Echo of Time: Awakening [PG14]~

[DVB]

Diego Vendrix- Keeper of the Monkey Staff of Wisdom
New Arc City Plaza – The Lantern Festival
7:53 PM

Diego shivered slightly as he tightened the grip on his Monkey Staff. He had the curious feeling someone was watching them. He turned around. One face stood out per say. He had a strange inkling though Diego dismissed it as him being a possible thief. "Hey Zuri, we should check out what is going on with the group. We should also stick clsoe together. I have a feeling we are being watched, especially by a theif," Diego told her before he led her to the group.

He took a good look at them. They all looked familiar to him somehow. Hunter, the red-head with the scythe, the blond girl with the fiery eyes, the guy with violet hair... even the upper-class girl... they all looked familiar. He turned to see whether Zuri was with him and if that wierd guy was following them...

He turned his attention back to the group and saw a group of thuggish fellows coming. Diego cleared his throat.

"Okay, everyone needs to calm down and settle down. Look, I am not sure what kind of fight you guys are having, but don't you think its wrong? It's the Lantern Festival. We all need to get along so let's just all let bygones be bygones..." Diego said calmly and peacefully before he looked. "That's odd. You guys have items like my staff..." Diego said as he clutched his Monkey Staff and looked at the scythe.

He then gazed at the thuggish group. "Look, how are we the disturbing the peace? We are doing anything wrong. To be honest, you guys look more intimidating and suspicious than we do. You have no real right or reason to try and detain us so please leave us alone," Diego said to the man as he had his staff in hand like a walking stick.

"Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Diego," Diego said. If he got in trouble, he didn't want Zuri to be taken with him.

[Alliance]

Kessandra Andrews
Twin White Lion Gauntlets
New Arc Plaza – Lantern Festival

Kess blinked at the guy. Big… Bro? Why did that sound so familiar to her? She’d never had a big brother or anything like one, so it didn’t make sense. Tonight, nothing was making sense. Go figure. She decided not to comment, since he seemed just as confused about it as she did. As if it had just slipped without meaning to. Didn’t make things any less confusing, of course.

He introduced himself as Michel, and then mentioned the reason for his wearing the strange boots. The fact that he’d found them three years ago freaked Kess out even more. Everything that happened tonight seemed to point towards the gap in her mind, which still danced out of reach.

Kess shook his hand gently, feeling more than a little awkward. Things were always awkward, it seemed.

"Heh, had to get that business outfit done, unfortunately. Date Stella? Nah, I'm straight as a pin...besides, why Stella when this girl is so much prettier?" the taller girl said, putting on Kess’ shoulder.

"Name's Caroline by the way, but you can call me Carly." She said, and Kess nodded.

Stella Gold – as she had introduced herself – seemed a bit more stuck up, but still kind. Kind to the point of offering to give Kess a makeover, which was a nice gesture.

“Thanks, but no thanks.” Kess said, smiling politely.

She watched Carly vanish into the crowd temporarily, before returning with…

Oh my god.

She was holding a large scythe, and many people of the crowd stared at it – and her – with surprise and fear. Kess supposed it would be a bit intimidating to walk around a public place holding a sharp object. If she didn’t know better – she still wasn’t sure she did – she would have been scared of it. But the weapon looked so familiar, it didn’t seem dangerous.

And when Stella grabbed a golden shield off of her butler, Kess decided inwardly to stop being surprised. Everyone here seemed so familiar and owning objects that were very familiar to her.

A few other people came over, one holding a large staff. Their group seemed to be getting rather big, and still all-so familiar.

And the group only got bigger when a man in black came up to them, inquiring about their ‘sharp toys’ and whether or not they’d been drinking.

Kess inwardly groaned, and instinctively reached a hand protectively into her satchel. She brushed over the gloves briefly, and grew rather tempted to put them on. But it didn’t seem the time.

Stella came to take her by the wrist, to take her away from the group and the thugs in black.

“It’s best not to disobey the authorities.” Kess said softly, standing still, refusing to move. She bit her lip, glancing at the man.

[GoldenHouou]

Michel Lefèbvre
Wielder of the Stallion Boots of Gaia
New Arc City Plaza - The Lantern Festival

Before anyone else could say anything, Carly spoke up. She sounded surprised and seemed to be in a rush to get her point across. She mentioned she had something like Michel’s boots and took off before the purple head could but blink. Huh? Something like, like what? For some reason, the mention of three years ago seemed to spark some thoughts in her. Why? Was there like some secret gas leak or something that made others forget what happened back then too? Or did she actually… have answers?

Michel was so lost in thought he barely noticed Kess shaking his hand or Stella stomping off. All he could do was stare after Carly and wonder what she was going to bring back. Another pair of boots? Did someone play a prank on them both and place the footwear next to their beds just to mess with their minds? ‘Cause if so, that someone deserved a beating, thrice.

Honestly, Michel wasn’t sure what he was expecting Carly to return with, but when her silhouette became visible in the horizon and he realized just what it was she was carrying, he couldn’t but mentally facepalm.

Okay, so he had not expected a freaking scythe.

"Yeah, I just found this thing three years ago too. Not boots, yeah, but...you get it," she said casually like she hadn't just dragged a weapon out in the open during a hundred headed festival.

“Yeah, I get it…not. Carly, c’mon, what’s wrong with you?” Michel hissed, though he didn’t sound pissed. More like… completely flabbergasted. Man, this girl was hot as all hell, but damn it she was a complete idiot. “‘S all fine and dandy if you work parttime for the Devil, but bringing that thing here out in the open’s not cool. Put it away before we get in-“

"Hi guys! Nice evening isn't it?"

“Trouble. Yeaaaah, shit,” Michel sighed, turning to face the men in black. They were asking if they had been drinking and started to inquire what was inside Mr. Mohawk’s case. Oh yeaahh, he was here too. Michel had kind of forgotten all about him, he didn’t have the tendency to remember ugly faces for too long. Even if said ugly faces seem remotely familiar from... somewhere.

“Look around you guys, this is a family environment and you all decide to show up with sharp toys. That's totally fine if you belong to some larp group but understand that at this very moment, due to the special circumstances of this year's celebration, you're all disturbing the peace."

Michel cocked an eyebrow, though he wasn’t sure if it showed from behind his sunglasses.

“’Scuse me? The only ones here with a ‘sharp object’ is Carly and ‘prolly that guy there with his ‘hawk,” Michel said, nodding his head towards the busy lady and her weapon and then at the guy standing a bit to the side. “So that begs the question, have you been drinkin’ tonight?”

Just then another guy burst into the scene with… a staff. What was it with people and peculiar objects tonight? The guy seemed sorta familiar, but Michel quickly brushed it off as imagination. He didn’t know many guys, and the ones he did know would never show up in Larp gear. Except maybe Thomas. Thomas was an idiot.

