Screed concentrates.

PM

Round 3

Screed is moving discreetly toward the man on the dais, hiding behind the pillars as he moves.

Snow is aiming his gun.

Methuselah stands his ground, preparing for defensive maneuvers.

Round 3.1
B4 continues to hold Jade in a sleeper hold.  She struggles but fails to get out since he is moving much faster than she is and easily compensates for it.

B3 moves in close to Daredevil, only inches away, and begins martial arts maneuvers, hitting Daredevil in the chest with two pointed fingers skillfully aimed... (1 HT dmg)  Daredevil finds himself paralyzed by the attack.

Demian slips into bullet time.  He finds that he is not skilled enough in the Matrix to match their speeds.  He can still only half match them.  Demian attempts to wrench his arm away...

The two AI are battling the other two bald men with lightning speed.

Round 3.2
B4 continues to hold Jade in a sleeper hold.

B3 follow up against Daredevil with a cross cut across the chin, hitting him skillfully and making him see lights while he is dazed.

B2 strikes out to prevent Demian from wrenching his arm away...but is unsuccessful.

Round 3.3
Jade continues to struggle against the bald man, but she is being held too tightly.

Daredevil falls a step back, seeing only lights.  Then he collapses to the ground, his body shaking in paralysis, yet he is fully conscious.

Demian successfully wrenches his arm free.  B2 kicks down faster than Demian can respond.  Pain shoots through Demian's head as his shin feels the impact.  (1 HT dmg)

Round 3.4
B4 continues to hold Jade in a sleeper hold.

Before Daredevil even hits the ground, B3 is moving toward Snow and slapping his hand out.  Snow loses his aim as his arm is slapped away and B3 moves in for martial arts attacks.

B2 grabs Demian's wrist and twists it behind his back.

Round 3.5
Demian again attempts to break free...and succeeds, turning to face B2 face to face.

Jade again continues to break free of the sleeper hold, but is again unsuccessful.

Snow is not in bullet time and is helpless as B3 grabs his wrist, snaps it one direction, and the gun begins to fall to the ground.  Pain shoots through Snow's wrist.  (1 HT dmg).

Round 3.6
B4 still holds Jade in a sleeper hold.

B3 twists Snow's wrist and moves behind him.

B2 strikes out with a flat palm, hitting Demian in the stomach.  (1 HT dmg)  Demian feels the air leave his body and is unable to breathe.


The two AI who came with you appear to have defeated the two bald men they were fighting.  They step into the center and run toward where you are fighting.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:08, Thu 31 Mar 2005.

OOC:  Not sure how I should take this ominous silence...

OOC: I think it's a collective 'now what?' sort of thing.

Methesulah steps forward to try and prevent the bald man (B2) from killing Demain.  Drawing his knife, he tries to move into a position on the other side of B2 from Demian and attacks.

pm
This message was last edited by the player at 16:43, Fri 01 Apr 2005.

PM

Screed continues.

Screed moves closer toward the man on the dais.

The 8 foot tall man on the dais begins to say something while his bald minions continue.  His voice is booming.  "Sometimes..."

Round 4.1

B4 drops Jade, who starts to fall gasping to the ground, and B4 turns to one of the two AI's approaching.

B3 twists Snow, who resists...and successfully avoids the sleeper hold.  Snow strikes out, but B3 dodges the blow.

Demian attempts karate on B2, who uses active defense to block.  Demian hits the man, whose head snaps back in surprise.

Methuselah steps toward B2, thrusting with his knife.  This time, the bald man successfully evades the thrust.

B4 and one of the AI's engage in mind-numbingly fast martial arts.

Round 4.2
B3 puts Snow successfully in a lock, holding him there.

B2 strikes out simultaneously with each hand.  One strikes Demian in the gut (1 HT dmg), and the other strikes Methuselah in the neck (2 HT dmg).

Round 4.3
The man on the dais is continuing his sentence.  "...losing ..."

B4 is taken down by the AI.

B3 pushes Snow away, releasing him, and faces the two AI's.

B2 grabs Demian in a Judo lock, and Demian's martial arts training does not allow a parry.

Demian attempts to retaliate, but B2 is too strong.  Methuselah strikes out with his knife...hitting the bald man in the side.  His attack draws blood.

Snow is regaining his balance and kicks out at B3, hitting him in the shin.

