Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Add Reply
  • Pages:
  • 1
  • 2
Thing From Another World; [Maki, Shane; Closed]
Topic Started: Jan 20 2014, 07:27 PM (332 Views)
Nonsequitur
Member Avatar
Yellow Bubblegum
She had to improvise, instead of going up she had to calculate her next move carefully. She reflexively defended against the sweep with a quick hop, instead of going up, she went down to avoid the bolt, and fired though the desk at her.

What didn't go cleanly though the wooden desk would smolder and soon start a small fire. Maki didn't stay on her back longer than it took to fire. She was at her feet and was making a second attempt to bound over the smoldering desk when she retorted.

"You misunderstand. I have this badge so I am not entitled to do as I please. I have this badge so I am obligated to do what I must. I suppose you'd prefer to leave it all up to the vigilantes, would you?"
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
The One True Nobody
Member Avatar
"...does this clockwork hand follow you... or guide you?"
The desk didn't quite have enough wood to go up in flames--it ignited, but the fires on the exterior merely heated the metal components and in time, the plastic parts would likely begin to melt. It remained solid, and when Maki jumped over it, it stood as the perfect cover. Or so it seemed.

"Funny thing about those words--'what I must!'" Scarlett crowed. "It's only complete jerkwipes like Spencer who don't use those words! Aleksandria, Nana, Toru Watanabe--all of them did what they did because they thought they were doing 'what had to be done!' Even that maniac who made the streets collapse!"

Blue light flared to life around Scarlett. She straightened up, grin widening, glowing red eyes flashing in anticipation, as if she couldn't wait to see the look on Maki's face at the sight of what she was about to do. It was a familiar blue light--the light of a Persona summoning.

"We all get these powers, and because we do, obviously we have to do something with them, right? RIGHT?!"

And it burst into being, rising into the air, swooping over the flaming desk amidst a storm of flapping bats: a nude figure, feminine, voluptuous, gray-skinned its most intimate parts conveniently but just barely screened from view by either sheet-white hair or pitch-black wings, hands spread gracefully to both sides. It smiled a toothy smile as it closed distance, revealing the fangs of a vampire.

And then, on the left side, the cloud of bats shot out, solidified into a spear, aiming to catch Maki in the flank with a Poison Arrow.

---

Shane Spencer ran, one arm pumping at his side, right hand held at the hilt of the sword strapped to his back. He knew the route, he'd memorized quite a lot of these paths during his patrols, but he could already hear the sounds of battle, echoes of that Shadow's philosophizing. His coat flapped out behind him, boots thumped on the ground, sunglasses screened his eyes from the chill wind of motion.

His mind was set: he was ready to summon Yamato at a hair-trigger notice. But he wasn't there yet. Things had escalated quickly. Damn it all. He'd hoped Yamada would at least have the brains to banter with the thing for a little while to drop its guard, not strike right away, while it was still on the lookout for treachery...!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Nonsequitur
Member Avatar
Yellow Bubblegum
"And just who do those people answer to, I wonder?" The poisoned arrow didn't quite hit its mark, instead the envenomed spear tore into her stab vest on the left side, and the impact left her lurching but she herself was uninjured.

This time she moved quickly, she bound on the desk, and onto another, her own mask materialized, reflecting the merciless mien of her other self. Now that it had come to this, there would be no retreat, no compromise she would handle the problem

It was a two-pronged attack, her own Persona. It attacked with a Garu spell, meanwhile she paused and waited for the reaction to that to fire a second shot a split second later. She had little stomach to talk further, but if the Shadow was anything like it's original, rambling would just be inevitable.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
The One True Nobody
Member Avatar
"...does this clockwork hand follow you... or guide you?"
"Who do you answer to?" Scarlett countered. "Suppose you and Shin both managed to track Aleksandria Fyodor down. What would you do? Put a bullet in her head, because there'd be no legal repurcussions or no way to contain her? What then? Who would you two be answering to... then?"

Maki's Persona, a spiral-horned ram, let loose with a Garu and a gunshot, but as soon as Shadow Kyo had some indication of which way the gun was shooting...

...she veered into the wind. It would be less damaging than fire, which could catch. Reverse Nevan flickered out in time not to get caught in this attack--it would be bad if both Persona and summoner were damaged simultaneously.

The wind magic caught Scarlett's left leg, and she stumbled, staggered, overturned--caught herself in a handstand that turned into a flip, and then flicked her hand out to sling a Spirit Drain at Maki, aiming to replenish the magic she'd used up on those lightning spells.

Shane skidded into view of the doorway, drawing his sword. He took one look at the scene and--oh jeez, that was a lot of cover.

"Ha! And who were you answering to when you used some innocent, rotting corpse to cover for that asshole?" Scarlett jeered, her leg dull with residual soreness, a mild bloom of fresh blood staining the fabric where flesh had torn. "Or maybe you aren't aware of that. It seems Persona-using cops only 'answer' to someone when it suits what they want. Or--wait, no, that's just every cop in the city."
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Nonsequitur
Member Avatar
Yellow Bubblegum
"Mmm, so I see." If she were on level ground, the desks would have been something of an issue, but now that she was on them, they provided plenty of mobility and opportunities to fire at her from below. That was exactly what she planned to do.

