Dawnguard
Alear is successful at sweeping Beruka off her feet, and the young woman even look visibly surprised at that. But as she falls, she catch herself on her hands, bending her knees all the way over to her chest and then bouncing back up the air to come down at Alear with a downward blow from her weapon.
Nautolan picture belongs to Bonesmarinated on twitterThe Arcade
"Gladly."
With that she gently grabbed his head, and quickly grabs the work with her other hand. Humans were... very thin-skinned. Perfect for regulating body temperature, terrible for her trying not to roughen em up. As she holds onto his head she seems a little scared, and requires some boost to get her to actually touch the worm.
But once whatever Denji had done to motivate her is out in effect, she yanks it out, grinning to herself as she holds the struggling malice-seeking grub.
"Its debauched and hideous..."
Edited by ArbiterOfTheBog on Nov 15th 2024 at 11:51:34 AM
AwawaDenji
usually make women a tad unsettled. Making a woman settled is hard for him to do . His best bet at fixing it? He gently move his arm up Nymbulda's own (as far as he can at least) and let it rest there, squeezing it softly. As if telling her he trusts her entirely.
Best part? He does. He can see she's nervous but doesn't get why, due to how casually awesome she is.
The snake groans and screech softly as it's removed, but it's pathetically easy to do so. Denji doesn't even react strongly - he just grab his neck and rub his hand on it before pulling his arm back to see saliva and blood smeared all over his palm. Huh, that's mine. Denji says, giving his palm a little lick.
Thanks though! He stares at the snake in Nymbulda's hand - it claws and bite at her but, only having pathetic little legs and a pathetic little mouth to bite at the air, it doesn't succeed unless she lets it. And if she does get careless? It'll latch on to her, its mouth eventually digging into her skin as the snake try wrapping around her hand.
If not, the snake lets out curse words as it shrinks, growing smaller and smaller by the second. And, within a few seconds, it shrinks for good, giving out a little indignant scream as it fades away into red smoke, disappearing entirely. But Denji, who can't see the Devil yet (judging by the way he confusedly glance at Nymbulda's fingers) suddenly stop and scream, pointing behind Nymbulda.
Pointing at a customer who's throwing herself right at Nymbulda, with her entire head engulfed by a red snakee!
YOU BIIIITTCCCHHHHH!
Nautolan picture belongs to Bonesmarinated on twitterWith time bought by her leg sweep, Alear manages to raise her own weapon to block Beruka's attack.
"Aaaaaaahhhhh!"
She tries to break the clash and push Beruka away with innate draconic strength. The question is whether it can match Beruka's trained might.
—
"The world I'm from is in dire need of reformations. It needs someone to...establish order."
Medusa bows her head.
"I'll be up front about it. I request a sample of your power, so that I may enact these changes. You will gain nothing by helping me, but you will not lose anything, either."
"A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to."The Arcade
She lets it bite at the air, looking back at Denji before giving an unfortunate sigh. Not of frustration, but of embarrassment. Though she did laugh at Denji's comment, that warm smile appearing over her face for a moment. That's when she feels something try to jump her, and sees Denji point to a customer throwing themselves at Nymbulda. She drops her lance, and goes in to give the possessed patron a right hook into their chest, hoping to send them flying into a wall. Which while not very knightly to wish such a thing, she considered a better alternative than being impaled.
"Not a dull life for I, Nymbulda, the Knight-Errant of the Kurrangk, Blade of the Muldjewangk, Destroyer of Evil!"
Before she wraps an arm around Denji's shoulder to include him her boast as she looks out at the rest of the possessed patrons.
"And the Insatiable Maw, Demon Hunter, The Brutal Hero, the Devil's Bane, Noble Denji!"
She of course had to end it with a pose, her hand in-front of her face as she held her shield before her midriff. Though she didn't feel as thrilled without her lance.
"This pose... could use some work."
Edited by ArbiterOfTheBog on Nov 15th 2024 at 6:38:09 AM
AwawaBeruka
has lesser raw strength than Alear - Even with Yorozu within her, she can't match Alear's power. Had the two women competed on fairer ground, Alear would have won without too much trouble. But Beruka has the advantage of coming down, giving her momentum.
Yet it only means Alear will need more efforts to repel Beruka, who briefly stay in the air as she attempts to force Alear down. Lesser ground would shatter, but Fort Dawnguard's doesn't.
However, Beruka is aware of that, and her eyes light up in approval - right before she uses her Cursed Technique to try to create a little tendril hook from the tip of the axe. It wraps around the sword to try to let Beruka swing herself towards Alear's stomach feet first!
Nautolan picture belongs to Bonesmarinated on twitterDawnguard
"Is that right? Fine, I can share some of my power with you, but if it turns out you're misusing it, know that I will reclaim it.", Sothis says, creating a small energy sphere above her hand.
In the year 202X, all is devastation... Soon, any last shred of hope had by the saintliest optimist shall die and decay.Pokémon World
|You found a Pokémon Center? That's good, we can heal up there!|
Luna gets up on her feet and looks back at the others.
|Let's go!| She said to the Rabrights. They nod and begin to follow her.
Eliza breaths heavily. |Will... Will she reconize me... When I'm cleaned up? It will take a while... To get this filth off...| She said weakly, trying to catch her breath.
Pokemon World
Rafles starts following the group of Pokémon, and motions the two girls to follow him.
I hope we don't have to walk a lot...
Tunnels
After slipping away from the beast, Gregoria goes through the door and follows the group into the restroom.
