Cicero's Polaris met Gwen's forehead.
Then they shook hands and parted ways.
No, not really. But it did bounce off harmlessly. Gwen deadpanned and said flatly, "Got any better ways to kill me, genius?" She kicked him off and summoned her psi-blades, but instead of attacking him, she just smiled and twirled them in her hands.
Waiting.
"I WILL kill you, one way or another," Cicero says, hefting his sword and raising his shield, a classic fighter's pose. It is clear that he is an experienced warrior.
"So... how many did you kill?" Cicero says, malice dripping from his voice as he kicks her backward.
Gwen's smile faded. "I will not even condescend to answer your question. I owe you no explanation for my activities, especially since I already gave you one...."
"...you murderous piece of scrap! Die now and perish for your sins!"
With that, she unleashed a barrage of attacks. She struck at him from every conceivable direction, her blades glistening with power and might with every blow. Again and again she slashed, unrelenting, unforgiving, punishing. Strike after strike fell upon Cicero's beleaguered blade and shield.
Nothing would hold her back now.
Part 1
A black pod flies to the ground, elegant and sleek, burying itself in the hill of green, the plains running for a long while. The pod unfolds into a flower, and a form stands up from it, turning his head around. A blindfold wrapped around his eyes, its ties blowing in the soft breeze. He holds a gavel in his hand, and a tattoo runs up from his shirt, curling around his neck and ending at his color, a tiny script making up the shape of a snake. His loose clothing billows in the breeze, and he is silent as he stands in thought to where he is. The shadows in the grass become darker, and the illusion between them fades, darkness squirming through each blade. They travel to the stranger's feet, and he begins walking along their path, his arrival perfect as he can hear the whispers of evil and good guide his presence.
Strange enough, he finds himself in an alley, his hands outstretched and moving along the walls. The gavel is strapped to his back, and the quiet town of Haven is silent. His crown of horns shimmers in the dark, and he turns, sniffing around for anyone. The darkness beneath his feet is gone, replaced by a gray of light moving beneath the shadow of the building to his right. He calls out for anyone, "Hello?"
OOC: Seeing as he's blind, his aspects will guide him to where he needs to go. If I knew where this Garrison was, that would be helpful. I'm excited to get started!
EDIT:
Turning his head, he hear's something. He slowly walks forward, shadows guiding his path as he enters the light, leading to the Garrison. He pulls out his gavel, holding it to his side and walking along the path before him. He continues to call out, "I'm here to help! Please, where might you be?" His walk is no short of elegant, walking into the Garrison by whatever means he can, and walking along it, continuing to call out for anyone. A voice whispers down the hall, following his voice. "He's arrived. Prepare yourselves. His Judgement is perfect. His Ambivalence is already here."
Three men approach him. "Who the h*** are you!?" they asked, their voices dripping with both animosity and curiosity. One could tell by their accents that they were Morai, not Spiral.
"And what's with the weird outfit?" one added.
Part 2
Xindao stands simply, looking perplexed at their question. He whispers, "These aren't my subects..." He speaks louder, now addressing the Morai, "I am your Judge. I was simply looking for some Spiral Knights that were stationed here in the Garrison. And this outfit? It's, ah, a gift I earned in my Ceremony when I was a child. It was designed the same, but in hundreds of combinations of sizes to suit me as I grew up. You must be the Morai. I'm pleased to meet you." Xindao grins, holding out the hand that wasn't holding the gavel. "You might be my ticket to the Core. Or they will. You never know. Hey, if you're looking for them, mind if I tag along?"
Brandon was mysteriously teleported to an icy level somewhere in the Clockworks. His Gate Map said he was on a D2 Clockworks Tunnel. Nearby, he could hear the sounds of a furious sword fight.
__________
The Morai soldiers were about to ridicule the mysterious man, but their leader knew better. He silenced them and extended his hand to the 'Judge'. "Greetings. I'm Centurion Ghor Khazaim. What's your name, sir?"
Part 3
Xindao shook the man's hand, nodding. "I am Xindao Spade. I'm the Highblood Isoran. The pleasure is mine." He added a charming grin, but gripped his gavel tight at his side.
