World Tree MUSH

Down a lonely stretch of highway just outside the Dark City, there is a large 18-wheeler style shipping truck speeding to it's destination. Just as it's about to turn the corner of a long turn however... something happens. It's still a fair bit outside viewing distance of the city, so when the entire large rig begins to slow down for some odd reason... it's rather eerie. There is just the sound of an idling engine and the opening of a door, footsteps... nothing but the wind buffeting over the hills of a dark and desolate landscape, the moon shines down from on high, illuminating everything in a creepy white glow.

And then, there is an explosion--lighting up the night in a corona of fire--and an alarm is sent to authorities in the city to go check the incident out! Of course, due to the police and security presence, it wouldn't be just them that get wind of this.

    There's a person wearing a black coat.

    The person is practically impossible to identify, thanks to the concealing nature of the coat. The hood is up, casting their face in shadow - and due to their gloves and boots, not a single inch of skin is actually visible. It could be a robot for all anyone can tell.

    The figure had been just standing on the side of the road, staring at nothing - but a sudden explosion seems to jar it out of its reverie and compel it to start running... TOWARDS the site of the explosion.

    That's not a normal reaction to an explosion!

Speaking of robots, a short android notices a rather large security and police present suddenly drive by her. Demi wonders what's going on and figures they might need her assistance. Of course keeping up with them might be a bit of a challenge, even if she doesn't have human limitations she's not faster than a vehicle driving at top speed. Still as long as she can keep them with in-range of her sensors, she'll get where they're going eventually.

The heist was simple, really--at least in hindsight. Mirage Mouse had been standing at the curve as the truck had to slow down to take the corner, illuminated in the headlights--just standing there by herself. The driver might not have been able to parse what he was seeing--as she wore no disguise of any sort. That is until he felt the overwhelming desire to begin easing off the gas until the truck rolled to a stop and then opened the door.

Of course, Mirage had also failed to catch the bit about the tamper-proof security lock on the back that detonated a shaped charge outward when the container doors were opened.

Well, they opened--but not in the way she had quite expected~

It was a rather chaotic sight when folks began to roll up--the back of the container had spilled out fried electronics and the truck driver lay unconscious nearby--and Mirage Mouse herself was pulling herself up, half-covered in debris.

"Sonnova biiiitch..." Mirage coughed as she pulled herself up, suddenly realizing she might have company soon--there seemed to be a lot of activity headed to the site from the city too.

Ash was... well he had reasons fofr being here that totally aren't 'got lost while wandering thorugh diffrent worlds.' Nope! Not at all. Due to this world, the fact he had no idea where he was, and a sense that outsiders wern't exactly welcome he loaded up for war when he dropped from the landing craft.

Then proceeded to get bored out of his mind. Which had him wandering the local area for some time before ORdis cued him in on the explosion. Sure it was a couplekilometers away from where he was when thishappened, but after the archwing interfaced with the rest of his systems Ash was racing towards where the likely still burning wreck was supposed to be. He had no real knowledge of emergancy response or appropriate measures that need taking. However he's an impulsive sort flying fairly nozily out after things.

Ash stared down at mirage and.... Hishead shook while holsering the rifle he had out. "Simple job blew up in your face huh?" He hoverd lower to the ground, Maybe a meter or so, enough that he wouldn't 'tower' over anyone... or better yet, wouldn't present himself as an inviting target to shoot at. "So is there anything worth pulling, is the driver hurt, and how can I help?" No questions on the legality of the situation, nor any concern at the fact he was going to be an accessory to said illegal acvity. Ash was bored and here was a friend getting up to interesting things. He's apparently decided good enough reaoson to pitch in.

It would appear that Ash had some company in getting lost while exploring the various worlds of the tree. For Miwa, it certainly wasn't her first time being at the wrong place at the wrong time. After arriving in the world, landing some distance outside the city, Miwa had been taking to floating along in one of her giant water bubbles using her aquakinesis. She was looking for anything here that might draw her interest, when suddenly she noticed a truck driving below her which later came to a stop around a corner and finally exploded. Eyes widened with shock, she quickly made her decent toward the wrecked truck, figuring maybe she could at least provide some help if the truck was on fire and anyone was trapped inside or anything. 

 When she got closer, and landed nearby with an audible pop as her bubble burst, she soon spotted Mirage, and Ash, as well as the man who was apparently the driver of the truck, laying nearby. "What in Arceus happened here?" She demanded as she looked between her two friends.

