Legends of Avantris - [FINALE] Once Upon a Starlight | Ep. 11 | The Light

Episode Date: June 1, 2026

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Jack Spar's laugh is somehow more unsettling than the sounds of the explosions, gunfire, and the screams of the dying as the KempTech Revolution makes its move and lights up the night. He raises a mechanical hand which transforms into the shape of a grappling hook and fires off towards the roof of a nearby building. He gives you one final look and a resolute nod. The crew, if we never meet again, know that you help you help. to ignite the dawn that will light the undercity. With a whir of metal cable, Jack's bar disappears into the night, but your attention is fixated on the abandoned Fleen Stadium. Mila steps forward and points directly at it.

She's there. I can feel her. She's in pain. The doctor is hurting her. I know it. It's true. I am her. She is me. Chaos echoes all throughout District 87,

but the path to your destination is mostly clear. There is no better time to finally put an end to all of this. We need to move. I turned out he was going to do all this. By the God, it's crammy what you put in those things? I just did what they asked me, kid. This will all be worth it in the end, I hope. You're very good at what you do.

I'm not sure how you learned how to make this, but it's remarkable. A lot of people are going to go off for this. We better make sure we don't let them down, hey lads? That's right.

Yeah. Yeah, you're right. I hate to say it, but that ain't my concern. The six of us, that's my concern. So that's where we're going. We're still up looking down Yeah, you're up looking down.

You see the chaos exploding all over the district. But your focus now, you're almost turned away from it as it is a backdrop to what your mission is, which is immediately in front of you, the abandoned stadium. How you feel them, Mila? You said you can feel her. You think she's there?

I can feel her. I'm scared and I'm not sure I know the way, but there's something familiar about that place. If you can hold on to that, perhaps we may be able to learn more as we get closer, and I'll be right here. I can't feel her, but I can perhaps help easier mind, and you'll be in our hands. We'll be in safe hands. We'll protect you. I don't want any of you to get hurt because of me. We don't want you to be hurt by anything else, but we're all in this together,

and we're going to make sure that everyone stays as safe as possible. Hi, Mila. everything's gonna be okay. I know right now. An explosion goes off behind you. It will helm scream. One will helm scream of the campaign goes off. It don't look like it's gonna be okay.

But no matter what happens, if it ain't, we gotta make it okay. We've got six of us. Which is, I mean, you know. And Blotterby too. And Blar, she's taking care of business behind the scenes. And I mean, you know,

Rema, she's a big, bad scientist with lots of crazy ass, you know, crazy powers and the like, or crazy science. But we're of a size, eh? I can probably box her in and get one of her short teeth out, you know what I'm saying? All right. And just know, Mima, look, if any of us get hurt, we're going to make sure that you stay safe and that it's not your fault. And I'm going to make sure you stay safe. I appreciate that. you are my responsibility now.

We're gonna need all the help we can get. I need you just say, just tell me. It's not your fault. Technically it is my fault. No, no, no, no, no, no. That's not the case. I want to hear you say, it's not my fault. You know how I can help you.

Technically speaking, Krami knew what sort of horrible monster his business associate was. He probably should have murdered her on cold blood about 20 years ago, and he failed to do that. It's not Graham's fault. His in action, his inaction is probably more at fault than yours, eh?

It's not Kramming's fault. It's the mean lady's fault. Thank you, Bricko. No, I agree. You know what? I'm going to take, no, it's the mean ladies' fault. Exactly right. I'm going to take full responsibility for this one.

If it is anybody's fault. It's the mean lady's fault. It's not your fault. Exactly right. It's not your fault. It's not your fault. It's the mean lady's fault. Nicely said,

astute observation. It's not. fault we didn't do this exactly right exactly right all right I'll take it I'll take it Mila we are we are simply a skitturer in the the giant plastic oven of life exactly right exactly I mean really when you think about it I mean Neo edifax just one big spooky skittor's oven that's allegedly well down in the hellhole place it felt like the inside of the oven That's wrong. That's wrong. Well, let's get down there.

There's no better time than the presence. We better hope Jackson's right, man. Look, I mean, based on what I'm hearing and seeing, I hope it drew away all the security, but it's possible that it didn't, right? They may have left some fellows behind, so you may need to do some of the dirty work ourselves, all right? It won't be an issue. And if we look a little scared, then we're moving a little quickly. That'll make sense. I can cry on Q.

Yeah, just try not to be too visible, alright. I doubt any of them maybe, maybe they know what should look like. Just stay safe, all right? Stay between them. Yeah, why'd you hold Frosty's hand? And, you know, since you guys are, you guys are a kin, eh? I've got you. And- I will keep you safe, Frost, I promise.

You have the big job. We don't know once we get, we know we get to the stadium, but it's all up to you once we get there, okay? You're gonna be the one who guards us to where we need to go. It's a big job, it's important. What if I can't find the entrance once we're there? We will find it. We will.

I feel confident. You won't be mad at me if I can't find it, though, right? No, no, we're all gonna give each other a tremendous amount of grace during this period. We're all in this together, okay? It's little slip-ups, little mistakes. That's not the big picture. We have one goal, and we're going to do everything we can get there. That's right. Kid, this lady's gunning for us. If we can't find the entrance, we'll make our own.

I'll find it. I can do this. You're very brave. That's my best explosion. Thank you. I can't recall if Blarby came up to witness the explosions with us. No, Blarby left early before you left and she made her way. She was making her way back home. I just wanted to be sure. She would have been a liability. Oh, she went to the Starlight, I think. She went home, but she also wanted, she was going to stop by the Starlight and see there's anything she could do to,

at least if she could, if it fell out of their clutches, begin the cleanup process. I'll pull up my phone. I'm going to put in a punch in a few text messages and basically explain to her that in the duffel of my things, there's a very expensive suit.

And that I want to surprise her with it, but that if anything, happen to me that she should sell it and use that as the runway to whatever new life she should she could afford and with that i will put the phone into my pocket and be ready to hold milas hands as we sneak and steal through the night you walk through the streets of the city and fortunately for you no one is looking for small groups of infiltrators while the battles rage all throughout the district. The abandoned Flean Stadium looms tall over you, and your heart sinks as you see a squad of heavily armored Nexus security in your way.

Oh, fuck. Then, through a crackling comms device ahead, you hear a strained voice. The rebels are overwhelming the eastern blockade. Need backup immediately. Moments later, a troop trained. Transport Cruiser roars to life and the final squad guarding the stadium answers the call, but they're headed in your direction. I need everyone to make a stealth check. Oh, fuck.

Oh, oh. And then that was her inspired her. No. Oh, gosh. Am I good at stealth? Probably not. Am I good at stealth? No.

I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay. Not bad, not bad. Everyone also gets an additional plus 20 to their role because I said- Including me, thank you. Oh, no, including her perception, Judge. Oh, no.

Yeah, everyone. It comes to nothing. Yeah, yeah. Just round the horn. Derek, Mike, Andy. I got a 17. 19. 20.

15. 14. Nice. Oh, I guess I should also roll for their perception. You see them coming, and at first you're, you feel frozen. But Mila, the small. and now completely locked in, grabs your hands and guides you into the shadows and around the edges of this place. And you are able to, as they're coming towards you, you're able to skirt into a small alleyway and hunched down behind a large garbage bin.

And with Mila's natural 20, that helping very much. which you are able to, you are able to hide behind this as they make their way over. For a moment, I'll say you notice one of them looking out of the cruiser down the alley, having maybe noticed a little bit of movement, but they don't linger. They continue on and you listen to the silence.

The only sounds you hear are the sounds of the riots, all over the district. So we're still hearing explosions and gunshots and maybe screaming. It is your screaming gunshots. Rock music. Rock music. Um, punk music. Um, it is, it is incredibly loud.

Thank you. Thank you, Mike. Yeah, it is incredibly loud. Here, it's, it's quieter than it was when you were at the, at the, um, when you're overlooking the city. Now that you're down here on the streets themselves, uh, beneath the shadow of this, this giant stadium. It feels almost muted in comparison to what you'd been hearing, but it's still loud. It's still

overwhelming. And you go to move, and Mila makes you wait for just a little bit longer, but there are no additional sounds outside of that which you've been hearing for a while now. And eventually, you see her taking a breath, and she steps out of the shadows and looks around, and it's very clear that you are alone beneath the shadow of this, of the stadium. All right, fellas. Here we are. Gotta get in and find our way down. All right.

Yeah. I mean, they really wanted to protect this place. If it took them a whole fucking blockade getting overrun to finally peel them off? I mean, that was a heavy crew they had here, assuming others left before them. And these are just the people that hung behind. And they had this place pretty fucking heavily defended. How effective was this

a free-made office politics? By the gods. He was the best. By the gods, by the gods. I think I remember I remember pretzel dogs. The smell of them.

But not new, not fresh. Like, old, lingering, like stink of years gone by. I think it's inside the stadium where we have to go. All right, well, let's go in. And if you remember anything else, you just let us know, okay? And I wanna just like, if we feel like it's unguarded, just finding a way in, whether it's like through the turnstiles,

or I feel like if it's been abandoned for years. Yeah, there are gates that are up, But you can see that they've been damaged. This is most likely a place that rowdy teenagers were sneak into. There's graffiti. It's, you see litter about, and I will say, I won't even make you roll for it. With that stealth role, you completely avoided the security.

And so you can see that this is very well now completely abandoned. And that you have the time to explore. And you find an arched entrance. into this stadium that has been barricaded with like a chain link pop-up fence that's been attached to this thing. There's a big metal chain and a lock on it, but you see that part of the chain's been cut away where some of the, you know, whoever has entered into this place has broken this, you know, many times, but it's been haphazardly mended back together.

And you imagine it'll take a little bit of strength, but you'll be able to rip the repair open and you'll be able to climb in this way. Yeah, I think we'd make short work of it. Yeah. Yeah, it wouldn't even be, it wouldn't even be difficult for you. All right, Trulbeck, why don't you take care of this? I just kind of like, sigh. I look to Gideon,

and I ask you for help to basically, whether it's smash, break, or shoot something off, if there's a lock or whatever it might be, I would, you know, we would set to work. I would guarantee you I'm just like a... I think we all basically have... Yes, I think we've all been given pribars in our Outrunners packs.

I'll just say, roll an attack with advantage. I'm assisting you. Oh, I got a 23 to hit. Yeah, you're easily able. You walk up to this completely ignoring the large, the large chain and giant lock, and you focus on the area of of the chain link that had previously been ripped apart

and then stitched back together haphazardly. And between the two of you, you're able to take tools and hands and just rip the repair apart. And it is clearly too small for you guys, but you're able to rip it even further. And there's no way in a state like this to hide the fact that you're entering into this place.

But given the sounds behind you, you don't imagine that, in the time that all of this is going to take you and whatever time that you have left, that anyone is going to come by and be concerned about this, and you're able to usher everybody into this darkened stadium. It's clear that this place has been abandoned for a long time. Litter lays haphazardly about the walls and the bleachers are completely covered in graffiti, markings, drawings of all sorts.

you can still smell some of the traces of what this place had been in a better time when the Greenlight District had more money, when this place was functional. And you immediately smell what Mila was talking about. And as you look around, you see what would have been many, many, many years ago, a long-gone food stand that still somehow retains the faint traces of the foods that were served in this place, almost a stale, not quite rancid scent of what was served here, and that faint smell of of pretzel dogs. And you're able to turn her towards this place. And as you do, Her eyes light up as if she is experiencing a different time and place.

Mila, are you all right? We're closer now. Can you still sense her? Yes, I can sense her, but do you see the door between that broken down stand and then the bleachers that go up that way? It's the gray door over there and you see it. It's very clearly, it almost looks newer than the rest of the doors. It's the same type of door, but almost as if it's been replaced. It's been maintained. And as you notice this, you can also see very clearly the scrapings of the door as it's been opened throughout the years, significantly more indented into the cement floor than any of the other doors.

You look behind you, there's another door that goes deeper into this structure. And there's wear there, but there's clearly fresh wear around this door. I think that it's in there. That makes sense. It looks freshly painted, freshly made. In a run-down stadium like this, it shouldn't look the way that it does. And does it look like it does in your memory? Does this feel familiar to you at all? It's patchy at best, but I remember that I remember that I'm I was on an elevator and I came up

and they had to travel through tunnels and I eventually came out of the door and they smelled that smell. All right, let's go then, right? Yeah, we can at least check it out. We got the smell, we got the door, it's the best place to start. We'll lead the way.

Everyone keep your eyes open. All right, the closer we get to higher chance there are our baddies. You keep your, You stay with Frosty. Do you want to give me a gun? Well, I don't think you need a gun. You know, just don't give him a gun.

But how am I supposed to- You don't need a gun? You're putting it out for without it. You're holding it out to me, though, like it could be mine. Put that away, put that away, put that away. What about a large knife or something? I thought we already gave you a knife. Yeah, you have a knife.

I left it. I left it with it. All right, you can have it. have the throat slidder. Oh, I hear. Oh, I'm thinking enough. Careful will you swing this thing, all right? Okay.

And I'm gonna give her my quick blade. And she will, you'll see, she's still wearing the boots that Murder Fang gave her, and you see that there's a little strap on her calf that is the perfect size for a small dagger like this. And she, she holds her there. It's like well protected in like a sheath so that it wouldn't like accidentally make it.

Isn't a really nice sheath? Oh yeah. Pretty fancy. Oh, yeah. It's like space gator skin. She looks like she's about to toss the sheath and put it in the one that's attached to her boot. But then she sees how nice it is. And this is the kind of sheath that she has to like tighten it three times around her thigh to be able to get it to work. She's so small.

But you watch as she takes the time to fully fasten it. She's got it there at the ready. And she looks down at it and she smiles up at you. clearly appreciative of you providing her something so nice. And only use that if you need to, you understand? Only if I have no other choices, because I don't have a gun. I'll be right here. Come on.

I'm really scared. It's all right. Just keep behind us, keep pointing the way. Are you scared before we go? Or is I the only one? You're not alone. Heck yeah, we're scared. It's normal to be scared.

Yes. This is dangerous business we're doing, but sometimes dangerous business needs to be done. It said that in order to feel brave, one can only be brave in the face of fear. So let's go show some courage. Come on. Okay. And she makes her way towards the door. She reaches up to pull it open, and she is very clearly not strong enough. One of you steps. I'll guide her away from the door and indicate to Gideon. Torbeck, the door needs opening. And you're able, it takes a little bit of resistance,

but you're able to pull it open and you are met with, what is- That's very funny. That's fucking funny. I can't get it, I don't know. Stupid scientists. In a second, man. Push a door like this.

In a second. You are able to get the door open and you look inside and you're met with a of a burst of cold air as the in front of you is a darkened tunnel, leading deeper into this facility. All right, make sure you stay behind Tobeck and the rest of us. Stay with Frosty.

This has gotta be it. Yeah, yeah. I mean, these are tunnels. She said elevator tunnels, door smell. All right, that's, I'm saying. I'm saying if they trotted out number us getting a nice single flyer line up here we'd be able to hold them off for quite some time hey hell yeah okay meela do you know the way i mean it's the kind of looks like the tunnels that i saw i think and you think maybe the closer

we'll get maybe the more i'll recognize it's very impossible but don't be disappointed if you don't I'm sure it was very strange and blurry when you were coming through here the first time. Here, actually, focus on this. Look around and we'll continue to investigate as well, but I'm going to hold my hand up, and I'm going to keep holding our hand. But I want you to raise your hand and just keep it in front of you. Imagine that your hand is an extension of your mind. And try to imagine it almost as though it were a shield, and that nothing could touch you,

if anything were to approach you behind this umbrella of your mind. I'm going to do the same. And even if you aren't feeling anything, just keep trying, keep pushing through as we walk down these corridors. What I'm doing is using an abjuration cantrip called deflection. I'm going to use each of my turns moving forward as we continue to move through this space to cast this. And whenever a creature makes an attack roll against me before the spell ends, it lasts up to a minute. But I get to roll a D4 and add that to my AC against to that attack. And so I'm trying to actually, like, teach her a basic psionic cantrip. And I'm hoping that the distraction distracts her from her fear and also clears her mind for being

able to perhaps help guide us through this space a little bit more easily. What would be a good role for you to make or something like? I'll have you do... Arcona? Yeah. I think I would have you do Arcana. Good suggestion. Let's do a 20. That's a 17.2. Fantastic. You all begin to move. through this darkened tunnel. And you are trying to keep Mila focused,

but also distracted at the same time. You could tell that her fear was overtaking her and it was making it hard for her to be present and do what needed to be done. And so you do one of the things that you do best, which is to teach. And you help her to understand some of these feelings and to channel some of them.

And you see in a couple of instances, a shimmering outline around her where what you're trying to teach her takes hold for a split second. And this happens a handful of times. And you imagine that, you know, should she have the ability to cast spells, that she wouldn't be able to,

or the ability to channel the psionic magics or the psionic abilities, that she couldn't do it at full force now, but with practice, she definitely has the ability to do this now. it's something that you've helped to impart on her. She is, I would say you're even taken back a little bit, how quickly she learned this and how capable she was at even just the spark of the initial ability to do this.

And you realize that- It's amazing how accessible that is to you. Wow. Very good jump, very. She seems to be a lot stronger than even you expected. I will continue to sort of almost play Envoy, the way that we are in the Starlight Lounge. I'm almost treating her like one of our high roller guests and just making sure that she feels comfortable and that she focuses her mind where I need it to be focused as we make our way you get a handful of smiles and giggles from her as she's excited about what she's learned and it is a brief respite for all of you as you watch Frost teach Mila this these new skills and for a minute for a time you can it's almost easy to first forget while you're here as you navigate these tunnels.

But eventually, you find a darkened entrance that leads down cracked plaster stairs beneath the stadium. And Frost, it is identical to the one in the memory you shared with Mila. This is the right direction. Mila's hand reaches back and tightens around yours as a flash of recognition washes over her face. I remember now. She points down the stairs as she guides you through a labyrinthine network of tunnels and passageways beneath the stadium that had once been used to entertain hundreds of thousands of people in brighter days long past.

Now there's just the cold, the damp, and the dark as you finally arrive at a large service elevator that is in surprisingly a good condition, given that. the disrepair of the stadium above you. Is this the elevator? Mm-hmm. That's the one. I recognize some of this and the memories that we shared. All of this is very familiar. Fresh. Well, we're definitely in the right place, I know.

Anything weird about this elevator? You just rode it? You didn't need to steal a key card or... No? I just was able to get in and it pushed the button and it went all the way up for me. It's almost like the deeper I go down the closer I get to her, the more my mind is clear. I thought that might be the case. Be prepared for any memory and if you see anything in your mind at all.

Squeeze my hand, let us know. Mm-hmm. And I don't think there's anything we can do to get the best. the surprise of the situation except go down and hope that we find what we need to find. Is there any kind of like key card or anything? Like any kind of security or like? It's it looks very similar to the elevators that move between the districts and top side. But where you know the guards put in their their cards and things, you don't see. anything of that nature, but you've been through winding tunnels down here. And if Mila didn't have,

if she hadn't had that revelation when making it towards those stairs, you never would have found your way to this place. And you imagine that with how deep into this place this is, how winding and treacherous, it would be so easy to get lost in here, that that alone, is enough security, that the key card is almost unnecessary. All right. This may be, well, she's probably expecting us. All right, I mean, there's a chance she wants us to find her. Oh, good. She'd be a fool not to be expecting us. One thing she don't seem to be is a fool.

We may very well also find the lab, and she may have taken what she needed and gone. With everything, the explosions and all of that, we may just find more clues. We have to be prepared that this is not the end. All right. Man, if she knows for coming at least, we'll be able to see the law, leave her eyes as we kill her, right? We'll cut her off from her head off from the front instead of the back, hey, lads?

Alien, you got it, Greg, go. That's how she's been doing. If the elevator's, like, open or we could walk onto it. I'm going to get on it. You could walk onto it. There's the metal, it's almost like a slant. lighting door that you have to close behind you.

It locks the entire cage like elevator, locks it closed and you're able to do that. And you see that there is simply just a panel with two buttons, one with an arrow up and one with an arrow down. Ready? Mea. If things get scary. I push the button.

Well, you may if you like. I'm just saying that if things get scary, to stay behind me. Okay, if things get scary, you should stay behind me. And then she's going to push the down button. And now she presses the button, the elevator door with a loud groaning clank, begins to drop and you slowly descend deeper into the earth. The grinding of the lift machinery is oppressively loud as you wait the minutes it takes

to finally grind to a stop. Moments later, the door is slowly open to a dimly lit, room. And to your horror, you hear guttural growling in the massive shape of a huge, shaggy beast waiting for you in the darkness. Your hearts leap into your chest and Mila lets out a panicked cry. It's Yenko, or what remains of him. Silence fills the space as you realize the pile of flesh, fur, and tusk before you is dying a slow and agonizing death. Huge, ape-like limbs attempt to rise, but cannot even lift themselves off the dynastial floor of the lab's antechamber. Yanko's dull blue eyes look at you without malice, filled only with exhaustion and pain.

