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Janine Liberi	Die Reisende has not been having much luck of late.      Their forays into the Black Queen's Castle has been getting them nowhere. Exploratory voyages always end at a hallway that looks identical to the last several dozen, a retreat required due to exhaustion and time spent. Once the next day comes, and the journey begins anew, the castle's entire layout had changed, any markers left, now spirited away. Even devices that constantly emit a signal are untraceable once the castle has shifted.      Alternatives have been suggested and shot down. Camping inside the castle for a night opens them to ambush, and if the place shifts while they're inside, they might never find their way back. The castle exteriors are impossibly tough, so no circumvention through a broken wall. Finally, no Shadows seems to be willing to act as a guide or contribute any assistance. The Black Queen is feared far too much for any to encroach on her domain.     This is seventh day in a row that Die Reisende has entered the castle. They're five hallways and four battles deep. Janine is cranky, even more so than usual. The kind of mad where she actually goes quiet, because the words she can never take back are starting to bubble up.     But on this day, a boon.     Just as the party comes to another seven-way intersection among the halls, something passes before them. A tiny, squat robot, made up of visible gears, cogs, and springwork. It is short and bulbous, not a hard angle in sight. Atop its head is a ball of yarn wrapped around a rod, and a trail of string follows behind it.     The robot considers its route for a moment, before noticing the party. Immediately, it begins to hop away, down one of the reflective corridors, saying, "HELP! HELP!" with each hop.     And now Die Reisende faces a dilemma. Do they dare follow the robot, to try and track it to its destination? Or follow the string it leaves behind, to arrive at its origin?
Rebecca Chambers	If there's one thing Rebecca Chambers has learned throughout her career, both within S.T.A.R.S. and within the Multiverse, it's that luck is usually never on your side. Whether it's during the initial encounter with the T-Virus, or during that raid on an Umbrella Corporation plant in Kiev-221, or just about anything else for that matter, Rebecca has learned that your best bet is to go with your gut instinct and your skills without expecting luck to be on your side. With a castle like this in a place like this, it's easy to understand why Janine would be so cranky. Rebecca herself would be just as frustrated as well if she were going through a situation like this. And given that it's pretty much been a full week without anything, even Rebecca herself has started to lose patience. Although she's keeping a good job of keeping it from showing on her face pretty much. Today, however, it seems that things might be different... When they get to the seven-way intersection (and no, Rebecca doesn't think the number of directions provides any luck whatsoever,) there's a robot there. It looks bizarre, but Rebecca's unsurprised after all she's been through. Before she can react, the robot spots the party and then runs away while calling for help. Rebecca frowns a little then looks to the others. "If it's audibly calling for help," She says. "then I think we'd best be on guard. I don't think that thing was looking for assistance for us." At that point, Rebecca's eyes dart from side to side a little, as if expecting something or someone to come out of nowhere now that the robot has started calling for help.
Kotone Yamakawa	Things have not been going as well as she'd hoped but far less worse than she feared. No one had been lost, it could be going be going much better but she's been learning at least a little. She also wonders if things will be less direct and more mental assault like the question period with the high ranking shadow they ran into the last time. She is geared for a fight hbut is alsoi rather quiet for once. She pauses at the person calling for help and peers at it? She looks for a moment and seem to be falling in to follow August, she's not cloaked yet but she seems on edge maybe a bit more than she normal is, even taking the forest into account. "I'll follow you on this August."
Robert Speedwagon	And one interfering Robert Speedwagon has had about enough of the misdirection and psych-outs. So the last few things he bashed with a sledgehammer this evening probably got bashed a bit harder than they deserved. ...Then again it was probably a Shadow, so it probably deserved it. Anyway. Speedwagon, Tattoo, and Kempo have been fighting as a unit, clear enough that they've known each other long enough for the three of them to be able to read each other's movements. The intersection gets a growl from Speedwagon. "And yet again all the 'allways look bloody IDENTICAL!" Unhappy Speedwagon is Unhappy! But then... the robot, as it trundles away quickly. That's a good question, though -- which way now? Robert's of a particular mind. "If it went that way, callin' for 'elp," he notes, pointing the way the robot went to, "yer can bet there's gonna be somethin' coming from that way, an' I'd be willin' ta wager it ain't gonna be friendly." Now pointing the way the robot came FROM, where the string is, "I vote we go that way. It's 'away from 'ere', and that's a start."
