She looked at the other knight; he was likely a bit jealous, considering my attractive way of talking to her. She poked Top and asked, "What do you think, Top? Should we go?" She grinned from ear to ear, clearly wanting to go. He tried standing up, but would've failed if Winter were not there. "I guess so? I'll go if my sister is going." He glanced at a small girl, who was peeking at me from the cover of a tree in adoration. I winked at the small girl and she seemed to blush and hide back behind the tree, when a knight in Chaos and Snarbolax armor bumped into our conversation and asked me whether we needed another person. Behind his armor was a dark-haired boy; not as attractive as I was; but cute, in a sort of way. Winter seemed to figure that out almost instantly, grinning and replying,"We're going to hunt down the Master and the Swarm. What's your name?" I waited for him to answer as I impatiently tapped my foot. "My name is Nathaniel York. And your name, sir?"I spoke, to the male in Chaos and Snarbolax armor.
After Cradle (roleplay story thread)(Pact of the Monocled Chromalisk)
I saw Nathaniel wink at my sister, and she blushed, when a knight in Chaos and Snarbolax armor bumped into me. "What quest? If you need an extra person, I'm ready" He told us.
"We're going to hunt down the Master and the Swarm. What's you name?"
Nathaniel tapped his foot impatiently, "My name is Nathaniel York. And your name, sir?"
I thought he was talking to me, so I said, "Topoyozada. But you can call me Top."
I breathed a sigh of relief. The valkyrie had decided to leave the target alone, for now. They continued talking farther away, something about a quest. At the center of the discussion was a medic, supporting a kid with prosthetic legs. From the looks of things the only people that would pose a problem for me were the valkyrie and the commander of the rose. But that's when the medic mentioned "We're going to hunt down the Master and the Swarm." That immediately caught my attention. I didn't know if she was just desperate or stupid. No one could touch us. A grim look spread across my face, but it quickly reverted back to normal. Hopefully no one would catch that, but it would probably be mistaken for fear.
I stepped closer to the conversation, hoping to pick up more info. The medic noticed me, and almost immediately began analyzing me. I stopped and thought, then a realization hit me. I was supposedly fighting off the swarm, yet there wasn't a scratch or dent on my armor and shield, while my sword was still shiny. But either way no one could, or would suspect me. The knights weren't that paranoid, yet.
The knight in Miracle answered,"Topoyozada. But you can call me Top." I thought about t-shirts for a moment, a grin forming on my face as my mouth pronounced,"Nice name." I glanced around, and spotted the knight from before have a grim expression on his face. He stepped closer into the conversation, when I noticed something. He was supposedly off fighting the swarm; if so, why did his armor, nor his shield have any dents in them? That could only mean one thing: The swarm found a way to possess people without visible markings. If so, that would mean that the entire Spiral Order could be infiltrated, and that would mean the end of Cradle. "Back off, you."I spoke, a scowl forming on my face. "You're not getting anywhere near Winter." I instinctively summoned my swords and in less than half a second, cut his shield and his sword in half, leaving him with only his armor. "Explain yourself."I pointed Holy Edge at his chest as I de-materialized Chaos Edge.
"Back off, you. You aren't getting anywhere near Winter." Nathaniel said coldly, and summoned his blade. My first reaction was jealousy. It was like Nathaniel was Winter's personal guardian. The second was shock. Nathaniel had just threatened a knight! Then I noticed his armour,shiny, his un-dented (But cut-in-half) shield and his gleaming (But still cut-in-half) sword. This could only mean.....
"Swarm...." I growled, and immediately swung my Volt Driver to bear. "Shoot first, ask questions later." I shot a shock pellet right above his thigh, a painful position. "I can handle him. Get Winter out of here!" The swarm knight was having spasms of shock. I quickly knocked him out with my blade, and turned to Nathaniel. "Thanks for the assist, " My voice dripping with sarcasm.
"My name is Ammet," I replied to those who had asked. All of a sudden, 2 knights had arms up against the knight I had known as Nathaniel, who was laying on the ground. Instinctively, I pulled out both of my Acherons. Directed towards the entire group, I asked, "Whats going on here?"
P.S. Let me know in discussion thread if I made any consistency errors.
As I was quietly eating the snacks, I rummaged through the pockets on the abandoned Wolver Coat I picked up. The Owner would no longer need it, seeing as they're probably long dead by now. I felt a little uncomfortable with the fur coat in my arms. I could hear... tiny screams? No... it's probably just my imagination. I continued digging through the various pockets, in search for something else. There were a lot of slips of paper, with things written on them in an illegible scrawl, though I could make out some words. It didn't mean too much though, so I tossed them away. My hand came across something metallic and shaped a lot like a cylinder. It turned out to be what I was looking for the entire time. A dosimeter. Before I had the chance to scan myself though, I heard the clash of metal, like a sword or a bullet hitting armor. I quickly glanced to the source of the noise, and saw another, unfamiliar Knight on the ground, unconscious, with another Knight wearing a Miracle Set standing over him, holding a Master Blaster and what looked like a Boltbrand. There was another Knight who was standing over the unconscious one, staring daggers at the other Knight. One more Knight had two Acherons out, pointing them at both Knights standing over the unconscious one. I was alarmed at the sudden turn of events, so I ran over.
"What are you doing?!", I cried out. The unconscious Knight looked completely normal. His armor was dirty, but mostly intact, with no dents or obvious damage. His shield though, was cut clean in half. Probably fighting a strong swarm monster. I didn't understand why anyone would knock him out, let alone threaten him. I stared at the two Knights standing over him fiercely, crossing my arms.
"I think he's fine, he doesn't smell of the Swarm or anyone we can't afford to trust. His armor isn't too damaged, so he must either be very good, or found new armor since the attack. Why did you guys knock him out anyway?"
The wolver-girl glanced back at me. "It's... Ukai." Wincing, she rose and began to walk away. "I'm going to look for some food for myself, I'll be back soon."
Well...that didn't go quite as planned...
I noticed a group of knights standing not far from me. To my surprise there was the knight I had been told to question earlier! The others were standing around him like he was some sort of celebrity. All I knew was that he was good at producing trouble. I began to head towards them, when suddenly, I heard Ukai scream out, "What are you doing?!" The "Rose Commander", along with an apparent accomplice, had attacked a recruit standing nearby! I broke into a sprint. Reaching out with my mind, I scanned the scene for anything metal. The only metallic items nearby were the helpless knight's broken sword and shield. I imagined the pieces of the shield being clamped down around the "Rose Commander's" feet, and it was so.
Finally...I won't have to worry about him going anywhere for awhile!
I slowed down, just within earshot to hear Ukai defending the now-unconscious knight. "Why did you guys knock him out anyway?" Melding my gauntlet back down into the sword I stood next to her and brandished it in front of me.
"I suggest you answer the lady."
"I suggest you answer the lady." A guy said, brandishing a blade at me.
"I'd suggest you shut up, because my Driver is right in your face." I said lightly. Then I saw the Wolver-Female. "Oh... Hi! Thanks for trying to save me....or something. It's the thought that counts, right? My name's Top." I waved to the Wolver-girl, my gun still on the man.
Pathetic. The commander was weak. So quick to turn on his fellow comrades. I snapped back in my own body. A new plan formed in my head. If the sleeper agent had a swarm seed in him, summoning monster near the group would be MUCH easier. I grinned, I just had to make sure that the knight stayed with them.
Sorry double post
Gwenyvier suddenly appeared in the midst of the group, undoubtedly startling quite a few people. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. It's time to move. I'll need the help of every one of you if we are to defeat the Swarm. Is there any of you who does not wish to fight?" She drew a line in the dirt with the toe of her boot. "Cross this line if you do not wish to fight."
I scowled and followed the boy through the alleyways and watched as he approached one of the nurses, a pretty girl who had long, snow white hair. The boy whispered into her ear, asking her in a failing attempt to use a seductive voice, "Winter, we need your help in destroying the Swarm. If you would help us in our quest as our medic, it would be a great help." The nurse pondered this for a moment, and with a smirk I realized that the patient she was tending to had a sour, if not jealous scowl on his face. "Love triangle", I coughed subtly, and earned a frown from all three of them.
Winter gently nudged her patient and inquired, "What do you think, Top? Should we go?" The patient, Top, had prosthetic legs and a frown spread across his face. Poor thing. I smiled as Winter gave Top a giddy grin, her facial expression resembling that of a schoolgirl. With some difficulty, and a little assistance from Winter, Top struggled to his feet and sighed, "I guess so... I'll go if my sister is going." I followed his eyes as he shot a sideways glance at a young girl who was hiding behind a large oak tree.
"What quest? If you need an extra person, I'm ready" asked a new voice. i turned around and saw a regal-looking man in Chaos & Snarbolax gear. His gear gave him a sinister and mysterious look, but the smile on face contradicted that image with a pleasant youthfulness.
Winter grinned and replied, "We're going to hunt down the Master and the Swarm. What's your name?" The boy next to me tapped the ground with his foot in an annoying, rhythmic fashion, and I growled to myself, "Stop it, will ya?" Nobody heard me, and the boy spoke, "My name is Nathaniel York. And your name, sir?"
Top had an awkward look on his face, as if unsure who Nathaniel was speaking to. After an awkward moment of silence, he chimed in, "Topoyozada. But you can call me Top." Suddenly, Winter's eyes grew cold and analytic, and as I followed her gaze, I spotted a Knight in shiny, stainless Azure- wait. Stainless? There wasn't a single drop of blood or Swarm essence upon his person. Strange and somewhat far-fetched that he could survive a battle without a single scratch on his gear, but it was not totally unbelievable.
Suddenly, Nathaniel whirled around, the two gleaming blades in his fists glowing with power. He snarled, "Back off, you. You're not getting anywhere near Winter." I rolled my eyes. As far as I knew, Nathaniel and Winter had probably just met, and he was all of a sudden her personal Guardian or something? It reminded me of the soap operas I had seen the humans watch, such as "Roarmulicious" or "The Real Housewives of Royal Jelly Palace". So overly dramatic.
My thoughts were interrupted as, with lightning speed, Nathaniel smashed his blades into the Knight's gear, destroying his shield and Leviathan. I frowned at the now ruined weapon. THAT was the extent of Nathaniel's strength? I sighed, remembering how I used to be able to destroy entire armies without so much as a pointed glare. Now... Ever since the Infection, less and less people believed in the Valkyries. Less people believed in salvation, in our strength. And because we Valkyries drew our strength from the mortal's faith... Well, I am still easily the strongest being in existence, but my power is but a husk of its former glory.
My mind slowly returned to the situation, and I saw Nathaniel holding his sword threateningly at the Knight's throat. "Explain yourself." Suddenly, Topoyozada had a surprised look on his face; he seemed to have discovered a startling revelation.
"Swarm...." he growled, and in an instant, he had whipped out a Volt Driver and snarled, "Shoot first, ask questions later." I watched as a shock bullet rocketed towards the Azure knight and seared the flesh directly above his thigh. I smirked. Top sure knew where to shoot. "I can handle him. Get Winter out of here!" he shouted. The Azure knight was with preoccupied spazzing out from the shock damage, and suddenly, he was hit on the head with a sword and crumpled to the floor. Turning to Nathaniel, he muttered in a sarcastic tone, "Thanks for the assist."
A shrill girl's voice cried out, "What are you doing?!" I sized her up and frowned; the poor girl was Infected. She wore not much other than a lab coat, and in her hand was a beaten-up Heavy Pulsar. Her wolffish ears twitched irritably and she crossed her arms, a stern expression on her face. "I think he's fine, he doesn't smell of the Swarm or anyone we can't afford to trust. His armor isn't too damaged, so he must either be very good, or found new armor since the attack. Why did you guys knock him out anyway?" she asked curiously. I watched as a Necron approached us, brandishing a rather wicked-looking blade. "I suggest you answer the lady," he said with a frown.
Top had an irritated look about him, and replied snarkily, "I'd suggest you shut up, because my Driver is right in your face." With a startled glance, he turned to the Infected Wolver girl and said, flustered, "Oh... Hi! Thanks for trying to save me....or something. It's the thought that counts, right? My name's Top." He waved to the Wolver-girl, still pointing his Driver at the Necron.
Without warning, a flash of searing white light illuminated the area, and when the light faded, a tall young woman with elegant white hair and a long snow-colored gown stood in front of us. My eyes widening with realization, I dropped down on knee and stuttered, "Greetings, milady Gwen!" It was leader of the Valkyries, the Lady of Light, and the only person -other than the Master, that piece of *insert about ten minutes of foul language here*- who could stand a chance against me in a fight. She also happened to be a good friend of mine and the only person I ever listened to, other than Gabriel... At least when he was still alive.
My friend shot me a quick grin as salutations, then announced to everyone, "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. It's time to move. I'll need the help of every one of you if we are to defeat the Swarm. Is there any of you who does not wish to fight?" Casually drawing a line in the dirt with the tip of her glossy white boot, she said "Cross this line if you do not wish to fight."
Nobody crossed.
______
OOC: haven't posted in a while... So here's a chunk of text!
Top realized almost immediately what was happening; the swarm had managed to infiltrate the soul. "Swarm..."he barked, and almost instantaneously drew his Volt Driver and continued,"Shoot first, ask questions later." He shot a bullet at his thigh, thus immobilizing him for a moment. "I can handle him. Get Winter out of here!" he shouted. I decided to hit him with the hilt of my sword, just to taunt the swarm. Turning to me, he muttered sarcastically,"Thanks for the assist."
A wolver-human hybrid bumped in on the situation and cried,"What are you doing?!" A scowl formed on my face. Those beings were nothing but abominations. They were supposed to be dead. She crossed her arms as she reasoned,"I think he's fine, he doesn't smell of the Swarm or anyone we can't afford to trust. His armor isn't too damaged, so he must either be very good, or found new armor since the attack. Why did you guys knock him out anyway?" A Necron approached just as she finished talking, fidgeting a cool-looking blade that I saw had many flaws in. Still, it looked cool. "I suggest you answer the lady," he said with a frown.
Top was obviously irritated by this; he even went so far as to mock him."I'd suggest you shut up, because my Driver is right in your face." He turned towards the abomination and said,"Oh... Hi! Thanks for trying to save me....or something. It's the thought that counts, right? My name's Top." His failed attempt to flirt made me laugh quietly for a moment.
A flash of light enlightened the area in the most spectacular of flashiness, and when the light faded, a pretty woman with white hair and a white gown stood in front of us. Then I noticed Athena kneeling down to her and stammering,"Greetings, milady Gwen!" She finally came back. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. It's time to move. I'll need the help of every one of you if we are to defeat the Swarm. Is there any of you who does not wish to fight?" She drew a line in the dirt with the tip of her toe as she said,"Cross this line if you do not wish to fight."
I smiled. "Gwenyvier of the Valkyries. What is your plan in the battle to come?"
A flash of light blinded me for a second, when suddenly a beautiful lady with a white gown appeared in front of us. "Good evening, Ladies and Gentlemen. It's time to move. I'll need the help of every one of you if we are to defeat the Swarm. Is there any of you who does not wish to fight?" She made a line in the dirt with her toe, "Cross this line if you do not wish to fight."
Nath smiled, ""Gwenyvier of the Valkyries. What is your plan in the battle to come?""
I fidgeted nervously, "Actually, let's deal with the swarm knight first. What do we do?" I glanced around.
Topoyozada fidgeted nervously and glanced around. "Actually, let's deal with the Swarm knight first. What do we do?" he asked. Gwen smiled and replied, "Is he a Swarm knight? How do you know?" Not that she herself didn't know, but she wanted to determine how the others knew. It could become important. "Until we know for certain, we can do nothing. If he desires to come, I will not stop him. However, I also will not hesitate to eliminate him at the first sign of betrayal." She glanced at him briefly, but that glance seemed to penetrate into his very being.
Winter became curious. The manner of this "Lady of Light's" arrival was very uneventful and sudden. She had to wonder if this "Gwenyvier" lived up to her legends as a superior leader. "Madam, why did you come to assist us?" Gwen laughed and said, "Because you need it, and I am able and willing."
Well, that was quite enough for Winter. She heaved her gear bag over her shoulder and began the trek to the Arcade. She waved to the others and shouted, "Hey! You guys coming or what?"
"Until we know for certain, we can do nothing. If he desires to come, I will not stop him. However, I also will not hesitate to eliminate him at the first sign of betrayal." Winter said. She looked at Gwenyvier, asking, "Madam, why did you come to assist us?"
This 'Gwenyvier' laughed, then said, "Because you need it, and I am able and willing."
I glanced at Winter, who shouldered her bag and walked to the Arcade. "Hey! You guys coming or what?" She waved to us.
"Come on." I murmured to Raechal, and held her hand as she ran to Winter.
The knight woke up with a dazzled start. All he could remember was getting shot in the leg, painfully. Looking around he saw the familiar view of the arcade. He glanced to his right, and saw the person that'd shot him. With a painful start he got up, walked over to him, and landed a right hook on his face. "Why did you SHOOT me?" the azure knight said in an angry tone. He was suddenly pushed back, by a woman that practically radiated light. A stern look emanated off her face.
Axis:
I looked over the scene impatiently, I wished that they could hurry up. I was dying for a good fight, and it seemed the group would give me what I was looking for. The legendary "Lady of light" had appeared. The masters arch-nemesis had finally revealed herself. No one knew who or what she was, only that she was so powerful, that even the valkyries followed her. But it would all stop, I had a few tricks up my sleeve. I telepathically called out a pit boss, "Prepare the blockades, you're going to have visitors soon." The fiendish cities, after having been overrun by the swarm, were now giant fortresses of destruction, and the "heroes" were going to walk straight into one.
Top glanced around nervously as he asked,"Actually, let's deal with the swarm knight first. What do we do?" Gwen replied to Top,"Is he a Swarm knight? How do you know?" It would seem that she ignored me. Typical. "Until we know for certain, we can do nothing. If he desires to come, I will not stop him. However, I also will not hesitate to eliminate him at the first sign of betrayal." She stared into the knight's soul, her eyes capable of scaring even the strongest of men.
Winter seemed to be curious, and in a very confused accent, inquired,"Madam, why did you come to assist us?" Gwen laughed and replied,"Because you need it, and I am able and willing." Winter seemed to sigh and slung her gear bag on her shoulder, walking to the arcade at a slow pace. She waved to us as she shouted,"Hey! You guys coming or what?"
All of a sudden, the man who was knocked out by Top and I got up, and punched him on his face. "Why did you SHOOT me?" the azure knight said angrily, his eyes full of confusion. I could tell he was not possessed by the swarm; how could I have been so wrong? I sighed as I watched from the sidelines. He was suddenly pushed back by Gwen, sending him to the ground again.
"Why did you do that? He's not swarm-infested!"I asked, my voice in an angrier tone. I calmed down as I continued speaking,"I just noticed that he's not of the swarm. You should've realized that first, you being the 'lady of light' and all. You didn't have to hurt him. You may be the leader of the Valkyries, or heck; even a planet's incarnate! But if you hurt the innocent, you are no better than the swarm."
I grinned at Raechal. She may be awesome at bombs and stuff, but she's just ten. She tends to be childish. I see her playing around with Winter, when the person that I knocked out stood up, and punched me. I staggered back, falling if not for Raechal and Winter. "Why did you shoot me?!" The knight yelled.
I was going to yell at that knight when he was pushed to the ground by Gwen, a stern look on her face. "Why did you do that? He's not swarm-infested! I just noticed that he's not of the swarm. You should've realized that first, you being the 'lady of light' and all. You didn't have to hurt him. You may be the leader of the Valkyries, or heck; even a planet's incarnate! But if you hurt the innocent, you are no better than the swarm." Gwen seemed taken aback by those words. She just stood there, speechless. At that moment, my legs failed me, again.
I collasped to the floor.I yelled a curse, yet another, then another. I started to reach for my prosthesis when I realized I had made a great commotion and a big fool of myself. "Sorry... I haven't gotten used to my legs yet." I mutter. Once I got back on my feet, thanks for Winter and Raechal, I started to walk off, headed towards the Town Hall.
"Where are you going?" Cried Raechal, and I turned to say, "I've got to get better. I'm useless with you guys. I'll just be a burden. If you need me, for some kind of reason, you know where to find me, Raechal." And with that, I headed back to the Treehouse MK II.
Winter had suggested that we all go fight the Swarm right now. I totally agreed. Then someone punches another person in the face and then gets knocked down by another. I step in and say, "Hey, hey take it easy, alright? How are we ever gonna beat the swarm if we keep bickering among ourselves?"
I didn't do a recap this time.
-------
After the lady had, well, recruited us for the fight against the Swarm, and some other stuff had happened, I took my battered Heavy Pulsar off my shoulder, and laid it down on the ground. The radiation would be long gone from the Photon Drive by now, so it should be safe to take it apart. I took out a screwdriver from the pocket of my lab coat, and began dismantling it. Might as well see what the problem is.
I wiped away a bead of sweat from my forehead, and looked at the fruit of my labors. The parts of my gun were all laid out neatly in front of me. Most of this stuff was intact, made out of solid, durable material. It was meant to last, but on the other hand... some parts weren't I looked over to my left a little, where I had laid the most damaged stuff out. The Photon Drive, a small square with a chunk of enriched Luminite in it, was fried. Charred. Burned beyond recognition. So was the Photon Stock, a small, dark-green box. It wasn't exactly hopeless though. I could easily find a new Photon Stock and Drive. I turned to the group, the dark-haired kid, the stone-man, the angel, and the white haired one that gave me the nasty look earlier.
"I'm going to get a few parts to repair my gun. I won't be long", I said, gathering the parts. I took off my lab coat, and put the dismantled gun in it, wrapping it up and carrying it with me. The Laboratory should have what I needed. I walked off, my tail swishing around.
When I got to the large complex that was the Laboratory, I was surprised to find it deserted. I shrugged.
"Guess the Swarm was all over the city."
As I walked in, I had completely forgotten about my radiation poisoning.
"I'd suggest you shut up, because my Driver is right in your face", the punk with the gun retorted. That just rubbed me the wrong way. Where does the Order even get these impulsive morons? I noticed the boy's legs were missing, replaced by prosthetics instead.
"Are you blind, kid? Threatening one of your senior officers isn't the most ingenious of ideas. I'll have you stripped of your rank before you can even pull that trigger." I indicated towards his legs, "Regardless of any previous sacrifice."
Suddenly, light shown all around us and I was temporarily blinded! I blinked to readjust my eyes, and noticed a hooded lady appeared in our midst. The winged girl who had fallen from the sky earlier dropped to one knee,"Greetings, milady Gwen!"
The newcomer smiled, "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. It's time to move. I'll need the help of every one of you if we are to defeat the Swarm. Is there any of you who does not wish to fight?" She drew a line in the dirt with the toe of her boot. "Cross this line if you do not wish to fight."
Ignoring her request completely, the upstart rose commander smiled and asked, "Gwenyvier of the Valkyries. What is your plan in the battle to come?" To make matters even more confusing, the punk threw in, "Actually, let's deal with the swarm knight first. What do we do?"
Gwen replied, "Is he a Swarm knight? How do you know? Until we know for certain, we can do nothing. If he desires to come, I will not stop him. However, I also will not hesitate to eliminate him at the first sign of betrayal." Her penetrating gaze bored into the unconscious knight.
The medic looked curious. "Madam, why did you come to assist us?" Gwen laughed, "Because you need it, and I am able and willing." With that, the medic picked up her bag and started walking towards the arcade.
"Hey! You guys coming or what?" She waved for us to follow. The kid with the driver grabbed his sister's hand and ran off towards the medic.
Gwen's line was still untouched.
From out of nowhere, the knocked out knight leaped up and threw a right hook at the punk! The kid collapsed to the ground, spewing curse after curse. His prosthetics hampered him from being able to get up on his own, so the medic and his sister helped him.
"Why did you shoot me?!", the azure knight yelled.
A knight wearing chaos gear stepped between the "Hey, hey take it easy alright? How are we ever gonna beat the swarm if we keep bickering among ourselves?"
The boy collapsed again. "Sorry.... I haven't gotten used to my legs yet", he muttered. After rising, he trudged off towards the town square.
"Where are you going?", his sister cried. He turned back to answer, "I've got to get better. I'm useless with you guys. I'll just be a burden. If you need me, for some kind of reason, you know where to find me, Raechal."
So that's her name...Raechal...
I decided I'd better clear the mayhem up. "Listen, we're getting nowhere with all this fighting. I'm leaving with her," motioning towards the medic. "Our problem is the Swarm, and here you all are squabbling like children." I shifted my sword back over my forearm.
Catching up with the medic, I saluted. "Greetings, soldier. My name is Commander Malum."
I woke up from my un-restful nap and sat up. I was still very tired, and I checked the time. I had only been asleep for ~30 minutes. "I hate not sleeping. And I of course can't go back to sleep, so what should I do?" I grumbled as I got up. I decided to go around the clockworks and see if there is any knights I can screw with anywhere. I turned of the traps and went to the elevator.
The Necron officer walked up beside Winter and saluted. "Greetings, soldier. I am Commander Malum." Winter saluted back. "Greetings, Commander Malum! I am MOS 68W5M6 Winter, leader of the Spiral Medical Squadron. It's an honor to serve with you, sir."
They approached the Arcade gate, and Winter let out a deep sigh. "This will be my first non-medical assignment, you know. I'm a little scared." She looked to him for reassurance.
Top glanced around nervously as he asked,"Actually, let's deal with the swarm knight first. What do we do?" Gwen replied to Top,"Is he a Swarm knight? How do you know?" It would seem that she ignored me. Typical. "Until we know for certain, we can do nothing. If he desires to come, I will not stop him. However, I also will not hesitate to eliminate him at the first sign of betrayal." She stared into the knight's soul, her eyes capable of scaring even the strongest of men.
Winter seemed to be curious, and in a very confused accent, inquired,"Madam, why did you come to assist us?" Gwen laughed and replied,"Because you need it, and I am able and willing." Winter seemed to sigh and slung her gear bag on her shoulder, walking to the arcade at a slow pace. She waved to us as she shouted,"Hey! You guys coming or what?"
All of a sudden, the man who was knocked out by Top and I got up, and punched him on his face. "Why did you SHOOT me?" the azure knight said angrily, his eyes full of confusion. I could tell he was not possessed by the swarm; how could I have been so wrong? I sighed as I watched from the sidelines. A knight wearing chaos and snarbolax armor stepped between them and friendlily talked,"Hey, hey take it easy alright? How are we ever gonna beat the swarm if we keep bickering among ourselves?"
