[Mari]

Ashe stood outside the makeshift safehouse they'd established nearby the area of previous iteration of the namesake, one hand on her hip and the other idle. She wasn't wearing a smile today, and what wasn't there to smile about? ...Not an enemy in sight, or a single sign of life for that matter. Just the ruined city, free for the picking. No ominous clouds, no screams. Just her and the wide open terrain.

...There was no chance in hell she was going to get away with a steal this good.

The silence filled Ashe with unease. This place was usually crawling with infected. You couldn't go one block without attracting at least a few, if not an entire horde. ...Where had they gone, and why? She slowly began to meander forward at a languid pace, unsure if anyone would respond to her call for aid. She had to find out what was the cause of all this weirdness either way, so... She supposed they could always catch up if they were a bit late.

[Coolshaymin]

"What's wrong, Ashe? Scared of taking on a bunch of mindless minions alone?" Aile commented as she walked around a building. She kind of wanted a little jump on Ashe to spook her a little. She was seemingly completely unaware of some Aile in Model OX attacking them here earlier. She was being cocky but not unaware of the danger. She figured there would be something to assault her on her way here but it was strangely silent.

"Though I guess the quiet is kind of eerie. Not sure that means there is nothing around or something is trying way too hard to hide."

"Still, a good chance to finally work together, right?"

[Deleted]

If Ashe and Aile would stop for a minute...They would hear something in the sky, the sound of someone sounding happy and screaming in delight. "WEEEEEE!" Was the sound the thing in the sky was making, upon closer inspection it turned out to be a young woman...Barbara who crash landed in front of Ashe and Aile, before jumping up and revealing herself to the two. "Good evening robot woman, for it is I Barbara the viking, the only human in this mission so far, so were waiting for someone else before this mission will begin am I right or am I right?" Barbara said as she held out her hand for Ashe and Aile to shake.

Her dirty, red possibly oily hands.

"I am also delightful in helping you in this mission Ashe, for it is what a true viking dose...Along with stealing and destroying villages! Which lucky for you two I don't do."

Barbara said...To Aile.

[Mari]

Ashe just sort of recoiled a bit at the sound of Aile's voice. The smaller girl did a double take, unsure if her eyes were playing some kind of screwed up trick on her. ...Nope, this all looked very real. She spun on her heels to face Aile, a big smile forming on her face. "Aile! You're okay!" she blurted out, rushing to hug the larger girl in greeting. It was almost as if she was worried about Aile or something! ...Wussy. The moment would pass however and she'd release Aile, pulling back slightly. She turned to address Barbara and just sort of raised both brows at the offered handshake. There was mildly dirty and then there was this nonsense. This one clearly did not care enough to even wipe their hands off on their clothes. She decidedly didn't accept the handshake, citing emotional distress at the idea.

"

Uuuh... Nice to meet you too, Barbara! That's the thing, actually. There aren't any reploids around. Usually you'd see at least twenty crawling all over this square, but it's just... empty. I want to set up a little safehouse deeper in the city so we can get an easy foothold for our next mission, but something tells me something must've chased or distracted those infected off. I figure we'll probably find them or the thing scaring them when we move in.

"

[Coolshaymin]

Aile was a little more surprised by Ashe's reaction than she cared to admit. Sure, it could be she was worried ever not seeing her in this destroyed world... But there almost seemed to be more surprise that she was okay than that. Eh, it was probably nothing. "Of course I'm okay! Why wouldn't I be~?" Aile replied cheerfully, brightening past her surprise at Arle's hug. She returned it and patted Ashe a little on the back but let it pass too. After all, looks like there was someone else that got Ashe's message.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Barbara... But I'm Aile. She's Ashe," Aile corrected. That was such a bizarre mixup but can't really blame her too much. They were both cute girls from the same world... Even if she was older and taller. Then again, that may be why she assumed she was running the mission.

"Anyway, that does sound like a good idea, Ashe. Would be good to have this spare territory after all. Probably not wrong on the assumption whatever is scaring the horde off is there too. In that case though we will have to become the reason, huh? I am ready to go set up when you are."

[Deleted]

"Right, Alice, got it!" Barbara said to Aile mistaking her name again as she turned towards Ashe who explained what was going to happen in the mission, mainly setting up a safe house and scaring infected away from the area so setting up the safehouse won't be a problem. "Ok so we, set up the safehouse in case someone randomly gets lost here and scare away those blasted infected, got it Ash!" Barbara said, nearly getting Ashe's name right but only missing one word, she smiled at the two as one of her teeth suddenly fell out.

"Ow." Barbara said as she spoke again. "There's just one...Tiny...Question that I have to say before we begin, it's very important, so important it could be life or death!" Barbara said as she spoke again.

"What's a Reploid?"

[Mari]

"

...It's nothing, Aile. We should get moving before this good fortune passes us by. There's no telling how long this'll last. And Reploids are... people.

"

Ashe decided to pay Barbara's ignorance no more mind than she'd paid their names, one of which she'd actually gotten entirely correct oddly enough. Ashe shifted and took off at a jogging pace into the ruined city. Who had time for a leisurely walk when you were a super fighting robot magical girl? There was ground to cover! Of course, she wasn't exactly sprinting. One could still easily keep up, assuming they had the energy for it. Soon, however, the group would begin to come across bodies. Reploids laid strewn across the ground, violently torn apart by some eldritch force. Their wounds ranged from being frozen and shattered to their bodies simply being disintegrated below the neck. One could see craters where the world itself had buckled under the weight of whatever had caused this mess. Ashe in particular noticed something about the wounds. Some of the damage looked ... familiar? Memories flashed through her mind of countless enemies she'd destroyed, an unpleasant experience to be sure.

"

I think we might be looking at multiple enemies, seeing all this damage...

"

Not long after making this comment, the group would finally come across their first sign of life. Ashe jerked to a stop as a flash of moving pink caught her eyes... A tiny reploid child stood amongst the destruction, just kind of looking out-of-place and anxious. She clutched a doll tightly in her arms, her eyes turning up at the girls as they arrived. She did not appear to be infected, or a threat for that matter, so Ashe approached her. Only, the moment the child noticed her approaching she took a step back and spoke out in a timid tone. "Is this what you wanted, Ashe..?" the child asked. Ashe froze in her tracks. There were so many things wrong with that greeting that she was just sort of stumped for words.

"

Wh-What..?

"

You are being confronted by Alouette. She doesn't seem like she's in any position to be asking questions.
60 HP

[Coolshaymin]

Aile just ignored Barbara's ignorance and let Ashe's answer be it. It's a good enough answer after all and it made things simpler since she was definitely not from their world... Unless she was super ancient which was a little doubtful. Even then, being from a time that far back may as well be another world. She followed Ashe and looked at... quite a horrifying path of destruction as her grin fell to something of a frown.

She noticed that the destruction seemed to correspond with several biometals if she is placing them right. There being that many of them causing this path of havoc could be an issue. Though the oddest part was the sole girl that stood in all the destroyed mess of bodies. Though Aile was forced to blink when she heard the greeting... That question being asked by her to Ashe was not something she understood completely... Especially being asked by her... Let alone she knew Ashe's name... But that could be for several reasons, ones she does not really have a good perspective to get.

"Of course it isn't what she wanted. Ashe wouldn't want a path of destruction like this to happen. Why would she? And what are you doing here? Isn't it a bit too dangerous for you out here?" Aile replied defensively for Ashe. Something seemed to have gotten a little started up. This whole massacure zone did not bring back the best memories for her. Defending Ashe was the only thing distracting her from those memories.

[Deleted]

Barbara looked at the two as they ignored her question and walked into the city, Barbara shrugged and followed the two as she spoke. "Well, into the ghost city we go." Barbara said as she followed the two, however they would soon stop at the destruction in the area and the multiple body's of Repoloids in the area that had some sort of wounds that made Ashe uncomfortable. "Look at all these corpses, they don't look human, are they reploids, do you also think the starvia could of done this?" Barbara said at the two.

