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Post by Lord Zasham on Jun 19, 2014 23:12:03 GMT -5
Their even matched power was evident when the android parried his blow, as Tycho did in return. This happened several times in fact, each strike meeting its match. Deciding to use his size to his advantage, the Kinigo pushed forward as he struck. Stepping backwards, they continued their tradeoff as the robot backed to the edge. Swinging for the ending blow, as he did with every practiced strike, the Lieutenant was dismayed by the machine’s voluntary fall as his blade swooped dangerously overhead.
Stepping to the edge without hesitation, the warrior peered down as Man began his descent. The Kinigo was not quite sure of his intent, knowing that androids did not simply flee, especially when there was nowhere to run. Either way his orders were clear and Tycho quickly followed suit digging his massive heels into the cavern walls as he propelled himself onward. Regardless of its plans, his heading was the city and the Lieutenant had an obligation to his people.
At the bottom of the tunnel there was more empty cavern space however the city was not far away; one could see it’s light upon against exiting the vertical drop some ways ahead. Having a start, and an even speed, the warrior found it difficult to get close enough to the android to attack. He cursed his equipment for malfunctioning, knowing he could attack if only his cannon was operational. Thinking of the civilians in the city not far beyond made him angry; the Church’s androids had already done so much to his people. It had left a sour taste in all Kinigo mouths for robots.
As if reacting to his emotion and need, the cannon came alive, lights illuminating an abnormal red. His suit came alive, and the HUD appeared within his bio-mask. It displayed his wellbeing, distances, everything and anything within its routine, as well as reacting to his thoughts. However, the scouting, communication, and alternate vision systems were still down. The mark on the screen displaying the shoulder cannon’s aim was a welcomed sight.
Without a second thought Tycho began firing perfectly circular crimson beams from the weapon; as they rained down upon the android they would to it appear as orbs. While he fired one directly at his target, he shot several beams to its left or right in case it tempted to dodge, following it movements with each discharge. Then he turned the beam on the distance of rock both ahead of the robot and between it and him. The resulting explosions would create a plummeting field of jagged debris, consisting from stone to massive boulders several times the size of either being.
Leaping to the first the Kinigo warrior would then shoot itself off from one huge rock to another, always with an eye on his prey as the cannon would fire off whenever even a momentary opening presented itself. Deathly intent on following the Great Hunter’s orders, and preserving the safety of his kind, drove him onward with animal like speed and agility.
Unknown to Lt. Tycho, and even William until just before the mission, the being which had assimilated both creatures while remaining unseen, the abomination Zasham, was a special Majin. He was a technarcana; a twisted combination of magic and science. A magical marvel of technology; all the personalities of the body were only beginning to comprehend the abilities this afforded. One was the absorption and subsequent assimilation of technology. While it had taken a little time, the Majin’s body was able to precisely replicate the advance machinery; though it was limited in this regard to some degrees.
~
Walking from one memory ‘bubble’ to another had basically given William a crash course on the current handler of his body. It was a hard life but it was filled with honor and duty. Moving like a specter from one realm to another he could not help but feel sad for the warrior who had attacked him; instigating this whole debacle. Watching firsthand the moments which defined Tycho’ life, and the subjugation of his proud people by the malicious Church, made Willie empathize with his assailant.
An overwhelming feeling overcame the boy as the memories suddenly vanished into nothing. An intense clarity followed, and looking forward the boy saw through the eyes of his captor. They took the form of large portals through which there was no passage. Behind him the human heard a footstep, swinging on his heel he came face to face with none other than the Lieutenant himself; or rather a mental aspect of him.
“You’re invasion into my mind is an unforgivable act William of the Watson.”
The near mute spoke coldly in his own delusion. How could Willie explain that Tycho was the intruder? He could not, he reasoned. Having been through the assimilation himself Watson understood that the Kinigo believed himself to be the sole possessor of the mind and body; as if was still simply himself. It was hard truth to expect that who you were was gone, absorbed, broken down, and analyzed on a subatomic level. Your entire being transformed into information, any piece which the body could summon at a moment’s notice; if the one in control could access this ability, or even knew it existed.
