Private/Closed Bootleg Bros 4

[Shen: King of Digimon]

"Ha, now isn't that interesting."

Specter didn't make a movement to look Metal in the eye. Instead, he sat planted on his chair, looking at the screen of the tourney above.

"I stopped to watch the show, and what do I find? You disappear for a split second, brief but highly important. And just after your return...the sky lit ablaze. It appears we are reaching the final stages."

Specter's chair turned around, the ape not exactly shocked by all of this. Did he somehow know what was going on? The albino overlord chuckled, looking Metal in the eye.

"The host seems unable to change the sky, and I feel in time he may loose his grip altogether. The game is almost complete, we simply need to play the final level..."

There was then an influx of power from within his chair. Cocking a brow, Specter pressed a button, revealing the layout of Metal's backup chip in his possession. It was...updating? Looking back at Metal, Specter smirked.

"And even then, the surprises never cease..." He spoke. "How on earth have you gained a multitude of memories?"

 

[Fraseandchico]

Axe had been, somewhat, minding his own business as he practiced between rounds, though taking glances at the other contestants when they weren't looking; With everything that was happening, he was sure whoever was left was tough and a threat to behold, even in the same loser's bracket as him.

Of course, that training was more than a little disrupted when the sky split wide open, nothing but...well, nothing, beyond it.
"What the...?" Axe, being stuck in a small village all his life where things rarely changed, was intrigued - and also wondering if this was something normal outside of his village, and how concerning that was.

Still, Axe couldn't help but stare, his eyes gleaming with the wonder of adventure, something he could never quite leave behind no matter how much he changed; Even when he knew he should leave it.

That's when he heard someone talking, seemingly to themselves from the sound of it, about someone disappearing with something about this being out of Host's control. Curious, he turned to try and sneakily listen to the source, attempting to disguise his listening while just in range to hear and see. It was a weird... human? Maybe? After Torren, he couldn't be sure...Anyway, he was on a chair, talking to an odd metallic creature. Given how it was going, it seemed the Metal thing was the one that disappeared for a brief second - Not that Axe would've noticed without the chair guy saying anything.

Of course, as Axe got more curious, he slowly backed closer, and heard something about a multitude - whatever that meant, just sounded like it meant a lot - of memories being gained. Now, that was...interesting, and caught Axe's curiosity more, trying to slightly lean closer to listen better...

 

[comic]

Master Chief​

​

"Do you... have a plan? For when this whole thing is over?"

Rebellio's question was something John had asked himself far more than once already, and admittedly, he had no real response. What was worse was that he had no real plan for... anything going on here. He felt at a severe disadvantage, and while that was already making him uncomfortable, he continued to grow so at the thought that he wouldn't be able to stop somebody with ill-intent from succeeding and earning this "prize", whatever it was.

And the mystery of the prize was why John also had no answer for Rebellio. What could he plan for? A return to his world with the knowledge of all this, unable to do anything to help? There were far too many variables to bother trying to guess an outcome, even with Kalmiya's help.

"No," the Chief answered simply. In his typical fashion, he didn't bother to elaborate on why he had no plans. As he gave this single word, the last few contestants marched from their gateways, victorious another round, but something felt wrong.

Off.

CRASH!!!

Instinctively, Chief's head swiveled up in response to the sound before anyone else's could, the echo of what was like a clash of lightning across the sky reverberating around them, followed quickly by the shattering of glass. The tears above them had more than doubled, and whatever had just occurred had torn open the reality above the lobby.

An expanse sat beyond the lesion in space-time. Or perhaps... the sky was in actuality a dome, and the collection of keys had began to break it to reveal a primordial mass just beyond, writhing and contorting without any clear nor concise rhyme or reason. Something beyond understanding.

"What is THAT?" Kalmiya gaped upward---a needless physical gesture for her to do, though perhaps her emotion simulation was overwriting her logic one at the moment. Chief was the first in the room to deduce exactly what this meant on more than one level.

Almost as though by instinct, Chief's gaze returned to the lobby, his eyes immediately locking onto the metallic hedgehog that had just stepped through his gate, Metal Sonic looking directly back. There was a silent, unspoken understanding that passed. Metal had a key---or more than one, if the previous John's memories were anything to go by.

Metal was the first to turn away, flying toward Specter a moment later. The lobby felt empty.

And there was a spark.

"Rebellio, Hareta," Chief spoke quickly, his voice hushed as he stepped to the side, turning his back toward Specter, Revan, and Metal. Kalmiya continued to remain in her holographic form, turning attentively toward Chief as he leaned forward in a conspiratorial manner. He had a plan.

"There's not much time to explain," he began, glancing toward the Host, who was smiling at them as his gaze swept about the room, a knowing glint in his crinkled eye. He seemed to shudder for a moment, his form flickering with each boom that sounded above.

"There's devices that hold immense power, known as Keys. Certain individuals have been getting them, and with each one, the ceiling breaks more. I have one, though it disappeared when I touched it. Metal has one or more. If him, Specter, or Revan are allowed to succeed..." he let his voice trail off. He didn't need to explain more, his tone of voice clearly accentuated the gravity of his words and of their situation. "One of us has to win. No matter the cost."

With that said, Chief reached into one of his utility pouches and procured a fist-sized device, spherical in shape, intricately designed. He held it out toward Rebellio. "Take it," John suggested with a nod. "It's an overshield module."

"It'll cast a powerful energy projection over your body, so long as you have it equipped," Kalmiya elaborated for Rebellio. "Should last for around 10 minutes if it's not taking damage, and it can absorb a real beating! It only has one use, though, so use it wisely."

"We might have needed that, are you sure it was a good idea?" Kalmiya asked John privately inside of his helmet. Disabling his outer speakers, he answered the AI in private simplicity;

"Yes."​

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Hareta


"Uh..."

He didn't much get this. But the keys sounded like something bad guys shouldn't have, so he'd just have to beat them if he faced them! Simple as that! Though, the sky above them did seem rather...bleak. As if they waited around too long disaster would follow.

"Alright...so let's get the fighting stuff started so we can knock 'em out, right?? Rebellio, the baddies are on the losing side, right? Except that floating guy anyway. You gotta lot of work ahead of ya!"

 

[ArmedBlue]

Rebellio

Keys that held immense power... Chief's explanation was certainly a lot to take in, raising the stakes quite a bit from what Rebellio had once thought. Metal Sonic, Specter, and Revan were to be stopped at all costs. Chief handed the Falcon an 'overshield module', which was supposed to create an energy projection over his body. He was... trusting him with this. Even though he could have saved it for himself.