Ainsley	This is actually the first time Ainsley has been along to enter the castle proper. She finds it... dizzying, and she keeps making notes about architecture as she goes. She has an inquisitive air about her, and her notes are filled about speculation about the conceptual nature of the castle. She has not made heads nor tails of the purpose of this place besides being a virtual hive of Shadows and utterly infuriating to try to navigate. Everything looks identical.     She watched the little robot with dumbfounded, wide eyes, and then observed it as it bounded down the hallway. It didn't seem particularly interesting to her, because she knows what those clockwork things do. They deceive the viewer. She scribbles some notes in her journal and a little sketch of the Shadow. 'Deceptive. Manipulator personality?' She's trying to get a feel for what the Blacksmith actually does for the Queen.     As the party deliberates on whether to follow the robot or trace its path using the string it left behind, Ainsley glances down the other passages in their current intersection and breathes a sigh through her nostrils. She soon assents to the plan August brings up, and steps up to follow his path, the book snapping shut.     "Here we go again," she murmurs, steeling herself for a fight by drawing her sword, should they inevitably encounter hostility.
August Kohler	August has been poking, day after day. Fight after fight. His eyes are baggy from a clear lack of good sleep, and he's fiddling with his pistol, readying it before holstering it. His hoodie has a tactical vest over it, as he moves forward and spots the robot. He draws his gun, but doesn't shoot as it runs away, instead ducking to check the string, before moving down that path. "Either path we take will have hostiles, without a doubt. However, think of the Minotaur's labryinth. This might lead us to somewhere good...maybe the Blacksmith himself, as without a doubt he built these." August may have a bit of a grudge against the Blacksmith, who aided the Huntsman. Just a tad.
Sanary Rondel	If it's directions and navigation Die Reisende needs, they're... Not going to get it from Sanary. Not even a little. What they would at least have coming in, though, is a healthy variety of CURED MEAT SNACKS to at least make each day not seem so shitty and awful and a complete waste of time.      On this seventh day, the snacks are sweet onion pork cracklins.      "Meaning.. It's callin' for help because it saw us?" Sanary murmurs after Rebecca's observation, already drawing her axe and readying herself to fling it at the robot. She doesn't throw it just yet, however, instead listening to her allies over the radio and nodding in agreement with Speedwagon. "... Yeah, if it's going further in, then pullin' back towards the string might help. We can do an ambush or somethin' if they come out to find us, even."      She sounds particularly proud of that last thought.
Yuna Kagurazaka	Yuna is looking a little piqued as well; although she hasn't been able to join Die Reisende on most of their dungeon-crawling endeavors, she managed to be here today - and she's been trying to tank for her friends as much as she can, which takes an extra toll on her. Not so much an emotional toll, and not exactly a physical one, but she's feeling the strain in any case. The little robot draws an interested look from the battlesuited blonde. That ball of yarn and the rod, and the trail - "A maze-solving robot of some kind?" she speculates aloud. "But yeah, this is a better lead than anything else we've got as far as finding our way. If it leads us into a trap, that'll still be a sign that we're getting *some*where." She's not sure whether the robot was pleading with Die Reisende for help, or calling for help because it saw the group, but either way, Yuna's not the sort to *ignore* a call for help. And if the robot's cries were meant for other, bigger, stronger, deadlier members of the Black Queen's Court ... well, that's why the Matrix of Light is following along: keeping Yuna's options open in case there's something the group can't handle with their normal loadout.
Atalanta	After confirming they're not splitting the party...      (Thanks, August, it's like she wanted to hang around you and the rest of these people...)      Atalanta has slunk to Augusts' side, her tail drifting in the air behind. She's confident - or at ease - enough that she hasn't drawn her bow, but here, she doesn't really need too. Not yet; her senses are fine enough at this point she's fairly sure anything in this place, will, ah... announce themselves, generally, long before they show up. Unless it's an air attack - but she's watching you too, sky!!! You won't get her damp today with that wicked rain!! Nevertheless, she is chill.
Janine Liberi	The group decides to follow the string, trailing after it through the dense, reflective castle. Up and down stairs, through ajar doors... ultimately, the party descends toa basement level. The structure is still glass, but it becomes smokier with less light to reflect against it. Down here, strange technological lights guide the way, shining in all hues and tones. Until finally, the party reaches the source of the string. A great iron bulkhead, left ajar and with many more strings leaving it. A blistering heat emanates from it, growing only stronger as Die Reisende go inside.     Within is like being inside a furnace crossed with a production line crossed with a blacksmith's forge. The place shines with a cherry-colored light from the myriad flames, but it is far from cheery. Something about being here sets one teeth on edge, something that rubs already-frayed nerves the wrong way. Is it the many many machines lining the walls, hanging from the roof, staring with unseeing eyes? The intense, dry heat? Or just something in the air itself?     In the distance, the sound of banging. Getting close to it reveals what looks like a great mechanical tick hanging from the ceiling by spindly mechanical arms that emerge from all over its bulbous body. They emerge from hatches that cover its perfectly spherical form, and the head bears pincers. Cracks and fissures under it constantly spew flame and magma, creating the imagery of a beard.     As of now, they have yet to notice the party. What now?...