The creature that had carried of Rima and Zena to safety lays on its side, and you see that whatever mutation has afflicted him is horribly unstable, and what he has become is unable to sustain life. A massive oversized heart beats in slow but erratic pulses that bulge disgustingly beneath a layer of thinning skin and shedding fur. His belly that had once been a cryo-freezing fridge is now lukewarm and steaming. All the creature can do is watch you enter, completely helpless. I think seeing this thing, we all would have been like quick to be ready to fight. And then having this realization, I was ready with the knuckles.

I was ready to grapple. I was ready to not let happen what happened last time. I think my arms would kind of fall to my sides. And I would just approach it and kind of kneel down and maybe even like kind of put my hand to- Careful, Tobik! To like see for sure if this thing is actually dying. You reach down and you put your hand on, on Yenko's shoulder. and he's barely even able to lift his head up off the floor.

It says, blue eyes turn to you. The whimpering that's coming out of his mouth is unintentional. He is in so much pain that the noises that are coming from him are almost systematic from his body, and he is burning hot to the touch. I'll have you roll a medicine check for me. Okay, perfect. Careful, Torbeck.

Not bad, I guess 13. A 13 is more than enough to tell that he does not have long. Well, he's not long for the world, but you imagine at least another couple of hours. Maybe one to two if he's lucky, but it could last anywhere up to 10, 12, and in agonizing pain. As he continues, his body is almost,

it's as if his body is rejecting whatever was injected into him, and it is slowly eating itself alive. I'll look over my shoulder as I stand and reach for the hand cannon that's hanging for the back of my belt and just say, he's dying and he's suffering. He doesn't have long. And I'll pull the hand cannon out. And I'll say, uh,

we should end him. I'm gonna step forward. And I'm gonna look down and I'll say, even doing her fucking horrible experiments on humanoid, she never figured out how to fix this. Well, I guess never cared to. I think you're right, but I'm gonna get in. I think this is yours.

I'm staring at this form. I walk up between Kremi and Torbeck and get close to him. I have the Bertha in my hands, and I extend it out with one hand, pointed at his heart. Wait, I'm gonna like kind of grab Mila if I can. I don't know she's still holding hands with Frost. She is staring at this. Her eye is wide, her lower lip trembling.

see tears barely clinging to her waterline as they're about to spill over. She's watching this, and you try to turn her away, and she looks up at you for a second, and she says, no, I need to understand all of this, even the worst of it. Grimy, Mil has experienced worse than this and I did at the same age. All right. And I'm going to take a step back. Yeah, me as well. I kind of like hold my arms up. And I'm just going to like, I don't want to get splashed with whatever gore, viscera. She steps back with you, but she's still staring straight towards this.

I'm going to hunk her so that I'm the same height as Mila, and I've been holding her hand, but I'm going to slip it up over to her shoulders and as peers, as espers. Watch with her. You step forward, Gideon, and you can feel now the heat coming off of what had been this frozen creature. And he struggles to turn his head, to look from Torbeck to you. But he does as the groans come unbidden from his mouth, these groans of pain. And you see his eyes connect with yours. He doesn't look towards your weapon.

He looks straight into your face as you pull the trigger. You were an evil, son of a bitch. Under city is a tough place. Makes fighters of us all. But it was more than that to you. You fought. You lost. The sound of your, the sound of the blast echoes throughout this tunnel,

rippling away from you, completely masking the sound of his engorged heart exploding. And for a moment, it looks like he's still there. with you. His eyes never close, but you see the moment when a soul, life, whatever it is that animated his body, has left his form and there's nothing there in front of you but a corpse. In this moment, seconds before the blast goes off, Mila is not strong enough to watch. And she turns towards you and buries her face into your chest. chest, giving you the biggest hug.

You are able to hold her enough that you imagine that you're able to muffle some of the noises as she very clearly tries to pretend that what's happening is not happening. I'll even do one of these and keep my hands on both of her ears and just rock her back and forth. My eyes don't leave the scene as I process what's happening. You all stand there for

a moment as the echo continues to reverberate throughout this space. I'm gonna walk up and put my hand on Gideon shoulder and I'll say it. Like you always say a kid, that he'd get what he fucking deserved. But I can't help him feel a little sorry for the son of a bitch. Oh, there was a time he took everything from me. me. Well, that feels like a distant memory now. I ain't gonna miss them, but... I ain't nobody deserve this. Let's go kill that bitch. That was a mercy, yeah. That was a

mercy. Let's go. Abomination. It's like with a... It's the kind of stuff you only see in cartoons and comic books, movies, that sort of thing. It's like that's written about or someone trying to create a sick and twisted mind but the monsters are real this time oh they're real grico and they live above us thing what you just said let's do that thing and I'll turn to Frost and Mila who just have shared these memories and we'll say whenever y'all are ready you keep leading the way you see that Mila is looking over

Frost's shoulder down the long hallway the only direction you have left to go and there's a very faint blinking light at the end and she does not turn towards any of this she doesn't respond to any of the things you've said about Yanco

or the situation you're in as she points it's down there that's where the lab is down there I know it, I see it. I'll release from Mila and I'll turn, holding her hands still and look down the hallway towards this light. Are you sure? Do I recognize this light, this hallway?

You know, I won't make you roll for it. I think you do. I would say, yeah, now that you're here, it's dark. There was, with what Jacks did, there's a blackout over the entire greenlight district. But there is a light blinking down there, a soft light. It's hard to even tell in the darkness that surrounds you what color it is. Yellow, white, amber light. What is, but there is a light there. I can't help.

And as you stare down, you occasionally have these flashes of the outline of that door. It's unusually large, a door that is needed to bring in different instruments for scientific experimentation and work. It is a very large door with a big glass window in the middle of it. And you know that you've seen that door before. Even in the darkness, it's hard to forget the silhouette of it. I can't help but laugh. Whenever these memories are surging and happening more and more frequently, each of these moments is just sort of like, of course, why did I forget?

How could I have forgotten? The revelations of having suppressed so many memories from my past and now experiencing them through the eyes of Mila is it's not a joke. It's serious, but it is so familiar now that it's like an old friend. And I'll look down that hallway and this isn't it? Meal's right. We need to, we need to go this way. Do you want me to lead the way or? No. Just pointing it out.

Pording it out and we'll leave the way. Just straight. Straight down this hallway here. All right. Stand behind Toby. You don't need me to keep telling you that. We'll be right behind you. Go on.

I'll just continue to take the lead and make sure to Gideon's close to me, uh, as, you know, unless otherwise directed by Mr. K or Gideon. I think as everyone starts walking, I would turn towards the hallway and as people move away, at pause for a moment near Yenko's now torturous, monstrous body, I'd glance over at him. Does anything on him look searchable? Does he look like, you know, I don't say like hulked out where he's still wearing pants, but does he look like he might have a spot anywhere on him where he would still keep something?

You find a plus three, four. Four and four. He is, he is a hulking mass of, he's now just covered in gore, but you imagine you could, is there something in particular you're looking. for? A key. A key that has engraved on the head at Casey, the key to the King Cole garage. Roll an investigation check at advantage because, well, he is no longer with us. That's got pretty good. 25. of you it is difficult to inspect this creature with the way that his body has deteriorated well before you even got here and you imagine at first there's there could be nothing left and as you go to turn your eye catches on something at first you feel like oh was he blinking did was, but he can't. He's dead. And you glance back and you see that just beneath his head,

maybe as he was dying for one final moment of, of respite, he pulled what is very clearly a leather, a pack of some kind beneath his head for just a tiny bit of comfort. And you see that there is something hanging out of it. And you reach down and rifle through it. There are a handful of things here. You see a small picture of someone that you have never seen before. It's almost looks like a female version of Yenko. You look through, you see some notes, you see a handful of trinkets and things. And at the very bottom, there are a multitude of keys and key cards. And one of them catches your eye.

It's old, much larger iron, solid. And you've seen that key before. You've held that key before. That key does not belong here. I ignore everything else in the bag, and I'll reach in and pull out. It's on a ring or there are other keys attached to it, or I'll just pull it out.

Now, it was almost like you just, all of these keys. I'll say you even see a couple that have branding from some of the other facilities around King Coles. And it was almost as if it was taken as a trophy and wasn't even careful. about as he just tossed it in the bag with the rest. This guy sucks. You good?

Yeah. I think I am. I mean, he used to walk down the street, looking right in the eyes and spin this thing in his hand. Laughing with those other fucking goons. He tossed it right back in his pocket. Don't mean much now. He's shot probably run down, gang hide out, whatever, destroyed.

destroyed but feel a little bit like I took it back. Well maybe one day when we retire this is all long behind us we can you know open up a small shot. King Coles too or like mock two you know like those comment books and stuff. You sure aren't good in naming crammy. I do what I can't. Yeah well I guess let's just try and get through the day first and then mocked two. I don't get it. You follow. All right.

This lab is really big, so you need to stay behind me to make sure you're all safe. Why are you giving me the stankythor back? I will protect you a promise. We are the adults. You are the child and you are our responsibility. Stay behind us. How am I supposed to lead you through the giant lab if I'm behind you.

By pointing and saying Torbeck go that way. That's kind of rude though to order you about. These are a stinuating circumstance. Torbeck that way then. Hey, and I follow what she says. Young lady, yeah. While it may be true that a child in the hierarchy of who stands behind whom,

a child with a froat slitter stands behind a child without a froat slitter, all children's froats litter or other walls stands behind an adult. Every time, no discussion, no debate. Huh? Okay, if you say so. If we find another child, gosh, I hope we don't.

They can stand behind you because we don't trust them with a froats letter, all right? What I know about this lab, I don't think that it's out of the realm of possibilities. All right. All right, well, let's go then. And she leads you down the hallway and eventually you make your way to that large door that you peer in and you see these faint lights. This is very clearly a large facility and you have

a lot of navigating ahead of you. You make your way through the door and the lab is dark with only those emergency reserve power lights active after the blackout. You make your way through strange through this strange maze-like facility that is eerily empty. As you proceed, you see horrific remnants of vile experimentation, numerous vats and tubes containing all manner of grotesque life forms. Many of them seem to have elements of dinosaurs, possibly brought forward from Avrima's homeworld of Viradar. Others are far too humanoid for your comfort,

but all that matters now is finding Avrima and putting an end to her. I think the first thing that I would do upon taking all of this in is just address the group, but mostly say to Gideon as I'm looking at these horrific things. You better promise me. If I get turned into one of those things, you blow my head clean off my shoulders. Yeah, I'll promise you. You promise me. Done. I think that goes for everybody here, all right?

Yeah, but you better do that to me, with one exception. If by some stroke of luck, she turns me into like a giant cyborg condor with like crazy laser eyes or something, I don't think I would mind that too much. Anything else. If she turns you into something extremely heavy metal. It's exactly right. It's a little bit of rock and roll. No, that's fair. If it's a little rock and roll, but not like the heavy stuff, because that's still scary, still put a bullet in me.

But it was like kind of the cool, you know, epic shot of it. Then we reconsider it. If musicians want to paint you or. on a van, we'll let it stick. Okay. So like, power metal's okay, but death metal, absolutely not. I just straight at it. Can we discontinue this discussion?

I like nod over to Mila and then looking at the vats. We don't know what versions of any of the people who have been experimented on in this program might be here. I don't want to joke about it, all right? I know you're not joking, and I know it's serious,

but it's not heavy metal. You're right, Frusty. I'm sorry, man. We shouldn't make light of that. You're right. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I tend to put me foot in my mouth when I'm a little nervous. All of us get nervous. Yeah, and no offense, Mila, all right? We, you know, it's, I think everybody's going through something down here. And, you know, sometimes you can do with a little mood lightning, but, you know, no offense. I know this is a, this has got to be tough for you.

Um, as we go through the lab, I don't want to take too much time to like, you know, case to place or, you know, tear everything apart. But if there's any kind of records or proof or terminals or papers or anything, because at least this whole time Kremi, you know, I've been thinking

that like broad Khmera probably doesn't even know about this place, right? Or if they do, it's secret. And so like, whatever kind of evidence I could have that might come in handy in the future, I'd like to keep an eye on. This is also a rare circumstance where my hygiene,

and cleanliness and orderliness might come into handy. I would say so. And because I have not grown up, but matured professionally under the tutelage of someone with a scientific mind like Cremie, I would also be looking and looking for secret pockets behind drawers and stuff like that. I'm going to be helping Cremie to the best of my ability

as he explores the lab. I will say, Mila is doing something similar. She has a lot of pockets of her memory that are not accessible to her. And she's curious about who her parents were, where she came from. And she knows. She's heard what you've said about her being a clone, but there's part of her that hopes and praise that that is not true,

and that she is just a little girl. And maybe if she finds the right folder, it will prove that there's something else happening here. Mila is cool and also a rich princess. Yeah, exactly right. And she lives in a tower, you know, high in the sky. And that she is even now with the proximity and the connection that she feels, there is a hope to her that there is another life that could have belonged to her if she could just find it. And so you see that she's doing something similar. So I'll have you all roll a group investigation check.

Oh, the sisters, I'll see. I got another natural 20 for Mila. I get a natural 20. You get a natural 20. Oh, I did pretty well too. Oh, my God. I also got a natural 20. Oh, my God.

I got a natural 18. Oh, my natural 18. Oh, my natural 18. What the heck? My investigation is plus zero. We are. We actually become Chrysler. That's actually great.

We take over the company. That's kind of great. I finally develop a taste for smoking a pipe. That's so cute. Go to avatress.com. Order your own. At a Stell ex-avantris Starlist Fractivity died. Yeah, the Starlight for Aptit.

Your fucking choice. Thank you, Karen. Amazing. 25. I mean, the lowest role was a natural 18. Hold on 18. I think this will be successful. We gotta know who's the most successful.

That's good. 22. Okay. Plus eight. I got 28. Damn. You are easily the most. There are two other frosts in this cabinet.

Can you imagine? It's a gravity falls. They're only wearing sneakers. What's with the sneakers? You make your way throughout the lab. And as you are traversing this place, you're keeping your eyes open for anything that you can find that would give you an idea as to what happened here,

who's responsible, who knows about this place, what, what the truth is behind the lab. And you eventually find yourselves in a room where it is very clear that records were stored here. Though it looks like a lot of them have been hastily removed, you all work together, including Mila, to look through this place and see if you can find whatever records may remain. and you are able to find some, though much of what you find is encrypted.

However, what you do discover is that this lab is completely off the books, having been built by Chrysalis Unlimited as a black site with nearly zero knowledge from anyone at Camerabionetics beside Avrima Artemis herself. The construction and the experiments were all following the initial designs of a cloning specialist named Dr. Tantus Zahn, an old nematoan who first made a name for himself on the world of Slema in a lab specializing in genetically modified ingredients for the food industry. Frost. As soon as you see this name, memories flood back to you.

Dr. Zon, the director of the lab you grew up in. He was not cruel, but he was cold, curious, too inquisitive. He never raised his voice to you. Quite the contrary. Oftentimes, the other researchers in the lab had to strain to hear him speak. But all the same, you were afraid of him. It is clear that he and all of his aides were killed on the night that Zero One escaped, and Avrima seemed to scour whatever remained and picked up where he left off.

Damn. How do you spell his last name? Z-A-H-N. Got it. How do you spell a little? his first name? T-A-N-T-I-S-S. Tantus-Zahn.

Tant-S-Zon. Tant-A-N-A-L-R-R-R-R-A-R-E. All right, Frosty. Oh, God. Frosty? What's wrong, lad? He was the one. I remember.

He was the one. one that did this and made you what you are. He was the one that Zinia and I, he was the one who made us what we are. He was the one who put us through the same pain that Evrema put Mila through. Oh my gods. I remember, I don't think I've ever been as afraid of anything in my life as I was of him.

God's, how can I forget that? You mess with your mind, Frosty. It's not your fault you don't remember. The mind is a very strange thing. The fact that I can have all this life is hidden away, hidden away like something at the back of a drawer closed for years, not even collecting dust,

and then suddenly for it all some flooding back so fresh, It's just, do I think that when I interacted with Zena, that she remembered the doctor? Or that this is something that I'm being confronted with, that she might not have also remembered. Like, that we would have pocketed these things away separately and at the same time together. I would say it's more like you pocketed. You know that she knew him. Whether she currently remembers him, you don't know. Yeah, that's what I'm asking.

Okay. And when he was gone, I was able to escape. And now I'm here. Then we can put an end of this, this facsimile of what he did. Oh, what is worth, Frosty? That sounds like he got what he deserved. That's right. Said, Sanja did a bit of good, and if it wasn't for a Rima,

all of this would have died with him. She would have stopped it however many years ago that was. It's as I said before. I know that Zinia has done terrible things in this district. I know that Zena is someone to be feared, and I know that she is a capable mind. But when I knew her, when I knew her in the face of Dr. Zon, she was brave and she was my friend. And we were the only things that we had each other. We only had each other in this moment.

It was hardgoing. And then all I was, uh, just alone on the street. I don't think that I would have escaped if it wasn't for her. I don't think my mind would have survived if it wasn't for her. I think I might have ended up like that massive flesh we left back in the hallway. Oh, you're stronger than that, Frosty. That's right. Maybe. But only Zanya and Mila have the ability to just open the door.

I have to sort of jiggle the lock sometimes. Hmm. This must have been him. When everything, back when she changed. When her ambition just went wild, she talked about a muse. The research of some kind of biologist.

She wouldn't say much more than that, said, Something lit a mind on fire. She was just enamored. You think it was on? Must have been this guy. You think she locked up. He stopped him until he died and then picked up his work?

How the timing worked out. I mean, maybe, yeah. I have to imagine that, I mean, I never heard the name before, but based on these records, this being a black side, I mean, I'm sure. his name was scrubbed as much as any name of any biologist could be scrubbed at chimera but she must have found him somehow in some dark records or who knows what but everything changed and she found it was always in of the ambition the obsession but you know you ever meet like

a disciple that finds some old philosopher hero and they just fucking get obsessed and it changes them you know what I mean it was sort of like there yeah land it got really a new end-off just always thought that that was just his pseudo intellectual skeets you just smoke a lot of doubt you know yeah I mean that was kind of what it was like but for her it was just all she wanted to do was this research and study and achieve and and I'm I mean, we started hanging out last. She was more and more busy.

You know, it's almost like this whole place is like a ghoulish mausoleum for his mind, eh? Well, that actually makes a pretty good song. I want to pull out like a little notebook. Under catcher blazer beam. Yeah, yeah. Catcher blazer beam is at the top of the list. Wow. That's the name I haven't heard in many years.

If it's white-appropriated and neon honesty. It really is. As I put that back... That's a beautiful nod. I don't blame you for not getting the inkling to kill your co-worker without any proof, but... God, imagine if you had, Grammy.

It's not your fool, of course. I mean, she was a colleague. You know... You couldn't have known what she was up to. Doesn't look like anybody knew what they were up to. In corporate ed effects, you know, every other fucking corpora was obsessed with their career with obsessed of going to conferences and fucking networking and getting this certification of that certification going to school and getting

this degree of that fucking degree and they hope that you know mexas or camero or fucking ivor whatever that they'll pay for part of it then they take out a big fat loan hoping that oh god that boss's boss is boss is going to notice and maybe they'll get a promotion and maybe 10 years after that they'll get another fucking promotion. I just, I thought it was just that. I wasn't gonna fuck a killer. Not back then.

Sounds like a living fucking hell, eh? It was. I'll take the under city and the green line. Ten times out of ten over that, fucking life. You said that again. Frosty?

I only brought two and they were for emergencies only, but I feel like you need one of these, lad, I reach into my pocket, and in these pocket I have a beer. It's a little warm because it's been against me far, but you might be able to chew it off of your brain. And I want nothing more than open this and drink deep. Something tells me that this isn't the right time. No. Keep warming that in your pockets, Gregor. I'll keep it for it. I'll keep it. I'll ask for it when it's when it's, when it's

I'm going to a... I want to walk up to Frost and the Mela, and I'll kneel down to Mela, but I'll sort of look at Frost too, I'll say. Look, I'm thinking about this a lot, but I just think, no matter what happens, I just got to say this. I was a group of first and say, I apologize for not killing them. That's not. I'm just me being wistful and wistful thinking, eh?

But more so I got to apologize for whatever role hand in any of this you know I think I'm putting the pieces together and I think she chose to befriend me and foster that friendship out of her own ambition given my expertise in chemistry and psychoactive drugs you know she would give me ideas for new chemicals and compounds and I would just I would make them. That was my research. I was trying to eat the cutting edge of my field.

You know, she got big grand plans in my head about we could both speak at these fucking conferences. Wow, they might pay for our flights and give us a speaking fee. Oh man, we can retire on speaking fees alone. And then she got really into espers and unlocking the mind to be able to do more than hallucinate and feel good. And I should have stopped then, but I did. I thought I would make my career. I thought I could fucking retire at some point.

Maybe we will one day, get it, but whatever I made for her, whatever chemicals I put together, I think it was used in all this. Had to have been. I don't know to what extent, but eventually found out that had to do with children. And that's when I couldn't take it anymore. So I left. I left it all behind.

