Man of Flesh and Cogs (Milton's Awakening)

"Milton, may I see you for a moment?"
Milton gave a light sigh as he made his way into Dr. Klein's office. Seeing how his day was completely cleared of any errands to run for the techheads at the lab or the good doctor herself, he was finally going to step down onto the planet Junction was now touching down on. Everyone at the lab was meticulously examining him and his weaponry to make sure he was at his fullest fighting capabilities. Instead, the doctor had to pull him aside for one more errand...


"Listen, Milton. I know you're excited to go journeying outside Junction, but don't forget your primary objective is documentation. Any information we can gather on our surroundings is worthwhile, but don't go risking your neck. Your suit can only exert so much energy in one day, and there certainly aren't any Stream chargers down there. Find out what you can on the inhabitants of this planet and report back when you have suitable findings. Understood?"

Once Milton nodded in agreement to the terms, he ended up running into his childhood friend Anni. Though she was quite soft-spoken and her frail body was less adaptive to the mechanics, she had a kind heart and a surprisingly strategic mindset. She held up one of the chocolate covered nuts Milton had gotten her and popped one between his lips.


"Here, Milly. You need all the energy you can. Can you bring me a yummy fruit or flower? Oh, but be safe, okay?"
"Absolutely, Anni. I'll be back real soon."

With the girls stepping aside to let him leave the office room, Milton ran as fast as his feet could take him to transport down to the clearing Junction had dropped into. With his weapons at the ready and his eyes scanning the surroundings, Milton was ready to step out to an adventure beyond his expectations...

"I sure hope you don't plan on using those things there kid..." The transport driver would sigh as he watched Milton prepare his weapons. Sighing a gurgally breath the neon purple slime being would turn it's attention back to the sky's, carful to make sure it touched down in the designated landing zones. "You're not JPD... so are ya one of them Seekers I keep hearing about? If not you're probably gunna have a bad time out there kid..." The transport touched down gingerly and the doors opened with a light hiss. "Come back here and shoot off a flair when ya need pick up. Don't start any wars and don't get yerself killed alright?"

Milton sat in the transport ship with the look of serious determination. For the first time, he'd be out in the field, exploring these new lands for whatever inhabitants may end up feuding with their arrival. With his blade folded up into the small razor cutter in his grasp and his repeater hiding away in his hip, Milton hopped out of his seat and waved the driver off.

"No worries, sir. War's the last thing I would want, followed by termination."

Finally alone on the outskirts of Junction and the woodlands surrounding them, Milton turned to look at the forest entrance just to his east. If anything, he would be familiar with either a sprawling megatropolis like Luminia or the Blume city of Stream Springs. Better to enter where he was familiar.

> To The East - The Woods

"Hmm? That clanging... Is it a machine? Operating machinery indicates civilization. Beat be in guard."
>North to the clanging sound

Well, Milton was correct. There was a gathering of people around the machine, both guarding and operating the humming device that vaguely resembled extractors from his planet. On one hand, this would an excellent opportunity for diplomacy. But on the off chance he wasn't allowed to be here, he would have to comply. Milton kept his weapons sheathed and out of obvious view as he approached one of them from a safe distance.

"Hello? Can you point me to the nearest settlement?"

Milton was stationary when the crowd reacted in silent surprise at his arrival. Were they afraid of him? Curious maybe? Well, the fear in their voices became apparent when this "Morgasimer" fellow was being called to meet him. Milton's diplomacy was suddenly put on the line when he found a regular steel harpoon trained on his body. His battle systems were whirring up slowly, but he kept his blade safely out of sight yet easily within reach in an instant. But before any damage needed to be made, the least he could do is explain his situation.

"Hello, Morgasimer. You may call me Milton. I came to survey the area, so I'm not actually from the area. If my presence is offending you, could you direct me to this Potts-Field place? Secondly, are you a mechanical being?"

Milton sighed in relief as Morgasimer stopped threatening him with the sharpened harpoon only to go on high alert when the earth shook and the trees crashed down on the path he just arrived from. Milton felt his battle instincts running in his system as the workers divided from running to protection or fighting the mountainous beast, Milton stuck to the floor as he saw the unlucky worker being bitten in half and eaten with no difficulty.

He had to fight, but he had to run. He had to live, but his programming was screaming for him to run and live.
"Afraid... always afraid."
Milton felt something unusual running in his body. It was an unfamiliar stirring in his chest, a tug at the back of his mind. His sword was already at the ready, extended to full length and his repeater fully charged.
"Foreign to both man and machine. The Frankenstein's monster to your world. Embrace who you are. Don't run from the nightmares... rule them. Only you know the truth.

For I am thou, and thou art I. Arcana Trigger... activate."

All at once, his body surged with a dark aura. Milton gripped his head as his two feet trudged over to the monstrous beast. His eyes glowed red with the restrictions on his battle functions falling away in an instant. The tension in Milton's brain rose to a peak, loud grunting and shouting coming from the mechanical man as parts of his skin reverted to his true metal form. He spoke the fateful words that released the fear in his mind.

"Rise, Phobetor! PERSONA!"

There was no more doubt in his mind. No reason to fear, no desire to run. Only to show this beast who it was dealing with. The dark aura hanging off his body rose up into the ragged robed specter named Phobetor.

Status:

The sudden shove would knock Milton from the path of the attack, which was instead taken full force by Morgasimer who's body was bathed in a dull brown light, the glowing etherial child on their back seeming to shimmer in the daylight. Their suit's armor took the brunt of the impact, chipping The Avatar Of The Forrest's fangs, causing it to pull back slightly and regard the two Persona users with a curious eye. "You! Explain now before I feed you to this damn thing! How the hell do you have a Persona!?"

Morgasimer-level ?:

Action: