A Dark Future

[Jello Shot Mischa]

When his vision returned, he was in a very different place. Chained in a leotard not far from her, was Rosetta. She was also chained to a wall.

"Engage the energy confinement device." A woman's voice called out. A thin green light surrounded Mischa, like a bubble.

"Mischa! Do something!" Rosetta pleaded.

Mischa groans, feeling disoriented for a few moments as he apparently returns to conciousness. He staggers to his feet, as he groggily takes stock of his surroundings, his eyes widening as he spots Rosetta. "R... Rosetta! What's going on?" he shouts, glancing around for the source of the woman's voice. He isn't entirely sure what (if any) of his abilities may function in the field, but if Rosetta is in trouble...

[Just some lady]

"...
Interesting.

There is a -klink- as a woman descends, touching down next to the blindfolded lady with a minimum of fuss.

"You will have to excuse me. My network has weakened in recent years. Just what is this?" She nods, indicating the mirror.

[Harri-chan]

Ellie winced as the man bellowed at her in that frightening voice. She felt so... exposed. The outfit didn't let her hide what had become of her body in the slightest. "I already told your friend with the robots, I don't know where she is. I only just got here! I'm not who you think I am!", she tried to explain.

[Raleigh]

Hm.. well I suppose I would like to know what you can share about your 'Deck' organization and how the territory is split up. Beyond that I suppose its just any key things I should go check out.

[Bigmouthstrikes]

Dact grins. "Wonderful... tell me what you know on where I'm being held... if you have had any plans beforehand I'll be sure to listen."

Julia explained to him where his new self was. Apparently, he had been held in a tower outside of her old shop, but had been transferred to the castle of the King of Hearts after his change. The security there would be heavy, though not so much as if he were held in a tower, she explained, because this far after the takeover, nobody expected much trouble there. The best way to assault it would be to make some huge mess at the front gate and sneak around in while the guards were distracted.

"I've got a bunch of sentry bots left with equipped Muffin Guns and rockets full of unstable magical leavings." She told him. "Normally, they'd be too unstable to let loose safely, but safety isn't really what I'm thinking about right now. Once they create a big enough mess, the guard contingent should be so busy dealing with them that they won't even notice us."

Hm.. well I suppose I would like to know what you can share about your 'Deck' organization and how the territory is split up. Beyond that I suppose its just any key things I should go check out.

"The Deck was a clandestine organization that plotted to usurp the powers already here." She explained. "We programmed viruses for the CDC drones, planted our people in various organizations and waited until we could slam a proper trap closed. All of us had ranks based on a poker deck and relating to our roles. As I can change minds with a touch, I became the Queen of Hearts."

She looked him over. "Various parts of the city were rewarded to us based on rank." She explained. "You can meet each of us easily enough as long as you don't cause any trouble. Most of us are powerful enough to defend ourselves in any case."

Ellie winced as the man bellowed at her in that frightening voice. She felt so... exposed. The outfit didn't let her hide what had become of her body in the slightest. "I already told your friend with the robots, I don't know where she is. I only just got here! I'm not who you think I am!", she tried to explain.

"Yes you are." The interrogator said blandly. "We pulled you from the Ace of Clubs' house ourself. We know you were in cahoots with her prior to your first capture, so cough up the info."

He flicked a switch. Energy surged through Ellie. Her body shrank slightly, and her figure flattened a bit. Her jumpsuit hung a bit loose on her frame. She had now looked to be about 14 years old instead of the 16 she'd been a moment ago.

"Unless you'd rather take chances. I can do this all day."

As if to demonstrate, the flirted with the switch again, bringing her down to 13. Her leotard tightened on her frame this time, showing off that she'd lost any hint of a womanly figure that she'd had just moments ago.

"...
Interesting.

There is a -klink- as a woman descends, touching down next to the blindfolded lady with a minimum of fuss.

"You will have to excuse me. My network has weakened in recent years. Just what is this?" She nods, indicating the mirror.

"It's a gateway to a future that could be." She told her. "Come, and see for yourself."