I'm happy if we get through all this to give you whatever details you need to know, but if I don't make it through, I just wanted to take the time to formally, officially, apologize for what they fucking did to you. Mila? You don't want to go first? You're four. You don't have to say anything. We can just move on. I don't even deserve forgiveness.

I just had to fucking say it, all right? She rushes over and she jumps on you and wraps her arms around you. There you have it. You need no forgiveness. You did not know what she was doing. Not only that, but we've just learned that nothing that happened to me was even a part of your world. This was all Doctor's on. Everything that happened to Zena and I is sure she picked it up,

and she carried on this strange legacy, but that was before your time. She puts her little hand on your cheek. You are not who you were in the past. You are who you are now, and who I know is someone good, someone kind. You're ambitious and capable, but you're ambitious. Visions are not like a very, every month, not even a little. Not even then.

You would never hurt me. I know this. I trust you, Cremie. You are family. Your family. I love you guys. Come here. We all race-

Yeah. Mila's already there, but she squeezes you really tightly. It'll say, I had to get that off my chest. It's not your fault, Kramming. Thank you. Thank you for saying. Responsible for at least some of this. You did everything you could, Kremi. Hey, at the end of the day, you left.

She did it. You came down here to the green light. You tried to shine a little light into a dark place. You have people someplace they can go to to be happy. She doubled down. She stared in this fucking void that this doctor's on starting. She blinked. All right.

Anyway, we should move on. It's going to ruin my makeup. Figure your makeup. I'm going to stand, and I'm going to very quickly take the choicest pieces of evidence that I can. If there are descriptions of the old program, how transitioned to the new, anything that I think, you know, I'm not here to take books and volumes and stuff. I want to try and prioritize a few documents that I feel are the most dock damning. and slide it into my pack before we move on for safekeeping. Okay. I'll say you're easily able, there's not much. I would say most of the

anything that would be truly damning is encrypted. But the information that you know, the information with Dr. Zon's names, you feel like those are things that are worth keeping. If there's a paper, if there's a drive, I'm looking for something small. anything that will allow me to have fingerprints on this experience? You see that everything, none of it is digital. All of it is burnable. All of it is capable of being destroyed without a trace. And so you grab a small folder and you shovel a handful of documents into it and place

it within your, when you have like a wheelie backpack. Um, no, I have one, I have a very, very, very. nice looking man purse, thank you very much. That's exactly what Frost would have. I just feel like Wheeling Backback is pretty damn cool. Yeah, it's cool. Yeah, it's cool. Okay, so you put it in your frost satchel

and you feel like you at least have something that could be useful to you. Guys, look, I look just like Wyoming Smith. Yeah, just like him, Frosty, just like him. All right, let's move on. Do we need to do more here? Because, and you see that she's staring at this door. door. And there are a handful of doors leading off from this room. And this one looks a little more

nondescript than the others, but she is staring at it wistfully. I think it's through there, but I don't want to go. But I feel her on the other side, the other side of that long hallway. Well, you don't have to leave the way this time. I know, but I have to walk in that hallway. I agree. And I'm going to walk right beside you here, take my hand. Okay. Can we find out what's in that corridor there gentlemen I already know we're done in here I think we got the whole picture yeah we'll get through it nice and quick we don't got to stay yeah and kid this place I know it ain't it ain't good right it's traumatic but it's just that is the worst it's just it's just ghosts I think can hurt you in here I hope not

behind that door is gonna gonna harm you all right And when we get to Evremo, we're going to cut her down quick and easy. If I don't make it out of here, I just want all of you to know that even though I'm maybe not real, I don't have a mother or a father, and I am an experiment, maybe that you are my family. And I hope that you will always keep a little bit of Milo with you always. Because if anything were to happen to you, I would do the same. Hey, hey, we're going to keep a lot of bit of Mila always, all the time, around with us, because we're all going to make it out, okay? I really, really hope so.

But just in case, please, please don't let me be forgotten. you're as real as the rest of us because without you it would be like Mila never existed Hey listen ain't ain't nothing to worry about there

all right we're all gonna get out of here in one piece maybe Grico turns into a cool metal condor but then That's a much case in there's not fucking generic all right all right but you know

at the end of the day we're all heading back to the starlight All right, you included. Okay. Remember, let's rock, let's rock tonight, okay? Let's rock, let's rock tonight. Let's rock, let's rock, good night. And she starts to head bang a little bit.

Okay. Okay, well, that's the dormitory where I used to sleep, so I guess we should probably go down there now. I think it's the only way. It feels right. Fraschie's got you. We all got you, okay? Okay, for this one, can I go first?

I want to get through it. as fast as possible. Hold my hands. Keep an eye on you. I'll be right alongside you. Keep your hand cannon ready. We walk right next to you. You move forward and she slowly opens the door.

The sound of it creaking on the hinges echoes throughout the space behind you and the space in front of you, a long hallway lined with the same door after the same door. As you enter the dormitory, Though Mila has been telling you that this is the direction you're meant to go, you now feel that your destination is just beyond this. There's a heaviness, a weight to the air here. You pass double doors to a small cafeteria with a menu that contains sparse and bland food options beside the occasional treat of green gelatin. And just beyond that is a hallway lined with ten identical doors.

Above each of the doors are numbers 020 through 029. Nila tenses up as she looks at the number placards and says, Let's keep going. I don't want to be here any longer. She points at the door at the end of the hallway. She's through there. The look on her face makes it clear that she is absolutely correct. No matter what happens tonight, the chips will fall one way or another in the very next lab. next lab. And that's where we'll take a quick break. Oh, hot damn! You stand at the end of this long

hallway. Zero to zero and zero to nine. The placards above the doors behind you, and Mila does not look back. Instead, she stares forward into what is clearly another lab, a much larger lab. And inside, all you can see in the shadows, all you can see are the shadows that are cast by a soft green light, a neon green light. And you know that whatever you came here for waits beyond this very door. Everybody ready? What's it?

Yeah, we don't have to stay here much longer, Mila. You have a room that's a lot nicer, I'm sure, at the Starlight Lounge for as long as you want. That's right. Even once you get past 18 or longer, even when you're in your mid-30s or middle-aged, you still have a room. Technically, I don't own the building, but I feel like I can speak for Kremie here. That's your room. Not none of it is. As long as I own a building that has a room in it, you got a room.

So you're not going to make me go into any of these rooms because I was going to say no. We already found what we came here to find. I don't think any of them survived. And I knew them in life. I don't need to meet their ghosts. Well, do we think that any of these rooms are important? No. We came here to do one thing, one thing only.

That's right. Turn this place down. And if you're, you can feel that the three of y'all are all that's left. You can't feel it. The air is heavy. It's thick here. I can. And I, there's a very strange part of me that sometimes wishes that I had some token.

I know that you don't need to go into any of these other rooms, but this one was your room. Do you remember leaving anything at all that you might want to keep with you? Even a patch of the sheet in case you ever want to revisit this. The only thing I want to keep with me is my family, is all of you. So don't do anything stupid, okay? Not for Mila. We won't. We're only going to do smart things from me. Mila, alright? All right.

The door looks really heavy, and I'm quite strong, and I could probably open it on my own, but I'm sad here, so maybe, Gideon, would you open the door for me? It's a pull, by the way. Oh, okay, that's good a note going in. Doorback menu first? Yes.

As usual. All right, all right. Mil, you're ready? No matter what happens. I need you to stay by my side, all right? Okay, I will protect you if anything starts to go down. I need your protection very much, and our abilities are, well, they may resonate. And the more we can charge and focus together, we may be able to do more than our self on our own.

Hold my hand. Okay. I haven't let go, but I'll hold it stronger. Last time we squared off against her, she injected Yanko threw an ice monster at us. So we got to be ready for anything coming through those doors and don't let her hit you with any needles. I'm sure that she will have, even if she's unprepared, a lot of tricks up her sleeve. Be ready for anything. I don't suppose there's any point of being stealthy at this stage, huh?

Go ahead and open the door, fellas. All right, this is it, lads. Let's rock tonight. here we go. You go through the heavy dynastial door and enter a room flooded with neon green light as if you are back outside in the green light district, no longer enduring a blackout. It takes a moment for your eyes to adjust and to realize the source. There is a massive toulosium pipe built into this room with countless smaller cables

and tetheres connecting to various machines and vats of bubbling liquid filled with darkened but clearly mutated shapes within. The room is made of sleek, sterile dynastile, and there are numerous sturdy restraints throughout and devices that make you shudder to think of what torture they could inflict. Between you and this pipe entrance is an elevated control room shielded

by an incredibly thick pane of shimmering glass. And behind that pain stands Doctor of Rima Artemis. Despite her small stature, she casts an enormous black shadow over the chamber you stand in, outlined in the sickly green glow. She speaks and her voices projected through speakers embedded in the walls. Dr. Zahn was truly a genius and one-of-a-kind mind. His research was unprecedented and he had the resolve to do what must be done in the name of science. His downfall was his ego. He cared about surviving to see the outcome of his work. He wished to become the perfect

being himself. To think, such a brilliant mind could be brought down by such simple folly. And despite the experimentation and limit testing I've done on my own body, I have no desire to become the perfect being. The perfect being, she stands right in front of me. In an instant, a metallic arm emerges from the wall and grabs Mila, drawing her into a small tube of shimmer, glass. Her screams are immediately silenced as she bangs against her prison to no avail. No! You let her go! Thank you for delivering her promptly. You arrived right on time, if not a little early. I'm gonna take my gun, and I'm gonna just, I'm gonna fire a few blasts at the glass she's behind. Let's see if it does anything. A roll, roll to attack. Yeah, I'm using fucking thunderburst. I'm going,

Does the glass look like Esperproof glass, the tube that she's in? It's the exact, it's actually thicker than the glass the last time you faced off. Kamira in their black soots! With a Vrema. That's very funny. I roll a 11 to hit.

You, this, the glass is a huge glass pane, incredibly thick. It is not difficult to hit. God. But the blast does nothing. And she's behind the same. Not even a scratch, not even a mark. If you hadn't known that you'd fired the blast,

you would never know that anything had collided with it at all. Do I see what I have noticed what she did to operate the mechanical arm? She has her, the data pad that she's used constantly, where you remember she was entering information about you, but there's also a control panel in front of her, and she just reached down and very quickly tapped a couple of buttons. And it seemed, she did it mid-sentence, didn't even register at first that she was doing anything at all.

But I would say after the fact, you're easily able to see that that was how she is controlling the arm in this room. I'm gonna race to the tube where Mila has been captured, and I'm going to bang on its surface a few times. I can't hear her at all. There's no audible sound being able to pass through. You can see that she's slamming her fish. She's clawing with her fingers, trying to get out. She's screaming.

She looks horrified. Maybe this is the same material as the Esperproof glass, but I'm going to put my head, my forehead against it, and I'm going to try to reach out with my mind. Not making audible sound, but I'm going to try to communicate with her. Mila, it's all right, and we're right here. Everything's going to be okay. I'm going to just try to yell a different way.

You roll an arcana, check. I got a natural 16 plus 5 is 21. You put your head against this, and you immediately recoil the moment you attempt to channel your psionic magic into this. It's almost as if it's mirrored back again. And you take one point of psychic damage as you attempt to use your, Esper abilities against this glass.

You hear nothing from her and is very clear to you immediately that she hears nothing from you. Damn it, Varema, release her. I cannot do that, 004. See, 029 is a perfected clone of 001. Zero-01 was the most potent Esper that I had ever encountered

in all of my years. until 029. Look, Avrima, I shouldn't fucking call you that. You're not even a person anymore. Look, doctor. Dr. Zon will suffice. Or Dr. Artemis will suffice. Fuck what you want me to call you.

Do you want to live? We're not, because we're here to fucking put an end of this. Like, we promised! You weren't even there. You don't remember what Zena was like. You don't remember, you, you, Mila may be perfect, but Zena was, was strong and she was good. And you don't even know what she was, went through. Still inclined to bouts of anger.

Just because you read about it, you think you know everything. Where is she? Where is Zena? Zena, what a waste, Zero, zero one was. Dr. Zon squandered that girl. And it inevitably led to his untimely death. and the destruction of his lab. So many valuable assets lost. To hubris, ego, it's unfortunate, really.

That whole time your muse was that sick fucking freak. I just, I'm disgusted. I'm disgusted with myself that I ever called you friend. Look, I'm gonna give you one last fucking chance, all right? I don't know how you think this is gonna fucking end. But you're not walking out of here alive unless we let you. You understand? I'm not sure I would call him my muse.

He was brilliant. Zena was powerful. No, not my muse. She could have been, zero-zero-one. She's too easy to manipulate. Too weak. after what happened to her and her youth. All I had to do was tell her I was restoring her powers

and I was able to siphon them from her. Create clones like 029 that were infinitely more powerful. No, not my muse. The student has far surpassed the master. What about the other numbers? And I'm sure they had names. Where are they? Where are you keeping them?

Names. None that we gave them. No, all numbers. There's no reason to get sentimental with the experiments. They are simply that creations, and she points to Mila. She has life in her, but is she real? Does she have a soul? experiments may be able to tell.

For now, all I know is she's meant for the next stage. The next evolution. A perfect being with godlike power can use her psionics to dominate space and time. Something unlike the galaxy has ever seen. And her flesh is young and malleable. capable, and she is very mentally strong, something her predecessor, 001 is sadly not.

You speak of chances, Mr. LaCrew. Avrima presses a button on the console and a metal panel and the ceiling opens. There's a burst of chaotic energy that lashes out and a dark silhouette and the radiating green light descends into the room. Zenia Mulnaya levitates in the room. the air. Her body covered in embedded injectors filled with strange serums, crackling psionic energy surges from her head as her face is blank at first and then twists into unbound rage. She lets out a furious scream as Vrema calmly speaks over the calm system. I had hoped that we could continue our work,

Mr. Lucreux, especially after the discovery of 004's survival. I gave you two chances. I was more than generous. But now she motions towards, she motions towards Mila, I have what I need. You are redundant. 004 is redundant. Zero-zero-one is redundant. All of you are liabilities and complications. It is time for you to be removed from the equation. As soon as Avrima finishes the sentence, Zena descends on command, fully under the control of the scientist. She turns her pain, her fury, and her hate onto you, and unleashes her full power. I need everyone to roll for initiative. I'm using my D20.

Well, it's close. Oh, geez. Not great. Very good. We need to go elastic. We need a map. I don't have very good initiative. Yes, we should do a map.

I do just want to go around the table and confirm HP. 51 for Gideon. 51 for Grico. Yep. 52 for Torback. 51 for Cremie and 44 for Frost. 43. 43.

Oh, wow. You deal with one. You deal with one to the damage. Oh, no, I mean you're what you're total. It's not what you're currently. My max is 44. Okay. Yeah, boy, so many of us have the exact same HP.

Helpful. Them's how to hit days. Yeah. Lots of 55 or lots of 51. I need initiative rules 20 to 25. 22. Damn. Frost is ready.

This is destiny. Look at poor Sadney. I need 15 to 20. 15. 10 to 15. 12. 14. 11.

Wait, so you got 12, you got 14. Grico Torbeckrami, I think. At the start of combat. I enjoy my species trait. Eager advance. I love that. When I roll initiative, I can move up to my... You said 22, right?

Yeah. But, oh, that means it's... I'm just going to combine this with my turn if that's all right. I see Zania and everything else, deference. I know that Mira, Mila is in the tube, but I see her and I race to. my old friend. And so I'm going to immediately

arrive here and I will use my movement on my turn to get immediately next to Zenya. And I will say, Zanya, snap out of it. You can control this. You can, you don't need to attack us. You don't need to. I'm going to almost like be holding

her and shaking her. I guess she may be levitating in the air. So I'm yelling. She's held aloft by these tubes. Oh, God, that's so groat. She's plugged into the same. system. I'm screaming up at her and even in this moment I'm still feeling the psionic adrenaline surge within me. I'm going to use my bonus action to cast to unleash my unbound sigh so that happens but if I I'm trying to convince

her not to like if I can snap her out of it I think I know she's being perhaps controlled or influenced or puppeted in this moment. If she can break out of it, I don't want to hurt her. And so what I'm going to do is I'm going to hold a third level spell just in case she's able to snap out of it by the mere nature of my words that I try to reach out psionically to try to influence her to be a friend and ally. She looks down at you and all you see on her face is unbound rage. She opens her mouth to scream and let out blasts of her psionic energy. this is what you look up and see. As the rest of you are glancing between Frost and of Rima at the,

that's your entire turn? Yes, I'm holding my reaction to Cass call lightning. Using the ready action. I'm using the ready action. If she attacks any of my friends or she unleashes something that might damage me or that's my trigger. That's my trigger. Perfect. As you, the rest of you look between,

What are you doing? Sorry, my computer's being silly. As the rest of you look between Frost and Zena and Avrima at the, behind the dynastial glass, Avrima looks completely unbothered. As she presses a button and suddenly two fluid-filled tubes empty and flush onto the dynastial floor, two grotesque, fleshy shapes roar to life.

They are dinosaur-like in shape. just a little bigger than Torbeck, but they are horrifically modified with oversized jaws, bulging eyes, and unending appetites. They lunge to devour you. Can you please put these on the floor? And they are going to jump towards the two people flanking Crummy.

Oh, Gideon, and Torbeck. Let's do one and two. You're right. Yeah, that's fair. That's fair. Thank you, thank you. Damn. Oh, oh. And they are. And they are. Nice way.

Nice fill. Nice fill. Nice fill. are they are actually immediately going to lunge towards each of you. Using their bonus action to lunge. And then they're each going to attempt to chomp down on you. Yeah. Natural 20 on Doreback. Stop!

Stop! It's the frog dice. I don't know what to tell you. I don't know what to tell you. And then the other one is. It's the amazing frog from the spell. Doorbe is getting one around it again? And then.

Opener is Torbet getting one around it. I'm not letting that happen. And then. Oh, actually. Oh. This is a little. Because they are, yeah, it is the chomp art. Actually, because they jumped towards you,

they actually get to roll at advantage. I mean, you're gonna take me so. I know, but I could try and get a 20 on Gideon. I didn't, I didn't. I didn't, I didn't. I got an 18 on Gideon. 18, Gideon. To hit?

Yeah. Yeah, that'll do it. Fantastic. So because they jumped, they were at advantage on you and they also do more damage. Great. So, let's see. I love that for us.

This is good. So Torback, we're gonna deal with you first. He's gonna activate my trap card, and by that I mean my like a lineage. When a creature damages me or my allies, I have advantage on the next attack roll I make against them before the end of my next turn. As this creature leaps out of this tube and jumps towards you, you are caught off guard. Yeah. As it begins to chomp down on you with its serrated teeth, doing it. 15 points of piercing damage.

That is because it's a crit. Yeah, I mean, that makes sense. That makes sense. The other one, you're also caught off guard Gideon, as this one does a total of eight points of piercing damage to you. Okay. I have a question, GM. Yes.

I didn't get a chance to say it during the RP back and forth. But can we say that Gideon placed a turret down before this combat started? I think that's fair because I was... I was about to... I did intend to give you time to prepare for this, and then we jumped into it. So I think that's fair if the turret's already down. Okay, okay.

I was gonna suggest that. Especially because this is gonna be a blast her out. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. I think that's fair. Oh yeah. And that. The wild hog grooms for it.

That's my BFP. That is, that is of Rima's turn. Gideon. Gideon. Get in. Come on, Frost, don't hold. And we're getting to Arima. Hell yeah.

Come on, Zena. With turret down already, I whip out the Bertha. And I point it straight in the face of this dinosaur creature. Or it's like a dinosaur abomination, you said, right? Like a terrible thing. And I will just fire straight into its face twice. and my shotgun has the close quarters mechanic, which means because it's a shotgun

and I'm engaged with it in melee range, I'm not at disadvantage. Hell yeah. So I'm gonna fire two blasts straight into its. Okay. That'll probably hit 21 to hit. That hits. All right. And then 16 to hit on the second one.

16 on the little on the oh yeah that hit their AC is 12 oh they're they're easy to hit I love that for them I love that for them okay and this is number one or two is number one oh no that's crap oh my gosh okay the first shot does 14 oh wait I'm sorry 14 14 piercing damage plus two energy You let loose a blast of this. You have... Is that this what... I believe that did you take the upgrade? Does Greco have that upgrade or do you have that upgrade? That's the... This is the one, this is the energy reactor.

One of your... one of your... Oh, oh, oh, oh. No, I have... Do I have an upgrade? You have an upgrade, yeah. The energy react, you have the energy reaction. Oh, that's the... Sorry, got it. You can drop it on his. Yeah, no, no, no, I have cutting edge. Okay, sure. You have the energy reaction.

What does I do? Energy against the once per round, you can add the 1d8. When you hit with the attack roll, once during your turn, you deal an extra 1d8 damage of a chosen type. Oh my god. So you choose the type is between acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder. I'm assuming you've taken away mine then. No, no, you have yours.