August Kohler	As they follow into the string, August grits his teeth. He's here. The Blacksmith. August can hear the hammer, and he can see how mechanical this place is...this man must be the engineer of the Court, and he's directly contributed to August's suffering. August reaches for his gun as they spot him. He takes a breath. In a second, August has drawn his pistol, levelled it at the back of the Blacksmith's head, and pulled the trigger as fast as his finger will let him. He's going to end this one quick
Rebecca Chambers	"That's my guess," Rebecca says to Sanary, narrowing her eyes a little. "I seriously don't think something like that in a place like this is going to be calling out that we're the ones who need help." She looks to Yuna and, for a moment, bites her lower lip, before replying, "In a place like this, I highly doubt something that looks like that is going to be on our side." Rebecca looks away to avoid making a negative facial expression in response to Yuna's comment about being led into a trap meaning they'll be getting somewhere. Despite Rebecca's apprehensions about this, she eventually goes along with the plan to follow the string. She tries to put on a brave face as she follows along, but it's clear that it's very much a forced expression. The more they travel, the more forced the expression is on Rebecca's face. It's only when they reach the end of the string that Rebecca starts to relax, until she sees there are other strings attached to it, and she becomes a bit suspicious. "There's more than one string? This really doesn't seem right!" When she starts to feel the heat emanating from nearby, she grits her teeth a little. "Someone tell me we did not just literally walk into hell." Once they head inside, Rebecca really starts to sweat a bit. She wipes her forehead with her hand and takes a deep breath as she takes in the general area. It's definitely not a fun place to be, both with the weird appearances of things and the intense heat. Then comes the banging sound, and Rebecca's eyes widen. She turns her head in the general direction and her eyes widen as she gets a look at what's apparently waiting for them. "Oh my..." Rebecca's jaw hangs open for a moment or two, staring in disbelief at that mechanical tick. She's unable to think or say anything for a moment. Then August draws his gun and pulls the trigger. Rebecca is about to tell him to hold his fire to avoid them detecting the party, but it's too late, as August has already fired. "So much for a stealthy approach!" Rebecca says with a scowl as she draws her Magnum and loads a clip into it. "I guess we have no other choice!" She says as she fires off a single round from her Magnum in hopes of doing a little extra damage to the Blacksmith in case August's isn't enough.
Yuna Kagurazaka	That's an awful lot of strings. That's also an awful lot of machines lining the walls - whether inert, standing by, or already keeping watch, Yuna can't guess, and isn't sure she wants to. The heat is incredible; she wonders briefly how even machines can tolerate it, then glances at Elner ... Who just looks back at Yuna impassively, as if to shrug. The sound of gunfire from very close at hand startles Yuna into jumping; Shugoseiheki is already on her arm, of course, and Yuna's pistol materializes as well as she realizes it was August shooting at the Blacksmith's head. Her jaw clenches slightly, as if debating whether to call August out - she WOULD prefer to at least try to talk first - but given how the Black Queen's minions are pretty consistently more likely to try to kill them than make conversation ... Yuna levels her pistol as well, and begins firing - but she's keeping alert for movement to her sides, and trusting Elner and the rest of the Matrix to watch her back. Just in case any of the machines on the walls start moving - or attacking - as well. She's not aiming for the Blacksmith's head like August or Rebecca, but sniping as best she can at the joints of the mechanical tinker's neck, shoulders, and elbows - primarily the neck, but not ignoring the arms.
Atalanta	Atalanta notices too late;      A little too fast, her quickdraw master is.      "No-!" But by the time her hand lands on his, it's too late, and she lets out a noise that can only be defined as an 'angry catmurr'. She glowers at him, her bright green eyes glimmering with annoyance, her tail swishing incredibly irritatedly behind her. She shifts her weigh, her bow coming to her hand, a fiery green arrow coming to the string without a thought, even as she draws back, firing off a series of rapidfire shots.      She then hisses at August, "If you're sneaking on your prey, you use quiet methods, to not alert EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE FOREST!"
Sanary Rondel	Sanary keeps glancing back and forth as the group follows the string, the appearance of the odd robot from earlier still nagging at hte back of her mind. "If it was going to help us, then it should've stuck around. But.. Eh, we can worry about that if it shows up again."      As the heat grows more intense, her focus shifts more towards the path in front of them until they reach the Blacksmith. There's even more of those strings, a giant bearded fire bug, and-      August goes for the most straightforward approach. Smirking slightly, the axe cleric doesn't take long to follow his lead as she pulls a smaller tomahawk out of her coat. Sanary hurls it with all her might at the Blacksmith's legs, then charges right for it with her larger axe with a big horizontal swing!.
