ReBoots in Disguise!

[a1enzo]

Enzo really ought to be in sleep mode, but he's too fascinated by one of his gifts. It's easy enough for a sprite to find the indicated patterns in the lights on the ceiling, but he's much less clear on how, say, that group constitutes a dragon.

WARNING: INCOMING GAME. WARNING: INCOMING GAME.

Dude! This is the first Game since his birthday! And it's at night, too. What if everyone's asleep? What if no one makes it in? He can't know for sure. As a Guardian, he's obligated to enter that Game, by code and by duty.

Of course, he's out the window and halfway to the cube on his new boogie baud by the time he's finished thinking this...

Comments

[renegade-enzo.livejournal.com]

Matrix and AndrAIa'd had a long day earlier, so they'd spent the evening together in their apartment. And like most nights, they ended up sound asleep in their bed.

[nofileext]

Which probably makes it particularly annoying when a vidwindow pops up directly above it.

"Sir? Ma'am?" says one of the binomes on night shift in the PO, rather loudly. "We've got a Game approaching. Beverly Hills. Probably out toward the rim."

[renegade-enzo.livejournal.com]

Matrix winces and leans up to look at the vidwindow.

"Got it," he mumbles. "Be there in a nano." He closes the vidwindow and turns to AndrAIa, giving her a bit of a nudge.

"Whose turn is it?" he says tiredly.

Andi mumbles a bit, before saying a bit louder, "Yours."

Matrix grumbles a bit. "Frag it. Oh well. I'll be back soon." He stands and double clicks his icon to get dressed as he heads out to his massive motorcycle waiting out front, prepared to head off to intercept the game before it lands.

[command_dot_com]

Tonight... Dot elected to block all communications with the office. She and Bob had wanted a night together without someone calling every sixteen nanos, for it's very hard to be romantic in any way, shape, or form when someone's complaining about the forms that haven't been filled out properly. If they try to vidwindow, they'll only get an away message.

"Mmmmmm..."

[mendanddefend_archive]

"Oh, yeahhhhh..."

[command_dot_com]

WARNING: INCOMING GAME. WARNING: INCOMING GAME.

"..Oh.."

[mendanddefend_archive]

Bob rolls his eyes. "Figures." He looks to the door and back to Dot. "Think we can make it in time?"

[command_dot_com]

"Only if we start moving now..." Doesn't that just FIGURE.

Dot sits up reaching for her icon and tapping it twice to get dressed in a hurry.

[l33t-mouse.livejournal.com]

Mouse and Ray have a good excuse for not being around: they're visiting Mouse's mother. The fact that she's still wanted by the Guardian Collective won't keep Mouse from taking her boyfriend home to meet the family.

Ray learns a few interesting things on this trip, in roughly the following order:


1. Mouse's mother Lula used to be a working girl in an establishment called "The I/O Buffer," and is now the madam there.

2. The figure and the purple skin come from Mouse's mom's side of the family: her fangs and hair come from her father.

3. Lula has a "Wanted" poster for Mouse hung up on her bedroom wall. She is very proud of her daughter's accomplishments.

4. The estimable madam does not know how to wield swords, but she does know how to kill someone with nothing more than a knitting needle. This little factoid came up during dinner conversation.

[renegade-enzo.livejournal.com]

Matrix seems to be the only one heading to the Game, although Frisket apparently tagged along on the way there.

He isn't really worried about it, though. He doesn't expect this Game to be too hard even on his own, and Frisket being there just makes it that much easier.

They make it to the Game easily, and watch as its environment loads up. Looked like some sorta sci-fi game. He'll have a better idea when he reboots.

Although, before he gets a chance to, Frisket starts sniffing around as though he's found something.

"What is it, boy?"

[a1enzo]

From around a corner, a voice cries "Neat!"

Enzo has come to the same conclusion as Matrix. It's all very mechanical and blocky. Lots of hard edges. He wonders if there'll be laser traps.

[renegade-enzo.livejournal.com]

Matrix turns the corner to see his younger self standing there.