You have the plus one? I'll run, I'll roll through real quick what everyone has. That's good. That's all right. I know what I have. I have my pressure bangle. It gives me advantage on concentration and against counter spell. That's exactly correct.

I just didn't know if I could still have it. I know what I have. You have a weapon upgrade, plus one bonus to attack rolls. You would have that. So I'm only do each one of these. Everybody has a unique upgrade. I have my coat that has the armored. You have this.

You have a syslined armor. I'm thinking that you gave me custom pickups on my guitar. Oh, that's cute. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. And they channel, they channel. They channel heavy metal energy. So you have, you have that. You have the focus amplifier.

You have damage. You have AC. Mine that I have, my mechanic is on my bertha. It is the, and I've never used this before. It's the cutting edge armory. Only I can use this schematic's benefits. I give me the extra attack feature for the enhanced weapon only. With that feature, I can attack twice with a weapon instead of once,

which is why I'm firing twice. So, on this, you take 14 piercing damage, not the two energy. That was, that's his thing. Sorry, I didn't realize that was a, no, no, no, no, that's good. Because I didn't even realize that. Proactively added it for you. And because all this happened, I forgot how you were doing. Is this from your turret or is this, this is from your, your gun.

I have to burn the right in its face. You, you see this creature. It is hulking in front of you as it's left out, getting right into your face and chomping down on you. It is, as, as you lean forward and you let out a blast. And you are shocked as this thing, is completely blown apart at your feet. You're covered in gore and viscera as bits of this coat, the front of your outfit.

The jaws that have been biting into you are still clamped down into your flesh, but only the jaws hang there limply. Oh, my God. Oh, okay, that's awesome. Can I say that then my second attack was on the other one? Because the first one died to this? Yeah, absolutely.

Okay. Well, then I'll shoot the other one with the 16, unless you'd like to re-roll it. No, no, that's fine. So this is 10 piercing damage on the other one. The other one is clamped down onto Torbeck, and you blow away a huge portion of its form, but what's remaining is still chomping down on him voraciously

and looks hungry. Okay, hang on this drastically. I'm going to activate my, oh. This is bad for you? You got it. You're good. I'm going to activate my piercer feet. This might be bad, actually.

Probably statistically this is wrong, but I think it's cool. And I'm going to use puncture. Once for a turn, when you hit a creature with an attack roll that deals piercing damage, you can re-roll one of the attacks of damage dice and use the new roll. I only have one die. I'm just hoping to roll over a five this time. Nine. So 14 again.

Oh, holy sure. Are they both dead? At first, you think that you blast away at this thing and huge chunks of it fall away. And you watch as it continuing to chomp along and rend into Torbeck's form. And you think that your blast hasn't done it. But yet again, the rest of its flesh begins to slough away

as all that remains is these firm jaw clamped into Torbeck's skin. Hell yeah, hell yeah. And then I'll start running up and just shout. Are they both gone? I didn't they're both dead. Yeah. I'm just I'm just making sure. Take a Freeman down. We gotta get to that panel and get me loud. And as I race forward, uh, one, two, three, four, five, six, uh, you'll see, uh, as activated my bonus action, uh, the wildhog will draw on Zenya and start firing into her. And I will, oh, this is 19 to hit.

On Zena. On Zena. That will hit. She haven't had legendary actions. She does, but his turn is still active, so she can't do anything. Yeah, this is no other action. So it's all part. So this, the turret will start firing out with like a It will fire with its iron rain as bolts just fly through the air at her, firing over Frost because she's up in the air,

and she'll take nine points of piercing damage. And that's my turn. You turn the turret towards her, and it begins to pepper her with this spray of bullets, but she does not pay any attention to you. However Avrima is puppeting her, her attention is turned towards frost, and then towards Kremi, looking back and forth

between the two of you. Frost, you're close enough to see that she is wrestling with the control that's over her. Occasionally, you see a flash of what looks like the Zenya that you remember, your friend, your sister. But it is a fraction of a second before she is once again, her face is overtaken with rage. You see as her eyes light up

and her neck snaps at an odd angle towards the turret, as she's going to use one of her legendary actions, and she's going to use telekinetic flame. She targets Gideon's turret, a medium or smaller object.

Wildhog! And she is going to hurl that at you. As she reaches out, and she lifts it in the air, and she curls it over towards you, and she's going to... That's so cool. That is really cool.

That is really cool. 17? To hit me? Yeah. That's my AC. Yes. Shee. It's really not that was.

How much my own turret? Your turret is going to do eight bludgeoning damage. Bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, but it's going to be bludgeoning, as she is. Slamming that turd against you. The turret is now going to be behind you. Um, totally up to you, like here or here. Like, immediately. behind, between you, yeah, right there.

Right there, okay. Oh, totally up to you, but I think it's very cool if you want to say that the turret deals that to me and it takes that from colliding with me. You know, I think that's fair. I do kind of like that. I do kind of like that where you each take the damage. Yeah.

Well, I would say it takes half of that because the turret is, you know, it's metal, so it's gonna do more damage to you than your body's gonna do that. So I would say half of that. Four damage. Four damage to the turret and then eight to you. The moment that the Zenaaenya that I knew, strikes out at my friend Gideon.

The entire room electrifies. Let's go. Arcs of lightning race across the floor around the tubes. Even the window that Vrema looks through crackles with

energy and everyone feels their hair raise up as Frost's rage is unleashed. I am going to target the tubes. I'm for that flavor is free. I'm targeting the tubes that she's, that are hitting her. Trying to electrify them, trying to pull them out,

trying to melt them, trying to destroy them. But I'm targeting her with call lightning. Get her on the ground. I need her to make a dexterity saving throw. At 18. I'm going to use two side of impose disadvantage. God, I love this die.

20. Okay, that's going to be. She'll take half, I'm assuming, still. Yep, yep, yep. You take half of 16, you take eight lightning damage, and that's all. As a bolt of lightning shocks through these connectors that are connected to Zinia.

You were all blinded for a second as this lightning appears over Zena, this white and blue light that fills up this room, drowning out the green light that drenches everything. And you all feel, um, you all are blinded as you see this burst of light. Uh, as it sparks all around her. She's floating in the air connected to all of this. You watch as it strikes down, piercing into her skin, singing her clothes, burning away some of her hair, but her eyes still look wild. She's furious as she is staring at you, Gideon still. Her attention is trained on you and what

just happen. She seems completely unfazed by what Frost is doing as she turns her head slowly and looks down at you now, Frost having drawn her attention. And she just looks nothing but angry. Don't do it. She will. What is she going to do? Because it is her turn now. Yeah. She has options. Slow down. You can take your time. You watch as the lightning crackles around her and it almost looks as if her form is sucking it in. It's doing a little bit of damage but you watch as she's almost glowing with the electricity that is

that is engulfing her. She is going to use kinetic burst twice. She's going to use one on you, Frost, since you're in melee range, and the other one is going to be targeted towards Gideon as you watch is this

burst of psionic power mixed with the lightning that you've just infused her with. It is almost as if it arcs from you to Gideon. As she lets out this kinetic burst, so she's going to attempt to attack you both. Natural 18 on you, so 26 to hit Frost and 19 to hit Gideon. That it's?

Uh-oh. It is going to do, I'm gonna find my dice. I should have pulled these ones out. I'm J. A turn yet, and my turn has changed two times already. That's a D-10. That's a D-10. Every single one of our combat in the last three months within that way,

we're like you can't take your turn. Every thing is so dramatically. It's almost like don't even buy a minute. You are going to take nine points of force damage, and you are not five feet away from her. Frost, you are going to take also nine points of force damage, and you were knocked five feet away from that. Is she gonna close the distance with her movement?

Does she have her? Did she move? Give me some time. Give me some time. You watch as she lets this psionic energy burst out from her all the while. Cremi, you're watching and you see that this is not Zenya making these choices.

You watch Avrima behind the glass calculated, watching completely safe behind this glass as she occasionally pushes buttons or does something on her pad. And you can tell very quickly that she is the one controlling Zenia. As Zena does, in fact, use her movement

and she is going to go directly. She is going to, your eyes meet. As you're watching this, you see as Dr. Artemis looks up and makes eye contact with you. And though she doesn't smile, she registers what you are learning. your observation. And just as this happens, you realize, you feel the crackling pulse of energy

as Zenya is now directly next to you. Oh my God. Son of that bitch. In front or next to her? I'm going to say between Torbeck and Kremie. Oh, right next to me, Lodge. Hanging, hanging above, hanging above them. And that is her turn. And the turn changes again. Yeah, I mean, it's like, it's like I'm trying to be like in Dichester. Like sand through the hourglass, these are the end of our lives. That's very funny.

I told you, face you again, and I'm main to follow through on it, you're going to not harm. And you're going to pay for everything you've done to our community. As I look at Zanya, and I have sympathy for Frost, but I've seen the result of Molina I've been around a long fucking time and I take I reach out of my headband

and I take me lucky pick and it's got the and it's faded for how many time I've used it because I don't know how many we printed we probably sold a lot of them of the special Power Condor original merch run of picks

with the logo and I strum it with my giant fucking humbug as it lets out this just wailing sound. As I say, okay, big dog, you and me, Soda to shoulder, as I use iconic inspiration on you. You can also choose to use it on damage rolls, you can also turn the damage to the D-8.

I love that. The D-8, right? Thunderd-D-8. As I also use Sonic Frenzy, I gain eight temporary hit points. Oh, hell. Uh, I actually don't know if I've used this since... That's badass.

Have I any pencils that no one's not? Here, you'll share. We'll share for now. If you got another one, I'm sorry. Eight temporary hit points. Okay. That's part of my bonus action. I use my action to just take the attack action.

As I do, as I start just playing an awesome rock and rule riff, and it's as if I've used, if I've done this in Guitar Hero, and use my hero power. It serves us with power. as I swing it around and use it as an axe. I'm using two powered swings,

which is one D12, as I'm going to make my first swing on Zena. But the notes will be all the same color. It's more challenging now. That's very funny. You're all the electric bloom. What are you done? That is 14 to head.

14 misses. Okay. I swing back around. I don't want to stop me. That should have. That should be a 24 to head. That's huge. And what is it that you're?

24 hit with my- Yeah, 20, 24 different. But what is it that you're doing? Oh, I'm swinging. I'm making attack action with my axe. Oh, okay. My guitar, which is mechanical. It's a power, vibroax. Um, uh, combat.

Whatever, whatever. It's a play on words because axe can sometimes mean guitar. Yeah. Thank you, Derek. And also he has an axe. You get it? I love. Do you get it?

You get it? You get it? This is almost like you explaining to me what the questions meant. On the, uh, the Beatrice, quite the piece. As my enormous, enormous robo-condor pickup surge. I add Gideon's upgrade damage of whatever type you would like to do

between acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder? I think all of its, all of its thunder for now. Thunder! So I'm gonna deal 15 plus two. You have to choose a type when you did that. Oh, I did? Yeah, I think so. Choose a damage type.

15 plus two is 17. When a creature hits with that type. 17 points of damage? 70 more damage and she needs to make a straight saving throw. Oh, easy. 17? She passes it. It was attempting to knock her prone as I slice into her.

That is my turn. I love that. Not too quick, not too long. I think I got it. I think I got it. She is blasted back as you spin around and you slam into her. What type of damage was this? It was slashing in thunder damage.

Slashing and thunder damage. damage. Loud boom, rockets her. She doesn't move backwards, but she's jolted backwards as her eyes look towards you. And you see as all of the hairs along her, all along her body, stand on end. As she, it almost looks like she is powering up. She's going to use another legendary action. And she is going to use destructive pulse. I need each creature in a 20-foot emanation from her to make a strength saving throw. Oh, you get plus five. That's not me. You guys get plus five. Plus five. You don't get plus five.

You get plus five. I'm not in it. Strength saving throw. I'm good at that. What is the saving throw? Strength saving throw. Plus how much? Plus five from me.

Except for Frost. He's not close enough, right? No, no. So I get a plus 10. I got a 17 on my safe. You're hit, but you don't get the, you don't get Torbik's bonus. I know. I know.

I get a six. I got 17. Okay. 24. Nice. She should have stayed on the board. She can't roll with the big jobs. 14.

The DC was 15. I just want to take a little damage. Just take a little damage. Anyone who succeeded is only going to take half damage. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. I'm going to use my reaction. Use pack-minded on Mr. K. When an ally I can see within 30 feet me fails a D20 test,

I can take a reaction to encourage that ally and add 1D6 to the total. You can add 1D6 to your total, possibly turn the failure into a success. You've got a 14, right? What's that? You got 14, so you automatically succeed. And we both will take,

we gain resistance to the damage. So we'll only take a quarter. So I think thematically, you're almost like throwing your... I'm like telling you to get down. Yeah, exactly right. And you're kind of like taking some of it. Like here it comes.

Okay, so I pass. So you fail. Everybody else passes. I'm taking all of it. Yes. It's a whole. lot of damage, like crazy amount of damage as you take seven force damage. I think we only take two.

But Frost, you are knocked prone. I needed that. We take three. Take three. Prone prone of my own. Seven. Wouldn't it be three? It's quartered.

It's quartered to three and then half of that. We take two. We take one. Wait. It's half rounded down. Oh, one. Yes, one. Half rounded down.

Three and a half rounded down to three. Half of that is one and a half rounded out of one. Yeah. Okay. We take one damage. That's all I need is. She activated my trap card. She activated my warden,

so now I get advantage against her on my next attack. Okay. Wow, I was really scared there for a second. You son of a bitch. But I don't have my reaction anymore, which might matter for your turn. So just do that in mind. You get it back immediately.

I get it back, yes! Legendary action. Sometimes it's Likos turn. Yep. So now it's your turn. She has... Huge. Huge. I'm glad that you asked about this, because I have to ask a similarly poignant question,

kind of a meta question. I have watched as this. woman has destroyed the Greenlight District for a long time, similarly to Grico. I know that Frost feels a certain way about this woman, but we're not holding back. Like, I'm trying to kill her. I'm not holding back. Okay. I'm not holding back. You would have seen, like, Cremi's observations aside, you would have seen Frost tried briefly, but he already has said that whatever happened to me. What I will say is that this situation is very clear to all of you, that Zena is not in her own mind right now.

You are all aware. You are all aware. Cremie noticed it first, but there is a blankness to her face, even though she's filled with rage and unleashing what is years

of pain and anguish that she has suffered. She is not the one in control of that. And seeing Cremie the way he stares up at Avrima, you're all, even the split second, able to see that. But that doesn't change the fact that Avrima is completely safe.

And keeping this ticking time bomb alive is going to do you no favor. Zena is a mortal threat. Zena is a mortal threat, and the tiny form of Mila is behind you, and the only way to save her is to find a way to get to Avrima, and you're not going to do that keeping Zerai'el life.

I just wanted to make sure I'm acting in a way that is consistent with everything. No, I appreciate the question. I'm going to take the attack action, which I will have advantage because of my Lika lineage warden, because she dubbed damage to me. I'll gain advantage on my next attack roll.

And with that attack roll, I am going to, when I take the attack action, activate rage of the streets. All of this rage that I have been feeling about watching this woman destroy our Greenlight District, I am going to unleash on her in this moment, and I'm going to start by making an attack roll. Yeah, why would you get closer to all the...

15 plus 9 is a 24. 24 hits. As a part of that, I have a feature called a feat called punch and grab. Once per turn, when I hit a creature with an unarmed strike. As part of the attack action, I can use both the damage and the grapple options.

So she'll have to make a Strength or Dex your choice DC-16 saving throw, or otherwise, I'm going to grab her by the wrist. Okay, she is advantaged on Strength and Dex tests. Uh-oh. Okay, so she says. 21. She passes.

So I will... You attempt to grab onto her, but very quickly, one of the tubes that's connected to her whips around knocking your hand away. You're not able to gain leverage on her. Either way, this is a hit. Yeah.

Yeah, it is. I am going to do the damage. It's going to be, I'm really risking this. If I don't. No, I'm just going to go all in in case I fuck this up. As I, I'm not able to grab her. So instead, I just land like a devastating body shot and like try, I'm trying to like break her ribs.

to like work the body. And with the force of this punch, I unleash cosmic judgment using my bonus action to cast what is divine smite. So I'm gonna use 1D8 for the 1D8 bludging damage for the actual attack, 2D8 for the actual smite, and then I'm gonna cash in on Grico's iconic inspiration for an additional 1D8 damage.

Okay. So it'll be 4D8. 25 points of bludgeoning damage with this first attack. That is a huge amount of damage, and as you slam into her, you hear the crunch of bone beneath your fist, but she does not flinch at the pain and the damage that you've caused to her mortal body. What you do see, however, is a glowing shield erupt around her,

almost a protective barrier. It's not able to prevent what you've just done, but she seems like she now has an added layer of protection around her body. She's also going to feel sacked as I activate the sap property of my weapon. You're making an unarmored attack as part of my subclass. She'll just have disadvantage

on the next attack rule she makes. And then I'm gonna use my second attack action. And that's gonna be a 27 to hit. 27 hits. And this will just be eight more points of bludgeoning damage as I follow up with a left hook, trying to basically break through whatever this protective shell she has is,

as I'm just kind of working the body and seeing if I can soften her up. That's my whole turn. You punch into her. You can tell that to her body at the very least, you've done significant damage. You can see bruises bloom beneath your fists. You see the sickly blues and purples around her ribs.

As her breath seems to come in shallow, potentially having pierced a lung, but facially, visually, it's still nothing but rage. And she seems unaffected, even though you see the results on her body. All right, that's my whole turn. I got my reaction back. Yeah, and that is your turn.

You will see as immediately she is going to move 30 feet away towards the opposite wall from Gideon as she uses another legendary action. And she is going to use psych-boasted speed as she moves half her speed. So she's going to move... Oh, half her speed?

Yes, but her flying speed is 60. She gets moved 30. Yeah, okay. And she does not provoke opportunity attacks. That makes sense. That makes sense. You and Kremi, you watch as you see, you see Avrima take her, her finger and swipe across the pat. And as she does so, Zenia makes the exact same movement across the room, almost as if she's

puppeting her on a virtual chessboard. And that is that. Cremant, it's your turn. Um, that totally changed my turn. Oh my God. Hold on. Oh, my God, I think about this now. Um, uh, bu, bu, bu, bu, boo, boo.

Let me just take a look over here real quick. I'm just take a look real quick over here. What are you in your room? I'm just looking for. Yeah, yeah, it's just attacks over here. I'm gonna see. Does we look at the range of your gun. Oh, over here.

Huge. Oh, huge. Yeah. Okay. And this is like 500 feet of the turret. Yeah, you wouldn't be able to do that if I do that. You know what? I'm just going to...

You know what? My plans change. I am... You'll see me sort of pulling my cane up and about to hit a button. And I will instead swap out the canister quickly on my cane and I will hit. And this green gas sort of billow from it as I sort of inhale deep deep. And I'll look over to Frost and I'll say, I'm sorry about your friend, but she's gone.

That's the docked up there, and we got to take it down. And I'm going to use a bonus action to give myself advantage. As I inhale and use one of my, as I use stim injection, and I give another creature within 30 feet of me. I can choose myself advantage on the next ability to trigger attack roll. I make, and I'm going to take a few steps back. and trying to sort of spread out a little bit. As I'm aiming, and I just take my shot,

I guess I could have done that with steady aim if I didn't move. Just do it first before you move. Yeah, it's okay if you want to. Or do you know you can't move? Your movement drops zero. I'm going to save the gas. The gas is billowing out.

But it's not expanding. But mechanically, I'm not going to use one of my charges as I, bonus action, steady aim, and I'm going to fire off an attack with advantage. I need advantage of a sneak attack here. Yeah.

17 to hit. You imagine that had she not in response to Torbeck thrown up a shield around Zena that this would have landed. But as you let forth this burst, you see a glint

in the light as whatever is surrounding her repels that blast. And it actually bounces backwards. And she, shatters against the wall, taking a chunk out of the cement wall behind Zenia. Damn it! That's my turn. I'll say her AC is 16, unless she has shield up and which is 21. Oh, she got shield. Sheesh.

Yeah, no, that's it. That's my journey. Frost. I will. You're prone on the ground. Stand up. And I'm just going to be 10 feet. Right here. Um, I know that Zena is still in there, but I also know that she is a serious threat, and I was serious when I told my friends that, given her power, that she might be a mortal threat to us.

And so I will hold up my arms and I will channel the wrath that both of us are capable of. and I will not hold back. I need her to make a dexterity saving throw. Okay. What's the, what's the DC? The DC 16. She is going to use one of her legendary resistance. Damn, that's huge.

Okay, okay. That was at advantage, and I rolled a natural six and a natural three. She takes half of 23 lightning damage. Half of 23. That's 11. Yeah. And then I need her to make a strength saving throw.

