Final Fantasy Legend II Part #24 - ECHO SIERRA PAPA ECHO ROMEO

Part 24: ECHO SIERRA PAPA ECHO ROMEO

The name's Chainsaw—Sara Chainsaw Blackendecker. Just a down-on-her-luck gumshoe looking to make a thin dime off these hard city streets. I was just another private jane until she walked into my office...

quote:

We need to intercept Echigoya's shipment. He knows you guys can handle yourself now. He also thinks I've got you marked as troublemakers. My hands are tied by the shogun's law, but you four...

Oh, I get it! You want us to beat the information out of him.

I'd prefer that be a last resort, but I won't shed any tears if it comes to it.

Yeah, I get it. If we pull it off, you get all the glory. If we don't, you get a fall girl.

We know your reputation, Chainsaw. Just get it done and keep it quiet. If you pull this off, the force'll owe you a favor.

That's what got me. A girl needs as many favors as she can get in a town like this.

Like, that's not how that happened. At all.

That's Heather. Quick with a sword and first to a fight. I don't know what goes on in the head of a dame like that.

...

When the evening sets in, that's when everyone comes crawling out from under their rocks. We decided to shake down the usual suspects.

Talk, plant! Talk!

Nyah! You'll never make me sing, see? Nyah.

What? No, we don't want you to sing. We just want to know where the bananas are coming from.

Oh. Well...

You want to know where the fruit's going, you talk to Joey Yellowpeels down at the docks. He's got all the good scores.

Great. Here's a little something to make sure this stays between us.

Good doing business with you. Money like that'll buy a lot of fertilizer, see? Nyah.

We'll take your word for it.

Before we hit the streets, we decided to check in with Hannah's assistant. Our liaison to the force was known for being slow and steady. He claimed it won the race. I knew it just made him slow.

He told me to watch out for her, but she is such a tomboy...

Her name's not Tom, and she's not a boy. You goin' soft in the head, old man?

...

Just... just ignore her.

Done.

The big city. A place where a million dreams are born and a handful survive. For a cup of joe, you can get a story out of anyone. And a cup of joe is exactly what they're worth.

Hey, Sara? Why do you keep monologuing while we're out doing things?

Zero was a good friend---too good for this city. He knew his way around these streets like he knew his own spellbook.

What? No, I have no clue where we are or what we're doing here.

I gave up on that back when we found out fruit was illegal.

Time to pay Echigoya a little visit.

Zero, keep a lookout by the door. Let us know if the cops are coming.

You got it, boss!

Don't encourage her.

Well, look who's back. I thought yooz mugs was just kids. I'm pretty impressed how you whacked my guys. Real dumb comin' back, though.

Yeah? Well, I think my friends here might have something to say about that.

Omigod, finally! Stand back, I'll get him to—

When does...

Alright alright you win

...are going to be in a lot of trouble with—woah. Really?

It's still in the harbor to the south!

Joey Yellowpeels was right all along. I should've known. But, for now...

Book 'em, Zero.

*handcuff*

Bah dah da daht daaaah dah, bah da daht dat dah~

We rendezvoused outside to take stock of the situation. We had to get to that pier, come hell or high water.

Okay, I think this has gone far enough.

Aw, c'mon. I was just starting to have fun.

Will you give me my hat back

Sheesh, fine.

What's up with that, anyway? I thought you didn't like hats.

I've been reviewing the scriptures. If I understand them correctly, there's only one type of hat to look out for!

Really? Which kind?

I dunno. Someone spilled coffee on that part.

Weird.

Several hundred years earlier...

quote:

doop dee doo

*spill*

Argh! Why do they give you these stupid lids if they never work right?!

Anyway, Roy and his dad wore it, so it's probably safe.

Let's hope so!

Hullo hullo! What can I do for you?

Do you have one of those big cannon things the hatamotos were using?

You mean a bazooka?

Sure?

Got one right here!

Great! One of those, please.

Do you want it in a bag, or...?

Uh, we'll take it with us? Bags are bad for the environment.

Huh. You think you know a person...

Roy's really falling behind the curve, so we pick up a bazooka. It's the next tier of explosive ordinance (i.e. grenades) and hits a ton, on par with Zero's magic or Heather's mid-tier swords. Plus, it's a group attack. And just like that, he's caught up!

Oh, hey Kame!

Oh, thank God!

The force doesn't know about it! If she gets caught without backup...

Why didn't you go with her?!

I'm like 465! I'm getting too old for this shit.

_{Okay, everybody. We need to get to Hannah before anyone knows we're here. Stay as quiet as you can.}

HEY WHAT'S THIS THING

(Conspiculously Placed Button.)

*push*

BWEE OH BWEE OH BWEE

You've got some kind of medical condition, you know that?

It seemed like a good idea at the time!

No it didn't! At no point did that ever seem like a good idea!

Or maybe, Sara... it did.

...

Most of the enemies on the ship we've seen before, although they're the upper end of the random mob tier. We'll see a lot of gazers, which is really unfortunate, because their beam attacks hurt. I do not give one single solitary shit about mosquitos or anacondas and neither should you. Sprites, though. Sprites are still bad news. (Except at this point, they're doing as much damage as the gazers. If we fight gazers, we might as well fight them, too.)

It's happening off-screen, but stats are going up pretty regularly now. I don't know if it has something to do with comparative monster difficulty, but they've been stagnant for a while, so this can only be a good thing.

(Completely Legal Munitions.)

Ugh. There's nothing down here but weapons!

Hey, what's that thing?

...

That's... that's a really big gun.

I know, right?

We discover a tank inside a small box and install it on our robotic party leader. SaGa, y'all!

The tank is a fantastic weapon, which is why we only get 20 uses (10 when equipped by Roy). Not only does it hit a group of monsters like... well, you know... but it also doubles as a shield when used. Engage, point Roy at enemy, and then laugh at their feeble attempts to stop him. It's good times for everyone.

(Totally Legit and Above-Board Items of Dark Magic.)

Dang. Maybe we have the wrong boat after all.

Hey, those look awesome!

Can I try 'em out?

All yours!

*inflate* *inflate*

Oh man I am totally ready to dunk on some fools!

The hecate shoe buffs magic, which is kind of like saying krakatoa gets a bit warm at times. Zero's magic is now God-tier and matches Heather's strength.

Hekate, for those of you who don't know, is a cthonic Greek goddess of magic. She's often depicted as having three faces/bodies, each body holding a different item: torches, keys, daggers, etc. Her most famous temple was in Lagina, where she was served by eunuch priests. Besides being a wildly popular household deity, she consoled Demeter when she was looking for her missing daughter. Similarly, she serves as a friendly companion on ~~Persephone's~~ Kore's subsequent yearly journeys to the underworld.

Let it not be said this stuff isn't educational.

Over there!

What the—I told you four not to come here!

We can handle ourselves. You shouldn't have gone in without backup, though.

It's not like I had time to wait around. Taro, you remember Roy.

...

Sup! Good to see you again!

You too.

Seriously, who are you?! I've never met you before!

Oh, I see how it is. How quickly we forget our friends, eh?

Turns out I missed an area on the way over!

Taro here is a schoolteacher in Hannah's village. If you visit his classroom before you head to the docks, you can talk to him and his intensely curious class. I probably should've replayed an earlier save and recorded the classroom, but meh