He almost asks why he's there, but then, he remembers: Right, he's a cadet now. Can't say that anymore.

"Hey kid," he calls out. "You ready?"

[a1enzo]

In the moment he sees Matrix, Enzo braces himself for a scolding, or at least some annoyed grumbling.

It does not come.

Can this be... acceptance?

Glowing with pride, Enzo salutes the... well, senior cadet. "Yes, sir!"

[renegade-enzo.livejournal.com]

They eventually figured out the goal of this Game: Infiltrate the enemy base and eliminate the leader of the User's team of robots.

Right now, Sound.WAV and his two companions are getting started on the first part of that mission. The larger robot himself is using his advanced optic sensors to zoom in and searching for possible ways in as they stood on a hill in the strange, metal landscape.

"Possible infiltration point at 1.97 klicks south by southwest."

[a1enzo]

Track nods and trudges downhill. "Wish we were the kind of robots with rockets in the feet. Hey!" he cries, pointing to a Game sprite some way distant. "That one just turned into a car!"

[renegade-enzo.livejournal.com]

Rollover looks over at the other robot, and looks like he's considering something for a moment. A moment later, he transforms into a motorcycle with way too many weapons (although Sound.WAV would probably argue that it was a perfectly fine amount).

He looks proud about this latest accomplishment...or, at least, as much as a motorcycle can look proud.

"Excellent work," says Sound.WAV. It's...probably his way of saying 'Good boy'.

He takes a seat on the vehicle, and waits for Track to hop on too.

[a1enzo]

"That is so not fair!" Still... man that's cool. "What a dog!"

Um... hmm. He's a pretty large motorcycle, but Sound.WAV is a really large robot. "I don't think there's room!"

[renegade-enzo.livejournal.com]

They quickly make their way to the side of the base. Sound.WAV hops off, and Rollover transforms back into his canine form. The two start sneaking along to where they could just barely see a group of enemy robots accessing a nearby entrance.

"Confirm identity," says a voice from the panel.

One of the enemies step forward. "Sunstreaker, ID #78381-774"

"Identity confirmed," the panel chimes in again.

Luckily Sound.WAV had been recording the whole time. He waits for the enemies to enter the base before heading towards the door that had just closed.

"Confirm identity," the voice from the panel says once more.

[a1enzo]

"Sunstreaker, ID #78381-774" Track declares in the voice of the User-bot.

"Identity confirmed." The door slides open.

"Yes!" Track whispers in his own voice. This stupid alt-form actually has a use!

[renegade-enzo.livejournal.com]

"Proceed with next phase of the operation," says Sound.WAV, heading through the door with Rollover tagging along.

Here's where things get interesting.

[a1enzo]

"Do I gotta stay in here? It's boring!"

He's so much more mature since his birthday, isn't he?

[renegade-enzo.livejournal.com]

A few more nanos of sneaking around the base, and they've nearly reached their objective, judging from the ever increasing number of enemies they've fought.

At the end of the hall is a pair of enemies guarding the doorway to the leader of the User's group of robots. Sound.WAV dispatches them easily with a couple shots from his blaster, and charges through the door.

[a1enzo]

Track hangs back. "Rollover, run!" The dog stares at him in consternation. "We'll handle this one without you! I've got something I want to try, but you have to leave! Go as far as you can!" Rollover barks acknowledgement and charges back down the corridor.

Satisfied that he won't be hurting Rollover, Track clanks into the final chamber.

[renegade-enzo.livejournal.com]

Within the room is a command center. A number of enemies lie within, protecting their leader, who is sitting at a central command chair.

They quickly spot the two intruders, and begin to open fire on them.

"Now!" Sound.WAV yells to Track as he tries to avoid the blasts, taking a few potshots at the enemy and opening his chest compartment.

[a1enzo]

Track zaps hastily at the nearest enemy and launches himself at Sound.WAV, collapsing as he does, and lands neatly in the slot. "Top volume!" he hollers as it closes.