Robert Speedwagon	Speedwagon nods to Sanary's words of an ambush, and grins. "Right ya are! It'd be nice for a change, bein' the ones doin' the ambushin' rather than the ones gettin' ambushed!" he notes. The string leads them down into a basement and into... whatever it is, Robert does not like it. One can tell by the way his teeth are bared on the way down, the way he grits his teeth as they get closer to the destination. And by how he's shaking. He's not the only one who's visibly not liking this atmosphere, either. Tattoo fidgets nervously with a knife, and Kempo's entire body is held rigid with tension. The paranoia is palpable with these three. The sight of the mechanical tick hanging from the ceiling would have prompted a short cry of surprise... if Speedwagon hadn't quickly covered his mouth. It looks rather comical, actually; Speedwagon standing there with his hand over his mouth, eyes wide, still trembling with the paranoia this place has instilled in him. But then August is shooting at the thing, and Speedwagon frowns. Drawing his hand away from his mouth, he reaches up to flick the artificial brim off his bowler hat. And then, with most of the group either opening fire or preparing to, Speedwagon throws that bladed bowler hat. He throws it so it will curve around, figuring the tick-machine will probably turn around to see where the shots came from. If it does, the hat should have a decent chance of hitting it in the back.
Ainsley	Ainsley was not prepared for how readily August pulled his weapon and fired at the thing in front of them without thinking. Her feathers puffed, and she thought fast. She pointed at the thing that could very well be the Blacksmith, and she spoke something loud and almost incomprehensible. A magical effect coalesced around her, down her arm, and to the point of her finger, and she spoke another word meaning Thought and a bolt of green lightning made a narrow arc or three across the room toward August's target.     It was a stunning spell, meant to at least slow or temporarily halt thought. In lesser beings, it could mean unconsciousness. She was trying to add to the pre-emptive advantage by trying to take advantage of the surprise.
Kotone Yamakawa	They go after the string and Kotone will engage her cloak after a moment keeping with the party, but hoping to be a bit of an better asset this way. She creep on ahead keeping herself alert but the place more and more brings up a feeling of dread as she looks about what seems to be some sort of forge. It feels almost like somerhing she'd expect from a metal album cover. She think about that for a second but she hears something working. She takes a moment to look at the arms and she then gets what they are they are some crazy ass shadows dhe's not got a wepaon out yet as August goes in she'll attempt to flank, she's not expecting any friendly reaction in the castle to be honest, she'll hold her own attack until the others fully enage the Shadow Smith's attention.
Janine Liberi	BANG!     The gunshot echoes throughout, somehow louder than the banging of the hammer. It hits the mechanical tick, and blows out a glowing optical sensor. It grunts, a sound borne more of annoyance than pain, and turns to regard the party. "Tch... so you all made it this far? Everyone upstairs is so damn useless. Can't count on them for anything. Now here you are, disrupting my schedule."     More spindly arms erupt from its form, arranging to form a cylinder shape. That hammer it was using is loaded into it, whereupon they all spark with electricity. Suddenly, the metal tool is launched at the party with explosive force, targeted at August. It impacts with explosive force, knocking him out even as he dodges, and likely scattering the others.     Gunfire and arrows spray, clanking against the Blacksmith's metal hide. A few lucky shots go into the open hatches, disrupting the Shadow's inside in some way, causing it to grunt again. "Pesky worms," it scowls, before Sanary's axe impacts against one of the arms connecting it to the roof. With a point of purchase suddenly lost, it scrabbles to find another, only for Ainsley's spell to impact, dazing it long enough to let it fall, slamming hard against the ground. "GRAAAH! You're wasting my time!" it says, getting up by having the arms serve as legs, pushing it up from the floor... only for Speedwagon's hat to hit the back of its head. This seems to be the tipping point.     "I've had it! Every moment is precious!" it shouts, many many arms erupting from its form to grab everything it can. Stray blades, myriad tools, loose machine parts. Once every arm bears something, it begins to roll and spin, pinballing around the room to try and impact against anyone and everyone, moving with more than enough force to kill!
Rebecca Chambers	"Yeah, we made it up here! We're a lot tougher than you might think!" Rebecca says as she steps back a little. "You know what they say, right? Big things come in small packages!" Yet the look on Rebecca's face is a mix of annoyance and anger at this being. But the annoyance and anger turn to desperation and shock as the hammer is fired at August... and the rest of the party. "Oh hell NO!" Thinking fast, Rebecca attempts to run first, then realizes she's not fast enough, and in desperation she dives forwards, rolling away as far as she can. Unfortunately, Rebecca's not an acrobat, and she doesn't roll far enough. The explosive force hits Rebecca, sending her tumbling forwards and giving her a few bumps and bruises before she comes to a stop. "Ugh... oooh... that hurt..." Rebecca didn't hear all of the dialogue from the Blacksmith since she was busy being bumped and bruised by the ground, but she does hear the comment about every moment being precious, and that's when Rebecca replies. "Every moment can be precious, yes, but not when you're using it for crap like this!" She would open fire, but then she sees that there are various objects about to be utilized in a Wheel-of-Misfortune style of attacking, and realizes that this is even more dangerous than before. "Dammit! No!" Rebecca yells as she tries to find something to take cover behind, crouching down as she does so.
