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Post by Banshee on Nov 30, 2023 7:07:54 GMT -6
Nox’s face fell when his weapon was torn out from his hands. Disappointed that he wouldn’t have been able to tinker with it and make it his own, all he could do was turn to Mark with a sigh. “Okay...Then I’ll make a slingshot or something to launch my potions or what-have-nots at enemies. You uh...definitely do not want me to throw them, that’s for sure.”
Ikuki mentioned a bow staff. “Oh? I haven’t used one of those before. That would be kind of neat, actually!” He clapped his hands together. “I’ll uh...have to see if I can actually make one or not. Not sure.” Then his hair was ruffled and he smiled at her.
Tex may not have shown it but she did actually appreciate the calming tone that Mark used, rather than scream and yell. “Understood.”
“Tex...” RJ said as he quickly snuck over to her. Resting a hand on her shoulder he continued; “You better be good. No more calling them Organics because you know their names. Got it?”
“Understood.”
“You can say more than that.” He narrowed his eyes at her, thinking that she was being wise with him.
“I understand to not address them as Organics but by their actual preferred names. Such as the same for me.” Tex said a bit flatly. “I will also refrain from causing trouble.” Then she shrugged his hand off of her as she didn’t want to be touched. Tex however, wasn’t mad at RJ for doing this but wanted to treat everyone as equal. If Nox and Mark couldn’t pat her shoulder, neither should RJ.
Jasmine’s eyes narrowed when he confirmed that Nox was his brother. A part of her didn’t want to believe it. The little guy had a French accent and Mark did not. Plus their skin tones and hair color...and the fact that he had dragon ears. The list went on. But she just accepted it when Mark hugged Ikuki and Nox’s shoulders.
“Well, I hope you lot have a good and safe travel. As I said, there’s food and water packed away in there for that trip. It’s going to be hot and boring. Hopefully you won’t see any raiders or any sign of enemy robot activity.” Jasmine sighed. “Stay safe.”
Tex quickly turned away from the group and led them to the vehicle. As she attempted to be polite, she opened the doors on both the driver and passenger side. Then when it came to Nox, she simply opened the back door for him and watched him struggle with trying to hop in. Knowing how high the vehicle was and how small he was, she actually helped him get up into it.
Once inside, Nox was amazed with how clean the interior was. “Wow...they really worked hard on this last night.”
Tex sat beside him and shut the door. However, she readied her weapon as a precaution for any sort of possible danger once they’ve left. She had no intention on using them against the three individuals that accompanied her. “Jasmine mentioned that we have a huge team. Her best team was the one that returned last night and they were the ones that took care of everything. I did the interior cleaning. My sensors detected a foul odor which I could only presume was an Organic that didn’t bathe, who drove it last.” She paused as it dawned onto her that the trio and Jasmine were the last ones to use it. “...Before you three.”
“Yeah, it did have a pretty bad odor in it.” Nox admitted. “Smells nice though, you did a great job!”
Nox then flailed his legs out of enthusiasm. “This is so exciting! I’m going on a real adventure with actual danger and things to investigate! I even brought a few empty books with me so I can scribble down information as I learn and encounter it!” He pulled out one of his journals to show everyone. “It’s going to be so fascinating to learn about this area, and hopefully survive it.”
As an act, Tex pretended that she didn’t find his enthusiasm about learning new things to be at all interesting. But the real truth was, she too desired to obtain knowledge about her experiences too. To play the facade, she dully responded with an disinterested; “How wonderful...”
Once they got going, it only took Nox a few minutes before he turned to Tex and asked; “Can I ask a few things about you? Like, why were you made? Why are you so much different from the robots we’ve encountered in the past? Are you a human trapped inside of that body of yours? Are-“
“I am not obligated to inform you on any of your inquiries yet.” Tex frowned at him. “You already understand why I was made, it was explained.”
Nox frowned as Tex really didn’t seem at all interested with talking to him. So he turned back to Mark and Ikuki, as he knew they’d be more happy to speak with him. Especially now that they’re together in person and not over a call. “Mark? Ikuki? Before we go too far and get into any sort of chaos. What exactly are we going into? Like, I understand that the Underground is a place and that both Lux and Dawn are there. But what exactly is it? What are we getting into?”
He also made sure to bring out his book and wrote down; “Thoughts of Underground” on the top of the page. Nox wanted to make sure that he had enough jotted so that, he could potentially weave it into a story at a later date. He’d also make sure that credit is given to everyone that assisted him. After all, he wasn’t doing this alone.
- - - - -
Reese woke up from his slumber. Highly exhausted and irritated. His dreams have been nothing more than a trip down memory lane. Each time he awoke from them, he tried his best to erase the thoughts and return to bed. But with each moment of shut eye, he went back into his memories and recalled moments where Lux was smiling and having fun.
He threw himself against his comfortable bed and glared at the ceiling. “I hate that little rat.” He groaned before rubbing his face rather hard with one of his usable hands. The other, was bound tightly within a cast. Reese was beyond frustrated at this point. “Why am I suddenly dreaming about the little whelp? I hope he gets what he deserves. Little bastard. Hope someone breaks his damn arm, like he did with me...”
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Post by Moe on Nov 30, 2023 11:22:30 GMT -6
Mark shuddered as they entered the vehicle, still smelling the strong odor of blood and gunpowder, but the others seemed to have been none the wiser. "Either you all lost your sense of smell, or I'm having a weird time thing." he said as he put his helmet on, though it didn't seem to help at all. "Weird time thing, then. Got it."
As they left in a cloud of dust, the camp fading further and further from sight, Nox was growing noticably excited about the journey. Mark took note of Tex's response to his questions, and while he wanted to tell her to humor him, it wasn't his place. "We're all still pretty much strangers, Nox. Don't worry, we'll have plenty of time to get to know each other, on the way. Right, Tex?" he looked in the mirror at her.