You have to be kidding. As I release a wave of telekinetic fury. Can you use two in a row? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Cause I rolled a one in a two, so I'm gonna use another one. What? I'm getting, yeah, I'm getting a-

In trouble for my 20s. 10? She takes zero, sorry, when she failed, there's no half of you take, if you succeed. So you don't take any damage and you're not pushed away, but my unstable wrath, as it bursts free from me, and I need to mark off this as my action and my bonus action. I am focusing all of my psionic energy

because I know how strong Zanian is. I don't think I'm going to destroy her, even if this amount of energy might destroy lesser beings. I am unleashing because she's a better psionic than I am, and I don't want her to hurt my friends. And so all you are watching is me stand up and scream and try to focus my mind on her and nothing else. That's the end of my turn. All right.

You watch as you look towards the, all of this happens. And Zenia is unmoving and unfeeling outside of the rage that pours from her directed at all of you. But you know that that's not coming from her. as your attention is drawn towards the, actually, how do I want to do this? You know what? Yeah, no, we do. Your attention is turned towards the pipes at the side of the room.

It's not one, not two, but four of those same creatures jump out of the pipes on the edges. So I will do four and six. six on your side, and then here you go. Oh, one and two or two. Yeah, one of you, here you go, Derek. One of them is gonna go straight towards you, Gideon, one towards Kremi.

Then we're gonna do one towards Torbeck and one towards. They just leap immediately? Yeah, they just leap immediately. One towards. Gros or Frost? Gros or Frost? They can leap 30 feet. Probably Frost. Yeah, probably Frost.

Yeah, whichever ones they can get to. And they are going to attempt to attack you. So we're going to start with Frost. And that is going to be 15 to hit on Frost. Okay, the next one's going to be on Torback. And that's going to be a 19 to hit on Torback. Yeah, that'll hit. Okay.

Wow. Got lucky there. That was a near-miss, folks. Near miss. That is. Eight points of piercing damage. To me? This one, yeah, is this one chomps down onto you.

The next one will be on Cremie, and that is going to be an 18 to hit. Thanks to my BFT, it misses. So it's going to like chom into my suit, and it's like one of those moments where you're like, you think you'd shot. Yeah. But their teeth are all caught up on the kind of like

the fiber dance that he's so. Like a John Wick moment. It's a future Kevlock. 100%. The teeth, the shape of them and the way that this is, made it cannot pierce through as the other one is going to pierce into you and that maybe not and that would be a 16 to hit you oh no that'll miss nice 17 is my ace nice nice nice nice and that is that is a Rima's turn and gideon machine is really cool they really are uh I will what's

I will I don't hit crem me I think probably here um I'm going to start by activating my bonus action to trigger my turret. And this time instead of the iron rain, you'll see the triple barrel that mirrors the birth of the gun I hold. All the turrets have these triple barrel like snouts, and it will spin. The prime turret will spin and activate a slightly larger tube as it fires out a plasma rocket at this point here. You can't see it. Or like this point. This point here.

It's back this way. It's back this way. I got you. So that, and it will explode in a 10-foot radius sphere hitting both of these guys. It's actually a DC-16 Dex saving throw. For the...

For these guys here. Both of them. Yep. Six and four. The first one, six rolled a natural. 16. Four rolled. Not enough, I'm sure, but let me just double check,

PC. Tocons from Sessions gone. No, the other one, I'm assuming 10 is not gonna. And I didn't even fail. So six passes, but four does not. So it is just four lightning damage. So it is just four lightning damage. Four lightning damage to the failed one, two lightning damage lightning damage to the one that passed.

And I'm going to run this way. And six may take an opportunity attack. You watch as the electricity sizzles through their bodies and both of them continue to hang on as best they can. Did six want to take an

opportunity attack? Oh yeah. It absolutely does. And it's within five feet of the other one. It's within five feet of the other. So it will have yeah, it will have advantage because of the pack tactics. Oh no. Oh, oh. 19 to hit.

19 will hit for certain. For certain, for certain. So it does not get its jump damage. So it is chomping down. So it's just gonna do, oh my God. I rolled a three and a four, sorry, seven piercing damage to you as you run away. It digs in deeper as it does not let go.

And as you pull away, the flesh rips from your arm. And you watch as it swallows it down. You can see the lump of your flesh move down its throat. Oh my God. Yeah, I know, I'm a horrible person. I'm sorry. It's late and I'm tired. I look at Crammy, I look at where the bite had slid off

his reinforced coat and I'll just say, better than Henry's, huh? And then, may I borrow a D4? Please. I'm gonna place a second turret. Oh! Right here. Which I'm allowed to do.

Use a turn if you need to. And that's my turn. Oh, they have to be, like, you can only man one at a time? Or, like, can you... We can't fire them anymore. You can't? That was cut. That was totally cut?

That's why I want to ask how the functionality works. Yes. So if you want to use your action for something different? Are you sure? Yes, 100%. But I guess my point is, can you activate more than one on a turn or it's like one bonus action? That's it. Like, is there an advantage to placing two at a time?

That's what I'm asking. It's to have different ranges and in case one goes down. So he can just choose which one to activate on his turn. Yes. Okay. I believe so. Dan can correct us. Yes. Okay. You can also shoot the gun if you. Whoa, yeah. I think there's probably no reason to drop the second.

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. So you're still on your turn. No, I think that other people can use it as long as you haven't used it your turn. It can basically be fired once per round. Yeah. Yeah. So the new, what you're saying a party member cannot use it, cannot use it, period. Oh, I'm going to use the bonus section to fire a turn, but East Turr can only activate one for the round. You use it on your

turn. I use this one. I take it back. So anybody else, so the new one can still use it. How much how much help do your turn? My fault. No, the problem was that it was that they're used it like four or five times. In a round. It's really powerful. Thank you, thank you. So this one's clear for the rest of this round until somebody uses this one.

Correct. And so mechanically, any of you, like, if you don't have a good bonus action, that makes sense in the moment, you can use your bonus action if you're within five feet of the turret to fire either its iron rain or its plasma rocket. I love that. I love that. I love that. Agreed. And also, mechanically, if we're ever spread out and you're near the turret and not me, I can cast spells through the turret. So if I have a spell that requires touch, I can use the turret to cast that. Very cool. The turrets are very much still turriting. Absolutely. The turrets are turrets.

I just said that reference. That's my, that's my turn. That's what I thought. She is going to use, now that she has her legendary actions back, she's going to use one, and she's going to pick up that same turret that she picked up before. And she is going to fling it directly towards Kremi, seeing where your weakness is. Shit. Oh, shit.

16 to hit? That misses. Oh. I do one of these. And I, it sailed past you. Didion had just drawn your attention to the turrets. And so your eyes were on them as it begins to lift. You immediately know what's about to happen and you dodge out of the way, definitely.

Hell yeah. Hell yeah. But it is Zeniya's turn. So she is gonna get her reaction back, which is fantastic. Well, no, I guess she gets that back at Avrimas, so. Um, what is she gonna do? She is going to- So I can use this one.

Correct. Yeah. I mean, it really doesn't matter at this point. They're right at each other. She is, she is going to move directly. She's right here. Yeah, she's gonna move between the Champa and Frost. Like here?

Yeah. Uh, actually maybe right in front of Frost and it's. No, no, no. No, no, no, the chomp and frost is good. You watch as, again, the hair stands up on her flesh. Her eyes, for a second, frost, you look up and you see almost a hint of sadness that is completely wiped out by rage as she continues to be puppeted. You see as her, the bruising on her ribs where Torbeck had damaged her

is causing her breast to come in shallow and shallow pulses. And then you begin to notice the pulse get stronger and stronger is stronger as you see little flicks of light dance from hair to hair along her body. As she lets out a gravitron wave. What? In a 60-foot cone from her in an attempt to hit as many of you as she possibly can.

A 60-foot cone? She gets absolutely. She hits every. I mean, she'll start here, right? No, or just move. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah, there. Yeah, there it is. Yeah, there it is.

And you watch as, for a second, you feel weightless as you lift up for a moment and then land softly. Sorry, you don't get in. You see that everything around you is almost held aloft in the air for a second as she lets out this powerful gravity wave. in a 60 foot cone in front of her.

I need you all to make a constitution saving threat. You guys still get the plus five. Gideon is unfortunately just out of range. It's 10 foot emanation. Well, with the seven, I'm not, I'm within 10 p of you. Why not? Is that you there?

Yes, you are. I need. It's on half of the square for orders. You have half of the cover. You have six more D6s. Yeah, that's only 7.5, right? Six D6s, please. Oh, yeah, yeah.

Actually, I might have them. I might have them. No, no, no. Oh, no, no. One. It's one or not get it. No, no, you do it again. It's 12 and a half.

Two. But because half of your square is covered, you're good. She's like con? Yeah. I actually rolled pretty well. Three. Oh, I did not roll pretty well. I got a 19.

I got 15 exactly. Nice. We'll see what the DC is. What's the, what's the aura from you? Plus five. Oh, just plus five? To any safe throw. I fully.

As long as I'm not incapacitated. Uh, 16. Damn, that's crazy. It is. Her DC is. 16. Do we have any fail? Yeah. I failed by one. By one. Oh, my turrets cannot pass. You got it? I mean, I can pack mine us. I got

long back my again. I got a filthy twos. Use them all you got on right? I'm gonna pack mine with uh and use my reaction. You get to add a 1d6 to it. You can literally dive in front of me again. So you want it, you want to pass. I'm not at least a half damage. We'll take we get resistance, we gain resistance from the damage we're taking from this. I can do one more time. I can do it three times total. So I'm almost out. This is crazy. This is crazy. That's a lot of dice.

That's a lot of dice. So hopefully we'll take a quarter. But we'll see what happens here. I'm excited for Rhett to have the spell. Grab it. You take 37 points of force damage. Half. Half if you save.

So we take nine. You may have your team four back. Oh. That's insane. Oh my God. I'm really glad that we did that. Thank God you did that. Half of...

18. So, 18 points of damage? If you succeed. Force damage. If you pass, yeah. Hold on. Yeah, 18 is half already, right? 18 is the half.

So I've... As Zena lets out this powerful wave of gravity energy, as you feel gravity change and she reaches out towards you, she lifts you all in the air, she slams you down. onto the hard surface. You feel bones and your body snap, break through parts of your flesh.

You feel your head slam into the solid floor. You're disoriented, exhausted. You can feel the bruises already begin to bloom on your skin. Can she avoid these guys? Is it just of her choice? Or is it everyone? No, it is everyone in the cone. So those, they have no chance.

They're in. He's probably having it. He's fine, yeah. We'll keep him over here. Which one is fine? Number five. Oh, fantastic. Man, I didn't get to rip apart one.

I was planning this whole comment to tear one of these guys apart with my bare hands. They just keep dying. You imagine. There are more tokens over here, Nikki, if, uh. Oh, don't worry. I'll need them. I was gonna flavor as I grapple him and I like smash him

against the floor and he splatters. They just keep dying. Do you imagine that would have been significantly more damaging if you hadn't had Torbeck there to protect you through that. Yeah. Oh my God. And she is emotionless as she lets out this as she lifts you up and slams you down into the surfaces. There's just viscera everywhere. Oh, yeah, this place is coated. And that's her turn, Grico.

Grico, Bricko. I get annihilated by this. And I realize there's no talking. I see Frosty. I'm hurting. Do you knock back or anything? Is there any kind of effect beyond the damage? If you, no, because you all say.

Oh, we all passed. It would have been significantly worse if you. I'm sorry, Frosty. It's either hurt or us. I'm sorry, lad. Do what you need to do? As I let out a wailing, wailing high-pitched, almost like,

love ballad from Yeah, yeah, oh baby tonight. Is it like sad? And it's sad. It's sad and it's romantic. But it's melancholy As my hair once again shimmered with feather blonde.

I use my emotional spectrum to enjoy. Oh, no, not blonde. Sorry. Orange. Feathered orange. A little with frosty tips. As I shout out a, aura

everyone in my lights which is in 20 foot emanation if you start your turn in it you get an extra 10 feet of movement holy shit He plays this solo from Civil War by Guns and Roses That's exactly what happens I play

a whaling guitar I look a little bit like Axel Rose before this time ravaged Jesus thing The red hair exactly And I

believe With 40 feet of movement, I can get right here. Hold on, you're here? Yeah. 40 feet for sure. One, two and a half, four, five, six and a half. Absolutely. Yes, you have eight squares.

And I'm going to get in between me, mate Frosty, and this monster. Hopefully, like, it attacks me. But I am going to, that was my bonus action. I take the attack action with my actions. It picks up the camera now. Come on. They're waiting in the wings.

First one misses again. They're back in the tubes. I'm going to put them in the tubes, actually. Like, I think that's kind of cool. Into the tube. That'll hit. That'll be 22 to hit. She's making a strength saving threat.

She is going to use her react. Are you talking about Zenia? She's going to use her reaction. You're going to see that shimmering shield pop up around. And you said it was 22 to hit? Hold on. Hold on. Let's make sure.

22. Was what you. 14 plus 8 to 22. Yeah. So she's going to use it. You're going to, it hits her. But reactionary, she throws up the shield, but you're able to get in and do this damage first.

Her AC now is 21 until of Rimas. Yeah, and it's almost like she does it, but I kind of force myself. I'm upset and I had the power of rock and roll on my side. As I slash in, I will deal an extra 1D8 and I do 1D12 because I'm using Gideon's humbuckers. Not terrible. Not terrible.

That's 10. 16. 16 points of slashing damage and thunder damage. And she needs to make a strength saving throw or be knocked prone. What is it? A strength saving throw. Okay.

Or what do you say? I don't know if I can knock pro. A natural, natural 18. Yeah, no. That would show you about turn. Significantly. That is my entire turn. Maybe even more, we're not aware.

And so if you start your turn with in 20 feet of me, you get 10 feet. I'm not there. I'm not there anymore. Is we here? Oh, sorry. Later, yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm just waiting to see if I'm good to go

and I gotta ask some questions with the team. Let's see, she is going to, she can't use, why is my computer doing this? Sorry, my computer's being a bit of a fool. She is going to, she's gonna use one of her legendary actions, rightfully so, I feel, to laugh. at me. Don't you dear laugh at me. She has not destructive pulsed this, this, no, she telekinetic flung.

She is going to, who's directly in front of her, it's just Frost. Frost and Grico. Frost and Grico is, she's going to look out to you and anything else that's there as well. I mean, there's a, there's a monster. Yeah, it's in, inconsequential to her as she begins to once again pulse with that same light and I need all of you to make, or the two of you to make a strength saving throw for me, please. Which each creature in a 20 foot emanation, but I don't think anyone else is within 20. No, no, no, no, no. A strength saving throw. No, no, no, we're outside of it. That is, that 16.

There's no way. 20 feet? Isn't it five? No, no, no. Oh. 15, 20 ends here. Oh, I don't think I have 15. I'm rolling great. Huh. No, that does not. That fails. Do you want to try to succeed in some way? Because I say, I roll out. Regrettably, I have no way of succeeding on it.

Or doing any of any additional work done. Unfortunately, I think that you may just- Did you succeed, Michael? You're 16. 16 does succeed. Thank God. So you'll take half and Frost, you'll take the full amount, which is nine points of force damage,

and Frost you are knocked prone. Oh, shit. I am knocked prone. as I flip into unconsciousness. No, fuck, the change of my turn again. You flip backwards as you're knocked backwards as she lets out this pulse. You, as you were flying backwards, you see her face.

And for a moment again, you see a moment of sorrow, of regret, of hopelessness. You see your friend and your sister. And then as you're flying back, something else comes into your vision. tube that is holding Mila. You see that the liquid inside of it is no longer that clear liquid, but it's now pink, as it's tinged with her blood as she's trying desperately to claw her way through the tube to get to her family. You see that though it's not much, it's enough to taint the water and as are the liquid in there. And as she sees you fall, you can see the tears

pouring from her face as she's screaming and trying to claw towards you. Help her. to save and protect her family. This would be almost instant for Frost. As you faded, as you fade to black. And the vision would double. No, for everyone else, the pressure of Frost's sciatic presence in this moment, the lightning and electricity drops.

Oh. And you would all, I think, know that the room has a little bit less kinetic passion than it would have otherwise. I'll slip you. That's her legendary action. action. And that was, it's Torbeck's turn. Well, he would.

Except as Frost is falling to the ground, Torbeck sprits and runs and slides to catch Frost before he hits the ground. And with the innate righteous fury that I have as a enforcer, I pour 30 points of reinvigorate healing into my friend to bring you back to 30. He's all 30 of my rear. Let's fucking go, dude.

I was going to use it on myself, but Torbeck wouldn't do that. Not at all. And as he, make sure to cradle Frost as he's hitting the ground and bring you back to consciousness, I stand up and step over top of Frost,

and I don't know if I can mechanically move him without taking an opportunity attack to put myself in front of him or whatever. If I can do that, I would like to. If you want to move him, he would mechanically take your action. Then instead, I use my action to stay, like, as for flavor, stand over top of Frost and use shield of conviction as I cast what is the equivalent of

a shoe of faith on you to give you an extra 2 AC. And flavor-wise, I'm basically standing over you and she's got to go through me to get to you. I think that this is still, you still do it. I believe itself. I mean, we can only feel it. I will let it. Oh, maybe not. Even if it's not, I will let it happen.

They may change it. Hold on, no, no, let me check. I'll double check. That's massive. Give me yourself. See, my big. That's a second life. It says a creature of your choice within range.

Oh, never mind. Never mind. Unless, this is incorrect. No, no, no. You're good. That is a second life for me. Let's go. That's fucking...

Send it, bro. You have an additional to me, see? You're 30 HP. No, that's ridiculous. But I'm flavoring it like I am growling and barking in Zenia's face, and I'm trying to beat the distraction, and she's got to go through me to get to, to get to my boy Frost, that's my whole turn.

Oh, okay, never mind. Take it back. All right. I'm back. Yes. I'm barking. Oh, ho, ho, oh, oh, oh. Your, it echoes throughout this space.

It almost feels as Frost begins to fade into darkness, the room for all of you feels oddly quiet, almost as if something is dampening the noise around you. And it's an eerie side. is all of a sudden Torbeck's howling and barking pierces that unnatural silence, dissipating it as Frost, you take in a deep breath and you feel life forced back into your body, and you look up and you see looking down at you, not just your friend, but your family. And you know that it is not over for you. On your feet. Torbeck. Thank you. Let's fucking go.

It would be- It would be Cremie's turn, but she is going to use her last legendary action. And she can't use destructive pulse again because it's only once around. But where is she at? She is going to... She's surrounded by three of us. She is going to psych boosted speed and she is going to move 30 feet away from all of you avoiding an opportunity attack.

I'm going to say, no, I think she's going to move into the corner closest to you. Mace, not Gideon. Oh, I see what you mean. This direction is so like, yeah, 30, 30 feet in that direction. So it's four diagonal. One, two, three, four. Yep, yep, yep, yep.

And that is what she's gonna do. Man, she's slippery. Cremay. God damn. Every time. Okay. There's one guy up, but he's like a little chompy guy. I'll see that Frost just went down and that Torbeck saved him. And I'm sitting next to Gideon. I see that all of these hogs have been killed and that we just took a big hit.

I mean, we both got there, like double-knit-says. As you stand there, Gideon, holding your shotgun, you're going to be snuffing up this gats like a BFP. And I'll say, This is my penance, isn't it? Look, no matter what happens, you gotta make sure the rest of them get out of here, you understand? And would you kindly please put her down? As I'm gonna use my toxic delegation.

Yes! When I take the attack action, I can forego one attack to use an ally within 60 feet of me. That ally can take a reaction to make one weapon or unarmed attack. If this attack hits, The target takes poison damage equal to my cheap shot damage and must subtract 1D4 from D20 tests until the start of my next turn.

And my bonus action, you are going to feel stimulated by the gas. As I use stim injection with my bonus action, I stim a creature within 30 feet of myself. I can choose myself, but I'm going to choose Gideon as well. You've advanced on the instability check or attack roll you make before the end of my next turn. I'm using two of my kems out of six. Hell yeah.

And so you are advantage. I roll this at advantage. And it's gonna cost a reaction, if you don't mind. That's fine. You can take a reaction to shoot her at advantage. Come on. 27. Oh, that hits.

So close. That breaks through her shield. Yeah, exactly. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. You're damn right, I can't, crummy. But one thing is we're getting them all at it. But it's your damage, right? You roll your weapon damage.

Oh, I, as you shoot, your gun is almost like being infused with this green gas as I get to deal my sneak attack damage. as poison damage. I rolled a three on my weapon, but this is, this still counts as your turn, right? It's not my turn. It's my turn. So I'm gonna activate, I'll activate puncture once per turn. Yep. And I'm gonna re-roll this damage because it was a baloney.

And it got worse. And I have to take the middle of it. So it turns out it wasn't a bloomy. Turns out now it's baloney before it was ham. And you take six points of piercing damage. And as it connects with her, there's almost like a poisoning effect that comes, if she's not immune to poison, as that green gas will tint and start to spread across her, and she'll take another 13 points of poison damage. And hold on, something else happens.

It must subtract 1D4 from D20 test. It makes until the start of my next turn. So minus 1D4. So basically she's bane for the next, uh, bane. The next term. That seems amazing. That's amazing. And then I'm going to use my movement to spread out a little bit. Oh, God, I don't want to get coned. I don't want to get, like, trumped. One.

