I couldn't agree more. In that pic, you look like a Powderpuff player. :D
Where'd it come fr...? *brick'd* It probably came from the same place my other self did. From the Bermuda Triangle. :xp:
Aww...S...I mean, Kairi2011, you look so adorable! However... ...you look a lot like a young Olivia Newton-John from that angle. :xp: Sorry, bad Grease reference. :sweat: That's a compliment, BTW. :D
Episode 4, Act 4: "Reaction Flux..." "Michael, if we die because of this, I'm going to kill you!" Rachel screamed in his ear. "Not what I wanted to hear right now." Rushs steering and altitude were locked. They had no weapons or items on them. The shields needed time to recharge. And they were heading straight toward a massive field of corals that could probably destroy Rush on contact along with any other living thing in a five-mile radius. So Michael decided to go with the only option that came to mind. “Hang on! Im going to try using Absolute Zero to steer us!†"Are you crazy?!" she shrieked. "It'll be a wall of ice that'll kill us if you try that now!" “Michael, Rachel?†Rebeccas tone was strangely unperturbed over the communication line. “Could you two keep it down? Dukes having a hard time concentrating.†“How can you be so calm?! We cant steer Rush and shields are still at critical levels!†Michael could almost envision Rebecca shaking her head impatiently. “Big brother, take a deep breath and repeat after me. Rush...†“What good will that do?†“Just do it. Say, Rush...†Michael rolled his eyes. “Alright, fine. Rush...†“Stop.†The sheer simplicity of the action had Michael mentally smacking himself. “Stop?†he repeated. Rush activated its front propulsion jets, screeching to a complete stop inches from the coral reef. “Youve got to be kidding me. That actually worked.†Rachel was just as stunned as Michael. She socked him in the shoulder. “You idiot! Why didnt you just do that in the first place instead of panicking?†“Like you should talk. All you could think of was committing suicide!†Rachel crossed her arms and gave him an irate glare at the back of his head. “Well excuse me for thinking when you obviously couldnt.†Michael wouldve retorted with some other unwitty comeback, but decided to focus on the issue on hand. “Okay, look. Can you reach the boomerang?†Rachel gets down on her knees, bends over the hoverboard and reaches for the anomalous object. Her fingertips just barely make contact. “I cant get it from this position. The only way I can think of to dislodge it is if we can get to solid ground.†“You know we cant do that yet,†Michael argued. “We have to get the picture first,†Rachel sighed. “Its never easy is it? Now stop staring at my butt and help me up.†“What? I wasnt...†he starts to protest. “Kidding,†Rachel says as Michael helps her back to a standing position. “Just kidding. Anyway, any ideas? Were wasting time as we speak.†“Ive got a couple of ideas. For instance...†Michael crouches down and places his hands on Rushs surface. “You might want to brace yourself,†he says with a devilish glint in his eye. “You wouldnt.†Michael ignores her and starts to concentrate on the new ability that he knew flowed within him. “Michael, Im serious, dont do it.†His body starts to radiate with a white-colored aura. "Nimbus Wave!" The water burst underneath them sending Rush and its passengers skyrocketing. While in mid-air, Michael shouted "Rush, Beast Mode!" As the impaled canine transformed from hoverboard to its animal form, the boomerang disengaged from its location and sunk into the sea with a light splash. Rachel, who was not used to being blasted off her feet, took advantage of the situation and managed to spot and snapshot the landmark from her position. "Rush, Jet Form!" Rush quickly changed back to its hoverboard form allowing Michael and Rachel to land safely onboard. "Did you take the shot?" Michael asked. She nodded with a determined look on her face. "I say we find that lousy hunk of metal and clobber him," Rachel growls slamming a fist into her palm. "No need. It looks like he's the one who's coming to us." Michael pointed toward a fast-moving form rapidly approaching. “So, fight or flight?†Rachel tilted her head to the side. “What do you think? After him.†The team sped toward Quick Man like an arrow toward its bulls-eye. “You slowpokes havent had enough yet?†the Robot Master mocked as the group loomed closer. He starts to reproduce a few boomerangs. “You know, you idiots are really getting on my nerves,†Rachel snarls angrily. Michael, who agreed wholeheartedly, aims his arms at the waters surface directly under Quick Mans blurry footwork. “Absolute Zero!†The oceans skin crystallized into a thick layer of frost. Without the necessary friction to stay upright, Quick Man started to slip and slide on the ice. “Rach, would you care to do the honors?†Michael asked while he steered Rush into position. “Heyheyhey!†Quick Man yells, his limbs flailing about in a futile effort to stay balanced. Rachel blew on her fist and arched it back in brief preparedness. Rush and the group air-slides directly in front of their opponent as the helpless robot ended up right in the path of her fist. KACHONG! Before Quick Man knew it, his head had been completely dismembered from his mechanical frame and was soaring out of sight. “I think thats a new record for you,†Michael commented. ... The next area involved shredding through the sky on almost invisible neon paths across a gaping chasm. But that was the least of Duke and Rebeccas problems. “What do you mean that you cant get through?†Rebecca asked. “I didnt say I couldnt get through." Duke was staring intently at his monitor, his eyebrows furrowed in thought. "What I said was that my counter-programs were able to negate any further hacking into the environmental controls, but our saboteur was able to block my attempts to trace his source and location." Rebecca reclines her chair, stretching out her back. "So in other words he countered your counter?" "Don't worry. Give me a few more minutes and I'll be able to come up with a counter-counter for his counter." Rebecca rolls her eyes. "Whatever, Duke." She glances back at her screen displaying Rush's diagnostics information. "Rush's weapon energy tanks are almost completely depleted. It needs time to recharge." "Well, that's not going to happen anytime soon," Duke says looking over the tracking system. "They're already past the third checkpoint already, but Rush had to divert all its power to staying afloat. At the rate they're going, they'll stay in the top three but only if Rush keeps going without resting." "That's not good. Rush might overheat from the strain." Rebecca grabs the microphone. "Hey guys, ease up on Rush a bit. His power's starting to bottom out." Instead of the usual confirmation that the message got through, all Rebecca heard was white noise in response. "Guys? Do you read me?" She tapped the mike and tried again, but to no avail. "Duke?" Duke started to massage his temples in frustration. "I can't believe this! Our communication's been jammed!" “What?! By who? You said the hacker couldnt get through anymore!†“I said that he couldnt tap into the environmental controls. I didn't have enough time to put up another firewall for our stuff.†Rebecca threw up her hands in exasperation. "That's just great," she says sarcastically. "Who knows what trouble those two could get into?" ... "Beca? Come in!" Michael tapped his earpiece, but nothing happened. Michael, Rachel and Rush were finally at the last checkpoint and were now searching for the final landmark. "It's no good, someone's jamming the frequency." Rachel sighs. “Guess all we can do now is to finish this race as soon as...†Before either of them could react, Michael felt his body being slammed off the hoverboard and into the canyon floor with a sickening thud. "Michael!" Rachel started to force Rush into a U-turn. She almost didnt notice the pile of rocks tumbling from above, stopping just in time avoiding being crushed. The avalanche reverberated throughout the canyon as it blocked Rushs path, sealing Michael in on his own. When the dust cleared, Rachel found herself facing a dam made of boulders. “Rush, blast through it!†The vehicle attempted to send out a plasma shot, but all that came out were yellow sparks. Confused, Rachel checked the diagnostics and was shocked to discover that Rushs weaponry was completely drained. Without warning, Rush dumped Rachel off of its back, automatically returned to its animal form, and immediately collapsed. “Crud. I shouldve been keeping a closer eye on you.†All Rachel could do now was wait for Rush to recharge its solar energy reserves and pray that Michael wasnt in any dilemma of his own. ... Michael painfully lifted his head to get a look at his attacker. Humanoid in form, its knees were bent backward like horse's legs and it had a canine-looking head. Instead of fingers, its digits were replaced with sharp, lethal claws. Michael struggled to his feet. "An Anubis? Boy, talk about your mythical creatures." "I...am...Verocity..." the creature said in a slow, clunky voice. Michael shook his head. "'Verocity'? What, they couldn't give you an original name?" Again, faster than Michael could react, Verocity became a huge blur, tossing Michael into the air and ramming him into the canyon wall. The creature then proceeded pounding the young adults body; its lightning-fast kicks were a motionless haze; every passing second came numerous heavy blows to the ribcage. It finished off the combo with a gigantic slash to the face, knocking Michael down. Michael was stunned to see that he was actually bleeding. He never got damaged enough to bleed before. "Alright, you asked for it!" Michael shouted. He channeled his growing fury and rage into his next attack. "Absolute Zero!" Ice and snow started to form on his fingertips, but to his surprise, the attack immediately fizzled out. Verocity let out a sluggish chuckle. “Fool...Elemental...drained...†With a blood-curdling howl, it quickly closed the distance between them and grabbed Michael by the throat, its claws barely impaling his neck arteries. Taking advantage of the close range, Michael started to focus on a Plasma Cannon Punch. Unfortunately, the effort was too time-consuming. The monster flung Michael over its shoulder and straight through a rock formation. Running on adrenaline pumping through his system, Michael flipped himself back into standing position. Fists clenched, he charged at Verocity. As the two started another struggle, Michael fought with everything he could think of. His entire world became react and counter, react and counter. To the creature, though, it were as if they were fighting in bullet time; Michael's movements were as slow and predictable as if his limbs were moving through molasses. The entire fight was almost a mismatch. Frustration and weariness started to take its toll on the young warrior. Then came the fatal mistake. Michael saw an opening in Verocity's defense and swung a Plasma Cannon Punch right for the midsection. In one swift movement the speedster used its razor claws to catch Michael's arm and... SLASH! An unbearable pain shot through Michael's right forearm as it became disengaged from the rest of his body. The demon let out a victorious roar, sinking its claws through the boy's stomach. Michael lost his bearings, his vision blurred with blood and tears. “Nimbus Wave!†he cried out instinctively. His body started to float upward, hopefully giving him enough time to regain his senses. Unfortunately, Verocity countered by using its speed and momentum to rebound off the canyon walls, tackling Michael in mid-air. The next sensation Michael felt was his body slamming into the ground, followed by Verocity's claws piercing through his shoulders, effectively pinning him. Michael closed his eyes, searching for the fury, the adrenaline rush that usually would overtake him that he needed to win. But all he felt was complete exhaustion. Michael couldn't summon enough energy to struggle. Anyone else would've been screaming in agonizing pain, but not Michael. He gritted his teeth as he fought to stay conscious, but it was a losing battle. The earthen surface underneath was smeared as blood flowed from his stump of an arm. 'It can't end like this.' Michael could barely keep his thoughts together. 'Damn it, it can't end like this!' He was barely aware that Verocity was charging up its own attack. And with its claws still impaled through his body, there was no chance that it would miss. Michael braced himself. "Reaction Flux!" Verocity's entire body vibrated rapidly. Michael finally yelled out of anguish as he felt his entire body vibrate as well. He could almost feel his very molecules losing its cohesive bonds and start to rip apart. He felt an overwhelming calm wash over him, the same feeling most people get when they know they're almost dead and there's no point in worrying about it. There was no point in denying it, he was dying. He saw a bright light engulf his vision. He closed his eyes as he prepared to finally cross into the afterlife...
