one of these things, and then this evil-sounding bastard comes along for the ride. Regardless, I simply found my way to the boat and managed to undo the Burst effect, as there was no way I'd be able to climb in there as a two and a half ton skunk Pokémon.

Once I started up the engine, I got rolling. Sure, I didn't get the cybernetics research, but I was sure this Ancient Burst Heart would be good for something. For now, I just focused on getting back to the Deathwing. I figured Raidon would want to know about this.

---

Janine "Angel" Price
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: @The Nonexistent Tazz

I was beginning to think I'd be stuck in this tiny, little lab like this when suddenly the lights came back on! Whew! I quickly headed back to the computer and quickly requested another reversal agent, typing in the commands as fast as my furry paws could go!

I made a bunch, just in case. I quickly injected myself with it, and long and behold, I rapidly began to return to normal, with all of that fluff and puffy getting sucked back into my body and then just seemingly vanish. I was soon back into my own clothes, fully human again. Oh sure, being the ultra-cute puffy bunny was awesome, but not when it meant being stuck in here!

As I had discovered, the reversal mutagen couldn't be applied to other people. I couldn't use Yarvick's DNA to suddenly become Yarvick. I was curious to see why that didn't actually work, but then I realized that the mutagen built the "Chimera" form as Yarvick called it to fit me and my DNA, just as much as the reversal agent did the same thing, just in reverse! So if Yarvick used the same crazy fluffy angel bunny mutagen I had used, his final form would be slightly different. Maybe a little taller, plushier, but yeah, there would be at least a few teeny differences from his Chimera form and mine, along with everyone else. Ha, ha, now imagine Tiantus or even Raidon using that fluffy bunny mutagen! Epic!

That's when Yarvick came back. He seemed a little shaken about the whole thing, and I could only guess what just happened that knocked the Deathwing's lights out. Was the ship possessed now?

"Sorry about that, just wrapping things up," He told me. "It's all went OK! Hyperion, the new Deoxys, was a little...Er, concerned about everything, but I told him it would all work out. Titanus will do some physio-whatnot tests on Hyperion, then I just have to just ease his concerns a little...I'll need to turn back into a human now, though. He wants me able to burst. Don't know why just yet."

Weird...

I really didn't have too much of a clue as to what was really going on over there, but hey, getting Yarvick that reversal agent was not a problem at all. I quickly headed back to the machine, used his DNA to create the reversal agent, and presto! The machine sprang to life and prepared the syringe he needed to be back to his old, human self again. I handed it to him and winked.

"There ya go!" I cheerfully told him. "See, it's totally easy!"

Now, I just needed that Tiantus guy to build the easier software program to make it a cinch for everyone else to make Chimera mutagens. To him, it would be a cakewalk.

[XaiakuX]

Lance Harper
Harper Industries Headquarters in Goldenrod City
Affected RPers: @Velocity @TheProtobabe @Death's Spook

There was a long, awkward silence, and the tension was felt like a bad vibe off of the shady character you just crossed paths with. It was uncomfortable. The only thing that felt remotely right in this entire scenario was having a woman on his arm. Although, even this was ruse just to play face with the unknowing. Thoughts raced through his mind, as the numbers lit by a fluorescent sign counted down to the lobby. His brother didn't know that Giovanni killed their parents, it was his secret from the man who happened to be standing within arms length of him.

There was an easing of the elevator cables that slowed the elevator to a halt. This motion always made Lance want to hurl, but he never actually did. It was just an uneasy feeling, like the cable was ready to snap and send him hurdling to his death. These feelings only ever lasted for a second before the doors would inevitably open up and bring him and his party into the very large and open lobby space that was seen from the street which was a distance away given the equally large courtyard. His parents had spared no expense making this empire look beautiful. It remained surprisingly untouched by the war, there were a few scrapes and bumps around, but the yard remained pleasant to look at, all the same.

True to her word, Lenore's Pokémon stood at the ready by the entrance of the building. The Nidoking stuck out like a sore thumb amidst the lobby's neutral colors. He personally stopped next to the armored beast, and spoke. "Well done, my giant purple friend! Your menacing disposition scared away all of the wicked people trying to hurt me," he spoke in a genuine tone. No one would believe sarcasm or lies if they left his mouth. As if he had total control of his emotions. Something a common Lance Harper isn't known for.

