You find yourself in E1M1

[foq]

>Use Stem Cell research to get Grandpa Ray out of his wheelchair and back to kicking ass

[metchsteekle]

>fix the broken hook

[MadGypsy]

>do something

[Kliffington]

It sounds like you guys are playing this game: DoomRL - Doom, the Roguelike: downloads

[Shadowswift]

Our demon (forgot his name) hasn't been in action in a while, whatever someone else pulses you to do (adventure-wise), bring ....(fuk still cant remember his name) our demon.

While Darkscythe is a little teary-eyed that you forgot his name, he stands at your side, loyalty unwavering.

Darkscythe has joined your party!

Still need a companion. Phoenix or Velen?

>Seems like you can't learn much about Alchemy here. Find out what you can and head off.

You ask the surviving scribes what they know about Alchemy and its relation to The Force.
"An interesting question." says Irish. "Though my knowledge on either subject is rather limited, it is possible that there is some correlation between the Force and Alchemy. Though most authorities in modern science don't even count Alchemy as a valid study since its been proven that all matter is not made up from earth, fire, water, and air, there is sufficient proof of ancient civilizations being able to bend those elements to their will. It may not have been Alchemy at all. Perhaps they were just talented Force users that found out how to manipulate the Elements through use of The Force. It's a thought-provoking theory, Captain. If you find out that it holds any water, you might consider a career in the scientific field." Whatever...it seems that any answers you seek in this matter lie with that book back at Fallen HQ. You mark it in your Side Quests.

Side Objective accepted: "Open Book Test"

> stock up on health and ammo and misc.

You talk to this Major Davis guy and ask what help he can offer.
"From what I understand, all this shit here in this box was stuff the General shipped to you and Lieutenant Stockton while you were in the Elder Dimension. We found it on the Slipgate when we first got here. Have at it." Sweet.

You got:
A Pair of Laser-Sharpened Titanium Fiend's Claws
Twin Crystal Laser Strogg Flyer Cannons
(10) Stimpaks
(5) Medikits
(2) Medic's Bags
Enough Shells, Nails, Cells, and Shadow Plasma to max out you, Phoenix, Velen, and SFX.
(20) Rockets
(50) 30-06 Rifle Rounds

Score. All this crap should really come in handy.

I feel like building something

>inventory

Yay!!

-Inventory-
-Ammo-
(100) Shells
(200) Nails
(20) Rockets
(100) Energy Cells
(200) Shadow Plasma Cells
(54) 30-06 Rifle Rounds
-Weapons-
Maglite
Riot Baton
Reaper’s Scythe
Blaster Pistol
10 Gauge Pump Shotgun
Nailgun
Lightspark Rifle
Plasma Rifle Prototype
R700 (scoped)
Grenade Rifle
-Consumables-
(13) Stimpaks
(5) Medikits
(2) Medic's Bags
Unopened Bottle of Water
Candy Bar
-Misc-
A Pair of Laser-Sharpened Titanium Fiend's Claws
Twin Crystal Laser Strogg Flyer Cannons
Map of E1M1's Security Grid
Map of E2M1’s Security Network
Map of E3M1’s Security Layout
USB cable
Scrap Electronics
Box of Paperclips
Teddy Bear
Cellphone
Harddrive
Pencil

-Phoenix's Inventory-
-Ammo-
(100) Shells
(200) Nails
(100) Energy Cells
(200) Shadow Plasma Cells
(10) 30-06 Rounds
Charge = 100/100
-Weapons-
Grappling Hook (broken)
Maglite
Badly-Bloodied Hand Axe
Fireman’s Axe (charged)
Plasma Pistol
REALLY Super Shotgun
Enforcer's Blaster Rifle
Lightspark Rifle
Thunderbolt
-Consumables-
Biosuit
(1) Pristine Void Armor
(2) Stimpak
(4) Dream Water Stims
-Misc-
Burlap Sack
-(12) Shadow Crystals
USB Flashdrive
Fully-Stocked Toolbox
Complex Networking for Dummies Manual
Rune of Fire Magic
Rune of Wind Magic
Rune of Water Magic

-The DKC's Inventory-
-Ammo-
(100) Shells
(200) Nails
(100) Energy Cells
-Weapons-
Grappling Hook
Commander’s Sword
Lightspark Rifle
-Misc-
(2) Bunch of Slipgate Parts
Slipgate Fuse

-SFX's Inventory-
-Ammo-
(100) Shells
(200) Nails
(100) Energy Cells

>fix the broken hook

While you have all your stuff laid out before you, you help Phoenix fix his severed Grappling Hook. Woot! You also make a mental note to use Phoenix's USB Flashdrive to update your Console's software to give it the RADAR ability...if you ever find your Console, that is. Now, then...what to build, what to build? Oh, the possibilities are endless!