What the guy said about the men looking more intimidating and suspicious than them got Michel thinking though. He decided to go along with that.

So, turning to the men with a smile, he sighed.

“Look, we’ll get that fake scythe off your face if that’s what you prefer but seriously, we aren’t looking to cause trouble. And neither are you so, how ‘bout you just let this go? See, all these people around us, they automatically assume that scythe’s a fake. Nobody’d drag a real weapon in and brandish it around if they meant trouble. But if you take us in now, these people, they’re gonna get hella scared. ‘They got arrested, o-m-g, was that a real weapon?!’ you get what I’m saying?”

Michel grinned. “Yeah, you’re smart men, you do. You leave us be and none of those people’s gonna think anything bad’s going on. You get us in trouble, you mess up the entire party here. So how ‘bout you scram, we put our Larp gear away and the people here can continue without disturbance. Deal?”

[Agent Tectonic]

Jonathon Varague
Wields the Mystic Sand Scorpion Claw
Lantern Festival

It wasn't too long until the guy, Diego, somehow caught my attention. I didn't think I gave myself away though every time I glanced at everyone huddled together, that. . . feeling washed over me. I started to approach the group as well, yet a bunch of henchmen decided to come and run the party. I hung back enough to stay clear of their attention, yet close enough to overhear what was going on. Turns out, the men-in-suits were trying to arrest everyone present with weapons out; ha, funny. Even if they had any kind of weapons of their own, no one was causing any harm nor could the men overpower the group even if they tried. Unless they too were hiding something.

Thinking it better to assist and introduce myself fully, I sneaked my towards one of the guards and dipped his hand-cuffs and baton without him even seeing that I was there. I almost thought of flicking the guys here for the kicks, but I really wanted to see how they'd react when their goods were gone. I moved on to the second one and did the same, and finally moved on to the third, again with the same procedure. Finished with him, I moved on to the fourth, and this time, I actually handcuffed the guy before he could even move. Adding insult to injury, I finally spoke up, “And you sir, are under arrest for messing with the wrong crowd.”

With that, I disappeared back into the crowd, not before approaching the guy named Diego from behind and whispered, “You're lucky you saw me,” and retreated a bit to stay out of sight, but just enough for me to slightly see and hear what my work had wrought.

[Kiruria]

OOC: Time to reply to this after the longest time...
IC:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zuri, Wielder of the Blue Flame Tiger Bow

As Zuri and Diego walked, they talked a little bit, mostly about small things. Then at one point Diego pointed out that he anticipated something to happen.

"Hmm, before coming here I did have a feeling something would awaken during the festival," Zuri replied, looking over the crowds of people they passed. "Some sort of revelation. I would have thought it'd be something that doesn't happen until the lanterns go up, but alas, fate can be unpredict..."

She paused, apparently for the same reason Diego did. They had come across a group of people holding weapons or other related items, like the bow and staff Zuri and Diego respectively had. The second Zuri saw these people and these items, she felt an elusive sort of connection with them. A feeling that somehow--she had no idea why--she belonged with these people. It was the same feeling Zuri had had towards Diego lately, some sort of new reason for being that much more attached to him. Somehow she instantly knew these people before her were people she could trust with her life.

Yet she held back, pondering this feeling and watching the group from afar. She took a look at her bow once more, and then at the other items, wondering why she suspected a connection between them. But before she could think much more, she saw some thuggish figures heading toward the group. They had seen the weapons these people had, and thus were suspicious. Many of the other wielders tried to convince them thay they weren't planning on using them, but they still looked down upon the situation. Zuri stepped backward when she heard the arguments, and eventually found time to speak:

"Please," Zuri reassured the thugs, slinging her bow back over her shoulder. "We chose to bring these pieces at our own will. And besides, you can't prove we're drunk without a breathalyzer test or something. We merely brought these decorative pieces here to show each other. I understand if other people might feel uneasy around us, but as those others said, we do not intend to use them for harm, nor even for sparring. If you'd like though, we can move somewhere far away from the festival. Is that fine with all of you?" she added to the people who seemed all too familiar to her for some odd reason.

[Chaos War Reborn]

Hunter
Wielder of the Red Lightning
New Arc City Plaza - The Lantern Festival


The towering security guard raised an eyebrow in confusion, as he heard Zuri's explanation for the "decorative pieces". He wasn't buying it but then again, they all seemed like a bunch of teenagers. Giving the boy with the guitar case a second look, it seemed they weren't just troubled; these kids were deeply troubled. The man in the black suit reached for his back pocket, ready to make an arrest, signaling to the rest of his team to do the same.

Right before the big "ape" could lay a hand on anyone, a female interrupted, "That will be enough."

A blonde, busty female, wearing square-frame glasses slightly below eye-level stood behind the group of security guards. Her smooth thighs, revealed by a high-cut skirt, drew quite the attention as she made her way to the group. Crossing her arms she stared the group down before fixing her gaze on Hunter, "Well, well, well ... Look what the cat dragged in..."

The lead security hesitated at her very sight; it was obvious she outranked him in whatever operation this was, "Yes, Lady Mildred, we'll stand back in case you need backup."

The one called Mildred glared at the man causing him to gulp, "That won't be necessary, continue your surveillance and do not interrupt."

Second later the group of brutes disappeared back into the crowds.

"As I was saying ... I'm the city mayor's personal assistant; these gentleman are here to make sure his daughter's speech goes as smoothly as possible."

It suddenly all made sense in Hunter's head. Just moments ago the two had met in a confrontation atop an old stairway.

"Mildred ..." Hunter murmured, recalling her name.

The tone in his voice annoyed Mildred who then shot back at him in a sarcastic way, "Yes, Mildred."

"Anyway, on behalf of our fine mayor, I'd like to extend you all an invitation to have dinner with him later tonight during the launch of the lanterns ... " Fixing her gaze on Stella she continued, "It's the least I can do after this whole embarrassment."

Pulling out a set of passes, she extended her hand, "The dinner will take place inside the clock tower overseeing the center stage, floor number 13 ... Should you accept this cordial invitation take one of these and present it to the guard at the entrance."

Hunter snatched a pass from Mildred's hand and was on is way.

Mildred grinned and yelled, "Dinner starts at eleven, trust me, you won't want to be late!"

Hunter simply threw a hand in the air, implying he understood but cared too little to turn around for a formal response.

...

[DVB]

Diego Vendrix- Keeper of the Monkey Staff of Wisdom
New Arc City Plaza – The Lantern Festival
7:58 PM

Diego saw the guy move a bit before noticing the men were all in handcuffs before hearing Jonathon. He was tempting to provide him a sharp jab with the staff, but decided against it. Diego then turned to Zuri when she provided her explanation. Well, considering he went with her, he really didn't mind going anywhere as long as it was with her.

Diego saw the guys were going to try and arrest them. As Diego's mind began racing to try and figure out what to do, he heard a voice and he turned.