Kotone Yamakawa	The others attack and now it's time for Kotone to move in and she'll move, there's a slight ripple for her as she does so. The Smith could see it in this moment the second before the Gunfire from her starts, short controlled bursts. She does not stop moving even as she fires, not wanting to hold still. She has not forgot just how hard the minions of the Queen can hit. She doubts this guy will be an exception to that. Kotone will however be looking about for something else, maybe something to mess up here. If the smith is working on things she could take a chance to break off an go for that rather than attacking him directly but for the moment her friends could use some more fire support. So that's what they are going get as Kotone continues to play the Phantom Menace. <<I wonder if there's anything here he's really hate to lose...>>
Sanary Rondel	Chop. Chop. Chop. Sanary's primary solution is chopping the hell out of things, and it seems to be working! Sort of. It's pissing the Blacksmith off, at least, so the healer's more than ready to keep going up until it starts grabbing everything and turns into a giant pinball of death.      Being a smart and logical person, of course, Sanary opts to try and stop it directly. "If you're so worried about time, then just stand aside and stop getting in our way!" Bracing the axe in front of her, she slams it and herself right into the murderball. The healer is strong, but considering the sheer size and speed of the thing?      It shouldn't be much surprise that Sanary's getting knocked away in her first rush at the thing. She grits her teeth at the pain shooting through her everywhere, taking a moment to heal herself and take the edge off before charging forward to try the same thing again!
August Kohler	August thought he could handle it. He was wrong. With a single blast of that hammer, he's sent flying backwards, knocked out. However, even as he is...he slowly starts to stir a few moments afterwards, so he shouldn't be out of the fight long!
Atalanta	Atalanta is angry at her master.      Yet, leave him she does not, her tail flickering behind her as the archer-hunter flicks off a three-shot at once before darting this way and that. Never dodge in a straight line, and never come towards prey in a straight line: Zig-zag increases your chances of life and of food. Mmm, food.
Yuna Kagurazaka	Yuna's first reaction, when that giant cylinder comes spinning towards the group, is to try and get in front of it, tank the impact so nobody else has to. Unfortunately, the cylinder moves too fast, she doesn't move fast enough, and the time-honored principle of 'spin to deflect stuff' works awfully well when the stuff you're trying to deflect is spinning faster than you ever could. End result, Yuna gets hit HARD and goes flying into one of the walls loaded with not-currently-animate machines, the Light Suit's protective aura flaring and crackling not just from the initial impact, but the secondary collisions as well, up to and including her finally hitting the floor. She barely has time to yell for Jiina before the Blacksmith has armed up and is rolling around the room - and no time at all to actually *combine* with any of her partners before she gets knocked back into the wall full of constructs. Again. << Yuna, >> Elner transmits silently to her, << you can't take too many more hits like that - even if you go into Powered Form, you'll be at a severe disadvantage. >> "Got any better suggestions?" Yuna replies under her breath. She can tell just from the way her body feels that Elner's right; even in her heaviest form she's not going to be able to tank that head-on. "Just get over to August, make sure he's okay, and help him out if you can," she tells the robo-faerie, who flits off to find where August landed. Yuna herself stays hidden a moment longer, watching the Blacksmith's movement - and then Jiina catches up with her. The transformation is mostly hidden from view, except for some light amongst the constructs and some clattering as they get shoved around - and then Yuna emerges in Powered Form, Shugoseiheki now strapped to one of her exo-arms, her regular hands bearing the Matrix Divider two-handed. Rather than aiming straight at the Blacksmith, though, she aims ahead of him - trying to blow apart the floor where he's about to step, or take out handholds he was just about to grasp if he's brachiating around with any unnoticed free hands.
Robert Speedwagon	"Oh bloody 'ell!" Speedwagon curses, as the hammer's loaded up and fired at them. He tries to dodge, but the spread pattern is too large; he, Tattoo, and Kempo are flung in different directions. Thankfully they weren't at the exact epicenter of the blast, so aside from getting banged around a little, they're more or less fine. There's going to be some hellacious bruises tomorrow, though. If they survive to see it, that is... Because suddenly there are things rolling all around the floor. "GET CLEAR!" Speedwagon calls, mainly to his group. They'll split in different directions, though it probably won't be much of a distraction for the Blacksmith, since something with this many legs shouldn't have any trouble splitting its attention so many ways. But even if so, Speedwagon and his guys are going to be trying to give the Blacksmith a run for his money! Besides that, Robert needs to get his hat back!
Janine Liberi	Rebecca finds a workbench to duck under, causing the Blacksmith's spinning blow to deflect off it. The table goes flying, bouncing hard against the wall, and scattering tools to rain down on her.     Kotone, by skulking around, finds the thing the Blacksmith was working on when they came in. A small, silvery nail sitting upon an anvil. Why he needed such a large hammer for this is unclear, but he speaks a lot about wasted time. Maybe threatening an incomplete project would draw his attention?     Sanary rushes in to tank the spin! Yes, she is knocked back, but each time she goes in, she makes the Blacksmith slow down, slowing his spin and his overall velocity. It's an odd way of tanking, but it means he's not rendered the whole place a danger zone.     As such, Yuna has an easy time of leading her shot, blowing apart the ground he was moving towards. This launches him, sending him slamming hard into the wall, embedding him within. Thankfully, this gives Speedwagon a chance to get his head back, as the Blacksmith begins to pull himself from the wall again. "DAMN YOU ALL! I'VE A SCHEDULE TO KEEP!" he screams, grabbing up all the metal ore he can. He breaths fire upon them, melting each bit into slag that falls, right into another electrical cylinder made of his arms. This propels the molten metal l ike a burning shotgun, filling the air with literal hot lead!
Rebecca Chambers	The good news is that Rebecca found cover. The bad news is that it didn't last for too long. The table goes flying, leaving poor Rebecca uncovered for the time being. Then the tools rain down on her, and a few of them cause her to cry out as they bounce against her. "Oww!" The damage isn't serious, more like a few bruises and whatnot, but that's still not good. "Damn it, why now?" Thinking that she'll be less vulnerable as a moving target, Rebecca starts to run away from the Blacksmith, firing off another Magnum round at it. "You made me mad, and now you're gonna regret it!"
August Kohler	August is lucky he's unconscious, because it means he's not being set on fire. Atalanta's cover helps, as the redhead slowly arrives at his knees, moving to glance at the bracelet on his wrist. "Alright, Blacksmith. You want to play with fire, you're going to get burned...agh. Persona!" Through his pain, August summons the Tin Soldier, which rises in front of him and begins spraying fire against the molten lead, trying to speed up the melting process and also burn the Blacksmith in the process. "You're a disgrace to engineers! Goddamn Shadow!" Well, it seems August's pretty biased against the Blacksmith, as the Tin Soldier moves to rush forward during its fire shooting to get the fire up in the Blacksmith's face...even if that puts it right in the line of future attacks.
Kotone Yamakawa	Given this is not an antirely material world they are in, Kotone looks around notics the nail, she looks about more she sees some tonges and will move to shoulder her weapon, decloak and grab them. Then she uses it to go for the nail. Once she has it she calls out to the Black Smith. "Hey I got your project, as someone who crafts things herself. It would be a shame if something happened to it!" She's going to try to draw the Black Smith's attention, and is totally having an August moment here or so one might think.
Atalanta	At hearing the fire pun from August, Atalanta turns and stares at him.      Her tail is still, and her ears are flat.      She raises her bow, turns her head fractionally to the side, and fires a rapid-fire pattern, aiming for quantity over quality over such a large target.
Sanary Rondel	Sanary's nearly knocked flat on her back each time she gets battered away, but just barely manages to get herself back up each time. A heaping helping of healing magic helps to alleviate the worst of the injuries, although there's likely to be some corrective work done in the near future by someone with more knowledge of proper bone setting.      For now, though, her focus is on mitigating the worst of the Blacksmith's attacks for herself and her allies. Leaving the investigative work to Kotone and the precision attacks to nearly everyone except herself and August, Sanary pulls up her axe again to defend herself against some of the oncoming projectiles while relying on healing herself to keep herself standing against the rest despite the scorches and burns on herself and her coat.      "That's.. That's all you got?! Come on and stop wasting /my/ time, you giant beardy ass... Face!" Sanary bellows out loudly as if announcing her presence, then starts charging towards the Blacksmith with her axe raised high once again. "I.. Uhh. I got an expired coupon with your name on it, and it's almost closing time! It'll be fast, though!" Whatever she's going on about probably makes more sense in her head than it does coming out of it, but it doesn't get in the way of her aiming a big swing from around the Tin Soldier right at the Blacksmith's side.
Yuna Kagurazaka	It's always satisfying to see a tactic pay off. What's not nearly so satisfying is when the Blacksmith retaliates by trying to blow them all away with an excessive spray of molten slag-chaff out of that cylinder - and while Yuna tries to tank through it, the crackling flares of her armor's defensive force-field are noticeably slow to subside this time, and it takes a while for her wincing from THAT to subside. It's long enough for August to get back on his feet and rejoin the fray, at least - good news where it presents itself, and all that. There has GOT to be a way, she thinks, to stop him from doing those dynamo cylinder tricks ... but given how many arms the Blacksmith seems to have, she'd have to relieve him of ... well, most if not all of them - and then she realizes that she DOES have that option. Maybe. Possibly. With barely time to warn her allies, Yuna fires up her hover-thrusters and races to a spot off to the Blacksmith's side, relative to Sanary and whomever else is trying to tank the Shadow tinker in his steampunky face ... and as soon as she has the opening to do so, she cuts loose with her beam cannons, not so much trying to hammer the Blacksmith himself into the far wall (she won't complain if that happens), but to blow off as many of those spidery little limbs as she can in the blast. She may not get all of them. She may not even get MOST of them ... but every little bit counts, and if she has to keep taking them off individually when the dust settles, then she will.