When Nox turned back to talk to Mark and Ikuki, he was asking some difficult questions. Not that they were particularly hard, but that it was difficult to explain. Ikuki set a hand on Mark's shoulder, indicating that she would answer; "The Underground is a massive city underneath Olympus. When Apollo destroyed most of the planet, a lot of people hid in underground bunkers. As the years went by and supplies started running thin, they started venturing outside and hunting what they could. Over time, Apollo had begun to build a city on top of the small civilization, and with the robot city providing them shelter from the environment, they decided to create their own city, from the ruins of what once was there. Some left the cover of the city to traverse the Expanse, and that's why there's people out here, now. After a time, Apollo decided to install a security system around the perimeter of the city, to keep people from leaving or coming in. Miles and miles away from the city, turrets will pop right up out of the ground and shoot people before they ever even get within a hundred miles of the city. Speaking of, how are we bypassing that?" she said to Mark.
"Yeah, about that." Mark did not want to say anything, at least not in front of Tex, in fear of compromising the mission. "Our contact was able to shut down this specific route. He said as long as we follow the exact coordinates given, they we'll be completely safe from any turret fire."
"You know, I've never met this contact." Ikuki said, suspicious. "Is it one of the avatars? I thought those were out of commission?"
"Not...quite. I just...made a friend within the city, okay? I'll tell you later, but right now it could compromise his identity and our current mission. Until we get that firewall installed in Apollo, I can't risk saying anything that this guy using Apollo, can hear. Sorry, Tex." he shrugged. "I know it doesn't really help you or Jasmine trust us, but if he's able to see your memories for even a fraction of a second, then there's a chance he'll know what I've told you and then the firewall will be for nothing."
The further they drove out, the more prominent the glistening of the giant city was starting to become. The city itself was massive, the size of a small country, and was very easy to spot from a distance. Getting close to the city was the easy part, with the security turrets shut down, but getting to the underground entrance was another story. At least, that's how it was supposed to be. One of the giant boulders that littered the desert, suddenly began to crack open and reveal a turret that was aimed right at them. Mark stopped the vehicle, sensing something was about to happen.
A voice began to crackle on the communication system, for both Mark and Ikuki. The same smooth, cold voice that they had heard a couple years ago, within the avatars. "I'm sorry. I could not hold him back. He ran a diagnostic on why there was a line of turrets that were offline, and repaired them. If I shut them off again, he will know we are working together."
"Shhhi....dangit." Mark nearly cursed. "Okay, there's only a couple more of these, before we get to the underground entrance. I think we can take it."
"Mark, was that-" Ikuki started to ask, immediately recognizing the voice.
"I'll tell you everything, later." Mark repeated, focused on the turret that was charging up to fire right at them. As it did, Mark stopped the projectile in time and reversed it back into the turret at a speed so fast that it actually destroyed the turret. Of course, that much energy nearly caused him to black out, as he slumped over the steering wheel and tried to catch his breath.
Sensing Ikuki was about to say something, he stopped her before she did. "I'm okay. I'm okay, I promise." he panted. "I just...need a minute, before the next one."
"I think the rest of us can handle the next one." Ikuki said with a tone indicating a lot of different emotions. "How many more are there, before we get out of the danger zone?"
"We're never going to be out of it. From this point onward, all of our lives are going to be in constant danger." he turned away from the others, indicating he was about to speak to someone else on the comms. "Hey, can you at least send over a map of which turrets are hot?"
"That can be done. Please be aware that the more time you take disabling them, the more time it gives him, to repair them. You will have to be on your own, after this. He will attempt to access my memory banks, if I help you any further."
"Got it. Thanks. Do what you need to do, to keep him off our backs." Mark said, but the other end was quiet. "Okay. So. I owe you all an explanation, but not right now. We're going to keep going and take out as many of those turrets as we can."
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Post by Banshee on Nov 30, 2023 12:33:18 GMT -6
When Mark addressed Tex, she glanced over to him and noticed him looking at her through the mirror. She had to admit, he was actually correct. The whole journey they’re taking together would allow some time to get to know one another. Understand their quirks. Tolerate their personalities. Maybe even mess with them a little bit. But until then, Tex couldn’t help but be wary about them. After all, they did just meet. “Right.” She said with a small nod.
When Mark went on to explain everything, Nox was all ears. He listened to everything so he could know what to expect next. In a way, he was thankful for whoever the contact was that was offering a hand to them. It definitely made things run a lot smoother.
That was until it wasn’t.
A laser was fired at them and then…it went backwards? Tex watched in awe as this happened. “Interesting…” She said a bit impressed. “You have more tricks to you than you lead on.”
“He’s really talented!”
Tex unlocked the hatch that covered them from overhead. The roof then slid back as she clamped it shut behind her and Nox’s seat. “Sit still, kid.” She spoke to him as she stood upright and looked out at the area before them.
“There’s a heat signature coming to the left.” She warned. But as they got closer, the turret fired a laser at them. Tex then said; “Hold onto your ability until we need it.” She wanted Mark to focus on driving, even though a laser was being sent at them.
Her eyes narrowed as both of her hands began to glow blue. Her left palm fired out a portal right before the laser struck them. Her right hand, opened another portal beside it. The laser went through one, protecting them from the attack, while the other shot it back at the turret. Nailing it right in the canon.
“That’s so cool!!” Nox excitedly said to her. “What else can you do?”
Tex didn’t want to speak to him too much as she was more focused on the dangers around them. But she did hold out her hand before him. In her palm, she held a smaller portal.
“What can you do with this option?” She asked.
Nox looked at the portal before him. He could see another turret, preparing itself for its attack. Quickly, he stuck himself halfway through it.
At first it threw him off. He could feel his bottom half moving but the top half be stationary. A part of him wanted to hurl but he needed to force that feeling down and focus on what he could do.
Clapping both hands together, his mind thought of the most joyous moments possible. One of them, being reunited with Mark and Ikuki. He then slammed his hands down on the dirt and sent a wave of energy towards the turret.
Right as it prepared to fire, thick vines coiled up its sides and tightened its grip on the machine. The more he focused on this, the bigger the vines became. They eventually crushed into the machine, bending the armor. The canon portion of it even bent up. And when it fired, it exploded.
Tex had pulled him through the portal rather quickly. Saving him from the explosion. Then shut the portals closed. “Interesting. Nature abilities.”
“THAT WAS AWESOME!” Nox cheered.
“Keep your eyes peeled. There’s more coming.” Tex warned as she fired another portal out to reflect the next laser being shot. And thanks to the sun being out, the crystals on her head allowed her to use her abilities quite a bit. As long as she didn’t overheat herself.