Mischa groans, feeling disoriented for a few moments as he apparently returns to conciousness. He staggers to his feet, as he groggily takes stock of his surroundings, his eyes widening as he spots Rosetta. "R... Rosetta! What's going on?" he shouts, glancing around for the source of the woman's voice. He isn't entirely sure what (if any) of his abilities may function in the field, but if Rosetta is in trouble...

He isn't able to much before a beam shoots out and strikes her dead in the chest. Rosetta's eyes go wide with panic for a moment, but nothing appears to happen.

For a moment, anyway. A more intense observer may notice that her skin has begun to change. Flowing along and widening from the point of the beam's impact, it takes on a shiny sheen, and rubbery texture. It starts small but starts to spread across her body.

"Mischa! Help!" She pleaded again.

He noticed, in that moment, that if he could somehow absorb the energy of the field, he might be able to throw it at someone else and maybe even reach Rosetta in time.

[Harri-chan]

Ellie cried out as the surge ran through her body, and she shivered as she felt the age seeping out from her, leaving her slightly too small for her leotard for a moment or two. "C'mon! What am I supposed to do? I don't know anything! Do you really think I'd be letting you do this if I did?", she shrieked as another surge went through her, the few years that had been lost taking with them vital development from her teenage figure, which became apparent when the clothing tightened up. "You're not going to learn anything from doing that!".

[Feng]

A sly grin forms on Bone's face, his best attempt at a poker face.

"Normally I would decline your Evil Overlordship due to my pressing schedule, however the nature of these temples have piqued my curiosity. I would be delighted to witness the power of these devices firsthand."

[Knight Errant]

Dact nods! "Sounds like a plan... lets do this. With the three of us, we can probably rescue another... and then so on... a snowball effect. I do love starting revolutions..." He grins.

[Jello Shot Mischa]

He isn't able to much before a beam shoots out and strikes her dead in the chest. Rosetta's eyes go wide with panic for a moment, but nothing appears to happen.

For a moment, anyway. A more intense observer may notice that her skin has begun to change. Flowing along and widening from the point of the beam's impact, it takes on a shiny sheen, and rubbery texture. It starts small but starts to spread across her body.

"Mischa! Help!" She pleaded again.

He noticed, in that moment, that if he could somehow absorb the energy of the field, he might be able to throw it at someone else and maybe even reach Rosetta in time.

Mischa blinks in surprise, as he notices Rosetta's body start to change, her skin taking on the smooth and gleaming texture of rubber, her body shape rounding out slightly... it was a familiar transformation for him, but something about this world made him wonder if this change wasn't somehow more insidious than the normal inflatable transformation. Particularly given Rosetta's panicked cries..

"Dammit... Rosetta!" He struggles against the field, trying to somehow break through it. He'd ended up travelling through a multitude of worlds, and undergone more changes than most people would expect, and his own personal reality had been warped and distorted by the processes. While he'd never really had any ability to manipulate energy fields like this before, given his determination to help Rosetta... it wouldn't be surprising if some new ability blossomed within him.

[Just some lady]

"It's a gateway to a future that could be." She told her. "Come, and see for yourself."

The woman crosses her arms, and goes to peer into the mirror.

"Alright, I'll bite. What has become of my Brotherhood?"

[Bigmouthstrikes]

Ellie cried out as the surge ran through her body, and she shivered as she felt the age seeping out from her, leaving her slightly too small for her leotard for a moment or two. "C'mon! What am I supposed to do? I don't know anything! Do you really think I'd be letting you do this if I did?", she shrieked as another surge went through her, the few years that had been lost taking with them vital development from her teenage figure, which became apparent when the clothing tightened up. "You're not going to learn anything from doing that!".

He shrugged. "It's fun enough that I don't really care."

He flicked the switch again, and this time she could feel herself really, honestly shrinking at a pretty fast rate.

"Ah! Puberty!" The interrogator noted, "Once they pass that, it always seems to move quickly."

He turned the switch off, and the girl was left a ten year old.

"Why don't you at least tell me how you escaped our capture. Do that and you might be able to see adulthood in the next decade." He told her, "How did you return to normal?"

The woman crosses her arms, and goes to peer into the mirror.

"Alright, I'll bite. What has become of my Brotherhood?"

