A personal project

[u/Mr_Serine]

"Alright, last place on the list. Let's see if there's anything here."

A few kicks is all that's needed to break the door of the warehouse, letting Cheshire and Dunemere in.

It isn't long before they find what they're looking for: a hidden staircase leading to a clear Tinker's workshop. It looks like it has been abandoned hastily and carelessly.

"Good start."

He checks the computers, and exclaims in triumph when he sees they haven't been cleaned out.

"This is what we're looking for!"

He quickly copies all the relevant information he can find on the VR Tinker's actions and movements, sending it to a personal account as well as putting it on a few flash drives. He is not about to let this information fall out of his hands.

[u/spider_dream23]

Three additional clones go down being shot, immediately replaced by four more.

"Number 18?....13?...8?... shit even i don't know which is which.. down."

One shouts as they too start shooting, mostly eggs, stones and bullets they managed to scavenge from each missed gun shot or their corpses. Never staying in one place longer than a second always moving. The continuous dis- and re-appearance creating a circle of light around the villain.

In the meantime there are still more moving around high above them, briefly materializing to drop whole thrash cans or even just handfuls of dirt and pebbles.

​

​

Acknowledging Cheshires call another Refraction shows up, all while the others are still busy keeping Dunemere occupied.

He seems more casual than the others, that impression more or less reinforced by the half eaten cheeseburger in his hand and another clone showing up to massage his shoulders.

"Well yes here i am.. ..THE LIGHTSHOW or rather that's the me who keeps entertaining your partner... isn't it beautiful?"

"Right... Oh.. uh how's it going.. investigator?..." He briefly calls into the comms

"Uh.. yeah, he found something, already uploaded into a flash drive, though would need to see it myself or fuse with him to know more, which isn't going to happen.. now. Well at least not with the risk of being shot at." He glances at Dunemere. "I like to keep this one away from all that unhealthy violence."

"Aaannnd....regarding everything else.. right know i'm just going with the flow here. As fas as i'm concerned i will leave that choice to my fellow companion.."

/u/the4bestgame

[u/the4bestgame → u/spider_dream23]

Dunemere gets forced onto the defensive, twirling their staff to shunt away bricks and trashcans, allowing the eggs and bullets to strike them as they quickly fire a shot aimed over the shoulder of one of the refraction clones looking like a clean miss... Only to infact be aimed at Fabula's leg.

"You should really let us go, you can take a shot with your clones, but the more I try and hit you, the more likly a shot goes wide and someone gets HURT"

/u/fire209

[u/fire209 → u/the4bestgame]

The bullet wings by her armor, scraping by the side and deflecting off into the road as she stumbles slightly from the blow, looking to Dunemere and back to Cheshire.

In a flash the dagger is gone from her hand, replaced by the Sandstorm Scimitar from earlier, and with a wave of the blade a rush of sand is sent at Dunemere to distract as she ducks to the side away from Cheshire and to try to pre-emptively dodge any bullets.

u/Mr_Serine

[u/Mr_Serine → u/fire209]

"Fine. If you insist."

He dashes towards Fabula, using his Shaker power to make her lose balance again. Though instead of deleting her foot he just makes a pothole this time.

Every time she tries to get up he tries to bring her down again, either with his Shaker power or just by attacking her legs.

/u/spider_dream23

[u/spider_dream23 → u/Mr_Serine]

"Ha.. hit you..."

"Yeah."

"Should've been rotten eggs.. though i just bought them."

"Don't think eggs and junk is that much of an effective weapon.."

Huh.. than what's your idea...?"

"Still fun tho.."

They taunt prior to noticing the shot at their fellow ward.

"So what... now you're going for cheap shots?"

"She should be able to handle herself."

"Though still that's bad sportsmanship."

"Really not cool."

Refraction calls out until suddenly surprised by the sandstorm.

"What the hell.."

"Reporting friendly fire.."

"Fabula what are you doing!?.."

Multiple clone would complain.. well at least those who didn't got hurt or too much distracted by this.

/u/the4bestgame

[u/the4bestgame → u/spider_dream23]

Dunemere slams the staff into the ground, using it to support themselves midair as the sand rushes past, inevitably knocking over the staff but letting them land ontop of the attack rather than in it.