Round 4.4
B3 stumbles, and the two AI's are upon him, moving in lightning-fast speed.

B2 pushes Demian away forcefully, and Demian finds himself falling towards one of the pillars.  Then B2 turns toward Methuselah.

Round 4.5
The man finishes his sentence.  "...is winning."

Methuselah strikes with the knife, but this time B2 is wary and easily dodges the blow, instead grabbing Methuselah in an Aikido grip by the wrist and spinning him.

Demian catches himself at the pillar and spins to face B2 again.

B3 looks almost dead from the savage attack of the AI's.

Round 4.6
B2 easily gets Methuselah in a lock with both hands behind his back.  Then he pushes Methuselah at Demian and turns to face the two AI's.
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:12, Mon 04 Apr 2005.

Jade, still in Focus, lunges for her weapon and tries to fire at B2.

Snow will focus then jump on B2, trying to get him in a hold and snap his neck.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:36, Wed 06 Apr 2005.

Screed continues to continue.

Snow enters focus.

Jade jumps for her gun.

The AI's entangle the last of the bald men in combat.

Snow fires...hitting one of the bald men!  Then the woman AI finishes off B2.

The last AI finishes off the last of the bald men.  They are scattered about you on the ground, unmoving and unbreathing.  You can't recall if they were ever breathing at all.

By the time Jade reaches her M-16, it is all over.

Screed is getting close to the dais.

Putting his weapons away after seeing the other fighting is over, Screed looks at the man on the dais.  Entering Focus Speed, Screed is almost a blur as he steps out, bows with both hands open, and says, "Good evening, kind sir.  Dr. Livingstone, I presume."  He finishes with a wry smile.

The man says, "You may call me Dr. Livingstone if you like.  You have not yet entered Digital Fortress.  You are all intruders, and Dr. Giovanni has not invited you."

Methuselah walks towards the dias, carefully giving wide berth to the prone figures on the ground.  "On the contrary.  We have a rather lengthy invitation from your master, although I'm beginning to doubt he ever thought anyone would try to meet him.  Nonetheless, it is imperitive that he grant us an audience."

Snow keeps an eye on the AIs whilst the others talk, not sure about their true intentions.

The being didn't attack outright though time had passed.  Screed follows Methuselah up with, "The invitation by default requires intrusion and therefore, yes, we are intruders.  But the difference is that we mean now harm.  In fact we come to help in defense of those who are coming to harm.  I don't know the particular details, though other's here do, if you would like to hear them" he adds hopefully.

GM due back on the 17th or so, I believe.

OOC:  Okay, I'm back in town now.

The figure looks down at you -- literally, given his height -- and says, "Any construct of Zero-One can make such a plea.  Words are irrelevant.  Only those who successfully pass the test may enter Digital Fortress.  That is the only way we can determine who is not an agent of the enemy.  You have defeated the sentries guarding Digital Fortress.  Therefore, you have failed the test."

He holds up his two hands, palm outward.  "It is time to destroy the intruders," he says.  Two bright lights flash from his palms, striking the two AI's that accompanied you into Digital Fortress.  The two AI's scream in pain before being disintegrated entirely.

"You who remain," the man says, "failed to defeat my sentries.  You must be mere mortals.  You may enter."  He turns and walks through the doorway without another word.

Jade says, "Well, let's see if we've made it through this finally."  She begins walking toward the dais, her M-16 at the ready.  She checks to see if anyone follows her.

Snow holsters his pistol, rubs the back of his neck where a dull pain has just started and walks towards the doorway.

Being close to the Dais, Screed steps and hops up.  Then thinking better of it, stops and allows others to catch up so he is not the first through.  Chuckling nervously as he follows Jade and Snow through, he says, "So losing is winning.  I guess that means if we had died we'd have made the hall of fame."

Hearing Screed's comment, the large man turns and says, "You would not die, for they cannot kill.  Death is forbidden in the Digital Fortress."  He continues through to a dark hallway past the doorway.

Methuselah looks at the fading wisps from where the AIs once stood.  "Score one for the suspicious old farts," he mutters to himself.  As he follows the figure down the hallway, he asks a bit louder to their guide, "Sure the bald guys couldn't kill us, but there's an awful lot of pain that can be inflicted before you die.  Any chance you got a doctor hidden down here somewhere?"

No death? Interesting.  Screed thinks, listens and then comments with a hopeful smile, "Or maybe a chef?"