“Need any assistance with your abilities, Ikuki?” Tex asked once things quieted down for a moment.
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Post by Moe on Nov 30, 2023 13:42:31 GMT -6
As Tex and Nox took care of the turrets on one side, Ikuki prepared herself to take out more on the opposite side. She took a deep breath as she prepared to summon writhing tentacles from the ether, each mass of them erupting from the earth and penetrating the turrets, leaving them in a heap of ectoplasmic goop.
"Gross." Mark had to comment.
"Just keep driving." Ikuki commented back, taking out a couple more smaller ones.
All Mark could do was try to outspeed them before their sensors caught them, but it was all in vain. "I can help, you know. I can stop all of them, I can make them stop existing or send them into the future where their circuits are fried, or-"
"You've already tapped into too much of your power, without any rest! Even a god needs a day of rest!" Ikuki shouted as she destroyed what was hopefully the last turret.
"Then what's the point??" Mark snapped as the runner came to a screeching halt, as they'd reached their destination. "I know I said I wanted to be normal, but I'll never be normal so long as I'm some kind of primordial cosmic force. I can't...have both. I've accepted that. But I at least want to be able to use my powers to help the people I care about, and if I can't even do that, then what kind of god am I?"
He couldn't see her expression through the helmets, but he could feel her giving him a concerned look and about to give him a pep talk. He stopped her before she could start, however. "I don't want to talk about it, anymore. Grab your stuff, we're on foot from here on out." he said, grabbing a couple bags and stepping out of the vehicle and toward a lonely, rusted shed that seemed very out of place.
Ikuki grabbed the last bag and followed after him, still giving him that worried look. "You really don't understand how much you have helped us." she spoke softly and to herself, not through the comms, so he wasn't able to hear her. She sighed and entered the shed, which was empty except for a rug on the floor. "The underground entrance isn't very well hidden." she commented.
"It's not supposed to be." Mark said, lifting the hatch to reveal a ladder, leading underground. "Well, maybe at one time it was. It's just leftover ruins from before the Olympus was built. Now it sticks out, but there's nothing anyone can do about it because nobody ever dares to come out here." he hauled the bags over his shoulder, and started down the ladder. It was dark, and there was no way of knowing what kinds of monsters lie in wait at the bottom.
"This doesn't lead to a sewer, does it?" Ikuki asked as she motioned for Nox to go before her. That way, he'd be in between the two should anything try to attack.
"Thankfully, no." Mark answered "Just a whole ruined city. Just a warning, there's no lights down here since we're still in the outskirts. That's why I upgraded the helmets with night vision, though I'm not sure of the capabilities of the helmet Jasmine gave you, Nox. Just stick close to us, to play it safe."
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Post by Banshee on Nov 30, 2023 15:26:16 GMT -6
Nox wanted to interject with Mark’s claim. When he opened his mouth to speak, Tex quickly placed her hand on his shoulder. When he glanced to her, she shook her head, silently indicating that he shouldn’t be involving himself with their conversation.
Nox sighed and kept himself quiet. He felt bad. He wanted to tell Mark that he was amazing. But Tex was right. This was a battle that wasn’t his to fight. And so, he sat in silence with Tex while keeping an eye out for any enemies trying to snipe them down.
Eventually they stopped abruptly at an abandoned shack. Once Nox got out of the vehicle, he stretched his arms and legs. He then glanced at the world around him. Everything was in ruins and covered in thick layers of sand and dust. Nothing was worth looking at and the sun continued to beam down at them like a hot fire.
Tex handed him his belongings and he slung his bag over his shoulder. Nox then followed Mark into the underground tunnel.
He tapped his helmet but nothing activated. He then helplessly turned to Tex and Ikuki, wondering if they could help him with finding the switch.
Knowing Jasmine’s technology, Tex slid in between them and scanned Nox’s helmet. “It appears that whoever repaired the helmet forgot to repair the connections for the night vision.”
She looked head of them. She could see a decent distance, probably equal to the amount that Mark and Ikuki could see. Tex let out a sigh. There were objects in the way, stuff that Nox would easily trip over.
“Hop on my back.” Tex said to Nox as she knelt before him. She really didn’t want him to touch her but she also didn’t want him to trip.
Nox was hesitant on climbing on. But he did, despite knowing how much she hated being touched. When he grasped onto her, he suddenly felt lighter and taller.
Tex looked to Ikuki. “I will carry him to prevent him from tripping up. I will need your assistance with making sure that no one tries to attack from behind.”
“Thank you.” Nox said to Ikuki and Tex. He then looked over to Mark as he was ahead of them. “Is he okay?”
Tex looked on ahead and simply followed Mark. She didn’t have much else to say other than; “Keep your wits about you.”
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Post by Moe on Nov 30, 2023 18:19:36 GMT -6
Ikuki wanted to answer Nox with a yes, telling him that Mark is just having a moment. The truth was, he had been having these moments a lot, since the boys left. "I don't think he is." she told him. She turned off the communicator that connected her to Mark, so he wouldn't hear them. "Ever since he realized he'd accepted godhood, he's been...indifferent. Distant. Pushing himself to his absolute limits until his body just shuts down. I don't think the title itself has changed him, I think he's just scared and since he couldn't stop Reese from taking you and Lux away, he feels like he has to save everyone."
While Ikuki was talking to Nox, Mark was busy talking to someone else. He was happily listening to her talk about her day, enjoying all the little things she was talking about, since he didn't know when the next time they'd be able to speak would be.
"..And after lunch, Aunt Alex let me hold Sketti!" Tiffany declared, excitedly.
"Spaghetti." Mark smiled, corrected her. "That sounds like...fun." he said; he didn't care for animals, a feeling he could never really explain, but Tiffany did and he was supportive of her love of animals.
"Yeah! He gave me lotsa kisses on the nose!" Tiffany giggled.
He smiled at the sound of her laugh, but it quickly faded as they walked deeper into the cavern and the communication started to crackle as the signal faded. "Hey, we're going somewhere really, really far away now, okay? I might not be able to call you again for a little while, but don't worry. If there's a way to get in touch, I'll find it. You take care of Aunt Alex and Uncle Argaen for me, okay? I love you."