As a young girl appeared, asking if Ashe wanted this, sounding like she's blaming her for all the destruction and genocide in the area and acting creepy in general, while Aile defended her, Barbara knew what was going on and she wasn't going to have any of it.

"Wait a minute girls, I seen this before, that's not some little girl, human or reploid, no...Usually when young girls appear alone in a creepy area acting creepy and guilt tripping us there monsters trying to lower our guard, which is what this fake little girl is trying to do!" Barbara said as she raised her axe.

"Ashe's innocent, unlike you!" Barbara said as she slashed her axe at the possible fake little girl.


53z0to0Np_1d20+4(CRITICAL! Mighty Axe Slash! > Little Girl: She'll lose 10 HP from the slash.)

p_1d20+4(^)

p_1d20+4(^)

"If she survives we question her to find out why she's here and knows about you Ashe."1d20+4·1d20+4·1d20+4

[Mari]

Ashe just sort of flinched, recoiling in horror as Barbara promptly buried her axe in the creepy little girl. It burried itself deep too, the blade vanishing right into her forehead. The girl's eyes were wide with abject horror and a blood-like substance began to trail down her face. ...A shrill scream of agony promptly filled the air as the girl pulled back, revealing the massive damage she'd sustained. That was just... barbaric. The small girl dropped her doll and thrashed, quickly covering the huge gash in her face with one hand as she reeled from the pain. It took her a moment to recompose herself, but she never dropped her hand from her face. "C-Croire!" she called out in alarm. Was that the name of her mother? Was that the name of the mother of the girl Barbara had just axed in the face?

...No one responded to the call for aid.

Or at least, that would be Barbara's perception. Aile and Ashe's synthetic eyes would pick up something much different. A large orb of digital data seemed to rise from the girl's body, beginning to hover around her idly. It promptly discharged a blast of electricity at Barbara, which she would perceive as coming from thin air.

((Barbara! Roll 12+ WIS to see the sneak attack coming! The electric ball does 10% damage and stuns if it hits))

Meanwhile, the small girl began to attempt to retreat. She didn't seem to be acknowledging Aile or Ashe as a threat, probably because they hadn't axed her in the freaking face oh my god. She was, however, very slow on her tiny legs and the way she stumbled and wobbled unsteadily seemed to indicate that her wounds were quite severe.

Ashe just kind of glanced at Aile and mouthed out a "what the hell", unsure what to do.

Alouette is unsuccesfully attempting to flee. She's no threat to you. Make sure she never becomes one.
30 HP

[Coolshaymin]

"..." Aile blinked a few times as Barbara... Just thrust her ax into the little girl... Did she really just attack a little girl for no better reason than 'I don't trust her'? They had no reason to believe she was fake, did they? Either way the girl reacted rather expectedly even if it was a surprise she had that power. Ashe was too surprised for action but Aile already decided on a course of action even before the lightning was shot at the viking.


"Wait!" Aile called and made a dash towards the mysterious girl. She made to put a hand to the girl's head to halt her albeit softly to avoid further harm. It may be a bit of a surprise but Aile wanted to determine she was okay.

"You are okay, right? I am sorry about our... ally. She's a viking so I guess this kind of thing is in her blood or something. We do not want to hurt you. Does your head feel okay? Sorry that I may not have anything to help it. All I have is some vegetable with an M on it but I am not sure that would help... Either way, I don't think you should be going anywhere on your own like this," Aile apologized and checked on with concern.

[Deleted]

Barbara realised that the girl that she axed was actually real and not evil. "Whoops, looks like I almost became a murderer...Again!" Barbara said jokingly trying to lighten up the mood after she almost got a little girl killed, however she was surprised to see that an blast of electricity was shot towards her surprisingly.

"Uh oh, I knew she had magical evil powers!"


ljKuljVjp_1d20-4(Ow.)

Barbara was shocked and stunned before falling on the floor.

p_1d20+3(Five turns.)

"Whelp, that was interesting, but I still believe she's evil."

Barbara: 10%
Paralysis: Five Turns Remaining1d20-4·1d20+3

[Mari]

The girl recoils from Aile's touch. She is understandably afraid of the group after that introduction. Literally who wouldn't be? However, she does not attempt to pull free from Aile's touch. Rather. She instead stops in her tracks and listens, perhaps realizing that running was useless? ...It was perhaps odd for a little girl who just had her skull cracked open to be anything less than hysterical, or dead, but to Aile's credit it worked. The small girl shook her head and promptly became dizzy from the gesture. ...Perhaps shaking a broken head hadn't been the best idea. She stumbled forward and dropped her doll, clinging to Aile's leg for support. She definitely didn't seem okay. A moment of silence would pass before she stammered out her first words since the attack.

"Y-YOU TRIED TO KILL ME!" the small girl screamed at the top of her lungs. ...Her tiny, tiny lungs. It wasn't very effective, coming from someone so small. "How am I the evil one..? It hurts..." she went on, losing her voice almost immediately. She began to inch her way around Aile, all while still clinging to her leg, in an effort to hide herself from both Barabara and Ashe, the latter of which still remained silent. What the girl had said was still bothering her. She didn't know that girl. Why would she say something like that? ...She dismissed the thought from her mind for now. It wasn't the time for questions, not after Barbara had injured her so severely.

...

The sound of rubble being crushed underneath someone's boot was heard, drawing Ashe's attention. A blue reploid sporting a somewhat humble design was calmly making their way towards them. He walked with purpose and confidence, with no regard for the dangerous location they were in, before stopping a good dozen feet away. He seemed to eye the group up and down, making quick observations about them before speaking in an authoritative tone.

"...Human, and whatever you two claim to be. You stand before the light of this world, and beside a wanted maverick. Surrender the child in pink so that she may face justice."

...The small girl quickly moves to try and hide from the so named 'light of this world'... and Barbara...and Ashe at the same time behind Aile. She whispered something that sounded vaguely like begging but what exactly she said was incomprehensible.

[Coolshaymin]

"Stop saying she is evil! She doesn't want to hurt anyone! She was only defending herself because you tried to kill her out of nowhere! Maybe you need to calm down and stop suspecting innocent kids for no reason!" Aile called to Barbara in defense of the little girl. They had no reason to think she was evil. The only evil person here was the viking at this point... Ashe still was not responding though... And the kid was hiding from Ashe... Something was up but she highly doubted it was the girl...

Just then, someone that looked... Oddly familiar came into the room. He reminded her of Model X for some reason... The Light part definitely held up especially with that design reminding her of when she merges with X...


"... Maverick?" Aile gave a look back to the girl that was cowering behind her. She said something but Aile could not quite make it out... He sounded more arrogant than Model X, that's for sure...


"I agree Aile. This 'light of the world' seems heavily misguided. I would not call her a Maverick from what I have seen."


"Me too. Let's tell this poser how we feel."


"... Right! Model X! Model Z! Double Megamerge!" Aile called as she prepared to fuse with both X and Z to form Megaman ZX.


"Maverick huh? Something tells me you just aren't very good with kids." Aile retorted, refusing to step out of the way. She was going to defend this kid from this wrongful judgement. She looked to Aile for a moment, but did not let X... And Barbara out of her sight. Surely Aile agrees with her that this kid should be protected, right?

[Deleted]

Barbara watched Aile as she called her out for her attack. "Woah!" Barbara said putting her hand at Ailes mouth. "Let me stop you there and prove how wrong you are by saying this simple sentence, do you know where i'm from?" Barbara said as an evil robot prepared, demanding that they hand the girl over. "Here you can have he---I mean, fine, lets defend her since she could have important information that the villain cant here." Barbara said as she ran towards the villain in question.

Jumped up into the air and attacked.

"Have an axe full of nightmares chump!"


T8T4iHXap_1d20+4(Mighty Axe > Maverick: If hit, he'll gain 10% damage.)

p_1d20+4(Mighty Kick > Maverick: If hit, he'll gain 9% damage.)

p_1d20+4(CRITICAL! Mighty Throwdown > Maverick: If hit, he'll gain 8% damage.)

Barbara: 10%
Paralysis: Four Turns Remaining1d20+4·1d20+4·1d20+4