Because it could never be that easy...

[ww_arcadia]

A little over a month had passed. Occasionally, there'd be word from inside Arcadia. Occasionally, there'd be more deliveries of food. But the uneasy peace was doomed from the start, and at least some people knew that.

Eventually the message comes. Something has been found. Something that Copy X wants to speak to them in person about, but he can't leave the city at the time. He thinks Weil is suspicious and would take advantage of any absence. But he can give them access codes to an area of Arcadia away from the human residential sections, where they can meet...

Comments

[xtravariable]

-Right now, saving explanations for the Nexus might be our only option. Well, other than let the kid blow up.- Zero heads on through the rooms... but now the security systems have been activated.

Nothing but a few drones, though, and soon they'll be close enough to hear Copy X shouting, "No, I won't lose you too! Go!"

And when they get to the room itself, they'll be just in time to see Fafnir and Leviathan, half-pulling a more reluctant Harpuia with them through a far door. A screen nearby displays grainy, repeating, soundless... and if they pay attention, highly edited, footage of the events with Phantom.

And Copy X, tearfaced and in his white-trimmed battle armor, buster pointed at them. "You betrayed us. What did you do to Phantom? Where is he!?"

[builtforbattle.livejournal.com]

This is not good, Forte repeats in his mind as they run. He's trying not to shoot anything, sticking to dashes and double jumps to get around and passed the security. Things are already bad enough without him firing.

He doesn't have to pay attention to the screen to know it's edited. Why else would Copy X be in battle armor and the kids rushing out the door.

"Dammit all to hell he edited it already! It's Weil! He did something to Phantom! X took him to be repaired before it got worse! The same could happen to you and the others!"

[xtravariable]

"He must have started on it as soon as we went in the room," says Zero, adding to Copy X. "He must have intercepted the message telling us to meet you here!"

"You think I'm a fool. Too young... too trusting. I can't trust anyone.... why should I trust you!!"

"You said you had proof against Weil!" says Zero.

"And how do I know he didn't arrange this!" counters Copy. Only a month of trying to outwit Weil has made him jittery and paranoid. He really is too young to handle it just yet, at least not without even more help than he's had.

But it's then that things go from bad to worse. "I... can't... can't move..." Copy X says, buster still pointed at them.

Zero recognizes those words from replaying those games until he had them memorized. -2.0 said that before exploding- he says to Forte. But out loud he just says "Good," and dashes towards Copy X, intent on grabbing him and teleporting out.

[builtforbattle.livejournal.com]

Copy X has a good point. From his point of view, he really has no one he can trust. What he's seen, faked or not, is more believable than what they say. He really doesn't like being grouped up with Weil, but this isn't the time or place for that.

With Zero going after Copy X, Forte dashes for the door the others fled through. -I'll chase down the kids.-

[ww_arcadia]

Zero and Copy X vanish, and Forte will find himself with two immediate problems. One, the door has been locked. Two, Copy was still a 'load bearing boss' and a self-destruct announcement sounds.

[builtforbattle.livejournal.com]

"What?!" He punches the door then fires a fully charged shot at it. "I don't have time for this!"

[ww_arcadia]

He doesn't manage to put enough of a hole in the door to get through, but he does manage to make a hole. The single red eye of a Pantheon looks in at him, while the building shakes and parts of the ceiling start to come down.