Khazaim eyed Xindao with suspicion. "Highblood Isoran, eh? Were you...ah, associated with the...uh, the Spiral Order?" The two soldiers spat on the ground at the mention of the 'Spiral Order'.
He cautiously fingered his blade. One false move from either side could end in bloodshed. In hindsight, his question may have been a pointlessly stupid one.
Part 3
The Spiral Order? Xindao faltered for a minute, in anger and compassion. "The Spiral Order isn't a friend of mine. The King and Queen of Isora long ago locked me up, and have been using the Spiral Order in a way that's against my wishes. They are supposed to belong to me. Since the old times, their path has been deranged from what it was originally for. I want them ended." He was no longer grinning, but standing straighter, and adjusting his collar. "I would like nothing more than the Spiral Order disbanded." He sighed in sadness. "I'm the one that proposed the idea. The King and Queen, and those after, are the ones that twisted it."
The two soldiers whooped with joy, but Khazaim held his tongue, figuring that there had to be a catch somehow. Of course, he wasn't about to press the man on the matter, since he himself was feeling good about the comments. "Welp, I guess that's all we can ask for, really. Would you like our escort services?"
Xindao nods. "If you aren't looking for the Isorans, it would be helpful if you could lead me to a team that is." He grins, and rests his gavel on his shoulder. "Any team or even a solo-sent would be the best to get to them. I'm just wondering when we can get this along and set aside the formalities." He looks almost like he's examining the Morai soldiers, but he's blind. How would that even make sense? Well, it wouldn't, and doesn't.
Xindao pulls out his long pipe, the end flickering to life, and he sips and blows out some smoke.
[Elzilia manages to slash her across the spire, killing dozens along the way, every step she takes, she also drops down a bag of thermite explosive. The last of the Valkyrie knights fled the spire and headed for its platinum counterpart while Elzilia and Ursulan’s gun ship finally reached the roof top. The organism Ursulan described, living inside the spire, is in fact located on the roof, a tree like being, as soon as Elzilia steps inside the lake which the tree is immersed in. The ancient tree awakened.]
Ursulan: “If my files are correct, this is Judge Xinos… this tree, is the decider of good and bad…”
Judge Xinos: *eyes glowed yellow* “I am, the judge… of the sins and the wickedness, of this… tainted world…” *two of the branches transformed into his hands* “I am… Judge Xinos… and WHY is there a filthy mortal within my ground?”
Elzilia:*chuckles* “Judge Xinos huh? You must be one as old tree… I think it is time to cut you down, and give way to the new seeds!”
Judges Xinos: *laughs slowly* “Hahaha, foolish woman, I am eternal, there is no reason for me to take your taunting seriously.”
Elzilia: *tilts her head* “HA!” *throws the decapitated head of one of the Valkyrie knight into the sacred water* “I wasn’t expecting an old tree like you to take me seriously to begin with, I am just here to kill you!” *draws her plasma blade*
Judge Xinos: “You will pay for your arrogance, mortal!”
Elzilia: “The reaper fears no god, your time has come, get ready to die!”
Edit: fixed some errors
"Also, I'm not very patient. So unless you're leading me to where I need to go to get what I want, you're going to be in serious trouble..." Xindao grins wickedly, moving his gavel to the side of the wall, and resting its flat on it. The gavel begins to flicker in black-and-white quickly, disorienting. He smiles wider, and the wall cracks, filled with black-and-white energy and shining out. The next move the enemy or friend made determined if they were hit by the gavel, and then Xindao would have to find others to get him to where he wanted, or kill them trying.
The blindfold floats lightly in a new breeze traveling down the hall. His face continues grinning insanely.
OOC: Ambivalence - Containing one or more contradicting ideas or personalities.
Perfect example of this.
Smashing the blades to his left with his broad, wide shield, he said:
"So I've heard, you were a monster for a little while. Ate people, even. It's a shame you never really recovered." Cicero says, launching a thrust at her torso, something he knew that dual-wielders were vulnerable to.