"That will be enough."

She looked pretty attractive, Diego will admit though something about the woman... unnerved him. Crossing her arms she stared the group down before fixing her gaze on Hunter, "Well, well, well ... Look what the cat dragged in..."

The lead security hesitated at her very sight; it was obvious she outranked him in whatever operation this was, "Yes, Lady Mildred, we'll stand back in case you need backup."

The one called Mildred glared at the man causing him to gulp, "That won't be necessary, continue your surveillance and do not interrupt."

Second later the group of brutes disappeared back into the crowds. Diego sighed in relief before looking at Mildred. The name was familiar...

"As I was saying ... I'm the city mayor's personal assistant; these gentleman are here to make sure his daughter's speech goes as smoothly as possible."

"Mildred ..." Hunter murmured, recalling her name. Diego turned to Hunter before facing Mildred.

The tone in his voice annoyed Mildred who then shot back at him in a sarcastic way, "Yes, Mildred."

"Isn't that the formal name for Milly?" Diego asked her before he paled. Something was not right about this. He clenched the staff as the name made the situation all the more... tense for him.

"Anyway, on behalf of our fine mayor, I'd like to extend you all an invitation to have dinner with him later tonight during the launch of the lanterns ... " Fixing her gaze on Stella she continued, "It's the least I can do after this whole embarrassment."

Pulling out a set of passes, she extended her hand, "The dinner will take place inside the clock tower overseeing the center stage, floor number 13 ... Should you accept this cordial invitation take one of these and present it to the guard at the entrance."

Hunter snatched a pass from Mildred's hand and was on is way.

Mildred grinned and yelled, "Dinner starts at eleven, trust me, you won't want to be late!"

Diego took the pass after some hesitation. He waited for Zuri to get hers before they began to get going. When he heard that expression of not wanting to be late, he shivered. "I have a bad feeling about this..." Diego commented to Zuri. He was feelign edgy.

[*Jean Grey*]

Caroline McNamara - Wielder of the Valiant Hawk Scythe
New Arc City Plaza - The Lantern Festival

Carly heard Michel scold her, but not before one of the guards confronted her and Hunter, threatening to arrest them. Michel defended her, claiming it was a fake scythe she brought. This gave Carly an idea.

"Heh, as if I'm sooo drunk. Aww... In all seriousness though, this is an authentic movie replica. We're going to a convention later." She lied, her voice mocking, then calm. Now was not the time to run away or panic. Only the guilty ran away after all.

"That will be enough." A voice interrupted as the guard was about to speak. It belonged to a blonde, bespectacled female, who was later addressed as "Mildred". She then allowed the guards to leave. Carly looked at her. Somehow, she recognized the face but at the same time, she did not. Mildred then introduced herself as the mayor's personal assistant.

"Mildred ..." Carly heard Hunter murmur, to which Mildred confirmed sarcastically. She then said the most random thing, at least according to Carly.

"Anyway, on behalf of our fine mayor, I'd like to extend you all an invitation to have dinner with him later tonight during the launch of the lanterns ...the least I can do after this whole embarrassment." She said, taking out eight passes. Carly gave her a look, before taking one of them, looking at it and flipping it over. It seemed to look pretty legitimate.

Mildred then reminded them that the dinner started at eleven, to which Carly shrugged. Perhaps there was going to be good drinks anyway. She then faced the others.

"So...what do I do? Yeah, that was pretty stupid of me. To bring or not to bring?" She asked, still holding the scythe.

[Alliance]

Kess Andrews
Wielder of the Twin White Lion Gauntlets
New Arc Plaza – The Lantern Festival

The rest of the group quickly began defending their strange items, ranging from scythes to staffs. Kess felt a bit out of place, with her gloves still tucked away in her satchel whilst the others had gear in full view. Her hand, still in her satchel, twitched slightly. She quite wanted to wear her gloves, but they were dealing with silly policemen here.

Before anything else could be said or done from either side, a female voice said, “That will be enough.”

Kess glanced up in surprise when a woman walked up; arms crossed, and staring down the group. Kess felt a little scared under her gaze. And it seemed so familiar to, as if she’d been stared at by this woman before. But having not really been involved with any matters of this sort, she guessed not.

“Well, well, well… Look what the cat dragged in…” the woman said, in a tone that gave Kess a feeling of dread. Tonight was looking to be a little worse for her than she may have initially intended.

The guy who seemed be the head of the security hesitated, as if her very presence scared him. “Yes, Lady Mildred, we’ll stand back in case you need backup.”

Mildred glared at him and made the man gulp.

“That won’t be necessary, continue your surveillance and do not interrupt.”

Within mere seconds the men had already faded back into the crowd, no longer really easy to see. It relieved Kess slightly, to no longer have large men in black staring her down asking about sharp objects and drinks.

“As I was saying… I’m the city mayor’s personal assistant; these gentlemen are here to make sure his daughter’s speech goes as smoothly as possible.” Kess supposed that was fair enough. She seemed relatively reasonably, but still scared her.

“Mildred…” Hunter murmured, seeming a little out of a character. She supposed she couldn’t judge, she’d only met him a few moments ago.

“Yes, Mildred.” Mildred shot back, in a sarcastic tone.

“Anyway, on behalf of our fine mayor, I’d like to extend you all an invitation to have dinner with him later tonight during the launch of the lanterns…” she fixed her gaze of Stella – why, Kess didn’t know – before adding, “It’s the least I can do after this whole embarrassment.”

She pulled out a set of passes and extended her hand. “The dinner will take place in the clock tower overseeing the centre stage, floor number 13… Should you accept this cordial invitation take one of these and present it to the guard at the entrance.”

Hunter snatched one and went on his way, an act which nearly made Kess smile.

Mildred grinned and yelled, “Dinner starts at eleven, trust me, you won’t want to be late!”

With a little hesitation, Kess took a pass. “Thank you.” She said politely.

Carly and Diego both took a pass. Carly – still holding her scythe – turned to them.

“So… what do I do? Yeah, that was pretty stupid of me. To bring or not to bring?” she asked.

Kess considered it. She felt like their strange items were incredibly important for what was coming ahead, and it was a feeling she couldn’t shake. They couldn’t afford to not have one, right?

“Keep it.” Kess said softly. She smiled slightly, adding, “Though maybe don’t brandish it as if you’re about to hurt someone or something.”

[Chaos War Reborn]

Hunter
Wielder of the Red Lightning
New Arc City Plaza - The Lantern Festival

Armed with only the broken memories of what once was, Hunter proceeded away from the crowds, approaching the entrance to the city's ominous clock tower. He looked up, snowflakes gently touching his cold face as they dropped from the heavens. A drop of sweat ran smoothly down Hunter's cheek, the tower seemed to go on forever but that wasn't possible. Shaking his head in slight confusion and breaking from thought, Hunter gripped the leather strap of his guitar case as he noticed the guard up in front near the entrance. Hunter wasn't the type to trust strangers so easily. Even if there was any true to Milly's words, who was to guarantee him that the mayor wouldn't flip out upon seeing him walk in for "dinner", after all his appearance was anything but approachable. Hunter wasn't certain of what awaited him on the thirteenth floor. He had to get there but he wasn't about to just walk in even if he was invited.