>do something

You do something...something so amazing, it inspires great hope for the world and all its inhabitants. The homeless are now sheltered. The hungry are now fed. The impoverished are now wealthy. Humans of all faiths, backgrounds, cultures, creeds, and nationalities are uniting in peace thanks to what you just did. Future generations will be writing ballads and epic poems about what you just did. Your followers and others around you look at you with awe-struck gazes of utter admiration, now even more so than before. You feel highly accomplished!

>Use Stem Cell research to get Grandpa Ray out of his wheelchair and back to kicking ass

Stem Cell research has been outlawed in Quake. Turns out the Elder Gods were actually Pro-Life...

Never fear. Your ass-kicking days are far from numbered. You were kicking ass and chewing gum long before that douchebag Duke Nukem, and judging by his last game, you'll be doing it long after, too.



>

[MadGypsy]

>Tell Pheonix to:
1) Upload physics to the hard-drive and network it to ALL consoles
2) disassemble the flyer cannons (I don't even know what that is) and reassemble them to be mini thrust packs. One on each side of the bear. One facing down and one at about a 45 degree angle.
2a) experiment with optimal balance, spin and forward thrust.
2b) weight the bear with some junk if necessary.
3) use scrap electronics to connect physics drive to the mini thrust packs
5) afix claws to the end of the bears arms

:: Teddy RuxSPIN has been added to your inventory?



except with thrust packs for mobility that are controlled by the physics drive and commands from your console. It's attacks use the laws of physics to send the bear into a spin, hence extending the arms and sending a spinning teddy bear claw helicopter at the enemy.

Maybe experiment with any rods you may have gotten off of the cannons to add more integrity to the arms.

[[i could have written this better but I dont have the time...I believe the spirit of what I'm saying is clear.]]

[Shadowswift]

>Tell Pheonix to:
1) Upload physics to the hard-drive and network it to ALL consoles
2) disassemble the flyer cannons (I don't even know what that is) and reassemble them to be mini thrust packs. One on each side of the bear. One facing down and one at about a 45 degree angle.
2a) experiment with optimal balance, spin and forward thrust.
2b) weight the bear with some junk if necessary.
3) use scrap electronics to connect physics drive to the mini thrust packs
5) afix claws to the end of the bears arms

You affix the hard-drive into the bear and connect it to the console's network. Phoenix uses some junk and scrap electronics to create a motion skeleton for the bear. The cannons and claws are upgrades for SFX and Darkscythe respectively, so you opt not to use those on the bear. As you add a cell to the bear, it comes to life! You discover quickly that the hard-drive has an AI installed onto it. The bear gives you a look, then Phoenix, then you again, and says. "....so...who the fuck are you two? Got any weed?"


Ted has joined your party.




Ted has only 25 health, and cannot wear armor or carry inventory. He can use small weapons like pistols and one-handed melee weapons, though his strength and skill are minimal. He makes for good conversation and comic relief, however. Ted is neither companion nor pet, thus can be in your party at any time.



>

[MadGypsy]

[[lol
@-"You discover quickly that the hard-drive has an AI installed onto it."
riiiiiight - that's totally believable.]]

> explain everything to Ted and ask him what we should do next.