She looks awed at the marine creatures... Until she heard the clicking sound... And glanced at its source.
Guys... Do you think the building will resist that creature if hypotetically wanted to attack us?
Pica-Verse
Both X-Slashes clash strongly, the four blades locking between them... Until Altina slashes Belénroth on her gut, leaving her seriously injuried.
But, oddly enough, instead of blood, a bright beam of light emanates from the slash.
Finally... Time to leave this cocoon...
Cocoon?
The beam of light envelopes Belénroth, who floats upwards, grows in size, and her hair grows longer. Also, she grows a single wing on her back.
Darn...!
She opens her arms wide, daring the four heroes to attack.
Let's give her all we have!
Carolina and Drawing!Belén focus their magic energy on Sora's Keyblade and Altina's sword.
Edited by BombonBombin on Nov 15th 2024 at 11:26:06 AM
Three freaking ghosts!Hub Centralis - Before Tryouts
"Jamie pull up the video of that eldritch abomination tearing up Hub Centralis."
"Yeah, the one with that blue-haired wizard lady."
JRE #607943 played moderately through a speaker in a vacant trainyard. It was hard to find somewhere quiet in a place as dense as Hub Centralis, somewhere quiet enough to be undisturbed. Thinking alone was an arduous task in the Arena's most densely populated area. The noise of the podcast was mere chatter to fill the open spaces in one's mind, the subject matter of little importance to the one listening.
In the middle of the yard, a young man was squatting down in front of an idle train car, its sleek, aluminum-like construction quite different from the typical scene. The whole train yard appeared as though it were chrome, spotlessly clean. The man clasped his fingers tightly around the bottom of the train car, and with a strenuous grunt, lifted with all his might to pull the train car off the track, raising it just above his head.
Holding it there, the man took a moment to breathe, sweat pouring from his body like a river, skin glowing red hot. He stared at the track, continuing to take deep, laborious breaths. The man's arms began to shake as he lowered the car, a slow, forced exhale accompanying this motion. As the metal clunked against the rail, the man fell onto his rear, clunking his head against the car behind him.
Craning his neck to caress the back of his head, relief washed over the man. As JRE continued blaring in the background, the man pulled himself from the car and rose to his feet, legs wobbling as he did so. Whistling an odd tune, a droning beep interrupts his podcast.
"What's my record for trainlifts?"
He asked, exhaustion plain in his tone, his voice echoing across the vacant yard.
"22"
A robotic voice replied.
"Make it 30, and what time is it in District 21??"
"5:00 PM HCT"
Quickly grasping a black hoodie on his right, the man donned it and walked toward his speaker, quickly shoving it into the center pocket. Groaning, he looked back to the car he'd been lifting. Slumping his shoulders back to a relaxed position, he began to cool down.
"HEY!"
A loud voice echoed from the opposite end of the trainyard, so much for cooling down.
"GET OVER HERE!"
The young man took his cue and began to sprint away, far faster than whoever had shouted at him could pursue. Swiftly making his way out of the trainyard, he whistles that odd tune again.
"Directions to the Tri-District Defense Operations Center."
Tryouts - Hub Centralis - District 21
Stumbling in as the last of the arrivals still stinking of sweat, the man pushed past those lurking in the rear, catching the back half of Robot's explanation. As the rust-colored construct finished speaking, the young man's mind pondered a few questions.
A tournament-style fight? Not quite what I was expecting.
Was chief among his concerns, especially given his rigorous workout. Keeping his head low, the man neared the front of the crowd of hopefuls, narrowing his gaze on Casper while the man explained his abilities. Compared to himself, no abilities were mundane or boring, and Casper seemed quite diverse as he transformed.
Not noticing himself moving, the young man placed himself next in line beside Casper, or perhaps a few of the hopefuls parted away. Regardless, as Casper finished and attention fell on him, the young man took a painfully long time to speak, gazing around the room.
Clearing his throat, he spoke.
"Damaging property isn't my idea of demonstrating my abilities. I'd rather just wait for the fight, you can call me Sisyphus."
His appearance was doing him no favors, he was tall, and certainly broad, but in a superhero team such attributes were run of the mill. His hoodie despite its color was drenched in sweat, and his black, vintage-style sweatpants in similar condition. Sisyphus certainly didn't smell great either, but something about him would likely earn Robot's attention, maybe.
Edited by KrampusTheTherapist on Nov 16th 2024 at 5:56:21 AM
Hub Centralis: The Tryouts
Between all the tall or buff dudes (and Casper) there was a rather short but smartly dressed young lady
◊ present as well. She looked rather unremarkable save for her piercing gold eyes, wincing a little as Sisyphus cut in line as it seemed she wasn't a fan of his SMELLINESS due to him being all sweaty.
When it was her turn to introduce herself though, she grinned in a way which showed off some very prominent canines. She bowed in an exaggeratedly polite manner before large wings practically exploded into form from her back.
"Call me Kurumi." she said as she rose back up, not caring if her wings accidentally smacked the nameless nobodies also present. "I'm a vampire so in short I'm stronger, faster and more durable than normal humans. Though I do have a more personal trick up my sleeve."
She demonstrated that by lazily and slowly flicking her right leg back before kicking forward, at which point she abruptly vanished in a flash of light which travelled across the room in a near instant. Kurumi reappeared at the point the light stops, smirking as she turns around and does the same trick to get back to her starting position. Savvy or observant individuals are likely able to notice that she herself was turning into light both times.