Robert Speedwagon	Good, Speedwagon's able to get his hat back. Though it isn't helping him much, because he's still having to move fast to avoid getting splatted with burning metal. Tattoo is a quick, speedy sort, and Kempo has that wuxia-style dodging. Robert himself, though? Is a normal human guy with no special training aside from the school of hard knocks. And as he raises his hand to throw that hat again? SPLAT! Right in the side. "ARGH!" Speedwagon's thrown back by the force of the hit, and rolls back. His sledgehammer hits the ground, and he has a peekaboo window in the side of his suit. Though there's nothing to see there but badly-burned skin. "Boss!" Tattoo calls out, worried. But Speedwagon is, if nothing else, made of tough stuff. And fortunately he does manage to get up, though it's slow, and his teeth are gritted in pain. He's not dead, though; there's that. "Right then," Robert growls. "BOYS! WITH ME!" The trio meet up, and Speedwagon shoulders his sledgehammer. And then the group makes an attempt at a bumrush, trying to rush with attacks when the Blacksmith is looking the other way. Kempo's liable to injure his fists, Tattoo's knife may not be enough, and who knows if Speedwagon's sledgehammer is going to do anything?
Janine Liberi	Another gunshot from Rebecca hits one of the joints of the makeshift railgun the Engineer has made, throwing off the straight line it needs. This makes the next shot explode partway through, splattering the arms, causing them to start melting. He scowls, and detaches them from his form.     Unfortunately, this leaves him open to the Tin Soldier to rush in and melt the rest of the ore unopposed, letting it drop onto the Blacksmith. A droplet worms into his damaged optics,a nd this draws the first pained scream he's let out. "IF YOU DO NOT OPTIMZE EVERY SECOND, YOU ARE NO TRUE ENGINEER, BOY!" he says, before his chest suddenly erupts out, a battering ram launching itself at the Tin Solider.     But then, Kotone lays hands on his current piece of work, and his head snaps towards her. "PUT THAT DOWN!" he shouts, suddenly hurling himself from his hole in the wall to slide towards her, pincers gnashing and flames spewing!     He is so intent on this, that he doesn't even try to defend against attacks. Atalanta's arrows all find purchase, and he does nothing to stop them. Sanary's insults go ignored, and her slamming strike knocks him off-target, but he scrabbles to pull himself towards Kotone again.     However, Yuna unleashes her attack, blasting off the Blacksmith's many appendages. This leaves him vulnerable to the blows of the Ogre Street boys. The metal that clads him is strange. The sound that their impact leaves is off. Is it just because he's a Shadow, or is there something more to it?     The Blacksmith barks angrily, before a trap door opens beneath it, making it vanish deeper into the Castle. "You won't be so lucky next time!" he calls out as he falls, leaving Die Reisende alone in his forge. Exploring it would reveal a device of his creation, something that lets him toggle if this place shifts with the Castle or not. Finally, Die Reisende has a foothold.
Sanary Rondel	Panting as the Blacksmith makes its escape after that brief, but intense fight, Sanary shakes her arms off before glancing around rapidly at her allies. "That could've gone a lot worse... Everyone else okay? Gather 'round if you need some of the healing... Stuff." She calls out with a quick wave of her hand in the air, already getting some HEALING MAGIC circulating for whoever comes close enough to get some treatment.      "Next time, though... We're gonna have to fight that thing again, ain't we? Might have to look for more of his stuff lying around, then..." She looks towards Kotone, a curious glint appearing in the healer's eye. "... What'd you touch, anyway?"
Kotone Yamakawa	Well note she's got the Smith's attention here a he's coming right at her the moment she has that nail. She also hears the ords that the Smith says, wait? Inside August? The Shadow knows about that? That's really worrying but right now she's got a brick shit house coming right for her. She will use her agility to leap as far away from the smith as she can. "No I will not, put it down." Kotone keeps moving trying to get the heck away and thnaks to all of her friends. She is lucky to not have beem mauled and she looks at the nail for a moment. She looks to Sanary for a moment. "The nail I'm holding here don't touch it, it's hot enough to hurt you." She holds up the Nail so others in the party can get a look at it.
