So, a combat where people got beat up pretty heavily, and a mystery NPC who showed up to help out. And then killed the enemy pilot. Things are starting to get interesting. By this point, I had a lot of major pieces in play, and it was time to start pushing things together, and making big things happen.
Janice and Katsuo: Ghost-Hunting
Rising, Janice took a step towards where she felt there was... something. She motioned to Katsuo excitedly, "Hey, hey, ally buddy! Come and see some ghosties with me!" Without waiting for an answer she walked forward. She suddenly realized she had a very tight grip on her controls, and loosened her hold. "Nice, calm, and sane-like, girl. No need to panic. You aren't dreaming, you aren't dreaming."
Turniphead was finally really able to play Janice in her environment now. She's starting to see things, to feel a tug of sorts. It was the call of the Free City, pulling her closer and closer to a large outcropping that had bubbled up. Everyone else kinda thought she was crazy, of course, when she started talking about "ghosties".
So Katsuo and Janice headed off, and Janice (whose mech was outpacing the much-damaged machine belonging to Katsuo) ran into a Protector. Oh joy, oh happiness.
Janice, Paige, and Katsuo: On the Run
She tucked into a roll, landing right between the two friendlies. She sprang up and sucker-punched the Protector in the cockpit visor. She grabbed the other two mecha by the hand and bolted.
"Come with me!"
In her typical fashion, Paige burst into the scene in a truly heroic fashion. And then everyone started running, because the Protector was right behind them. Everyone made a run for the Free City, which was a dark outcrop filling the walls of a nearby house. That's when they found something strange out...
Janice, Paige, and Katsuo: Oh, Hello
==I mean no harm. I am the voice of the mecha you are currently piloting. Please don't worry.== Janice's mech explained.
"Worried? Who said I was WORRIED? NOT ME," Janice said.
"Uh...." Katsuo murmured.
Paige hurried ahead. "LET'S GO!"
"JANICE SAYS FORWARD, PEEPS."
Spiral noted, **My sensors indictate high levels of stress, perchance we should exit this field**
"Yeah..." Katsuo ran behind.
"STRESS?" said Janice. "I am the IMAGE of CALM RESOLVE."
**My sensors say otherwise** Spiral analyzed.
Paige yelled "SHUT UP AND GO!"
Of course, everyone promptly spent a good deal of time talking with their sentient robots, or at least some of them did. There was a bit of character-to-character screaming and whatnot, but eventually everyone jumped into the Free City. And then everything turned totally black.
Did I mention that Paige was claustrophobic?
Nathan and the NPC: Meanwhile, At the University...
The strings shuddered when he tried to make music, and then his bow hand seemed to collapse against the instrument. He stood, and opened his cello case.
"I thought you'd be doing that," said a voice, as a compactly-built mecha stepped into view. "Playing that instrument."
"It's...been a long day..." Nathan tried to say, his face turned away. "What're...you..." He didn't manage to finish it.
"Busy," she said. "The world is chaos out there. Carrion and filth. And you play that."
In a brief moment of DUN-DUN-DUNNNNNNNNNNNH, I introduced Nathan and the mystery NPC who the players met earlier. Nathan, playing his cello in front of a pilotless mech at the University, was accosted by the still-nameless pilot. And he called her "sister". The plot thickens.
Next time: the Free City awaits, and a newcomer...
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