"Which Brotherhood is that?" She asked

Mischa blinks in surprise, as he notices Rosetta's body start to change, her skin taking on the smooth and gleaming texture of rubber, her body shape rounding out slightly... it was a familiar transformation for him, but something about this world made him wonder if this change wasn't somehow more insidious than the normal inflatable transformation. Particularly given Rosetta's panicked cries..

"Dammit... Rosetta!" He struggles against the field, trying to somehow break through it. He'd ended up travelling through a multitude of worlds, and undergone more changes than most people would expect, and his own personal reality had been warped and distorted by the processes. While he'd never really had any ability to manipulate energy fields like this before, given his determination to help Rosetta... it wouldn't be surprising if some new ability blossomed within him.

That was unfortunate. However, the shield does have some sort of instability to it, and any abilities Mischa might have could prove useful here.

And it would need to be done quickly. Rosetta's legs were moving apart as the texture spread downward, slowing taking her legs...

Dact nods! "Sounds like a plan... lets do this. With the three of us, we can probably rescue another... and then so on... a snowball effect. I do love starting revolutions..." He grins.

"Three?" Julia asked confused, "I count you and me?"

A sly grin forms on Bone's face, his best attempt at a poker face.

"Normally I would decline your Evil Overlordship due to my pressing schedule, however the nature of these temples have piqued my curiosity. I would be delighted to witness the power of these devices firsthand."

"Certainly!" The Jester said. A red grin formed underneath of the hood. "Who of our court would you like to escort you? The Queen of Hearts is busy, but the rest should be available"

[Raleigh]

Interesting. So what would happen should you fall before someone in battle? Would they get to claim your territory?

[Knight Errant]

"I meant after we rescued myself. Then we would have you, me, and me. But thats getting ahead of ourselves. Shall we get to it?"

[Harri-chan]

Ellie groaned, her youthening body writhing about on the table as she felt a significant amount of development being sucked out of her. Being a girl was embarassing, but being a little girl was even worse. Her eyes seemed close to tears as she looked down, the leotard not hiding her shame in the slightest.

"Are you stupid? Your friend has that creepy robot me working at the bakery right now! I never escaped because you never had me!", she whined, trying to squeeze her thighs together in an effort to hide the smoothness between them.

[Bigmouthstrikes]

Ellie groaned, her youthening body writhing about on the table as she felt a significant amount of development being sucked out of her. Being a girl was embarassing, but being a little girl was even worse. Her eyes seemed close to tears as she looked down, the leotard not hiding her shame in the slightest.

"Are you stupid? Your friend has that creepy robot me working at the bakery right now! I never escaped because you never had me!", she whined, trying to squeeze her thighs together in an effort to hide the smoothness between them.

Just as it had after a major size change before, the swimsuit shrunk to fit her.

"That creepy robot was you." He said, "I administered the transformation myself. I'm sure you remember it. Now tell me how you reversed it and who you replaced yourself with, or we'll find out just how cute you'd be as a 7 year old."

"I meant after we rescued myself. Then we would have you, me, and me. But thats getting ahead of ourselves. Shall we get to it?"

"Right!" She beamed. Her smile glowed and eyes sparkled in an unusual way, highlighting just how pretty she was. It was a side of her not often seen, and brought out by the idea of fighting the good fight with someone.

She pulled a map from inside of a locker. "Alright. This route is our best way...."

In an hour or so, the two had made it to the abandoned shop that she'd used to run. Sneaking in proved a bit tricky, as the place was under guard, but Julia had given him some sort of wrist mounted device that helped provide an active camouflage to them. Something she'd called a "Stealth Boy". Once inside, she brushed some soot from a set of floor tiles and pulled one of them free of the floor. With that done, she rearranged them on the floor like a puzzle. When they were in the correct order, a soft "ping" issued from the floor, and a floorboard popped off to reveal a trap door that she led Dact down into.

"This is where we keep the bots." She told him. "Once we let them loose, we'll have a narrow window to get into that Castle across the street. It's been a while since these guys have seen serious opposition so we should be able to catch them with their pants down."

Interesting. So what would happen should you fall before someone in battle? Would they get to claim your territory?

"Is that a challenge?" The Queen asked, her eyebrow cocking. "It's been years since a man has given me a good fight."