"Okay! Love you too, Daddy!" she said, abruptly hanging up not to be rude, but because she was a child and that's just what small children do.
He stopped walking for a brief moment, trying to compose himself and not let his emotions get the better of him. Ikuki had caught up to him and set a hand on his shoulder, worried about him. "You good?" she asked.
"Yeah." he said, exhaling as he tried to keep it together. "There's no signal down here. I just wanted to talk with Tiffany one more time, just in case..."
"Nothing is going to happen." Ikuki reassured him.
"That's a promise nobody can keep, out here." he said, before immediately realizing how dark and pessimistic it sounded. He held onto Ikuki's hand as the started forward again; "I just...needed to hear her voice, before we lost all contact. I've faced a lot of bad guys as Hyper X, but this? This scares me. I guess it's the whole omniscient thing, but I can't shake the feeling that something really, really bad is going to happen." he confessed as he held tighter onto Ikuki's hand, and she returned the gesture.
"You two okay back there?" he changed the subject, as he called out to Nox and Tex. "Do you have any idea where to start looking for this arena? Did Dawn give you any hints at all, last you heard from her?"
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Post by Banshee on Nov 30, 2023 20:48:20 GMT -6
Nox frowned as Ikuki explained the situation with Mark. “He...There wasn’t much anyone can do with Reese and...that whole situation. Even Joe’s parents fought for us, when we returned. They couldn’t even win against him and there were four of them fighting for us at once.” He slowly glanced over to Mark, watching him carry on a conversation with someone else. Nox couldn’t hear who it was, nor could he hear what he was talking about. But he could see the head bobs and gestures he was making which indicated he was talking to someone else.
“I feel horrible that he feels that way.” Nox said to her. “I know he means well, which is why I try my hardest to make him understand that I see him as someone like...an idol or something. But uh...I dunno. What do you think, Tex?”
It didn’t even take Tex a minute to think of her response. “I have no appropriate response to your inquiry. The way your species interacts, is still a mystery to me. One of which I have yet to understand the concept of.”
Nox sighed. He was hoping that she would have something a bit more useful to say but in all honesty, he couldn’t blame her. It was something that she wasn’t yet programmed to understand. Or if she was, she has yet to grasp it.
He looked back to Mark and continued to speak to Ikuki; “I...just hope when we find Lux and Dawn...He...” His voice trailed off. The thought of witnessing Mark reacting to where the two ended up, terrified him. He knew that he wasn’t going to be fond of Lux’s situation, regardless.
Then when Mark broke off his call with Tiffany, he returned to communicating to the others. Nox didn’t know what to say when he was asked how he was doing. “Yeah...” His voice broke a bit as he struggled to even manage that word.
“We are in acceptable condition...” Tex responded to him with certainty.
“It’s...a bit weird riding on Tex’s back...Considering she hates being touched.” Pointed Nox.
Quickly, Tex responded to his comment with a firm; “I am only carrying you to prevent you from tripping and leaking blood. It is messy and I do not like it.”
Eventually they began to hear the roaring of a crowd, the further they went. There were cheers followed by some boos. Clapping could be heard in a rhythmic session while a muffled voice was trying to explain what was going on. But due to the echo within the tunnel, it was hard to really hear what the guy was saying. But the closer they got to the source, the louder the voices became.
Once it was light enough, Tex promptly set Nox down onto the ground and let him slide over to Ikuki for bonus protection. Tex then readied herself as she and the group neared the end of the tunnel. She was ready to jump and slice any enemies, if there were any.
Then they emerged.
The room was simply a larger part of the tunnel. It appeared that there were workers that were supposed to be working on the tunnel but stopped due to a break, or whatever it was that they were watching on an old tube television. The group of burly workers were surrounding it, cheering as the picture displayed a fight going on between two unknown fighters.
One of the construction workers noticed the group but turned back towards the television to keep watching their show. “DAMN! That was a deadly blow, mate! Right in the kisser he did! Do you think this guy is going to go against the newbie?” The man had a heavy accent and was the bulkiest of the group. Nox also recognized him to be of the same species of Joe as he had scales on his limbs and fiery hair. But unlike her, he had horns and a long tail.
“I dunno pal, but I hear that he’s been tearing through the rosters as of late. I’d be curious to see how this guy does against him. As well as the champion and more veteran fighters.” His coworker, a High-Elf said with a gruff laugh.
The High-Elf decided to really take notice of the group entering the tunnel and decided to speak to them. He honestly didn’t even care that the group of strangers were there. If they were Raiders, the group of construction workers would’ve tried to handle them easily. But when he spoke, he spoke rather kindly to them. “Aye, you look like ya saw a ghost just now. Don’t mind us. We be just workin’ on the tunnel. Uh, just on a break though. So carry on. Keep followin’ the path there. Can’t really get lost.” The man waved his hand on, pointing to the direction the group needed to go.
Curious, Nox asked; “What are you watching? You guys sound really riled up over it.”
“Eh, nothing too new around these parts Mate.” The High-Elf said as he turned back to the television. “It’s something similar to wrestling. But a lot more deadlier! These blokes fight like the dickens. The winner gets a boat load of money and fame. Not sure what the losers do.” He shrugged.
Nox glanced to Mark and Ikuki before he sheepishly walked over to the group of workers. He leaned over to see what exactly it was that was going on. And upon the screen, he immediately recognized one of the fighters. “Hey! That’s Dirk!”
“Oh? Ya know the guy?” The High-Elf asked. “He’s been doing pretty well in these matches here. But I tell ya. One of the other newer rookies is tearing up the place. Got a lot of power within that body of his. Gonna make the whole place shake, that one will. But this guy? His abilities are pretty deadly. Acid. Ain’t likin’ that idea of going against a bloke that can spit acid and burn y’skin off.”
Nox had a feeling that Mark wouldn’t want him to keep watching. So he pulled back and headed back over to him and Ikuki. “Weird...I uh...don’t know...Should we keep going down the tunnel?”
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Post by Moe on Nov 30, 2023 21:34:56 GMT -6
"You guys have money down here?" was the only thing Ikuki could think of, to say.