"..."

The room on the thirteenth floor was well-lit and decorated for the festivities, golden drapes covered the window facing the center plaza. At the center of the room was a rectangular table made of wood of a gloss finish with empty seats abound on both sides. She sat directly across from him, tapping her foot impatiently on the floor, arms crossed and her back defiantly straight. The man looked her straight in the eyes, making her glare at him for a brief second before tilting her head in submission and averting her eyes away from his.

Leaning his elbows against the table top, the man menacingly crossed his fingers and finally spoke.

"If you want me to keep my end of the bargain, they better show Mildred."

The man sitting directly in front of her was the city Mayor. No one seemed to recall how he was even elected or when but people somehow didn't question it. Her name was Mildred, known to some as simply "Milly". She was once a terrifying foe with destructive powers but now only an empty vessel of her former dark-self. A girl who once made a deal with the devil himself, Raseo. Once upon a time, in a world of a different future, she had faced Seya and her Guardians of Light but was bested.

The busty twenty-four year old blonde closed her eyes in slight dismay as she got up from her seat and proudly walked toward the window. Pressing her right arm dearly across the generous cushion of her chest, she moved the drapes with her left hand and looked down the window, spotting a boy sitting on a bench near the entrance. Hunter, she thought.

"He ... no, they have no choice but to come. Their frail minds hunger for the truth. They are empty souls living a lie," a genuine look of regret and torment engulfed Mildred's expression, "a truth you think is real, that pounds away at your very existence but you cannot know it's all fake ... or that ..." Thinking of the those two she saw earlier, the boy who hid in the shadows and the girl with the attitude, or that you are dead.

Determined, Mildred turned to the mayor and reassured him.

"They will be here, Jago."

"..."

Hunter felt he was being watched. The young renegade felt that way 99% of the time. It was weird for him not to feel stalked. He had found a bench near the entrance, far enough to avoid attention but also close enough to notice anything unusual. His eyes shifted across the various parts of the building, looking for an alternate way in. He pulled the pass from his pocket and studied it for several seconds, the others shouldn't have a problem getting in with this, he thought. Crumbling the 3 x 5 card, he tossed it aside and got up. By law, these types of buildings had a set of stairs on the side. Similar to apartment walk-ups, he'd take the fire escape stairs up to the thirteenth floor.

Hunter flung his guitar case over to the first level of stairs. The walk-ups were inaccessible from the bottom without first dropping a steel ladder from the top. Kicking himself forward off the brick wall, Hunter caught onto a metal bar, this is military pull-ups all over again, he thought before pulling himself up onto the walk-ups. Hunter picked up his guitar case, strapped it back on and made his way to the top, 1, 2, 3 ... 9, 10, 11 ... , he counted in his mind before gasping in disbelief as he approached the top and final floor. His eyes widened in shock.

12! There's no 13th floor!

Hunter looked for the nearest window to break in. Making a fist Hunter threw a punch straight at the window but was repelled by a powerful force field that knocked him off the walk way entirely.

THUD!

Hunter crashed face first against the ground, his body sinking into the deep layer of snow. Normally, a man falling 12 stories would be no more than a gory splatter but Hunter had secrets. He wasn't entirely human. Lifting himself up, Hunter shook his head and then came to the realization that he did off with the only thing that could get him in. Now back on the bench near the entrance, Hunter waited. Hunter ran his hands down his freezing face in disbelief, tonight is gonna be a long night, he dreaded. His only hope was tagging along with one of the others.

"..."

Objectives:
* Make it to the 13th floor
- Only way in is through the entrance
- The first floor has a set of elevators containing numbers B1 - 13
- There is also a stairway connecting floors 1 - 13

* Meet with Milly and Mayor Gilford
- A servant right outside the door to the dinner room will escort you inside

Optional:
*Talk to Hunter

*Break into floor B1
- Only way in is through the elevator
- Elevator opens up to an eerie, completely white corridor leading up to a red metal door
- So much as stepping into the corridor will trigger an alarm

[Kiruria]

OOC: Because I am a bit pressed for time right now, I won't even bother recapping too much...
IC:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zuri Watkinson
Keeper of the Blue Flame Tiger Bow

Like the others in the group, the mayor's daughter also gave Zuri an odd feeling, as if she had somehow seen her before. But it was a bit different than all the others--a complex mix of feelings, and she had no idea why she was feeling them. Diego was mentioning how he had a bad feeling about her, and somehow she understood why that was. However, she had no idea why she understood why that was. Where has Zuri seen Mildred before? When Diego said "Milly", though, Zuri could faintly remember something... A feeling of something like hope... or even remorse. Perhaps it was a figment of whatever feeling Zuri had felt towards her when last they met in whatever dream or something Zuri could have last seen her (and possibly all these other weapon-wielders) in.

"Hmm, I do not get that feeling at all," Zuri replied to Diego with regards to "Milly". "I do feel as if I know her from somewhere else, but it doesn't seem like there is anything bad about her. Perhaps she is merely misunderstood. As for the dinner event though, that may very well be suspicious. Especially since most buildings don't have a thirteenth floor for superstitious reasons. Perhaps if we're lucky the building's thirteenth floor will be located in the magical realm. But so long as we don't end up in some secret jail cell for weapons possession, we should be fine."

It did seem a bit odd to her why Mildred would suddenly invite these people to dinner though. Zuri's only guess was that it had something to do with the fact that these other people seemed so familiar to her as well. In fact, they seemed very close, as if they all shared a secret magical bond. Perhaps a type of bond produced only by the hands of destiny, even... the same went for Mildred and the thuggish guy with the guitar case as well. And as for the dinner itself, she thought of something else:

"Everyone, just be careful," Zuri announced to all the others, just after Mildred and her accompanying authority figures had left. "These invitations say the dinner is located on the 13th floor. Most public buildings don't have a 13th floor, for supernatural reasons. Who knows, perhaps if we're lucky, we'll be dining in the magical realm."

She paused, as just then another thought came to her.

"By the way, do... I know we all must have met somewhere before, but I'm not sure where. What are all your names--maybe that will ring a bell? Mine is Zuri, by the way, if that rings a bell for any of you..."

She felt a little embarrassed saying the last part.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
11:00

Now, with a silent determination, Zuri entered the mayor's place and started heading for the elevator (as there was no way she could ascend all twelve flights of stairs without running out breath and/or cramping up her legs), inviting Diego to follow her. When she got there, she discovered to her mild surprise that there was in fact a thirteenth floor. In fact, that was the highest floor listed. Perhaps either the mayor didn't believe in superstition, or something even fishier than she initially expected was going on.