Then two horrifyingly shaped, and sharp, blades protruded from his gauntlets in a dual terrifying motion. William instinctively jumped a bit at the sound of their sudden arrival to the scene, reflexively muttering in reaction.
“Oh fuck me.”
A lifetime of being admonished for cursing by his parents caused him to instinctively tighten his lips and clench his jaw, “if only I was just going to be yelled at for swearing,” he thought.
PL LOCKS Banduk: PL: 32,584 / Warrior: 97,752 Conri: PL: 89,120 / Frenzy: 178,240 / Oozaru: 445,600 Frigid: PL: 28,155 / Brute: 140,775 Man: PL: 29,487 / Override 58,974 kuro: PL: 42,913 / Adrenaline Rush: 85,826 Zasham: PL: 25,839 / Pure: 51,678
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Post by Man on Jun 27, 2014 14:57:04 GMT -5
Running down the slope of the tunnel, the city's view was just overhead as they raced down the skyline and the lights glimmered ever closer. Zero peered behind him to confirm the Kinigo had been following him as anticipated. Truth was, his actions were very risky. If the Kinigo had not been so determined to follow through with his master's orders he might have done a most conscientious action and attack Kurosanai in order to disrupt his flow of ki. However, that was not the case and he had left his master alone with two very capable warriors; an Icejin with a powerlevel high enough to rival his, and a human who -although significantly weaker, he was stronger than Zero and he had been charging his attack for a considerable amount of time now. All Zero had to worry about was taking care of the lackey while Conri and the others dealt with their part.
Suddenly,a mechanical hud forms over the Kinigo just after his scouter started blaring off. Three consecutive beeping sounds warning him about the change in his power-level's flow, it seemed Mr. Watson was not able to weaken the Kinigo as much as he had thought. A barrage of crimson orbs spew out of the assembled weapon, Zero's mind races, analyzing ways of getting out of his predicament. There were too many orbs and he could only go left and right, jumping would detach himself from the solid surface and make him susceptible to further assaults. The android could not fly like the others, so free falling was usually not the best idea. On the other hand, Zero turned and allowed himself to be taken by the gravity anyway; falling with his back to the ground, the android summoned his saber to deflect all the orbs coming his way.
The spheres, both the ones deflected and the ones firing from the Kinigo's armory pelt against the ground and brought forth large boulders. Zero saw the boulders as stepping stones to save him from his inability to fly. The android promptly embedded his blade into the hard and rocky wall he had been previously running on to stop his fall and re-attach himself back to hard surface. Once he managed to stop, he used the surface to propel himself off the wall and onto one of the boulders, evading one of the Kinigo's spheres by the skin of his teeth. The barrage did not end there as multiple spheres leaked in-between boulders. He observed the warrior jumping from one stone to the next high above. Zero countered by simply jumping under one of the boulders above him. His body was now completely covered by the boulder's mass, and -as gravity would dictate, his body remained attached as if he were lying on the floor. Explosions all over the place and land was still a ways to go. Zero would use this aerial battlefield to his advantage and fight between the falling rocks to best his opponent.
Zero peers out the side of the boulder to spot his opponent and shoots with pistol. Compact energy bullets travel upwards, breaking apart any boulders that come in its way. The Kinigo would have to react faster than Zero because -although it would seem as though Zero's attacks were faster, it moved at a relatively equal speed but arrived to its destination faster because of the falling bodies above him. While the Kinigo shot towards the ground, Zero was traveling downwards along with the boulders, so the amount of time it would take for the bullet to reach the android would be relatively slow. However, because the Kinigo was also traveling towards the ground, he was essentially moving towards Zero's energy bullets which were fired upwards; therefore, the reaction time required for latter was considerably shorter than the former. The closer to the ground Zero was, the higher his advantage.
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Post by Lord Zasham on Jul 8, 2014 0:24:30 GMT -5
The crimson beams fired in rapid succession, following by the exploding of rock. Then it fell relatively silent as the Kinigo and his systems had lost track of their target. Still continuing his descent through the rockslide, firing himself downwards from boulder to boulder, a concentrated ball of ki emerged from the rock which Tycho was latched.