[H1CC]

Chasing Shadows that have no apparent source

((You D and D'd with the original guys from id Software, didn't you, Death Knight? ))
((On to impulses. ))
> Strap Ted to the back of SFX so they can fly
(Ted is lightweight and can probably pack a punch should enmies get close up to SFX as he/she/it flies around in combat)
> Ask Velen and DarkScythe to try and regain contact with any Quake minions not corrupted by shadows (and still allied for the time being with mankind)
They should be able to help around base and keep the other soldiers informed and generally hang out until you get back to help them back into Quake's non-base areas
> Bring Lietenant Stockton (Phoenixxx! yell and begin makin' plans with him... trying not to boss him around so much, sheesh) and then SFX with Ted strapped to his back
> Inquire back to any D&R officers that may be at HQ (Earth is fallen but not irrecoverable) about the nature of SFX's technology and how the hell a full AI was on the hard drive
(It was in that computer, not far from Long's posessions, was he involved in AI?)
Then dig deeper just a bit to see if anyoen of thes D&R folks can explain why this SFX... even without a brain... still seems to bear some form of sentience...
> Get rid of items in satchels that aren't useful for combat or jury-rigging other inventory items (Why are you still carrying a pencil? And don't you still have one flashbang left? )
> See if you can't find anything out about turning the Corrupted Crystals carrying that eviiil Shadow energy from dark into light... if you still have them
> Try to find Ray's console... it must have dropped somewhere when eh crossed the line into near full corruption back at Termination Central
> If Ray's scythe from the Reaper is still around... Try and get to that...
> Have engineers back at HQ (now e1m1) fix up a slipgate from the scrap parts of the exit slipgate (not the one leading back to home which should still be disabled) and other dismantled parts.
Phoenix should come in handy here, he's been out of practice with more sophisticated hardware, instead Jury-rigging a lot.
> When you finally get that Scythe back bring DKC and DarkScythe in and transport them to the bases where Ray and DKC first met...
Make sure you have them on Console link at all times so should they get caught in a trap or something you can swoop in and get 'em out of there.
DKC and DarkScythe should probably spend more quality time toghether... hehehe...
He isn't just Ray and Phoenix's 'Pet', after all.
> See if DarkScythe can learn Kaio-Ken but make sure he doesn't over-exert himself the first few times (even stimpacks are hard to come by)
> See if you can't engineer some sort of of partly concealed, turret-defended, password-proteceted mainframes and then have a sophisticated network of them set up around the more important non-base levels of Quake
> Make sure nobody is about to bust in with any Reese's Puffs Cereal references
> Don't forget your flashlights 'cause there's still a lotta dark out there
> When heals/repairs, stocking up, and giving away the less usuable junk (still left after makin' Ted) to HQ to do whatever with is all done...
And a relible way back into Quake can be found (that isn't just to some random part of the Nether)...
head out with Phoenix by Ray's side and SFX with Ted piggypacking securely following close behind
> stop by that Healing Pool again and fill up on 'Magic Juice' on the way to Hell's Atrium again
> make a B-line for the silver key area but use grappling hooks as much as can be without wearing them out--
we need to save time because as soon as we move out the enemy will probably have detected the presence again--
and even though they probably could tell some sort of planning was going on back at HQ as soon as the next move into Quake is made the Shadows will more than likely be on the move
> skip past the entrance to the nameless city seeing as the work there is done
aside from photographing a lot of runes there... it is a runekeep, after all, unlike other ealier levels on the path to it from the Sewage Complex
but either way if the ensuing battles don't freakin' kill us then we'll have all the time in the world to examine the runes afterwards and even if we could learn more for weapons we may not have time to go back and forth to HQ with snapped photos...
> bottleneck any narrow hallways just after the entrance as soon as the next level is entered... so whatever is on the other side can't get much closer without having to regroup its forces a little giving you more time to examine the next area
> have SFX quitely peer out the side opening without him or Ted bein' seen... flashlights off, then on if nothing is heard at first, then back
> and then Ray was into the oncoming fray
> be sure to check any corpses left less than fully destroyed for pickups and any corpses at all for KEYS, KEYS, KEYS because melting through locks is time-consuming (and not always do-able anyway)
> be on guard for the next big Shadow thing to try to make a surpise attack.
That last serpent thing was even more powerful than the Elder Gods and even those were freakin' Elder Gods even higher-powered by Shadow energy
There's no telling if even one that much more powerful Shadow thing was 'prepared' for the party
(after all the shadow things are really biazarre in form, resembling conflagrations of limbs, someone may be recombinating mutliple 'corrupted' individuals...)
and if there was a 'suprise' attack from the thing would probably be even that much more deadly than an anticipated one. Just don't lose focus of seeking Azure Agony until one shows up if it does...
> If any areas appear to be a trap then don't rush into it-- You've managed victory yourself-- maybe one of the enemy Shadows' leaders will try to 'trap you' in revenge...
> Keep a move on and try to think as you along... if you can't do that... don't stop to think until somethin' that important comes up
> Don't forget that some heartless bastard stole your grapes... but don't get too distracted by it... 'cause after Protos is defeated and junk and Earth is restored you'll have all the time in the world to MAKE THEM PAY and more weapons for it in all likelihood
((I know this is a lot of forethought to go on for what is normally supposed to be quick decision-based Impulses and a lot at once to boot))
((I'm pretty sure when time permits Death Knight you can think up somethin' that can tie all this into Ray and Co. making a plan for action and executing it without too much feeling pre-written))

[Shadowswift]

[[Holy shit, mang. That's gonna take a while to compute...
Edit: wow, you've really read this thing through, i can tell there was no skimming here! Thanks for taking the time to read it]]

[MadGypsy]

[[the end... lol]]

[Shadowswift]

((You D and D'd with the original guys from id Software, didn't you, Death Knight? ))

[[Don't I wish! No, I was only like...13 or 14 when the original id Software broke apart.]]
Alright...here we go!

> explain everything to Ted and ask him what we should do next.

You explain the entire situation to Ted and bring him up to speed, then ask him for some insight.
"Uhh....hm. Well, you should ask yehself. What would Flash Gordon do?" Hm...what WOULD Flash Gordon do? You ponder on this for a moment. "Here's what I think yeh should do. Get yehself a big-ass gun, I mean a really frikkin big-ass gun..." Phoenix shows Ted his REALLY Super Shotgun. Ted's eyes widen. "Whoa. Yeah, that's a pretty big gun." You explain that the shotguns alone aren't enough to win this fight. "Ah crap. Oh we should get some cotton candy!" How exactly would that help...? "Help? Help what? It's cotton candy, you idiot....ooh. Right, the fight..." Nevermind...

> Strap Ted to the back of SFX so they can fly

You weld a small seat belt to SFX and tell Ted to climb aboard. Ted can now ride upon SFX and fly around with you. When SFX is not in the party, Ted can ride around on Darkscythe instead.

> Ask Velen and DarkScythe to try and regain contact with any Quake minions not corrupted by shadows. They should be able to help around base and keep the other soldiers informed and generally hang out until you get back to help them back into Quake's non-base areas

You tell Velen to contact what's left of his minions and inform them that they'll be making a move to E1M1. "As you wish, master...but won't that leave The Installation defenseless?" True...but you don't really need that base at the moment. You've cleared it of any Shadow presence, though they could always re-invade and take it back. Oh well...there isn't much they have to gain by taking that base. You scythe over to E2M1 and create a mass exodus of Quake minions. Soon enough, The Slipgate Complex, now the Slipgate Headquarters' own standing army is bolstered by the remainder of Quake's minions. The two factions stare each other down only briefly before you remind them all that they are on the same side for now. They resume their directives of patrolling and guarding the base.

> Bring Lietenant Stockton and then SFX with Ted strapped to his back

Ok. You tell Darkscythe to stay. SFX (and Ted) and Phoenix stand at your side.

Darkscythe has left your party.
Phoenix has joined your party!
SFX has joined your party!

> Inquire back to any D&R officers that may be at HQ about the nature of SFX's technology and how the hell a full AI was on the hard drive. Then dig deeper just a bit to see if anyoen of thes D&R folks can explain why this SFX... even without a brain... still seems to bear some form of sentience...

You inquire to the brightest of them, Master Scribe Brian Irish. "It is unusual, isn't it? But it's not unheard of. AI's in this day and age can actually be programmed to learn and reason. Also keep in mind that even a few years ago an entire hard drive from two decades ago could fit on a memory chip smaller than a dime. Technology these days has advanced even further. Even the smallest of modern hard drives can hold several terrabytes worth of data. As for SFX and Ted, their AIs are quite advanced. My guess is that they have been connected to the world wide web for some time now. They've had ample time to learn and develop themselves into the quote-unquote personalities that they seem to be. As for why Ted's AI was on a number crunching computer's hard drive, I can't explain that one. Perhaps there was more to this PFC Long than we realize."


[[Cont.]]

[Shadowswift]

> Get rid of items in satchels that aren't useful for combat or jury-rigging other inventory items

Well, lets see...the pencil is about the only relatively useless thing you're carrying. Those three maps you have aren't much use anymore either. You toss those four things away. (No, no more flashbangs...bummer.)

> See if you can't find anything out about turning the Corrupted Crystals carrying that eviiil Shadow energy from dark into light... if you still have them

Yeah, you still have them. You've not even the slightest idea how to turn them from Shadow to Light. You consider firing your Lightspark Rifle at them. It helped turn you from Dark back to Light...might have the same effect on the crystal. You ask Phoenix to lay one of them on the ground. You fire several bolts of Light at the crystal. The bolts successfully drain the crystal of any darkness...but they fail at turning it to Light. Now, it's just a harmless Empty Crystal. Perhaps a purer form of Light could accomplish this task? But you're not sure.

> Try to find Ray's console... it must have dropped somewhere when eh crossed the line into near full corruption back at Termination Central.

Nah, you turned from Ray to The Captain not too far from the very spot you're standing on, actually. Your console is likely lying on the ground somewhere in E4M8, discarded after you realized that the military could track you with it. You'd like to simply slip in there, grab it, and slip out...but you don't know exactly where it is, and you don't know who or what might be waiting for you there...too risky to go right now.

> If Ray's scythe from the Reaper is still around... Try and get to that...

You still have it! You're not letting go of this baby.

> Have engineers back at HQ fix up a slipgate from the scrap parts of the exit slipgate and other dismantled parts. Phoenix should come in handy here, he's been out of practice with more sophisticated hardware, instead Jury-rigging a lot.

You call Velen and the Science Department Scribes to the exit Slipgate. You tell Velen to hand over all the Slipgate Parts he's carrying to the Scribes. You tell Phoenix to spear-head this project. With his leadership and the combined knowledge of the remnants of the Science Department, they errect a fully-functioning Slipgate in no time. Where should you direct it to?

> When you finally get that Scythe back bring DKC and DarkScythe in and transport them to the bases where Ray and DKC first met...
Make sure you have them on Console link at all times so should they get caught in a trap or something you can swoop in and get 'em out of there.
DKC and DarkScythe should probably spend more quality time toghether... hehehe...
He isn't just Ray and Phoenix's 'Pet', after all.

Ooookaayyy....you dismiss Phoenix and SFX and call Velen and Darkscythe to your side.

Phoenix and SFX have left your party.
Velen and Darkscythe join your party!

You scythe over to the bunker below The Installation and leave Velen and Darkscythe there.

Velen and Darkscythe have left your party

> See if DarkScythe can learn Kaio-Ken but make sure he doesn't over-exert himself the first few times (even stimpacks are hard to come by)

Darkscythe is far too bestial and lacks the human intellect to use Kaio-Ken.

> See if you can't engineer some sort of of partly concealed, turret-defended, password-proteceted mainframes and then have a sophisticated network of them set up around the more important non-base levels of Quake

It's a good idea, except right now, you can't think of any important non-base levels of Quake. With the exception of E1M1, you don't particularly care about protecting the rest of this dimension. Earth is your primary concern.

> Make sure nobody is about to bust in with any Reese's Puffs Cereal references

You will fucking KILL anyone that dares!!! ANYONE!!!

> Don't forget your flashlights 'cause there's still a lotta dark out there

Got em!

> When heals/repairs, stocking up, and giving away the less usuable junk to HQ to do whatever with is all done...
And a relible way back into Quake can be found head out with Phoenix by Ray's side and SFX with Ted piggypacking securely following close behind

Phoenix and SFX join your party!

You take them and scythe back into the depths of the Elder Dimension.

> stop by that Healing Pool again and fill up on 'Magic Juice' on the way to Hell's Atrium again

Your first stop is the Healing Pool. You and your party take a drink from the pool, refreshing themselves. You also take a couple of your stimpaks, empty them out and fill them up with the healing water.

You create (2) Dream Water Stims!