He then shifted his attention to Lenore, "You can recall your Pokémon, now. I am safe. As far as your Psychic Pokémon, Alastair should have already told you to keep it out of my head. Unless it wants to see a horrible rendition of what I think you look like without clothes on. Something Alastair learned the hard way." He cracked up a bit, and gave them a goofy 'I'm-trying-not-to-laugh-at-my-own-jokes-but-I'm-failing-miserably' face. Letting the Lance Harper that his brother knew out into the open to make things a little less awkward.

He gazed out to the road, and you could see helicopters arriving and leaving from the hospital's roof from the distance. However, Lance's gaze was fixed on a man standing on the other side of the road, he was tall, dark, and brooding. Similar to Alastair but without the the friendly disposition. The man was staring right at Lance, and the most unique trait that Lance could make out was the bold red "R" just left of the top button of his suit jacket. He knew exactly who that man was, and it took everything Lance had not to run at him.

The man stood with a wicked grin. He was holding an object that was similar to Lance's Burst Heart stone, only bigger, and much more.. shiny. In the instant he saw the stone, a bus drove by on the road, and the man was gone. Had the man's image down the way just been a figment of Lance's stressed mind? An illusion? Maybe he was more distressed than even he had thought about the information on that flash drive. In any case, Lance stepped out into the drive where the limousine was waiting for them.

The driver opened the door, and waited patiently for the party to enter the vehicle. Lance helped Helena inside, then opted to enter the vehicle last, while he gazed out at the street where the man had been standing. 'What am I getting myself into? This is bigger than anything I've ever faced before. But I can't back out, now. This city, this region, and these people need me. They need Alastair, Lenore, and Helena. This all needs to end,' Lance's thoughts rang throughout his own mind, as he entered the vehicle.

"To Goldenrod General Hospital, we have an announcement to make!"

[OoC: The man is indeed only visible to Lance. He's going coo-coo.]

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez
Team Aqua
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga.

Janine was already human when Yarvick made his question. She responded to Yarvick by immediately making the...Whatever it was that undid the Chimera whatnot. Yarvick didn't recall her stating what it was by name.

"There ya go!" Janine said, still cheery, handing the syringe to Yarvick. "See, it's totally easy!"

"Thanks!" Yarvick said in response, taking the syringe. Yarvick had to calm himself down a little for his shot, but sweat nevertheless formed on his brow.

"Still afraid of needles? After all this time?" Hyperion thought to Yarvick a room over.

"...Oh, quiet you." Yarvick thought back, injecting himself.

As Yarvick's familiar proportions returned to normal to the 'tune' of the barf-inducing sound of bones and organs rearranging, he really wondered how the hell this worked so...Painlessly. Considering Yantil's description of Hyperion's illness earlier, it clearly was not a small matter. Was it MEND?

Yarvick just decided to assume it was MEND, or something similar to it.

Once Yarvick was fully himself again, he gave a smile to Janine. "Again, thanks for your time, Janine." He said. Not spicing it up with her, just being fairly plain. Then again, did he really have much else to say? Janine seemed incredibly interested in her own work, they didn't talk of almost anything else, bar the new Deoxys. That being said, what they did together was...Interesting. "If there's anything more I can do to help later on, just leave me a message."

He'd talk more, he decided. It was a short-lived experience overshadowed by a catastrophe and some drama, but the time they spent was quite...Interesting. That being said, at this point, he was more than anxious to return to the field. He was a kleptomanic, he was not comfy with not stealing things. He hoped, quite frankly, that Tiantus'es imminent test of loyalty involved stealing something far more dangerous to take than normal. It was a hope in obvious vain, of course. His luck was horrible. It was probably one of the rare bursts of fortune that he had that Deoxys retained Hyperion's memories, or regained them, or whatever happened...It was probably going to be something involving guns pointed at him. Something involving Hyperion's new destructive potential.