She'd never argue that their situation forced Maki and other officers of the piece into situations they'd never consider otherwise. Spencer's activities would have likely dragged an increased Yakuza presence into a city already overrun with crime. But because it was so easy to lose the way otherwise that she refused to back away from the absolutes, not even an inch.

Not that she felt the need to answer to a teenaged girl who associated with all kinds of unsavory characters, put on a costume and intervened where she wasn't needed. To her Shadow? Maki had even less to say, her only response was a swift reloading, and to use up some more of her own magic so it's useful to her before being stolen away. The Sukukaja was replenished and this time she intended to get in close, to provide less of a chance to dodge before she fired.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
The One True Nobody
Member Avatar
"...does this clockwork hand follow you... or guide you?"
"Classy. Saying nothing. Always so condescending... it's no wonder none of us kids ever give two shits what the police think. Why don't you try listening instead of sitting there, self-satisfied in your own rightness?"

The gray-skinned imitation of Kyo's Persona appeared for a second time. Shane sprinted into the room, vaulting over the first desk in his way, flicking his wrist to send a Summoned Sword careening through the air toward the Shadow, but she skipped aside, having expected the distance attack. Shane skidded to a halt, holding his sword out behind him, gritting his teeth, looking as though he were readying himself for a charge.

"This might sound ironic coming from me? But baby doll, you talk too much," Shane said. Shadow Kyo shrugged, and then a scattershot of Mazio bolts sprayed out from Reverse Nevan's hand, a bolt shooting toward Maki, another toward Shane, and others striking the ground all across the room, creating a wide swath obviously designed to keep the two from giving chase.

And Shadow Kyo took off running. The Persona hovered in a position directly between Maki and Scarlett--Shane, who might have had a clear shot, was struck dead on by a bolt of lightning, causing him to grit his teeth and stand in lace, trying as hard as he could not to twitch--and only partly succeeding. A low, pained growl broke through his teeth, and his eyes snapped shut.

Nevan remained to bar their path, while Kyo's Shadow ran for the door--not the escape passage that Shane had been meant to cover, but the very entrance Maki had come in through. For of course, that first maneuver with the desk and the charging slash hadn't been meant to kill Maki--

--only to put the police officer behind where Shadow Kyo had started, where all of those tantalizing desks were, all that cover, all that tactical advantage. None of it mattered if Shadow Kyo got away, and unless there was someone else here that she wasn't aware of, Maki Yamada hadn't brought a scanner along...
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Nonsequitur
Member Avatar
Yellow Bubblegum
Maki did not bother to dodge the bolt coming towards her, because she realized something very important in that small frame of reference. Her 'Persona' could continue to deny them ground, or protect itself from attack, but not both.

Any damage inflicted upon it was sympathetically applied to the Shadow. Instead before the bolt hit her, she fired squarely in the chest of the false Nevan, right in the center of gravity, right where the heart would be. In less than a second, it was first with a blast from her shotgun and almost at the same time, her own Persona materialized over her shoulder and added an Agi bolt.

She slumped over and took a knee, but doggedly stayed vertical. There wasn't a moment to waste to give chase after the shock had run its course.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
The One True Nobody
Member Avatar
"...does this clockwork hand follow you... or guide you?"
The gunshot hit Nevan squarely in the chest, and what happened then chilled Shane Spencer to the bone: Kyo Charinko's Shadow screamed.

It wasn't a ghastly scream, or a monstrous scream, or a horror monster scream. It was the scream of a teenage girl suffering unendurable agony, beyond scared, beyond pained. The Shadow fell to the floor, skidding along until it thumped softly against the wall beside the door.

Reverse Nevan flickered, backing away, arms covering her chest protectively, the Leanashe hunching over in pain, but not as much pain as Shadow Kyo, whose body curled up against the pain, whose hands clutched unseen at her chest, who was twitching, choking back sobs--

--and who roared in defiance, a choking noise, and despite not being able to breath properly, stood up, clutched the door handle.

"Oh no you don't!" Shane yelled, and he brought his sword slashing through the air, Yamato's ghostly form appearing behind him. Force Edge swung under his arm and then up through the air, and then it cut the air, or seemed to--the slashing force of his blade shot out as a blade of wind, shooting across the room at the Shadow.

Scarlett's eyes widened, she tried to scramble but pain wouldn't let her move. The Drive attack hit her squarely in the back on the left side, slashing open her shirt and her flesh, and--

And she was bleeding.

Red blood, though ever drop that parted from contact with her body turned black as the ooze that formed every other Shadow. The impact of the spell, which carried as much Wind element as physical cutting force, propelled Scarlett into the door, slamming her into it, but the door opened inward, toward the room--it didn't budge and inch.

Nevan flickered again, fear in her eyes now.

"I-I never... never did anything wrong..." the Shadow choked, hands scrabbling for the door handles. "I never did anything wrong! I never did anything wrong! It's not my fault I was born like this! Stay away! Stay away! STAY AWAY FROM THEM, YOU MONSTER!"