> make a B-line for the silver key area but use grappling hooks as much as can be without wearing them out--
we need to save time because as soon as we move out the enemy will probably have detected the presence again--
and even though they probably could tell some sort of planning was going on back at HQ as soon as the next move into Quake is made the Shadows will more than likely be on the move

You scythe back to Hell's Atrium and dash to the hidden exit portal behind the Silver Door. You take a deep breath and step through.

[Loading...]

You and your party arrive in the Nameless City...

> skip past the entrance to the nameless city seeing as the work there is done
aside from photographing a lot of runes there... it is a runekeep, after all, unlike other ealier levels on the path to it from the Sewage Complex
but either way if the ensuing battles don't freakin' kill us then we'll have all the time in the world to examine the runes afterwards and even if we could learn more for weapons we may not have time to go back and forth to HQ with snapped photos...

You zip past the entrance and into the courtyard. To your great relief, it's...completely empty. There are no Shadows here. They all fled after Phoenix took over The Captain's body and used it to decimate hundreds upon hundreds of them. You remember taking a few pictures of some runes by the portal...you haven't seen any different once since then, but just as your impulse implies, there will most assuredly be more of them in this city of a runekeep. However, what dangers will you have to go through to get to them?

> bottleneck any narrow hallways just after the entrance as soon as the next level is entered... so whatever is on the other side can't get much closer without having to regroup its forces a little giving you more time to examine the next area

You stay close to your followers. You take up your Plasma Rifle. Phoenix takes up his Thunderbolt. You and Phoenix give your two pistols to Ted, and SFX readies his cannons. You prepare yourselves to rain down holy hellfire upon any unfortunate bastard that crosses you. With such firepower at your disposal, no one will be foolish enough to defy you.

[[Cont.]]

[Shadowswift]

> have SFX quitely peer out the side opening without him or Ted bein' seen... flashlights off, then on if nothing is heard at first, then back

You order SFX to scout around quietly, and to stay close to the walls. You also tell Ted to keep his mouth shut for now.
"A stealth mission? Awwwesome! I'll be like a ninja! Like, hyah! Waahh, HA!" He begins to perform a series of what he believes to be ninja moves. You repeat your order to be QUIET! "Oh...right. Ninjas don't talk!" He promptly shuts up, while continuing to strike a ninja-esque pose. SFX hovers quietly and slowly around the corner to the right. It's very dark in this hallway. SFX returns, reporting that no hostiles were in range. It also reports a splinter hallways off to the right. You and Phoenix follow, investigating the hallway for yourselves.

> and then Ray was into the oncoming fray

You decide to throw stealth to the wind as you charge forward.
Welcome, children. I was wondering when you'd show up. Stockton, you look a little surprised to see me! And my dear dear Captain...aren't you happy to see your good buddy Protos again?
Shit...this fight isn't supposed to happen yet!
"You can't be here!" Phoenix shouts. "I saw you destroyed by The Serpent!" Protos chuckles. Shadows are immune to Shadow Plasma, boy...just as The Captain was when he decimated the inhabitants of this once-great city. Though he wasn't a exactly a Shadow, my Corrupted are surprisingly resistant to any Shadow Plasma. His cloak, the one he stole from my former champion The Reaper, increased his resilience to the point of peerlessness. A pure Shadow like myself, however, is completely immune to even the strongest Shadow Plasma, even that as powerful as the stuff The Serpent was using. I can assure you, however, young Stockton, that I won't be as easy to destroy as it was...especially since you don't have your Death Knight with you.
Fuck...he's right. Without Velen's sword, this will be a difficult fight. You'll have to beat Protos on your own steam without any powerups. However, with the kind of firepower your collected party is packing, even Protos will have a tough time handling it. Time for revenge! You and your party ready their guns. Protos, ready and willing to fight to the death, pulls out his out gun.
"Shit...I remember that gun. The Shadowpulse Plasmabolt Cannon...it's the one he used to destroyed the near-invincible Elder God Vol Balgruth. Ray! Don't let it touch you!" Phoenix's eyes burn with a mix of determination and fear. Your lieutenant's fiery resolve bolsters your own. Even with his frightening gun, Protos can't defeat you. You initiate combat by locking site on Protos and laying down on your Plasma Rifle's trigger. Bright blue plasma screams forth from the gun's muzzel. Phoenix opens up with his Thunderbolt. White lightning explodes from the mighty rifle. SFX commenses his assault by raining down red-orange laser blasts upon your foe. Even Ted begins attacking with your pistols, both Blaster and Plasma, all the while shouting obsenities and famous catch-phrases from various action and western movies. Amidst the fire, however, you swear you hear laughter. You look up...Protos is still standing! After all the punishment you and your party has unloaded? Wait a minute...Protos, or more correctly, what looked like Protos, is beginning to vanish. Shit. That bastard knows the After Image ability...meaning he is considerably swift on his feet. You'll just have to be faster.
"Captain, behind you!" You spin around. Protos strikes you with the butt of his rifle, sending you reeling across the floor. Ouch!