Almond Joy. "Sometimes you feel like a nut..." ;)
I HAD NO TONGUE!!!... Wait...I forgot that it grew back. :sweat: I forgive you since I did what I wanted to do to you anyways. :D
What about me?! You blew up my tongue! >.< ...On the other hand I did get my revenge earlier. :sly:
Episode 4, Act 3: "Speed Demons..." (Note from author: Alternate reality/time-line. That's how. :xp:) The sides of the canyon were a brownish blur as the racers sped toward the first checkpoint. The walls opened up to reveal constantly erupting volcanoes and magma flows. The air was clouded with dry, musty ash and the sky itself was as red as a collapsing sun. "Really, what was I thinking?" Rachel complained as she and Michael skimmed across the burning lava deposits. "Why did I decide to wear leather in this sweltering heat?" Michael, who didn't like the heat either, sped as fast as Rush would allow. Thanks to his years of experience, he was able to pilot the hoverboard with the greatest of ease. Many of the contestants behind them weren't so lucky. Many race officials and emergency teams had to quickly tend to many participants that didn't even get ten feet into the course without combusting into flames. Rachel was so busy complaining about the heat that she almost didn't catch the humongous magma boulder barreling toward them. "Quick! Pull left!" Michael didn't question her call and sharply angled the board. The boulder sailed safely out of harm's way. Unfortunately, it wasn't over yet. A few more equally daunting fireballs flew toward them. "Damn, there’s too many of them!" Michael maneuvered Rush toward the incoming volley. “Rush, Activate Weapons Module!” Rush’s eyes flashed a neon green tint indicating that it was processing the instructions. After a few seconds, Rush’s mouth opened revealing a protruding cannon nozzle. “Rach, don’t worry about them! Concentrate on finding that landmark!” Michael fired a spread shot, blasting the firestorm out of the sky. But the onslaught kept on coming. "Where are all these bloody things coming from?" Michael yelled in frustration. He fired off a few more shots to give him some breathing room. "Bad news, bro!" Rebecca spoke suddenly. "Someone’s hacked into the environmental controls!" "What?! Wait, what do you mean environmental controls?” Michael exclaimed. “You mean that all of this is artificial?” “In the area you’re in right now, only the erupting volcanoes are artificial. The heat, geysers and inactive volcanoes are real.” “So what are you saying? Someone’s specifically targeting us?” Jet-streams of flame burst out of the charred ground in front of them almost taking them by surprise. "Don't know, but that's why you're experiencing all that unexpected turbulence. Duke's just started working on a counter-program that might help. Whatever you do, don't stop for anything!" "Not planning to!" Michael replies. "Rach, did you take the shot yet?" Rachel’s eyes dart rapidly back and forth across the landscape. “I don’t even know what I’m supposed to be looking for!” “Look for anything out of the ordinary, something out of place.” "Um..." She quickly looked at the racing map display. "Maybe if we get a higher point of view, I’ll be able to find it from the sky!” “We can’t! Rush can’t go any higher because the altitude’s locked in place, remember?” “You don’t need to fly in order to get a different viewpoint." She pointed toward a black rocky formation slanted at an angle. "Gun it." Michael wasted no time speeding forward. It was when they were a few seconds away from the incline that he noticed what the formation really was. "A geyser..." he whispered. The instant Rush hit the peak, a giant burst of flame shot out from underneath them. Michael and Rachel screamed as they were rocketed upward. Using their momentum, Michael gunned the jet propulsion system as hard as possible allowing Rush to glide through the air. “Do you see it now?” Rachel’s eyes quickly scanned the area from the fresh point of view. A flash of blue caught her vision. "I think I see it!" she exclaimed. She activated her camera lens and zoomed in on the landmark. A small, white-hot flame flickered like a tongue out of the earth's gaping mouths among the normal orange-red fiery blazes. "Okay, I got it!" "You sure?" Michael asked as they begun their descent. As Rachel double-checked, Rush started emitting a high-pitched whine. She accessed the holographic display panel and checked the system's diagnostics. "The heat shields are at critical levels!" Rachel warned. "Already? It's hasn't even been twenty minutes!" "It must have been that blast that sent us flying! We need to get out of here, now!" "Don't have to tell me twice!" Unfortunately, they made a splashdown in the middle of an active magma flow, depleting the shields even more. Worse, the flurry of hailstones began their attack again. "Where's the exit?" Rachel rechecked the course map. "Five miles due east!" "You mean past that active volcano?" Then he noticed that the closer they got, the thicker the onslaught became. "That volcano! That's the source of all those fireballs!" Michael’s body was tense with anticipation. “Do we really have to go through with this?” "We've got no ch...AAAH!" Rachel's shoulder got nicked by a flying ember, leaving a severe burn mark along her skin. "Rach!" "I'm fine!” Rachel shouted as she winced in pain. ”Just go!" Rush's engine roared with power as it skimmed toward its destination. "Come on, come on! Just a few more seconds..." Michael said through gritted teeth. The canine's whine gave a constant shrieking, indicating that its engine's overheating. Then it happened. A boulder the size of a 747 careened toward the group. "Damn! That thing's freakin' huge!" "Rush," Rachel cried, "blast it!" Rush fired off a volley of plasma shots. The attack was just as effective as if they had thrown soap suds instead. There wasn't any room or time to maneuver. "No choice," Michael whispered. He closed his eyes and flung his arms forward. "Absolute Zero!" His fingertips went numb as an arctic blizzard shot itself from his hands, encasing the fireball in solid ice. “Let’s try this again!” Rush fired off another round of energy pellets, shattering their obstacle into pieces of ice shards. Rachel looked at Michael curiously. “Are we allowed to do that?” Michael