Of course, in theory, he could just kill Tiantus and run with Hyperion. Considering the destructive power he now wielded, it wasn't a bad idea...In theory. But, this was Tiantus, a man of unlimited potential who had the capacity to pull something nasty out from under his lab coat. It would also involve escaping the Deathwing and shaking off pursuers, pursuers who likely could burst and probably packed a great deal of heat. Burst troops and heavy weaponery aside...Finch's men would find him and kill him if he managed the escape. They were on-par with Yarvick at least, and even if Hyperion was now a DEOXYS, that did not mean the element of surprise would easily dispatch him, and by extension Yarvick.

And really, why would he? Aqua has been mostly nice to him. The higher-ups in charge of his jobs know what he excells and loves doing-thievery. He was infamous for being a master of larceny and they knew it. Why screw him over that badly? This was going to be the exception, of course, but outside of this ONE justified instance, he was going to be doing what he liked doing.

There was really no reason to betray Tiantus or Aqua. He was arrogant, but he was not cruel nor stupid. Why would he backstab Yarvick without at least testing if Yarvick would not backstab him? That was the point behind the imminent, obvious loyalty test upcoming.

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
En Route to Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: N/A

Finding the way back to Mirage Island would have been impossible without the homing beacon I was using to follow the path Tiantus laid out. I wasn't sure what the cops would think about the whole encounter with a Mega Skuntank, but I could imagine how funny their conversation with the police chief would be. It would take them months to figure out how to get the smell out.

{ I see you're not like the others. You have a gift for combat, a thirst for bloodshed. But no matter how strong or powerful you become, you're nothing but a puppet, just like all the others! In the end, I will decide who gets to live and who dies. Trust me, there's nothing that I enjoy more than to see you foolish people laying about in bloody pieces!}

"Who the hell are you anyway?" I asked this annoying, growly voice that didn't take a clue when to shut up.

{ I am Diabora. Trust me, it is a name you will never, ever forget. As for you, all of you are just players in my game. But no matter which one of you wins, you still lose. And you will still die.}

"Piss off and just go watch some TV instead," I told him.

What a douchebag. In any case, I helped myself to the beer case, but the beer wasn't as good as it could have been. Ken and Luke were turned into people paste and I didn't get the cybernetics research. And the beer was hot now from all the ice melting. Sure, I managed to get one of those incredibly coveted Ancient Burst Hearts, but why the hell did this annoying bastard voice have to come along with it? What kind of name is "Diabora" anyway? Sounds like someone puking out a boar.

In any case, I was thinking this Diabora guy was suddenly realizing someone more combat capable now had his hands on the Ancient Burst Heart. Unlike Hayes, yeah, it was not going to be plucked so easily out of my grasp.

In the meantime, the ocean was pretty quiet. Trying to find Mirage Island without the beacon was next to impossible. I mean heck, it was amazing one of us managed to find the joint to begin with.

{You don't see it, do you? The Ancient Burst Hearts are simply a part of my game. A game to see how good humans are at killing each other over such power!}

"And you're telling me this... why?" I asked him, thinking he was an idiot.

I was beginning to realize these things might not have been what everyone thought they were. I wasn't an idiot, something seemed off for these things to have only been found just recently. I took a closer look the Ancient Burst Heart I had, and then looked at the regular, run of the mill one.

While the Ancient one was definitely bigger, more powerful and was radiating with a powerful, ruby light, it sure didn't look ancient at all. To have been found in a temple, there should have been centuries worth of dust and debris on this thing and least caked into the nooks and crannies. But nope, it was beginning to look like they were made just a short while ago and totally placed there.

{You're catching on, I can sense your thoughts. The scientists were intelligent, but unlike you, they lacked intuition. But in the end, it never mattered.}

Still, I wasn't afraid of this bastard. Considering what Team Aqua had at our disposal, this guy was just some prankster prick that needed to find another hobby. As long as the Ancient Burst Heart did was it was supposed to, this guy could just go crap his pants for all I cared.

---

Janine "Angel" Price
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: @The Nonexistent Tazz

Yarvick was pretty thankful about the reversal agent. Good thing I came up with these, because it gave people the chance to enjoy a whole fun variety of other forms next time! Maybe the next time Yarvick wanted a mutagen, I could convince him to try out something cute and plushy! That would be adorable!

He then used the reversal agent, and soon he turned back to his normal, human self again. I mean, the transformation sounds were... yuck, but I guess it was better this way than with pain and other funky feelings. His weird hand-tails were sucked back up into the area above his butt while all the fur was pulled right back into his skin again. All the Gengar spikes were pulled into his back and just like that he was human again like the whole thing never happened.

"Again, thanks for your help Janine," He told me. "If there's anything more I can do to help later on, just leave me a message."

AWESOME! A lab volunteer for life! There were SO many crazy science things I still wanted to try out, and having a guy like him work with me to test them out was fantastic!

"Hey, no problem!" I told him, giving him a wink. "Well, I gotta take all this stuff to Tiantus now so he can make it available for everyone. Trust me, once he gets the Chimera selection software finalized, this stuff will be even easier to work with. It'll be just as easy as selecting what soda pop you want from the vending machines!"

Which reminded me, I could really use a root beer right now. And some ice cream with that.

I then put everything I needed on a cart and decided to take it to Tiantus's lab. He was going to wonder what I've been doing this whole time, but when he saw this stuff, I bet even a stiff like him would think this was cool! I mean sure, I could show him the whole fluffy bunny thing again just to show him it really did work!

I mean why not, he knew I was that kind of nuts already!

"Till next time, dude," I told him, wheeling the cart toward Tiantus's lab. "Catch you around!"

I then headed out the door, humming on the way there.

[Lord Celebi]

Raidon Makoto
Coffee Shop, Gateon Port
Orre
Affected RPers: @Neo Emolga

Harlan Ericson approached the coffee shop in a trench coat and sunglasses, obviously wanting to protect his identity. To his credit, he dropped everything to meet Makoto once he called him "on behalf of Orson Barkley." The dread lord of the Deathwing figured that if one of your primary investments calls to talk about "the state of their relationship," it would be paramount to have that meeting post-haste. Makoto hoped that Ericson didn't think Barkley was breaking up with him, though to his own credit, that would put Ericson off guard just enough to succeed.

Ericson recognized Makoto by the description the commander had given him over the phone and sat in the coffee stool directly behind him. The two sat sideways in their stools, leaning one arm on the backseat of the chair and another on their expensive frappuccinos. The DyneTech shill inserted a BlueTooth headset and started speaking to Makoto whilst still looking forward, pretending he was on the phone. "What do you want?"

"Well, you see Mr. Ericson, my boss The Honorable Orson Barkley sent me over you to explain a predicament he's in right now. Now, he is aware that your payments hinge upon his keeping Hoenn out of war with Orre, but the Hoenn military is adamant about punishing Orre for harboring refugees. Not at all DyneTech's fault, but he is aware your business is going to suffer," Makoto got out his phone and texted Finch Reynolds one word: "Now." "So Hoenn is looking to test the waters. The military has sent one of their most skilled assassins to take out Darwin Lynch, an executive at DyneTech and one of the highest targets on their most wanted list to test the waters. They want to see how Orre will react. If they lash out, Hoenn is going to have an excuse to charge in and ruinate Orre. On the other hand, if you can ameliorate the government into playing cool. Mr. Barkley is confident you can avert a war."

Ericson was silent for a moment, taking in what Makoto was telling him. A moment later his phone buzzed. He looked down at the phone and then looked Makoto in the eye, shocked. "Well, like you said. Lynch was just iced. I'll speak with my contacts right away and see what I can do about preventing the war. Please extend our gratitude to Mr. Barkley and tell him the payments are going to continue."

Ericson began to get up. Makoto put a hand on his arm, "Wait, there's something more."

"What?"

Makoto took a deep breath, "Mr. Barkley is looking to deepen his relationship with DyneTech since they have been such loyal partners over the years. He has sent me to... invest my efforts in the company. What can Mr. Barkley do for you to make this happen?"

Ericson collected his thoughts and said, "DyneTech is currently in the process of buying unused capital from what's left of Harper Industries but the lawyers in charge of the liquidation are being particularly resistant about pricing. Could Mr. Barkley give them a reason to lower their prices?"

Makoto smiled. "I think he can do that." He paused for an awkward silence. Both men realized that their business was concluded. The dread lord of the Deathwing offered a tacked on, "It's been a pleasure," before both men parted company. Ericson left first. Makoto finished his drink and then left the coffee shop, leaving a $20 bill in the tip jar for the barista. Once he was a good distance away from the building and the crowds, he made a conference call between Tyrus Hale, Finch Reynolds, Noah Ashfield, and Reg Lando.

"I just made contact with Harlan Ericson. Finch and I were able to play our way into his good graces, but we're going to need to go a bit further to keep our patron saint happy with us. DyneTech wants to bleed Harper Industries to force them to liquidate some capital cheaper," Makoto explained to the Captains' Conference. "Captain Ashfield, as the expert on Special Weapons and Tactics, would you have any suggestions on how to go about this?"

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
AMS Deathwing, En Route to Goldenrod City, Johto
Affected RPers: @Lord Celebi, @The Nonexistent Tazz, anyone on the AMS Deathwing

After that long speedboat ride, I finally made it back to the Deathwing. For now, it seemed like Diabora had gotten tired of chatting, which was good, because I was sick of his asshattery. I made it back on deck, and I got a nice whiff of that salty, ocean air again. It sure felt fresh. In the meantime, the sight of the Deathwing, the Liquidator gatling railgun, and all the mayhem Aqua had been stockpiling... yeah, there was no place like home.

I then got a phone call, and after whipping out the smartphone I had, I found it was the head honcho himself. Always a welcome sight. I then realized it wasn't just him, but a whole conference of most of the big shots in Aqua. Sounded like something big was about to go down.

"Sup, Boss?" I asked.

"I just made contact with Harlan Ericson," Raidon told me and the others. "Finch and I were able to play our way into his good graces, but we're going to need to go a bit further to keep our patron saint happy with us. DyneTech wants to bleed Harper Industries to force them to liquidate some capital cheaper. Captain Ashfield, as the expert on Special Weapons and Tactics, would you have any suggestions on how to go about this?"

Oh, oh man, I thought he'd never ask!

"Harper Tower in Goldenrod City..." I stated.

"That's right, their HQ is still there," Tiantus confirmed it among the rest of the conference.

"Yeah, that one," I told him. "Let's light it the hell up. You want to make these pricks bleed, that's how you make them bleed."

"I'm in," Reg Lando replied. "How do you want to do this?"

Plenty of options. LOADS of options. Man, it was going to be tough to decide exactly how we were going to make that place fry, but hey, we'd have our fun and that's what mattered.

"Bring in the trinity armada," I told them. "We'll get the Deathwing, Fairy Dragon, and the DeathKnight in on the bombardment. Oh, and gentlemen, I'll have you know that just managed to get my hands on one of the Ancient Burst Hearts. You won't believe the amount of damage you can do with this thing!"

I thought there would be cheering, but there was a weird silence. Then Tiantus spoke up.

"There was a new development while you were away, Neo," Tiantus told me. "Yarvick and my team resurrected Deoxys. It's a long story about how it was made possible, but now Yarvick has command of one of the strongest legendary Pokémon."

Oh man, I was totally itching over that, but then I connected the dots. Holy crap. Just the thought of it was beyond insane. But... I sure was hoping we could trust Yarvick with this kind of thing!

"You want me to lend the Ancient Burst Heart to Yarvick and have him Burst to become Mega Deoxys," I confirmed.

"Good lord, I didn't even think of that!" Reg Lando exclaimed in surprise.

"Precisely," Tiantus confirmed, his voice just filled with confidence. "Nothing in Johto's first response will even be able to lay a scratch on him, let alone the naval trinity."

I would have liked the be one to unleash that kind of utter WRATH, but eh, I could give it up for a while and let Yarvick have his fun, but he'd owe me a favor for this.

"Get the ships moving toward Goldenrod City," I commanded the team. "Have Yarvick meet me on the deck of the Deathwing. I'll hand over the Ancient Burst Heart to him, but he's got to promise not to play nice with it. Get the forces together and let's unleash all hell on this place. Those are the orders, Operation Atlas Shrugged Too Much is in effect starting now. Now let's make those asshats our bitches."

"Copy that, sir," Finch replied.

"Hell yes," Lando replied, hissing with delight.

The wheels weren't just in motion. They were going to steamroll that place into nothing more than a crap-heap of ruins and corpses. And we were going to generously adore every maniacal minute of it.

---

Janine "Angel" Price
AMS Deathwing, En Route to Goldenrod City, Johto
Affected RPers: N/A

Well, news sure travels fast! Sure didn't take long before the Deathwing was suddenly sailing and going on course. Down in here, though, I had no clue what we were heading toward, all I knew was the ship was suddenly moving and heading somewhere. I figured maybe they were just going out for a routine voyage. Maybe fishing. Well, whatever, I wasn't sure what they were doing but I figured I'd at least get my stuff done. Tiantus was busy with some other stuff, so hey, not a big deal. I mean sure, I was excited to show him this Chimera stuff, but then again, I figured Yantil probably informed him of the whole crazy thing by now.

Yeah, I was pretty sure he wouldn't forget that puffy bunny form anytime soon. Probably never. That kind of thing is hard to ignore, I'm sure!

"Ladies and gentlemen, Operation Atlas Shrugged Too Much is in effect!" One of the order relays shouted down the ship's halls.

"Prepare for assault, all personnel to your battlestations!" The voice on the loudspeaker came on. "This is not a drill! Repeat, this is not a drill!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, dude, who's the unfortunate sap we're frying today?" I called back to officer, wondering just what the fudge was going on. "All this suddenly out of the blue?"

"Target's Harper Tower in Goldenrod City," the officer told me. "Official orders from Ashfield and Makoto. It's a long story, but that's the target. There's mutual benefit for us and our patron saint if we level that place. So anything you could provide to assist in the siege would be most appreciated."

Oh... oh... yeah! This was totally an awesome time to have these guys try out these Chimera mutagens! I mean, sure, it would be a really good idea to bring them onto the deck so people wouldn't get stuck down here as giant Pokémon Chimeras like I did! Better they're on deck so once they transformed, size or shape wasn't an issue. They could get right into the action fast and furiously! Oh man, this was going to be awesome to see.

"I'm all over it!" I shouted to him, giving him a wink.

I decided to cart the equipment, computer, and mutagen creator to the deck. Sure, not everyone was going to be able to get one of these, but if a few good troops did, hey, it was that much more fun mayhem on these Harper saps! I'd be like a kid selling lemonade, only this was WAY cooler and WAY more fun!

Man, I just couldn't wait for the excitement!

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez
Team Aqua
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga, Lord Celebi (I guess)

"So, Yarvick, have you heard of Harper Industries?"

Tiantus had fetched him in quite a hurry, practically yanking him from the labs. Hyperion was in his Poke Ball (apparently it still worked). He could see the need for a rush. The Deathwing and its new companions were mobilizing, and Operation "Atlas Shrugged Too Much" was officially underway, whatever THAT was, and now he was fetched for his little test of loyalty. He had a good feeling he was involved in all of this.

"Barely. Some bigshot corp in Johto, specializing in entertainment. Why?"

"Our little test of faith for you involves blowing it-and the rest of the city around it for good measure-to the high heavens." Tiantus said, quite calmly. "And not subtly. You're going to personally tear it down while bursting as Deoxys."

Sweat formed on Yarvick's backside on the thought of it. They were bringing in a thief and expected mass destruction. This sounded more like a way for Deoxys to conveniently fall into Tiantus'es hands.

"Now, before you get concerned about not having enough firepower...Obviously, I was intending you to Burst with Deoxys for a certain task. However, what I had in mind isn't quite as...Risky, as kicking off Operation Atlas Shrugged Too Much, and for that matter, not as important. However, to compensate for this sudden leap in significance...Noah Ashfield, our captain of Special Weapons, has decided to temporarily loan you his recently-acquired Ancient Burst Heart."

"...Um, what?!" Yarvick yelled.

The news that they secured an Ancient Burst Heart almost immediately assured Yarvick that he may have made a really smart move. He hadn't figured they were REALLY capable of such craziness, until now.

Now he was told that they had a weapon that was being treated as the new nuclear bomb. Dear lord, Aqua may have actually had a shot.

"Yes, an Ancient Burst Heart...I don't think I need to elaborate why you're leading from a tactical standpoint, do I? With the Ancient Burst Heart, you will have more than enough power to demolish the Harper Tower, which is your first and primary target. After it's down, go for the naval vessels parked in the bay and any other ground defenses on the coastline. Do it right, and my problems with your allegiance shall simply vanish. Oh, yes...Do take this." Tiantus said, fishing in his pockets for something, then pulling it out. It looked like some perscribed medicine-blue, half-millimeter pills. "Focalin, to keep you dead focused on the job." Tiantus said, taking out a pill and a water bottle from another pocket.

Those were some deep pockets. Nevertheless, Tiantus handed him both, and Yarvick didn't need to be told what to do. Once he took the pill, he handed the bottle back to Tiantus. They kept walking, briskly, until they got onto the deck of the Deathwing.

Once atop, he could see Janine with her Chimera stuff and a few curious soldiers. Tiantus and Yarvick were going nowhere near her now, though-Yarvick had to use an Ancient Burst Heart, and he probably couldn't while he was a new species of Pokemon.

"One more thing...I must stress it, the Ancient Burst Heart is a loan. Barring Noah allowing you to keep it for some reason, you are to give it back to him the instant this is over." Tiantus said. "I understand the temptation would be great, but...I have my ways of dealing with you if you fail to be cooperative. Are we clear?"

Yarvick honestly feared Tiantus more than Makoto. If it was Makoto, he'd just cut you to shreds, behead you, something very violent but something fast. Tiantus would probably knock you unconscious, then use you as a guinea pig for his next experiments in the most painful ways possible. He was cold, remorseless, and very aware on how to make everything hurt as much as possible. Yarvick would avoid his wrath like a magnet avoids the same poles.

He may suddenly become the most powerful thing Maridia has ever known, and he was not going to cross Tiantus. Ever.

In any case, the duo found Noah pretty quickly: He was wearing the Aqua Uniform, yes, but he was also a muscular man who Yarvick would probably not want to get in a fight with. His hair was wild, black with some crimson highlights, and he looked like he could be in charge of a biker gang, no sweat.

"Good to meet you, sir." Yarvick said. "I'm Yarvick Xelsez...So, you're loaning me an Ancient Burst Heart just to get a Mega Deoxys to blow up basically the whole city to hell, right? That's my role in the plan in a nutshell?"

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
AMS Deathwing deck, Coast off of Goldenrod City, Johto
Affected RPers: @Lord Celebi, @The Nonexistent Tazz

As the trinity armada sailed on in triangular formation, I could start to see the skyline of Goldenrod City in the distance. They really had no idea what was coming their way. In the meantime, the sky was going gray and it looked like it was going to start raining any minute.

All Team Aqua soldiers on all three of the ships were prepping from what was essentially going to be a slaughter. Judging from the target, there weren't any real defenses there, but we were pretty certain the most we would probably be facing were some operatives and possible small arms fire. Considering what we were packing, those useless asshats might as well be trying to blow pepper at us.

In the meantime, Yarvick was being informed to rendezvous with me on the deck. I wasn't sure how or where the hell he managed to get a Deoxys, but if Tiantus said it was real, hell, it was real.

"Everything in place?" I asked the radio conference.

"Yep, all armaments fully stocked and loaded," Hank Clyde, the captain of the Fairy Dragon, replied. "Just give the order."

All three ships were ready to launch all that we needed to turn Goldenrod City into cinders. But of course, I wanted to make sure we started blowing Harper Industries to shreds and everyone inside of it.

I then sent a quick message to Raidon Makoto.

Raidon, this trinity armada is approaching Goldenrod City now. We'll be launching the attack on Harper Industries likely within the next fifteen minutes, and we'll be making the place look to be in a worse condition than if they were being deep fried in their own puke.