You lose 15 health and 10 armor

He's strong, too...Damn, you wish you knew Kaio-Ken as well as Phoenix does...but that'll have to wait. Even without Kaio-Ken, you're a much better fighter than Phoenix is. You flip to your feet and raise your rifle.
"Captain...!" You spin around, rifle first. The business-end of your Plasma Rifle strikes Protos in the face. Gotcha! Protos staggers backward before he catches his balance and leaps away.
Very good, Ray. You've become very powerful, even without my blessing of Shadow magic. I expect this will be a glorious fight!
Whatever. You continue your assault, chasing Protos around the small, dark room with the large, tubular tunnel way in the floor. You aim and fire the moment you can catch a glimpse of him, but he always gets away just in the nick of time, using an After Image to confuse you and slow you down. It finally happens that you falter in your step, thanks to a loose stone in the floor. Protos uses this split second to turn on you and fire with his very large gun. The bolt of Shadow Plasma rips through you, leaving a huge pain spike in your stomach. Oh my fuck shit!!

You lose 65 health and 50 soul armor

Whoa...that really hurt...felt like it went right through your cloak. Crap. You may be in over your head. You've gotta decommission that gun of his or you may not last much longer. Ideas?


>


[[The rest of those Impulses will be played after the fight concludes]]

[H1CC]

> Check inventory... all of it. Even folks not in your party right now... Even normally 'empty' inventory lists such as the 'inventory' of characters that can't really carry that category of things...
> As soon as there is a break in the combat and the very next moment of quiet breaks out... hook to the ceiling (or nearest ceiling) and stay hooked... descend to the floor very slowly (and keep SFX with Ted on back level)...
> Ask Protos if he can still read minds like he did before... don't wait too long for an answer.
> Plan 'talking out loud'... talkin' frantically (but not yellin' like in Trench warfare)... to have SFX peer around the corner again after Protos and fire a couple of shots, then jump around the corner and give 'em hell, and then... cast these plans aside.
Whispering, but still, tell SFX and Ted and Phoenix about a change of plans... and raise back up to the ceiling on the grapple hooks to 'duck for cover' in the opposite direction that would probably be expected considering the 'jump around the corner' implied before.
If Protos attempts to pre-empt this move... it means he is still a mind-reader
(he probably just won't tell you if he can still read minds... and even if he did he probably might have been lying... so we should use both impulses here)
Protos may be able to 'read minds' about not following your own plans as well as the plans themselves but it's presumable he will notice the out-loud portion better than the 'quiet' portion.
> Keep firing as long as Protos is firing... but don't shoot first... YET.
> Give a power cell or two to Ted to hold on to realll tight. Tell ted to stick 'em in SFX's socket 'soon as he gets hit more than a bit and has to back off again. Hopefully Ted knows a thing or two about 'putting blocks in matching shaped holes' and Phoneix can figure out the rest as needed.
> any breaks in shots should be used to pop a few medpacks/stimpacks as needed...
> don't go below half remaining medpacks/stimpacks you entered the level with... unless Ray or Phoneix's health drops below 1/4 full maximum... and don't use medpacks to heal back to 'full health' if they heal more than the distance from current health to maximum
((I take it you don't like handling many impulses at once... Well maybe not you yourself but the Story you got here doesn't seem too compliant with a more verbose series of impulses))
((I'll see if I can't keep 'em in short bursts for now. Let me know if this is still too much at once))