Top fell to the ground again. "Sorry.... I haven't gotten used to my legs yet", he muttered under his breath. After managing to stand again after tedious attempts, he trudged off towards the town square. "Where are you going?", Racheal cried. He turned back, asnwering, "I've got to get better. I'm useless with you guys. I'll just be a burden. If you need me, for some kind of reason, you know where to find me, Raechal."
The Necron decided to be leader-like and tried to rid the group of distrust. "Listen, we're getting nowhere with all this fighting. I'm leaving with her," gesturing towards the medic. "Our problem is the Swarm, and here you all are squabbling like children." He sheathed his sword back over his arm as he walked towards the medic. "Squabbling like children,"I mocked, making sure he could not hear it. He caught up to the medic, and began talking to her, though I was too far away to hear what they were talking about. In a few minutes we soon reached the arcade gate, where silence filled the air.
I walked through the deserted halls. There didn't seem to be so much as a corpse, blood, or even a pile of dust that signaled the remains of a Swarm monsters. The desk chairs were left in their places, askew or fallen over, probably from when people evacuated. My key card hadn't been voided yet, seeing as my transformation and subsequent disappearance came quickly, leaving the Spiral Order little time to erase record of me. Which apparently hadn't happened at all. I moved into the Supply Room, but was met with a new sight. The warehouse of Supply Cabinets had been replaced with a huge, empty room. With a single elevator in the middle.
"Ooookay... did I go to the wrong room?", I muttered to myself, irritated at my folly. I checked the map. Nope... I was in the right place. I tried the door, but it had locked behind me. The keycard reader was broken, and refused to accept any of the cards I had. There weren't any weapons in the room whatsoever, and with the Photon Drive and Stock useless now, I was completely defenseless.
"Great. Locked in a room with no weapons, armor, and an elevator that will probably lead to somewhere dangerous. Just great." Fear quickly took the place of irritation as I walked on to the elevator. I laid down the parts on the floor, spreading out the lab coat. I took the dosimeter out of the pocket of my lab coat, and put it into a pocket of the shorts I stole. I punched the button of the elevator, and instead of the traditional energy request, it simply rumbled down.
I eventually ended up in Jelly Castle, though it wasn't the real one. There weren't any monsters anywhere, let alone inhabitants. It was deserted. I sniffed the air, looking for a living creature. I could smell a Knight faintly, but he was probably long gone. Or dead. Or just downwind from me. I tried to go back up, but the elevator had left already. Might as well explore this place. I started walking, and then saw another Knight, wearing a strange set of armor. It looked like a Chroma Suit, but it was a lot more vicious-looking, and purple-colored. He was walking straight towards me. Maybe he was friendly? I called out to him.
"Hey, who might you be?" Bad choice.
I limp forward, twirled around, and hit the target with my blade. Then I quickly jumped, dodged an obstacle, and fired. I walked forward, then fell on my face. I growled, leapt to my feet, and resumed the training. The TREEHOUSE MK II was a treehouse designed by me and Raechal. We did combat training there. I saw a couple targets, and lunged at them. My feet failed me, and I fell to my feet, AGAIN. I threw my legs down the treehouse (Yes, it's a real treehouse) in frustration, and I wept into my hands.
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Raechal:
I saw Winter and the others walked to the Arcade, after seeing Top's temper. I knew he was going to the Treehouse. That's what he did when he was angry or sad. I yelled to Winter, who was already halfway to the elevators. "Winter! I'm going to look for Top! If you can wait, can you please do? If you can't, mail me the coordinates!" I was already running when Winter nodded in acknowledgement.
As I was walking to the elevator, it activated and started coming down around the corner. Strange. When I looked around the corner, I saw a confused wolver-ish knight, and she looked strangely familiar... Wait, she was the one that was trying to lift that knight earlier, what was she doing here of all places? "Oh well Chormo, you wanted to terrorize someone, and here's someone now. Now get to it." My brain told me. Maybe I could lead her into one of the spike traps or those blow darts I added, they should activate in about one minute. I just need her to trip on of the trip wires laid on the cracks between the tiles in the main room. Suddenly she noticed me and asked in a curious voice "Hey, who might you be?"
"Chromo," I said as I took out my spyllion and shot a wind sphere.
The medic saluted back. "Greetings, Commander Malum! I am MOS 68W5M6 Winter, leader of the Spiral Medical Squadron. It's an honor to serve with you, sir."
As we approached the Arcade gate, Winter let out a deep sigh. "This will be my first non-medical assignment, you know. I'm a little scared."
I nodded my head and smiled, trying to convey some sense of reassurance. "You'll be just fine. After all, there definitely had to be a reason you earned your rank. I'm sure you have a few tricks up your sleeve!"
I looked back to see if the others were following. There was Gwenyvier, The winged-girl, the knight in Chaos/Snarbolax gear, and the "rose commander" following us.
I noticed Raechal running back after her brother. She yelled back to us, "Winter! I'm going to look for Top! If you can wait, can you please do? If you can't, mail me the coordinates!" Winter nodded her assent.
Winter and I waited near the arcade gates for the others to catch up. When the others reached us, I punched in the coordinants to Emberlight. "Alright, there's six of us in one elevator, so lets make an effort to act somewhat civil as we descend", I said dryly.
When the group stepped off the elevator, they saw nothing but devastation for miles. Until now, no one had quite grasped just how powerful the plague was. Even the machinery was infected and malfunctioning. This was supposed to be an Aurora Isles depth, but it looked more like a Concrete Jungle.
Gwen broke the silence. "At the end of this level is a locked gate, and the switch is on the wrong side, so only I can get to it. I will go on ahead; meet me at the gate." With that, she vanished from sight.
A few moments later, the telltale snarls of Void Wolvers could be heard in the dead bushes. Winter readied her shield.
The Knight stopped, and looked at me. He said only one word before taking out his sword.
"Chromo."
His sword looked a lot like a Winmillion, but a lot more elaborate. And vicious-looking. He swung it gracefully, sending a sphere of air hurtling towards me. Despite my enhanced senses, I found myself unable to dodge it. It hit me in the stomach, and threw me backwards. I rammed against a pillar, probably breaking a rib. I wasn't knocked out though. I struggled to get up, my entire body wracked with pain from the impact.
"S-stop...", I cried out weakly. I didn't have any weapons, this was a completely one-sided battle. I'd be dead in a heartbeat if I didn't do something. I raised my hands in the air, hoping he'd understand. I glanced around for something to defend myself with, just in case, but there wasn't anything. The floor seemed to be cracked quite a bit too, and in odd places, but I thought nothing of it. Probably just wear and tear. Right?