shrugged. “To fight the artificial, fight back with the supernatural,” he replied. While his hands were still glowing blue, Michael gripped Rachel’s burned shoulder. The sudden sensation of cold on her bare skin caused a gasp to escape her lips. “Does that help?” She massaged her deltoid, grateful that the wound no longer stung. "Yeah, thanks." A few seconds later, the scenery changed from the fiery pits back to the earthen canyon walls. "One down, three to go." ... "How's that anti-hacking program coming along Duke?" Rebecca asked. While Michael and Rachel were facing the aspect of being incinerated, Duke and Rebecca were doing all they could on the sidelines. The cowboy hacker stared at the screen lost in thought. "Whoever's hacked into the system is no amateur, I'll give him that much." He typed as fast as he could; his fingers were a blur of motion. "From the way he's been playing all of this, this guy's had either government training or he's some type of prodigy." Duke’s eyes rapidly darted left and right like a typewriter. "So, you can't stop him?" Duke flashed her a confident grin. "Becky, you're talking to the guy who was able to hack the government’s computers and proved that Area 51 and the MIB existed. The punk's gonna get what's coming to him." Rebecca smacks him across the back of the head sending his sunglasses flying. "I told you before, don't call me Becky." She grabbed her microphone. “Michael? You two okay?” “Well, considering that we just almost got crushed by a meteor rock,” Michael said, “I think we’re all just hunky-dory.” Rebecca smiled ruefully. “Whatever. Just so you know, there're only twenty teams left in the race.” “How many started?” “About two-hundred. Anyway, you’re almost to the next checkpoint. You’ll see it in the next couple of minutes. Just to warn you though, things might get a little wet...” ... Rush crashed on the surface of the water with a big splash soaking them from head to toe. "Great, now I'm wearing drenched leather,” Rachel complained. “This thing’s going to shrink like crazy." On hearing this, Michael turned his head to look at the state of Rachel's clothing. Rachel proceeded to slap Michael clear across the face. "Keep your eyes on the road, you idiot!" "Sorry Rach,” Michael apologized. “Hey, Beca? How's Duke coming along?" "He's giving it all he's got at the moment,” Rebecca said over the comm line. "Keep it up, though! You’re in second place!" “What?" Rachel asked. “Is that even possible?” “You think that the hacker’s helping us for some reason?” Michael inquired. Rachel’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. “Either way, I don’t like the looks of this.” The only sounds that were audible to them were Rush’s engines and the constant crashing of waves underneath them. “What am I supposed to be looking for this time?” The area they were in now seemed almost straightforward. They were cruising along an ocean landscape that had pieces of multi-colored coral scattered around like a minefield. “If I remember correctly, we’re supposed to be looking for a crystal-like coral.” “It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack,” Rachel complained, “or at least a coral reef.” As Rachel strained her eyes for anything out of the ordinary, Michael became aware of something rapidly approaching their position. “Rachel, do you hear...” Before he could finish his sentence, Michael felt something sharp graze his cheek. He instinctively got into a fighting stance, bracing for another attack. “What was that?” A few seconds later, another object struck him in the back of the head. That’s when he saw his opponent: an bronze and gold-plated robot that had two sharp points protruding from his head forming a 'V'. What was more astonishing was the fact that it was running on the water's surface right beside them! “Not another robot!” he groaned. “Ah, is that any way to greet your friendly, neighborhood Quick Man?” Quick Man pulled the 'V' off his head, multiplying them into numerous boomerangs. “Let’s see who fast you really are!” He flung his projectiles at the group. The razor-sharp weaponry sliced through almost anything in its path: Rush’s helmet, Michael’s hair, Rachel’s outfit... "What is with you jerks and always ripping my clothes off?!" Rachel screamed. Michael pushed that comment to the back of his mind for later deliberation. He activated Rush’s side-cannons in the hope of being able to attack back. “Rush, lock-on and fire!” Rush started its relentless attack at Quick Man, but attacking him was like attacking the speed force itself. He easily dodged the plasma fire without even losing any momentum. "Oh, please. Is that all you've got?" The Robot Master sped across the water until he was directly in front of them. As Michael activated the front cannon, Quick Man started chucking boomerangs right into their path. The team couldn't get a clear shot due to the fact that they were busy ducking and dodging. "Damn it, Michael!" Rachel raged. "Why'd you tell me to leave my whip behind? I could've wiped the floor with him by now!" "He might be good at throwing things; let's see how good he is at close-range combat." Diverting all power to Rush's propulsion systems, he attempted to get close to their opponent. Soon, they were neck-to-neck. Rachel unlocked her footholds, grabbed Michael to steady herself, and swung a roundhouse kick at Quick Man denting the back of his cranium. Caught off guard, the machine almost stumbled but managed to stay on top of the water's surface. "Not a bad shot for a human," Quick Man said. "Let's see how you deal with this." He throws a well-aimed boomerang directly toward Rush's steering mechanism. The projectile skimmed across the ocean's skin and lodged itself right into the underside of Rush, causing the poor canine to let out a yelp. “Rush, what’s wrong?” Michael asks with a concerned expression on his face. That’s when he notices the steering wouldn’t respond to his commands. “Oh crap.” "We should do this again sometime." Quick Man gives them a mock salute before speeding away out of sight. The group finds themselves barreling straight for a concentrated mass of coral. “Let’s ram through it!” Rachel roared. “Are you kidding me? The shields are still weak! At this speed and velocity, we’re going to blow up on impact!”