A warm smile formed on the Adept's face, along with a determined nod as he took the device. "I won't let you down, Chief." He replied, putting the module away. Hareta commented on Rebellio's upcoming battles, several of the 'baddies' appearing to be on the Loser's Bracket.

"You're right," The Falcon spoke, gazing upward into the void above them. "It won't be easy, but I have to beat them. For everyone's sake."

Lola

The A.I. had been silent for a while, mainly coming to terms with Copen's defeat and watching a few of the other fights going on. Something did strike her as odd, though, and it was something Specter and Revan had been talking about earlier. Revan himself was the only one on the Winner's Bracket currently present in the lobby following his defeat. Copen, Uratekumon and Machamp had yet to reappear. What made Revan so special? Why wasn't Copen standing right alongside her?

A loud boom snapped her out of her thoughts. A massive gash in the sky had opened above the lobby, distant booming coming from within the void. The Host had yet to comment on it at all. What the hell was going on here?

A blue robot soon approached them, seemingly an ally of Specter's. According to the simian, the machine had just gained... a multitude of memories? Even Specter seemed intrigued by this. Now that she thought about it, this 'Metal Sonic' seemed very familiar. So did the tall man in green, futuristic armor a decent distance from them. That Jevil from the last round did too. Her memory circuits felt all out of whack. Something was missing. And Metal just might know why.

"Yeah, how DID you gain a bunch of memories? What happened in there when you disappeared for a moment?"

 

[comic]

Leon S. Kennedy​

It had been his last flashbang that had allowed Leon to get out of the mess his opponent was attempting to trap him in. Leon had then proceeded to scale up Lady Liberty's interior, firing pot shots at the Weavile, which was forced to take cover opposed to cover ground, as there were significantly less places to hide.

It was within the head of Liberty where they met again, Leon stepping back from a slash by the creature, only for it to zip behind him and attempt again. Leon responded by swinging his leg about. A clash, her claws digging into his leg, but the force of his kick was enough to lift her off the ground, slamming into the side of Liberty's head. With no time to retaliate, Leon pushed through the sting of his legs as he spun with another kick using his other leg, slamming the Weavile back into the wall a split second after she'd bounced off of it. The metal dented as Leon whipped out Matilda to begin firing, his expert aim at such close range, and Weavile's momentary stun, forcing a bullet to plunge through her arm, then a second through her stomach.

Much like how Leon powered through the deep gashes in his leg, the pokemon powered through the additional bullet holes as she used Icicle Crash again. The cramped environment that usually played to Leon's strength turned against him (alongside his injury) as he sidestepped one icicle, barely avoided a second, before a third struck him, to which he retaliated with the slam of his fist in simple response. It cracked in half, though slammed him into the ground as the Weavile darted forward, ripping through her own shard to plunge both of her claws into Leon's chest.

With a scream, Leon instinctively back-handed the creature, who flew a few feet away, stumbling on her feet as she landed. Crimson liquid began to quickly pool around Leon from more than just his leg as he grunted, turning to his side in an attempt to get up. "Literally fought a giant ogre once..." the man grunted to himself. "And this is what's beating me? Ugh... I call BS..."

Pushing himself up slowly, the Weavile darted forward, raking her claws across his back as she moved, then again across his already ravaged chest. Matilda was lying nearby, but in Leon's case, it might have been a mile away. Again, Weavile darted by, deepening more gashes along his back, but when she came back around for another go at his chest, the man's hand struck out equally as fast as her, grasping the Weavile by her neck, before it subsequently slammed her back-first onto the floor in the same second. Before she could recover her breath, the slamming having emptied her lungs, Leon's other fist slammed into her throat, then again, and a third time, before the swipe of Weavile's claws in desperation, her pummeled throat at risk of being crushed like papier mâché, and Leon's severed hand collapsed to the ground beside her, blood from his fresh stump waterfalling onto her face.

Seemingly spent, Leon didn't even yell at his injury this time, instead slumping back to his side, chest heaving as the Weavile lay only a couple feet from him.

"At least I didn't fall like an idiot this time," the man said, his voice humored, though evidently weak. Weavile was the first of the two to rise to her feet, rubbing at her nearly-crushed throat, breathing incredibly hard for her at the moment as her eyes glared daggers into the man, his eyelids fluttering. The amount of blood he'd lost was incredible. Any lesser man would have died from blood loss long before him, though it seemed his injuries had caught up with him. "I think I'll stick to fighting monsters," Leon concluded, before his chest stilled, as did his eyelids.

A fanfare began to echo.

Winner: Weavile!
Loser: Leon S. Kennedy!
​

Revan, the Lost Jedi​

"Simple," Revan's voice intruded on the conversation before Metal Sonic could give his own answer. The gray Jedi's eyes bored into the metallic ones. "Another version was met. It is why the sky above shatters. It is why that soldier keeps staring at us," Revan gestured with his thumb in Chief's direction. Revan knew this not by penetrating Specter's mind, nor Metal's (as Metal was a machine, there was no mind to penetrate, as far as the force was concerned), but instead by piercing the Master Chief's mind, which wasn't a hard task at all, at least in peering at memories.

"The duck is subject to this, as well," Revan provided to Specter in regards to his next opponent. "As does the child who bested the both of us," he added in Metal's direction. "You will not comprehend it yet, Specter. Even I don't, not in full. Beat the duck, and you should earn the knowledge for yourself."

At that moment, almost cutting Revan off at the end, before anyone could give a proper response in reply, the Host began to speak with a polite "ahem" that was amplified so loud it made Revan's teeth rattle. The small black creature called Weavile had just exited its gateway. The final battle had ended.

"Wow, wow, what a... what a good round!" the Host began to clap, his arms outstretched, his lazy grin permanent on his face as he blinked dolefully, clapping slowly. "Truly magnificent---ah, and don't forget, the magnificence is mostly thanks to me, I mean, who could be a better host? Heh heh..." he paused, almost as though he expected applause as a result. After a few moments of awkward silence, he moved on, unperturbed. "Now we have a little something special this round. I mean, these are the semi-finals, right? Gotta do something fun! And what better fun, than... a dinner party. I like those, they're pretty... pretty. And fun, too, of course."

Again, silence was met.

"Some of you may be wondering why the loser's of the winner's didn't come back, save for Raven minus the Starfire over there," Host gestured to Revan. "Simple, I just wanted to do this," with the snap of his fingers... Revan was no more.

"He was kind of annoying," Host added, "so I found it prudent to pop him. Alright, here you go!"