"I have an affinity with light, which is why I don't have the usual vampire weakness of burning in the sun." she says, sounding rather proud of that before frowning. "Though I do ask that you keep any silver away from me."
"That was a pointless encounter with a pointless person."Finally, time to rest up for a bit. A bathroom is hardly a dignified place to rest, but all things considered, Anders really does not see any better alternative right now, so he'll take it. No longer needing to keep up the fight, he idly sheathes his greatsword again, moving to lean against one of the nearby walls and rummaging through his supplies again.
"Rather tiring, that mess..."
He would've continued speaking, but he's distracted by suddenly being made aware of the leviathan-sized orca beast outside, and the fact that it specifically singled out him to take interest in. He freezes up for a time, just meeting its gaze with a feeling of uncertainty, not sure whether to take this attention as a good sign or something more ominous...
Then it moves out the way. Anders remains a bit stiff, thinking things through as his eyes drift again, realizing other people definitely saw that thing too and probably noticed where it focused. He has to say something. There's not much he can think of... But maybe he can get other people started on theories and develop thoughts from there.
"...So... Any theories on what the big guy out there means for us...?" he inquires, his tone somewhat wavering from uncertainty. Considering there's at least one person around here who knows some of the wildlife, though he struggles to remember who specifically that might be... Well, the Wraiths weren't fun, and if they're a typical encounter then it seems like most things down here are exceedingly dangerous.
Anders really hopes he isn't about to hear something along the lines of "if the giant orca clicks at you you're screwed".
The fact that only 140 characters are allowed here is honestly so disappointing to me.Denji
behold as Nymbulda cleanly get rid of her opponent, sending her flying into a wall. He winces a bit - that had to hurt! But he was also kind of admirative of how hard she just hit that one lady. And as the latter crash into the wall, she indeed goes inert for a little while.
Until her bones snap back into place - so quickly that Nymbulda and Denji alike will both barely get to hear flesh and bones snap back together before the patron jumps out of the hole she was cast into, wiping her lower lip and spitting on the floor. Said "spit" pierces into the concrete floor, with cracks spreading from the point of impact.
It's a rib.
CHAINSAW MAN
The other customers in the background go quiet - and from Nymbulda's perspective, the snakes on their heads begin to link up, with the bigger ones slowly raising their tails further upwards into the air. As for the smaller ones, they begin to grow in size, planning on converting all of the customers while they can.
The snake butts eventually line up to reveal a sort of massive flesh thing. It's a mass of screaming faces, all of them warped into furious or angry grimaces, with only one "main" face in the very middle of the bulbous red mass. It looks detached, almost annoyed even, by the chaos going on around it, while staring daggers into Nymbulda or Denji.
As it speaks, it drawls with a tone of Tranquil Fury that can shatter bones. Constantly sounding as if on the cusp of yelling, yet having a solid enough grasp of its emotions to not. And keep things square, by merely sounding venomously angry. As it speaks, the snakes slither together towards its body. Which split itself to form two large craters of flesh, into which the "snakes" slithe in further.
They pool their resources, joining together by biting ferociously into one another, drawing blood from each other as they eventually begin to form a giant, deformed arm.
that's me! Denji quips.
NO
YOU ARE HIS WEAK AND FRAGILE VESSEL
THAT I'VE ALMOST CONQUERED
IF NOT FOR THE DAMN FISHY The Wrath Devil seethe, its tone neutral.
Edited by Bolded1 on Nov 16th 2024 at 10:12:39 AM
Nautolan picture belongs to Bonesmarinated on twittercoming war
Seeing that several droids got absolutely reamed out by the thermite grenade Fabienne smirked under her helmet at seeing the destruction caused by the grenade. she clocked the b2 droid flying off the platform towards her general direction.
"shit. that's a problem" she mutters, she moved back to put some distance between her and the droid. even though she was cloaked she didn't want to be near the b2 when the sod landed on the ground. she swapped her 13-3 out for her embar anti material rifle and pressed half down on the trigger to charge the capacitors to get ready to fire off a shot at the b2.
she aimed down sights at the b2, the augments in her eyes working in tandem with the embars targeting system to lock on to the b2 in a protentional spot that would either critically damage it or outright kill it.
if and when the droid landed Fabienne would wait a few seconds before firing more or less centre mass of the droid with her embar. however if the droid didn't land then she would wait until it was more or less hovering or slowly moving before taking a shot at it to try and bring it down.
The Arcade
Nymbulda raises her lance up at the devil, grinning in her own righteous fury. She is surprised to see The Bucketeer from before sneaking away from it all, but hatches an idea. One she can execute later.
She gets behind her shield, elbowing Denji to get into position as she steeled herself.
"Fishy? I am Knight-Errand Nymbulda! Blade of The Muldjewangk! Destroyer of Evil Am I!"
She slithered forward, getting into a charging stance as her fins flared out.
"I will march to the sound of the trumpets of glory! Forever to conquer or die!"
She than immediately used her powerful tail to propel herself forward at the foul tempered mass, her lance poised to strike st its wretched face.
AwawaThe Aqua Song Reference
Lex Luthor beheld the golden pin in his hands.
Was it his first time being courted by differing forces? No. Luthor was a man of wealth and influence the likes of which other, lesser men of wealth and influence crowded over when they needed something done. No lucrative deal happened without Luthor knowing, even if his involvement was mere overseeing. And though that was a status that stopped at his Earth, he was happy and annoyed to see that it had started to spill over the Arena, and even the wider multiverse.
