WEEK 7

[shardmods]

Though it may not have been easy or fun, your time in the Void was ultimately productive; you've become far stronger than you were when you entered, and you may have even made a friend(?) or two. Shadow insists on remaining behind in the Void because he does not want to interfere with this world or potentially cause problems with this world's Shadow (wherever he may be), but Infinite is free to either accompany you or stay behind and fight Shadow, depending on whatever you guys would like. Surprisingly, he'll respect your wishes without complaint (though this may be because he wants to fight Shadow).

You return to the outskirts of Chicago, and it seems that the city has changed some in your time away...

THE CITY

Eggman's chroma has taken over damn near everything. The buildings, the streets, even the wildlife. It seems that the changes have only hit the city itself, as the outskirts (where the base is located) are mostly chroma-free. Still, it's a stark change - you haven't really been gone for all that long, have you? It's kind of hard to tell judging from your time in the Void, but if you check a calendar you'll find that approximately two weeks have passed. All this in two weeks seems a bit much...

The city itself still retains the same landmarks, shops, and people - though the former two are Eggman-ified. The people are back to going about their business as lifelessly as ever, completely heedless of the robots even if they do get in the way... but even the robots are back to patrolling as usual. There are far more of them now, however, and they aren't the same ones you're used to. Sure, you can still fine drones, B33s, and tanks here and there, but they've mostly been replaced by newer, tougher foes.

You're going to have to fight if you enter the city for any reason. The robots will recognize you as a threat and try to kill you on sight, and there are far more of them now than there ever were. But you're stronger now, so you can certainly keep up, if not destroy them easily.

THE BASE

The new base that Sonic and friends have moved you all into is quite different from the last one. This one seems to have been an office building at some point; a simple two story building with plenty of large rooms and smaller offices that have been repurposed as bedrooms. You can room with the same people as before, or you can even claim your own room! There's plenty of space here, after all. Knuckles will even move beds around if you want to rearrange things and can't lift them yourself.

Unfortunately, this base isn't nearly as furnished as the previous one. Sonic Team has managed to get all the bedrooms functional in the span of a few days, but everything else? Well... You're going to have to help with that, aren't you? The kitchen is barebones, there's no rooms for entertainment, training, or anything else, and security is minimal. Tails is still working on getting his surveillance up and running, let alone all the various research he's been working on. In short, you've got your work cut out for you building this place into something you can truly call your own.

But it is located on the outskirts of Chicago and it is is safe. After all, you've got each other to rely on.

SHARDS

Shadow's test may not have immediately had any sort of effects on you, but as you return to Chicago and resume fighting, you'll realize that controlling your shard and its power is innate at this point. You won't be struggling with it anymore - in fact, you've completely unlocked your shard's power. You're capable of a great many more things with it now than you were before. You should be able to use your shard for offensive and defensive purposes - which yes, means our healers can do the equivalent of averaging their HP with the enemy in order to deal damage to them. Fun times all around. You'll find that bonding with another shardbearer is also easier, and you can bond with many more of them now. You're growing stronger; maybe your time away in the Void did some good after all.

As you fight with your allies - particularly those you have a close bond with, positive or negative - you may feel the tug of something in the back of your head; it tells you that you can do more. Together, you can become more powerful. You can use your shards together. Doing so will grant you a new power, or strengthen the one you already have. The more you trust one another, the easier this power will be to use.

It might be good to experiment with these new powers; after all, you never know when you may need them.

TAILS' TASKS

Returning to the old base is ill-advised, but you can take a ring and hop over there if you've got someone to accompany you. After all, Tails would appreciate more of his old gear back, and you've probably left things behind there too. You'll find that the place is simply swarming with robots - they're on patrol rather than smashing your things, almost as if they were waiting for you all to return. Bring back whatever you need or whatever will prove useful - and be careful about it.

Of course, rings are running low again... so you know what that means. Scour Chicago and the outskirts in search of those pesky rings and make sure to bring them back! As always, they'll be found in increasingly bizarre and frustrating locations, but you'll be able to find them easier now than you could before. You won't even need a radar - your shards will innately draw you toward their location now!

