The atmosphere leading to the final battle was tense. Gunvolt had done his best to get as much rest and training in before then... and he made sure to spend the day before with Desidera, Monarch, and their friends. If they were to fail here... at least their last day before it was fun. And good. Of course... he had no intention of letting this go down in failure.
Today he came loaded for bear. He wore his heaviest, most protective armor, alight in runes of protection and resistance. His Dart Leader was loaded, with plenty of spare magazines around him. A larger railgun sat next to him for heavier targets. And on his back was a new apparatus... it looked like a protective device for the Monarch AI core... and it was heavily shielded.
For now, Gunvolt sat beside you, loading railgun slugs into magazines, not just for himself, but for everyone who might need them. It was almost meditative, but he was still able to hold a conversation.
"You sure you don't need another weapon? We made plenty of those railguns. They're easy enough to use, so long as you know how to shoot."
[B - Butterflies]
Shortly thereafter, Gunvolt moved to the staging areas to ready for the last few moments of deployment, there with you and so many others. Beside him this time is the Monarch AI, its hologram sitting beside him.
"I guess now's a good time to show off the surprise I cooked up for today. One of them, anyway. Maybe today's not a great day for a comeback... not everyone will think it's the time for my kind of music, but... if it lifts their spirits, even a little, that'll be me doing my part.
So... uh, before I do my thing on a grander stage, I want to show you all something. If that's okay. My new look when I make my comeback. A change of my own to express my individuality and the change in who I am... and who and what I sing for. I'll be taking a new stage name too... when I'm performing, anyway."
"Monarch... well, it'd be an honor." He quickly turned to you, giving you a nod. "...Right?"
The hologram smiled warmly and happily, before her colors grew more washed out, before glowing a strong white. All that was visible was her silhouette in the bright display, until she stepped forth again, out of the white light and back into proper focus. Gone were the orange wings and colors, and the notes of the monarch butterfly's patterning, replaced with vibrant and iridescent blues. Her smile though, was as bright as ever, clearly excited to finally show this off.
"The artist formerly known as Monarch, now known as Morpho. ...So what do you think? Do I rock this new look, or what?"
[C - Calling]
Although Radiance provides some defense against miasma and the dark forces at play from the Outlands, along with plenty of wards and enchantments, the stuff the Suneater put out was unlike anything experienced before. Strong, potent, and potentially a lethal distraction when the hallucinations kicked in.
Gunvolt fought on and on against foes on the ground. Waves of endless daemons, but he showed no signs of slowing down. After felling a horrid winged Gargoyle with a lightning strike, Gunvolt whipped around at a sound behind him, taking aim with his pistol.
Do you still believe in that future, Gunvolt? Seeing things as they are now? The world burning around you, the Outlanders cheering our demise? On ebon wings... the end has come. Without a world full of fully organized Candles... there can only be one way this ends.
"No... it can't be." Gunvolt aimed his weapon at the figure he saw. "You're dead, Asimov. Stay in the grave. Where you belong."
You'll never be rid of me, GV. You know it as well as I do.
Gunvolt's finger tightened around the trigger, unleashing not a dart, but instead a devastating blast of concentrated lightning that flew into Asimov's chest...
Though in reality... he really fired at nothing, the blast finding only air, the boy yelling at nothing. This might be Concerning to those around him.
[D - Darkest Hour]
With the Suneater now present and overhead, it was time to get up there. Of course, getting up there when you can't fly is hard. Gunvolt looked between his companions here, before looking back up to the Suneater.
"GV, I think we can get up there with my song... but it might take too long for you to fly up there..."
"I know. But we're too far out from the gathering point to call a Rune Wing. They're all busy. So what do we do...?"
And as if hearing the conundrum on the radio, a familiar voice hit their radios.
Hey! GV! Do you copy? It's Zeno! Sounds like you need a hand, and I have just the guy nearby to help you. An old buddy of mine. I sent him your location, and I think the two of you and Monar--, I mean, Morpho, might be able to get everyone in your crew up to the Suneater! You'll know him when you see him."
"Zeno...? ...Thanks. Copy that."
"No sweat, GV. Stay alive out there! Moniqa and I really want to see you once we get through all of this."
With that, the line cut out, and the roar of an engine nearby rumbled closer and closer. A large vehicle, a tank, really, crested a hill and drove up close to the crew. Even at a glance it looked incredibly advanced, and incredibly magical thanks to extensive runic inscriptions throughout. A loudspeaker on the outside clicked to life as the voice of the pilot sounded over the cacophony of battle.
"Name's Jason! Zeno told me you guys needed a lift up to the Suneater? Sophia here's more than up for the task, as long as we've got enough juice for the hoverjets. My copilot Eve's on balancing the energy levels... so hop on and hang on, we don't have time to waste!"