Demi looks a bit surprised herself as gets closer to the burning truck and the growing crowd. It doesn't look like it crashed or anything but it was manually detonated. Of course the most important thing was getting the driver to safety, as much as she's concerned about the truck. Though whatever is inside might be flammable as well which would lead to further problems. The growing crowd was getting interesting as well, she can make out what looked like two bio-monsters and another robot.

Mirage Mouse struggled to her booted feet with her vision still trying to focus--though she seemed to realize who it was standing up above her anyway.

"Oh you know how it is--little booby trap," she looked over to the driver who was apparently knocked out cold. Could probably use some emergency services, poor bloke.

Then suddenly Miwa shows up to join Ash.

"Ergh... could use a drink right now--and why are you two here?! I need to put a bell on you two," she wavered a little before looking finally steady on her feet. The explosion had apparently disoriented her.

"Anyway... yes, I'm a thief, and a mercenary, glad we got that out of the way--I don't want you two involved, if at all possible--you should split before the police show up--"

And then Demi and the black coated man show up. Greeeeat.

"I don't think this place is advanced enough to have robot AI police... what gives," and to get those answers, Mirage would be trying to take a plunge into Demi's head to get them. If it was sapient, she had found, she could usually talk to it. Regardless of it being human, or inorganic, or what have you.

    The hooded figure doesn't stop her sprinting even when she hears police sirens, or sees... mysterious OTHER figures falling from the sky near the site of the explosion.

    The be-coated person only starts to slow down as she nears the truck. She proceeds to... completely ignore everyone else gathering around the truck. Instead, she kneels down beside the driver, and presses her left hand against his chest. "Cure," comes a feminine voice from under the hood.

    Green sparkles promptly surround the driver, burn marks fading and wounds starting to knit themselves closed. Healing magic, or possibly some sort of nanotech?

    The hooded person then stands up, and peers out from under her hood in Mirage's direction.

Ash tilted his head and put a hand on his hip as if to say 'Really? You don't want me involved because..."'

When Dimi and Xion showed up he used his archwing to drift over t othe driver and start attempting to get the man away from the vehicle. He would stop if there was any sort of resistanceo r sign the man was injured. "Miwa you know any medical? I'm... not good when dealing with normal people. I think he's just out of it but he might have a concussion."

And then he saw the sparkly magic similar to but distinct from what he had seen at Invalice and hrmed in curiosity, "Or... that.... works..." He was still gentle in carrying the man away and would search for a place to set him down away from any potential fighting.

Demi's not with the police, at least not officially. "I'm not a police AI but you can't just going around attacking trucks! Someone could be killed." She notices someone else is already attending to the driver so her attention turns towards Mouse. "Please turn yourself into the local authorities before there's any more trouble." She rather avoid shooting anyone if possible.

 She's tighten up her security since she was confused before, so Mirage might have some trouble getting inside. Still her defense programs aren't perfect especially when it comes to mental attacks.

Miwa frowns at Mirage. "So you blew up a truck to try and steal it's cargo, and from the looks of things at the very least gave the driver minor injuries and were maybe even a little too close to the boom yourself..." She sums things up from her perspective and sighs a bit. She was torn between not really approving of Mirage's actions, and also being her friend and not wanting her to be hurt. "I really hope this was all worth it." She finally adds dryly before following Ash over to the truck driver but shaking her head at the question of being able to help his condition. 

 "I unfortunately lack any sort of healing ability..." But then the hooded figure comes over to heal the man with what appeared to be some sort of magic. "Yeah, guess that's one fire put out..." She says as she looks over toward the truck. "Should I put that fire out with a bit of water before it blows up in our faces?" She asks before taking aim and using a water gun attack in an attempt to put out any fires on or around the truck.

"Well for one--if I did I'd have to give you a share--and a good part of it is already burning!" Mirage had forgotten about that--yes, the rather mean-spirited attempt at theft prevention meant they'd rather see the stock destroyed than let it be stolen. Plus the intention to kill the person tampering with or trying to steal the stuff.

The Green healing sparkles seem to help the poor heavy-set and jumpsuited driver, who promptly sits up and looks around himself...

"Oh crap!" before he attempts to run off up along the highway, towards the city lights. Mouse doesn't try to stop him.