Though missing him, the hole created by the bullet, and its impact sent a spider webbing of cracks throughout the rock; resulting in its explosion. Leaping to another falling stone in the last moment, he spent not time before moving on, the energy bullet dispatching each rock he left. Realizing he needed to close the distance before he was picked apart, he grabbed firm upon the latest boulder, his momentum turning it until he faced directly down.
A mere moment before this too explodes in a cloud of debris, the Lieutenant kicked off with all his might. The cannon inverted and angled itself to become a jetpack of sorts as a continues crimson beam sprang forth from the weapon, propelling him down through the falling rocks and rising bullets. Closing his arms against his side, he positioned his body to make it more aerodynamic. Only a few shots reached him before he hit the android’s blind spot by coming close to its hiding place.
It was not without sacrifice as the last singed past him, leaving twin streaks of charred skin and metal up his body. As he would crest over the rock he would immediately turn to the origin of the shots while pulling free two discs located the plating above his knees. Pressing the center sprung them open revealing four long razor sharp blades protruding at equal junctures across the discs. Tycho launched both at the android resting at the boulder’s bottom.
While the cannon returned to its original position, the Kinigo opened up to catch the air until he too had his feet upon the rock. Upside down and on the bottom of the boulder plummeting down a massive chasm, he would attempt to engage the newcomer to his planet in hand to hand combat, once more revealing the long blades which protruded from each gauntlet as he swung. Weary of the android’s energy blade, he aimed to incapacitate the being however necessary.
He did not want to kill him and his orders had not specified such; though he was deeply concerned with stopping this battle before it reached the city’s doorsteps.
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Post by Man on Jul 8, 2014 13:34:04 GMT -5
Zero's energy bullets rocket through the air, breaking apart any boulder the Kinigo warrior used as a stepping stone. The lieutenant must have been so bent over keeping the android away from the city, he thought crumbling the cavern walls into segregated boulders would make a nice stage for their battle. Unfortunately for him, as long as Zero stayed on the falling side, the stage benefit him the most. Debris crest over above, although it did not last long before the mechanized being purged through it as they were both falling at very high speeds. Cascading down with a torrent of crimson energy beaming from a cannon, the Kinigo accelerated his descent. There was only so much the android could see with his eyes, the Kinigo might have thought the back of the boulder to be the android's blindspot, but the android had none. Zero's built-in scouter allowed him to calculate and monitor the coordinate location of any object emitting energy; although he could not see the Kinigo, he could see the numbers and figures telling him the Kinigo was behind him and over the boulder. Then, suddenly, veering past him, Tycho released twin disks with razor sharp fangs spinning rapidly to approach him. There weren't many places to go and he could not block both of them without breaking the only surface they had left. The android arched his legs and pushed himself off the boulder. The disks collided below him and deflected each other off. Promptly after, the Kinigo warrior turns over the rock and stands with his bladed gauntlets ready to fight. Zero spreads his arms with palms open to catch the air and decelerate his fall enough to bring him back to the boulder's surface.
Standing upside down and falling to their doom with no other place to go, the warriors faced each other off from their respective corners. Tycho and Model Zero were quite similar. They were simply cogs cranking in the works of time, following orders from their masters. Perhaps the lieutenant held much deeper meaning behind the strokes of his blades, more determination and reason for fighting the way he does; in contrast, Zero was just a drone who followed orders blindly like religion. He was not fighting for the greater good, he was not fighting for the safety of his comrades, he had no great ideology to be discussed and compared with by his opponent. He just was and fought because it is what was needed to be done in order to fulfill their mission. At the end of the day he would find himself back in an empty, small white room, staring at the blank wall until his next mission was issued by the speaker in his room. Unlike the Kinigo, who had experienced through many struggles in his life and endured pain, the android had no past to fall back on. His past ended the moment he awoke in the scientist's laboratory for the first time without conscious of his own being. In that moment he was told who he was, is and was going to be until the universe collapses into itself and swallows them whole.
Who are you...? the voice emerged from the darkness of the android's consciousness. He hesitated to answer, then the voice spoke once again. "Do you not remember?"
I'm... he pondered deeply, trying to remember the words which got lost in space during his envoy to Omega. He could feel it calling him in the distance, like a dream... or a far-off memory... he couldn't tell which of the two was real or which was fake, but the only words which managed to escape his lips were the uttering of a whisper he heard over and over again as he attempted recollect the pieces and line them up together. He tried to make up the sound with his lips but in the end discovered a word he knew not what it meant.