Man, risking their lives for cookies. :nono: If you were hungry, why didn't you just eat the cookie? If they wanted some, all they would have to do is ask, right? OBJECTION! You've already stated that you were! And I've already copied down and memorized the secret recipes. So... They were in your underwear drawer, remember? :p Under the arms? And in that diary you keep in your closet. The ribs? And under your bed. Your navel? And tucked in-between the blinds. Your hips? And in your pants pocket. And/or your feet? ^_^ Shall I go on? :xp:
No problemo, la chica! :D O_O They shoved it in your face? Minnie's Holy power FTW, right? That seemed a bit rude of them. So...wanna catch a movie? :sweat: j/k I'd have thought you'd have gone But, seriously why do people and creatures want to destroy this castle? all Cookie Monster on their sorry keisters. lol More importantly, break into the cookie vault? For-freakin'-ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ticklish? :3 I mean, it's not like there's anything THAT valuable, is there? :blink:
Naminé tried to remember everything that happened to her in Castle Oblivion. "I...I'll try..." They wouldn't allow me to leave the room. After their first encounter, Vexen showed up. They wanted me to rewrite Repliku's memories as well. Afterwards Larxene told me "not to screw up." Vexen was killed and their plan to make Sora their puppet was almost complete. I managed to escape and stop Repliku from killing Sora. Then Larxene showed up to reveal my true identity. After being weakened by Repliku, Larxene took advantage of the situation. Sora had come to protect me, so I had to protect him. That's when Larxene knocked me away. *End Testimony* Naminé wasn't sure if her testimony was at all convincing, but she had to state the facts. She wasn't sure how this was going to play out, but she could only hope that her words would be enough. Kairi released Sora's hand and sighed. The testimony seemed to have enough detail to summarize what happened, but there was something that bothered her. From what she heard, Larxene as an individual seemed more like a pushover. Of course, when she thought about it, if the testimony against Larxene were at all proven wrong, that could mean that the same exact testimony would prove guilt for another member. Kairi never knew that she could feel so depressed and worried, but she had to stay strong for Naminé's sake.
*eyes narrow* You seriously don't like cookies anymore? "Begone, foul creatures from the deepest depths of darkness from whence you came!" Oh well, you'll still be known as *activates Mind Crush in stereo* Kookie Kween in my eyes. ^_^ *Orcs' heads implode* Um...yay? *dons a heroic pose and winks coyly at Amber* <_< The threat has been neutrailized. >_> *looks around* ...*tickle glomps* :P Good thing they didn't do that much damage this time. :)
Hello! Welcome to KH-vids forum! Remember to read the rules, Spam only in Spam Zone, no polls in the Creativity Corner, AMVs and the like go in the Fan Movies section of the Creativity Corner and if you have any questions, check the FAQ stickies in Forum Assistance or PM a mod. Thank you and we hope you enjoy your stay! :D
Episode 4, Act 2: "Grand Prix..." (Note from author: I'm getting to that. But to answer your question, the first one.) The guys joined the girls after Duke helped Michael pull his head out of the wall. Walking in, Michael noticed the hoverboard was covered with a white linen sheet. Rachel was already pestering Rebecca to show her early. Upon the boys arrival, she quickly fell silent. "We spent the past few days working on it,†Rebecca said, “but its finally ready. Behold!†With a flourish of flair, she whipped off the cover to reveal “A robot dog?†Instead of the usual red metallic skyboard that they were used to, in its place was a cybernetic canine coated with full body armor. It was virtually hairless and sported a shiny crimson helmet. Michael was stunned. Rachel, however, gave a squeal of delight and started to snuggle the dogs synthetic face. "Oh, it's so cute!" she cooed. Michael crossed his arms and gave Rebecca a stern look. “But, wheres my hoverboard?†In response, Rebecca smiled. She motioned for Rachel to back up. “Rush,†she enunciated, “Jet Form.†Rush gave out a happy bark and before their very eyes, its legs and body twisted and changed positions until it became what looked like a dogsled. “Youve got to be kidding me!†Michael shouted in disbelief. “You transformed my board into a pet? What were you thinking?!†Rebecca kneeled down to pet Rushs head, whose eyes rolled back in contentment. “Oh come on. Youve got to admit that hes adorable.†Michael turned to Duke. “And you actually went through with this?†Duke raised an eyebrow. “Have you ever tried to talk Rebecca out of anything once shes had her mind set on it?" Michael reluctantly shook his head. He stared at Rush, shocked that his hoverboard was now a sentient being. “Other than the fact that we now have a new family member that probably needs to be housetrained,†Michael says, “what exactly does this version of Rush have that the old one didnt?†Rebecca gave Rush the voice command to change back into its animal form. “Well,†she starts as Rush starts to chase its tail, “for starters its navigation systems have been upgraded, its engines are more concise and Rush is now whisper-mode enabled. There's virtually no lag time in its reaction time and its auto-tracking capabilities are more precise." Michael looked down at the canine that was just starting to carefully sniff his butt. “So all I gotta do is just say Jet Form and itll change into its hoverboard form?†Rebecca nodded. “Does it have any other forms I should know about?†Duke removed his hat and brushed his sandy, straw-like hair. “Were kinda still working on that part.