That chaotic, chaotic multiverse. Madmen and monsters spilling from cracks in reality to corrupt and destroy everything they could. No wonder why some great minds sought refuge within an UTOPIA of their own, where their great minds could build shields capable of withstanding it all. And to Luthor, the idea of joining them was tempting...
... If not for the cowardice involved - Luthor had no need to join a cabal of geniuses in isolation when he could step up on his own and fix things, one at a time. The world needed him, why would he leave it for another? Hence, the trillionaire had seen fit to generously accept a request that could be taken as lesser, coming off a man who wasn't living in some great golden ship sailing across the cosmic winds.
But though Luthor could respect that, he couldn't respect what it was likely going to be - a request for funds towards a silly little bataillon of superheroes. Superheroes. What the Arena needed was a competent army that would make use of its citizen, be they powered or not, and train them to fight for their destiny. It didn't need to be reliant on the teenage whims of youths clad in tight costume. Or the false mercy of flying gods.
So why'd Luthor show up instead of sending as strong a letter of rejection as he could in Corpo Speak?
Well, despite everything, he knew better. He anticipated that this man, this Cecil, had a idea that had to be worth it. It wasn't rational a thought at all, mind you, and Luthor knew this well. The probabilities of Cecil asking for a generous donation of 79 billions to fund advanced spex were still there - but Luthor anticipated that something surprising would happen.
Because he had been right enough to know when he could be led to be wrong.
Repeatedly having the Kryptonian thwart his 100% sureproof plans had eventually taught Lex that much - nothing was a true certainty. And if he sometimes accepted that, then he'd be an happier man. Or at least, one least frustrated by his defeats and humiliations, early in his career.
The bald man sat nearly alone in the lobby of the gawdy building. By his side was a woman in a chauffeur's uniform, with her legs and arms both crossed. Mercy Graves looked to be quaint help for one such as Luthor, and he should have asked for the meeting to take place at his tower, but she was all the help he needed. On top of being led on by Cecil's good vibes, leading to Lex not negotiating as hard as he could over some matters.
Some could see it as Lex debasing himself in front of a rival, he simply saw it as a show of goodwill.
Accepting that he'd been called "sweetie" by that woman was also a show of goodwill mind you. If anything happens, give her a hard kick. Lex whispers to Mercy, the woman smirking slyly, walking besides Lex as the man headed down the hallway. She then stood at the door after he entered, placing her arms behind her back, trusting his boss to handle whatever would be in the room, because his boss trusted her to handle whatever would be in the building.
Lex himself walks into the room, glancing at Cecil. Old. Withered. Scarred. Many would dismiss him on these attributes, but the CEO knew that this was more than that. It meant that Cecil was a fighter. Someone who had led a tough life and had the scars to show for it. For all that the CEO knew, Cecil wasn't even old so much as... prematurely aged.
This motivated Lex to acknowledge him with an handshake, if a weirdly firm one.
Sell me your pitch, Stedman.
Denji
Watch as Nymbulda slice on straight through the Wrath Devil. There's zero ambiguity over it - her spear slice through its foul flesh like a hot knife through butter. It doesn't even get to raise its clumsy arms to defend itself before it's almost split in two. But Denji isn't even really as awed a she could be, watching her slice through devil flesh like nothing.
He knows they don't tend to die so easily - especially cuz Wrath is like.. pretty big, right? People fear it and all.
And also, the blood of the Wrath Devil quickly become a massive attack on its own, raining down upon the unholy arcade ground. Denji himself has to suddenly jump back as big pools of corrosive blood crash around him; melting the arcade machinery down to literal formless, toxic, corrosive sludge that eats through the ground, forcing Denji and Nymbulda to relocate to higher up in the room if they want to not get swallowed;
Worse, the Wrath Devil lets go of the ceiling to plunge into the acid sea created by its toxic blood. And as it goes...
... Something burst out of its mutilated body. Precisely out of the wound created by Nymbulda.
SO FUCKING STUPID. FIGHTING FIRE WITH FIRE?
BUT I GUESS YOU WOULD ONLY KNOW WATER YOU DAMN FISHY
Bursting out of the grotesque sac of meat that was the Wrath Devil is a humanoid body, sleeker and deadlier, and visibly made up of the "wrath snakes" it had spread. It has six smaller faces at the lower end of its neck, with its "calm" face plastered on the middle of its head. Its entire body looks raw and wrong, with large, visible veins over some of it.
As well, though the humanoid being try to adopt a neutral stance - arms folded, face severed, it twitch erratically, as if barely containing itself from jumping at Nymbulda to punch her all over.
Oh fuck, he's smaller! This hasta mean he's stronger! Denji says, pulling on his cord and transforming in mid-air as he jumps up next to Nymbulda.
Sarah
Sarah is used to teleporting. Not being teleported. She's a little dizzied, if quickly accepting of what Artemis just did.
You win this one. She says, sticking her tongue out at Artemis as she puts her hands in her pockets. Hub Centralis hadn't changed in a little while. And that was honestly kind of reassuring.
Nothing bad had happened while she was out, right?
But I get to the to the door first! Sarah says, walking into the restaurant and opening the door before backing off to let Artemis go first.
Yuji
NOAH POST: Previously...
OFFANDSPHERE POST : Previously...
I've no idea what the hell's going on?
Robloxians? Yuji has no time to ponder this as Sphere successfully smacks him with a thrown projectile, hurtling the youth away, meaning Sphere can focus on 131 or capitalize on Yuji. The youth lands on his feet, his legs testing out the resistance of the arena floor to friction as he gets sent back.
Should he not be interrupted, Yuji grabs a pole, snapping it out of the stade and imbuing it with Cursed Energy. Spinning it in his hands (badly), he jumps back into the fight.
But he won't make it this round yet!
Edited by Bolded1 on Nov 16th 2024 at 1:08:58 PM
Nautolan picture belongs to Bonesmarinated on twitterThe Arcade
Nymbulda slithers away from the corrosive acid with a porpoise-like chirping, though after resuming her normal stance of lance put and shield to the front did a more crocodilian-like rumble escape from her chest.
"Controlled burns are used to prevent the spread of wildfires by reducing the amount of combustible material. It creates breaks that stop and contain the wildfire. But evil things like you are more perverse. You have to be smothered, because you burn things because you want to..."
Seeing Denji's transformation she beats her shield to her chest, grinning to herself as she stares down the grotesque humanoid.
"Besides... My code compels me."
And she charges in again, moving. swiftly towards the Wrath Devil
AwawaLuin scowled when Oltura confirmed a nagging suspicion at the back of her head. The Rathian had been chosen to be slain for a reason. Great. Just one sadistic dragon wasn’t enough, it seemed…
She solemnly nodded at Kratos. "It’s the source of Stained. It wants to…”metamorphosis.” Evolve. My guess is, it’s close, very close." Her mind wandered out loud as she snaked a hand up into her helm and scratched at her jaw. "That’s why it’s inviting us to fight. As it stands, all of us gathered here seem to be the biggest and most constant threats to it. By completing its transformation, and killing us, it can kill two birds with just one stone, but…"
"Well, I don’t see another choice."
With great power…you know the rest.Foundry (Tunnels (No not like the arbiter event))
The Drukhari’s quiet projectile cut cleanly through the probe droid, a hail of sparks illuminated the dim tunnel as the sentry splashed to the mud below, with nary a foe to hear. Gravia was left to deal with the remarkably shortsighted door scanner, sweeping only over the eight or so feet in front of the door and allowing her to easily take the defensive measure out. Since neither had been alerted to the enemy presence, the turrets remained dormant.
Following this, Dewa Faisung poked his head through the door (which slid open to allow him entry) and saw…
Fabienne
The B2 at last landed where it calculated the shots to have come from, startlingly near where Fabienne had been firing from before she’d fallen back a fair distance. It circled around in place, searching for hints or clues to the gunner’s whereabouts, before pausing right in front of her footprints. The droid lifted its blaster-arm in preparation for the hunt—
BOOM!
The hunt that would never begin, as what it presumed to be prey revealed herself as a predator. A hole so wide an average-sized human could probably crawl through it was punched into the droid, which dropped limply to the forest floor.
Wall of Fire
Against the final three droids, Josef proved his superiority in the contest of firepower. The final droid had been weakened enough by the Vulkan to the point where the agent’s handgun was able to finish it off, and with that, Josef alone stood victorious on the left side of the battle. The stairs were still a no-go—what hadn’t been destroyed was deeply damaged by the prior explosion and looked about ready to collapse at the slightest touch—but his grappling hook made that a non-issue. He’d be able to join the rest of the fight soon…
…if there was even a fight left to join.
Tower Droid
Aila’s headbutt left a dent in the B2’s shell; one that wasn’t too visibly impressive but, much like head trauma to a human, the worst of it was internal. Those navigation systems on the outer layers of its mechanical cortex were scrambled by the concussive impact, preventing it from course correcting as it was thrown at its fellow jetpacker and the two fell in a heap to the ground, one crushed beneath the other. The other was soon on its feet again and taking aim though, a problem which she quickly solved with her sawed-off. Like her compatriot on the left side of the battlefield, the agent was now devoid of foes, leaving her available to rejoin the others, though not quick enough to get in on the action, because…
Platform 2
Asia’s maneuver was met with success, and the two droids were crushed underfoot, thankfully saving Valorii from death within a bubble of healing.
This left two B2s left, one of whom Zystak offed from afar with a lucky shot and the other who was burned by Wilhelm’s stolen flamethrower-with-a-droid-attached. The scorched droid wheeled around and buried a series of laser blasts into the chrome of the captive B2, a mutual kill which left both dead.
A brief delay later, and a clattering arose against the steel supports beneath the platform, the sound slowly ascending towards them…
Zystak peeked his head over the edge, the rest of him following suit. The kroot kicked the motionless scrap of a droid as he clicked his jaw, anger welling in his eyes. "Fighting with machines…cowardice of the most contemptible degree. Come. The others have already infiltrated the Foundry, though I lost sight of them soon after. They may be in danger.."
Foundry (Tunnels (no still not like the arbiter event))
They were not, in fact, in danger; or not yet, at least. As Zystak led the others—the platform 2 group plus the stragglers save Izawano—into the tunnels, he moved quiet upon the mud. The moment the kroot’s gaze fell upon Gravia and the brothers he lost his caution—though remained tense due to the latter—now that he was sure no enemies were immediately awaiting them. Though it was only a matter of time.
"Well done, you three. But stay alert once we’re in. If those many were outside the foundry, who knows what’s inside…"
And inside, as the Exiled Prince could plainly see, were further tunnels in much deeper states of disrepair.
The passage of time had not been merciful to the areas of the forge directly above them, as sparse bits and chunks had even collapsed into the tunnels which they navigated, overhead a brambled mess of sharp yet ruined metal bits. But the deeper they went the less damaged the tunnels became and the wider-open they expanded, going eventually from tunnels to a series of square halls
lined with wiring and small storage containers and taller storage lockers
to the sides of the halls. Some were locked, marked by red LEDS, but some were illuminated in green and could be opened by pressing down on the center circle.
"Wouldn’t hurt to take a look," Zystak reasoned. "Might find things to help."
And things they’d find indeed; there was a collection of the bulbous Frakk hand grenades of the Grineer,
essentially incendiary cluster bombs; tiny yet intricately crafted tokens
that looked worth a fortune; ampules bearing a volatile green liquid
that Zystak pocketed for the Needle’s R&D; and—perhaps more worthwhile of all to some of them—weapons. The three they found, in no short supply of each, were the Kraken handcannon, deadly long-ranged pistols that packed more of a punch than most modern rifles;
the Grinlok, a lever-action rifle with incredible piercing power,
and the Ogris, a sleek but deceptively strong rocket launcher which fired missiles with minor homing capabilities.
For some of them it might’ve been like Christmas Day, and others might’ve cared substantially less. Zystak himself was comfortable with his own trusty gun, and kept it for that reason, though had taken his own fair share of alloy plates from the containers for use on the Needle. But as they moved down the seemingly endless series of halls, he moved in close to Wilhelm…
"Keep an eye out," the kroot murmured lowly. "I have a feeling whatever was trailing us through the jungle followed us into here."
Field
Izawano’s invitation to battle was met with a swift response. The one-armed Jedi Slayer, with an electromic warbling, zipped forwards to its foe. Its pale mockery of a lightsaber seemed to sear the air as it hissed towards Izawano, first intending to swipe at the Jawa’s side but quickly drawing away as the attack revealed itself to be a feint. The real attack came when, at the peak of the weapon’s arc, the droid changed the angle of its wrist and thrusted at the smaller foe instead, aiming to cut through his robes and right into his heart.
With great power…you know the rest.Wrong End
Zeloai stared down at Ekaterina's headless corpse for a long moment, sheathing his saberstaff as he looked down at her corpse with shame. Even knowing she would likely respawn elsewhere did little to ease the Jedi Master's guilt, but dwelling on it would do him and his group no favors. Swallowing his feelings, Zeloai took a deep breath and slowly turned his gaze to Beruka. As the group seemingly began to foam at the mouth at the earnest opportunity to exact vengeance on yet another poor soul trapped in the Mad Arena, Zeloai stepped forward alongside Captain America, drawing his lightsaber but not igniting it.
Even still, surrounded by people who wanted nothing more than to draw more blows, Zeloai planted his foot.
"No more senseless murder, we've done enough. Lower your weapons."
Assuming, of course, everyone else either abstained or voted alongside the Jedi Master, Zeloai would attempt to Force pull Rick's gun away from him and place it onto his belt, locking his gaze to the scientist.
"Control yourself! Revenge is without sense or morality, you must be better!"
If that assuaged Rick's anger, he'd toss him back his revolver, and if not, he'd keep it handy. Regardless, the Jedi Master freezes as Tony Stark contacts them, loud enough for the denizens to hear. Yet he's not silent for long. He steps away from the group to speak with their caretaker quietly, raising the device to his ear.
"We've found ourselves in trouble, but we can handle it. We'll be back in contact soon enough."
The Coming War
Dewa Faisung was... less than impressed with the grineer weaponry. A sneer appeared on his face beneath the mask and helm.
"Its like Rak'gol technology. Brutish, incredibly modular... probably mass produced-"
Only for Arzohis to hold up the guided launcher with a clear grin under his mask if his tone was anything to go off of:
"Its fucking awesome!"
Dewa Faisung looked to Zystak to see if he'd get any support on this one, but if not he reluctantly grabbed some alloy plates and Kraken, deciding this wad the most silent option there was. He remained a tad bit anxious, grabbing a grenade just in case. If whatever was stalking him appeared, he'd make it hell to try him.
Edited by ArbiterOfTheBog on Nov 17th 2024 at 9:23:40 AM
AwawaThe Wrong End - Decadent Dawnguard
There were few who could openly challenge the wrath of an enraged Rick Sanchez - Zeloai was being bold as he stepped into the ring to dissuade him from killing Beruka and Corrin. Shut the fuck up, damn it! It's going to be a cleaner death than what she gave Morty! With Rick unable to be dissuaded, Zeloai's plan B begins. And proves much more successful, with Rick unable to keep his revolver from flying out of his hands.
And though he could pull out another gun, or invention, he knows that Zeloai's option had tipped the balance towards Beruka being spared. Something he reacted to by slumping, shaking his head in annoyance.
Irish post
Cap’s vote had already been cast, and it was to no one’s survive that he opted to spare the dragonform and his wife; his weapon of choice was a shield, after all, and not purely because he liked the way it felt.
Totem addressed him soon after though, and his words preceeded a brief vacuum of silence, but Steve didn’t remain silent for long. "…I understand your position. But frankly, I disagree. You’ve seen things, awful things, but so have I, and I still believe no human is wholly irredeemable." He looked from them to Beruka and Corrin, the tips of his lips pointed just so slightly downward. "You helped us for a time, didn’t you? Even if it was to bring us into your trap, you still have the capacity to help. What if there was a way to help your husband? A permanent way, without killing anybody else to do it?"
Thus far, Gau had opted not to vote and leave the decision up to the others to decide, like that one friend of yours who goes "surprise me!" when prompted to pick a gift. Zeloai had sided with him as well, the Jedi and he sharing similar morals. I’m glad he’s here.
Stark had come on over the airwaves too, but the other man had already given him a brief report, so the soldier left such a thing alone.
With the conflict settled, Beruka sighs, slumping down. She knew that there was nothing she could say that wouldn't make the situation worse, eventually, so the blue-haired woman thought to ensure her next contribution to the discussion would be useful.
... Corrin's orb will lead you to the Astral Sea. It'll be your way out of this world, once you've fulfilled your objective. She says. ... You might also scour this castle for supplies. As for us, we will... stay put and await judgement. Our fellow Shepherds will return from death soon. They'll be the ones to determine what will happen to Corrin and I.
... Right, I'll call you up later. Tony replies to Zeloai, fairly aware that something bad had gone down.
A little bit later...
Hungh... hm.... hmmm?
Baz's eyes quiver as the young woman's consciousness returns to her discarded form. Blurs dance in front of her eyelids as she briefly, and wisely, stay in place to judge her surroundings. While she was out cold, someone was able to put her on her side, unto a wooden bench. And someone (else?) had put a woolen blanket over her.
By her side, warm light illuminates the tip of her black hair. And Baz feels relieving warmth hovering over her body - quickly replaced by biting cold when she carelessly jerk upwards. Or perhaps that was simply pain. Either way, Baz winces and quickly return to her former position, letting warmth smooth her tired bones once again. How long had she been out for? Where was she? How were the others?
Baz is tense as a spring thinking of this, yet unwilling to abscond from her comfort to check on this. Her tired mind is able to fairly quickly deduce some facts : she was being taken care of, so she couldn't be in danger. There was no shouting, so the others couldn't be in danger either. She was safe. And so were the others as a whole. And probably thinking about what to do next.
Really mulling over what to do next. Really useful stuff she couldn't help out with, because what did she bring to the table? Shutting up and just listening to their eventual decision was the best she could do.
But as she contemplates closing her eyes and trying to rest once again, Baz is unable to do so. Coming off delayed, having viciously waited for her relief to wash over to then pierce through it and reach her, are visions and remembrances of Ekaterina's words and one-sided beatdown upon Baz. They come off as vicious, jagged, brief visions of a figure hovering over her, her words sometimes distant, sometimes crushingly clear, like Ekaterina was standing right next to her when speaking, her lips a few inches away from Baz's ears.
Murderer. Assassin. FRAUD Why was it the last one that made Baz wince again, the Imperial almost coiling on herself at the word? The young woman felt her pain flare up due to her moving about, but elected to ignore it. Her inner torment was worse anyway - robbing her position of any further comfort. Baz's hand hovered over to her chest, where her plaquette had been so brutally torn aside and tossed away.
Where even was it?
A shivering sound nearby interrupts Baz, and the young woman look up to see Matthew, on a bench opposite of hers. The young man doesn't look to be faring too well either - he's closer to the fire, with his blanket wrapped snugly around him by his hands, yet he shivers as if none of those things mattered. His eyes wandered over to the room in a panic, eventually settling on Baz.
And for a little while, panic made way to relief.
"H-h-hey Baz! You're up! How are you?"
I'm.... It'd be a lie to say she was good, but what was Baz, if not a liar? I'm good. But what about you? You look... With hesitancy, Baz gets up from her seat, putting her blanket around her shoulders. She also glances back, seeing if her lightsaber is anywhere near. If so, she gives it a despondent look, then bends down to grab it, putting it on her hip after guessing that Matthew would be nervous if she had it on herself.
She also check her pouch on her belt, doing so even if she doesn't have her lightsaber to pull back.
"I-I-I could be worse but..." Matthew licks his lips, shivering. Baz frowns at that, approaching him. "I'm not dead, right...?" Baz frowns, then approach her fellow survivor, squinting her eyes at him and putting her pale hand on his forehead. His expression dims slightly as hers likewise does. What she feels with her hand isn't encouraging. He has a fever.
And having a fever isn't particularly the worst of fates - especially in a blighted world like the Mad Arena. But it can weaken Matthew badly, and they didn't need that. You're ill.
"... Who woulda thought?" Matthew coughs in his hand, backing off from Baz to do this - a noble effort at preventing her from being coughed on. "I guess we just need to hope that these medieval warriors had some Ibuprofen handy, right?"
Zeloai, Gau or Siffrin surely have the means to heal your sickness, Baz says, sounding like she's trying to convince herself. At the very least, Gau liked Baz and Matthew. And Soan or the others didn't look like the type to deny Matthew medicine just because. And if Gau found himself unable to heal that off, then surely Zeloai would. You could always count on Jedi to be helpful - and Baz took a slight moment to realize that she had just thought that.
She really had strayed from the Empire.
She also took a moment to wonder where he could've gotten sick, then realize that it's likely due to being in the Dark Wilds for so long. The Mad Arena wasn't a warm place at that time. And, even with his thick armor, it was perfectly plausible that he could have caught something that developed a bit later on. It's not like he had been wounded by the ghouls, after all, or anything similar.
Shall I fetch them for you?
Matthew coughs, and for a little moment, there's nothing but the crackling of the flame, with him coughing every now and then. The room they're in isn't cold but it's not as warm as it should be - it's another, smaller dining room, lined with tables and chairs that had not had an ass lay upon them for what could be years. Coweb even line up some of the legs on the tables or chairs.
they're the only two people within it, in fact. Matthew himself would have moved out of the room quickly, if not for him finding Baz still out cold nearby. He assumed the room had to be safe... But after getting literally backstabbed, he'd found himself a tad more paranoid, recently. And sure, even with the others, he'd probably still be paranoid about being backstabbed by say, Rick, but there was strength in numbers.