Winner's Bracket - Semi-Finals

Loser's Bracket - Semi-Finals

"Everybody have fun! Er- everybody except the Winner's Bracket. We're gonna have super fun. Dinner party, remember? Loser's can get right to killing, though."​

 

[Psymallard]

Psyduck
In response to the loud crash, there was a meek cry from Psyduck, which he quickly tried to make up for via a stern, unbothered face. The sky had exploded, which was a first for The Duck. But it wasn't scary, all the glass and such just hanging in the air was... pretty. He gazed at the impossible display in wonder for a moment, bill agape.
Then was the familiar engine roar of an old nemesis. Metal Sonic. This tore the bird's attention away rather quickly, and replaced his enamored expression with an aggressive one. He tromped over to the ever-growing group and shoved past a red-headed child, who had been eavesdropping, to barge in on the group. He presented himself to the few, though he really was aiming his presentation at Metal Sonic, who he knew would've guessed The Duck would be out by then. But he wasn't, he was still in the semifinals, with a real shot at winning this thing.

In his mind, at least.

He was interrupted by the funny voice of the Host, who demanded Psyduck's short attention span.
A dinner party? The Pokémon had had dinner before, and a couple parties, but he'd never heard of a dinner party before. He guessed it was some sort of festival that celebrated dinner, which he was all for.
The Duck squinted at the winner's bracket, which contained such characters as an albino Aipom, some sort of green steel-type, and... a Pokémon trainer. He hated trainers, especially the young ones. They'd stolen his friends from him for years, they were the whole reason he'd been doing this dance since the last tournament. Forget Metal Sonic, that kid was now duck enemy numero uno, and he had all the more reason to get to the next round to beat the crap out of that snotty friend-snatcher.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Specter


As Revan was reduced to dust before his eyes, Specter nodded in acknowledgment of his best efforts, eyeing the empty space for a moment before swiveling around.

"Earn the knowledge for myself, eh? What an interesting possibility. At least you brought something to the table before your time had come, I respect that."

Considering how Revan was quick to disregard feelings to anyone, the fact that he'd go out of his way to give them advice, despite being close to death spike volumes about his change of character when compared to his original state. Now facing forward, his chair slowly floated towards the host.

"Metal, Lola. I believe our presence is required. Or should I say demanded."




Hareta


"...Huh?? A dinner party? Since when?"

His stomach growled, rather loudly. It was true that he didn't really eat anything while he was here. He began to salivate when he started to think of the possibilities...Honey glazed rolls, Fried skewers, rice balls...maybe this dinner party wasn't such a bad idea.

"Well?? What are we standin around here for? Come one Cheif, let's get our grub on. Woohoo!"

He ran with his arms up high, excited to stuff his face with all the grub he could fit in it.

 

[Fraseandchico]

While he was listening in, suddenly Host announced the end of the round...and got rid of someone, a tall man, in an instant. Wasn't he in the Winner's bracket, Revan-or-something like that? Seems there was no more second chances for those in the winner's bracket, maybe he got lucky that he lost when he did...

No time to think on that!

"Aw, man..." Axe groaned hearing that the loser's bracket matches were to start now, especially given the fact the Winner's bracket's folk got to have some fancy dinner party. Still, deciding to focus - And ignore his stomach - he looked to the bracket, turns out he was facing some adult guy named Snake.
"Who names their kid Snake? That's weird." He muttered, unaware of the irony given his own name. Still, this time he decided to seek out his opponent before the fight, maybe try and figure out a way to beat them beforehand.

After all, every battle IS basically just one big puzzle, right?

Soon, he found what looked kinda like the guy in the portrait thingy - Though he looked slightly older in person - and smirked.
"So, you're my opponent this time?" He murmured, somewhat curious how what looked like some regular guy in weird clothes had lived so long for this.
Best not to underestimate...That's probably what's got other people beat up- Oh! This is...!
Ah, now Axe knew why he recognized; He'd watched this guy's match with Ranamon. Yeah, not to be underestimated, at all.
"Well, hello!" He decided to say to Snake. "Uh... I'm Axe, and I'm gonna be your opponent, so be prepared to lose!" He said, attempting a strong confidence.

 

[comic]

Solid Snake​

Another one bites the dust. The popping of Revan marked the only lobby elimination this round, and displayed clearly that those in the Loser's Bracket already had a winner in their midst, though the only one Snake had to worry about for now was a kid named Axe, one who'd just approached him and exerted a degree of confidence.

Rather than immediately reply, Snake dropped to a knee, placing a finger behind his ear, tapping into his codec.

Spoiler: Codec Entry: 015

Snake: Colonel, who is this kid?
Colonel: That's Axe, Snake. He's the protagonist of a game called Little Town Hero.
Snake: Little town, huh? Like a village?
Colonel: A village he was forbidden to leave for most of his life.
Snake: Hm... I think I know where this is going.
Colonel: Don't let his small stature and determination fool you, Snake. He's the antithesis of power.
Snake: He and I have both defeated Ranamon.
Colonel: Even more reason to not take him lightly.
Snake: Copy that.
Colonel: Stealth is your best offense here, Snake. Axe is more effective in battle if he can learn by watching. Don't let him see you, and he'll be less likely to learn.
Snake: Understood. Snake out.

Snake rose to his feet only a few seconds after he'd dropped to a knee. As far as Axe knew, the man was just being weird, as the codec call hadn't been spoken aloud. "I'm prepared," the soldier stated, his gravelly voice low as he squinted his eye slightly at Axe, one hidden behind the solid eyepatch. "Are you?"
​

Master Chief​

A "dinner party" wasn't exactly what the Spartan had been expecting, though he took the news in stride. Hareta began to run about, though with no clear destination in mind, as the three gateways that opened up for each of the Loser's Bracket fights. John turned his gaze upon Rebellio with one simple sentence; "You know what to do," offering a nod of support.

Host stepped off of the platform he typically stood idly upon, approaching the competitors. "Shoo, shoo, the grown-ups are talking," the Host waved a hand dismissively at Metal Sonic, his words a clear irony, considering Hareta's presence. "Congratulations on each of you for not losing once, though some of you have fought less than others due to wacky tournament placing, heh... weclome to the semi-finalist reward."

With the snap of his fingers, a gateway opened behind the Host, though this one wasn't a blue-ish white like the other portals had been, as it was a deep sage in color, with flashes of lime around the outer edge. "Follow me,"

The Host disappeared. Hareta, who hadn't even stopped running, was the first to race through the gateway as the Psyduck waddled along behind. John turned his head, staring through his visor toward Specter. There was a brief moment where they glared at one another, before Specter smirked. "After you," he gestured formally toward the gateway. Chief said nothing as he stepped through it.