As Zuri headed to the elevator, the lingering thought on her mind was of the ongoing emptiness she had felt in her heart ever since her grandmother died. Ever since then, she felt as if she was just a jellyfish--a ghost of a jellyfish--floating about in the ocean, going wherever the tide carried it. She had no real direction in her life, no real purpose, just wandering about without any real connection to anything. That is, until now, now when she came to this lantern festival with her mysteriously-attained bow in hand, now when she met all these people who seemed all too familiar to her. And that was the true reason why she was not worried about what would happen tonight. If nothing else, she felt as if she was finally going somewhere now, that from now on her fate rested in that bow that appeared on her bed one morning. Somehow... and she would wait to figure out how.

And then she looked at Diego. Ever since about the time she graduated from high school, she had recognised an unusual sort of connection with him, something that suggested they had traveled along some other path together. This she noticed whenever she met with him, and she often wondered about the nature of this connection. Yet now, she was feeling this same connection with the other weapon-holders who had been invited here. Then, this special connection was probably not merely a hidden romance, but something possibly much deeper...

And thus...

"Shall we take the lift?"

...was the only thing she decided to ask him then, pointing upwards as she said it.

[DVB]

Diego Vendrix- Keeper of the Monkey Staff of Wisdom
New Arc City Plaza – The Lantern Festival
11:00 PM

"Yeah, unless the magic is by someone evil," Diego said as he smiled to Zuri. Her presence reassured him and made him feel at ease. However, he looked around. For the first time, he felt something was off. He was paranoid. Ever since he woke up and realized DX was gone... Something like that doesn't go away...

Not by normal circumstances...

He remembered one of his TVTropes binges some time ago. He recalled looking up the Lotus Eater Machine. It was interesting, thinking things could be a dream.

Diego just followed around Zuri until they had to head for the dinner.

"Zuri... something is wrong. I can feel it. Something is not right..." Diego muttered to her. He had a firm grip on his staff.

Diego Vendrix- Keeper of the Monkey Staff of Wisdom
New Arc City Plaza – The Lantern Festival; Strange Building
11:00 PM

Diego looked to Zuri and wondered what she was thinking. Knowing her, probably the strange going-ons. He didn't mind if they were eating in the domain of magic, but he felt that if it was the case, it would probably correlate with the bonds and the omens he felt.

He also knew he was thinking of her grandmother. Diego did meet her before she died. She was a nice lady. She did say for him to take care fo Zuri and winking at him. Diego was red for a while. She was one of the few to catch on to the secret feelings he held for Zuri.

Diego looked at the elevator and then the stairs. "Hmm... Why can't we go to the basement with stairs?" he muttered before he looked to her.

"Shall we take the lift?"

Diego just nodded though he stopped her from entering. "Zuri... something is not right here. I feel like... something bad is going to happen," Diego said as he looked at the elevator and around the building. He saw outside the window, it was...

"Hey its Hunter!" Diego said before he called out to his friend. Diego considered him a friend at least.

[Chaos War Reborn]

Hunter
Wielder of the Red Lightning
Clock Tower

"Diego," said Hunter as he approached the boy and his companion, Zuri, placing his hand on the window carefuly so as to avoid being knocked back by the invisible barrier. "The entire building is guarded by very powerful magic, it's virtually impossible getting in from the outside without going through the main entrance. Also, there is no thiteenth floor. I don't like it one bit."

"Hang on, I'm going in ..."

"..."

I walked right around the corner toward the main entrance, guarded by a big ape much like the ones we encountered earlier with suit and the whole thug security attire. The man looked down at me, expresionless with his arms crossed. I could knock this guy the **** out but not without tripping alarms. Zuri and Diego were inside so I wasn't going to take the risk, I'd have to try something else entirely.

"My ..." I hesitated, " ... my friends just walked in, they have my pass so if you can step aside, I'll be on my way. The mayor is expecting me..."

The man leveled his face just inches away from mine and glared at me. "You're friends, huh?" he said. I wiped my face, this guy sprayed more than he actually spoke. I smirked at the thought of driving my fist right through this man's chest, it scared me that I enjoyed such violence. I couldn't help but think I was a ticking bomb. I was an imminent danger to all fo them. Why did it matter though?

Prior to today, save for a few, I had never even seen a couple of them much less met them personally.

I was losing my patience and the result wouldn't be in peaceful terms but I calmed myself. "I don't have all night, will you let me in or not?"

"Heh, sure I'll let you in punk," he taunted.

I walked just a couple steps past him, stopped and turned my head to the side, catching him off the corner of my eye.. You will be the first to die tonight, I promised him.

"..."

Hunter reunited with Diego and Zuri who waited by the elevator. On their way up, Hunter stared at Zuri. She was talented in the Mystic Arts, this much was clear by the sheer mystisicm of her presence. Hunter suffered from horrible nightmares. Often times he'd wake drenched in sweat and panting heavily, thoughts of burning cities and wailing souls racing across his mind. He thought she perhaps could perform a cleansing. Little did Hunter know he was or rather had been cleansed from his sins by no other than the Goddess of Light herself, Seya.

What Hunter experienced were artificial machinations birthed by the twisted mind of a powerful being. The soldier of solitude shook his head at the thought of asking for help. He would never admit to needing from others. He leaned back with his eyes closed and crossed his arms, patiently waiting for whatever waited on that floor.

Ding!

The elevator door opened. Hunter, Zuri and Diego were greeted by what looked to be the most submissive butler ever, suggested by how he bowed his head, it was slightly disturbing. The servant walked them to the great dining hall where an impatiant mayor waited along with his busty assistant, deadly in both looks and combat. They walked in to a room with a large dining table. Radiant silverware and seven golden chalices lay spread on the table next to the plethora of food.

"Welcome! Please take a seat, I insist!" he said.

Hunter pulled a chair and paused for a second beofore taking a seat. He was unnerved by how much tension there was in the room. It was evident that the tension was there since before they arrived. Questions popped into Hunter's mind, she looks disturbed but why?, he thought.

Mayor Gilford was old and heavily worn out physically, grey hair and wrinkles abound. The dark bags underneath his eyes suggested a man who was poorly rested.

A wide smile formed on the mayor's face as he took note of the time on the clock, "Ah! It's almost that time! My daughter Ayes will be giving the ceremonial speech for the release of the lanterns."

And then, gradualy lowering his voice in a completely ominous manner he said, " ... She will be joinning us shortly," his eyes devoured Milly with desire, " ... my fine assistant here will go fetch her as soon as she's done, right Mildred?"

Milly didn't so much bother answering or even looking up at him, she was busy toying with a sharp knife, seamlessly passing it between her fingers. Hunter took note, making him grip the leather strap across his chest. None of this was right. Things would blow up. Quick. The tension was so heavy Hunter could swear he was having trouble breathing.