"Shiiiit--there are police coming, no doubt--and not just garden variety either--also with corporate security, these aren't just mall-cops--they're gonna kill us, or lock us up in a steel box, and take us down to the basement!" Mirage shoots a look to Miwa and Ash.

"NOW do you see why I didn't want you two getting involved?!"

"Gah... this one some decent ICE, I think--it's resisting me," Mirage's right eye twitches and frowns shut, backing away from Demi--and Xion as well.

"And who is this--the monk patrol?" she raised her arms a bit as the hooded woman in the dark jacket began to approach, her tail lashing about behind her as well.

    The hooded girl just stares at Mirage at the 'monk patrol' comment. Well, at least, the hood stays turned Mirage's way - it's hard to tell where she's actually looking when you can't see her eyes! As the driver runs off, she doesn't try to stop him - if he's able to run then he's probably fine, she wagers.

    Xion suddenly looks up at Demi, then back towards Mirage. "Attacking... trucks? ... Oh. I get it." She reaches up to pull back her hood, revealing the face of a teenaged girl - with black hair and bright blue eyes. "You're a -bad guy-." She's grinning audaciously.

Ash made no move to restrain the driver. The man knew the lay of the land better than him. So instead he turned, still hovering off the ground, toward Mirage. "LHi, literally built for war. I don't want to hurt these people. They're just doing their job but..."

He flew up to look down at the damaged rig. "Ordis think the lander can carry this thing?"

"...Maybe..." The ship-cephelon sounded doubtful. "Modifications will need to be made." Within his transferrence chair Ash bit his lip. "Mirage," Ordis's voice raised. "It would be simpler to follow Operator Ash's suggestion than to try carrying any intact materials by hand. Suggest forming a defensive parimiter while modifications to the lander's clamping systems are made."

then Ash looked to Xion. "Look, I get that you want to be law abiding and everything... but can we not do the whole fighting thing? Mirage is right, the cops here would love to take us apart to figure out what makes people like us tick. We can get in a huge fight later. Right now, common problem takes importance."

After putting out the fires, Miwa listens as Mirage speaks of police coming and either killing them first and asking questions later, or arresting them and locking them all in a box in the basement, whatever that meant. She didn't really like the sound of either option, a worried look grows on her face and her tail twitches nervously. Though she isn't sure what to do, she tries her best to follow the situation, looking on as Ash flies above them to consider the option of carrying the truck somewhere. Then her attention is drawn to the hooded girl as she speaks to Mirage. Miwa wasn't sure why, but the way the girl said that, and that grin, sent chills down her spine.

"Wait, they lock people in steel boxes here and not just jail cells?" Demi can't tell if Mirage is being sarcastic or not. "Are you trying to hack into my systems?" She does feel a bit odd all of a sudden. "In that case it might be best to just leave." The driver seems to be alright which was her biggest concern. "It would cause severe problems for Motabia if I dismantled." She notes Ash's comment.

 She just doesn't want to let Mirage walk away but the well-being of the citizens was more important than bringing her to justice.

"I just wanted the cargo, is that so much to ask?" Mirage replied to Xion with mock incredulousness, actually she was starting to get a little nervous--what with Demi and Xion here already, and looking like they were going to play hero!

"Wait what--I don't carry things with my /arms/, but I can carry!" she heard Ordis's voice and tilted her head, then looked a bit excited--but also worried.

"Miwa, hold my beer--I gotta go to work here," Mirage then swiped her arms behind her back and whipped out a HUGE assortment of guns, actually multiple per arm--thompson machine guns, M16s, even what looked like a large yellow squirt-gun with a large red gasoline tub taped to it and a zippo lighter positioned near the tip of the barrel. Her outfit had also changed to a black and purple pinstripe suit, as well as a matching men's hat!

"You just gotta ask yourself one question--do I feel lucky?" before opening fire with a barrage of bullets somehow--on both Xion and Demi!

Ash stared at Mirage, his incredulity somehwo translating across the somatic link to his warframe in spite of it lacking the ability to facially express itself as he stared at Mirag'es gun collection. As he heard snatches of radio chatter courtasy of Ordis listening in on the local police bands his teeth ground. "Can we cut past the posing and posturing? We've got inbound and this is a wholly indefensable location." He landed on top of the trailer, kneeling down which caused his archwing's wings to splay out as the ports for micro-missle pods to open. "Violence right now will solve nothing. THe lady here is in for a simple payday. I owe her a fairly large favor, and i REALLY don't want anyone to be shooting. However." He completed his own display by aiming hissniper rifle in Diemi's general direction. "SO everyone please. Stand Down."