Gunvolt
The atmosphere leading to the final battle was tense. Gunvolt had done his best to get as much rest and training in before then... and he made sure to spend the day before with Desidera, Monarch, and their friends. If they were to fail here... at least their last day before it was fun. And good. Of course... he had no intention of letting this go down in failure.
Today he came loaded for bear. He wore his heaviest, most protective armor, alight in runes of protection and resistance. His Dart Leader was loaded, with plenty of spare magazines around him. A larger railgun sat next to him for heavier targets. And on his back was a new apparatus... it looked like a protective device for the Monarch AI core... and it was heavily shielded.
For now, Gunvolt sat beside you, loading railgun slugs into magazines, not just for himself, but for everyone who might need them. It was almost meditative, but he was still able to hold a conversation.
"You sure you don't need another weapon? We made plenty of those railguns. They're easy enough to use, so long as you know how to shoot."
[B - Butterflies]
Shortly thereafter, Gunvolt moved to the staging areas to ready for the last few moments of deployment, there with you and so many others. Beside him this time is the Monarch AI, its hologram sitting beside him.
"I guess now's a good time to show off the surprise I cooked up for today. One of them, anyway. Maybe today's not a great day for a comeback... not everyone will think it's the time for my kind of music, but... if it lifts their spirits, even a little, that'll be me doing my part.
So... uh, before I do my thing on a grander stage, I want to show you all something. If that's okay. My new look when I make my comeback. A change of my own to express my individuality and the change in who I am... and who and what I sing for. I'll be taking a new stage name too... when I'm performing, anyway."
"Monarch... well, it'd be an honor." He quickly turned to you, giving you a nod. "...Right?"
The hologram smiled warmly and happily, before her colors grew more washed out, before glowing a strong white. All that was visible was her silhouette in the bright display, until she stepped forth again, out of the white light and back into proper focus. Gone were the orange wings and colors, and the notes of the monarch butterfly's patterning, replaced with vibrant and iridescent blues. Her smile though, was as bright as ever, clearly excited to finally show this off.
"The artist formerly known as Monarch, now known as Morpho. ...So what do you think? Do I rock this new look, or what?"
[C - Calling]
Although Radiance provides some defense against miasma and the dark forces at play from the Outlands, along with plenty of wards and enchantments, the stuff the Suneater put out was unlike anything experienced before. Strong, potent, and potentially a lethal distraction when the hallucinations kicked in.
Gunvolt fought on and on against foes on the ground. Waves of endless daemons, but he showed no signs of slowing down. After felling a horrid winged Gargoyle with a lightning strike, Gunvolt whipped around at a sound behind him, taking aim with his pistol.
Do you still believe in that future, Gunvolt? Seeing things as they are now? The world burning around you, the Outlanders cheering our demise? On ebon wings... the end has come. Without a world full of fully organized Candles... there can only be one way this ends.
"No... it can't be." Gunvolt aimed his weapon at the figure he saw. "You're dead, Asimov. Stay in the grave. Where you belong."
You'll never be rid of me, GV. You know it as well as I do.
Gunvolt's finger tightened around the trigger, unleashing not a dart, but instead a devastating blast of concentrated lightning that flew into Asimov's chest...
Though in reality... he really fired at nothing, the blast finding only air, the boy yelling at nothing. This might be Concerning to those around him.
[D - Darkest Hour]
With the Suneater now present and overhead, it was time to get up there. Of course, getting up there when you can't fly is hard. Gunvolt looked between his companions here, before looking back up to the Suneater.
"GV, I think we can get up there with my song... but it might take too long for you to fly up there..."
"I know. But we're too far out from the gathering point to call a Rune Wing. They're all busy. So what do we do...?"
And as if hearing the conundrum on the radio, a familiar voice hit their radios.
Hey! GV! Do you copy? It's Zeno! Sounds like you need a hand, and I have just the guy nearby to help you. An old buddy of mine. I sent him your location, and I think the two of you and Monar--, I mean, Morpho, might be able to get everyone in your crew up to the Suneater! You'll know him when you see him."
"Zeno...? ...Thanks. Copy that."
"No sweat, GV. Stay alive out there! Moniqa and I really want to see you once we get through all of this."
With that, the line cut out, and the roar of an engine nearby rumbled closer and closer. A large vehicle, a tank, really, crested a hill and drove up close to the crew. Even at a glance it looked incredibly advanced, and incredibly magical thanks to extensive runic inscriptions throughout. A loudspeaker on the outside clicked to life as the voice of the pilot sounded over the cacophony of battle.
"Name's Jason! Zeno told me you guys needed a lift up to the Suneater? Sophia here's more than up for the task, as long as we've got enough juice for the hoverjets. My copilot Eve's on balancing the energy levels... so hop on and hang on, we don't have time to waste!"
[E - Wildcard]
You know what to do.