And then Milly spoke. It was difficult to take her seriosuly because of the way she said it, calm and poise.

"It's a trap, the drink in your chalices, enough poison to kill a thousand people, I put it in there myself."

The mayor's eyes widened as if he couldn't believe what had just come out of his assistant's mouth. No, he refused to believe.

"Mildred! What the hell are you talking about!" he said as he quickly got up, slightly panicked.

"Cut the act, Jago."

Suddenly, the mayor took on a completely different attitude, pure evil. He gripped the table and began to laugh maniacally.

"Hahaha! You really think it makes any difference?", he pointed at Hunter, Diego and Zuri, " ... these poor bastards have no idea what's going on!"

Milly calmly got up from her seat, brushed off her skirt and then visciously flung the knife straight into Jago's right eye. The knife plunged deep into his eye.
Everything happened within seconds, leaving a confused Hunter wondering what the hell had just happened. He stared at Milly in disbelief who then spoke directly at him.

"Hunter I suggest you block lest you want a horn jammed straight into your chest ..."

Huh?...

Without thinking much about what she had just said and acting solely on instinct, Hunter quickly pulled out his guitar case and held it in anticipation of a lethal blow. A fraction of a second later and a set of horns rammed straight into Hunter's guitar case, effectively shielding him from the blow. Hunter quickly clicked the case open and grabbed a giant lance, black like the night itself, before backflipping into a safe margin.

"I'll kill all of you!" shouted a monstrous figure resembling a minotaur.

"Zuri! Diego! Find the others! You must destroy the three beacons spread across the three districts! It's the only way to restore things to how they should be! I'm not making much sense but you must trust me! The real enemy will be revealed but you must find Ayes and destroy the beacons! Whatever you do, do not let her out of sight! Hunter and I will take care of Jago! Now GO!!!"

" ... "

[DVB]

Diego Vendrix- Keeper of the Monkey Staff of Wisdom
New Arc City Plaza – Clock Tower Top
11:00 PM

"Diego," said Hunter as he approached Diego and Zuri. "The entire building is guarded by very powerful magic, it's virtually impossible getting in from the outside without going through the main entrance. Also, there is no thiteenth floor. I don't like it one bit."

Diego paled. This confirmed his suspicions. Something was going down. The artifacts, the memory loss, the supernatural happenings, the deja vu and now this. "Something tells me this is all connected to that memory..." he said. And me losing DX. he thought to himself.

As they all went to the elevator, he wondered what was going on in Hunter's mind though probably the same. He couldn't help but grip Zuri's hand. He was nervous and the action calmed him. "...Sorry," Diego said as he let go, a blush on his face.

Her hands are really soft... he thought.

He then saw they were on the mysterious floor 13. He felt his heart pounding and the grip on the staff tighten.

He had a really, really bad feeling.

The elevator door opened. Hunter, Zuri and Diego were greeted by what looked to be the most submissive butler ever, suggested by how he bowed his head, it was slightly disturbing. The servant walked them to the great dining hall where an impatiant mayor waited along with his busty assistant, deadly in both looks and combat. They walked in to a room with a large dining table. Radiant silverware and seven golden chalices lay spread on the table next to the plethora of food.

"Welcome! Please take a seat, I insist!" he said.

Diego took a seat next to Zuri and felt something was up. His mind was racing, desperately trying to connect the pieces. It had to do with the missing memories... but what?!

Diego felt creeped out by the mayor and realized something down was about to happen.

"It's a trap, the drink in your chalices, enough poison to kill a thousand people, I put it in there myself," Milly said. Diego looked at the chalice and stood up, staff in hand. His instint was flaring up.

The mayor's eyes widened as if he couldn't believe what had just come out of his assistant's mouth. No, he refused to believe.

"Mildred! What the hell are you talking about!" he said as he quickly got up, slightly panicked.

"Cut the act, Jago."

Suddenly, the mayor took on a completely different attitude, pure evil. He gripped the table and began to laugh maniacally.

"Hahaha! You really think it makes any difference?", he pointed at Hunter, Diego and Zuri, " ... these poor bastards have no idea what's going on!"

Diego got into position, as the training toom over. "You're right. However, its all connected. The missing memories, the weapons, the connection, you guys, something is going on here! We were a part of something big and something happened to make us lose our memories," Diego said quietly.

"Hunter I suggest you block lest you want a horn jammed straight into your chest ..."

Huh?...

Diego saw a minotaur and attack Hunter. Deja vu swept over. Diego's eyes widened as he thought of water...

"I'll kill all of you!" shouted a monstrous figure resembling a minotaur.

"Zuri! Diego! Find the others! You must destroy the three beacons spread across the three districts! It's the only way to restore things to how they should be! I'm not making much sense but you must trust me! The real enemy will be revealed but you must find Ayes and destroy the beacons! Whatever you do, do not let her out of sight! Hunter and I will take care of Jago! Now GO!!!"

Diego nodded and faced Hunter. "Good luck," Diego told him before grabbing Zuri and headed to the elevator. "Okay, we head to the closest one..." Diego told her before realizing something. He clutched his head. "Ayes... an odd name. What does it mean...?" Diego said as he was furiously trying to think.

[Alliance]

Kess Andrews
Twin White Lion Gauntlets
Clock Tower
11:02 PM

It was dark and late at night, and Kess clutched her hands to her chest worriedly. In the darker hours of the night, the clock tower seemed so ominous. She’d seen it before, of course – it was a rather large building, seen sometimes when she made her way to school. But in the dark, it seemed more like the pale face of a demon rising from the ground.

A hand instinctively went to the gloves again, and this time she decided not to ignore it. She took the gauntlets out and slipped them onto her small hands, feeling her with a sense of comfort and safety. In such a strange situation, these were things she was glad for.

Ahead of her, she saw some of the others getting into the lift to head up to the thirteenth floor. As the lift door closed and they went up, she mentally followed their journey, looking up as she did.

She raised an eyebrow when her imagination had them continue through the roof to stop to the thirteenth floor.

She shook her head, dispelling the silliness. She wasn’t quite a child now. She didn’t have the time for such stupid thoughts.

Knowing the lift wasn’t going to go as fast as her imagination, she instead chose to take the stairs. She wasn’t going to wait for the lift. Though if any of the others arrive after her, they’d probably get it and beat her to the top. She didn’t mind. The exercise was good for her.

Twelfth Floor

She sighed as she counted reaching the twelfth floor. By what it looked like on the outside, this is where the tower should have ended. But maybe it was just a trick of the night light, or the light of the lanterns preparing to be launched. She’d probably miscalculated. She wouldn’t put it past her.

Continuing to climb, she thought she heard voices. They must have already started. She was such a silly girl for arriving late.

Then she heard a yell, something along the lines of people not having any idea what was going on. What was going on up there?