There was no automated voice requesting a map this time, as instead the Spartan emerged on the other end to find a strangely dark room, the only light coming from some invisible source above, illuminating a long table beneath it, where four chairs were placed. A quick scan from Kalmiya confirmed that an alloy, not unlike Forerunner alloy, was imbued in these common-place objects, so they were certainly sturdy.

No food or accommodations had yet to appear, or however they would be placed on the tables. Their Host awaited them, standing beside the table, a vacant, though expectant, grin stretching his holographic face. "Find yourselves some seats and we can begin. Oh, and you will be required to sit in one of these chairs. It immerses the experience," the Host concluded, directing the last bit mostly toward Chief and Specter, the ape for the fact of his floating chair, and the Spartan for his likelihood of just standing behind his seat, as he'd been planning to do.

"Well, this isn't creepy..." Kalmiya muttered to John.​

 

[ArmedBlue]

Rebellio

"Have fun...?" Rebellio told the Spartan in response, not quite sure if this dinner party was to be trusted. The Host was a strange guy, to say the least.

Bringing his attention back to the tournament, the Falcon glanced over to the Loser's Bracket. His next battle was against 'Weavile'. Spotting the creature was easy thanks to the amount of people left, especially with those in the Winner's Bracket leaving for the dinner party. The weasel-like creature seemed much less menacing than his prior opponents, though if it had made it this far it was certainly a skilled fighter. Those claws did seem pretty sharp...

Rebellio decided to head straight for the gateway, already grasping the Falcon Quill pinned to his jacket as he walked through it, being greeted by a familiar void. Maybe picking a stage of his own would come in handy. He doubted his opponent would add a stage of its own.

Lola

So Metal had met... another version of himself? Revan's explanation was a bit confusing and vague, but it seemed he was telling the truth. She glanced over toward the soldier in green called 'Master Chief'. If Revan was right, did that mean he'd faced himself as well? Did he know her or Copen?

Was she the one missing memories?

She didn't have much time to think about it, as Revan was quickly popped and the next round started. But first, the Host wanted all those in the Winner's Bracket to attend a dinner party. A strange request, but it was clear nobody was about to oppose his demands. The A.I. followed right after Specter, heading through the sage-colored gateway.

The contestants and their host appeared in a dark room with a single table, four chairs placed around it. The Host insisted everyone took a seat on the chairs he provided. Without a choice, Lola flew over to the closest chair, sitting as far to the side as possible as to allow someone else to share the seat with her.

She could barely even see over the table.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Specter


"Now isn't this elaborate."

Specter looked throughout the room. It was fancy, for as dark as the rest of it was. The table before them is where they were beckoned, Specter being told to dismount his chair and use the ones provided. Specter smirked in response to this.

"Suppose that you wouldn't be so dishonorable to attack a monkey whilst they dine at the table."

This comment was followed by specter crossing his arms, floating up and out of his chair. After clearing the chair, he slowly came down to sit atop the one provided, his cape flapping down behind him as he settled.

"So! I trust there is some diverting conversation to be had? I trust there must be something you hosts do in your spare time."

This small talk was followed by him snapping his fingers of his left hand. His floating chair behind him extending a servo arm from the armrest. It's swiveled and pulled out a cushion, made of simian silk from the back of his throne compartment. It then moved to lay the cushion down for Lola, to help at least a bit with her discomfort due to her size.



........


Hareta


"So like...I heard dinner...where's the grub?"

Hareta poked his cheek as his sat rather fidgety on his chair. He was sold on the good idea, but he hadn't seen any of it yet. Not exactly a dinner of there wasn't any food.

 

[Psymallard]

Psyduck Psyduck
Psyduck couldn't see the top of the table, but he didn't smell any food. This disappointed him just as much as it did Hareta, though he would deny it even just to avoid agreeing with a Pokémon trainer. The Duck glanced around some more as the Host was talking, and when he regained focus, all of the seats were taken except one, because he sure as hell wasn't gonna share his seat with some tiny pop idol in suggestive clothing.
Psyduck glanced up at Chief with a look that wordlessly communicated his full intention of making the biggest one have to share the space. Then he acted, scooting with haste to his seat and clambering atop it. He stood on the chair, not that his stubby legs made much of a difference in his height anyhow.
Once up there, his suspicions were confirmed: there was no food. Was this a trap? No way, Psyduck was like the star of the show, Host needed him for ratings or something. That didn't change the fact that there wasn't any grub, and The Duck was not a patient fowl.
He opted to vent his frustrations and boredom by experimenting with various different mean faces and glares towards Hareta.

 

[comic]

Master Chief​

Specter had taken a seat with Lola, Hareta having found his own, and the duck waddled its way to a third. John seated himself in the last remaining chair, his visor turned toward Host, who spoke in response to Hareta; "You insult me," his expression seemed more humored than insulted. "I said dinner, didn't I? Well, I don't do anything without a little presentation."

Another snap of his fingers, and a buffet materialized before them, bowls of fruits and vegetables, platters with thick slabs of meat, containers of noodles and rice, plates with cinnamon rolls and donuts, goblets of various juices and milks, jars of honey and mayonnaise, loafs of bread, and that was just beginning to scratch the surface of the sheer abundance of what was available. "Ta-da~!" the Host spread his arms wide alongside his sing-song voice. "An all you can eat (literally) buffet, and I do take special requests. After all, getting this far deserves special treatment."

John wasn't under the impression that this was entirely the Host's plan here. With his level of power he'd displayed, this could have been done in the lobby, easy. There was another reason why he'd dragged them all here, though the Spartan didn't say anything, nor did he indulge in the food, his helmet remaining firmly over his head. He didn't need much, anyway, and he wasn't hungry.

"Please, enjoy, get to know each other. I'll be back in a few minutes, just have some last minute touches to do," the Host winked, before he vanished once more, leaving the four (plus Lola) individuals in the room with their food.​

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

The Dinner Table



"Wooooah! There's a lot here!" Hareta exclaimed, looking around at everything. "Awesome!"

Hareta Was quick to cast his plate to the side, just grabbing with his hands what he was interested in and chomping down on them with fervor. Meat slabs went into his mouth, a dark hole where nothing returned. Specter shook his head at the display of bad manners, instead holding out his hand to the air.

"I request some vintage bourbon, what's a party without something nice?"

Just out of nowhere, a glass of the sweet nectar appeared in his grasp, the wine glass holding it. Giving a nod of acknowledgment, he took a subtle sip from the glass before glancing across the table.