"To us, money is anything of value. Food, weapons and ammo, supplies, trade. Even shelter to call your own, is a rarity down here." a female voice spoke, with a thick, undiscernible accent. Her face was covered with a mask, but her red eyes glinted in what little light shone on her. She had big wings and a long tail, with a thick black mane that matched her long hair. "To have fame, is to have protection. No scavenger would dare to harm someone so strong."
Mark couldn't help but let curiosity get the better of him, nudging through to observe what was being broadcast. "Curious. How are you able to broadcast signals, down here?" was his first thought, as he studied the arena and the surrounding area.
"We've never questioned it." the dragon woman shrugged. "Assume whoever runs the broadcast station, just syphons it from Apollo's city."
"That's not how television works. There's too much interference for radio, so whoever's running it would have to have a station in the underground, up top, and a satellite sending signals, and Apollo doesn't have any satellites or interest in television. Interesting revelation." Mark said as he sat between the construction workers, continuing to observe the fight on the tv.
"Since when are you interested in fighting?" Ikuki spoke softly, finding his behavior unusual.
"I'm not. I'm interested in who's fighting. Nox, you said Lux was in a fighting arena, right?" he said to Nox, not even turning his attention away from the tv for a fraction of a second. "Do any of you have a map or something, to where this arena is? Or just point us in the right direction, I've seen enough landmarks and surrounding area to get a general idea."
"That's good, because maps are for the rich. To make maps require resources we don't have. We all just...memorize paths." the woman shrugged. "Keep going down the tunnel, until you reach the marketplace. Maybe you could barter for a map, there." she said, taking note of how neat and tidy they all looked, as well as carrying very valuable equipment. "If it were me, though, I would save your supplies for something else. Trade is precious, down here. Just ask around, you'll be able to find the arena easy enough. Just be careful you don't get recruited. You all look like the sort they would force into it."
"Okay, that's all we need. One more question, before we go. Have any of the fighters been a striped guy with a tail, a kid with purple hair, and a dragon?" Mark asked.
"I don't watch this trash." she sneered. "I'm only here to get away from the large crowds of the marketplace. I didn't know anyone was working down here...not that it needs it. The place is a ruin, not much to construct." she said with a shrug. "Though, I do remember seeing a dragon and a stiped fellow. The both of them refused to fight each other, ending in a double loss. Haven't seen them since. Don't worry, they're alive. There's a very strict no-killing rule, in place. They wouldn't enforce that if they just killed the losers."
"Well, that's something. Thank you for your help, uh..."
"Zeera." she told them her name. "Not that it matters. You'll never see me again."
"Yeah well, thank you anyway, Zeera." he repeated.
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Post by Banshee on Nov 30, 2023 22:16:35 GMT -6
“Oh, we have ways of getting channels through here.” The Draygar said to him. “It’s a thing called having ingenuity.”
“Don’t be so smart with him, mate.” Swatted the Elf. “Look, we don’t question a lot of things down here. Things tend to get very bitter if ya ask the wrong blokes. But uh... We kind of snuck into the system and are stealing some of the data being transferred. This kinda thing is illegal outside our little home-I think? So I doubt it’s being televised outside of our little rocky underground abode.”
“I just work with the guy.” The Draygar shrugged. “He does the smart stuff. I do the heavy lifting.”
Then the two males went back to watching the show being on the television. Dirk had won his match against his opponent which was led into a preview for the next fight. There was a massively bulky man that clearly had undergone some serious alterations with his body. It almost made him look monster-like with how massive his muscles were and how brutish he appeared.
While Mark was speaking to Zeera, Nox watched the channel once again. He was trying to listen in on the conversation the two announcers had on the television. Nox was both; hoping to hear about his brother and hoping that Lux wasn’t involved with such a bloody sport.
”Ah Murdock...” The female announcer spoke up as the camera zoomed in onto her and her partner sitting in their booth together. She appeared to be an undead creature of some kind who wore black witchdoctor styled clothing. “This is going to be a heated match because Randy the Ravager is well known for his brutish strength and mine field temperament. The guy’s as scary as they come and the only reason why he fights in these matches is because he loves to shed some blood and beat his opponents to a bloody pulp. But you know the crazy thing is?”
Murdock was a Gargoyle with stone colored skin and black hair that seemed untamed by a brush. He had large wings that folded up behind him and wore tattered clothing. “What’s that Tabitha?”
“He’s going against the Underground rookie.” She grinned.
“Oh man! That’s going to be a match!” Murdock laughed. “The rookie has been shaking up the competition which has been a huge surprise for many of us!”
Nox wanted to see the picture of the rookie, but the two announcers kept talking about how dangerous Randy the Ravager was and how he was going to potentially end the Rookie’s run. He wanted them to go back to talking about the Rookie but they just kept going. Murdock was clearly a huge fan of Randy and just kept it at that.
No longer being interested with it, Nox returned his attention to the others. When he asked to repeat what they were going to be doing, Tex replied. “We’re going to travel into the main city area. Either we’re going to find a map or request for more information about what we’re looking for.”
“Alright...”
“Aw crap, we gotta get back to cleaning this tunnel up.” Said the Draygar as he stood back up and turned off the television.
Nox then followed the group, deep in thought. For some reason, he was dwelling on the fact that this Rookie was his brother. And if it was, it was going to be really bad. Because for one thing. How were they going to break him out of the competition? Why would he be involved?
He felt sick to his stomach and slowed down his walking just a nudge. But this caught Tex’s attention as she then ushered him to keep following the others. She didn’t want him to linger too far behind.
“It is disheartening to know the two construction workers didn’t answer you.” Tex said with disapproval. “I’d ask again but I feel that if we find more competent Organics around here, then perhaps we will get our inquiries answered. Also, Nox appears to be unwell.”
“I’m just nervous. It’s my first real big adventure. I’ll be fine.” Nox snorted at Tex.
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Post by Moe on Nov 30, 2023 22:53:10 GMT -6
As they left, Mark stayed mostly-silent, thinking things over to the point where it was worrying Ikuki. Finally, she decided to break the silence and ask, "What's going on? You're quiet. That means you're thinking. Do you think Nathan and the kids are part of the fight?"