I'm going to play, I'm going to kind of start to approach her with my gun out, and you know what? I'm going to get close to these tubes, but Kremi feels like he kind of deserves what's happening right now. So that's my turn. You work together. Having just seen Torbeck saved Frost, you are all working together, like a well-oiled machine, like a family, as you protect each other and you fight this entity. You fight, you fight Zenia. And you can see now that her body has really taken a beating and she is looking very weak.

you look towards a Rima and you can see that she is still as stoic as she can possibly be. She seems unfazed by what you're doing to Zena she continues to puppet her about as she looks about the room observing you. Frost, it's your turn.

I'm going to, there's a part of me that's watching myself do this because it's the part of me that's still a friend of Zen. but the threat that she represents is too great and she is at this point a puppet of Avrima and knowing that I may be destroying that person that might that I might have hope about it doesn't matter I reach up into the ceiling with my mind and I break something critical in the

system that's connected to her. And there's a massive eruption of fire that torrents down like a column and then explodes and expands out. I need her to make, I believe,

a dexterity saving throw as I cast Fireball. And it will be minus a D4. Oh no. Uh-oh. The DC is 16. And I will impose a disadvantage with side points if you rolled above that. I didn't, but I'm, well, we'll see how, we'll see how this plays out.

Okay, okay. I'm not, I'm not going to say what's happening right now. We're just, you, you do this and you, not only do you look up and you, with your mind, break something in this. You reach up and you, you sever this tether causing this torrent of molten fire to rain down on Zena. But it's not just severing that which stoppered the flame. It was also severing a part of your connection to her, knowing that this could potentially kill her. You had to push aside your friendship, your love for her. You had to break that for a moment. Not forever, but in this moment to be able to do this, you had to push all of those feelings aside and see her as just what she is in this moment. A puppet.

Damn. I break that thing and I make the ceiling burst into flames and I use my sonic energy to crash that down. Is she still alive? Roll damage. I don't know if she's still alive. She takes 35 points of five. fire damage. Wait, wait, before she goes, I want to cast zone of truth and ask her social security number, bank number, date of birth. Can I do that quick? You look at you. You watch as she attempts to move out of the way. She is in this puppeted state. She is dexterous using her last legendary resistance to succeed. But it is not enough. How do you want to do this? Oh my god. Thank goodness because I don't have much left. A whirlwind. A whirlwind. Just as I described. I know she didn't need to use it, but I think it's fine. There's a moment of frustration where

sometimes you just go straight from point A to point B. And all of the chaos that's happening around, I've tried to electrify the electrodes that are inserted into her. I've tried, I've tried reasoning with her. I've tried everything. And when Torbeck saved me, I woke up and just went, enough. And that came crashing down. But I would say that that might not have still been enough. And I would have raced forward and tried with all of my psionic energy to try and contain her and stop her so that I'm not trying to kill her. I'm trying to kill the rage and the control that Erema is bringing on.

And so I, even though I just engulfed her into flames, I'm hoping, as I leap forward, ignoring perhaps the attack of opportunity that would diogenically happen, race forward and just embrace her and be like, is there a Zenya left? Are you alive? And still also just trying to use what psionic juice is left in me to stay with her or bring her. forth in this moment. You rain down this burst of flame around her. You watch as parts of her skin bubble and pop beneath the heat of the flame. You see for a second her eyes go wide as realization hits as the puppetry is almost broken for a moment before once again she becomes that mask as she's looking down at you.

You're shaking her, pulling. on her as she's connected to these tethers, all the while unleashing your final assault on the ascended Zena, and her psionic protection shatters. In a final burst, every single one of the injectors embedded into her body breaks as she collapses to the ground. Her eyelids flutter, and subtly the only green in the room is the green of her eyes as she looks around in confusion and pain, clearly struggling against the control over her. Her eyes must be Make contact with yours, Frost. And once more, time stops.

Frost, you're a child once more. Your 004 in Dr. Zahn's lab. You wander through the empty, sterile halls and experiment rooms until you hear a familiar scream. Zero-Zer1's scream. Your friends scream. Your sisters scream. You follow the sound to Dr. Zonon.

personal office and step inside. What you see is absolutely horrifying. You see your other siblings, 002, 003, 0.07, 013, among others. Their corpses are perfectly still and lined up. Their skulls sawed open. All of their brains have been removed, and the bloody plates on the doctor's desk and the silverware on other side make it obvious. what abomination has occurred here. Dr. Tanta Zahn clutches at his throat with two of his hands as his other two reach out towards a teenage Xenia, 001, who holds him aloft in mid-air with the power of her mind. He sputters in an attempt to beg for his life as his eye-stocks bulge and his lips begin to

snap with the sickening sound. His lab coat rips open as he writhes, exposing his chest which bears warty and slimy amphibian flesh and a black tattoo of a serpent eating its tail. Zena screams at him as she slowly breaks his aged body. You ate them. Worst monster of all. You turned them against me. You made them domination. No, you are their abomination. And you observe the scene unfolding before you and discover the truth of that horrible night. You see something that shouldn't be there. All the walls that should be pristine have strange fleshy growths covered with tendrils that run along the floor, up Zena's legs into her head. The flesh covered in ruby scales and sprouting with turquoise feathers.

Embedded throughout the tendrils or unblinking eyes with a thin vertical pupil like that of a velociraptor. You can act. I would race forward in this moment. Is this a shared memory that we're experiencing right now, or is this the time that this happened? This is the moment that this happened. You are having, you are regaining a memory that had been lost. I see. And you are inside of Zena's mind. She's experiencing this at the same time as you are. She is screaming and lashing out reliving that moment in which she, she killed. Sierra 0-1!

I'll race forward and I will put my arms around the I'll hug her back and put my arms around. It's okay. It's all right. You're all right. Oh my gosh. 0-0-4. Oh, by the God, though.

She reaches up and her hands are shaking as she touches your face and you see as she looks over and you see where her eyes look to. The plates are labeled. And at the very end, a final plate, zero-zero-four, completely clean and untouched. You saved me. You saved me.

I couldn't let them have you. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. Look at what's happened. This is everything that they told us was lies. Everything that they told us was a lie. It's going to be okay. It's going to be okay. You look down and you see the scales and the feathers, and you know that's not part of the core memory.

Those are the tendrils of the hold, the mental hold that Arima still has on Zero-Z1. She looks between you and this scene, and she seems to be struggling with what and who to believe. I don't know who to believe. It's going to be all right. It's going to be okay. It is not going to be all right. Zena, you remember what happened here in this room? You remember what we discovered?

You were going to be next. Yes. And you were going to be next just now. Do you remember anything that's happened in the last few moments? You've been puppeted. You were puppeted by Eremah. She's been deceiving you. She's been lying to you.

She's been controlling you. Not just today, not just in this moment, but for as long as you've ever known her. Now she's trying to help me. To reclaim my power. No, no, no. She wants nothing more than to continue Dr. Zahn's research. Look around you. Look at what happened to all the others, what you tried to protect me from.

She wears the same face. She has the same heart. as that monster. I need you to roll a persuasion check for me, please. That's going to be a 16. However, because I have ruthless rhetoric in my feats as part of my background, I can add one D4 to the total. He's persuasive.

He's the made of D4 reason. It's going to be a dirty 20. That's good. As your words fall upon Zena's ears, She blinks, and suddenly her attention is pulled away from Dr. Zahn, and she looks at you, truly at you, is there as recognition. Four, you really are here. Yes.

You're right. She looks down at her hands. I was deceived. Zon is dead. But another monster still lives. There is still one more about. culmination, and she needs to die. Zena lets out another scream.

All of the fleshy, sarian tendrils with scales, feathers, and eyes are disintegrated, and the echo of Dr. Tontas-Zan disappears. Suddenly, you are back in the metal experiment chamber flooded with neon green light. All of you feel time and space unfreeze, and Zena is levitating in the air once more. Her face is twisted in an even more furious rays. than you had seen before. She takes in a deep breath and lets out an ear-piercing scream filled with a lifetime of torment and betrayal.

And every piece of glass in the room, even the glass that is supposed to be esper-proof shatters. Mila drops to the floor with a soft thud, but your attention is drawn to Avrima Artemis, who now looks so small with her protective barrier removed. And as she stands, several feet beneath Zenia's cracking, wrathful form. Avrima opens her mouth to speak, but her body is in pieces before she can get a single word out. Zena's mind rips the doctor limb from limb, exploding her diminutive form into blood, gore, and bone.

Her tail slaps against the computer terminal, and you see her head fly through the air and tumble through the huge pipe opening and plummet into the glowing talusium deep within the earth. You swear that you see the flesh from her severed neck undulating with fleshy tendrils as it disappears. below. Time seems to stand still as quiet returns to the chamber. Zena collapses onto the ground as her eyes return to normal, and she attempts to catch her ragged breath. It's over. And I'm going to turn, I'm going to run to Mila. I'm going to run to her and check on her and go into almost, you know, doctor mode and try to. Are you okay? Blood pools in her palms. and drips and tendrils down her tiny forearms.

You see that the fingernails, her tiny fingernails, have been ripped and torn in the time that she was clawing against the glass, desperately trying to get out. You see breaks in her skin where she was pounding against the glass. You even see a large knot on her forehead where she, a couple of times slammed her head against the glass, trying anything to free herself. And as she's crashed to the ground,

she is conscious, but only just so. Her breath is coming in shallow gasps as her eyes flitter open up at you. Did we do it? Did we win? Brick-O! Frost, Frost, dead. He's frost dead.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no one's dead. No, I will play. a very soothing, just a very light lullaby as I'm going to use a second level, do I have a third little spell? A third level spell a lot. To just cast, if she's hurt, I don't care, a cure wounds at a third level. She's definitely hurt. Yep. A lot of.

Self-inflicted, but. And Frost is pancake, so it makes sense, even if Milo looked over that I am like on the ground. You are on the ground. You are actually hand in hand somehow, yet again, with Zena. I'll open my eyes and look to see if Zena is okay. Zena's face is turned towards yours. Your hand in hand as you are, your faces to the ground turn towards each other. And your eyes are open as you look at her.

She is pale, lifeless, as if every ounce of soul that was within her was used to expend that blast. and it feels like seconds extend to hours as you look at the lifeless form of your friend and your sister. But that is only because time feels like it is, it stands still. You see her eyes flutter open as you say her name and a shallow gasp of breath. Zero, zero, four, frost. Please stop screaming. My head is pounding.

You heal her? You see as you play this lullaby, a burst of healing energy, surrounds, and almost lifts Mila up in your arms cramming. You watches her body convulses for a second, almost as if the musical notes that Grico's playing are functioning like a heart paddle and shocking the life back into this poor girl.

As she convulses a couple of times and lets out a loud gasp, her eyes fully over open and you see so many of the superficial wounds on her body immediately close and soothe. As she sighs gently, lands softly into your arms, and she looks up towards you, I'm so tired. Her eyes roll back in her head and she falls into a gentle sleep, a healing sleep, the lullaby, taking her out of this moment, protecting her from some of the things that this moment is going to show her. But she seems healed. She seems fine. And you imagine you could easily shake her awake

or loud noises would wake her. But in this moment, I think you imagine, just even if it's five, 10 minutes, let the poor thing get a moment of rest. Does it look like she still has wounds mechanically missing HP? No, she looks like she's healed from all of her wounds. Like you, I would say you still see some bruising, you still see some cracks for nails,

but they're no longer profusely bleeding. She still has that, that, that looks. large, not on her forehead, but for all intents and purposes, she is healed. Even still, I'm going to yell over to get. Kid, give us some of the good shit. Oh, I'm coming. You're right? Yeah, I'm moving with a limp.

What about doing the surface? I'm hurting. I'll take out my rebreather. And I'm going to put it to my own mouth for a second. Inhale. Is she okay? Yeah, I think she's gonna be fine. All right, here, kid, you just sit with that on your face, all right?

Just breathing in deep, I mean. Y'all's share. You see her smile in her sleep as she breathes in the gentle gases of this rebreather, and her shallow breaths get stronger and stronger with each inhale. And she seems to be sleeping peacefully. And I'll say for the fact that you've done this, she will benefit from the effects of essentially catnap and she'll get a quick a quick short rest in this amount of time okay

and then whatever healing you do i'll add to her as temporary healing or as a temporary hit points as you add a little layer i healed myself and for flavor i oh that's fine yeah heal yourself that i was at one hit i wasn't i wasn't paying attention i was at one hit point yeah i wasn't I wasn't paying attention. Holy shit. Jeez. I thought like I was the love. I'm going to heal you next.

Don't worry. I was a triage mode. You said half was 18. I was like, oh yeah. I'd be like, I'd probably be from the force of the blasts and all the psionic stuff. I have blood coming out of my ears,

being slammed into the floor. I'm walking with a limb. My legs. My legs, I probably have several fractures across my body. I think there's a cut over my eye. Internal hasn't stopped bleeding. I bet there's bruising all over me.

My guy, Gideon, you okay? Yeah. I'm going to be strong. How does your head feel? No. How does you hold on? All right. Okay.

Okay. Come on. I got stuff. I took the... You're bleeding out of your damn ears, Gideon. Oh, well... Don't be a fucking hero. Here, I'm going to put this back to your face, and I'm going to make you, if you're willing to use another one of your smell slots to kill yourself again.

Okay. All right. All right. Listen, I'm feeling better. It's doing your... Your bruise doing it. thing man it's doing his thing but hell I was a heck of a thing man is the kid okay she's all right yeah no she's gonna be okay what the hell was that I didn't even think that

glass could break then frost then yeah is a very talented psionic and she was able to tear every mom apart Zinia you're gonna be okay we're all right everything's gonna be just fine I cannot believe that we survived that. She opens her mouth as if she's going to say something more, and all of you feel the laboratory begin to shake violently beneath your feet. And that is where we'll take a break. The laboratory shakes violently beneath your feet, and you hear a piercing, shrieking roar of an enormous creature echo up from the Toulouseum pipe

at the end of this room and fill the space with bright neon light that floods the chamber. Moments later, the enormous head of a behemoth abomination squeezes, slides, and slops its way out. Its scales are red and turquoise, and it resembles a horrifically mutated dinosaur of Titanic's scale, even bigger than the megasaurus of Viradar. Fleshy tendrils slither along the pipe, pulsing as it draws to Luzium energy from the planet's core into it. growing at an immense rate. You see bulging Sarian eyes above rows upon rows of huge razor-sharp teeth as it shrieks and grows at a horrific rate.

As the creature roars, you could hear hints of Avima Artemis's voice in the throat of the monster. It is no longer calculating and intelligent. With all of her experimentation on herself and with the unlimited power at the world's core, she's become nothing more than an unthinking, shrieking monster. she's become what she's dedicated her life to creating. And yet, without her mind, she is even more of a threat than she ever has been before. It is not hard to deduce that at this rate,

she will continue to grow at an exponential rate and consume you, then District 87, then the undercity, and perhaps all of Neo-EFex and into the space beyond. All of you have mere moments to act. What to each of you do in this moment? Oh my god.

Okay. I would like to go first. If you know your thing, go for it. If I may, Judge McPherson. Please, you can go in whichever order you would like to. As this creature is spilling out, growing in this space, you have this realization. You have a moment where each of you are able to band together as a family. She's text-oing.

Yes. Yeah. Yep. Got it all. Yep. That's all. If you can hear it, I promise you that we would kill you,

but I'm not strong enough. I'm just a musician, an AV guy, and a part-time graphic designer. But I got the power of rock and roll and friendship on my side. And I can't take you down, but I know who can. And I'm going to do me best to give them an opening.

and I am going to raise my arm up, gripping my lucky pick and with a single strum, the massive humbuckers, the massive pickups will let out this that almost vibrates

and slows down, almost down tunes. As Black Sabbath's Children of the Grave starts playing. I don't know how to say this, I don't know how to say this, Black Sabbath's children of the grave. Black Sabbath as Children in the Graves starts playing as it reverberates. I attempt to cast slow at a third level on this creature in an attempt to basically,

I see things rapidly moving and trying to get out and growing. I'm trying to slow down to basically give my friends the opportunity to get in and do that. What is the, what is the safe? Oh, the save. It's spell save DC, and it is, oh my God, sorry. Had it pulled up and then I lost it. Is it more than 13? No, it's 16 is wisdom.

Well, she got a 13. Okay, fails. Okay. And it's wisdom. I just, I just, I just, you watch as she's climbing up out of this giant toulouseium pipe and she is, is slurming along this space, this green light emanating

and filling this space, as all of a sudden, she begins to move more slowly as her undulating mass is struggling against your spell. And you see as her now malformed body is picking up bits of the glass shards from the esper-proof glass. So it's tearing into her underside and spilling blood around the,

the ground at your feet, but she is undeterred, though she's moving slowly. Good. We gotta keep slowing it down. Look is with these guys and giant monsters. I guess it's in the fucking name. I would have thrown my turret down the second. I heard this thing, yowling. So this turret's right in front of me. I hop onto the back of it and raise up its top portion.

Fuck, man, I hope this works. Last time I tested it, it melted the bertha. And I take out like a jet black shell and I shove it into the top of the iron board. I close the lid and I slam it to fire off. And this pulling, circling cyclone of, looks like black, almost extremely deep purple, starts to wrap around the turret until it goes out. instantly, almost as if it's a dud. And then

straight from the barrel erupts this warbling, deep purple, almost black mass of a ball that will fire out and hit her square as I cast Vortex warp. Damn.

Holy shit. I'm just doing, mechanically, it moves her to an unoccupied space 90 feet back. I'm just trying to slow her down as much as I can from getting out of this pipe to create this like almost like graviton space within her to stop her for a moment, buying any time I can for the rest of my allies. I will say that she's already slowed from the spell and she is gigantic and just getting

bigger and bigger with every millisecond. And you let this, this blast move forward. You expect to see her move further away. But there's not really anywhere for her to go as she's getting larger. But what you do notice is that even in this slow phase that she's in, she had started to form almost not necessarily a shield, but a protection around her. And your vortex is able to grab onto that and move it. And you see that she's now complete,

so she's slowed from Grico and she's now completely unprotected, thanks to what you've done. Ooh, in that case, If that suits you. Very generous. Very generous. If I may, I would like to use a spell kind of creatively, and you let me know if this works. I'm going to say yes. If I see that this thing is slowed and Gideon has now done this incredible thing with this shell, I'm going to go in.

You described it being fed by the Toulouseeum coming out of the pipe? Yes, you can see that the Toulouseum that you know being down in the district is pumped down into the core of this space. You see it's now being pulled up and pumped into her. I am hoping, like hexas feeding on the oil. This thing is slow enough that I'm going to be able to move as fast as I possibly can to the pipe where the Toulouseum is coming out. And basically with both of my fists, slam down on the pipe and cast shatter to try to crumple the pipe. and basically slow or stop the flow of the Toulouseau? Because she is slow and her reaction time is what it is with slow,

you can roll attack at advantage on these pipes. Let's go. So generally it's a saving throw, Constitution's saving throw if I'm casting shatter. But you're doing it on the pipes, not on. So it would auto hit on the pipes then. So I'll say you can roll extra damage. We'll double the damage.

Oh, you're so generous. It's a finale. And if I'm going to eviscerate for this so bit. Oh my God. I don't ask you guys to do like fun family fight. He vials. That's all I'm going to say. Basically.

For no reason. 38 points of thunder damage, I suppose. As I am just trying to basically crumple the pipe like a can of coat. You rush forward and there are two. two large pipes and you are able to, you rush forward and you almost leap up into the air as you slam down, taking both of your fists towards the bottom to these weak points

and you're able to cave in about half of each of these pipes. You can immediately see that though it doesn't completely stop her ability to draw on the Toulouseum coming from these pipes, it slows it significantly. And then I'm just basically like, Dug, Dive, Dodge, Bob, you hear the sounds of,

from this thing. You hear the sounds of the, where it had been a rushing, flowing noise coming out of these pipes. It's now slowed to like a bubbling glurping sound as it is, try, she's trying to pull it up out of these pipes like she's trying to suck out of a broken straw. Okay. That's it. That's all I got. I will look up and I'll see that everyone is doing whatever they can to slow the growth in Tetsuoing

of this horrible monster. I think quickly, and I reach into my jacket and I pull out that vial that I took with me, was it last night or the night before? And I load it into my cane. And, let's say. Avrima, if there's anything you left in there, I told you this wasn't going to end the way you think it was. I reckon I was right.