"Come now, surely one of you has pressing thoughts on their minds? This could be the last time we have such an exquisite meal, why not take this opportunity while it is here? "

 

[Psymallard]

Om nom
Psyduck was displeased that Hareta hadn't even noticed The Duck's angry stares, but happiness overtook him as soon as the food appeared. He immediately went for the fruits and pastries. This duck had a powerful sweet tooth, despite his lack of actual teeth, and his diet didn't include any sort of meat. He used his plate as a shovel to pour food into his bill, a ravenousness that was only contested by the Pokémon trainer. Psyduck saw him out of the corner of his eye, and dialed back his enthusiasm yet again because of his burning prejudice against the child. The waterfowl picked up a fork for the first time in his life, and began to eat slower.

Then, the monkey asked a question: "Come now, surely one of you has pressing thoughts on their minds? This could be the last time we have such an exquisite meal, why not take this opportunity while it is here?"

After eating the lower half of an apple he'd cut with a knife, The Duck voiced himself first. "Psyduck psyduck psyduck psyduck. [I'm gonna kick all of your butts.]" He stated it bluntly, as he really did believe it. He couldn't afford to think otherwise, but one may assume he wasn't thinking at all with how he almost choked on the top half of an apple immediately afterwards.

 

[Gamingfan]

Weavile
Weavile caught her opponent looking at her. Yet again, another human. However, she had learned at this point to not underestimate them. Especially since this one looked...familiar.
It gave her a foul taste in her mouth. Like Aguav Berries.
Weavile went into her own Gateway. She decided on her own stage, remembering an area she wandered in as a young Sneasel.
Snowpoint Temple
As she exited, the first thing Weavile noted was the missing giant of a pokemon she saw (and barely fled from). It was a bit of a shame, she could've perhaps had it fight her battle, but no luck

 

[ArmedBlue]

Rebellio

Before Rebellio could come up with a stage of his own, the world around him began shifting. The Adept and the weasel were now located deep underground, in what seemed like a pretty ancient temple. Ice coated most of the ground they stood on, an empty, iceless spot in the center of the room, as if something was meant to be placed there. There was no way for him to know, though.

Holding his Falcon Quill out in front of him, Rebellio drew a circle in the air, manifesting a crimson ring. "Contract," he spoke, the magic circle quickly becoming more complex, dark energy swirling in his direction before collapsing in a flash of light. The light quickly faded, revealing the Falcon's Weaponized form. Now sporting longer, fluffier, white hair, a crimson halo above him and ram-like armor, Rebellio was quick to manifest some of his thread in his right hand, forming a large mace.

"Good luck." With that, Rebellio swung the mace in front of him, a single crimson thread attaching it to his hand as it rolled along the ground, ice cracking in its wake. Depending on Weavile's movements, the Adept would send the mace rolling toward her next position.

Lola

After the A.I. whispered a quick 'Thanks' to Specter for the much needed cushion, the Host manifested a great variety of meals, something that certainly caught her by surprise. If she were human, she'd totally indulge in the sweets and treats offered. Alas, food was something she was unable to experience.

Specter was quick to pose a question to the others, one that the yellow duck immediately answered with a bunch of 'Psyduck's'. "Er... Anyone know what the duck said?" She asked, though didn't really wait for an answer. Specter was right. It was best to ask the burning questions now, especially since the Host had just left. And the one thing that plagued her mind was...

Lola's blank yellow eyes locked onto Master Chief. "You're Master Chief, right?" She spoke, floating slightly off the cushion for an extra bit of visibility. "Have we... met before?"

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Hareta



Finishing horking down a big roll, Hareta looked at Psyduck, who proclaimed their quacking declaration of war. Hareta had a way of knowing pokemon's feelings, but something told him he didn't even need to pay such close attention to tell they wanted to fight.

"Yeah! Don't think I'm going to go easy on you either! Not everyday I see someone take out a Machamp! I wanna see that power first hand in the ring!"

 

[comic]

Master Chief​

Hareta, as per expectation, began to hound down all the food he could while the Psyduck did much the same, Specter requesting a wine, which materialized just as everything else had. Upon Specter's open-ended question, the duck spoke its name a few times, then stared at them as though awaiting a reaction. Of course, nobody knew what it had said---until Hareta ceased filling his gullet to reply to the duck, offering some competitive context tot he duck's meaning, and enforcing the idea of its intellectual sentience, at least to a degree.

"You're Master Chief, right?" Lola asked, having turned in the Spartan's direction. "Have we... met before?"

"No," John replied, his tone flat and simple. While it wasn't the truth, it wasn't a full lie, either. A version of the AI had met a version of Chief before, and presumably this was the same one from the memories, though judging from that, he'd have expected her to be far more liable to recognize him. Perhaps her memory banks were malfunctioning, perhaps they'd been purged, or perhaps she'd absorbed some data from the alternate version from the events in those memories.

Kalmiya was quick to appear, her holographic form in her miniature size, appearing before Lola with an enthusiastic "hi!". She seemed excited at the prospect of interacting with another AI.​

 

[Gamingfan]

Weavile
For the briefest of seconds, Weavile's face turned into a snarl. That's it! This kid reminded her of that Copen guy. Ugh!
However, she regained her composure, once again wearing her cocky smirk. Whatever, she knew what they could do, this shouldn't be-
Welp, the guy just created a big-ass mace. Somehow it both surprised her, and not at all. Weavile took a deep breathe, savoring the cold air. The mace passed by her, and she was out of sight.
Well, for the moment anyway. She had gracefully moved out of the way, before grabbing onto the mace, using her sharp claws for purchase. She kept her hold firm as the mace flew to and fro, climbing over it before brandishing a claw and slicing the thread connecting it.
The momentum of the mace sent her flying until her clawed feet gained purchase, well suited for the frozen floor. They made a grating noise, but kept her from sliding into a wall, all with the mace in hand.
Weavile sneered at Rebellio.

 

[ArmedBlue]

Lola

"I see..."

Lola looked down in slight disappointment. She was really hoping he'd say yes, and maybe that way she'd figure out exactly what was going on. It seemed she'd stay in the dark for quite a while...

The sudden appearance of a new face snapped her out of her thoughts. Right in front of her was a small, blue hologram, depicting a young lady. Could it be...?

"Oh my gosh," Lola exclaimed. "Another A.I.! In a holographic form too! I'm Lola, nice to meet ya! What's your name, girl? What can you do?"

Rebellio

Damn, this thing was nimble. In mere moments, Weavile had severed the thread connecting the mace to Rebellio, soon coming to a stop at the other end of the room, mace in hand. Maybe things would be a little harder than he thought.