As the situation escalates and tempers rise along with it, Miwa wishes she had just stayed home today. As Mirage pulls out several times more guns than she has seen in her entire life, and Ash pulls out his sniper rifle, Miwa just backs away, moving to hopefully stay out of harms way. If Ash or Mirage needed her help, she would provide, but for now, it seemed they had things well enough in hand and she wasn't sure there was anything she could really offer to improve this situation. "I could be sunning myself on the beach right now, but no, I had to go exploring..."

    "Well, y'know, I'm PRETTY angry that someone would attack someone else just to steal a bunch of... junk. And besides... I just have to delay you enough so that you have to either ditch the junk or get caught by those... 'police' people, right?" She continues to grin audaciously, turning her head to regard Ash for a moment. "Sorry! If you're bad, you get punished. That's how it works, right?"

    And then suddenly Mirage is shooting at her with far too many guns. Xion lets out a squeak, holding up her arms in a defensive position - when, with a sudden flash of light, her hands are suddenly filled with a pair of... weapons. They're vaguely sword-shaped but they don't appear to be made out of metal - they're bright white with red and gold flecks running through them, looking almost like some sort of children's toy. As the bullets impact them, though, they spark and 'ting' as the bullets are deflected.

    Xion still gets hit with a bunch of them but her coat appears to be pretty tough... She's still standing, at any rate.

Demi said she would let them leave if they didn't cause any more problems, but defending herself is part of programming as well. She gets hit by a few of Mirage's bullets before retaliating by opening her chest, firing a pair of green energy beams one aimed at Mirage and Ash each. They wouldn't cause much physical harm but if they connected they would be stopped in their tracks.

Mouse opens up on Xion with hard-light copies of various weapons--mostly automatic--though is also the one that looks like a squirt-gun rigged up to shoot fire, for some reason--deluging the hooded girl in a barrage of fire. Figuratively, and literally!

"I'll punish you, how about?" she calls between cackling, firing the weapons all at once at her.

Then the girl manifests swords of some description--the mouse's bullets deflected off them--and some reflect back at her!

"Augh!" she cries, dropping the heavy mass of weapons--it's still unclear as to how she's holding all of them at once, nevermind firing them--the weapons getting hit by the reflected shots and disintigrating into a flurry of strange particles!

Suddenly, Demi opened her chest plate. While giant green laser beams were not /quite/ what Mirage, or likely either Ash expected--the results were rather... electrifying.

"Ahhh!" Mirage Mouse is blown back by the sudden surge of green energy, her snazzy purple and black pinstriped suit and hat disintigrating also as she's fried and thrown back into debris. Her tail twitches visible as it winds up hanging over the side of said debris pile--probably burning electronics from earlier.

    As the bullets stop flying, Xion lowers her hands from their guard position - then just kinda stares at the 'swords' she's holding. "I, uh... what are these?" She turns one over in her hand, staring at it in confusion. "I was... expecting something else, to be honest..."

    Xion looks around for Mirage - then just kinda stares at the heap she's ended up in. "...Um. But I didn't even do anything yet..."

Ash mainly had his attention on Xion. "Normally a solid worldview and morality tofollow. However this world follows a 'the big got that way through eating everyone else." His finger was on the trigger and normally by now he'd have opened fire on both Xion and Demi but like that trainer thug they.... they looked like children. "I don't exactly agree with Mirage here. I'm just trying to get everyone out alive and in one piece."

He should have paid Demi more attention, and was rewarded in his lapse with seeing his shield go down to nothing. The green energy impacting, causing his shield to ripple and then crumple. He grunted but remained where he was with hisrifle ready before a warning beep chimed of incomming projectiles.

He instinctivly launched flairs before kicking away, backpeddling in the air, wingtips flairing as a rocket barely missed him and instead followed one of the many flairs his archwing sprayed out. 

"Operator," The group would hear Ordis's voice as if he were right next to Ash himself, "Apologies for baring bad news but corporate security has kill on sight orders."

Another rocket wizzed past, causing a brilliant explosin whichcrumpled the front of a nearby building, turning it into only so much debris. "They seem to not share your concern about collateral damage."

"I need an ETA on those modifications." Ash barked as he positioned himself between the rest of the group and the onrushing police, bringing his rifle up and pausing.