†"What about its energy source?" Michael asks, shooing Rush away from his gluteus maximus. "Runs completely on solar batteries. It's not unlike your body's own system." "Interesting." Michael lets out a disappointed sigh. “Yeah, this is just great. I've got a mad scientist for a sister, a dog for a jet, and a jock who thinks he's a cowboy. The only thing that could surprise me now is seeing Rachel in a..." Rachel quickly grabbed the back of Michael's neck. "I'm sorry, Michael." she said mock-sweetly. "What were you about to say?" "I was going to say 'in a good mood,'" Michael gagged. "I swear." Rachel satisfied with the answer, released her death grip. "Well, it's getting late. I think we're set." Rebecca shook her head. "Not quite." She reached into a compartment behind her and took out two small earpieces. "These are for the both of you." Michael and Rachel took them and looked at them curiously. "They'll allow you to communicate with each other and us, no matter where you might be." "Kinda like old-fashioned walkie-talkies?" Michael asked. Duke and Rachel looked at him as if he was crazy. "What are walkie-talkies?" Duke asked. "They're ancient, wireless, mercury-canistered powered, antennae-protruding, communication devices that were in high use a millennia ago." Rebecca explained. “Of course, this was all before we invented the instant messaging systems.†"Oh," was all Duke could say. Rachel, however, seemed to be focused on something else. "Hey, Michael? Can I talk to you for a sec?" Rachel motioned her head outside. Michael, curious, only nodded. As Michael and Rachel left the lab, Rebecca and Duke grinned at each other. "You think she's going to admit it?" Duke asked. Rebecca shook her head. "Not likely. But if I know those two, there's probably going to be some lovey-dovey stuff before Michael screws it up." Rush, who didnt seem to mind being ignored, trotted toward its recharging station, jacked in, and went into hibernation mode. Night was already upon Ultima when Michael and Rachel headed outside. "What's up, Rach?" Michael asked when they were finally alone. Rachel looked up at the full moon, hesitant about what she wanted to say. In the end, she just gave Michael a warm smile. "I just want to wish us the best of luck tomorrow, thats all." She starts to walk away but Michael grabs her shoulder. "Come on, Rach. We've known each other for more than three years. Something's on your mind." "Well, it's just..." Rachel's face was starting to redden with embarrassment. "Do you remember when we first met?" Michael let out a snort of amusement. "How could I forget? I'm just glad that my towel didn't fall off." "That first time we went on Rush, you asked me if I was going out with anyone and I told you I was." Michael stared at her with a confused look on his face. "What's that have to do with anything?" "I don't know. I guess what I'm getting at is..." Rachel started to stutter. Michael waited patiently, trying to decipher what was going through her mind. Finally she blurted out, "After we win, do you want to go out with me?" Michael froze in astonishment. "Wha...but..." Michael stammered. "...I...hubbawha?" "Not on a date,†she clarified, “but just to, you know, hang out?" "Oh," Michael replied with a shrug. "Uh, yeah, sure. I don't see why not." Rachel looked relieved. "Okay, cool." Rachel turned to leave. "Hey, Rach?" She stopped in her tracks. "Yeah?" "About that promise..." Rachel got panicky all of a sudden. "Um...I...I better get going." "But..." "I'll see you tomorrow morning." Before Michael could say anything else, Rachel ran out of sight. Michael scratched his head, more bewildered than ever. "What was that all about?" ... Booster Canyon was a plush little village residing within a carved out portion of a giant mesa. The area was surrounded by labyrinth-like chasms that stretched on for miles. Sections of the layout were scattered with the occasional non-rocky oasis. Victorian style houses were lined up from block to block. But all the real action was taking place near the outskirts of the town. The starting point of the entire race began in a sports stadium, complete with giant viewing screens, sold-out seats and food vendors. The participants and their respective crews were in the middle of it all, preparing their boards through numerous systems checks. Michael and Rebecca had set up their communication station as close to the teleportation point as possible. Duke was busy installing last minute required components into Rush. Rebecca was carrying a clipboard going down the systems checklist and the rules. The race was about to start in thirty minutes and there was no sign of Rachel. “Wheres Rachel?†Michael huffed impatiently. “She shouldve been here by now.†“Bro, relax,†Rebecca said. “She wants to win this as much as any of us.†She glanced toward the teleport point. “Speaking of which †Rachels form seemed to materialize right before the groups eyes. “Sorry Im late!†she apologized. “I had some things I needed to take care of.†She was wearing dark leather from head to toe. Tall boots that came up to her knees. Her long blond hair was tucked into a high leather collar. Good-bye preppy. Hello biker chick. Michael couldnt help but stare. Rachel frowned. “Quit gawking, Michael," she scolded. "You should be focusing on the race right now.†When Michael didnt respond, she marched up to him and slammed him across the back of his head. “Get whatever perverted fantasies youre having out of your head,†she scolded. “Youve got more important things to think about.†“Yeah,†Duke shouted from beneath Rush. Like a mechanic, he was flat on his back looking at the underside of Rushs systems. He slid out from underneath and stood up, wiping some sweat from his brow. “A few required components had to be put in before you could be cleared to race. First off, theres an altitude locking system thats going to prevent you from flying over obstacles, boundaries and the like. In other words, no flying. Second is the onboard tracking system thatll allow us and the officials to see exactly where you are. If you're getting off course, we communicate with you through the headsets that Rebecca gave you last night. And finally, there's the new weapons module." "Weapons module?" Rachel repeated. "One of the rules of the race is that there's absolutely no handheld weapons of any kind allowed," Michael explained. "So I left my Laser Saber back at the lab. That means you've got to leave your weapon with these two. Other than that, anything goes." Rachel's eyes widened. "You mean, we could get killed for this? Isn't that a little dangerous?" Michael shrugged. "That's what makes hoverboard racing a dangerous sport. Minors under 15 years of age aren't allowed to own a competition style hoverboard. You need a good year or more experience before you even meet the requirements to race." "And you're telling me we're supposed to do this all without safety equipment?" "Like I said, that's what makes hoverboard racing..." Michael began. Rachel held up her hand to shush him. "I get it, I get it," she mutters. "I can't believe we're actually going to go through with this." Rebecca looked up from her clipboard. "It says here that the winners of this race will be whoever crosses the finish line after taking a photo of each checkpoint. There're four checkpoints, each one symbolizing an aspect of natural balance: Bluebell Wisp, Fire; Crystal Coral, Water; Sugar Clouds, Wind; and Hammerhead Obelisk, Earth. Take the shots as soon as you can, but make sure they're clear ones. If they're blurry, the picture doesn't count." At this point, Rush wakes up from its lazy stupor and starts to growl. "What's up, Rush?" Michael asks curiously. The others look in the direction that Rush was baring its teeth. Across the field stood Zack Powers, who was giving the group his icy intimidating glare. On one side of him was a human-shaped figure completely shadowed with a black occult robe. On the other was what looked to be a shimmering purple wolf-like robot. "Don't tell me," Michael groans. As in response, the animal transformed itself into its hoverboard form. "His name's Treble," Zack said with an amused expression plastered on his face. Without another word, Zack and his partner hop onto Treble and rode out of sight. "No freakin' way," Michael says. "How is it that Zack has a robot hoverboard too?" Rebecca shook her head. "He must have already had one." Her eyes narrowed. "Not surprising since he's filthy freakin' rich and all." Duke starts cracking his knuckles. "Michael, Rachel. I've got three words for you: Layeth thy smackdown." ... Minutes later, all the participants were at the starting line, doing any last minute maintenance. Michael and Rachel were making a final systems check. "Energy canister levels are normal. Solar input normal. Jet propulsion system is charged." Michael mentally goes down the checklist. "Everything looks normal. But..." Rachel glanced at Michael's worried expression. "Relax. Everything's going to be okay." "Easy for you to say." Michael grumbled. "If anything comes flying our way, I'm the one who's going to get hit first." Rachel patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry so much. Focus all that perverted energy you have into winning this race," she teased. "Ha ha. Funny. You know, I should be the one comforting you. You're the one who didn't seem keen on the idea of leaving your weapon behind." "I just feel so...so..." Rachel desperately searches for the word. "'Naked?'" Michael suggests. She gives him a quizzical look. "I was going to say 'vulnerable', but that's an interesting word to use too." Michael gave a nervous laugh. "Sorry, I guess I'm more edgy than I thought." "That's why we're here, bro!" Rebecca said over the earpiece. "We're your eye in the sky!" "Trust us, dude," Duke added. "With us behind you, you've got nothing to worry about!" "Why does that thought not comfort me?" Michael asked rhetorically. "RACERS TO YOUR POSITIONS!" Michael and Rachel stepped onto Rush, making sure to keep an eye on Zack. Zack noticed them and gave them his sly grin. Rachel, as the navigator, wrapped her arms around Michael's abdomen. "Michael? Have you been working out?" Rachel wondered as her hands made contact with his six-pack. Michael stiffened at the feeling. "Um...y-yeah." he stuttered. Rachel smiled at his reaction. "What's the matter?" she asked coyly. "You're not sensitive are you?" "Uh...L-let's just say I'm not used to b-being felt up like this." Rachel giggled. "Oh, I get it. You're getting all flustered because its been a while since a girl's actually been this close to you, huh?" "Hey, you two!" Rebecca shouted over the communications line. "Quit flirting and get ready to jet!" "RACERS READY?" The entire starting line was filled with the sounds of hoverboards activating their gravity repulsion systems. "Keep an eye on Zack for me, okay?" Michael asked Rachel. "ON YOUR MARKS..." "Don't worry, if he tries anything, you'll be the first to know." Rachel replies as her eyes narrowed. Zack's grin hadn't wavered yet. It was almost as if he had something planned. "GET SET..." Michael tensed with anticipation. "Let's Rock n' Roll." "GO!"
After hearing Harvey Birdman's objection, Naminé felt slightly more cheerful. Only moments ago, she was frustrated that the defense attorneys were twisting around what she was saying. "This is exactly why I never watch courtroom dramas," she thought. "Both sides will do everything to twist and manipulate your words into anything beneficial to their clients." True, she didn't have much animosity toward most of the Organization. But the ones who physically abused her caused feelings of anger to well up inside her. Usually Nobodies wouldn't express emotions such as this, but she and Roxas were special Nobodies after all. And they had merged with their original selves to retain their full range of emotions (if they didn't have any to begin with) And now since she had her own individual body for the time being, the rush of emotions and experiences finally allowed her to express what she was feeling. And right now, Mr. Birdman brought up a valid point. Where one charge was dropped, a more serious charge took its place. Naminé could only imagine how the defense would react if the judge granted both the prosecutor and defense's requests...
I think I might have that covered. I just PM'd you.
OOC: Pika_Power, dude. As much as I disprove of ICSP's methods, he's got a point. You asked me to testify about something that didn't help prove the case at all. I hate to admit it, but unless Repliku can see something that I'm not, I don't see how you would get the weapon license charges to stick on any of the members. The other charges, though, are more or less valid. :huh:
OOC: I don't think it matters what her personality is like at this point (especially since mostly everybody states that Kairi and Naminé have NO personality whatsoever). The fact of the matter is what her testimony states. Whether she has personality or none at all won't change the fact that she has to answer truthfully to the defense's Cross-Examination no matter what questions she's asked.