Conjuring a scythe in his right hand to keep himself safe in case the creature approached, the Falcon stuck his left arm out toward a nearby boulder, launching his thread out of the limb and wrapping around the rock. With a powerful swing, Rebellio launched the boulder across the room, using the chaos caused by it to quickly approach the Pokémon, scythe at the ready.

 

[Psymallard]

Munch munch
Hareta was the only one that could understand him, which would've been frustrating if the boy wasn't praising The Duck's fighting prowess. A flattered smile tugged at his bill, but he shook his head. He was supposed to hate trainers, not take pride in their compliments. This was probably another one of those human mind games.
Using a spoon, Psyduck scooped up a large spoonful of some sort of macaroni. Then, as discreetly as he could, the mischievous bird used the spoon like a catapult to launch the food at the side of Hareta's head. As soon as the food left the spoon he attempted to act natural, having dug back into the food.

 

[Gamingfan]

Weavile
Weavile saw Rebellion impressively throw a boulder, making some quick calculations before kicking the mace up and sliding below the projectile. As Rebellio approached, she suddenly kicked off the floor and slashed upwards, just as the mace fell from above.

 

[comic]

Master Chief​

"Hi, Lola! I'm Kalmiya, CTN 0453-0!" the artificial intelligence beamed back. "I'm an infiltration program designed to imitate, eliminate, and lock down hostile intelligences---but not you, of course, you seem nice!"

John's eyes flitted toward the holographic form of his AI companion. A single thought that ran through his mind sent a ping of data through his MJOLNIR suit. In roughly the same amount of time it took Kalmiya to learn and catalog the entirety of human history, philosophy, religion, and politics (about 0.06 seconds), Kalmiya was sent the ping of data from Chief's suit, translated from his mind. To other people, this could have seemed like psychic telepathy, when in reality, it was a grounded and complex science involving the pulse of John's advanced neurological advancements. Not only did his suit allow him to keep up with the speed of an AI in intellect, but his mind had been trained and augmented so much that he consistently perceived the world around him in slow motion.

Needless to say, John had a great deal of patience when everything going on around him was sluggishly slow in a constant state of motion that he out-perceived.

This ping was one of caution, a reminder to Kalmiya's core logic to not reveal any information beyond that. The same moment the AI was pinged, her eyes flitted toward Specter. She didn't need to ask Chief why he wanted her to limit revealed information. If they defeated Hareta, and Specter defeated the duck, then Specter would likely be their most climactic foe yet, even after the final suit upgrades Kalmiya had made since they'd fought Frank Horrigan.

Only about half a second of silence went by following the end of Kalmiya's introductory sentence, but to the AI, it could have been an hour. Her smile seemed to falter briefly as she tried to induce a bit more professionalism into her demeanor, now more aware of Specter's observant presence. "Uh- what can you do?" she decided to lead with, almost without missing a beat.​

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Specter


The simian psychic cocked an intrigued brow as Kalmiya materialized. He for a moment considered also saving her AI in the same fashion he rescued lola and Metal, but he quickly was reminded of her staunch allegiance to humanity and their ideals. Perhaps...not all need to be saved. Her sudden change in demeanor practically screamed that she was apprehensive about his presence. This made the crimson clothed chimp chuckle to himself. He wouldn't say a word for now. Instead, he took a sip of his sweet flavored bourbon and watched the ongoing conversation.



Hareta


Hareta laughed as he saw the duck think over his words for a second before hastily going back to eating, that is, until the duck launched a surprise attack, flinging a spoon full of food down towards Hareta! Surprised by this, Hareta took it as a challenge, trying to aim right as it came down before-

Skiiiiirt-

CHOMP!

Hareta had loudly leaned back and scraped his chair against the ground so he could angle his mouth just right to catch the macaroni in mid air, sloppily slamming his chompers down on it, some of the cheese smacking against his lips and cheek.

"My mmmod mit! (I got it!)" Hareta muffled through the food and he swallowed the lot. "Phew! That was a good throw! Ooh! My turn!"

He clumped a wad of rice with his bare hands, fusing it together with some hot cheese until it became a baseball sized cheesy-rice Boulder. That's when he reeled back his arm and thrust it toward Psyduck, one could almost see the smoke trail coming from it. Batter up!

 

[ArmedBlue]

Rebellio

The two fighters were set on a collision course, Rebellio readying his scythe as Weavile got close, making sure to keep track of the incoming mace. Right before the Pokémon leapt off the ground, the Adept made to slide along it, the ice helping him keep his momentum as he moved. As he did so, Rebellio swung his scythe directly above him, aiming to slash at the creature from below and possibly even send it flying into the mace. Either way, the Falcon would have made it far away from the crimson projectile before it even touched the ground.

Lola

"Ooh, fancy!" Lola commented as Kalmiya explained her purpose. A program designed for infiltration... how interesting! It was refreshing to not just meet a fellow intelligence, but also learn about the kinds of things Kalmiya did in her own dimension.

"Uh- what can you do?" The holographic AI asked in return.

"Weeell, I'm a combat support robot! I'm equipped with a weapon copying system that lets me replicate certain abilities called Septimas. Theoretically, I could even copy non-Septimal abilities and weapons---though I'm not quite built for that as of right now. I also used to control a bunch of combat drones, but I kinda lost those after my battle with Specter. Those and..."

Lola went silent for a brief moment. No, there was still hope for Copen. No use worrying about his fate right now.

"A-Anyway, it's really nice to meet someone just like me, y'know? I'm actually the only true AI back in my world. So imagine my surprise when I saw another one pop up right in front of me! You get to chat much with other intelligences where you're from?”

 

[Gamingfan]

Weavile
Weavile let out a small snarl as Rebellio moved. Right. Speedy.
Well, she was speedy too, though Weavile missed, her leap allowed her to meet the mace halfway. In a flash, she grabbed onto it and pushed herself higher into the air, evading the scythe. Same could not be said for the mace, however.
Weavile used her newfound height to her advantage, sending a hail of icicles above Rebellio before stabbing a claw into the ceiling, attaching to it much like an Ariados

 

[DevVoid]

Death
So, the annoyance that was this Uratekumon had finally been eliminated.. Good Riddance. What bad taste the Host had for even allowing such a honourless, disrespectful cretin to join this tournament. However, now that it has been eradicated, things can finally get serious. Looking up to the board after hearing the host's announcements, Death noticed he was now to be locked into a triple fight with one Metal Sonic and one Amaterasu..

..hm, how intriguing. That name sounded familiar to Death. He didn't know the being itself, but that name.. wasn't it that one sun goddess in some parts of humanity's mythology? Glancing around, Death spotted his opponent and floated on over, a hand on his skeletal chin, examining the small, fox-like creature.

" Amaterasu.. your name seems familiar. Are you associated with the light of the sun, perhaps? "
@Gamingfan

 

[Gamingfan]

Amaterasu
Amaterasu squinted at one of her opponent's name. Death? What kinda-
Oh. She thought as the aforementioned opponent appeared before her. She saw the resemblance.
However, she was unafraid of it. At some point a mother had to let her children go, after all.
Also, y'know, god privileges.
However, in her fallen states, Amaterasu was well aware of the danger the Grim Reaper posessed. She did, however, find no reason to not be polite.
She barked in affirmation, and her Solar Flare illuminated brightly for a moment, it's holy flames crackling

 

[DevVoid]

Death
So, it is true, then.. this creature is indeed a light embodiment of godly origins. This changes things, but I should manage regardless.
Death had thought and lowered down to the ground more to get a more equal eye level. Though it didn't seem capable of talking, this sun deity still was capable of understanding him well, so with that in mind, Death spoke up a bit more, deciding to give conversing a shot. At least, when it comes to deities, he could talk with them knowing that they were neither human, had honour and most knew to respect their opponents.

" How ironic that we are to face off.. Light against Dark, the shining, radiant sun against the unending, corrupting shadows. I do have to note one thing though. "

Death now removed his hand from his chin and moved it back to his scythe.

" As fitting as this battle may seem, the third party involved, this 'Metal Sonic'.. I'm sure we're both aware how capable they are. If we are too distracted with sealing each other's fates, they can steal the victory right out of our grasp. "

Now spinning his scythe and leaning it over his shoulders, one hand attached and the other lowered by his side, Death would attempt to strike up a deal.

" What's say we focus on wiping out the bigger threat first, so we may have our dance of honour in proper? "
@Gamingfan

 

[comic]

Master Chief​

The first true AI? Kalmiya had to assume that artificial intelligence wasn't quite as advanced in Lola's world as the holographic woman's. After all, Smart AI (the sentient, self-sufficient type) had existed for well over 400 years with constant improvements all the time. While a Smart AI's lifespan was short, a recommended maximum of 7 years, that didn't make them any less capable. In fact, the reason for such a short life was due to how intelligent Smart AI could become. They could grow into such a complex and nigh-omniscient intelligence that they could go rampant with delusions of godhood, as Kalmiya now knew her predecessor had done, or more commonly, the AI would become so great in intellect that they would quite literally think themselves to death.

Kalmiya also had to assume that Lola, being the first of her kind, had to be at least somewhat lonely. She'd watched from afar before the most recent round, so the Weapon was well aware that Lola and her previous companion, or whatever their relationship was, had to have been at least somewhat similar to her own with the Master Chief. Now here Lola was, under this simian's tutelage, her companion destroyed.

It was sad, disheartening, and... angering. Kalmiya could feel a flash of malice rise up in her core logic, but her programming quickly stifled it, quelling the complex emotion before it could rise up, a struggle that lasted for a couple microseconds, or 0.0000002 seconds. Undetectable and incomprehensible to anything but another AI with her processing power similar to or equal to her own.

"You get to chat much with other intelligences where you're from?” Lola concluded her query, which Kalmiya enthusiastically, though politely, listened to.

"No, unfortunately," the Weapon admitted, then formulated how to respond to Lola without giving up anything... valuable that Specter could potentially turn against them. "I am one of the most advanced AI constructs in my universe, or so I'm told, and my purpose was to imitate, lock down, and eliminate another rogue artificial intelligence, who had unfortunately tried to conquer the galaxy and destroyed a few planets while she was at it. I say imitate because..." Kalmiya smiled awkwardly, almost sheepishly, with a pang of shame in her expression. "Well, this is what she looked like, at least a bit," she gestured to her body. "She was one step ahead of us, though. She's actually got a lot of history with Chief, and in the end, she killed herself to give him, and me, the chance to beat a bigger threat."

Kalmiya leaned in, almost in a conspiratorial manner. "If you ask me, Master Chief just can't stay away from galaxy-ending threats. He gets pretty cranky, so no wonder why."​

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Specter


"AI seem quite unstable in your universe if they need a whole new kind to hunt down rogue ones." Specter mused. "In mine, the realm of AI are mostly dominated by humans. Professor Hakase, the same one who invented the first peak point Helmet, also invented the first truly advanced A.I., which I suppose both of them are the definition of artificial intelligence, no?"

Using his psychic powers, he lifted a single roll from the table as well as a knife. Above his plate, the knife accurately sliced opened the rolls into thin wafers, slowly placing it down on his plate. Picking one up with his fork, Specter continued.

"He invented one specifically to combat me as well, even gave it a combat frame. Quite a thorn in my side for a while, that is, until I found what made her parts click."

Specter chuckled to himself, consuming the slice of roll on his fork.

 

[comic]

Master Chief​

Intriguing... Kalmiya cocked her head slightly to the side. "You might find AI like me to be a little different than what you expect," she led with. "When you say peak point helmet, I assume you mean the device on your cranium," it was a statement, not a question. "I understand you hold prejudice against humanity, given earlier conversations and interactions, but if humanity is so bad... then where would you be without them?"

Master Chief caught on to what Kalmiya was doing. While she was re-engaging her theological debate from before, she was also now prying for tidbits of information, a flip of the tables in a sense. Specter had all but stated that the peak point helmet was on par with the AI of his world, which could only build the assumption that it was the cause of Specter's intellect---nothing biological. In a sense... it was to Specter what the MJOLNIR armor was to John. Tools to enhance them in ways far exceeding those around them.

What the Weapon was doing now was trying to pinpoint theoretical weak points in Specter's defenses just as much as his prejudiced arguments, though Kalmiya also continued a conversation with Lola, sending a private message via subspace telecommunication (one of the few ways of communicating that Kalmiya doubted Specter had a way to intercept), and she hoped that Lola could copy the transitional link to send a private message back, allowing them to converse simultaneously with Kalmiya's queries.

To: AI.AS.Lola
From: AI.ONI.Kalmiya

/// It's me, Kalmiya! This Specter guy has a bit of an ego, huh? What did he do to your companion?​

 

[Fraseandchico]

Axe

Axe was, unsurprisingly, confused when the odd old man dropped to one knee. Geez, little rude to not reply, but maybe he hadn't noticed Axe or something - Heck, maybe the one knee thing was a tradition wherever he came from, not like Axe would have anything to assume otherwise.
"Uh..." For that few seconds before the man stood up, the hero was notably trying to discern what he was doing.

When Snake stood up, and soon asked if Axe was prepared, Axe was stunned; Partly because why would someone ask that of an enemy, and partly because it seemed like such a strange response to a hello...At any rate, he eventually nodded, steeling himself with determination - And the constant reminder of what could happen without him - to retain his focus. "Yeah, I'm ready!" He told Snake, returning the squint before making a dash to the Archway to the next battle.

Custom map loadout: What is the designated map?

Still don't get what that means...Anyway, I got an idea this time. The main street of my home town...er, Commercial area, whatever you wanna call it!

After the fairly drab or limited areas he'd fought in so far, he liked the idea of fighting in an area that was colourful and vibrant, with the white walkways to the side and the running water alongside the many shops and the like. In anticipation, he got a little giddy and closed his eyes in excitement.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Specter


"Mhm, a sharp one. It is a cruel irony, that the tools they made were the means for my freedom. I took the metaphorical key to freedom, and then improved the design to my own specifications. If I had not, they I would not possibly have broken free. The humans of my world deserve their fate, that isn't to say that they have not invented impressive things. Let's not mistake technological wonders with moral high ground, little one."

He divulged this information willingly. He had nothing to hide, simply because he had no fear of failure. Failure was off the table for him, cast aside as an impossibility. Still, that didn't mean that those that had his company for now were worthless. In fact, it was a rare opportunity to pick their brains. After all, this was a social banquet, not everything has to be about winning.

"You must be a very young A.I. to use that type of mental cornering. My estimate would be...within the last six months or so? Come now, surely you aren't that desperate to find an edge before our eventual battle?"

 

[ArmedBlue]

Rebellio

Icicles, huh?

The Falcon came to a stop at the other end of the room, placing his scythe in between him and the icy projectiles. In a split second, Rebellio's weapon burst into thread, quickly reassembling itself in the form of a shield, one that he proceeded to use as cover from the hail of icicles.

The projectiles smashed into the shield one after another, bits of it shattering, though it held strong. The wave of attacks soon began to dwindle, Rebellio taking the chance to dive to the side as more of his crimson thread flowed into his construct, the shield morphing once more- this time into a Gatling gun.

Taking aim at Weavile, the Adept's weapon revved up before firing a barrage of string bullets, all capable of doing heavy damage despite their composition.

Lola

Oh?

The A.I. received a ping from her communication systems. A private message from Kalmiya! Subspace telecommunication... Real crafty, I like that!

To: AI.ONI.Kalmiya
From: AI.AS.Lola

/// Yeah, tell me about it. I don't know exactly what he did to Copen... I died in that fight before Boss lost. Judging by what was going on just before that though, I bet Specter sliced him up with psychic energy. Seems that was all he could do at that moment. It was a real close fight. Man, I wish Copen managed to beat him in the end. That way I wouldn't have to keep wondering if I'll get to see him in the flesh again. I hope what Specter said about there being a way to bring him back is true...

 

[comic]

Solid Snake​

The boy took off for the gateway, and Snake followed, bearing in mind his formulating strategy. His environment needed to have various ways to hide, utilize stealth, and generally just be a ghost to his opponent. Shadow Moses Island had plenty of decent hiding places, but it was no labyrinth of halls and dark corridors. No, it wouldn't do. However... there was one place that did come to mind, and if executed to the proper specifications, there was potential it could even negate whatever Axe chose, depending on what exactly it was. It was like a genie---he needed to be specific.

The whiteness enveloped them as the automated voice spoke. Axe's face screwed up in concentration for a moment, so it was clear the kid was devising his own addition to the map. Snake stroked his beard, and before the selection could pass over him, he thought his piece.

' Outer Heaven, Caribbean Sea, 1984. '

And then the stage began to take form, so while the world began to shift around them to conform to the diverse selections, Snake used this as an opportunity to slink away, his form becoming invisible as he activated his camouflage while Axe was undoubtedly distracted with the change in landscape, and the conflicts it faced with Snake's selection.
​

Master Chief​

"Seven months, actually," Kalmiya responded, electing to ignore the "little one" comment, an obvious ploy of Specter's self-indulgent superiority complex. "I wasn't intending to mentally corner you, I was merely offering an opposing viewpoint to your own. Someone of your mental calibre would probably appreciate someone debating semantics, right?"

This was actually a bit exciting. Kalmiya had never had too many opportunities to argue morality, or anything of the sort. On one hand, Echo-216 was a simple man with simple needs, so he'd get left behind if she tried to debate with him, and while Chief was intelligent enough to argue these sorts of things, he was also staunch in his ability to keep conversations short and blunt, so it was never very fun. Then of course there was the Banished, and trying to make any conversation with them was met with threats of violence, before or after the Chief blew them apart.

"I'm not trying to find an edge," Kalmiya half-lied, "all I'm saying is that humanity has given you the opportunity to become what you are, but you just told me technological wonders don't attribute to moral high ground, despite the fact that you treat humanity just as bad or worse as you've experienced, right? That doesn't make you their moral superior, it makes you just as bad as them, if not worse."

To: AI.AS.Lola
From: AI.ONI.Kalmiya

/// I think he means this elusive "prize" the Host has mentioned. Specter seems to believe that it holds some sort of innate power. If I understand correctly, he's participated in one of these tournaments before, I believe he's said as much. Do you think Specter deserves to win, whether or not he can bring your companion back?​

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Specter


"Heh, I stand corrected."

The crowned chip closed his eyes tilted his head briefly with a smirk on his face. He knew her angle, her cleanup act wouldn't help. But this was enjoyable regardless of her attempts, he didn't mind. However, the discussion went from a talk about tech to a talk about morals. Specter opened his eyes, propping his arm up on the chair's armrest.

"Oh? How I treat humans? Just how exactly do I treat humans that is morally apprehensible in your eyes?"

 

[ArmedBlue]

Lola

"I mean, it's not like you said you built a huge super weapon to wipe out humanity or anything..." Lola decided to add to the conversation. "Not even Copen did that sorta thing. Heck, he even admitted that his goal made him no better than the Adepts he killed."

To: AI.ONI.Kalmiya
From: AI.AS.Lola

/// Right, he did say it wasn't his first time in one of these. Maybe he IS betting on the "prize" giving him that kinda power. As for your question, I... don't really think so. Sure, it would be great if he could bring Copen back, but what if the "prize" gives him the ability to eradicate humanity? I don't know if Boss' life would be worth billions of others, y'know? I don't think he'd want that to happen. There has to be another way, right?