The Necron punched in the coordinates to Emberlight, and we somehow found ourselves in the Aurora Isles. Actually, it looked more like a Concrete Jungle, but Aurora Isles had to do. Gwen broke the short-lived silence with arrogant wording. "At the end of this level is a locked gate, and the switch is on the wrong side, so only I can get to it. I will go on ahead; meet me at the gate." With that, she vanished. I was about to say that I could teleport as well, but I let that slide. I let my enhanced hearing be useful as I heard the sounds of Void Wolvers coming our way, their footsteps and unusual growls growing louder as they came closer towards us. Winter raised her shield; the others drew their weapons and prepared for battle. I sighed, and summoned my swords as I strategically teleported behind cover. "Take cover! These are no ordinary wolvers; but guys probably already knew that. So get behind cover, unless you want to be torn to shreds!"I shouted, making sure my voice could be heard by every member in the group.
The shot I sent hit her squarely in the chest, knocking her back into a pillar. She seemed to be servilely hurt from that hit.
''S-stop..." she said in a weak tired voice. She raised he hands in a way as if to say "I'm weak, tired, and defenseless. Do you have the heart to kill me?".
Well, I did have the heart. But before I sent another strike at her, I stopped. I realized what was weird about her. As far as I know, all knight-wolver mixes where under our (well, the master's) control. And she wouldn't have been helping the knights if she WHERE under our control. Thus, I should PROBABLY take her in for questioning.
But of course, I was bored. So I decided to do it the "fun" way.
I opened up ANOTHER secret panel, this one switching what kind of traps get activated. (FYI, I have, like, 50 of these panels.). I turned the dial from "death traps" to "net capture traps", skipping over "laser traps" and "swinging traps" (I have so many traps beause I got bored one day).
"Okay, you know what? I'm bored." I said to her. "So, if you want to NOT get captured, you simply have get to the elevator without tripping any of my traps that I have laid out in the room before you. You have about 10 minutes before you have to make your first step. Fail to do so, and I'll shoot you. Good luck."
Of course, she probably couldn't figure out how to not trigger any of the traps. She'd have to be a professional at observations to see the trip wires. Still, if she gets out, I'll just hunt her down. I'll just have to find where she went to be able to capture her.
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Ooc: sorry for all the mistakes in spelling, this computer has a weird way of typing. Ukai shouldn't have much trouble escaping, considering she's 1: a knight with heightend sight and 2: a scientist (Scientists make tons of observations). If I remember, I'll spell check it on my good computer after school. Bye for now.
The Wolvers plowed into the party, ripping to shreds any obstacle that stood in their way. Several attacked Winter, who shoved them off with a well-placed shield-bump and fled behind cover. The rest assaulted Topoyozada, Raechal, Tenebris and Nathaniel en masse.
They were unusually organized.
Nobody noticed the little Gremlin Knocker watching the events unfold from behind a thick (dead) bush.
Apparently none of the void wolvers thought I looked yummy for dinner. With no one attacking I would help whoever needed it most. I saw Winter give a large group of the wolvers a mighty shield bump and flee for cover. Smiling, I drew my swords and charged at them, releasing a harsh 180-degree swing. One tried to bite my but I kicked it smack in the face. About half of them were reduced to a pile of dust. Suddenly, I felt sharp claws tear through the flesh near my shoulders. I screamed in pain and teleported a little distance away. The wolvers were still ripping away at my shoulders. I engaged Ultra-Speed, hoping they would be knocked of by the sheer push. Surprisingly, they had a string grip, continuing to rip my flesh. I looked around for help...
He seemed to have understood what I was trying to say. He put down his sword and fiddled with one of the walls.
"Okay, you know what? I'm bored", he sighed. "So, if you want to NOT get captured, you simply have get to the elevator without tripping any of my traps that I have laid out in the room before you. You have about 10 minutes before you have to make your first step. Fail to do so, and I'll shoot you. Good luck." He sat down and observed me. This day is going SPLENDID. First, I get radiation poisoning, then an angel with a god complex comes out of nowhere (no pun intended), then my gun breaks. And now this. Some bored Knight decides to play some idiotic game with me after pretty much breaking my ribs. Wonderful. Absolutely fantastic.
I exhaled sharply. Better get this over with. I calm down a little and start thinking. I check my pockets, and find the dosimeter. I'm reminded of the radiation exposure from earlier. The small, cylindrical device shone a dull silver from years of use, but still seemed to work. There was one button: 'Scan'. I pressed the button, waving the tool around my body, waiting for the reading. The device beeped quietly, and a number shone on the primitive display, next to small lettering that read "REMS". Squinting my golden eyes, I peered at the scan. Fifty rems. A lot better than I thought it would be. But I didn't feel sick at all. No nausea, no headaches, no symptoms that I'd normally get from radiation poisoning. I guess the dosimeter must be broken. Maybe I didn't get radiation poisoning after all. I discarded it, sending it clinking and rolling away on the cracked floors.
I had sat down, albeit a little painfully, and started to considered my options, when I heard a small click, like a button being pressed, and a swooshing. I looked up and saw the small device in a mesh net. I looked down at where it had gone, but the floor had opened up. I did remember there being a crack there before, though. Ooookay... well, I got one trap out of the way. Maybe the cracks were the tripwires? I dug around in my pockets, and found a small coin. I tossed the coin at one of the cracks, and a net sprang up from where the floor was. I looked at the Knight named Chromo and grinned, baring my canine fangs. I started running off towards the elevator, taking care not to step on the cracks. I got to the elevator as quickly as I could, but my injuries caught up with me faster than I could run. I felt a small cracking in my ribcage, then a sharp pain. Stumbling, I faceplanted on the cold, metal surface of the elevator. I propped myself up on the control panel and punched the down button, coughing out a little blood. My insides hurt like no tomorrow. The elevator eventually landed at a dark, gray environment, the rusty guards receding. Probably one of those Concrete Jungles I'd heard of, but there wasn't a building in sight, just a bunch of dead trees and plants. It looked like I was at the exit, seeing as there was a gate right in front of me. It must have been unlocked by someone else already, seeing as the chains had fallen on the ground. The elevators must be broken today. I crawled forward a little, and sat against a wall, breathing heavily. I tried to fall asleep, but the pain kept me awake for a while. I managed to drift off soon enough though.
Standing to my feet, I saw Nathaniel smile and say, "Gwenyvier of the Valkyries. What is your plan in the battle to come?" Top interrupted and said nervously, "Actually, let's deal with the swarm knight first. What do we do?" As he said this, he shifted uncomfortably and glanced around.
Gwen gave Top a knowing smile and asked, "Is he a Swarm knight? How do you know?" I narrowed my eyes as I looked closer at Gwen. I knew that smile. It was the one she always had when she knew something no one else did. I didn't like it one bit.
"Until we know for certain, we can do nothing. If he desires to come, I will not stop him. However, I also will not hesitate to eliminate him at the first sign of betrayal," Gwen continued. She shot him a piercing glance, the one she would usually give to me when she wanted to warn me to shut up, and the nurse, Winter, piped up, "Madam, why did you come to assist us?" The woman laughed and said, "Because you need it, and I am able and willing."
