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Post by Licht on Aug 12, 2016 15:06:26 GMT -5
"Not like them? Not entirely, I guess. But I am one of them. And you ARE like them. Or were like them." His eyes darkened and he gestured a the ground. "And they were your comrades." He swept the area around them. "Why wouldn't you protect them? Why would you do this to your own people? Just... why?" His eyes shone with tears, begging, pleading, trying to find some humanity within this person.
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Post by Taliyah on Aug 12, 2016 15:09:33 GMT -5
Joka was quiet for a moment and then decided she'd humor him with an answer simply for the fact that he intrigued her.
"My life and what happened to me never mattered to anyone. I was a means to an end from the time I was young. I have no need for attachments to anyone. Do not think for a moment that those in Cathedral aren't just as ruthless as I am. It's how to get by, to survive. Conflict is all around just some can put a pretty face on it. They took all that was supposed to be human about me." She gestured to herself. "So now this is who I am. I can always find more people. Everyone is expendable, even myself."
It was if her fractured mind had found clarity of thought for at least a moment before the madness crept back in.
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Post by Licht on Aug 12, 2016 15:10:52 GMT -5
Licht looked at her with terrible sadness. "People aren't expendable. Once gone they can never be replaced. Things don't have to be like this. Let someone help you. Things may not be ideal, and they won't be in this world for some time, but there is a way that everyone can live in peace. If not Cathedral, then there has to be a place where you can find peace."
He seemed to shimmer for a moment and then appeared to walk towards her, arms open in welcome and peace, looking hopeful.
"Sieger... what are you..." The captain croaked, still hanging grotesquely by Joka's power.
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Post by Stonelark on Aug 12, 2016 15:11:19 GMT -5
As the metal warped and struck at her throat, Maya felt gut wrenching fear for the first time since she faced down her father all those years ago. There was no way she would be able to dodge at this range. She looked over at the captain one last time and hoped that Licht at least had the good sense to run away. He could inform command of what happened here. Send reinforcements to take care of these...terrors. 'I never thought I'd be relying on someone else to avenge me.' She closed her eyes to await death.
Maya hit the ground, stunned momentarily, but wasn't injured. She lay on her back, hand at her throat wondering what the hell just happened. The daggers were floating where they were. A short blonde boy stood in between her and the crazy wench, the air shimmering around him. "Licht." She couldn't believe it. The little boy that said he couldn't fight, who was terrified at the thought of it, stood there courageously. She said softly, "What are you doing, boy? You should have run." The woman's full attention was on Licht so Maya crawled toward some rubble nearby and hid behind it, breathing heavily. The rubble was the remains of a wall that was still half standing in places. If she crouched, she could sneak around and get behind the wench, hopefully surprise her.
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Post by Taliyah on Aug 12, 2016 15:11:55 GMT -5
Joka backed up slightly thrown off. Help? Why would he offer that? It had to be a trick. Peace? Peace didn't exist. Memories of Cathedral flooded her mind. Who was this boy? What was his game? There was confusion and fear in her eyes not unlike a cornered animal. "No you don't want to help me. You want to kill me. People who offer help hurt. You're lying!" A feral look took over her face that suggested there would be no reaching her. A piece of metal struck the ground and sank in deep between them.
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Post by Licht on Aug 12, 2016 15:13:05 GMT -5
Licht sighed, and the image of himself vanished as the metal sank between them. He hadn't thought that it would be that easy to reach through to her, but he had to try.
"Not everything has to end in pain. Don't misunderstand. I can't forgive you for what you did to my comrades. No one deserves to hurt. Not Baret, not Eris, not captain, and not you. I can't forgive you, but that doesn't mean I don't think you deserve help." He wavered and then there were three of him, five, seven. He didn't have many options down here where the light was so dim, but he had to make do. "What will you do? I'm guessing your core operates on some sort of electromagnetism, and I'm afraid you'll find I don't have any metal on me. You could just let us go, take the captain and our friend's remains and leave."
The real him glanced backwards and saw where Maya had rolled to the side. He silently shaped the light and projected an image of her still laying where she'd been previously. He hoped he wouldn't need the backup, but she still had control of the captain, and he was quite rusty at this.
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Post by Licht on Aug 12, 2016 15:13:11 GMT -5
Faldr felt like screaming at the idiot. Quit trying to reason with her! Run! He fought back unconsciousness from the blood loss and pain. At least now there was a chance that Sieger and Tor could get out safely.
The boy wasn't doing much but buying time. In the dim light, even with his dulled senses, he would probably still be able to tell what was an illusion after a moment. Still, maybe it would buy them enough time, if the idiots would actually start running. "Maya, get him and go..." He croaked. And had to wonder as he saw the illusionary Maya flicker to life on the ground... how? He didn't have a core...
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Post by Licht on Aug 12, 2016 15:13:21 GMT -5
((Whenever you guys want to start fighting again, let me know. Random interlude for conversation between rounds... Captain's still at a zero, Licht will be rolling this time... oh, don't forget Joka's minions are down so she's back down to her own +2 modifier this time I'd say.))
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Post by Taliyah on Aug 12, 2016 15:17:21 GMT -5
((6 plus her modifier so 8 for the final round))
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Post by Licht on Aug 12, 2016 15:17:32 GMT -5
((Licht has a 3, so I guess I'll be posting last!))
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Post by Stonelark on Aug 12, 2016 15:17:49 GMT -5
((5 so 6))
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Post by Taliyah on Aug 12, 2016 15:18:26 GMT -5
Joka released her hold on the captain and backed up again. Her mind was fragmenting as memories over run it. It was like she couldn't hear him anymore. She snarled and flung pieces of metal toward Licht each one about the size of a dart. She followed that up with bigger pieces. Joka was so preoccupied with this strange boy that she didn't notice what she should have about Maya.
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Post by Licht on Aug 12, 2016 15:18:40 GMT -5
Licht cursed as he noticed the captain start to fall. He should be able to avoid the most dangerous of the flying debris, but if Faldr took another good hit...
He dropped his illusory copies and flung himself backward in between the flying shrapnel and the captain. Dozens of smaller pieces tore through his clothes and skin and a larger piece knocked into his left shoulder, dislocating it. He carefully kept part of his concentration on the illusion of Maya on the ground, keeping it going. It may be more vital now that she has the element of surprise.
"I said, ENOUGH!" He cried.
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Post by Stonelark on Aug 12, 2016 15:18:57 GMT -5
"Get out of the way, kid." Maya said softly as she watched the woman fling scrap at Licht. Faldr dropped to the ground like a sack of spare parts and Licht jumped between. "Not that way." She cringed at the injuries the boy was taking and the brokenness of the captain's body, glaring at the crazy woman. 'She is going to pay for doing this to my Captain!' She sidled along the rubble to get to a place where the bitch was in her sight, but where whatever Maya did would not affect her captain or Licht. She sneaked closer to the woman. At the same time Licht cried out, she took a deep breath and screamed louder and more powerfully than she ever had before. There was no one to counter it this time so it should hit full force. It was directed solely at one target, and Maya's allies would only take minimal damage from it. The scream was so intense that it should completely disable the woman and crack the ground and debris around her.
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Post by Taliyah on Aug 12, 2016 15:23:57 GMT -5
Joka started to put a metal shield around herself but not before some of the sonic boom hit her. It screeched in her ears threatening to burst her ear drums and the ground cracked partly under her feet. In response she sent a spear of metal headed straight for Maya but not with a particular aim in mind since she was thrown off guard. "Nicely done pretty. It's a pity you're with them. You would be useful."
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Post by Licht on Aug 12, 2016 15:24:35 GMT -5
"Sieger..." Licht whirled in shock. The captain was forcing himself up slightly off the ground with the one arm that wasn't completely mangled and dislocated. With those injuries..."...you're not going to run, are you." It wasn't a question. Slowly, Licht shook his head once. Faldr grinned. One eye was swollen shut and the one that wasn't he was losing sight in anyway. He grinned crookedly and inwardly noted that at some point his jaw had gotten broken too. Somehow, he was starting to like this kid. "Can you beat her?" Licht considered the statement. "No sir. But I can stop her." Faldr nodded. "Don't die, cadet Sieger. That's an order." His strength gave out and he collapsed to the ground unmoving. "AYE SIR!!" Licht turned his attention back to the front in time to see and hear the exchange of blows between Joka and Maya. He reeled back on his heels from the backlash of Maya's attack, cursing that Joka was still standing. But between the captain's words and seeing her spear hit Maya, he managed to strengthen the last of the resolve he needed. "I thought I said THAT WAS ENOUGH!!!"
With one swift motion, he threw off the shredded glove from his right hand. Ignoring the pain in his shoulder he took a completely non-combat, prayer-like stance and began to chant. "Oh radiant light, shine forth from my soul and grant me the power to erase the darkest shadows; Bestow upon me the purifying rays of light to pierce through my enemies. Light create!"
As he finished the words, a dazzling brightness washed down the street. As sight returned, the shining seemed to be emanating from Licht's body itself. From his exposed right hand, his face and hair, the tears Joka had made in his long protective clothing, anywhere skin was exposed.
"This is my core power. Light." His voice had seemed to change, deepen somehow. With a sweeping motion, he traced a curved line in the air in front of him with his exposed hand, and a glow remained after the brightness, like an afterimage... no, something more.
Moving faster than before he suddenly grasped the arc of light in front of him with his gloved hand and dropped to a knee, as if taking aim. With his right hand he traced another afterimage backward from the center of the apparent bow somehow made out of solid light. He centered the arrow of light straight at Joka's head. His voice resonated across the street as he released it. "Orion's Arrow!" The bolt flew across the distance between them piercing through her metal shields without stopping. It struck Joka straight where her right eye should be, but just washed over her lightly seemingly without any effect.
((This neutralizes Joka's Kymere core, effectively dropping her to a 0. Feel free to not have her realize this at first though! Have fun! ))
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Post by Taliyah on Aug 12, 2016 15:28:11 GMT -5
Joka was bewildered as the boy sent light flying in her direction. Her good eye was blinded as it hit her core. She reacted to it the way that a cat would when swatting a bug. "What the fuck was that? You've hurt my vision. I am going to kill you now." She tried to move the metal to throw at him but it wouldn't move. "What the hell?"
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Post by Stonelark on Aug 12, 2016 15:31:48 GMT -5
Maya cried out as the spear pierced through her shoulder at a velocity that threw her backward and with such force that the spear stuck in the mound of debris behind her. She lay there for several minutes, half sitting up against the mound, dazed. Her blurry vision filled with bright light, so she closed her eyes tightly and turned her head as far as possible away from the light. "Ow..."
When the brightness faded, Maya opened her eyes tentatively to clearly see the woman waving her arms around toward Licht, who was kneeling on the ground. "No...Licht!" She murmured breathily, thinking he was hurt and at the woman's mercy. She tried to sit up, but the spear was stuck fast. Her vision wavered and she slumped back. 'I must have a concussion. Damn it!' If she couldn't get the spear out, she was just going to have to do something from here. A hollow ringing sounded through her head but she ignored it, focusing as intently as possible, whining softly but crescendoing to a high-pitched screech. She no longer cared if it affected her allies. Maya just wanted that bitch away from her Licht! The aim was a bit imperfect but it should incapacitate her if she's not paying attention.
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Post by Licht on Aug 12, 2016 15:32:03 GMT -5
Licht, skin still glowing brightly, appeared in front of Maya, solid light shining over his ears like a pair of holy earmuffs. "Please stop! Maya! Maya!! Stop!" Seeing that she wasn't hearing him, he sighed and pulled light from within and around him, pooling it in the palm of his hand where it swirled. He placed it directly onto her core "Touch of Cassiopeia"
He smiled down at her as she started from the sudden shut off of her power. "Sorry. I couldn't think. I just disabled your core for a minute. It won't be out nearly as long as Joka's. She's already down, look." He gestured and turned to indicate something. Looking back confused as to why she wasn't looking, his eyes widened like a deer in the headlights as he suddenly took in the metal jammed through her shoulder.
He flexed his hand and warped the metal as gently and smoothly as he could, slowly magnetically lifting it, then tossing it to the side. It was a bit difficult considering his lack of knowledge about how Joka's powers worked exactly, but he was getting the hang of it.
He helped her to her feet and steadied her as much as possible. "My power is purifying light." He offered in explanation. "I hit her core and knocked it out, same as I just switched off yours. Light isn't really solid, so no matter how I shape it, the attacks can't really hurt anything." He flicked his wrist and shot a dart of light through her, which passed through harmlessly. "But, as you can see, it has the power to not only disable Kymere cores, but to somehow purify them as well, so I gain control over their same capabilities for as long as the cores are unfunctional. Here, watch." He demonstrated, concentrating for a moment and trying to figure out how Maya's core worked. He opened his mouth and let out a tentative note, which reverberated against the far wall, shattering a panel of something.
"Oops." He said normally, instantly switching off her powers. "That's weird. It would really take some getting used to to use. But don't worry, I wouldn't try to keep your powers. I couldn't. I won't even be able to keep hers," He indicated Joka who was laying on the ground. It was hard to tell if she was actually knocked out from Maya's burst, or just stunned, but the fact that she was currently wrapped like a cocoon in about 3 feet of tightly bent metal sheets made her considerably less menacing than she had been moments ago. "but I hit her considerably stronger, so it could take hours, or even days for her core to be fully functional again. Maybe her men will recover and try and free her before then. But maybe not considering how she just treated them." He said with some satisfaction, walking towards the woman on the ground.
He bent over her and spoke loudly "We'll be leaving now. We're taking the captain and the remains of our comrades with us. I highly suggest you don't try to follow us, or send anyone after us. Oh, and you and your people may want to find a new base soon. Cathedral will undoubtedly be sending combat teams here as soon as we report back." It could have come across as simple gloating, but he hoped if she was hearing him that the warning was clear. He leaned closer and whispered. "Clear out. I don't want to be sent back and used as a weapon against you. And I meant it, I will find a way to help you."
He turned and started walking back towards Maya. "I can try and patch something together with this scrap so we can transport them easier. Faldr's alive, but he's-" He cut off, suddenly noticing that Maya hadn't responded to anything. His eyes widened with that deer in the headlights look again as he realized. "Oh crap. You can't talk if your core's not active, can you? Sorry! I'll try and reactivate it right now!" He began gesturing frantically.
Well done, Sieger Faldr thought as he finally let himself slip into unconsciousness.
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Post by Taliyah on Aug 12, 2016 15:32:25 GMT -5
Joka encased in the metal without a functioning core was trying to comprehend how this boy had managed to incapacitate her. Beyond that he was both warning and offering to help her. Strange strange naive boy.
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