Chapter CCCLIII: Un Altro Palo ~Multehx

"Hoo boy..."

The Professor held a hand where his chin would have been, had a head been visibly present. He looked to Lich, then to the newcomer, then back to Naaro. Warum treffe ich mich die verrückte…? he inwardly groaned, but maintained a smile on the exterior.

He noticed that the girl was lying upon something, so he casually took a few steps forward to take stock of what.

Alex Highland froze in his tracks. His eye slightly, ever so slightly, twitched. His smile remained, but there was a loss of radiance to it. However, he quickly recovered and casually knelt down to get a closer look. After gently setting the girl aside, he turned the being over to look at its front. His eyes scrutinisingly searched over its form.

Consistant... he mentally noted, moving a hand to the figure's wrist. He mentally cocked a brow. No...pulse? But...they all have at least a faint vibration... He moved his hand up to the agent's left eye and pulled the lid slightly up.

A lifeless, unlit, dark circle behind a clear lens looked silently upwards. Inwardly, realization slowly dawned on him. Ahhhh, been deactivated. No wonder then…

Sensing he was being watched, he got to his feet and sheepishly chuckled. "Sorry, I know nothing about these things. I just thought perhaps I might for once," he chuckled.

Naaro smiled and nodded in understanding.

The two just shared a comfortable silence, chuckling over the fact for a time. But, abruptly after things died off, the Professor wasted no time and knelt again, gently shaking Lich's prone body. Feeling no result, he rustled through his vest, pulling out a small bottle. He uncapped it, and then waved it before the massive orange, bulbous protrusion that served as a nose to this fellow.

"Mister von Kippo," he said softly as he continued waving it there, "Kindly wake up. I have some matters I would care to discuss with you, and the sooner, the better."

* * *

Having rudely pushed aside the two Hoshies (abruptly and forcefully, saying many obscenities that would make a sailor's ears bleed), Ratch motioned Kenzo over to the blacksmith by the forge. As his companion was attended to, he scoured the shop for things which could be of benefit to him. Eventually, he uncovered a few bits of metal, a shield or two, and a worn smith's hammer.

Dropping a few gold coins on the smith's counter, he proceeded to heat, then mold and fashion the bits of armor and the shields to fit him as some extra external armor; crude but quite firmly staying in place, and sturdy indeed. With a few last minute alterations and adjustments, he was leaning against the wall, quite skilfully blocking out irate shouting of the old fellow and the somewhat more shrill on the nerves of the girl. But, Ratch Havoc was truly an artist at how skilfully he could turn off his senses to anything but what he wanted to pay attention to. And this way, he walked briskly out the door with his knightly companion once his repairs were through.

The Maestro was there, waiting for them outside, and Redaz was in the plaza as well. He stretched as he walked over towards them. "Hey you guys, I was thinking about some things, and I think we might want to give this town another goi–"

Ratch gruffly replied, "No time now. More important matters are at hand."

And that was that. The two joined the Maestro, he briefly nodded, muttered some things, and they were headed down a street that connected to the north-western side of the plaza. After all, if things were between confronting the Time Bender directly, or finding a stolen cannon/weapon/thing; well, the two had their priorities. And they just happened to lay down this wind master's way.