"All at once, everyone!" You furrow your brow, switching your whip into a longer blade form - perfect for the strike. You swing at the guard's shield, knocking him back, staggering. Mako aims her crossbow again, this time getting in a couple of properly positioned hits. In response, the guard hastily grabs at his belt, before procuring some kind of side arm - it resembles some kind of energy blaster. He points it *directly* at Mako. "Nobody move, or the redhead gets it!" You, as well as your team-mates, all stand there, not wanting to move an inch, nor say anything. You look over to Edgie, subtly - they appear to be asking you a question with their eyes, moving between you and the guard. You nod just a tad. Out of the sight of the guard, they appear to charge some kind of attack, without motion. Then, when you blink, the guard is sent hurtling to the ground by a bolt of electricity. Mako wastes no time in snatching the firearm from the guard, who has extreme fear struck into his nerves. His cool demeanor shifts into one of panic. "Y-you guys are insane! I don't get it, why would you want to rebel against The Light?" "Because!", starts Mako, pointing the blaster at the guard. "Your legion has done *far* too much against *my* people! Do you know the number of people you've dropped *dead*? You work for the most horrendous, most *vile* empire I've *ever* seen!" There's tears in her eyes, her face is as red as her hair. You don't know whether she's going to blow the face off of this guard with the gun, or her voice. You withdraw your weapon and hold her hand. She seems to snap out of some kind of trance. "S-sorry... Just... It's just been a lot." You nod. "I get it. We probably shouldn't shoot this guy, though. He's just doing his job. Last day before retirement, or something." The guard hastily nods, agreeing with you. "Y-yeah, last day until retirement! After this I g-get to go home and be with my family... Totally..." You look down. Where he was poked in the side with bolts, you don't see anything pouring out. You would expect blood, or what have you, but instead it's nothing. You yank out a bolt. The guard poofs, being replaced by some form of metal chassis. It's close to one of those "vending machines" that you were *sure* didn't exist, but instead of just the machine, it has some mechanical arms and legs. "Was it a disguise?", you ask, to nobody in particular. Toby approaches to try and get a closer look. "Maybe..." He takes his claw arm and shoves it into an open slot on the machine. His face drains of color, just a tad. "This guy's a robot." Mako raises an eyebrow. "So? There's lots of robots fighting their own battles." Toby shakes his head. "No, no, those are *Robo*, the robot-*ic*, but not fully *robot* part of the Synth population. This guy-" Toby beats his claw against the machine, which produces an audible metallic clanging. "This guy isn't alive. It's dead metal. No soul, nothing." After pondering for a bit, you decide to head back onto the streets. It's obvious: puncture the guards, and they become limp. It's a strange inefficacy in their design - perhaps because the expected weaponry of the Synths are most likely blunt objects incapable of inflicting wounds like that, or energy based weapons. You could dutifully avoid the guards - after seeing one of their own die, they really don't want to mess with you. From there, you might as well have free reign over the streets. You ask your team for ideas. "Anywhere you think we should go?" Mako's antenna have a slight shock run between them. "Probably the Casino, right?" "What about our bags, though?" Edgie speaks up. "I mean no harm, but you two have baggage you left in the city? And even then, is that mission critical?" Toby scoffs. "I swear, you two bring new meaning to the phrase 'useless lesbians'. Mako, were you not calibrated, or something?" Mako looks down, a little flustered. You don't quite get it. You suppose you could ask. "Toby, what do you mean calibrated?" Toby crosses his arms. "Us Synths, since we're all biomechanical, or what have you, we need calibration when we're born. It's pretty easy, since they have it at most hospitals - even the Cyborg friendly ones." You turn to Mako. "You feeling alright?" You hold her hand, unsure of what else to say. She doesn't say much either, just trying to hide that she is extremely red in the face. ``` JE: god theyre so gay YOU: I agree, but we should really stick to the path here. JE: fine fine JE: but JE: soooo gay ``` You turn to the mage and the other cyborg - the one you don't remember rearranging the circuits of, but that part of you wants to, just for payback. "Look, we don't have time for this. The goal is clear: take care of The Lady. We *need* to get to the casino." Toby points out a flaw in your plan. "There's going to be heavy guards there, no doubt. Is there anywhere else we could go?" "Unless there's a tall tower..." you realize why Mako wanted to get your bags. "I know a hotel nearby that has over 40 stories. We use my Line to get to the top floor from up there, and it'll be no problem." They look at you expectantly. You figure this'll be another choice you make for the team. You grab Mako's hand, and... ### -> [[Head]] to the Casino ### -> Head to the [[Hotel]]