Up on Melancholy hill.
Zach - Squad 1
Feeling him in Yoko's arms brought a level of calm and serenity he hadn't felt in some time now. He looked up at her and offered a little knackered grin in return, trying to match hers.
He was happy to make her so proud.
At her question of being able to stand, he gave an experimental weight on his legs and he buckled pretty quickly. he fell onto his rear and fell into a sitting position with a silent grunt and held up a hand.
I don't think I'm gonna be able to contribute much else...aside from cleaning up the mess that I made. He said, as he held up a hand to write it and stared down at the ground. I'll do what I can down here but I think I'm pretty...done against the bigger guys. He smiled a bit and nodded. I'll do what I can with-
He made the unfortunate move to look up and saw the fucking desolation he had unleashed. Well, not he but a him.
Alternate self pronouns were a bitch.
He would have locked up there, he would have froze and fell into a fucking despair he never would have thought of...but he closed his eyes and nodded.
I'll...do what I can with what's left. He offered that same tired smile again and nodded. Go fight the big fight, love, I'll be right here waiting for you.
Is it selfish that I'm happy as we pass the setting sun?
King among Xanas
Messiah-The City
"Well, that was certainly a sequence of events that could have gone better," Messiah folding his arms behind him as he surveyed the battlefield from his many eyes in the sky provided by Rama. "Still, percentage is around forty percent at this point, so long as we can hold at this level for a bit longer this fight won't matter any longer." he closed his eyes and focused on Rama to continue his conversation with Mahvash, while splitting a bit of attention toward Zelos and its own fight.
Rama-Discussions with a God
"There is never shame in admitting a mistake, even for a being such as yourself it would be considered rather admirable. As for my end goal, there is no harm telling you I suppose," the image flickered for a moment and Messiah glanced to the side and smirked. "Sorry, juggling a few things. As you've undoubtedly heard from your allies my ability allows me to form a complete copy of someones soul so long as I clash against them, and can make it a more fixed thing inside of myself so long as I have long enough. This comes with the added benefit of absorbing their powers, knowledge, skills, etc." he figured she was smart enough to fill in the gaps from there about just how quickly that ability could snowball.
"Right now I need an army to ensure an environment that will allow me to reap a harvest of powers and abilities, but after that I could travel from string to string and do what was needed. How many realities before I have enough power to devour them in the span of a few hours? And after that minutes, seconds, instantly?" the math worked itself out at that point. "And once enough work is done, I will create a single 'super reality', a perfect contained experiment without chance of offshoot or alternate realities, contained and controlled, a 'happily ever after' for each person. Utopia without limit, because the moment things would go wrong 'God' would simply alter the variables."
"So what do you say?"
Zelos-Saint University
The combined attacks of both Holiday and Cain were quite the sight to behold against the angel, who managed to only prevent the worst of the damage that Holiday could cause with its armor and projecting flames, but thanks to the damage return of Cain and the sheer speed that Holiday could put out there was only so much it could do. The Archangels were dedicated to fighting armies with wide sweeping attacks and massive firepower, but faced with smaller scale enemies they tended to fall a bit behind.
"Glass the Earth," the angels voice rang out, pure and melotical without its master overriding its ability to speak to project out of it. "For the Grand Design," its eyes began to glow white hot, and even Cain would no doubt begin to feel pain despite the divine protection he was greedily swallowing down. Within a few minutes Zelos would become the center point of an explosion that would glass the entire University and everything else in a mile radius. Unless he was contained or fully destroyed, but given the temperature he was outputting was enough to turn the very air around him hazy, it would be a risk to deal so much damage.
Messiah
"And so it was said 'if you want something done right,'" Messiah opened his eyes and looked around to the crew of the bridge. "Fight till the end, so long as we can create a seventy percent chance this battle won't matter either way." with that said he turned his body intangible and fell through the ship, enjoying the momentary feeling of utter weightlessness before finally landing with on the ground, his white robes flowing around him. "Now, to begin," he raised a hand in the air and fired off a firework like assortment of energy into the air, creating an arrow pointing down with the words above 'Come get me.'
Be better, because what is the harm in trying?
An Ordinary Oddball
Cain (2)
Cain's claws slipped on the archangel as it lit up even more, pain wracking his mind and body. He was fairly groaning in sheer, agonizing pain now, but he had to protect his new home. His new home? Now that was rich.
He hiccuped with mirthless glee as he considered his situation. But perhaps there was one way out of this situation. And he hadn't had the joy of siring any new Children as of late. This did bring a grimace-like grin to his face as he dug deeper into the divine flesh of the archangel with his fangs, really getting into the meat of it.
He injected his unholy virus into the archangel. He gulped down its essence by the bucketful, replacing it with his potent progenitor's virus as he went. He clamped on tighter with his claws and prayed to whatever gods would listen to him, because if he failed, then he would be at the ground zero of the explosion. And that would spell his doom for sure.
Wilma (3)
Wilma saw Messiah's beacon from where she was, and slowly, unflinchingly began walking towards his location, cutting down any enemy that got in her way. Internally, Wilma and Renegade were dressed in their best clothes (the better to go out with a bang rather than a whimper) and clinked their flutes of champagne together, smiling amiably towards each other.
It was the start of a new endeavor, a new breed of showmanship. They were going to show Messiah exactly what he was in for. And the stage...was set.
I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.
Tell Me, Have You Seen the Yellow Sign?
The Kids are Alright
Well, Zach à la carte is clearly fattening...But good timing. The force of the all those calories combining displaced plenty of debris. As did the ink attacks. Twas easy for Mahvash to vanish from her spot in the chaos.
"Call and get an answer," She appeared before Cain, flanking the angel, palm plunging toward its mass. Cain had already acted and she wouldn't deny him his plan. She would decay away that divine power and protection and reduce whatever energy it was gathering to a flash in the pan. And make the angel easy prey for Cain's curse.
"I thank you, dear," Mahvash said it sweetly, sincerely. Not to the angel of course. And she kept smiling, laughing softly. "You know, when I first started being here, I had to say 'I don't know' alot. Why, my first human knight had to show me the ropes, and I call her mother to this day. The ordinary things I touch in your world either hurt me or I hurt them. And I don't get rid of it all because we got used to serving as gods for the flesh-and-bone beings we can't recreate and didn't create. Just watched evolve."
"Alas, I won't come back when something kills me. But don't fret. Until then we can share the delights. Feeling a planet writhe and scream, to have it shake under your steps. In mere hours to have billions die in your wake. And for no purpose but to savor the unmaking of people, things, and dreams. And then we watch the remainder go and make up cute little dreams again and to smile and nod when they ask you what awaits them."
She put a hand on her face, half sighing, near flushed with apparent embarrassment. "I love you all too much. And you're good to me back. You don't need my help. You're doing your goddess's work as you are. I'll never end your kind, for as long as you keep dreaming big like this and bringing consequences like this, I will never disappear. Don't stop believing now." Of course, Mahvash wasn't a tulpa, but Nitram didn't know that.
"Holiday dear," Mahvash chirped right at the tail end of her words to Nitram, smoothly switching tracks as if she had not just been channeling Nasu. "If you can relay what I'm about to tell you to our people."
Dear, Banu Yoko, she made formal petitions to greater gods before. There was a style to it. If I may remind you of your role in Zachariah's exorcism during his time at school. Its not as Disney as sitting and talking, but you should be able to calm and heal his spirit directly at the spirit or spirits rather. Benefits of being so close to celestials. And if anything remains of Hairahcaz, Zachariah would benefit from his guest being treated. Look with century eyes... With our backs to the arch And the wreck of our kind We will stare straight ahead For the rest of our lives
AKA Nixer
Holiday – Saint University (Squad 2)
“I'll relay your message, dearest Druj Mahvash,” Holiday droned, cracking her stiff neck joints and releasing hot steam from the cracks in her skin panelling. “Relay it I shall; to his face. The personal way is sometimes the best. If I were able to, I'd even mimic your face for my reiteration of your speech.”
She grinned, and slammed her fists together. A deafening boom, as a (thankfully long evacuated) building behind her trembled and crumbled into dust; the resounding shockwave blustering Holiday's hair even from a distance and shattering a few windows in the leadup. After this display she crouched as if an athlete on a starting block, her gears clicking as her cobbled-together braced itself for further action.
“Alas, I too have ascended. Let it be known to the far corners of the Earth—I protect this group,” she murmured, eyes swivelling around back to Mahvash. “In your own time, I mean. You're a busy woman.”
Her mirage stayed for but a second as she tunneled through the air, her speed tearing concrete asunder and ripping strips of both paint and metal off of cars as she skimmed by. She flickered a little as she slowed before halting in a near-instant a respectable distance before the freshly arrived Messiah—the ground beneath her feet melting into almost white-hot slag as her external skin layers caught fire.
Burn away it did, slowly but surely. A smooth, streamlined approximation of a human skull. Before it was hidden under a layer of gunmetal grey sheeting—her internal armour extending outwards and securely locking into place around her. Her eyes were but small red dots of twin camera lenses.
“Hello, false God. Real deal's gonna be mad. And I've been waiting. Entertain my needs, will you? If you're not too busy?” she inquired, her cold metallic head leaning forward slightly. “You've had a lot planned, after all. Maybe you should rest. Eternally. Forgotten and useless.”
Her faceplates twisted into a smile at that, despite the fact it was invisible beneath the armour secured above it. Then she remembered.
“Oh! Your lady friend left a message for you. Please hold:”
And thus she relayed what the daeva had said, using the recording of her voice despite the slight imperfections and crackling within it. And the faults brought about from a creature such as her being unable to be properly picked up by her software. She filled in the gaps, though. The message remained the exact same.
Yoko – Super City
“Roger roger,” Yoko breathed in reply to Mahvash, looking down at Zach before kissing the top of his head and looking him in the eye so as to make sure his attention was fully on her.
“Hey. We've done this song and dance before, right?” she smiled, placing a hand on the side of his head in preparation. “I'll cut him out for you. You won't have to worry about dealing with him anymore. Just stay still, okay? It won't take a second.”
Her hoshi-no-tama was not needed, as her being was complete with both him and Inari. He'd simply need to complete the connection; willingly let her in. Of course, she could override, but that would be invasive. And if he decided against it for whatever reason, she wouldn't exactly condemn him for it.
She'd be concerned, sure, but she could deal with that. She did it every single day anyways.
Edited by Enirboreh on Feb 19th 2020 at 3:17:21 PM
bork
Up on Melancholy hill.
Zach - Squad 1
It felt good to catch his breath after all that and collect his thoughts, the moment of...odd silent before the storm.
The ground was very interesting, not like his thoughts, as his eyes scanned through the chips and fragments that lingered around, a small drop of water of the destruction that was the rest of the city.
The kiss atop his head snatched his attention back and he looked up, listening to what she had to say.
He lazily rested his head against her hand for a moment, closing his eyes and really, really giving a lot of consideration to the idea. It was true there was something inside of him but he felt...strong. He felt stronger than he had before. Not just physically but...mentally. Like he could cork up this problem in a healthy way rather than just run from it, and pretend it never existed.
in a demented way it was his sign he won in the end. in both this grand battle, and against his own mind.
He smiled a bit and shook his head. I'll keep him where he is. He's not...doing anything. Or rather I won't let him. He's not gonna hurt anyone and I sure won't let him, it'll be a little...reminder that I can do it when I need to.
He paused before cracking a grin like hers.
But if he starts acting up I give you full permission to nuke the fucker.
Is it selfish that I'm happy as we pass the setting sun?
Surrounded by weirdoes
Squad 1
Zero could only roar like a beast at being slashed, even if his body started convulsing, as the rest of his body was covered in blood and the red marks took over the rest of his body. A blizzard, spinning all around him as his body righted itself, ignorant of the pain, of death. Everything started freezing and breaking as it started advancing.
Why? Why did this go like this. They only wanted a safer world. But here he was, trying to fight his brother. Even if he knew this could only end up one way, he felt no satisfaction for this.
"Noel, just surrender" He said "You can't win, and the world will just improve this way"
"Sorry, I don't kneel" Noel said, looking gruffer, older and more tired than Samuel has ever seen him "And much less to the likes of you. I wanted to help people out, and right now, you are the biggest threat around"
That started a fight, and the last remains of hope for Zero were destroyed.
"As far as I can tell, I am already dead" He said to Nariko.
Sam, on the other hand moved back to the battlefield.
"Sorry, but I don't like to leave things unfinished" He told this weird guy, even if he struggled getting up, and was in a clear amount of pain with a fair amount of bones broken on his upper body, probable concussions and maybe a pierced organ. Forcing everything into its correct place, he kept going into the battle.
No matter what, he had to end this.
No rest for the wicked
Wake me up at your own risk.
Vivian-Fight The Future
Standing on an upper balcony, she shuddered as the massive serpent was absorbed into the body of Zach. That was just damned weird. I mean, I'm a lady whose spirit has jumped around from a machine to a corpse so perhaps I just need to rethink my definition of weird. She turned her head to gaze up at the needlessly ornate form of Messiah. Yeah, I'll put it on my to-do list.
Putting a pair of binoculars to her eyes, she scanned the area. It looked like Yoko had Zach, and between that and Cole the area should be settled. On the Nitram end, the Saint, Marky, Cain, Martin and...Wilma? were taking their best shots at the big guy. Well, too many cooks in the kitchen and all that, you know. I wonder how Iona is liking my Suit?
And over there Sam and Nariko are fighting with Lord Dummerset against Evil Sam. Worst comes to worst Nariko can just speed him away from it (I hope).
A sound like thunder made her jerk her head to the right. Mason. Going after that slag Liam, no doubt. Or perhaps I should call him Ma/Son right now? Well, I do owe him, and I'm not tired of fighting yet...
"Hey, Mason. Want some backup? We have some fun new toys to show him."
Deranged X-Mas Figure
Foundation Ruins
Messiah wasn't sure what had drawn him to such a smouldering pile of rubble. Perhaps it was a deep-seated sense of longing. Some flicker of attachment to the place he had once called home. Or perhaps it was a hint of regret.
Both were a nuisance he could do without.
Before he could start purging the so-called heroes in earnest, the heroes came to him. Or at least one of them had. He listened to Holiday's insults. Listened still to the recording of the woman his other self had grown to care for oh so much. As if he could ever love a false goddess. "Are you quite done?"
"MARTIN!" That name. That name. Someone had dared to call him by that. name?!
Easy, Messiah. It was simply a name. That was all. There was no need to get themselves in a tizzy. Besides. If it was who he thought it was, then this was his chance to settle things once and for all.
Sure enough, it was the Saint. With Zach dealt with, there was nothing to stop him from taking the fight right to the top dog. And that just happened to be him.
"Ah, the Saint. I was wondering when you would show your face. To what do I owe the honour?"
"Honor? You dragged everyone into some hairbrained war against the universe, tried to have me and everyone else in the building blown to bits, lied to everyone's faces, and you have the gall to talk about honor?!"
He really had lost it, hadn't he? Going on about such trivialities? Morality. Honour. Such outdated concepts when one got down to it. "Yes, actually. Perhaps I may have taken things a bit too far. But I assure you, it is all in the name of a cause more glorious than you can possibly imagine."
"'Cause'? What cause?! Was letting Zach go and total half the fleet part of your cause?! Because that seems like a pretty damn awful cause to me."
Ouch. Had to bring that up, didn't he? "Admittedly, yes, I may have miscalcuated. Though I'm sure none of us saw that coming."
It almost seemed as though Saint was about to throw down before he took a literal step back. Wasn't a surprise. Even after the battle with Gaea, he was always too much of a bleeding heart. "Jesus, kid. What the hell happened to you? You used to care. You used to give a damn! Soon as anyone here got hurt, you would've been the first to go in and help."
"You're one to talk."
"Look, Martin—"
Suddenly something in Messiah snapped. As though a button was pressed. As intense as Messiah was, there was still a certain calmess to him. A sense of divine tranquillity. All of which went out the window for another glorious moment of pure unadulted fury. "DON'T. Call me that." And then it was gone. The Messiah back in his seat of power once more. "Besides. I don't believe anyone's called you by anything except the Saint since, what, the 30's? Although that's hardly been an apt descriptor, has it?"
"Maybe it hasn't. Maybe I made a mistake. Maybe I made a lot of mistakes."
"Hardly. If anything, I am one of your greatest successes. 'Peace in unity, unity in strength.' That was what you preached, wasn't it? Day in and day out, as though you couldn't expect us to get it ourselves. But we did. Oh, we did. This, all of this? It's everything you've been working towards. You should be proud."
It almost seemed as though Saint was about to erupt in a moment of pure righteous rage, such that could rival it even the Gods in sheer power and majesty. But instead, he let it go. And the moment had passed. "Maybe once. Back when I started the Saviors in the first place. But it just doesn't seem worth it anymore."
"So where does that leave us then? Do you intend to strike me down? To turn against everything you created out of some misplaced sense of righteousness?"
"Don't know if I'd go that far. All I know is, you're my mistake. One I intend to fix."
"I was afraid you'd say that." With a snap of fingers, Saint was sent plummeting to the ground below, crashing down and carving out a crater in the street as though slammed by an intense wave of gravity. He tried to struggle, tried to break free. But it was all he could do to keep himself from being crushed.
With the Saint momentarily dealt with, that left Holiday. "That won't hold him for long. I'm not sure anything can. But for now, it should suffice. So. Anything you wish to say before I send you to whatever God you worship? Assuming that one such as you is capable of such a thing."
Doctor Who — Long Way Around: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13536044/1/Doctor-Who-Long-Way-Around
AKA Nixer
Yoko – Super City
“Okay. Your choice,” Yoko smiled, slowly dropping her hand in acceptance of his reasoning. “And I will with a vengeance if it comes to that.”
He was obviously exhausted. After a display like that he had to be. She tilted her head a little at him in curiosity, as if considering something—before taking hold of his hand in her own and gently rubbing the back of it with her fingers.
“Think you can do anymore, hmm? Or has today been enough? I can take over if you want...”
Holiday – Foundation Ruins (Squad 2)
Holiday seemed to consider this for a moment—in actuality taking the brief second of time to scan both the surrounding area and Saint's injuries—before she shrugged and stood herself upright, looking Messiah in the eye.
“No. I'd just be wasting my nonexistent breath.”
There was a strong gust of wind, before her visage blurred from view. The ground beneath her—which was still in the process of melting from her entrance—only displaced further, and for some reason she seemed to flicker back into view only a metre or so away from him to his right. Only for her to flicker away again, apparently aiming to half-circle around him to his back in order to plant a solid punch to the base of his spine.
If it indeed connected, the sheer force of it would undoubtedly mimic what her demonstration had done earlier—shattering nearby windows and likely devastating the odd solid structure in their immediate vicinity. She was starting at a more uncontrolled level to test how far she'd have to go. She didn't really want to make the city even more of a wasteland, after all.
But if it meant ridding it of this last vestiges of this invasion, so be it.
She'd dedicate herself to cleanup later.
Edited by Enirboreh on Feb 20th 2020 at 11:52:50 AM
bork
Breath of the Sun
Squad 1 - Sam vs Sam - Nariko
She stepped back to avoid the blizzard Zero instinctively threw out. Even with her fur, she shivered slightly at the ambient cold.
At Zero's response, Nariko's face fell, and she sighed. "Then I guess we don't have a choice. For what it's worth, I'm sorry."
She moved again, dashing past Zero, and as she did she held out her tail-blade to slice him as she past. Her slash this time was aimed at the back of his neck, intended to sever his spine and paralyze him.
Saviors - University - Ellie
"You're weaker than me." Sellie noted, smiling wickedly. "You've grown soft, being the princeling's whore. While I've only gotten stronger by abandoning that bastard."
"You're strong because you never stop killing." Ellie shot back. "You spend all your time spilling blood, because you have nothing else. Because it makes you forget that no one loves you. Just like we both were, before Saint Academy."
"It's nothing like that!" Sellie shrieked. "I'm on the side of justice! I'm not a monster anymore! That's why Messiah believes-"
At that moment, both Ellie's heads snapped towards the angel, detecting the energy buildup within it. "...in ...me?" Sellie trailed off.
"He believes in you so much, he's about to kill you." Ellie said, dryly.
"He wouldn't." Sellie insisted, though her voice had grown weak. "He must have just- he can revive me! That's it. That must be..."
Ellie sighed. "I know you aren't stupid, other me. Because I know I'm not that stupid. You never really believed anything he said, did you? We're not the kind of person to abandon our loved ones like that."
"I just-" Sellie's shoulders slumped, and tears began to slide down her face. "I wanted to do something good, for once in my life!"
"You can." Ellie hovered towards her doppelganger, extending a hand. "It's never too late to atone."
Sellie rushed forward to embrace her other self, and Ellie returned the hug. "I'm sorry." Sellie sobbed.
"It's okay. But I'm not the one you should be apologizing to." Ellie smiled.
"...I can't." Sellie pulled away. "He'd- he'd never take me back, now."
"Yes he will." Ellie said, squeezing Sellie's shoulder reassuringly. "My Mi-mi already spoke to yours. He wants you back."
"Really?"
Ellie nodded. "He wants to help you make up for everything. Starting with the Saviors. He's planning an attack on their home base, in your world." She lowered her hand. "Go to him."
Sellie paused, for a long moment. Electricity began to gather in her horn. She was readying a teleport. Already she could feel Mikael, in the other world, calling to her with his own energy. So she could lock on to him.
So she could find her way home.
"...thanks, other Ellie. For everything." Sellie said. Her mouth slowly worked its way into a smile.
"It's nothing." Ellie said. "You'd have done the same for me."
Sellie could only turn away at that. "Maybe you're right."
And then the Savior Ellie vanished, warping back to her homeworld's Abyss to aid the Rebel cause.
Ellie exhaled. "Well, that was easier than I thought it'd be." Rolling her shoulder, she turned once more to the Archangel. "Should probably do something about that."
She dashed beneath the Archangel with the sound of crashing thunder, before pressing her hands against him and slow pushing him upward. The heat Zelos was outputting was hardly anything, to a demon, though her hands itched at the feeling of divine flesh.
"Hey!" She called to Cain. "You might wanna run! I'm gonna take this guy way up in the air, so the explosion doesn't hurt anything!"
It wasn't the best plan, but it was her only one - demonic teleportation didn't work too well on Angels.
Warpath - Shooting the Ship - Mikael
He felt the second Ellie disappear between worlds, and nodded satisfactorily. Good job, babe. Zach was also handled, with help from Yoko. Or maybe he'd just overcome his evil half through sheer willpower. Mikael couldn't tell. The demon footsoldiers cheered at Monster!Zach's defeat, but Mikael whistled to get their attention.
They weren't done yet.
"One down, but don't rest on your laurels just yet, everyone! Your next target is that flagship! Blast it out of the sky!" At Mikael's command, the assembled demons charged through the air at the main ship of the Savior's fleet, blasting it with more explosive hell-bullets.
Mikael himself took the lead, summoning barrages of rifles as he swooped around the ship, keeping an eye out for retaliatory fire.
What is so amusing about this? Why do you take lives? How can you forget?
Up on Melancholy hill.
Zach - Squad 1
To be totally honest a break sounded really good right now. He would have liked to sit here and relax but knew deep down he wouldn't be able to just...sit here and relax.
Not when there was so much to do!
So he fought off the final wave of exhaustion and shook his head, standing up and looking to her. I can fight. he nodded in affirmation. May as well keep going while I still can, after all.
Ma/Son - Squad 3
No. Absolutely no. She cannot, and I repeat, CANNOT-
"Wanna come with?" The dark half of Mason offered with a friendly chuckle as he landed down beside her, the engines on his feet and back burning down to a dull flame to allow him to land down beside her. I can give you a lift-"
"ABSOLUTELY NOT, SHE WILL SLOW US DOWN AND GET IN THE WA-" He was silenced when a fist drove itself into his gut.
His own fist.
The light half was silenced by a raspy whisper and allowed the Dark Half to pull forward a bit. He shook his head and rubbed his stomach.
"That was a really stupid idea." He grunted but then turned back to Vivian. "Sorry about him. I know I'm gonna need help and if you're offering, I'll take it."
Is it selfish that I'm happy as we pass the setting sun?
Where am I? What's going on?
Iris - Squad 2
The monster serpent that was apparently Zach or something went down. Iris momentarily mused on how easy it had seemed, then realized that no, she had just been late.
In her defense, convincing Ahl'kuur to lend her enough power for this stunt hadn't exactly been easy. And despite her patron's half-hearted reassurances, she was sure there were going to be strings attached somewhere down the line. But she could handle strings; just had to avoid getting tangled.
With no other giant monsters on the battlefield, her attention was drawn to the other fighters... the other, very small fighters... a decent number of whom were on her side.
She hadn't really thought the whole "giant Iris" thing through, had she? It was kind of hard to be discriminate like this. Still, hard didn't exactly mean impossible. Her optic nerves stretched out closer to the ground and separated until each was moving individually. She couldn't really concentrate fire like that, but one eye each should be enough to seek out and freeze any straggling mooks.
Rebecca - Squad 3
Rebecca's barricade went down and she beheld a destroyed city. She didn't know what'd happened to Zach, and she hoped he was okay, but at least the giant monster seemed to be decisively gone.
Still, it hadn't left a pretty sight in its wake. Friend and foe alike had been considerably whittled down, buildings had been toppled, and Super City, her second home, had become a shell of itself.
And the man responsible for everything, that perversion of all that Martin stood for, had lowered himself to ground level. The False Saint and an armored being that looked like it was on their side were already engaging, but two people were hardly enough to fight a monster like that.
Rebecca walked toward the self-proclaimed Messiah, rubble rising behind her as she approached. This destroyed city of his making would be his demise. She'd make sure of that.
Vs. Zero
"Very well, boy, best not slow us down then!" As Zero made his move, seeming to create a roaring blizzard around himself, Sommerset took action at the same time that Nariko made her move. He extended his hands and bright red energy gathered on them for a moment as he took advantage of the distraction Nariko made by going for the more vital areas. These things always took a moment...
...And then he was ready. Of course he was.
Instead of simply firing the blasts forward at Zero, Sommerset fired the blasts up first...followed by them branching and raining down at the Alternate Sam's position in a pinpoint rain of attacks aimed at piercing the Alternate Sam's arms, legs and chest in numerous points. There were around 20 of these beams raining down - and if he was right, which in his mind he usually was, Nariko's attacks would divvy up Zero's attention enough to pin him with these attacks.
Marcus - Stalwart
As Holiday went in for the first punch, Marcus got in there after leaping in from one of the downed skyscrapers. It had been a rocky ride getting here, from the falling airships - one of which he'd leaped to and from - and then the giant monster fight...but now, the Commander was on the field, and it was time to put a stop to this guy's...just, utter bullshit.
I don't know how capable I am with what he taught me...but I'm gonna try.
I need to overcome the Saint, and his legacy, and the expectation someone is gonna just serve as the moral center of reality.
"You think..." Marcus said as he hoisted a heavy pillar of rock and then tossed it at Messiah at high speeds, "That everyone is just going to accept it? Accept your control and playing god forever? You're not an absolute figure, you're not going to take whatever you want and make us pick up the pieces any more. And dammit, I'm not gonna let you drive all of reality down the path you want!"
Marcus stepped forward, subtly glowing dark gold as he did so. He stepped forward into a fighting position, one hand forward the other in a guarding position. "We're not your toys, and you're not the master of reality. You don't mean the best for us, you don't even know any of us!"
For better or worse, I'm going to fight as I have to. Monster or man, let's rock.
Meanwhile, as the forces of Mikael focused on shooting down the airship, one of the larger ships seemed to stay flying - and then on what had previously been a pristine, golden hull speaking to Messiah's neuroses, a huge number of red eyes surrounded by black metal seemed to start showing.
The red eyes gathered energy in themselves and then fired scything laser blasts down at Mikael's forces.
In the process setting the larger ship apart from the others falling, and making it clear where the remaining Savior was.
Liam watched through one of his Thopters observing the battle between now Marcus and Holiday and his boss. He crossed his arms and looked over at Barnett, "Well, it seems we're entering the final phases of this invasion. Either Messiah wins or Messiah loses. I don't particularly care which."
Barnett commented, "You-You-You seem b-b-bored, Master..."
"Hard not to be." Liam said, and scornfully swiveled in his chair away from the battle going on in his view, "We're just witnessing one guy's ego clash with another guy's ego, and a bunch of naive simpletons following after because they believe in a myth."
I learned the hard way. Myths are dust on the wind of history. Only science sticks around and has lasting value.
Edited by NickTheSwing on Feb 20th 2020 at 4:24:19 AM
Sign on for this After The End Fantasy RP.
Vivian-Flying High
As Ma/Son carried her into the sky, she began pondering their strategy. "Ok, so Mason-I feel pretty good about this fight. I know he tore you up last time, but that's why you'll win: because what he said to you wouldn't have had an effect if you didn't care. If you weren't a good person. But you are! You want to use your talents and mind to help people! He doesn't know you at all! He can't possibly know what changes you've undergone here, so we have the element of surprise! Each side of you is a part of you, and so you can look at this in ways he'll never expect. He just cares about the science and the technology, but you care about the effects and the best way to use the stuff you make instead of "perfection. "
"Also, you have me. He'll never see me coming. You're not a fighter, but neither is he. You're not a vicious bastard. I'm both. So you'll have plenty of time to figure out a way to beat his sociopathic "evil genius-wannabe" butt while I'm causing a lot of pain." She paused to check her equipment and weapons."....are you gonna be real unhappy if he doesn't survive?"
Edited by Booky on Feb 21st 2020 at 5:43:18 AM
Surrounded by weirdoes
Squad 1
Just as the ring went to Zero's neck, a tail was raised to stop the blow as the dragon stood over him, blocking the shots, breaking but sending the ice as shrapnel. a cold stream came out of the mouth of the dragon.
Several birds were made, sent to be crashing against the people, ready to explode upon impact. Sam managed to shoot his own barrage, to block most of it.
"You are one sick monster" Sam commented.
Zero just froze the floor, leaving a bright red mark on the floor.
Wake me up at your own risk.
King among Xanas
Martin
Martin dropped another knocked out soldier from his hand and looked over the city, a deep pain in his heart toward all the destruction and death on either side of the fight here. From the massive Zach's rampage to the smaller fights breaking out over every inch, it was unlikely they could bounce back from this as easily as they had Gaea. Or maybe they could, the city and people within had exceeded his expectations before. But for any healing to take place first they had to remove the disease, and a massive 'come get me' sign was about as much of an invitation as he was ever going to receive.
"Here we go," Martin destroyed the distance between himself and the area Messiah was in, falling to the ground without much grace and charging directly toward the madman, careful to avoid Holiday's own strike as he threw a punch backed with as much force as he could. "Huh, would have thought I'd have grown a beard." he muttered to himself, preparing for the counter attack he knew was coming.
Be better, because what is the harm in trying?
Up on Melancholy hill.
Ma/Son - Squad 3
"I certainly won't shed a tear." He said sardonically as he looked around for a moment, frowning. "Where could he BE?"
The Dark Mason remained silent for a moment, actually allowing Viv's words to settle in his mind. Perhaps it was the first time in a long time that someone was actually there beside him. He thought for a moment about how many people he'd casually brushed away in his own frustrated, self hatred filled stupor that maybe someone else had tried to speak up for him too.
Now Playing: You Will Be Found by Ben Platt.
Now playing: You Are Loved by Stars Go Dim.
"I thought I told you to shut the fucking music off, we need to FOCUS!" The Light half barked angrily, reaching up and pressing the silence button on the side of his helmet.
"I did! I did, I don't know what's-"
Their attention snapped to one of the remaining ships still up in the air that fired down onto the demonic forces down beside, and they made a beeline directly towards it.
The Dark Mason, the only one willing to talk at the moment, turned to Viv. "You sure you're ready for this? This guy is dangerous, and I don't want you getting hurt."
He could feel his ight half roll his eyes.
Edited by MichaelDj54 on Feb 22nd 2020 at 9:55:57 AM
Is it selfish that I'm happy as we pass the setting sun?
An Ordinary Oddball
Cain (2)
Ellie's teleportation took Zelos high into the air just as Cain converted him into a one of his thralls, so the archangel's conversion was visible to all. Parts of it blackened, and it started to be cloaked in shadow rather than light. It looked like a shell of its former bright self, and its preparations to explode stopped in its tracks thanks to Mahvash's help.
Cain withdrew his divinity-smeared fangs from Zelo's flesh and smiled at Ellie. "No problem here, demon girlie. This might demoralize the Savior troops. Thanks for your help!" He smiled wide and climbed into the thing's back. He was going to ride it to victory.
"THEY BLEED. THEY CAN BE DEFEATED," said the angel's now warped voice. It soon sped off into the skies, attacking any Savior craft that it spotted, Cain's almost maniacal laughter and yee-hawing echoing through the skies. He was already fully healed due to the divine essence that he had consumed.
Wilma (3)
All of a sudden, sunlight was FOCUSED into a beam shining right into Messiah's face—indeed, it was a spotlight focused right on him. Similar spotlights also appeared on the others involved in the fight, but they were not blinded because the light came from behind them.
"Interesting. Not at all helpful towards the people you purport to help, of course, but interesting," came Wilma's voice from the top of a nearby building. "All of that power begotten from others, stolen and unearned. You torture others, yet you still have the gall to believe in yourself and your cause."
"Your powers are unique, and unparalleled in this world and others. It seems that you've covered all the variables. But you're missing the obvious solution," Renegade said in his own voice, using Wilma's body. "We can just beat the shit out of you! We have no knowledge of how this is going to work, but we're willing to apply the requisite amount of elbow grease. From there, the possibilities are endless!"
"You don't kill a wise and powerful Messiah with magic, Vorpal Swords, or by sheer numbers. You prove their existence as a false idol, and render all their visions as fakery." Wilma continued. "Even if it's a one-day show with a tulpa at my side, let's make today a day to remember—it's the showdown everybody wanted, asked for, and cares about!"
The sunbeam spotlights over everyone else would disappear, their energy all focused onto Messiah in a blast of tremendous solar force as Renegade finished the speech and Wilma's eyes became deep wells of mentally-protective static. "Roll up, roll up! See the complete and utter travesty of humanity before us, see the thrilling battle of a lifetime! See one brave hero and one valorous villain join forces, see a false idol and his madness revealed, and consider your own place in life, for the future will surely be paved by the end of our humble little show! Now give it all up for your talented ringmasters: Renegade aaaaaaaaaand Wilma!" Wilma grinned Renegade's toothy grin at Messiah. "Do you want to see your best-laid plans and vision fail? Or perhaps you would rather surrender?"
Edited by JumpingFruit on Feb 22nd 2020 at 3:53:21 AM
I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.
Deranged X-Mas Figure
Foundation Ruins
Messiah barely said a word as everyone took their best shot. Instead, he closed his eyes, raised a single hand, and dismissed them like a grown man waving away a child. He surrounded himself with a large forcefield, shaped like a dome and nearly as bright and shining as the sun. Everyone's assaults were deflected with ease. Not that they were worthless. While they hadn't penetrated the barrier, they were still making a dent. A few more blows and there was a chance they could break through.
Hopefully it wouldn't be a few blows too late.
"You're absolutely right. If we're talking absolutes, I barely know a single one of you. In reality, all of us are mere dustmotes amongst the vast infinite cosmos. For every one of you that chose to stand against me, there's another that stood with me. And another that sought to gain power for themselves. Or perhaps others still took a different path entirely. For every action you commit, there is an equal and opposite reaction committed by a million other versions of you within the multiverse. For every universe where we saved the Earth, there's another where we didn't. For every world where Gaea was beaten, there is another where they thrived. Every life saved, another life lost. And no matter what you do, no matter how valiantly you try to make up the difference, it's just never enough."
By this point, Messiah's voice was becoming ever so more intense, his words ever so slightly heated as he turned to Martin. "But you. You know better than anyone else, don't you? That urge to save as many as you can, to do as much as humanly possible regardless of what it costs you. Surely you must know that it's pointless. That no matter how many good deeds you commit, no matter what innocent soul offers you their gratitude, there's another that you failed to save. Another you weren't able to help. It's a completely and utterly futile struggle."
He turned towards the others, making sure everyone could see him as though entertaining an audience. "Still, all of that will be rendered moot. Soon I shall eliminate all that which is unpure. All worlds which need a savior to constantly come to their aid! And there will be one perfect universe. Not perfect because it is flawless. But because it will be the only universe in existence. A world where every action matters. Where when someone is saved, they stay saved. And where eventually, it ends. Where there isn't an endless amount of poor lost souls constantly begging for help, crying out for someone to come to their rescue! Where there's a point to it all. Don't tell me there isn't some part of you that longs for that?"
Edited by kkhohoho on Feb 22nd 2020 at 10:50:02 AM
Doctor Who — Long Way Around: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13536044/1/Doctor-Who-Long-Way-Around
An Ordinary Oddball
Wilma (3)
"If there were no people that needed help, you would no longer be a hero. Being a hero implies the existence of villains for the hero to fight. Strange, isn't it?" said Wilma, appearing above Messiah with the intention to cleave downwards and help break the forcefield with her SWORD.
"There are a great deal of poor souls that you have devoured," noted Renegade. "And what have you done for them? What have you done for me? Surely you could have helped me be free from that goddess?"
Edited by JumpingFruit on Feb 23rd 2020 at 7:18:14 AM
I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.
AKA Nixer
Holiday – Foundation Ruins (Squad 2)
“You've broadened your horizons too much,” Holiday responded, regaining her balance from the shock of the sudden forcefield before returning to a more neutral stance. “You've ventured outside your sliver of reality and lost your mind. It's too much. For anyone. It's not your responsibility. These other worlds? They're events. Possibilities that you shouldn't even think about. Is it an ant's right to demolish a planet, simply because it can't comprehend it? Simply because it wants everything to be unified under its own vision? If you can honestly say yes, then I think you're missing the point yourself.”
She blurred again, but this time she appeared a little ways away. A large mass of concrete had been kicked up by her, and was now soaring directly towards Messiah. However, as soon as Holiday was obscured from view by it, it shattered—the ACP having leapt forward so as to barrel right through it and aim an even harder punch right at Messiah's centre of mass.
She could give it a little more now, as she knew he had a barrier. Hopefully under their concentrated onslaught, it wouldn't last long.
Yoko – Super City
“Okay then,” Yoko nodded, giving one last kiss to Zach before backing off and seemingly preparing for the last few moments of battle herself. “Go fight. I won't be far though, okay? Just don't... push yourself too hard for me?”
Regardless of the fact, she'd soon take off and divert her attention elsewhere. As much as she'd have loved to stick by Zach's side for the entirety of the battle there was no escaping the fact that the city was in absolute *shambles.* Even now there was so much to address, and she could feel her fellow celestials struggling to heal and support the few remaining defenders in the city.
Though there was no denying that she'd rush right back to him by the end of it.
bork
Deranged X-Mas Figure
Savior Flagship
The crew manning the Savior's flagship scrambled as it was bombarded with bullets, but without their leader, it was all for naught. The captain was as stalwart as he was strong, but for better or worse, his intelligence didn't match his exceptionally large cranium.
"Okay, men! Blast them out of the sky!
In retrospect, it was probably for the worse. Something the first mate quickly began to realize. "Uh, sir? We're already suffering heavy damage from whatever that misbegotten monstrosity was, and our engines are struggling just to keep us afloat. And the damage we're taking from these demonic hordes, which I may mention was not part of our glorius leader's calucations, is only making things worse."
"Oh. Well, yes, of course. But if we don't blast them, then they can keeping blast us!"
"Uh, well, techinally that's true, sir, but—"
"Glad we understand each other! Now, blast those dirty heathens to kingdom come! That's an order!" With that, the ship began firing intense barrages of laser fire at the demons, intent on bringing them down with everything they had. As if that weren't enough, the laser cannon at the front also began charging, intent on decimating everything in its path in one fell swoop.
It was at this moment that the first mate started questioning his life choices. His mother always said he should have been an account.
"Should have listened to Ma."
Doctor Who — Long Way Around: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13536044/1/Doctor-Who-Long-Way-Around
King among Xanas
Martin
For a moment his assault on the barrier stopped as he absorbed the words his doppelganger spoke toward them, feeling a wave of regret hit him. "You're not entirely wrong," he sounded rather exhausted, almost like every all night patrol and double shift on the streets was coming back to hit him at once. So much of his life had been dedicated to helping people that the idea of saving the world with one action sounded appealing. And how couldn't it? He couldn't imagine a hero who wouldn't want to look over a city and know as a certainty that there was no crime going on anywhere, that they could sit down and things would be okay for a moment.
"But you are wrong too, and I think I finally understand," he planted a foot on the ground and prepared to strike the barrier again. "You've never really failed have you? You're terrified of losing because to you its just a concept that you haven't had to experience. And tasting it when Saint almost died terrified you. And thats why the only way to end this is to beat you, because until you are beaten beyond a shadow of a doubt you'll keep trying. We're arrogant like that." he threw forward his fist, slamming it into the barrier without holding back even a bit. It came down to a battle of ideals, and he would shatter the delusion that Messiah used to prop himself up.
Be better, because what is the harm in trying?
Yoko – Super City
“Got you.”
An almost silent blur swooped Zach out of the air, immediately slowing once he had been successfully caught and drifting gently down to the ground. A look of immense pride was on Yoko's face even as she touched down, and upon setting him back on terra firma she grinned and brushed away his hair with her hand.
“Look at you. So strong,” she whispered, before drawing him into a hug. “You did it. I'm so proud of you... Kami, imagine what the kids'll think—they'd go nuts when they find out...”
And they'd be proud too, she mentally added, finally releasing him from her tight grip (though the grin remained). He looks exhausted though... and the fight's not over... oh holy crap the city–
“Can you stand?” she asked worriedly, the dire situation coming back into the forefront of her mind as she stood more guardedly beside him and readied her foxfire again on the ends of her tails. “I think they're gonna be mad... or at least, he is...”
She didn't dare remind him of the fact both sides were affected. She was sure he knew to an incredibly intimate extent just what his fused state with his doppelganger had done.
Edited by Enirboreh on Feb 18th 2020 at 11:02:26 AM
bork