Obviously having made up her mind, Winter shouldered her gear bag and slowly started towards the Arcade. Waving to us, she yelled, "Hey! You guys coming or what?"
"Come on." Top murmured dejectedly to the girl next to him. The two ran after Winter, Top holding the girl's hand tightly. Suddenly, I heard a pained groan, and watched as the Azure Knight slowly came to. He looked around and, seeing Top, rushed up to him and slammed him in the face with a powerful hook.
Why did you SHOOT me?" the Azure knight said, his voice indignant. Without warning, Gwen pushed him to the floor and stared sternly at him. She gave him a look of near contempt. Now I knew that she was hiding something about this Knight. Maybe he wasn't an Infected, but there was something suspicious about him.
"Why did you do that? He's not swarm-infested!" Nathaniel asked, his voice angry. "You destroyed his shield and sword for no reason," I scoffed. Nathaniel shot me a glare, but I stared right back. Visibly trying to calm himself, he continued, "I just noticed that he's not of the Swarm. You should've realized that first, you being the 'lady of light' and all. You didn't have to hurt him. You may be the leader of the Valkyries, or heck; even a planet's incarnate! But if you hurt the innocent, you are no better than the Swarm."
Gwen simply stared at Nathaniel, taken aback by his words. She just stood there, speechless. The Chaos Knight started in, "Hey, hey, take it easy, okay? How are we going to beat the Swarm if we keep bickering among ourselves? At that moment, poor Top collapsed to the floor, hissing obscenities as he fell. He muttered, clearly embarassed, "Sorry... I haven't gotten used to my legs yet." With help from the girl and Winter, he slowly got back to his feet, and shuffled over to Town Hall.
The girl cried, "Where are you going?!" and Top turned, frowning, "I've got to get better. I'm useless with you guys. I'll just be a burden. If you need me, for some kind of reason, you know where to find me, Raechal." With that, he walked away. The Necron scowled, "Listen, we're getting nowhere with all this fighting. I'm leaving with her," motioning towards Winter. "Our problem is the Swarm, and here you all are squabbling like children." He walked away, his sword melting back onto his forearm. Pouting like a child, Nathaniel mocked him, "Squabbling like children." I sighed; it had only been about 15 minutes. How could all these people hate each other so much already? I shook my head and said, "Come on, let's go," then followed the Necron. The others came behind me, and, after a short walk, we reached the gates are the Arcade. The Necron glanced back and saw us, frowning. He and Winter waited for us to join them, and he punched into the machine the coordinates "1995.02 N, 549.775 W". The coordinates for Emberlight. A sour look on his face, the Necron finally said, "Alright, there's six of us in one elevator, so lets make an effort to act somewhat civil as we descend."
--
I hate elevators. They're cramped, (30 by 30 feet, but I'm used to wide open areas) play cheesy music, have stale air, and many more disgusting things I can't even begin to explain. Nobody spoke on the elevator, but when we finally stepped out, the damaged, slightly burned wooden sign in the ground marked the area as a section of the once lush, green, Aurora Isles. The trees burned, and powered-down Lumbers littered the area. I frowned; even the supposed oasis of the Auroras was affected by the Infection. The area reminded me of an even more run-down version of the Concrete Jungle.
Gwen broke the silence. "At the end of this level is a locked gate, and the switch is on the wrong side, so only I can get to it. I will go on ahead; meet me at the gate." With that, she vanished in a flash of bright light. I bit my lip with resentment. She was the only one of us who still retained her teleportation powers. These days, the other Valkyries and I could still fly extremely fast, but we had lost many of our powers; teleportation being one of them.
Listening carefully, I heard the dismayed howls of Void Wolvers echo throughout the Depth. Winter raised her shield nervously and gulped. Instinctively, I muttered in Latin, "Divine Light" and felt my armor and weapons materialize again. My wings grew slightly larger, and they radiated a fiery gold light. The others looked at me, eyes wide, then drew their weapons as well. I watched as Nathaniel took the cowardly way out; he teleported behind a fallen tree, swords in hand, and yelled, "Take cover! These are no ordinary Wolvers! So get behind cover, unless you want to be torn to shreds!" I scowled and gave him a sarcastic "You don't say?" then turned to face our fiendish adversaries,
Brandishing my Angelic Spear, I watched as twenty gargantuan, misshapen Void Wolvers encircled us, their mouths frothing and obsidian fur glistening in the sun's light. Smirking, I rushed towards one and easily broke its skull with a roundhouse kick, then spun around and jabbed my spear through another Wolver. Raising my shield defensively, I smashed it into another Wolver and watched it fall into the abyss of the Clockworks. Grinning at the other four, I shouted, "Well, what are you waiting for?!"
With that, the Swarm Monsters charged.
I leap out of the way as the Swarm Wolvers charged. I quickly brought out my Boltbrand, and released a charge of shock towards them. Two of them were shocked, the others leapt out of the way. I quickly shield bump a wolver away from Raechal, and proceeded to stab it between it's souless, pitless eyes.
In the corner of my eye, I saw Winter being attacked by Wolvers, I quickly lunge at her, tackling her at the waist, just as a Wolver pounced on the placed she was 2 seconds ago.
Like Nath said, it was going to be a LONG fight.
Gwenyvier returned to find her party fighting off a Swarm ambush. After determining that they were successfully beating back their enemies, she decided to "help out." She teleported into the midst of the battle and launched a shockwave upon landing that knocked back every Void form in the fight. She followed it up with a slew of light bolts, each of which vaporized the Void wolvers upon contact.
Satisfied that she had successfully displayed her strength by ending the battle with overwhelming force, she turned to the party. They were struggling to get back on their feet, and were undoubtedly awestruck at her power, just like she wanted them to be.
She then spoke to them calmly, "The gate is now open. Shall we continue?"
As she spoke, the little gremlin knocker quietly snuck up behind her with his wrecker in hand, preparing to hit her ankles and make her fall.
The Azure knight fidgeted uncomfortably. Elevators were always cramped. He looked to his left. Malum stood, piloting in the coordinates for emberlight. The necron was highly respected among the knights. After the elevator halted, the group found themselves looking at the corrupt sky under the aurora isles. The swarm had destroyed much of the original beauty in the clockworks. He looked at his inventory, the only thing he had now was his valiance, and a back up swiftstrike buckler. The lady of light walked away, saying something about a switch that inly she could get to. Just then nightmarish howls erupted, and void wolvers attacked.
Seeming highly coordinated, the attack was not usual, something REALLY wanted them dead. After a few seconds of fighting, the lady of light reappeared, and emitted a devastating shockwave. The void monsters were destroyed almost immediately. Just then, an unusual thought ran through his head "Why did she only choose now to show up?" he dismissed the thought as being nervous. "The gate is open. Shall we continue?" Gwenyvier spoke. The knights eyes turned to the right, just as a little image blurred by, heading straight for the lady of light.