"Yes, but..." Mark paused for a moment. "What's more concerning is how they have television down here. There's a lot of different methods, but radio signals aren't just data they can reach out and steal randomly. There has to be a broadcast station and receiver, and it doesn't have broad range. Plus, antennas wouldn't work so deep underground and with all the electronic interference above-ground. If they're using satellite, then whose satellite are they using and why are they broadcasting into a city underneath the most powerful city on the planet? Internet's not likely, considering the kind of tv they were using."
"Why are you so fixated on this? We need to focus on finding our friends, not why they have tv." Ikuki said, concerned.
"Yeah, and we will, but the fact that they have tv means that somebody is allowing them to have tv, and that brings up the question of why. Considering how big an event this fighting arena is, I'm thinking somebody is using the broadcasts to lure people into joining the fights or to bring in more audience, I just can't make any connections as to who or why."
"Does it matter? It's probably Apollo, using losers to experiment on."
"No, he wouldn't do that." Mark denied the claim, before realizing what he'd said.
"What do you mean, he wouldn't do that?" Ikuki flipped up her visor, so he could see her unimpressed face.
"I'm just saying, he didn't seem to care much about organic life, a couple years ago." Mark tried to talk his way through it. "He seemed...indifferent. He wouldn't set up this whole underground arena just to experiment on people he has no interest in. So whoever is broadcasting this fight, clearly has another agenda rather than just providing mindless entertainment. We won't find Nathan and Lux and Dawn, by just barging into the arena and asking around. If we can make a connection to who's broadcasting the fights in an underground city that shouldn't have any radio or satellite, then it'll be a whole heck of a lot easier to find them."
"That makes sense, I guess." Ikuki shrugged it off. After all, he was right. It would be easier to find the source, rather than just ask around and potentially waste time.
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Post by Banshee on Nov 30, 2023 23:31:08 GMT -6
“He does bring up a valid point.” Tex said in defense for Mark as she didn’t know why he was so willing to defend Apollo. “Artificial intelligence of his level would find studying Organic species as a dull and boring project. As their intellect is normally inferior and more predictable to him; it would be asinine of Apollo to go and create an Underground blood sport for experimentation. Especially one on a species that’s considered inferior.”
“Tex...that’s a bit harsh...” Nox winced.
“I am not meaning to sound degrading to your kind, Nox.” Tex said to him with a firm and informative tone. “I’m simply speaking as if I were Apollo. If I had the intellect like him, I would not be wasting my time on a species that’s not as brilliant as me. Instead, I would be trying to do something else.” She shrugged. “Whether you like or dislike my opinion is all on you. Besides, he did nearly glass the planet.”
Nox frowned at Tex. As much as he was fascinated by her, he also wished that she wasn’t so blunt. But then again, she was an AI trying to learn. “Man, this is crazy...So now I wonder who else has their hand in the pot?”
“That is information that I do not have so I am unable to make a valuable conversation out of it.” Tex said before stopping short. She had noticed that they’ve arrived to the area that Zeera had told them to go. “Interesting. The strange woman was correct about one thing. There are others here.”
Shops were selling shirts and hats with names of the contenders in the event. Civilians were crowding around small televisions and watching replays of old matches. There were small food stalls that sold semi-interesting meals for those daring enough to get some grub.
“Excuse me.” Tex said as she approached a stranger. “May I ask you something?”
“Yeah, what?” Barked the woman who chomped down on a rat-shaped fried dough.
Tex was immediately disgusted by her actions. While she was used to Jasmine speaking with her mouth full, this woman slobbered all over her meal and drooled as she ate. She even made a cow-chomping sound as she chewed away at her dough. Which that sound alone, made Tex’s circuits want to seize and punch her in the teeth. “When is the next match starting?”
“You speak funny.”
“I am a foreigner.” Said Tex.
“You’re awfully weird looking.”
Tex sarcastically said; “And you’re pretty awful. So please, answer my question.”
“Look, the next match is between some young dweeb that came out of nowhere and the hunk! I hope the hunk smashes the kid. He deserves it since he’s been wrecking havoc.” She chomped down again. “Should be already going. Just look at the TV you weirdo.” She then turned away and walked on over to a crowd of people who were eagerly waiting for the match to start.
Tex returned to Mark and Ikuki. “Organics here are disgusting. But I have inquired about the next match.”
“Tex? Why? Why would YOU be interested in the match?”
“Because the one you are looking for is on the screen, right now. The match is already in progress and the announcers are speaking about him.” She gestured to a television screen which had Randy, the big bulky beast of a man and Lux. “He is the one you are searching for, is it not?”
“LUX?” Gasped Nox as he shifted his glasses and ran over to a large screen that was being displayed on the nearest stall. “He’s fighting THAT guy? We need to get to the arena! He’s going to get wrecked!”
“The arena is over there.” Tex gestured. “The massive line indicates that’s where it is.”
“Tex!!!” Nox flailed a bit out of frustration with her. But he had to remind himself that she wasn’t a human and lacked a lot of the social cues a normal person would have. “Why didn’t you say anything sooner?”
“I have no idea what any of your missing individuals look like.” Admitted Tex. “But when I saw his face on the screen, he looked like you. So I figured that’s who it was.”
Nox turned to Mark and Ikuki. “That line is so massive. By the time we get through to see him fight, it’s going to be over. And the guy he’s going against...” He flailed because he knew that the pair were already looking at the screen and understood where he was going with his conversation. “Oh man...I’m freaking out. I’m freaking out.”
Tex was unsure as to what she needed to do to calm Nox down. So she simply placed a firm and immobile hand on his head to stop him from moving around. This action actually confused Nox. “Turn off that emotion, please.”
“Tex...I can’t...”
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Post by Moe on Dec 1, 2023 0:14:38 GMT -6
"Nox," Mark flipped his visor up, not worried so much about identity down here. He set his hands on Nox's shoulders, and tried to sound as calm as possible. "Lux wouldn't have made it this far, if he wasn't capable. You've both got a lot more power than either of you realize. He wouldn't be here if he didn't want to be, he already escaped Reese twice, after all. We'll let it play out and if he gets into any danger of losing, well, you've got me."
"Hey, heard you wanted to get into the arena." a woman's voice spoke, from one of the vendors. "Can't get in there, without tickets. Can't get tickets without trade. I've got a couple extra tickets, if you're willing to part with something valuable. Dunno why someone like you wants to watch the fight, but so long as you've got an offer, I don't much care." she shrugged.