ENEMIES

While you're undoubtedly going to find yourself running into familiar bots from the previous weeks, there are many new ones to contend with - and they are far stronger than the others. Eggman's army has more or less taken over Chicago, meaning that you'll be running into some sort of enemy frequently. The outskirts of the city are practically deserted, with the exception of your old base, that is.

Assault Drones have more or less replaced the majority of weaker patrolling drones. Unlike those, these are built for combat and they will not hesitate to engage in it. Capable of both shooting lasers, exploding, and sending out a loud siren call for reinforcements, they are not fun to fight. Still, they're the weakest of the new enemies by a long shot... though if you aren't quick enough and they get that loud siren out, they're going to be joined by those stronger enemies.

E-1000s are robots with gun arms that want you dead. They're capable of limited flight, shooting many lasers, and are quite durable... and to make matters worse, some of them even have shards allowing them access to a knockoff copy of one of your powers. The E-1000s usually patrol solo, without any other robots for backup, but they can and will call in reinforcements of the previous weeks' smaller robots when necessary.

Shadow Androids are basically what you'd expect. Shadow androids. They not only look like a certain black and red hedgehog, they also act like him, moving quickly and striking with hard hits and utilizing their fake Chaos Emerald shards for Chaos Control to both warp and temporarily freeze any opponent they face. They usually patrol in pairs - two Shadow Androids or a Shadow Android and any other assortment of weaker robots. Chaos Control is far more useful when someone else can take advantage of it, after all!

NAVIGATION

Comments

[tworo]

Oh. I did not realize it was that bad - well, I am glad you're free of that, at least.

[Maybe that's the most that will happen, then? Again, it's pretty hard for him to venture any sort of solid hypothesis.]

[akademise]

So am I. It's... strange to finally know as much as there is to know. I've longed for this kind of clarity for so long, and now that it's come to pass I hardly know how to feel about it.

[ For better or for worse, Shadow's final brainscramble really wound up as shock therapy. ]

[tworo]

[Turo smiles a little, returning his gaze to the ceiling.]

I feel something similar about my freedom. I have always wanted to leave the crater, but once I did...I suppose there is so much world, and so many more options, than I thought. And I am not quite what I thought I was when I had those dreams.

[Admittedly, all that freedom is still a slightly distant prospect. Right now, they kinda have to deal with the Robotnik thing. But it's still much more possible than it ever was before.]

I'm glad we've decided to travel together. I didn't really know what I was going to do alone.

[akademise]

[ That makes More put his notebook to the side altogether and turn with his full body so he can face Turo with a smile. ]

Neither did I. The only choice I had made for myself was to not go back where I came from, but beyond that... It was an endless dark ocean of possibility, and I did not know how to charter it.

I still don't, but so long as you are by my side in the coming steps, I know I'll be glad to take them. Wherever the road leads us, I'll be happy to have gone there.

[tworo]

[Turo turns to smile at More as well.]

It's certainly comforting not to be alone. We can figure it all out together, whatever happens after all of this is over.

[akademise]

[ It feels a little strange to sit like this, facing each other across the room from two separate beds. It's a respectful distance, but at the same time it's a level of intimate that makes More feel a little excited. Their bedroom. Their future campsites. Their future.

(Maybe neither of them will actually continue existing once the fake chaos emerald shards are removed. But even if they both disappeared like the strange machinations they were created from, More would be glad they have gotten to make these promises.)

He's quiet for a moment, because while he feels a lot, he's at a loss for how to translate it to words. Perhaps... ]

A comfort on many levels. While I will carry the weight of what has transpired in my world for the rest of my existence, I believe that... as long as I have your friendship to live up to, I will be able to remain a man worthy of it.

[ It's the greatest optimism about his own person that he can find in his heart. ]

[tworo]

I'm sure you will.

[More doesn't need him for that. Turo's certain of that much. But just now, it feels like saying so would be tantamount to shaking him off, and Turo certainly does not want that.]

What sort of things would you like to do? Or see, I suppose? [Hm, well, he can start...] I would like to go and see the ocean properly. The Professor had a home by it once - Arven does still, I suppose. It was built into the bottom of an old lighthouse.