I strike down the Gremlin with my metal arm without a second thought. As I stare down at it, I can't help but feel wrong.....
I look to the radiant woman. "Miss? There appears to be....a problem..."
I walk to the Gate without a second thought. If they think it wrong to be dismissive, so be it. I lean against the wall waiting for them, letting my turqouise eyes shine past my hood. I can feel the disease in my arm now, running side by side with my own blood. I knew this journey is the only way to get rid of it. The lady in black told me so.
This is my salvation.
And my damnation.
A void wolver lunged towards me as I spun around its body and nimbly cut it in half. I noticed that the others had some form of trouble defeating these monsters; Athena was the only exception. A group of them, saliva bubbling out of their mouths, started to surround me and lunged at me all at once. I plunged Holy Edge into the ground, covering me in a dome of light and blasting the Void Wolvers away, thus obliterating them as it expanded. Most of the Void Wolvers were already scared to go towards me, making my feeling of superiority burst up into supernatural levels as I arrogantly de-materialized my swords. Just then, I noticed Gwen teleporting in the midst of battle, and launched a shockwave into the ground, sending the few remaining Void Wolvers into the air. She then followed that attack up with a few lightning bolts that fried them to the core. She seemed satisfied that she thought she was powerful; I noticed she had some cool abilities. The others were struggling to their feet, awestruck at the power Gwen demonstrated. I merely laughed in disdain. She then spoke to us calmly,"The gate is now open. Shall we continue?" A little gremlin snuck up behind her, but just as he was about to hit her ankles with his wrench, another Necron struck down the Gremlin with his metal arm without hesitating. As he took some time to reminisce about what he had done, his countenance was filled with the expression of guiltiness. He looked to Gwen, and spoke. "Miss? There appears to be....a problem..." He then quickly made his way to the Gate, occasionally fidgeting his fingers in the process. He leaned against the wall waiting for us, his feet impatiently tapping the ground. I thought about what method I would use to get to the elevator, and after a few seconds, I teleported to the gate, rolling my eyes once I stood next to the Necron. "Come on guys. We've still got a long way to go!" I laughed, occasionally taking hidden, yet paranoid glances at every member in the party. I always never trusted anyone I met; for all I knew, they could be an enemy. I didn't even trust the Lady of Light, who was supposed to be the second most trusted being(next to the Great Spirit) in all of existence. I didn't trust anyone.
They reached the next elevator and punched it for Dark City. The gremlin was still struggling, screaming things like, "Yo, get yo hands off me, bro!" Naturally, nobody released him. Winter told him, "No way! You tried to harm the Lady of Light! That's a pretty big deal." The gremlin scoffed and retorted, "Lady of my Arse! I'll tear her limb from limb! Lemme at her!" Gwen just chuckled.
She pointed down the road. "The traps lie just ahead. I'll only be a few minutes disarming them." With that, she vanished. A few moments later, they all heard a portal spawn, and the growls of Void zombies coming from it.
And bombies.
And a couple dreadnaughts.
Uh oh.
Axis:
I grinned maniacally. They had walked right into the trap. Staring from the top of a skyscraper, I had the perfect view of their demise. I tapped my foot impatiently as the monsters teleported in. I smashed my sword into the top of the skyscraper, making the building erupt into a storm of purple crystals. The monsters charged. The lady of light had conveniently teleported away, she'd come back to find a pile of bodies. "I don't think your quest will be going any farther!" I shouted mockingly from the skyscraper. I stood back and watched, they were so weak, I probably wouldn't even have to fight.
I stare at the monsters lining up as each appeared before us. I squint at the figure atop the skyscraper. "Damn," I mutter, and start walking towards the figure. I feel almost.....guilty.....and I hadn't even done anything yet. I beckon to the oncoming monsters. "You wear your sin, like it's some kind of prize..." I whisper under my breath. "Too many lies, too many lies." I transform the under of my arm into an axe blade on each arm. I jump at the crowd, and just as my toes touch the ground behind them, I fly backwards from a powerful propulsion. As their heads fall, my arm burns from their blood. I shake it off before it can do any more damage. I keep my eyes on the figure on the building, as monsters attack me. I feel my life force dimming, and check my life points. Four.
I start to run, cutting down only the Machines, for they can't do any harm from me if I harm them. I jump onto the building, a cut on my forehead causing red to spill down. I can see the figure looming there.....
I opened my eyes again, groaning. I looked around, but nothing had changed. I could see a little better now. Apparently, I wasn't in a Concrete Jungle, but a Dark City. The "wall" was a building, looming in the sky, like some kind of ancient monolith. I could feel my broken rib poking into my skin, striving to claim its unwarranted freedom, threatening to burst out of my abdomen in a shower of blood. It looked disturbing from an outsider's point of view, but that's what I get for trusting a stranger. A broken rib and internal bleeding. I stood up with some difficulty. Twitching my ears, I heard the sounds of battle far away. The wind was blowing into my face, carrying the scent of Swarm Monsters and the Knight from earlier, not to mention those two Angel-things. God, I did not want to see them again.
I coughed some more, sending small particles of blood spattering on the ground. Okay, I probably should have taken my earlier statement back. Seeing one of them would be nice, given the fact that I'm probably going to die because of this broken rib. They could heal me I guess, but they were nowhere to be seen. I fell on to the ground, coughing some more. I tried to call for help.
"Help... someone...", I rasped out. Not loud enough. Attempting to howl, I managed to do so with some difficulty and a subsequent coughing fit. I better wait here if I had any chance of being saved.
I sat down against the building again, tired and miserable.
An Alpha Wolver jumped out of the bushes and landed in front of Ukai. The strangest thing about it was that it was perfectly normal. It wasn't mutated, and it certainly wasn't hostile. It stood up and transformed into a fully-grown knight. He knelt beside her and asked, "What's wrong? I heard your howl. The missus gave me some medical training, so I can probably help you right here."
As if the beasts of the wild responded to my earlier howling, I saw a Alpha Wolver burst out of the bushes, landing clumsily in front of me. It didn't seem hostile, but it was not normal, seeing as it transformed into a completely normal-looking Knight. What. The. Hell. This day is getting weirder by the second. He knelt besides me, with a concerned look in his eyes.
"What's wrong? I heard your howl. The missus gave me some medical training, so I can probably help you right here", he said gently. Thank god.
"Yeah... well, I have a broken rib and what I think is internal bleeding", I explained, coughing out some more blood. "I don't know if your medical training can fix that." I rasped out a laugh and descended into another coughing fit.
"What quest? If you need an extra person, I'm ready" asked a guy in Chaos & Snarbolax gear. His suit made him look dark and mysterious, but his face contradicted that image with a pleasant youthfulness. Winter grinned and replied, "We're going to hunt down the Master and the Swarm. What's your name?"