"Modifications are complete Operator, However odds are as likely the cargo will tear itself apart as survive transit. Shall I initiate anyway?"

"Lemme clear a path first." Ash started returning fire at the onrushing police, conveniently having his back turned to Demi and Xion. 

Then almost as an afterthought he added, "Hey Miwa, could be worse. It could be raining."

Demi had kept the voltage low, maybe she miscalculated what organic lifeforms are capable of. Overhearing Ordis's comment she quickly makes her way over to the junkpile where the fallen Mouse was knocked unconscious. Her statis beam had been designed stun targets not kill them. Did the mouse-woman share a similar weakness to electrical attacks at herself. It looks a bit odd as she picks the taller woman up.

 At least Ash wouldn't be likely to shoot at her again if she's carrying his friend right?

It didn't take long for Miwa to re-consider her 'stand back and let her friends handle this' idea. As Mirage got hit with the energy beam and went flying into a heap of debris, and Ash took the same hit and seemed to hang on but it didn't look like he could take another hit like that without some serious harm. Ash's comments about how this world worked and the fact that security was here to kill on sight also made her feel a little less guilty about helping with what was essentially an armed robbery. 

 She quickly moves to join in the fight, a melodic, almost hypnotizing song began to flow from her as she creates several soft-ball size orbs of water above her before using her aquakinesis to send them zipping toward the corporate security, generally aiming for their chest or head, the orbs of water would forcefully explode on contact. To Ash, she laughs and calls up. "I could do a rain dance if that would help!" She says with a grin.

As the hypnotic song begins to go out--which was an awesome distraction, Mirage would later add--the Mouse pulls herself up from the burning debris and shakes her head. Crap, both Ash and Miwa are both involved in this--well, in their defense, this was a robbery against a shadowy and likely super corrupt mega-corp. So there was that.

"Ash, Miwa--time to split, we're leaving--screw the stuff!" Mirage called out, pulling herself up and hovering now, preparing to float Miwa on out with her as she attempts to flee the scene!

"Scatter boys!" she calls to the others, her tail looking to have a piece of flaming cardboard stuck to it somehow. Well that's embarrassing.

Ash nodded to Mirage and continue providing cover fire as the vaguely stingray shaped ship uncloakedd and attempted to magnetically pull the damaged cargo container up and away. At first this seemed to succeed

Ash grinned in spite of himself as he lay down more surpressing fire. Then another missile streaked past Ash's coverof flairs and slammed into the remains of the stolen goods, causing it to fragment and splinter.

Ash started swearing. "I'll bring up the rear." He announced calmly. "Get to the nearest portal. I'll join you."

    Xion... doesn't do anything. They're running away! What sort of bad guy runs away? "H-hey!" she calls after the trio of... well, one criminal and two innocent bystanders, really. "The name's Xion!" She points a finger at the side of here head. "Get it memorized!"

    They... almost certainly won't.

Demi figures it would be best to clear the area as well. She's not from here and from what Mirage said they would likely be curious to how she functioned. As far as Xion goes, hadn't she heard something about a prodigy magician with a name like that on Motabia. She figures they couldn't be one and the same. She's met so many humans over the years after all.

Well, it would seem they were retreating, and she was glad this would be over soon, though she also wondered if there would be any further consequences for her after helping Mirage do something illegal. Still, she continued to help, as her next move would hopefully hamper any efforts of anyone trying to shoot at them as they made their getaway. "Guys, might want to look away for a moment. I'm about to do something bright and flashy." She warned Ash and Mirage, then called upon the power of the moon for a dazzling gleam attack, dozens of beams of light streaking out in different directions, somewhat focused toward the security team. They'd be seeing stars for a while.

Ash came from a place where 'law' often didn't extend past a colony's boarders if you ignored the grineer's 'bow down and we allow you to work to death' or corpus 'pay us everything including your life' governance. Then again he rarely saw anywhere approximating 'normal' by any standards Miwa or Mirage might recognize until reletively recently. So as he continued to play rear guard to the retreat he had little problem with the fact he was party to a failed robbery attempt. After all why should he care? He did a lot of contract work for Darvo and that guy was amazing to hang around. As he fell back hsi concern was more for Miwa, andthat girl with hte laser guns. 

As the lander cloaked and flew away empty handed Ash let out bitter laugh. "Mirage, we really need to stop meeting like this. Kinda makes me think you ENJOY getting shot at."