So needless to say, the prospect of sitting there alone while Baz leaves has him worried. For himself, but also for her.
"I'll go too." He says, getting up, also wrapping his little cloak around his shoulders. "I'd rather not be alone in a room."
Baz would have quietly agreed, an hour ago. But right now, she didn't very much care one way or the other. It made no real difference.
"... Oh, and," Matthew stops and bite his lower lips. "Thanks."
For? Baz says, standing close to him so that he can lean on her, if he needs.
"Saving me from her." Matthew winces. He still could feel the blade stabbing through his flesh and organs just fine - being intact even as he clealy remembered the feeling didn't do a lot of good for his addled brain. "I'd have been toast without you."
The expression is a little bit odd from Baz's point of view, but yet it isn't what get her to raise an eyebrow. Oh? You... you think that? We would have been toast without the others, Baz says, stopping herself from doing a snarling grimace. ... You should thank Siffrin. Or Gau. Or Zeloai. Or Captain America. Because I only managed to humiliate myself... The Imperial concludes, looking down at the ground in shame.
She could still feel Ekaterina pouding at her skull - see herself desperately clawing at her throat, the harsh dance of limbs that preceded her brutal humiliation. And as she does, she open up the door, the two of them going through a short, lit hallway that neither of them recognize.
There's nothing but the sound of thunder in the vague distance, penetrating through the stone. That, and outside was a colossal downpour of rain, battering down at the divine stonework.
"... Is a good action void just because ya don't succeed?"
Baz blinks and glance at Matthew, a quizzical look upon her face.
"You tried to save me. And you got hurt in the process. Am I supposed to hate ya for that? Ekaterina was your... teammate," he says, seeing Baz's glance darkens for a bit. "It'd make sense you'd be shook by her betrayal. I'd know," Matthew says, now scowling in turn. "What matters is that you saved me. You and everyone else. It doesn't matter that it didn't work, you stepped up to save me, a selfish loser. So... thanks."
It was like failing at a contest but getting a fourth medal anyway. A proper Imperial would be angry at meeting greatness when she could meet excellence - being told she did well simply because she tried shouldn't sit well with her.
Yet it did. There was something so genuine with his little speech that Baz found herself unwilling to gather the spite or gratitude to thank him. Instead, she gave him a brief, wide-eyed stare. Then settled down into a quieter expression, with the ghost of a smile on her lips.
... Thank you.
"Does that make us even?"
Baz find it in herself to laugh. No, no! Not unless you bail me out of danger too!
"How 'bout we get the ibuprofen first?"
Baz laughs, and Matthew does so too (with only a slight cough to spoil it at the end) as the two of them open the door into...
Decadent Dawnguard - LIVING ROOM
It's closer to the kitchen - if nothing else, this is where the rest of the surviving NP Cs have gathered. Rick is quietly eating all of Beruka's boiled potatoes, with Reed sitting nearby, apparently in the process of studying a map.
The Spy walks out from behind the duo, looking relieved at having to stop babysitting them.
H-hello! Baz says, slightly freaked out at the idea he was there all along. Or simply unsettled at the absence of Ekaterina. How's everyone? Matthew is a little sick and we'd like to catch up on what happened... huh, and get some.... ipuproofhen? Baz and Matthew sits next to the fireplace. Near it as well is Beruka, who's still not recovered from the fight - an intentional irrationality on her part to keep herself non-threatening to the others.
As for Corrin? He slept in the other room, having elected to scoop himself up in the Mulyawonk’s carcass, for warmth.
... You're at Fort Dawnguard, right? Tony Stark's earpiece come to life again. I have a shelter north of it. Right after a small town. Don't worry about it being under attack, my screens right now are showing me a whole bunch of showers, food, clean clothes, beds and a portal back home awaiting you. Stark replies. ... It doesn't even matter if you haven't got any of the Flowers of Perdition. What I need right now is for you and anyone with you to be safe. Next time, I’m… bringing in the Avengers, fuck it. You just focus on being safe.
Baz and Matthew smile enthusiastically at the idea of getting somewhere that'd be truly safe. The Spy and Reed don't look so happy - not frowning, but neutral. Rick has a wrathful grimace on. And might not be convinced to leave Dawnguard so easily, since Morty will respawn there.
And Beruka's resolve is clear. She will stay in Dawnguard and wait for the Shepherds and Morty to respawn so that she can be judged. It was, as far as she cared, the end of the road.
But then, there's a look of dawning realization on her eyes.
The town up north...
What? It’s already destroyed ‘coz you fed them all to your boyfriend thing? Rick spits. Anyway, I ain't leaving until Morty comes back. However he does. Try and convince me not to if you like wasting your fucking time.
I do not know what happened to it. For a week or so, it has been... empty. I dare not approach it - I will give you as much informations on it as you want before leaving.
Edited by Bolded1 on Nov 17th 2024 at 7:49:25 PM
Nautolan picture belongs to Bonesmarinated on twitter

Fort Dawnguard
Alear falls on her side, but she braces a hand on the floor and sweeps her legs to try and knock Beruka over in return.
—
"Been following you for a while, actually. My name is Medusa. And you are Sothis, the former creator of Fódlan."
Edited by KiriK on Nov 15th 2024 at 7:49:16 AM
"A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to."