And after sending that message, that was when Yarvick showed up. Word had it that he was a pretty talented thief. I mean hell, if this guy managed to get Deoxys into his hands, I wasn't about to ask if he could pull off this attack. He had the guts for it. He had dirty-blonde hair, dark skin, and his clothes made it clear this wasn't the kind of guy some nerd or piss-wit wanted to meet in a dark alley.

"Good to meet you, sir," he told me. " I'm Yarvick Xelsez...So, you're loaning me an Ancient Burst Heart just to get a Mega Deoxys to blow up basically the whole city to hell, right? That's my role in the plan in a nutshell?"

"No need to be formal," I told him, really feeling 'sir' was something only rich, snooty bastards liked to use. "Anyway, yeah, you got it, that's the plan. I have no idea how you managed to get a hold of Deoxys, but hey, it doesn't matter to me."

I reached into my pocket and took out the Ancient Burst Heart. Sure, getting this thing from Hayes had been a total pain in the crotch to get, but Yarvick was in an obviously better position to make way better use of this thing considering he had a legendary under his command and I just didn't. Tiantus himself confirmed this Deoxys was authentic, so I wasn't about to waste time seconding guessing that over nothing. Yarvick was in a unique position to make mayhem more possible and I could easily roll with that.

"Simple orders, really," I told Yarvick, handing him the Ancient Burst Heart. "Unleash all hell on these maggots. As Mega Deoxys, you open up with the first strike on the tower when I give the command. The trinity armada will then follow up with the bombardment once we've assessed the damage from the first strike. After that, it's all about mowing these worms down like hay."

Once it was in his hands, I gave him a grin.

"And most of all..." I told him, patting him on the shoulder. "...have fun with this. Now get out there and enjoy yourself."

I then headed to my battle-station. Goldenrod City was drawing closer and closer and already the rain was starting to come down.

Time to light this place up.

---

Janine "Angel" Price
AMS Deathwing deck, Coast off of Goldenrod City, Johto
Affected RPers: @The Nonexistent Tazz

Wow, things were definitely getting hot and spicy! I felt like I hadn't been outside for weeks, so it was nice to breathe in some open air again! It was raining a bit, but hey, a little water never bothered me.

I had to give a lot of Team Aqua grunts the two-minute intro to Chimera mutagens as I brought the computer and the cart on deck. I swore, I felt like a salesperson, but I was getting better the more I did it! But in any case, some Aquas weren't too convinced while others got a little intrigued.

"You can totally make a Chimera form with any Pokémon!" I told them, making a quickie that just about anyone would like. "Here, try this Charizard/Salamence/Weavile one!"

The grunt looked at it, a little doubtful, but I managed to convince him to try it anyway. When he transformed into a hulking blue dragon with Weavile claws and quills totally perfectly, the other Aquas around were pretty impressed. He looked like he couldn't wait to start tearing stuff up!

"Holy crap, how did you-?" One of them asked, totally baffled!

"Hey, I'll share the details later, but I think they're about to start pounding stuff any minute!" I told him, knowing obviously they were going to blow up something in Goldenrod City to the high heavens. "And don't worry, you guys will totally be able to change back to normal after the battle's done. That's... if you even want to!"

A small line was beginning to form at the machine, but in the meantime, I saw Yarvick talking to Neo on the deck. I wasn't sure what exactly was going to go down, but I knew with these guys, it was usually all fire and mayhem. And a whole lot of fun doing it!

I looked back to the Chimera generator and it seemed like most of these guys were picking out some pretty tough Chimera forms that I knew could easily make whoever was on the opposing side just totally crap their pants! The peeps that weren't so convinced in the beginning were suddenly drawn in when they saw the Chimera mutagens were totally working and were totally beefing up the infantry. It was a lot like kids discovering the awesome power of ice cream for the first time!

Shortly after, the ships came to a stop, a nice safe distance away from the burning barbeque that was to be Goldenrod City in a few minute. I had to say, Harper Tower definitely seemed to be the target considering the way all the guns on the ships were staring down on it. Even the Liquidator looked like it was ready to turn the place into the building equivalent of ground beef!

"Alright, Yarvick," Neo told him, pointing his finger toward Harper Tower. "Rip them a new asshole!"

You just had to love how these guys trash talked!