"We don't need tickets, to get in." Ikuki told her. "We're just looking for our friends. Apparently two of them lost, recently. I'm willing to offer a trade, if you can trade us information. What happens to the losers?"
"Don't know. My boyfriend and I were supposed to go to one of the fights. He ended up in the fight and forfeited against a dragon. A freaking dragon. What kind of a fair fight is that?? If I knew where they sent the losers, you better believe I'd be going after them!" the woman snarled as electricity crackled from her fingers.
"Wait. Is this your boyfriend?" Mark pulled up a picture of Nathan, on his phone.
"Holy hell, yeah! Whoah wait, are you his friends??" it finally clicked. "Shit dude, he's told me a lot about you! Name's Beth." she said, not even waiting for Mark and Ikuki to hold their hands out and she just grabbed them, as she introduced herself. "Aren't you like, god or something? Can't you just shut this whole thing down by snapping your fingers?"
"That's not..." Mark was taken aback by several things. "It's recent. I don't really know how it works, yet." he sighed. "Nathan never told me he had a girlfriend."
"Sounds like him. Not gonna say anything unless you ask him, directly." Beth rolled her eyes. "Okay, this changes things. Now, we sabotage the fight!" she said with an absolutely maniacal cackle, as electricity again sparked from her hands.
"Wait," Mark stopped her. "Our brother is in that fight, right now. We don't sabotage anything, until he's safe. After that, we need to find out who's organizing and broadcast this fight and why. From there, we should be able to figure out what they've done with Nathan and my cousin. He might know something. If we can get to backstage or whatever, we might be able to get some answers and get our brother out of there. After that, we'll help you do whatever we can to obliterate this mindless violence."
"Hmmm." Beth thought on that, for a moment. "Deal. But only if I get to blow stuff up." she said with a manic grin.
"She scares me." Ikuki leaned to Mark and Nox.
"Yeah, me too." Mark agreed. "At least she's on our side, though. Now, let's get back there and wait for Lux."
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Post by Banshee on Dec 1, 2023 6:56:19 GMT -6
Once Mark flipped his visor and addressed Nox’s panic attack, Tex took a step back to allow him to comfort the child. She watched in curiosity to see what he was going to do about it. Because it was clear to her that the young boy had an issue with handling his own anxiety and needed some reassurance. And once he started, Nox did actually settle right down.
Nox took a deep breath. “I know. I’m just...worried...”
Another voice popped up which made Tex stand on guard. But the other didn’t appear to have any intentions on starting a fight with them. Ikuki expertly handled the situation. However things got really interesting when they realized a small bit of truth behind one of their friends. Apparently he had a partner and never told them about it.
Remaining quiet, Nox listened to their conversation. He didn’t want to interrupt them nor did he want them to stop. After all, if they could find more people to team up with to locate the missing individuals, then that would be the best for them. And if she was capable of doing more than just that, with them, then he’d be more than happy to have her tag along. Even if she was a bit alarming.
Meanwhile, Tex had no interest with their conversations and turned her attention towards the televised fight. She had to admit, whoever was operating the camera angles were pretty on point. It really did make the fight appear a lot more terrifying and more exhilarating to watch. From what she could see was, the young boy in the fight was poorly matched but seemed to be handling his own pretty well.
There was something ominous about the kid though. Something she didn’t sense with Nox but could see it on his brother’s face. He was far more determined. More focused. There was a sense of a powerful strength behind his youthful face. And as he dodged the hulking behemoth’s attacks with great ease, to only retaliate with a powerful energy blow to the man’s core, she was beginning to grow quite concerned.
If he was going to become their enemy, he was potentially going to become an even greater threat. In just the patterns of how he moved and dove for his attacks, all of them seemed to store some form of negative energy. Whether it be anger or resentment, it all boiled down to some bubbling pool of hostility. And even though he was still young and still had time to divert his path from doing ring fighting, she couldn’t help but wonder what his future would hold.
The hulking beast did land a few hits on the smaller boy. Often times forcing him to lay on the dirt ground on his back. But each time Randy dove at him, Lux always seemed to have enough energy left to roll out of the way and get back up.
Then there was a devastating blow. The fight finally ended and the thoughts were solidified by who the victor was. “Ikuki?” She tapped her shoulder to get her attention. “It appears that the match is now over. They’re communicating with the victor.”
Nox quickly glanced over to the screens once again. His eyes widened as Lux was the winner. “H-He won? W-Wow...” He couldn’t believe that Lux was capable of leveling someone that was practically five times his height and weight. The man was a giant. Lux was only a kid. And that thought, terrified him. He also noticed that a group of armored soldiers had emerged onto the battleground and lifted Randy up from the ground. They then proceeded to drag him out. In a rather, rough fashion. It was almost as if he were a prisoner of sorts and their treatment was similar to how convicts were treated in aggressive facilities.
Tabitha walked over to Lux on the field and held out her microphone to him and his supposed coach that stood behind him. ”Wow! A unmistakable victory!” She clapped her hands and exchanged her glances with both Lux and the tall hooded man behind him. “Rookie! You’re really burning up the place here. Any final words to the viewers?”
Lux was exhausted from his fight and didn’t have any interest with communicating with anyone within the audience. There was a hint of sadness in his eyes as he turned away to face the nearest exit, where a shadowed figure stood waiting for him. When Tabitha insisted him on responding, all he did was give a half-hearted thumbs up. Which made the crowd explode into cheers and excitement.
Tabitha moved the microphone to the Coach that had appeared in the ring to bring Lux back. “Silent, isn’t he?”
“Ah yeah, he tends to be that way. Don’t worry though. He’s going to storm on through the rankings.” The male coach grinned, revealing a quite familiar smile that Mark’s group would recognize. “He’s sure something. I’d like to see a real challenger for him though. Test his true strength against. It’ll be a lot of fun. So whoever challenges him next, better be strong!” And with that, he turned away from Tabitha and followed Lux over to the stranger waiting for them.
“That smile...” Nox gulped. “They’re here too?” He turned to Ikuki, Mark, and Beth. “That’s Jet. No doubt about it. Even in that disguise, I can see right through it. Th-that smile...”