Walking down to the Town Square Blesse saw the many bodies, most Morai anda fair number of Spiral's floating around as well. It seems the Morai still can't get over what happened back home. Pity. It did not take Blesse long to locate a fight, or at least she though it was a fight. A group of Morai where in the little outcove in Haven's town square, the garden she suspected. Walking in she sighed, it was about five yards in either direction from the center which was fine by her, but at the same time she felt it to be a trap. After all she could only see the entrance, anything else was blind to her beyond that point.
Getting up beside the door way, the vertical coffin as some squads called it, she peeked around the corner. It was just enough to see that she was indeed right, anyone who walked threw the door way would have been taken down by at least half a dozen small arms fire and a sword. Pulling her head back she reached behind her and pulled out what looked like a piece of cloth. Balling it up she knocked on the side of the wall to get the Morai Soldier's stured and then tossed it in the door way. It took no time at all for the reaction she was expecting, gunfire. They are scared, and cornered. Don't know if a Engineer is with them supplying them but either way they are more then a threat now. With one more action she reached her left hand to the top of her right adjusting the nozzle of the Flame Unit. Can't use a wide burst here, it would miss. So a more foused blast will work, and splash off the walls. Sorry Strangers, but this is for the best.
Walking back slightly she turned and pointed her right hand, which had the Flame Unit's barrel attached to it, into the garden area. Squeezing her hand a stream of liquid fire ran forth in a almost straight line, aside from it expanded as it got further away from Blesse it still looked like a line of death. After a few second she stopped, the sounds of mean slowly burning to death could be heard, truly their was no death more horrid then emulation caused by a chemical that one could not whip off. Keeping her hand up she fired a second burst this time walking forwards as she did aiming south to get at the soldier's deeper inside the hiding place.
It only took three minutes but once she was done Blesse walked out of the once lively garden, not it was just a river of flames that bellowed black smoke as the screams of death slowly died away. That was fun, best go find the Thief.
Jaxter started to walk back to the Arcade, watching Sono and the other knights mop up the last of the Morai troops in the area. They could take care of it from here.
He started to take the elevator down to where Gwen and Cicero were. He needed to inform them of their impending victory. Then he needed to speak to Cicero. Privately.
Sho surveyed the scene looking through glass on a roof of a warehouse, a few squads of Morai had taken residence here. It seemed they were taking time to assess the current situation and seemed they were contacting more Morai to join in one the area. He of course couldn't let that happen. Sho's Guardian Shield had been switched out with Vitakit. The current situation required more stealth than sheer power. A few Morai Centurions whom obviously seemed to be leaders of the squad grouped around a Warden whom seemed to be the ringmaster of this whole operation. That's my target, Sho thought to himself. He thought about shooting the Warden to death but realized he had a bomb tucked in somewhere in his armor. He sifted through the leather of his Infernal Guardian Armor and found himself a Nitronome, he opened the window and looked at the Morai. Go die in a hole, he thought to himself. He threw it. The bomb went off, madness was released. Morai screamed and shouted as they were flung up and crashed through the windows of the abandoned warehouse. They ran around in chaos but as the scene moved on some regained conscious and picked up their weapons looking in the direction of which the bomb was thrown. Sho jumped inside as shots rang out and the hiss of steel from leather sounded. He landed on a beam and took cover by another intersecting beam. He turned around and fired the Grim Repeater. Splotches of red appeared where he shot and when the squad was thinned out he jumped down from the beam, slung the gun over his back, took out his Acheron, and motioned for the Morai to attack. They needed no hesitation. Sho threw himself to the right as the first Morai attacked by swinging an Cold Iron Carver at Sho's neck. The attack missed and Sho shoved the Acheron through the Morai's stomach and delivered a swift cut to his neck ending the first of many. Sho ran into the oncoming mob courageously. More Morai screamed and yelled in pain as Sho dodged their sloppy attacks and delivered ruthless attacks of his own. After the foot soldiers' massacre looked in the direction of the Warden. The Centurions made a protective barrier around him, their shields raised and weapons drawn. Sho stared blankly at them. He grabbed the Grim Repeater in one hand and shot each bulky warrior in the head. The Warden scared crawled away but gunfire from Sho quickly stopped him. Sho smirked to himself as in his mind he sifted through a before and after picture. He tapped his com-link and contacted a random Intel Agent.
Sho: This is Champion Sho, Morai have been found in an abandoned warehouse at Sector 2 Area 11. Threat has been neutralized but cleanup is needed.
Intel Agent: Roger, Sho. Were sending a squad your way.
Sho: Thanks.
Intel Agent: No problem.
Sho: Out.
Sho ended the audiofeed and exited the building. Knights strangely eyed the warehouse and Sho as he walked ever-so calmly back to Barrus to see if he could still catch a spot on the Party headed for King Tinikinzar.
Sono drove his Doragon into the ground, tired as he watched the last of the Morai either retreat or slain. He noticed Firebug walking away from the now-smoldering Snipe Garden, wincing as he heard the last scream of death die off.
"I think that's the last of them," Sono radioed the remaining Knights. "We need all Knights to EVAC any and all wounded to the Garrison, stat." He pulled his blade from the ground and placed it on his back before grabbing a nearby soldier who's arm was blown off. Using his speed, Sono took her and several more Soldiers to the Garrison, checking for anymore survivors around Haven.
'The Med Knights are gonna have their hands full for a while.' His regeneration soon kicked in as he rested under a tree near the Arcade.
"It's your lucky day," Cicero remarked, barely avoiding being shish-kabobbed by Gwen's relentless assault. "I don't have time for this."" He finished. He had heard the reports of what had happened on the surface.
"So I guess you can die another day." he finished, leaping back and setting fire to a patch of trees with his Combuster. The dead wood burned like a matchbox, and so did the grass. A massive wildfire divided the two fighters, and he turned his back to her, slowly walking back to the elevator.
As the elevator slowly descended, Jaxter drank from his bottle a bit. His arm still hurt from the Blaster shot, but he's felt worse. When the elevator clunked to a stop, Jaxter heard shouting and swords striking steel in the distance.
"...It's a shame you never really recovered." It was Cicero's voice in the faint distance. Jaxter was puzzled and crept towards the noise. He peeped around the corner, and saw him fighting with Gwen, who looked a lot more powerful than she should have been. She moved with supernatural speed, and the wings of a glowing High Valkyrie extended from her back. Jaxter's eyes widened as he quickly drew back before anyone saw.
'Gwen is the Queen...' He needed to get away and tell the others if she came back. He loaded his gun and swiftly activated the elevator, retreating as soon as possible.
OOC: NINJA'D
Luke followed Sono's charge, shield bashing an opposing Morai. He went to draw his Swift flourish, but remembered it was imbedded in a Morai Marine. Switching to his calibur, he exchanged blows. The giant shield was begining to feel heavy. Retreating a couple steps, Luke glanced around for a better shield. Spying a smelly shield to his left, he started to edge his way towards it. He parryed a swing, and slammed the Plate shield into the ground. It stood on its side for a couple seconds, then Luke kicked it towards the enemy troop. He scooped up the Skelly Shield, and spun around to face his opponent, who was fighting another knight. Luke turned to find another opponent, but was disappointed as the rest of Sono's small force of knights had already mopped up the remaining Morai. Luke shrugged, and dropped the shadow defender. He headed towards the Bazaar, to retrieve his shield and Flourish.
"She's more powerful then she looks!" Cicero yells, sprinting past Jaxter and half-dragging him along.
"MOVE!" Cicero keeps yelling, sprinting toward the elevator.
With superhuman speed, Gwen raced for the elevator and skidded to a halt just in front of them. Without bothering to taunt them, she flourished her right hand sword and drove it down hard over Cicero's head. With her left hand sword she feinted an uppercut to slash at his legs.
"Take him! Not me!" Jaxter shoved Cicero off the elevator without a moments hesitation, knowing the queen would kill him too if he didn't escape. He sighed in regret. It had been a long time since he regretted killing someone. He watched as the Queen took Cicero and he ascended.
Jaxter heard a familiar, soothing voice in his head. "I have no reason to kill you, Jaxter. We shall meet again."
Khazaim shuffled nervously at this display of power. "Sh-sure, okay. We'll take you to the nearest Spiral group." He motioned for his two men to escort Xindao while he led the way.
He led them to the Arcade entrance, where the Knights stubbornly resisted the Morai advance. "Here we are, Lord Xindao. There is something here that the Knights desperately don't want us to see, and we intend to find out what it is."
The grounds below wild-wood rumbled as a mound formed in the middle of a clearing. Shortly after, a large serpent broke through the surface, and levelled its head to cast its gaze around its new surroundings.
A slender tongue tasted the air, trying to sense anything around him which may wish him harm, or provide a nice snack. Failing to pick up anything, other than the usual ambience of wolver howls and scurrying chroma, Anguis slithered out of the mound, and coiled itself around a particularly large stump, falling asleep under its elevated roots.
The world had become alot more peaceful ever since the Spiral had left. He thought this was a grand thing, and that nothing would change his mind.
On her march Blesse came to the front of the arcade, ironicly enough she saw a group of Morai with some one who looked a bit more respectable if not different. It was a rare moment for her to get the drop on soldier's so instead of waiting said moment she smiled got as close as possible with out detection. Even going as far as switching the Pilot light for a Magnesium igniter tip for her Flame Unit. Can't take them too lightly, at this point it would be wiser to listen to their plan if they have one instead of trying to kill them. They are sure to know Knights will come behind them but I am betting they where expecting Knights from the Bazaar then here. Hope the Arcade has reinforcements and barricades other wise when I strike I might hit one of them.
Slowly she moved around to peek and listen into the Morai's plan if they had one.
Xindao's grin slowly turned kind again, the hammer flickering back to a black. He nodded, like nothing had happened. "Good choice." He whispered, almost to himself. He followed the men, his gavel still gripped tight. His shadow looked almost like branches of darkness intermixed with branches of murky gray, but the disturbing part was that these branches were moving and squirming around, reaching out. Yes, he would follow these people to the nearest Knights, and then would begin his journey.
He couldn't stop thinking about his maltreatment in Isora's deepest cell...anything to get him to talk. His expression faltered as he walked. Flashes of the Executor standing over him, treating his superior with dark cruelty of ignorance to him. The shadows and the light were his only friend. How, how could I give this race what they have, and my children turn on me to kill...
The shadows and the grey branches widen their diameter, almost protecting the one who cast them. He adjusts his hair, straightens his blindfold, and prepares for anything.
The gods and devils on the side of His Ambivalence, he awaits his time.
Arcade
Xindao turns his head around, feeling the bloodlust and recoiling slightly. He then lets out a sigh, and takes a step forward. "When in doubt, act quickly..." he whispered softly. The shadows and grey extended beneath him. He stood simply, and raised his gavel. It began flickering, as his shadows and light beneath him turned toward the barrier. He could swing, and let the Morai in...or he could wait to be let in.
Sono's eyes fluttered open, strangely weaker than he was before. He was lying on a bed, his weapons and shield leaning against the wall nearby. "What the... where-" Trying to get up, his left arm buckled under his weight. Looking at it, the arm was wrapped in a green-stained cloth.
One of the Medics heard him, and ran over to his side. "Sir, I wouldn't advise you getting up." He looked over his notes. "You got poisoned. A nasty gap in your forearm. We were lucky we found you when we did." The Medic looked back at Sono. "It seems you're one of the 'Regenerators'. That skill would have killed you had I not stopped it. It should come back now that you've regained consciousness."
Sure enough, Sono's body soon healed itself, along with the left arm. "Ergh, thanks." Even though he was used to the feeling of sudden rejuvenation, he flinched when the gap closed up. Getting up, he remembered Barrus's original orders and mission. "Ohp, almost forgot." Leaving some money in the Medic's hand, he gathered his gear and headed out towards the Arcade.
Once at the entrance, however, he saw Firebug hiding at the Town Square entrance, sneaking up on more Morai soldiers. 'Blesse? What is she doing?' He hid behind cover at the Mysterious Alchemy Machine on his end of the Arcade, ready to strike when the time was right.
Looking over Blesse just held her hand up as she finished switching over the ignitor for her Flame Unit. She was not going to risk sending a message at the risk of the Morai intersepting it, even at close range. So instead she reached up and held her left hand in a stopping action. After that she cupped where her ear was on the outside of her hood then pointed at the group.
Hopefully he will understand that I am trying to listen in on these four.
"Screw it." Xindao muttered. He slammed down his gavel on the barrier, and, rather than destruction, the material melded itself into a simple door. He reached for it, and walked inside.
"You don't kill your siblings, Morai." Xindao said. Spinning around, he raised his gavel again, and it began flickering again, ready to close off the doorway once it was charged.
He's here. He's here. He entered. Welcome. A soothing voice, unheard through those who could not hear, floated among the panic-stricken Knights.
"F*** you, Jaxter! I'll mount your balls on my mantle, you bastard!" Cicero yells, as his leg is torn open and Gwen's sword pings off his helmet. The visor is forcibly knocked down.
"So, this is how it ends for a seasoned Spiral Knight. Murdered by some b**** who was trying to cover up her own guild. But I won't give you the sick satisfaction of finishing me." Cicero spits out the words, stepping closer to the elevator. Sheathing his sword, he brandishes his middle finger at the Valkyrie.
He steps over the edge of the elevator shaft, and plunges down....
Sono saw her message, and put his sword away. He nodded before sitting down and leaning against the machine, listening in on what they were doing as well.
Xindao slammed his gavel, and the door vanished. He spun away, turning his head from side-to-side. He looked lost, and couldn't help feeling a bit overwhelmed. "I have to be who I was meant to be..." he whispers to himself fiercely. He walks forward, calling out as he did with the Morai. "Hello? Anyone there?" He adjusted his blindfold, keeping his secret hidden as he did so. His gavel stopped flickering, and he rested his gavel into a strap along his back.
As Cicero fell, long white tentacles wrapped themselves around him and pulled him into a side shaft, narrowly avoiding the elevator Gwen sent down to crush him. Down, down he was pulled through the narrow shaft, until at long last he was gently laid to rest on a soft, carpeted floor in a pitch-black room.
A soothing, female voice called out to him from the darkness. "Hello, Cicero. You have been a very naughty boy. You almost killed me! Tee hee hee! Imagine that! Please, make yourself at home." A single bright light turned on, revealing him to be in a small, cozy-looking room with a satin-covered recliner, a small cot, and a large wooden chest. "I had this room prepared many eons ago for unexpected visitors like yourself."
"You... your not the Apocrea. Your certainly not Gwenivere, Vog claim her soul. I sincerely hope your not something powerful, because I notice I dropped my sword. What are you? Are you.... The Core?" Cicero asks, awe in his voice.
"Oh, you dropped your sword? I'm sorry. I'll make you a new one." She paused. "I wouldn't be so quick to draw any conclusions about my identity, if I were you. I don't like you, so I won't be telling you who I am just yet. Have a cookie?" A thin tentacle held out a large, freshly-baked cookie. I baked them myself! It's one of the many skills I cultivated during my solitude. Do you like it?"
He raises his head, the shadows in his own squirming and fading, giving way to a blaring light instead. "Someone initiated the Whitespace. Dear Vog, what is going on down there?!" Xindao's air of condescension fell, finally, and he ran to the edge of an elevator. Leaning over the edge, he looked down, but he couldn't find the source. His tattoos started flickering beneath his shirt. "Vogd*** it all..." he muttered. Fuchsia and gold glowed beneath the grate of the elevator, and suddenly it jolted down, nine feet of space between Xindao and the surface. He turned around in a start. "Hello?! Can someone help me?!" he called out in a panic, the elevator creaking.
Ohhh, yes. But you're in our domain, Spade. You belong to us.
"Ish good" Cicero says with a full mouth, glancing around. "Well, it's not poisoned."
Cicero eased himself into the recliner, acutely aware that he was unarmed, save for his Polaris. He inspected the weapon, then realized with horror that it's powerpack was still missing. It must have fallen out during his fall. Slinging his pack to the carpeted floor, he tossed the useless weapon inside.
"I'm presuming your not going to let me go in a hurry..." Cicero perceived, pulling out a small knife from his pack. It was still stained from the wolver he had skinned earlier, when he was traveling with Gwen. Or, the Queen Valkyrie, as he had recently deduced. The knife had very little value in combat, but it was a great comfort.
The tentacle pulled back as soon as Cicero withdrew the knife. "Careful! Depth 3 is a looooong way from my abode, and I don't replace things easily up there. Please put it away. I mean you no harm."
"Okay... so why did you rescue me?" Cicero says after a long pause. He sheathes the knife. "And how did I almost kill you? What do you have against me? Why prepare this nice room for me?" Cicero begins to fire off questions.
"Naturally you have lots of questions, and I'll do my best to answer them. I rescued you because you were in danger, not because I have any ulterior motive or anything. I think that being nice to your enemies is the absolute best way of making them your friends. Wouldn't you agree?" The tentacle poured a cup of tea and handed it to him.
Watching the man go threw the door that was made Blesse had no choice but to do something brasic. Turning around the corner she was paused at she waved the other man to come with her as she came closer to the barrier. It seemed to become just that a barricade once more, which made Blesse happy but at the same time she was not pleased. The Morai had never reached the Arcade before and she was not about to let them leave with the information they might have gained.
Stepping back ten feet or so Blesse held up her right hand and with a quick point a black flame seemed to emerge from the barricade, burning it up and at times ripping it down as it removed it from its spot. And this is why I love my fire. The Three blue dots on Blesse's face plate changed to red as she readied herself for a fight. None of those men looked like gun user's but that didn't mean she shouldn't be expecting one. Leaving the Morai to her fellow squad memeber
Stepping inside she found herself standing in the middle of the Arcade, the side that led to the Girmison was well locked down as well as the side to the Bazaar, as it stood Town Square's entrance as let open for the sudden entrance of the two groups let the Spirals' to believe they had lost that section. Pointing at the man with both her right and her left hand, the left one pointing as a second dark ember came to life, the Right she pointed the barrel of the Flame Unit. Lowering her head slightly she sighed, she was just a Soldier after all and this was the kinda ground work she was suppose to do.
Cicero sips the tea gratefully.
"Mmmm, chai. How did you know that is my favourite type of tea? Oh well, it doesn't matter. So how are we enemies? Forget that, what are you?"
The ghostly figure finished materializing on the cot.
It bore an uncanny resemblance to Gwenivere.
Her voice stopped echoing and normalized. She sounded like Gwenivere, too. "Lucky guess about the tea, I reckon. Anyway. You need to stop fighting my avatar. Most inconvenient. I know, I know, she killed lots of people. That's my fault, really, but that's a long story and kinda embarrassing. We've reconciled now, and that's all that really matters."
She rested her head on her hands and looked at him. "Do you think we're enemies, Cicero?"
"I wish we weren't, believe me I do." Cicero says matter-of-factly. "But... why take me here? If you are large enough and powerful enough to need an avatar to enter our world... why not just destroy me. Or let yourself crush me with an elevator. Why... why this ?"
She giggled and turned over to face him. "Why would I destroy you? I brought you all here. It was I who shot down the Skylark, and it was I who let you leave on it. I needed your help, and I've come to love every last one of you. We don't destroy the ones we love." She offered him a wide, toothy smile and kicked her legs on the cot. "Come come now! Can't we talk about something cheerier? 'Destruction' is such a droll topic."
Hearing the message relayed to all the Knights, Sono radioed as many of them as possible from his position atop one of the buildings near the Arcade. "All on-field Intel Knights, escort as many wounded as possible to the Garrison! Knights, er, Knight-ranked and lower, help any Strangers you see, and if possible, escort them as well to the Garrison." Nearly half of the crowd scattered around, grabbing wounded soldiers and herding Strangers.
Sono removed his blades, Gokai to his right, Doragon to his left. "Alright Guys! It's time we took out the trash!" Several of the remaining Knights groaned, making Sono chuckle to himself. "Works every time." Leaping off the roof, he hit the ground running.
"CHARGE!!"