Nevan's flickering abruptly ceased, and she drifted quickly back, outstretching a hand, this time casting Mudoon--a small, person-sized cloud of darkness erupted from its hand, roaring forward to envelop Maki, enshroud her, screen her vision.

Shane ran ahead, bringing his sword up onto his shoulder. The lightning spell had left him feeling a bit like jelly. He couldn't sprint as fast as he usually did, he needed to heal first, but it would take a few seconds and that Shadow was getting away--
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Nonsequitur
Member Avatar
Yellow Bubblegum
The Shadow's words barely registered to her. it was hardly the first time someone had called her an unflattering name, it came with the job. And perhaps there was a point, from the Shadow's perspectives, perhaps they were marauding monsters that invaded from the outside.

But be as that may, a nonviolent reconciliation seemed impossible, there was no other option.

She noticed Kyo's Shadow's position just a moment before the false Nevan enveloped her in hungry darkness. It sapped her body heat, and the very life force from her veins as well as clouding her vision.

Move…

Move…

MOVE…


At last she recovered from the shock and rushed forward leading with her scattergun, she would not relent until she was over the last position where she saw Scarlett, and with her barrel trained at her.

The mask of punitive, unrelenting justice personified vanished, and Maki stared down at her without the mask. "Spencer-san? Be careful of the…I suppose pusedo-persona?" She could have ended it then and there, but with the barrel against her chest she stopped short. She had something to say.

"It is as you say, you never asked to be. However you are a clear danger to at least one person. Just one is reason enough. But…"

She frowned, a bit beyond her usual severe look. "I do not think this is a problem anyone can solve for that person. If we do this, what's to stop another from taking your place? Another who never asked to be?"

Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
The One True Nobody
Member Avatar
"...does this clockwork hand follow you... or guide you?"
When Officer Yamada burst through the Mudoon cloud and into view, Reverse Nevan of course swerved to intercept--but Shane swerved to intercept her. His finger snapped, his entire body discolored, his perceptions sped up.

A purple bolt of Zionga struck out, but Shane moved before the Persona could aim. The bolt blasted one of the busted computers that had been shoved to the side of the room, blowing it apart, sending shrapnel and sparks flying about, setting the ruined thing aflame, but it was too far from anything to do more than sit there and burn up.

As Maki shoved the barrel of her gun up to the Shadow's torso, Shane shoved the butt of his gun into Reverse Nevan's face. The Leanashe's last act before flickering out was to cover its forehead. The Shadow let out a grunt and slumped down, her hand pulling down the door's handle with the weight of the fall.

The door swung open, but the Shadow, dazed, could make no immediate move to open it full, much less escape. She just hung their off the door handle, unfocused eyes glaring hate up at Maki, hate and fear.

"Careful," Shane said lazily, swinging his sword up onto his should. "Right. I'll be careful. Finish it off and let's be done with it, then." That stupid green-haired hick isn't gonna be happy when I tell her what happened here...

"A danger," Shadow Kyo said sarcastically, clearly still trying to regain focus. Damn it. She couldn't use Armored Form now! Her other self was going to be coming later that very same night. That couldn't be put off for a whole week, no way, no chance, couldn't be--it had to be settled, had to be, had to be settled right now--"Everything in here is a danger. The only harm I've ever done to that 'one person' involved you barreling in and taking away all the silly little girls' silly little guns. If her and me ever run into each other--it'll be--"

The Shadow wheezed, putting a hand on her chest, pushing her feet against the floor as if trying to assert some steady footing beneath herself. Her shoe slid along the floor, failing to achieve any purchase at all.

"--her choice to stop hiding and look herself in the eye," it said in a rising snarl. "The rest of you, even if I gave a damn--which I don't--I wouldn't have to lift a finger. You can all just run around like headless chickens screwing yourselves over with your justice crusades and your murder dramas and your stupid fucking yandere stalkers and gang wars and mad science and post-traumatic stress freakouts--"

Scarlett laughed a humorless, breathless laugh.

"You're more dangerous to her than I am, you know that? Things keep going the way you're headed, it's going to be my other face looking up at you from the end of this gun someday..." She laughed again. "Justice must be served, even when there's no utility or point to it... 'everyone hates a cop until they need one,' right? Well no shit. When I don't actually need them they're--" (Another cough.) "Stepping on my head and trying to hunt down my friends or harassing my boyfriend because he 'looks like trouble.' You..."

She coughed again.

"...the worst part about you..." said the Shadow derisively, "is that you all expect us to trust you and work with you in spite of all that. Like it's a given, just because you're officially the good guys and there's a 'social contract.' Get over yourselves... actually do something worth a damn first. Everyone else needs to earn it--I needed to earn it--I worked my ass off to earn it..."

Shadow Kyo's red eyes narrowed still further, her lips parted in a snarl.

"And do you know how I earned it, Officer?" she said, her tone sarcastic and condescending. "For starters... I listened."
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
ZetaBoards - Free Forum Hosting
Create your own social network with a free forum.
Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · Mysterious Ruins · Next Topic »
Add Reply
  • Pages:
  • 1
  • 2