She took the stairs two at a time.

There was a splintering crash, then a call across whatever was happening.

"Zuri! Diego! Find the others! You must destroy the three beacons spread across the three districts! It's the only way to restore things to how they should be! I'm not making much sense but you must trust me! The real enemy will be revealed but you must find Ayes and destroy the beacons! Whatever you do, do not let her out of sight! Hunter and I will take care of Jago! Now GO!!!"

Kess reached the top of the stairs only to have Zuri and Diego burst out, passing her going for the elevator.

Glancing back into the room, she saw Hunter blocking a… a…
A minotaur.

Her mind had a moment of being completely blank. A minotaur. They didn’t exist! What was going on?

She ran after Diego and Zuri. “What the hell is going on?” she asked, panic evident in her voice.

[*Jean Grey*]

Caroline McNamara - Wielder of the Valiant Hawk Scythe
Clock Tower
11:00 PM

As the clock struck eleven, Carly started heading to the clock tower. By then, the crowd was already beginning to prepare their lanterns for launching, and she wanted to move quickly, without looking suspicious. Scythe still in hand and red hair flying in the night wind, she quickly followed the young blonde who called herself Kessandra to the clock tower, where the dinner was supposedly going to be held. Darkness did not scare her, especially not the night. Kessandra, with her golden hair, made her think twice. Had she seen the girl before? She couldn't remember much, but she knew that she did have this sort-of motherly feeling towards the girl that she couldn't explain herself.

Once she was inside the clock tower, she saw that the elevator doors had just closed, missing the ride by just a few seconds. Cursing under her breath, she noticed that Kessandra had already mounted the stairs before mentally facepalming herself. Why hadn't she thought of stairs? Nodding at the younger girl, she headed for the stairs and ran up behind her, going higher and higher as she did.

Man, whatever is up here...I don't have a good feeling about this...

Carly reached a floor with large windows, seeming like the top...at first. She allowed herself to look around. Where was the banquet? This place...had none of it. And then, she heard footsteps above her. Looking back at the staircase, she noticed another flight going up. Jogging back, she moved up the stairs, soon hearing voices.

"Zuri! Diego! Find the others! You must destroy the three beacons spread across the three districts! It's the only way to restore things to how they should be! I'm not making much sense but you must trust me! The real enemy will be revealed but you must find Ayes and destroy the beacons! Whatever you do, do not let her out of sight! Hunter and I will take care of Jago! Now GO!!!"

The voice sounded urgent, causing Carly to quicken her pace, soon catching up with Kessandra at the top.

"There you are, Kessandra! What's going-..." She exclaimed, before getting cut off by a dark-haired guy, who probably was Diego (Who the hell named a girl Diego in the first place?) and a white-haired girl who was probably Zuri bursting out of the doors and heading for the elevator. Kess followed in their direction.

“What the hell is going on?” She asked. Carly looked back through the open doors and saw a creature with a bull-head inside with Hunter and the blonde girl who gave out the passes earlier.

Damn, I swear I didn't drink this time!

Looking back, she saw Diego and Zuri already in the elevator. Not wanting to miss this for a second time, she ran as quickly as she could reaching the elevator and holding out her arms across the doors.

"Oi, oi! No you don't, no more damn strike two for the both of you! Kessandra, get in here quickly!" She called, grabbing the younger girl's hand and stepping into the elevator.

[Monster Guy]

Stella Gold
Golden Ox Shield
Plaza

Before the officers could make an arrest, they were interupted by a blonde female who seemed to be their superior, named Mildred sent the men away. She then gave them invitations to have dinner with the mayor at the clock tower at 11:00 tonight. The homeless boy snatched one then went on his way without another word.

Stella glared at the boy. "Oh please, show a little respect. The least you could do is thank Mildred for taking pity on a poor unfortunate soul like yourself." Then she turned around, and happily took an invitation. "Hmph, the nerve of some people! Anyway, I'll gladly attend. Thank you very much." Although, she was still a little upset that Caroline and her friend didn't get arrested, that didn't matter anymore. She had a dinner to attend. Even if she wasn't entirely pleased with present company.

"Everyone, just be careful." A little white haired girl announced After Mildred and company had left. "These invitations say dinner is located on the 13th floor. Most public buildings don't have a 13th floor for supernatural reasons. Who knows, perhaps if we're lucky, we'll be dining in a magical realm." She paused before speaking again. "By the way, do... I know we must have met somewhere before, but I'm not sure where. What are your names--Maybe that will ring a bell? Mine is Zuri by the way, if that rings a bell for any of you."

"Well of course your name rings a bell." Stella answered immediately after Zuri finished. "Your named after a district here. Of course it's going to seem familiar. My name's Stella Gold, I suggest you remember it. I haven't seen you anywhere before. Now listen honey, I like magic as much as the next girl, but don't tell me you honestly believe that ridiculous superstition is true. Unfortunately, things like that only exist in fiction... She took out a nail file from her purse, and filed her perfectly manicured nails while she continued. "Speaking of fiction, I don't know who told you otherwise, but dyeing your hair white and looking like a bloody witch is not going to give you supernatural powers. Sorry to burst your bubble. Fortunately, you're not a completely lost cause. You have some potential, and can be fixed if you put in a little effort. Anyway, that's a project for another day. I must be off. I've been standing here with those rats for far too long. Tata!" Then she put the nail file away, flipped her hair, and took off towards her limo.

---

Clock Tower
11:00 PM

Stella's limo pulled up in front of the tower a few hours later. Stella calmly stepped out, and closed the door behind her as James drove off. She left her Shield to a car. There was no way she'd be able to explain bringing that into a formal dinner, and she had no idea what insane thoughts were going through Caroline's head when she voiced consideration bringing her weapon in. Stella didn't bother saying anything at the time. She'd figured she'd just let the mayor's security throw her out when they see her coming in with a weapon. Then she'll learn.

Obviously, she wasn't going to walk up thirteen flights of stairs in heels, so naturally, she took the elevator.

As soon as the elevator arrived, she was immediately greeted by four of the other guests running into the elevator at once. "Um... what are you doing?" Stella asked, she looked ahead, and caught a glimpse of a Minotaur, as well as the homeless boy, and Mildred fighting off the creature in the other room before the elevator doors closed, and started going down. Stella crossed her arms and tapped her foot. "Alright, would someone care to explain what's going on here?"

[DVB]

Diego Vendrix- Keeper of the Monkey Staff of Wisdom
New Arc City Plaza – Clock Tower Elevator
11:00 PM

As Diego and Zuri ran to the elevator, he saw Kess and Carly come at them.

"Oi, oi! No you don't, no more damn strike two for the both of you! Kessandra, get in here quickly!" Carly called, grabbing the younger girl's hand and stepping into the elevator. Diego saw Carly still had her scythe and Kess had her gauntlets on, striking some more deja-vu. “What the hell is going on?” she asked, panic evident in her voice.