And I'm going to hit the button on the side as it takes the, the vial that I loaded in was the anti-psych meds. I prepared for Mila, which is a super condensed version of what Frost takes. And I'm going to load the whole thing in. The button I hit, it's going to start to aerosol it and spread into gas. My hope is that it's going to reduce whatever mental resistance or mental faculties this thing has even has any. I want to like to lower even more. So similar to what Gideon did for her physical, for her physical barrier, you were trying to break away her mantle barrier. I am going to take my cane and this thing is like flying, is growing and still undulating. I'm going to

1984 Ridley Scott after Macintosh commercial this. And I'm going to basically do a spin and and yeat my cane up and into the undulating mass, hoping to avoid all of my Esper friends and yeat into the center of the swirling mass. Damn, that's so fun. I will have you roll to attack unless this should be a. It's whatever you want. I'm eating my cane. And I'm gonna have you roll at advantage because she's slow,

because she's no longer getting the full amount of the Toulousem, and because the physical barrier that she was concocting to shield herself, has already been removed from her. So it's advantaged? It's advantage. Well, my first role was a natural one, but my second role was a natural 19.

Oh, nice. Plus, if I can add my decks and proficiency or decks. Absolutely. Either 24 or 27. I don't need you to roll for damage on that because you're trying to do, you're trying to do a, yes,

you're trying to do an event. All of this happens simultaneously. Frost. I... Well, you watch as this thing moves slowly towards you. You see that it is trying desperately to suck up

more and more of the tellusium from the core of the core of the world. And it is suffering and failing. You see that the shimmering shield it was trying to build around it is now helpless

on the opposite side of the room. You see as it shakes what you believe to be its head as it looks like it's racked in some sort of mental pain, as you see the gas begin to consume it. You know what it feels like to take this sort of medicine. You know the way that it dampens things for you. And it seems to be doing more than that to Avrima, as it seems to be actually harming her as she is moving even slower towards you. But even with all of that, you know that if you don't do something quick, that she will destroy everything you have ever loved. I'm going to get to my feet. And I don't have anything special in mind.

But I know Zinnius right next to me. And so I'm going to pick her up, under her arms, and lift her up. and I'm going to be shouting into her ear. Zenya! We can do this together! You've done it before. Please, join me. And I have the ability to make this creature do a strength-saving throw

if I can get close enough and reach out with my mind and use my unstable wrath to try and crush the mind within. But I am imploring her to try to summon her strength, Zena, and push into this moment to try to perhaps create that same resonance when we exploded the factory that we were in when we killed all of those soldiers together. If we can rhyme that psionic energy, if our psionics combined, then it's,

it's going to be more than the what's on my character sheet. I'm trying to do what is beyond even that and stretch out to try to crush this creature in its tracks. You said the strength saving throw? It's a strength saving throw and I'm going to impose disadvantage with my remaining side points. It was already disadvantage, but that's, I won't make you use your side point. I would say you see that what's happening here, this thing is it's slowed, It has no physical barriers. It's mental barriers weak, and you have an opening.

As you call out to Zenya, and you beg her to help you stop this thing. You beg her to help you tether this thing and to keep it from finishing its goals. And you see as she looks to you, she's weakened. You see blood pouring from her nose, her eyes, her ears. As she gulps down and she, hold onto your hand as tightly as she can. You can feel her shaking as she too reaches out and the both of you attempt to combine your psionic energies to hold this thing at bay. And all of you, as a family, work together to beat back this shrieking abomination. With the five of you, it's not, it's simply not

enough. The growth has slowed. The pipe has been destroyed. But the thing that was Dr. of Rima Artemis persists and continues its vile transformation into a mockery of the ultimate life form. Then suddenly, the gnashing horror is frozen in place. Its erratic, violent, chomping ceases. Even the undulation of its pulsing tendrils completely stills, and you watch Zena Molnaya reaching forward with her hand, struggling and straining against the rapidly evolving creature, in time with frost, as the two of them hold it back with their unbound psionic power. She looks to you, Frost. She looks towards a Rima, but then her eyes go to someone else.

They go to Mila. Now, child! No, Mila, you are real. You are not a monster. This is, and only you have the power to stop it. Please, little one, destroy this thing. And time itself stops. You see the small form of Mila levitating in the air as she floats past you towards the frozen form of the dinosaur abomination before you.

She is calm and there is almost a look of serenity on her face as she focuses on the monster in front of her. This isn't my fault. This isn't Xenya's fault. This is your fault. You will never hurt my family ever again. Her eyes flare with brilliant light that fills the room to a nearly blinding white. It washes over the horror before you, and you watch in awe as the abomination is annihilated down to its very last atom. What remained of Dr. Irima Artemis has been unmade. Mila's eyes flutter as she lets out an exhausted bird.

breath before collapsing to the ground, and time returns to flow as normal. Zena collapses next, you Frost, the very last bits of energy that she has as she pulls at your feet, blood now almost rushing from her wounds. Meena! I'm gonna run over and I'm gonna use the last,

I'm gonna once again, and I don't even have my guitar, I've dropped it, I've dropped it, as I run over and I just kind of scoop her up and just try to hum the same lullaby that I would always hum to Lorelei, as it would be the song, Lorelei by Styx, as in a lullaby version, and I would just hum it as I kind of hold her hair

and I cradle her, she's actually about probably the same size as I am, right? But I do my best as I use my final third level, spell slot to use cure wounds again. You expect to see the same thing happen as before, but her breath is still coming in shallow gasps, and it seems like it's almost getting slower.

Every ounce of power that she had within her was expended to do this. Everything that she had she used to save the five of you, the six of you. Maena, you're all right. Is she okay? She looks like she is struggling to breathe. Mela is?

Mm-hmm. Oh, my God. She's not breathing. She's not breathing, but her breath isn't getting stronger like you would expect with a heel. She's, I need help, I need help. Grummy medicine, anything? It's not working.

I don't know what I have left. Well, I mean, I can give her some more of this. What's the deal? It's not okay. She's got to here, here, here. Here, here. hands down to her. There's gotta be enough this time. Just put it on her mouth.

Also cast cure wounds at a first level. She feels cold in your arms and you press the rebreather to her mouth and though it makes her chest rise and fall more strongly, as

you move it away you once again see that her breath comes back and shallow gasps. Her eyes don't open. And Zena climbs to her feet and slowly, painfully, blood pouring from her ears, her eyes, her nose at this point, and she wipes it away. You see this big stain of blood across her face. As she moves over to Mila and she places her hands on her neck, she will be fine. What she has done today has taken everything from her. She's exhausted.

She's stable. We just have to let her rest. It will take days before she's back to normal. If not, if not more time. She's not dying. I'm surprised she lives.

She put everything into that. Vrema was right. She really is the perfect specimen. And the last. I can't believe any of us alive. Is it over? I mean that, I mean, hell, I mean, that's gotta be it for her, right? If there is more to it than that, I fear there is nothing that we can do.

I mean, based on what she did, no matter what, even if that creature somehow fucking survived, that wasn't Artemis. That, she was gone. She lives out, right? Mila will be. Yes. I have seen states like this before. I have been in them myself when I was a child. Frost, you know this. The exhaustion, the weakness,

pushing us to our limits and passed far beyond. But she will be fine. It is hard to get down to the level that it takes to undo a creature. the way that Mila just did she didn't unmake

that thing just by cutting it piercing it or blasting it she did more than that she erased that creature she unraveled it

yes I never seen anything like it in my life that was a new one for certain She is dangerous, untrained. I could, if you allow me to leave, of course, I could take her with me, train her, work with her. Mm, we're not going anywhere. No, no, no. You're going to keep her? The child?

Yeah. Yeah. Where are you going? I'm not staying here. If you allow me to walk, I am leaving this god-forsaken planet with my life back. We're gonna let you live and we're gonna let you leave wherever you need to go to. I understand that you drew the worst lot in life. I know just now that wasn't you, that was her controlling you.

I have done my fair share of wicked things. I have my own crosses to bear But I am grateful That you'll spare me today Are you sure about this, Mr. Kay? I got my own penance This will be yours You gotta live with what you've done in your life

And as long as Gid is okay with her Then yeah, I'm sure about it Those necrow malls descended on the neighborhood Like a black blanket of death man. Porn or not. This doesn't absolve her of a sin. You damn sure I ain't taking the kid.

That is fine. I assumed you would not want her. Raising a child with your line of work seems stressful. She will be just fine with us. Venia, I know that it seems impossible to stay here, but is there, is there any chance that you could change your life and relax for a moment and...

No, I plan to relax. Just not here, Frost. And this will not be goodbye. You are a part of my life, and always will be. Wherever I wind up, I do hope you will come to visit. But I am not... I desire a life a little more polished than what the Greenlight District has to offer a woman,

me. Well, Tobek, does that satisfy you? Mr. K, you're the boss. I don't like this, but how do we ensure that this never happens again? No more doctors, no more follow-up, no more kids. That's a good fucking point. You gotta, we gotta somehow, we can't leave this lab like this. We have to destroy it. That is, I can. If you don't think I know this self-destruct code, I am good for something.

You can destroy the whole lab? The entire lab, and I'm more than happy to do so with you turning a blind eye to my past crimes. It feels like if it trade, yes? I thought I was going to have to call another favor from Jax. Please, no more rebels. Nobody else.

Nobody else can see this place, man. That's how Rima got started. Imagine what checks would do if he found all this. He would try to find a way to build a bioweapon. If she can actually deal with it, then... That's a fair enough trade for me. All right. Then yeah, if you can't blow this fucking place to smithereens.

Well, we will not have much time, so I'm happy to... I'm happy to end the record, but I need to make sure... for we're ready to run. Zinya. She reaches out and grabs your hand. I'm sorry for the person I became. I wish that I had remembered and that I had been

able to find you sooner than this. I wish I had known you were alive. I can't promise I would not have made my fair share of mistakes, but I like to think if I had known that you are still out there. I would have tried harder to be the Xenia I know you wanted me to be.

Here's another version of reality where you found me and we would have fucked this district up. Can you even imagine two of us together? No, that's not you, Frosty. That's not you. You like fancy sneakers

and you're like keeping things nice and card ain't just exactly where you should be keeping your nose out of trouble. Hey, you. He's not going with you, Nava. No, of course. Not, not. But you'll allow him to come visit.

As long as I return him, I don't see a problem with him coming to say hello. And that ain't up to us, Greg. Frost is his own man. That's up to him. And should I decide I want to come visit the Starlight Lounge? I'll get you the good shit. But you need to apologize to him too. for the person you became.

Do I have to? Yes. Yes. Oh, fine. Gideon. I'm sorry that my family destroyed your property and that I allowed my want for nice things to make me covet that which was not mine.

And if you will accept my humble apology, I... A bit of a peace offering. I did not know you or your family. I thought family was weak. I see now that family is strength. I was wrong. I'm sorry for the harm that I've caused you.

Well, I think it took a lot to say that. I know you meant something... I know you met something to frost a great deal a long time ago. It sounds like you saved his life. You got him out of him out of... of where you both were and he got to us and well hell i guess even just today from a certain point of view you saved all of us again so we'll say apology accepted she reaches down um to her trousers and she reaches her hand in she pulls out a black um scaled leather uh what almost looks like a pocketbook

but it's a little bit larger. She flips it open and she takes out a black pen and you see that etched into it in this um like this iridescent shell is like this dark iridescent shell is the symbol of the the necromoth. She uncaps it and she fills out a form and she hands it over to you and you see as she passes you a deed to king coals. It is only fair if the Munaya family is leaving the district that it is returned to its rightful honor. Thank you for keeping Mila safe. I know that she is not mine, but in a way she is a piece of me. And so I am indebted to you. In many ways she is a piece of you. She is identical to you in many ways. And I hope that you stay in touch. You will always be able to connect with me. And I will

will be very busy. You'll always be able to connect with me, then, him. I'll never be too busy for you, Frost. But all of these, this emotional, it's a lot. I'm very tired. And if we're going to have to run, is there anything more that we need to do before? Do what you need to do to destroy this lamb and let's get the fuck out of here. Toa Beck, can you grab her?

Make sure she stay safe? Absolutely. And I'll just easily cradle her. You feel her, even though she's very weak, you feel her snuggle into you and you hear, Hello, Torbek. It's going to be all right. And then a gentle snore as she's back into a lulled sleep.

Zena walks over to the terminal and begins and punches in a code. Zero, zero one. A flaring green light flashes in the lab and you hear a robotic voice. self-destruct sequence initiated. Laboratory will be purged in 30 minutes. This is plenty of time for you to make your way through the laboratory. Trying to not look at the failed experiments and the remnants of the vile work that was conducted here,

you managed to arrive at the service elevator, ride it up, rush through the tunnels beneath the stadium, and run out to the street as you feel the earth violently shake beneath you, as the lab deep within the earth is completely. completely annihilated. That is my cue to go. You think you're able to sneak away, that you have everything that you need?

A woman like me does not sneak. I will strut away. And we will... Can I have a hug before you go? Of course. And she doesn't even walk towards you. She rushes to you and throws her arms around you. Thank you for saving me, Frost.

I'm not scared anymore, and I hope that you aren't either. Let's put the pretences aside. I'm always going to be scared. I never want to feel what I felt then or today ever again. But thank you for saving me, not just today. Find a home where you don't feel scared. Please.

We will see. I will miss you four. I will miss you, one. LaCrew family. Look, back in the Greenlight District, you'll be welcome at the Starlight. Drinks are on me and the good stuff. And I am, you know, if you don't want to get back in a crime and I hope you don't,

I mean, I feel like you've got the parts for a great rock and roll singer. I know some lads that, you know, they're looking for a band, you know. you know, if you're looking for lads or even some just some rowdies with strong backs and few complaints. I can hook you up, young lady. I will keep that in mind. She smiles at each of you and then she moves towards you

to her back. I would like to say goodbye to Mila. And Mila is not conscious, but she leans, a Zena leans down and she places a kiss. on Mila's forehead and she whispers to her sleeping form, You are not a creation. And you are loved, not just by them, but by me. You will always have family. She wipes a tear from her face as if it had never been there.

And without another word, she turns and walks into the darkness of the Greenlight District. It is not too long. Wow. And you know, it will not be. not be too long before you know that she will be gone. Not just gone from the district, but gone from the city, gone from this world, maybe even gone from your very lives. The six of you with Mila in your arms, Torbeck, stand here in the relative quiet of the chaos of the district. The anarchy still rages across the district in this moment.

But compared to what you've experienced this night, this feels calm to you. I can't believe it's finally over. Well, maybe it'll be over. This, Jax, I guess there's Camara Nexus. Oh my God. Oh, lads. I completely forgot. Well, what?

What? We still have to put all this. Zatamax hologram show. Yeah. Yeah, that's exactly right. Things can go back to normal. We still have tremendous amount of work to do. There are books to balance.

There's cleaning up to do. I have no idea what state the actual lounge is in. We have mopping to do. We have planning to do. Logistics, schedules, payroll. Can you give me that fucking beer? It's going to be a... little, uh, shooken up

and a little warm, but after a good odd fight like that, you've earned it, lad. I, I open it and there's a moment where it's erupting with a, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, fizz because it's been so shucking up after everything and I literally suppress it

with my mind and, cheers. Cheers, cheers, boys, cheers. Yeah, yeah. Oh, man. Oh, that's good. Yeah, I mean, I've had enough of corpos and

being a chemist for a fucking lifetime. I just want to go back to running a fucking nightclub. Just tell me one thing, Cremie. You ain't have any other jobs before Com here, did you? I was like the first one out of school.

Ain't no other crazy science lab you worked for. Oh yeah, that's a good point. If you have any additional horrifying secrets that could lead to the destruction of an entire district, I would love to hear it now. No, no, no, just the one at a, had a university. I mean, I had a few odd jobs here and there on the summers and, you know, when I was a kid, but just the one. Just the one. Hmm.

I think this might be the best crispy boy I've ever had. And I don't mean that it's... best version of this beer that I've ever had. It's delicious because it's it sort of represents everything that we've been through. Does that make sense? In a way.

Yeah. Yeah. That's what it means. Yeah. It's a little... It's warm and it's shooking up and Yeah, shook up. It shouldn't be the best beer I've ever had, but it gets the job

done. It's good in a pinch, lats. has those Zeta Max tapes. Oh, I got them. Got them on me right now. Thank the guys. Hold up, nice and safe. Can you take a look at them, make sure they're okay?

Somehow, they have survived. Ah! Man. It's like the Pulp Fictions. Yeah, yeah. It's a thousand percent. Your face glows with gold. You'll never believe what's in here.

Geminaw group doesn't fuck around, Lodge. Oh, drink today? Oh, man. We've got about what, two weeks? Well, no, we have a tremendous amount to do in two weeks. Do you have any idea how much we have to do in these two weeks? Well, Frosty, we battled like three giant monsters, a crazed Esper and a mad scientist in a span of a couple of days. Zatimak show's going to be all right.

That's nothing compared to what we have to do in the next two weeks. Are you kidding? No, we have less than two weeks now. It's been, at least. We just defeated a nightmare kaiju monster. And yet we now have to work with logistics. All right, fellas. Oh, go ahead.

Are we going to say something? Just that I'm hoping for a bit of normalcy. And there's still like chaos. Oh, yeah. You were standing in a small pocket of calm amidst the chaos that is the Green Light District. The blackout is still, there is no power to the Green Light District.

The only lights you see are the Xxiexie. explosions that are popping up across this space. Oh, did the lab behind, did it like explode? Or like what? It's underground, so you felt the ground. Yeah. But the only thing that you would- So like cave did itself on us.

I would say the only thing that you saw is a small crack formed on the stadium and a couple of rocks tumble to the ground. A lot more cracks on the top screen, yeah, yeah. And just like a fire behind us. Yeah, oh, that's cool, that's cool. The sooner we get back to the starlight, the better. We can't stick around here for too long.

You're right, Tolbeck. We just got to hope it's cleared out, man. Ain't no, oh, we need someplace to hang our heads tonight, man. I'm beat. Well, don't wait. Did Blabby ever get back to you about the starlight? I didn't have any signal when we were inside the stadium. One moment.

I'll check my phone. You have 17 missed calls. You have 100.3 messages. 46 messages. You have 27 voicemails. You have 27 voicemails. And you have 24 voice memos.

Oh, is that it? It's like she doesn't even care. I need to make a quick call. I make a quick call. You do. And in the call, we don't have to RP this. No, no, I can't imagine that conversation right now.

But in that call, Blarby lets you know is that with the chaos that's raging raging throughout the district that the starlight is all but abandoned. The Starlight Lounge, this would have been 45 minutes later. The Starlight Lounge is, I think it's really abandoned. I had to work through a number of additional details in order to have that conversation. However, we can make our way back and we can begin to rebuild. All right, fellas, there's no rest for the way.

Wicked. Let's get back to work. Let's go. Let's do it. Back to Sherry. Gosh, I hope she's still there. And with that, you all begin to move forward and step into the darkness of the Greenlight District. Two weeks pass.

The destruction unleashed by Jek's Revolutionaries was immense. Every single barricade and checkpoint of Nexus Consortium was blown to pieces. Dozens of officers were slain, and while there were many casualties on the rebel side, the Kemptec Revolution escaped District 87. Jack's bar was never found among the bodies.

And that night, his name became one of legend as words spread across Neoed effects. It wasn't long until graffiti on walls across the entire undercity asked the constant question, who is null? With what Kremi discovered at the Black Side, he was able to get in touch. with his old and trusted chimera contacts and strike up a deal. In exchange for keeping silent about the horrific and illegal experiments of the laboratory, the heat was taken off of the Starlight Lounge, and the official record was made that the little girl Nexus was searching for

was killed in the Chemtech attack. Power was restored to District 87 through rerouting by the Keogian Energy Company, and soon the eponymous neon green lights of the Greenlight District returned. The destruction to the neighborhood, was great, but the rebuilding began immediately, including on the damage done to the Starlight Lounge. And now, the night of the undercity is energetic. The marquee of the Starlight Lounge reads, One Night Only, Zatimax Hologram show. Opener, DJ Crazy Cool. The club is packed, and the crowd goes wild as the vibrant and prismatic holograms of Zadamax, his band and his backup dancers

command the stage and fill the people of the Greenlight District with the inspirational power of music. Torbeck manages the line and keeps the drunks from getting out of control. Frost runs front of house as the Mater D, keeping the VIPs happy as Blarby keeps the drinks flowing. Gideon keeps tech and back of house running perfectly as Grico enhances the light and music. All the while, Cremie LeCrew oversees the entire operation and ensures that this Zatamax hologram shows go, show goes off without a hitch.

The show is sold out to the point of only having standing room and the reviews among the crowd are already raving. The people of the undercity never thought they would be able to experience a Zatimax concert. Now they finally understand why he's one of the biggest pop stars in the galaxy. The crowd dances, cheers and vibes together, celebrating what it means to be a community. And the howling of most of the remaining hellhounds joins the sound of the crowd. as they cheer after every song. You all got them tickets, as promised. And at the end of the night, the concert ends,

the crowd goes home, and it's just the five of you, Mila and Blarby, left enjoying the quiet hours of early morning. You enjoy your postwork drinks as Bob Seeger plays over the AV system. I should have given him a new name. As Bob Seeger plays over the A. Robert Seeger.

Not spelling like... Robert's not. The thing is, I spell it the way it's spelled. As Bob Zinger plays over the AV system. Okay. As you enjoy each other's company, you all have the same thought. Life is good, and the night moves. Yeah, it does. Yeah, fellas. A toast. A toast. And Mila, instead of a crispy boy, here's your glass of chocky, chocky milk. Water? I mean, you can just make it cold with your mom. Monde or whatever. You can do that now.

Yeah, I can make it warm now. Hold on. No, don't. And you watch as it begins to bubble and boil. Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop. That's enough. Well, that's good, it's good. It's good. Okay.

All right. Jockey, milking, pretty good. You notice that all of your drinks are now a little warm. She's having trouble controlling the extent of it, but not too much. My drink is warm. You need to, you need to focus on just your own drink. I'm trying.

It was delicious, but just, just, your own business. You're all right. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers, lies. Cheers, boys. Cheers. And ladies, of course. I've never been happier to just be back to work. Man, what a show. We pulled it out. That guy who is, who is the first one, who kept saying the same thing over and over again. They love me. Yeah, he's my favorite. I'm glad I was able to do rental to solid, you know? After we let him down so bad the last time I couldn't sleep at night. It was really cute

how he was crying the whole time. I gotta say, he brings a fun energy. Yeah, and he does cry a lot. How do you see behind his oblong-shaped sunglasses he wore inside? I guess you're a psychic, never mind. What do you mean?

I don't think you need to be a psychic to know that that man was crying. He was also like he had snot coming out of his nose. He was so happy. It was really cute. I mean, look, fellas, I love live music, but I think hologram shows, I think this is a new revenue stream for the Starlight Lounge. As soon as you get a chance for all, see, I'd love to get a sense of what our margins were. I mean, I feel like with how packed the house was, how many drinks we sold, I mean, blah, you how we deal with the bar.

Oh, God. I mean, all of our top shelf stuff is gone. We're going to have to order new stuff. We're out of stock? The top shelf stuff. Holy smokes. Does that move fast? That's a good indicator.

You better hit up those. We got you got to get inventory order in now. We're running low on kegs too, so we should. I'll do a full inventory for you tomorrow, but yeah, we're going to have to put in a full order. Wow, I'm projected for this. Once we have Blarpe's data points, we will do a full analysis,

but I would say that today was an immeasurable success, and that's remarkable. People may be coming here and looking to this place as a place of hope, perhaps, not just for a good show and a good time, but a place where you might be able to enjoy the relaxation without the burdens of the rest of the district. Yeah, I mean, I don't know. This was good tonight, fellas.

Yeah. I felt like the old days, and by old days, I mean, like, a couple weeks ago, but I feel like a lifetime's past. Oh, it sure does. Yeah, that's true. I mean, the most important thing, talk about you was outside, like hearing people was there was waiting in mind,

but was the chatterlock about the posters out front. Extremely positive. The crowd was more manageable than usual. The clientele was amenable. A higher caliber, you might say. Just a touch. It's pain off, Mr. Cremie. How about that?

I think Gemini's going to want to come back with this, huh? I mean, this was one hell of a show, Grammy. I can't wait to send Mr. Razzlow all the receipts. Show them just how well this did. I think I might be able to change his mind about that whole one-night-only thing. Hot damn. You know, fellas, I feel like this is the sunrise on a new era of the Starlight. We should maybe overhaul our drink menu.

I can work on, you know, making the good shit even better. And expand our offerings, maybe even expand the joint. If we got rooms, head out a few walls, I mean, with how packed it was, I think we need some more standing room. If you need a wall knocked down, we've always got Mila. That's right. Can we carry on on you? I am becoming very strong and good with a sledgehammer. with a sledgehammer.

Our little wrecking ball. All right, I'll make you a new business call that says demolitions expert. How does that sound? I would love that so much. All right. All right, all right. Can I have one of the things

that Gideon has with the belt with all the tools in it? Probably get you one of those, yeah, sure. Can I have one of your turrets too? You can have a turk. I had a gig is a throat slitter. I mean, how many tools and weapons and mass destruction do you name?

All of them? real cool to be fair. I mean, you know, they dig into that out. I mean, I want to be a well-rounded malef. I only know how to do like two or four things and I can't do six or seven. Yeah. That's just good thinking. I mean, they're coded me currently, so it wouldn't activate for you. Well, but what if you ever got sick and it was like, oh no, we really need to put the turret down. And then I could be like, well, look. Turret contingency. Mm-hmm. I could be the turret contingency plan. Could have a short that says contingency plan on it?

Demolitions expert and contingency plan? Yeah. As the owner and general manager of the Starlight Lounge, all allowed. I was just say, I don't got any of that. I'm so cool. I think it's time we get you to bed, young lady. But it's, no, it's only 4 o'clock in the morning.

I know, it's quite early. I know. Everybody in the bus kill, but you're right, you're right. You have a big day tomorrow. What am I going to be going to be? to stop meditating with frosty. Oh, tomorrow, because... Yeah, why don't y'all sleep in? Let's take tomorrow off and, you know,

you can start on the equivalent of Monday. How does that sound? When you wake up, we're still going to walk through our mind garden. Can we go see a movie down at the theater? As a kid's playing down there. Oh, four just come out? We'll talk about it. We'll talk about it. Knows for our four. Oh, I'm getting this all tickets to Nose for a Four.

our four. Let's do it. Does it hear of it? I saw trailers for it. But there's a... And that girl who's an emotionless husk called early night time. I would say that

Mila is too young. Except for the fact that she's experienced all the things that she's experienced. And so I think that that's... I'm too young for early night time? She's just... No, absolutely not. I'm arguing that you are too young, but mentally

you are mature enough to experience that movie. So you are going to take me to early nighttime or to Jaza Kids? That's what I'm trying to say. Could we do a double feature tomorrow? We'll do a double feature. Okay. Okay. Compromise. This is what is about compromise. We're doing the Jaza Time? We're doing Jaza Kids

and then we see No, but for our full. No, but can I go to early nighttime while you see? No, but please. No. No, I believe it knows for our fours about every content warning you could imagine, but at the very least, doesn't have any teen angst. You're too young in the beginning to that.

You have your people and the listings that I have here. No. No, you are far too young for teenage. It's the perfect time for me. No, it's not. No, it's not. Few more years. A few more years.

Few more years. Listen to Grico. I'm gonna throw something with my mind. No, hey, don't throw on with your mind. We talked about this. She slams the door with her mind. Oh, man. Me alone.

We won't be open up a haunted house. I really want to see early night time. You promise, Pras. That ain't too bad. We'll talk about it in the morning. morning when you wake up. No, I'm not talking to you anymore. I'm not talking to you again forever.

Yes, I know. You're not talking to me right now. No, I'm not good. Good night, Mila. Can I have a not talking hug? Come on, give everybody a hug, Mila. Yeah, give us all the way. Don't have a beautiful, not on a sour push note.

Please tell me you'll take me to you, consider taking into early night time. We will consider it. We will. It's a definite maybe. It's a definite maybe, absolutely. Absolutely. She rushes to each of you and gives you a hug.

I'm really proud of all of you. This was so fun. And even if we go see Nosephor 4 or whatever, I'm really glad that this is home. Well, I'm glad you're part of the family, Mila. Yeah. I'm going to go to bed now. Good night, Blarby.

Okay. Good night. Good night. Good night. Good night. Good night. You've taken it in the bed. Don't worry. Don't worry. Don't worry. No. You're not going to stay up late. Trying to now find a way to watch that new routine angst. Good night. Good night. Good night. Good night. Good night. Good night. Good night. Good night. Good night. Good night. Before we go, we're moving, tomorrow. Just, I mean, I know that we don't necessarily need it.

But all I'm saying is I got another phone call from Uncle Globo. And he says that the situation. At that club I told you about in Paradise City is in DioStra. The guy who owns it now is named Derek DTF. And he's either not doing a good job, is what I'm saying. We might be able to franchise. I don't know, I didn't ask. I'm able to be able to a franchise, a grico look. We might be able to franchise.

What does DTF mean? It means, why don't we talk about some teen angst? It means theater. Duran, good night, good night, good night. Good night. Cheers. Cheers. Let's get your bed leave a one, aye.

Man, a movie, huh? I haven't seen a movie in theater since Flawless Tempest. How many years ago was that? Very, very long time. Oh, yeah. I'm excited. I'm excited.

I think we should all get to bed. I... Well, no, it's me in the place. There's still a lot of work to be done. I don't know if you saw how many underwear were thrown at that hologram. A considerable amount. She picks.

up the lost and found basket. I'm going to have to fill this she passes at you. You're going to have to clean up all of it and fill up this whole thing. Do you think they were wearing the underwear or do you think they just brought the underwear to throw? Getting kind of a mix of both actually. Based on the smell.

I don't think we have to answer the question. I'm going to clear the underwear. She grabs the box back and she looks a little frustrated. Well, I appreciate everything everyone does. And I couldn't imagine living this crazy life and running this crazy nightclub without any of y'all.

Get some rest. Got a big day tomorrow. You too. Yeah. Yeah. With that, you all go about your final duties before ending a successful night. Torbeck. You take the air, a hand in your pocket.

holding the keys of the Starlight Lounge, a responsibility you take extremely seriously and hold with great pride. As you look out at the Greenlight District, the home you found and kept, you take in a deep breath and let out a contented sigh. You see a puff of smoke by the steps of the lounge. Looking over, you see Murder Fang sitting on the top step, smoking a cigarette as she stares off down the quiet street. She doesn't seem to notice you. I'll walk up and when I'm about 10 feet away, I'll just, uh, murder fan. Ah! Oh, oh, God.

You can't stick up on a girl like that, especially with all the crazy shit that's been happening lately. Apologies. My fault. Did you enjoy the show? Great show tonight. Holy shit. Did you see all the underwear flying on that stage? Yeah, we've not experienced that before.

Oh, you could sell that for a lot of money. I'll maybe tell Mr. Kay that, look, I've, uh, what are you doing out here? What do you? Just changed. Yeah. Yeah, you could say that again. Not the same murder thing I was. No? I mean, yeah. I mean, I still want to destroy things and slit some throats about halfway, but lounds are small now and we're losing more and more of them. People going off to find life out of the depths, you know.

And I just got a lot of my mind. Yeah, but isn't that a good thing? I mean, look at me. I turned it around. You could too. You can do what? You got any jobs out there for murdering? That's all I'm good at.

Well, you can't. murder anybody, but we could use another bouncer. So, what do I get to do if I can't murder him? I can't punch him in the throat, I guess. Occasionally, yeah. Yeah? I mean, again, you can't kill anybody, but we could use the extra hands.

Pays well? Enough. The apartment for me, somewhere in this place. I don't got anywhere to sleep if I'm not sleeping in the drain. If Mr. K is good for anything, it's taking care of his people. Murder Fang. A bouncer. Bouncer fang? Yeah, that doesn't really have the same ring to it.

It's all right. You can just call me Roxy. Roxy? Yeah. You want to go get breakfast? And a drink? Why not? Yeah, love to. Come on, it's on me.

She reaches up her hand, and you help her to her feet, and the two of you walk off into the night heading towards this small breakfast joint, you know, around the corner. Yeah. Midnight burritos. Fucking awesome. Frost. You mop the floors as Blarby wipes down the bar.

Everything is extra sticky after such a wild and successful night. As you triple check that you didn't miss a spot and that all of the missing underwear have found their spot within the lost and found bin. The music changes to slow romantic jazz, and you see that Blarby extended her hand to you. Join me for a dance. I would join you in this everything. And I extend my hand and I take Barbies, Blarby's, and I pull her close to me. I missed you all night tonight. Thanks for finding me, everyone.

in a while to tell me how cute I looked in my uniform. Well, you look especially cute. I don't know what to tell you. And I am sorry that we didn't get that much time together, but I had to play host especially hard, and I think it was a successful night. Yeah, I think so, too. Everyone did really good.

And, uh, oh, it just felt like a special night, you know. It's been a rough couple of weeks. It has been. It has been. But I'm glad for this evening. It had a special normalcy that is hard to articulate. And you were, I pull Blarpie especially close. Perfect. I love this song. It's a beautiful song. I continue to dance and I kiss Blarby, up her neck from her shoulder up to the side of her face. You planning on staying here tonight or you want to come back home with me? I don't think I'm going to stay here tonight. I know we hadn't really talked about it.

I might be too forward, but I just wanted to let you know that I might have let all the the fellas I'd been talking to know that I might be going steady now. You know, if that's all right with you. It's very much okay. Steady is a good word. Yeah. It's like it's solid. It's consistent.

It's almost like a promise. My experience, the things that I've experienced in my life, volatile is the word I'd use. Up and down, left and right. Steady feels very. Very, very good. And I switch over to the other side of her neck and continue to kiss up. Oh, gosh.

You're being very forward tonight, Frost. I look around and there's still a lot of cleaning to do. Let's make our way back to your apartment. I left the dishes undone for you just in case. They will wait until the morning, I think. Oh, you naughty boy. Indeed. You take Blarby by the hand and you pull her into you, practically lifting her into your arms.

As the two of you make your way through the Starlight Lounge to the door and you look, you stop for a minute as you look into the lounge. You see the streaks of who knows what on the floor, the empty glasses that litter the counter. and you notice that there are at least one underwear that didn't get put into the box. And for a second, you think, I got it. But then you look to Blarby at your side. You skiver a tight squeeze and a kiss on the cheek. And you shut the door with a soft click and you lock it just in case. No, Torback hasn't come back, but just to be safe, as you and Blarby make your way down.

the darkened street towards her apartment. Grica, you get Mila everything she needs to settle in for the best sleep. The comfiest jammies, all of her stuffed animal friends, and of course, a glass of water. She snuggles into bed as you cocoon her and tuck her in tight. Then she looks up at you with expectant eyes. Can you tell me my favorite bedtime story? Oh, you want to hear the one about Printerested? Princess Lorelei again, don't you?

Yes, it's my favorite. Well, you've already fallen asleep, so we'll make it a quick one, okay? Okay. It was a princess named Lorelei. The prettiest princess in all the land. The prettiest princess, but it wasn't about the prettiness of a face, it was her voice. And her heart. And her heart.

She was kind and... loving and she loved to draw and she loved spending time with friends and she got into quite a number of adventures with Hootie and then the monsters came and she fought against the monsters and she fought so hard she was so strong with all her powers and with Hooty by her side she fought and she fought and she fought and then she fell because sometimes the monsters win, eh? Sometimes

they win. But then something beautiful happened as she fell. Her eyes flitter close. She's struggling to keep them up. She turned in a star line. Twinkling across the night. And so now

she gets a dance among the stars every night twinkling down on her. Everybody. And that's a real beauty, ain't it? She protects Mela every night while she sleeps. Mila and Grico and Frost. Everybody. And Torback.

And Gideon. And Gramey and all you spooky skitters. And all the rest. No, the spooky skitters. That's right. Starlight. Starlight. Just like home.

And she'll protect your dreams. She'll have silly little dreams and sweet little dreams. Okay, little one? You got a big day tomorrow. Good night, Mila. I love you. I love you, too, little one. I'll give her a kiss on the forehead.

And I'll head back to my room. And I'll... And I'll... I'll open my cooler. that I have and I'll see that there's a couple beers and I'll have a nice little nightcap crack open a beer and I'll look at the phone I keep in my room and I'll let's wipe the tears from my eyes but it's not sad it's not empty there's a happiness and contentment and I stare down the phone that sits on my nightstand.

I'll say, okay, one inch of coverage. Grab the receiver. I'll turn it on and I'm gonna, bo bo bo bo bo bo, bo. I'm gonna call them in. And I know it's late, but I know that she wakes up early. So we'll probably shift in the night. It's encroaching on around to the equivalent of 4.30 in the morning.

And you hear the phone ring. Far longer than you expect it to, but this early, it makes sense. And then you hear, click, Hello. Hi, you're up. Everything all right. Yeah, it didn't wake you, did I? Well, uh, she looks at the time.

I was getting up in a few. It's all right. Are you, are you safe? Oh, yeah, of course I'm safe. Yeah, no, we're all good. We just had... Great is not. You wouldn't believe it. I mean, you know, it's pop music. It's not really our thing.

But, you know, it's not rock and roll. But, I mean, it was awesome. It was energetic. Everybody was brought together. I... It was amazing, and you should have seen the look on the lad's face. I did. I couldn't stay the whole night. Oh, you were there? But I came by for a time. Oh, you should have said hello if you were this part of town.

You were busy and you looked like... had the entire galaxy at your fingertips up there. I'm really proud of you. Oh, devil, thank you, ma'am. Anyways, I know you've got a busy day. But, I mean, I'm glad you saw the show a little bit. You wouldn't have missed it for the world. So, you know, Starlight Lounge probably isn't going to go down.

I won't have to go move in with Fungle Globo, so that's nice. Oh, that's great. Yeah, that was a worry for a bit. I always believed in and Zeta Max and all that. But anyways, what I mean to say, the reason why I called you is, there's this new coffee spot that opened up. I saw some good reviews in the paper,

and I thought, you know, maybe, I don't know. Maybe you'd like to grab a coffee, I don't know, this weekend and, you know, before I have a show, and just catch up, you know. Do they have Neo-Edispresso there? Oh, you know, I'd had to double chat. That's your favourite. I would love that.

It would be... It'd be great to see you and to catch up. I'll get... I'll get... Sherry old... Spiffed up, eh? You still have that thing. Of course I still have Sherry.

Does she still have that painting on the side? Oh no, we had to get rid of it. But don't worry, I already have ideas on how to do it bigger and better next time. Of course you do. So I already got grand designs. Of course you do. Anyways, pick up at seven. I'll see you at seven.

I'm looking forward to it. See you at seven. Good night, Gricka. I'll see you soon. Good morning, ma'am. And I'll hang up, and I will take another set, put it down, and close my eyes and pass out. Cremie, you stand on the second-story balcony of the Starlight Lounge looking over the quiet club after everyone has turned in for the night. It's hard to believe that this is where you and your friends.

No, your family first met Mila mere weeks ago. It's hard to believe that with such dire financial straits that you may have finally come upon a windfall, your schemes have finally paid off. Although all of this is quiet, you hear heavy bootfalls as Gideon approaches and joins you in leaning against the railing. Well, now, don't you look like a man standing on top of the world? I think so, does it suit me get? Oh, I think it suits you just fine. It almost doesn't feel real, does it?

After everything we've been through. In his last couple weeks, a hell of a whirlwind. You believe this thing all started with... Well, I guess it started with us getting the Zatamax tapes and then... And then Mela bursting in. Yeah, I mean, Zatimax show... Smash it. Better than I ever could have expected.

I think Mr. Razzlow is gonna be very pleased, but... I don't even mean the last few weeks. In the last 15 years. Imagine us standing here. Getting where we're at. Look, I know it hasn't been easy. I just appreciate you putting up with me. Creming, you know?

I was never looking for easy. And that's what I like about you here. All those years ago. sitting on that bar stool next to each other. Could I imagine us here? Yeah, that's what I'm asking. I did, damn. I mean, I can't say I expected this, but I'm glad it all worked out this way.

You know, how I used to say, can't look back. The past is the past. Yeah, I wanted to believe that those days were gone forever. gone forever, that I should let him go, but had that bad feeling that I couldn't shake. I knew something was coming. I've been thinking about it. You know, the last couple of weeks, I think what it was was I felt the lightning. And I was waiting for the thunder.

For 15 years, I waited on the thunder. And it was part of who I am. It affected me in ways that you had to deal with and everybody had to deal with. I think finally I heard the sound of that thunder. The thunder's past. Do you feel that too? Yeah, I do. You know, I don't know, lightning and thunder, energy,

Rhapsody singing you your own song, trying to run away from the past or whatever it was, but the second we turn to face it, turn to face it together. Look what happened. What was going on with Frosty? He hadn't been his damn room in two weeks. You got Meelein' now, she's straightened out. The frame was behind us.

Me, heck, all that stuff you were carrying, you finally get to put it down. No running anymore. Yeah. Gideon Nathaniel Cole. Would you kindly give me a smooch? I turn towards you on the balcony. I put my hands at your side,

run them slowly up your ribs, I move your arms outstretched, I take your left hand in my right, and I lift it up and I spin you around, and I wrap my arm around you, and I say, Cremiatian LeCrew, I thought you'd never ask. We kissed the way, but we just did we have on the balcony.

I get a... Usually I don't want to have to ask, but it fell right in the moment. I'll sort of sigh out and I'll lean back over the balcony. And I look at it, I'll get my back against it. I look over at the dark club and I look out and I'll see whether it was before or now watching Frost and Blarby leave the club. I look outside the window seeing Murder Fang and Torbeck walking through the night towards the diner. I look at the stage and the lights. I say,

Isn't it funny how the night moves? I got a good feeling about this. Sunrise comes to Neo-EFacts. Although the undercity does not see it, but it doesn't need to see it. District 87 slowly wakes up to the humming glow of green neon lights as it always does. And despite the chaos and conflict

that this neighborhood has experienced in the past month, there is the glimmer of something that the community hasn't experienced in a long, long time. Hope. Kremi LeCrew walks to the front of his establishment and flips a switch. And then, until the club opens again that night, the neon sign of the Starlight Lounge flickers off. And that's where this story ends.