Rebecca Chambers	"It's more than just luck!" Rebecca calls out as she reloads her Magnum quickly before rubbing at the injured spots on her body. "It's about skill, teamwork, devotion, and many other things which I don't have time to explain!" Once she's sure the Blacksmith is gone, she takes out a cannister of First-Aid Spray and shakes it a few times. She sprays some on herself, wincing as the aerosol takes effect on the injuries on her body, before spritzing it around herself in order to help those who might need it. After that's done, Rebecca takes a look at Sanary and says, "Given that it got away, I'm more than certain that not only will we have to fight it again, but I'm guessing it's going to be more powerful than before. Call it a hunch." Despite the way it's phrased, Rebecca is not being sarcastic in any way, but instead making an educated guess at what will most likely happen the next time they're here. Then Kotone holds up that nail and Rebecca moves in closer to get a look at it. "I'll trust you on that," She comments. "I don't feel like getting any more injuries than I've already gotten today."
Robert Speedwagon	"HA!" This is Speedwagon's triumphant declaration. "LET THAT BE A LESSON, YOU -- ow ow ow ow!" Yeah, he tried to puff his chest up and raise his arm... on the side he got burned on. He doubles over a bit, holding his arm to his chest so it won't touch his side. "Boss? Are ya all right?" Tattoo asks, and Kempo frowns worriedly. Robert waves a hand dismissively. "It's fine! What's important is, we won! Look!" Sanary's offering healing, though, and Speedwagon's not stupid enough to pass it up. "If yer can manage without expendin' too much energy! Thank yer!" He'll get over closer to where she's drawing in those healing energies, so he can hopefully benefit from them. Being able to touch his side without excruciating pain would be nice, after all. In the meantime, Tattoo and Kempo will assist in exploring the forge. Speedwagon sees Kotone still has the nail, and grins. "Good! Ya still got it! Keep it, if yer can; might be good against 'im. What else would be able ter 'urt 'im, if not somethin' 'e made 'imself?"
Yuna Kagurazaka	Yuna lets out a breath as the battle comes to an abrupt end. The Blacksmith got away, and is probably not going to be happy with them the next time their paths intersect ... but, Die Reisende is still standing, the Blacksmith isn't (technically), and they have a chance to look around without further interference. Meanwhile, Sanary is casting healing magic, and Yuna moves closer to take advantage; the blonde breathes noticeably easier as the healing takes effect on her. The most noticeable effect is that the sparking of her Light Suit's defensive field settles down again. She still needs some serious rest to recover, but she already feels better, and give Sanary an appreciative grin. "Thank you!" She looks around to make sure everyone else is okay ... which, thanks to Sanary, seems to largely be the case.
August Kohler	The Tin Soldier is sent flying back by the battering ram, knocking it off balance long enough for it to be unable to counter-attack. When August moves to strike again, he's already fleeing down the trap door, and the bullets fired after it reach no purchase. August pursues...finding the device to secure the location. He laughs briefly, "We've got something.", before moving over to Atalanta. And then, once facing his Servant...he stares her in the eyes, and speaks plainly. "Listen, you might be upset with me for my tactics, or for my puns, or whatever, and that's fine. But it could risk everyone else, and especially yourself. Be more careful. If you're going to be mad at me, do it after the fight." August Kohler, smooth talker.
Atalanta	Archer and August have a staredown.      Her tail lashes behind her, very slowly, but her lion ears remain flat, hidden by the fluffy mass of her mane. She picks her words very carefully, and quietly, staring at him in the process:      "My life is linked to yours. Remember that, and maybe I won't have to be angry over you doing stupid... stupid things!"      Ooo, that would explain why she was mad over his dumb ass getting knocked unconcious.
August Kohler	"Don't worry." August says, coldly, as he begins to turn to leave. "You won't die. I promise."
Robert Speedwagon	Speedwagon watches this, and then shakes his head as August turns to leave. He IS capable of talking under his breath, surprisingly, and he does that here. "...It's a sad state 'f affairs when a boy 'is age has ter be so cold..."
Atalanta	Remember that angry catmurr noise from earlier?      Double it. Intensify by fourty percent. Play it again.      August turns but by the time he's done turning fully she' s already blown past him and is gone. He'll be lucky if he gets to sleep in the shack tonight.
Kotone Yamakawa	Kotone Yamakawa hangs on to to the nail for the moment but thinks about it something needs to be done with it. "Right we need to get going, I see with Ainsley about containing this thing until we have need of it? I have a feeling not taking it would be unwise..."
Sanary Rondel	After making sure everyone near her is alive and well enough through the power of HEAL BEAMS and looking no worse than she did before energy-wise, Sanary shifts her attention to that nail in kotone's hand. She squints briefly, then raises an eyebrow.      "... /That's/ what got him all riled up? Weird." She shrugs, then watches August and Atalanta quietly before shaking her head and chuckling lightly. "... Ah, young people."