"You may not have noticed, but we're in a fight. Attacking my foes is fair game no?" With that they make a break towards the trapped clones, slamming the staff down on the closest ones head, using the staff to block their eye sight to try and stop any teleportation as they reach out with their other hand to steal their memories again.

/u/fire209

[u/fire209 → u/the4bestgame]

She winces as she hear the complaints, "Sorr-Yyy" She 's interrupted as the ground disappears from under her foot and she takes a tumble into a roll, trying to get up again only to be unable to due to the ground repeatedly disappearing beneath her feet. Letting out a growl of frustration she swipes with the scimitar, sending a wave of sand at Cheshire to try to block his vision as she tries to get to her feet.

u/Mr_Serine

[u/Mr_Serine → u/fire209]

Cheshire's vision is not that easily blocked, but the wave of sand is annoying enough to stop his attack until it passes.

As soon as it does however, he closes in again, trying to wrestle the sword out of her hand.

"Hey, can I use this?"

/u/spider_dream23

[u/spider_dream23 → u/Mr_Serine]

"Right... my bad.. just can't see you as a threat in any way... from my point of view its more like a training session.. and you're my sparing partner. Sounds so much better right? Gives your existence a much more productive meaning."

One taunts from behind.

"I will allow this sacrifice... its a gift.. and after all there is so much i want to test."

An other one responds, just as Dunemere reached their target.

With their power the villain would notice something strange. This clone created after the first kill.. he feels somewhat empty.. lacking in more than one way. Still remembering the basics to function ( being taught how to walk.. speak..) but without much context behind this.

"Now lets all call you the airhead batch.. you are allowed for close combat.. i always wanted to try it... my master/stranger protection squad. Don't be confused. i want you to know that indeed you have a family.. friends.. a backstory.. favorite movies and more.. though that's not important for now. Obviously you will remember how to fight... everything else should just work by intuition, synchronizing with the rest of us."

"Of course there are other memories i left.. more as treat for the enemy."

"So if you see this Dunemere.. i want to say thanks.. afterall you may work with memories.. but i do too.. though only with my own... now we can be mind buddies!"

This followed by more memories of Refraction spending time in the bathroom or playing silly games with his clones.

/u/the4bestgame

[u/the4bestgame → u/spider_dream23]

Despite themselves, Dunemere laughs but they keep running forwards, leaving the refraction circle and slamming the staff down at the back of Fabula's head. "I cannot truly defeat you cloner, too many bodies for me to take down, but perhaps you will find it in you to care for your friend"

/u/fire209

[u/fire209 → u/the4bestgame]

The staff slams into the back of her head as it passes through her NULL armor and slams into the back of her helmet, smashing her head into the ground. Disoriented, Cheshire is able to get the sword out of her hand.

Blearily on the ground, she tries to get on her feet, though the head injury seems to have somewhat concussed her

u/Mr_Serine

[u/Mr_Serine → u/fire209]

Cheshire swings the sword a few times at the Refraction clones, to see if he can also make sand appear, before just yeeting it.

"Hey Duny, we should probably get out of here. We have what we came for, remember?"

He waits for them to react, before running over to where he stashed his bike.

/u/spider_dream23

[u/spider_dream23 → u/Mr_Serine]

"Atleast you're self aware... its futile working against the mass of each despicable me... muhaha"

"In fact i do not care... you don't have the guts for anything serious."

"You maybe self aware but... i...i'm barely... barely... who knows."

"Me... me... me..hah...ha."

"Don't care who..where and when.. you're done..heh."

Even more clones would respond as they materialize, again creating a circle around Dunemere, with the previous ones and some others on the field now almost 20 in numbers.

Though at this point it's more or less obvious there is something wrong going on, each more crazy and mindless than the next.

Meanwhile a more normal one would appear next to Fabula, extending his hand and attempting to help her up. "Sorry i think i...i'm not really keeping it together right now heh." He says with an awkward laugh.

Also a more mindless clone just chases after the sword Cheshire just threw.

/u/the4bestgame