[akademise]

[ Turo has no idea what the depth of More's emotional dependence on him really is... and hopefully he is never going to have to find out. ]

Oh, that sounds lovely. [ Lovelier than he would have thought human Turo capable of. ] I quite like the ocean myself!

As for me... I like to see a variety of cultures. I'd love to go and visit places unlike any I've ever seen and hear all about the local customs.

[tworo]

That sounds like fun! I've had so few windows into the world - I could research other places on the internet, but that isn't really the same thing as experiencing it yourself. Besides, who knows how other worlds might differ from ours?

[They could see cultures they cannot even conceive of now!]

[akademise]

Precisely! There is so much to discover, we would require multiple lifetimes to even comes close to understanding - and as much as that can feel overwhelming, I believe the best step to take is the first. See as much as we are able, with an open heart.

[ He's going to fill SO many notebooks and then their luggage will be way too heavy to carry around, but this is a problem for the future!! Exciting future!! ]

[tworo]

[Turo smiles, though after a moment, the expression goes a little wistful.]

...I'd like to maybe find another Pokemon or animal sometime, if I could.

[akademise]

[ Ah... that wistfulness is one More can relate to. ]

I... would like that as well. I have missed Plateau quite terribly while we were here.

[tworo]

...I released Squirrel yesterday. It was not safe for him to remain here.

[Though Turo is still notably downcast about it.]

[akademise]

[ More's face falls a little, hearing that. ]

That must have been a hard decision. A wise one, also, given the way matters are progressing for us, but no less saddening for it.

... when we fulfill our mission, it should restore his natural habitat and behaviour as well.

[tworo]

Yes - yes, that will be good to see. That is what I was trying to accomplish, after all.

[The behavior, anyway. He never was successful, but even if he had been, they're still in too much danger for any animals to stick around them.]

But I was still sorry to leave him behind. It felt a bit like a betrayal, though I do not think he ever felt much of anything about anything.

[akademise]

Our foe has left him with little capacity to recognize the love and care he was receiving. It was a sorry sight, however adorable he may still have been.

[ Truly, Eggman is creating such a dead world... ]

[tworo]

It was. I really cannot understand it. At least the Professor intended to have other living beings around in his "Paradise".

[How could anyone possibly find a life worth living in this?]

[akademise]

A world without will is a world without strife - it is a hollow peace, but nevertheless harmonious. Yet, I cannot bring myself to believe Dr. Robotnik is motivated by something like this. There is no misguided kindness visible in his actions.

[ Even Professor Turo had some faint excuse of doing it for Arven. He was lying to himself, certainly, but there was something there. It didn't feel wholly hollow. ]

[tworo]

No...no, I've certainly never gotten that impression. He does not even pretend to have some higher-minded motive.

[Turo hadn't been pretending, exactly. The AI thinks maybe he was only deluded.]

[akademise]

It really makes me wonder what he is getting out of this at all. It would be an easy assumption to make that he is merely feeding his ego, but... at the end of this, nothing will be left to even praise him.

[ How is that satisfying? To anyone, to even the vilest villains? ]

[tworo]

I always imagined he must want something. Turo did.

[A utopia in which to live the life he always wanted. It would not have worked out that way, of course, but at least he had a goal.]

But what sort of life is there to live in a world like that? There's nothing to achieve or obtain anymore.

suicidal ideation mention

[akademise]

Maybe it is not life...? Maybe it is a death that takes everything with it.

[ Despite how shameful it feels to admit, he can kind of understand giving up so thoroughly that you think it is best to let it all come to ruin. ]

suicidal ideation mention

[tworo]

Ah...maybe so.

[That's not something he can really relate to. Not that he has never wanted to die, but he's never thought to take anything else with him.]

It does make you wonder. But I doubt that we can talk him down now...

[akademise]

Yes, he is certainly in no space of mind to listen to us... and we might not even be correct to begin with.

[ More sighs, and leans back against the wall. ]

But it does make me feel like we should have tried to seriously inquire into our opponent's goals earlier.

[tworo]

...I don't know about his original goals, but Infinite mentioned that his behavior has changed recently. He has evidently become far more cold and controlling, more obsessed with the specific goal of removing free will. His human assistant has also vanished.

[Turo can read a possible motive into that, but...well, he was sort of doing all of this even before that?]