Before Diego could elaborate, he saw some more individuals come in. He figured he should wait for them. Part of him did not want him to leave Michel behind. Milly... something about her rubbed him the wrong way.

Diego then saw Stella come in also, but she was weaponless or rather shieldless. Stella crossed her arms and tapped her foot. "Alright, would someone care to explain what's going on here?"

Diego remembered what Stella said to Zuri about her beliefs...

"Now listen honey, I like magic as much as the next girl, but don't tell me you honestly believe that ridiculous superstition is true. Unfortunately, things like that only exist in fiction..."

As well about her personally...

"Speaking of fiction, I don't know who told you otherwise, but dyeing your hair white and looking like a bloody witch is not going to give you supernatural powers. Sorry to burst your bubble. Fortunately, you're not a completely lost cause. You have some potential, and can be fixed if you put in a little effort. Anyway, that's a project for another day. I must be off. I've been standing here with those rats for far too long. Tata!"

Diego had been seething at that, but managed to hide it.

"Well, the mayor is a Minotaur apparently. Not only that, all of us are connected. 3 years ago, we woke up with either memory problems, strange sensations or other things as well as these weapons that hold great personal importance that suddenly appeared.

Not only that, that Minotaur is giving me deja vu and so has everyone else here. Mildred also gave me a bad vibe. Apparently, the key to this is Ayes, the so-called daughter of the mayor. From what Milly said, we have to keep and eye out on here and protect her possibly though we also have to get rid of the three beacons in each of the districts,"

Diego elaborated as the elevator reached down and he exited with Zuri. "I don't know about the rest of you, but my instinct tells me I have to go and protect my nakama," he said before blushing slightly. Now was no time to be referencing One Piece or any other anime or manga.

Screw that, perfect time to do so.

"Tell the others and head for the closest district," Diego said as he looked around for where to go. "Zuri, I think we should we head to Zuri..." he said as he grabbed her hand and began heading there, Golden Monkey Staff at hand.

"...Ayes? That name... backwards it's... it's Seya... that name..." Diego says as he felt a shiver go through him.

[Chaos War Reborn]

Hunter
Wielder of the Red Lightning
Clock Tower

Suddenly an omnipotent voice was heard, echoing in the mind of all those present. "It does not matter to me that you regain your memories. The outcome will still be the same ... You cannot escape this world even if you manage to destroy my Beacons ... Along with Seya, you will all remain here for eternity ..."

Suddenly, a flood of memories were released. They remembered everything. The battle back on Earth, the battle in New Magostra and Seya's apparent destruction at The Bridge.

Hunter's entire past was reclaimed, memories he hoped to forget all rushing back to remind him that he wasn't a good person but a killer. He was a bringer of death. He owed his life to Raseo but was absolved of sin by she who took pity on him.

An entirely different person appeared before Jago. It was the real Hunter. The Hunter who was once tasked with carrying out Raseo's death list and he remembered everything.

How repulsive, he thought at the sight of the 7 foot minotaur standing on the opposite end of the room. During a battle on Earth, Seya's Guardians had denied Hunter the pleasure of destroying Jago but it seemed fate would give him the chance. Both were once on the same side. Jago was far outranked by Hunter in Raseo's Dark Army and it shamed him greatly. Every single day, Jago cursed the moment Hunter arrived. The boy was a constant reminder of his failure. For years he salivated at the idea of ripping Hunter to shreds piece by piece and the feeling was mutual. Hunter was annoyed at Jago and insulted by his mere existence. Jago was weak, he always thought.

"Minotaur, say your prayers ... for tonight ... the reaper comes for you." In just seconds, Hunter's left hand charged with his infamous Red Lightning. The sound of electricity crackled mid air. Holding his dark lance on his right hand, he raised it and pointed straight at his opponent.

Jago stood his ground and prepared. Then, at incredible speed, both devastating forces charged head-on but Hunter was faster and managed to plunge his lance straight into Jago's throat. The blow was so powerful that Hunter pinned Jago straight into the wall. The 7 foot minotaur desperately grabbed the lance, trying to force Hunter off but Hunter did not yield and instead stabbed deeper.

Before Hunter could kill Jago, a group of thugs ran into the room from the stairs. Hunter turned to them, that guard. Hunter went after the guard from earlier and impacted his Red Lightning right into the thugs face knocking him down. Hunter lifted his right arm to recall his dark lance from the Minotaur's throat and finished the guard without hesitation.

"Hunter! I'll finish the guards! Kill Jago before he transforms!" Yelled Milly as she joined ranks and began offing guards left and right with no more than silverware. She grinned as she made her way through the stairs clearing the way of guards.

The deadly Red Lightning wielder sprinted to finish the job but was intercepted half way by a cry so devastating that its force was powerful enough to send Hunter hurdling backward, breaking the magic barrier and causing him to crash into the next building. Then, the entire clock-tower began to crumble.

Hunter lifted himself from the rubble and retracted his lance. He watched as the minotaur emerged from the clock-tower, he expanded until he peaked at just above 50 feet. "Let's see how you fare against my Great Axe!" The giant minotaur roared. Hunter jumped off the building where he stood. He then calmly unzipped his jacket and pulled up his sleeves, exposing the markings of ancient scriptures on his forearms.

" ... "

[DVB]

Diego Vendrix- Keeper of the Monkey Staff of Wisdom
New Arc City Plaza – Outside of Clock Tower
11:00 PM

Diego stopped for a moment as the word Seya echoed in his head. His grip on Zuri's hand tightened. He felt a epiphany... he remembered... He remembered that name. Of the princess of light who he befriended...

Of climbing that tall building...

...Acquiring the Monkey Staff...

...Fighting the Minotaur...

...Losing Florina and Darwin...

...Going to New Magostra...

...Zuri saving him from his despair...

...Standing up to Psycho Milly...

He realized everything. They were trapped in some sort of dream. Not just him and Zuri, but his comrades and Seya... she was still here... as Ayes. He wasn't sure if she remembered, but he had to protect her.

"I REMEMBER EVERYTHING!" Diego shouted as he had new conviction in his eyes. He would do this for everyone. He then remembered his relationship with the others. He sighed a bit. Jess was gone... he was worried about her and Michel seemed to have vanished. So did Jonathon...

He better hurry. But first...

Diego looked to Zuri and let his impulse take control and hugged her tight. "I remember everything. How you saved me... you truly are the greatest friend I have met and will ever meet," he said with a goofy grin as he spun around, her still in his grip.

He then felt the ground rumbled and saw the Minotaur rise again.

"This idiot again? Wonder if this is how Luffy felt when he had to fight Foxy back in the anime..." Diego said before realizing the mission at hand. "Zuri, we need to find Ayes. She's Lady Seya. We then need to take out the beacons," he told her.