OOC: ICSP, next time you might want to use this first: And you might want to save and upload those sprites to your own picture server. Court Records clearly states: 'Kay? :) And also remember since I'm a witness, I'm not technically for or against you. I'll state what I see. And remember, for something to be part of the testimony, you're going to have to ask permission to add it. BIC: "Taunted? In what way? And what was Sora's reaction? And, more importantly was this before or after Sora drew out his keyblade on her threatenly?" Naminé didn't like how the defense attorney was trying to manipulate her words, but she had to state the facts. She was under oath after all. "When Sora met Larxene, she said "I bet it's nice to peel all the worthless memories away...and awaken the true memories that lie deep in your heart." When Sora heard this, he had a look of surprise on his face. Larxene then replied, "But you're still forgetting something, aren't you, Sora? The most important thing." After that she seemed to have an expression of barely concealed glee when she continued with "When that poor girl hears you've forgotten her name, she'll be heartbroken." He lowered his weapon..." Naminé stopped. Seeing the look of smugness on Xelax, she knew that she had just let a critical key point slip. But she couldn't falter now, so she continued with her account. "Sora asked Larxene if she knew me and inquired if I was there. She giggled and wagged her finger mockingly saying that "The bad guys are holding her deep within the castle. And you, the hero, have to go save her." Then she grinned at Sora and said "Sadly, there's a catch..." And..." "Without a weapon? Pretty brave to challenge one of the most powerful warriors in history unarmed..." Naminé glared at Larxene. "Considering she had the element of surprise and was going against a kid who had no other fighting skills but wielding a giant key..." She sighed. "...it was pretty easy to catch him off guard." She glanced at Sora. "No offense." OOC: Not bad with the questioning so far, ICSP. You know perfectly well I can't add HOW she attacked. BIC: "Tell me more about this lucky charm... and its purpose." Kairi was on the edge of her seat when this was brought up. She was finally going to get the answer she had been waiting for. What exactly happened to her lucky charm? Naminé saw Kairi looking at her intently. She took a deep breath and remembered everything that Sora had done during that fateful encounter. "Sora had finally reunited with Kairi and was about to go after Riku who was possessed by Xehanort's Heartless. Kairi couldn't go..." "I would've gone if Sora hadn't said I'd be in his way," Kairi muttered with a sideways glance at Sora. "...so she gave him a thalassa shell lucky charm and had him promise that he'd return it to her when he got back. I mean, originally he was supposed to use a paopu fruit..." After seeing the stern glare from the judge, she reverted back to the question. "Anyway, the charm represented the promise that he made to come back to her in one piece. But when I changed it, it ended up representing a different promise altogether...the false promise to come and protect me." She felt her face becoming slightly warm as she felt ashamed of her actions and what she had been forced to do. After a few seconds and taking a deep cleansing breath she continued her testimony. "What would have happened had it been destroyed? Naminé thought that was a strange question as it was obvious. "If the charm was destroyed, his motivation and will to go on would've been shattered! He would no longer have a direction in life and he would've taken out his frustrations on the person who destroyed it!" She didn't like how this defense attorney was trying to force the issue and it was showing in her expressions. Kairi silently told Naminé to calm down via their connection. Naminé heard Kairi and regained her composure. "Anyway, with the charm in Larxene's possession..." "This is when Sora attacks Larxene correct?" he smirked, knowing Naminé just made Sora look that much worse, and Larxene the much more innocent. "How exactly did he knock it out of her hand?" he leaned forward, as he questioned with much enthusiasm... this is the lead he wanted to pry the most. "He..." Naminé had caught onto Xelax's plan. He was deliberately skipping over certain events to make it look like Larxene was the victim. Unfortunately, she couldn't see a way out of this without lying or going off topic. "He...used the Keyblade..." She knew the defense attorney was thrilled out of his mind right now, so she added, "...because he was too short to reach for it any other way. He wouldn't have been able to get it back using conventional means." OOC: Grr...I can't believe you're being so sly about this. Skipping over certain events that would've made your client look guilty. But since I MUST answer the question at hand... BIC: "You said 'readied'? Why not say drawn?" he held out his arms. "And what did it look like when she 'readied' this weapon?" Naminé blinked. "Like I said before, Sora already had his Keyblade out, so he had to get ready." She had already revealed the fact earlier, so there was no point in denying that fact. "Lightning bolts surrounded Larxene and the kunai formed in her hands. And that's when they started to fight." She didn't know what else to say. Naminé was slightly annoyed at the tactics the defense attorney was using. He had completely skipped over the issue of how Larxene kicked Sora that sent the lucky charm flying in the first place. But as he had no intention of revealing that fact, Naminé could only chew on her lower lip in frustration. Kairi had no idea why Naminé was looking disgruntled. As far as she heard, it almost sounded like Sora started the fight in the first place. She didn't want to believe it, but... That's when an idea struck her. Was there something else that happened, but she couldn't reveal it to the court? She looked at Harvey Birdman and the Pikachu. If they didn't object, then the events that transpired would seem to make Larxene less guilty. Xelax paused momementarily to let the little girl ponder the questions. Then he opted to take control of the witness, and the testimony with a question, "By the way miss Naminé, I believe you're hiding something very important." He smirked confidently, "Do you feel comfortable talking about it?" Naminé had no idea what he was talking about. "Could you clarify please?"
All sample links Actually, for those of you who want to know the difference between the Japanese and English voices: Voice Sample Playlist Hope this all helps. :sweat:
