New Beginning 22: Once Upon a New Beginning...

[Zaleramancer]

"Alright, let's see what this body can do.."

I smile cockily up at the monster and snap my fingers.

A small, feeble lightning bolt lightly singles some of it's fur.

"Verdammen."

I'm suddenly flying through the air as it responds to my pathetic attack.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

The Penultimate watches Zale sail past for a second, and then decides it's probably best to help out. I split into three, and each grows to about half the size of the great monster. Unfortunately, the creature is more than just size. Its sheer density is nearly all muscle, and that makes him more than a match for the Penultimate, despite being outnumbered.

The three Penultimates tackle the thing to the ground, but it seems determined not to stay there. One Penultimate looks up from the struggle, to his comrades, "A LITTLE HELP HERE, PLEASE!"

[Zaleramancer]

"Apparently this shell only has weather powers. Useful on a planet with a robust atmosphere, but we're kind of on Mars."

I sit up, recalling the annoyances of being in a body incapable of shapeshifting away wounds.

"Maybe I can get another one. Poor signal quality though. Gah, I need parts to build an amplifier."

I ask casually, "Anyone got spare parts?"

[Celadon's Penultimate]

"I'd try producing a body for you, but my powers are sort of...in use!" The white ape grapples me, and yanks me into a submission hold, "Really, guys! Some help...would be, um...helpful, about now."

[Zaleramancer]

"Maybe I have some spare.. Oh, right, Almost forgot about that."

I pull something from my robe and begin disassembling it.

"Just give me a minute or two. "

[Celadon's Penultimate]

"No pressure..." The Penultimate manages to utter from under the monster's choke hold.

[The Narrator]

"I gotcha PU!"

Areson: ha good one!

*still in his combat his combat form, Narrator runs full force at the
white ape holding Penultimate.  Jumping in the air, both fists crash
down on the apes head.  The wave of physical force fazes the ape and
he lets go of Penultimate.

Areson:  ohhhhh! Lemme finish him!  I wanna do it!  Me me me me meme
me me me me me.....

Oh, God, shut him up!

"Ok! Go for it"

Areson squeals and heads for the still dazed ape.

Areson:  hey. Ape.  You know......

*areson proceeded to talk what seemed like hours to the ape, and as
the ape tried to escape the onslaught of random tandem conversation,
Areson followed him still talking, not talking a breath.  The ape
finally ended it all by Jumpingof a cliff.....

Areson: why does everyone do that?

"I can't believe this side of me is coming in hand....I mean good job
Areson high five!"

[Celadon's Penultimate]

The Penultimate blinks, and pulls himself up off the ground, as his clones approach to regroup, "Well, um, thanks for that, Narrator. Really. 'Preciate it. Now. Anybody here have a way to get off this rock? Not sure if teleportation powers still work, but if so, somebody better come clean quick. Not much we can do about invaders, while stuck on this planet."

[Tsubasa & Wen Tien]

"I aleady sent Suzu off, so she should be back with help soon as well as enchanted weapons to use. Or it could take her awhile if she's having fun."

[Celadon's Penultimate]

The Penultimate sighs, "I'd send Brutus off to do something useful, but I don't know exactly how much good it'd do, what with having no weapons or items on me right now, and all. Though, now that I think about it...Brutus, how about you go scout out some place? Go, and see if we have anymore creatures approaching on the horizon."

"Yes, sire." Brutus turns to obey, but stops short, "Oof!"

"Hey, watch it, you!" comes an awkward voice, apparently from nowhere; for a brief second, a silhouette is visible, before fading again to invisibility.

[Philote]

"I have my gate to Haven" I state pointing to the floating door next to me.

"The gate houses the A.I that was controlling the PseudoCores that I was fighting Zale with, so its portal is still open. If we travel to Haven we can use my Gate network to get to the planet we want."

[Celadon's Penultimate]

"Sounds good, Phi." The Penultimate nods, "Only one problem. I think we have company we have to deal with first. Idn't that right, Brutus?"

The Penultimate reaches out a hand, and emits a pulse that reveals a presence that had yet remained undetected. Standing there, at about 4'8, is a being with jet-black skin, no mouth, a red shirt and a greenish helmet and battle skirt. And sneakers and gloves. Looking down, it seems to realize that it is no longer invisible. It looks up again and offers a weak wave.

"Erm...hello."

[Tsubasa & Wen Tien]

"And this little thing is what? A natural child of this planet's environment?"

[Celadon's Penultimate]

"I'm not sure." The Penultimate narrows his eyes, and points his right hand at the creature, telekinetically hoisting it five feet off the ground, "What are you, strange one? Glextt tiik namaang nu? Okki giina manana? Figomna ghes wa-whani?"

The Penultimate grew annoyed; apparently trying different Martian dialects was doing no good. If this last dialect meant nothing to the puny little twerp, he was growing tempted to blast him.

He grumbled, in the final Martian dialect he could recall at the moment, "Who are you? How many are you?"

"Ugh!" replied the Martian, before replying in perfect English, "Your skill for dialect could use a lot of work! Though, I must say I appreciate your effort. I am Marvin. Marvin the Martian, they call me. And, now, might I ask, who...er, what are you?"

[Tsubasa & Wen Tien]

"I am a Myhos. As for what the others are, I don't know."

[Zaleramancer]

"That was.."

I twist two wires together from my rapidly expanding junk pile.

".. Highly anticlimactic."

[Zaleramancer]

"Ask him if he's got a spare vorxian calibrator!"

[Celadon's Penultimate]

"Human. Mostly." The Penultimate answers, "And what, pray tell, is your purpose for trying to stalk us?"

Marvin replies, "Not stalk. Survey. You never can be too careful now, with all of these supercomputers running about. You see--"

"--Ask him if he's got a spare vorxian calibrator!" comes a shout from over the way.

"Have you got one of those?" The Penultimate repeats Zale's question, without looking back.

"Not on me, right now." Marvin replies, "Now, as I was saying--ahem, wait, why, exactly would you need one of those? Certainly, you aren't thinking of going after the impending cybernetic menace yourselves. Are you?"

[Ericus Europaeus (Bug)]

CONTENTS DELETED

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[Celadon's Penultimate]

(It was. I messaged him about it on Facebook. Hopefully that sort of business will not be a problem in the future.)