“Ugh...” Said Tex. “Jet’s annoying.”
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Post by Moe on Dec 1, 2023 10:52:48 GMT -6
"Told you he was strong." Mark smiled as he nudged Nox. It quickly faded, however, once he realized Jet was the one training him. A part of him wanted to feel anger that he'd left in favor of the very person that had been haunting him, who murdered so many people all those years ago. It was a confusing choice, but it was Lux's choice. "Okay, let's-"
The sound of booming electricity and cackling could be heard, and Beth was nowhere to be seen. She had snuck off to the back area where the fighters waited for their next battle, and electrocuted the guards. "You're all clear!" she popped back out, motioning for the group to follow her.
"Okay well, you're officially on my terrifying list." Mark said to the crazed woman, but she didn't seem to care. In fact, she seemed rather proud of that. He stepped forward and over the fallen guards, making his way into the back area to find Lux. He was fully prepared to run into Jet, and would turn him to rust if he tried getting in the way.
"I'll stay behind, with Beth." Ikuki set her hand on his shoulder to stop him just long enough to give him a kiss on the cheek. "When everything is all clear, we'll work on demolishing this horrible place."
Mark nodded in agreement, and kept going forward to find Lux. He wasn't sure what he'd say or how he'd convince him to leave, but he was going to try. That's all he could do.
Nox and Tex froze when they realized what had been done. Beth had totally gone off the rails and went on ahead to beat up some of the guards that protected the area where the fighters relaxed. Only VIP members were allowed. But apparently, the group was now considered as such.
Tex noticed Nox taking a step forward, in an attempt to follow after Mark. She placed a firm hand on his shoulder and leaned to his level. “I cannot accompany you in that location. However I do trust that you will be safe with Mark. If you need my help, please give me a call.”
“Thank you.” He said with a nod before following after Mark.
Tex turned to Ikuki and Beth. For once she felt a twinge of enjoyment. The idea of causing mayhem sounded quite appealing. “So where do we start?” She asked the girls.
Nox then continued to follow after Mark, keeping a close eye on his backside. A fear of his continued to nag at him as he hoped that no one would be following behind.
When they traveled through the tunnels they could hear Jet’s voice. He was laughing at something or someone. And when they got closer, they noticed that he was standing outside of a room with Roach. Lux was apparently inside and unaware of their encounter.
Nox froze and looked to Mark. “Mark, it is them! What should we do?”
"They're not a problem." Mark smirked as he made a finger-gun motion at them both, freezing them in time. "Boop." he said as the two froze in place. With them out of the way, they were free to enter Lux's room. He stopped before opening the...well, door wasn't the right word. It was just a heap of scrap metal and boards haphazardly put together, to resemble a door.
"I don't even know what to say, to him." Mark said, still frozen in place in front of the makeshift door. "I don't know how many different ways I can say I'm sorry, or convince him to come back. Especially if he doesn't even want to come back. What if he likes being here? What if...." he paused again, stopping himself. He was being too emotional, too negative. Finally, he exhaled and tried to push those thoughts out, before he lost control and the two robots went back to normal.
He pushed the door open, heart beating rapidly as he was scared and still didn't know how to approach Lux. Instead, he did what he did best, and winged it. "I'm going to have to have some words with whoever designed this place. I'm pretty sure it's not up to code, and this paint job?" he gestured at the rusted walls and ceiling that was falling apart. "Atrocious! Seriously, rust and mold are so last season."
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Post by Banshee on Dec 1, 2023 12:33:10 GMT -6
Nox watched as the two robots froze in place. Mark was certainly getting a hold of his abilities, that’s for sure. And when Mark moved his way towards the shabby excuse for a door, Nox couldn’t help but glance up at the two towering robots as he passed by.
Jet was so unaware of what was going on. He was caught in mid-sentence to Roach who seemed emotionless as normal. When Nox looked up at her, he had a weird feeling roll over him. Something about her just seemed so strangely familiar. Grant it, he was familiar with her trying to attack him and his brother all the time. But this feeling felt…different. It was something that he couldn’t place.
He leaned in closer, trying to get a better look at her face. But the visor that protected her eyes were much too dark and he couldn’t see through them. The only details he could see were, she actually had a face beneath the mask. Why she always kept the helmet on was unknown to him and he was sure she wasn’t so scary. However he was startled when he heard Mark speak from within the other room.
Lux had heard the door open and turned his attention towards it. Shock poured over him as he realized that it was Mark. He staggered back, covered in bandages and minor cuts and bruises. But his movement showed that he wasn’t being hindered by any of it.
“Mark…” he said as he ignored the sarcastic remarks from him. “What the hell are you doing here?” There was a sensation of embarrassment that appeared on Lux’s face. “You…”
“BROTHER!” Nox ran in and attempted to hug Lux. But Lux held his hand out before him, stopping Nox from getting any closer. “No. I don’t want your hug! Back off.”
“But Lux…” Nox’s heart fell at this. “Why are you doing this?”
Lux ignored his brother and glared at Mark. “I…wasn’t…expecting either of you to find me here. Someone must’ve ratted me out.” He then glared at the side. His cheeks hued with a slight red tint as he was both embarrassed and frustrated with this.
“Neither of you should be here.”
“Neither should you.” Snapped Nox. “This place is dangerous. You can die here. And what do they even do to the losers?”
Lux hissed at his brother. “I’m here for my own reasons.” The truth was, Lux actually didn’t know what became of the losers since he was shielded from any attempt of experimentation. “They probably send them packing.”
Nox felt that it was hard to believe his claim. But he looked to Mark in defeat. His brother was still really mad. “Lux…” He said as he turned back to him. “Come on. You don’t need them. You’ve got us.”
“Ugh! Nox! You really piss me off with that hopeful garbage. Stop it. You know very well that as soon as I come back to you guys, they’re going to go after you.” He looked to Mark. “He’s better off with you anyways. At least he’ll be safer. You don’t need to worry about me.”
“But Lux… You’re my brother…” Nox pressed on but when Lux snapped a really dark glare at him, he instantly backed off. He figured to let Mark handle it from there.
“Get out of here.” Lux repeated to Mark. “Get HIM out of here.”
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