I'm Man... he finally stated, but the voice mocked him and laughed.
"No you're not," he said, denying him of his identity. The truth was, he did not know who he was, but it seemed as though the voice did. What did the voice know about him that he did not of himself? What could the voice reveal? And at last, he responded, "you're a machine, you could never be a man.
A... machine?
Another word he could not comprehend, but who was he to question the voice? He seemed like he knew what he was talking about. This was no reason to doubt his words for he had no reasons to trick the android. For what purpose would you lie about one's identity?
"Yes; you're just an imitation of man, you have no heart or soul, you're not a living being. You were created to serve the living -to serve me, to be precise. Your name is Android #0, code name Model Zero. I am your master."
The voice continued endlessly preaching and identifying who Zero was while all he continued to ponder a single question which would haunt him throughout his entire operative cycle. What defines a machine and a man? Do they not both think? Do they not both perceive and form opinions? Do they not both occupy the same planet? Universe? Plane of existence?
What does it mean, to live...?
Later, he learned the meaning of his name. Zero, the first number and the last, sitting at the center of the coordinate plane it stands for nothing. Emptiness. It can never hope to be anything other than itself while others transform into greater beings. Unlike number one, which can become anything it wants, a number that is always growing; anything multiplied by zero is still zero no matter what number it is. Dividing zero from itself and others is still zero and dividing a number by zero is undefined. Even negative numbers become positive if multiplied by another negative, and imaginary numbers become real after the fourth power. On the other hand, time stands still for zero. Zero never changes, never advances, it is a stagnant and unchanging number -if it can even be called a number.
Zero stood before the Kinigo with his blade arched and ready for battle. His master's words echoed throughout his mind as if Ivan's spirit was standing right next to him, whispering in his ears, brainwashing him, "you are a weapon, a machine with no soul, you never tire, your only purpose is to serve me..."
The android gripped the handle of his blade tighter, his resolve to complete his mission and return home evident in his cold stare. In any other occasion he might have offered a final chance for the adversary to withdraw and save him from blood shed, but he knew it was only a waste of time, the Kinigo would not back down so long as his orders were still in effect. Zero lunges forward and strikes.
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Post by Lord Zasham on Jul 14, 2014 23:31:52 GMT -5
As Tycho’s circular tri-blade throwing weapons reached their target Man pushed off the rock in the nick of the time; leaving the common Kinigo weaponry to collide, resulting in their mutual destruction. In a manner similar to the subterranean warrior, the android found purchase upon the rock just as the Lieutenant did. Truthfully, he had never expected the archaic weapons to do any damage. They served their purpose as a momentary distraction as he got within arms’ reach of the android.
That was when he noticed something strange in Man’s facial features. It was brief; one might mistake it for a twitch. However Tycho was well trained in robotic warfare and knew full well that android’s did not move without calculated precision. Yet what could only be interpreted as a perturbed look crossed its mechanical features for a fleeting moment. Once his feet touched solid rock, the Lieutenant lunged forward as he had intended, curved blades jutting from his gauntlets.
The glimmer of will dissipated beneath programming as Man instinctively did the same; his deadly saber in tow. In a flashback to the events preceding their descent, the two matched up evenly in a flurry of slashes and parries. Though this time they were inverted and hurtling towards a tremendously painful end, along with a small mountain of rubble in which to entomb them. While the robot had a single blade, the Kinigo bolstered two, an advantage he pressed alongside his size in an attempt to overwhelm and disarm the combatant.
The burning left from the bullet’s streak drove him on, the pain fueling his onslaught. Careful to keep his mind clear however, he steadied his every thought upon the battle at hand, fully aware that the android was doing the same. His cannon was primed and ready to fire at a moment’s notice; at point blank range should the need arise. Though it could cause considerable damage to its target, it would also cause immense backlash on Tycho’s part. However he was willing to undergo any pain to see the Hunter’s decree fulfilled.
If only his sensors were functional, he may be able to see how his commander fared.
~
“Holy hell!”
William said as he dove to the side, narrowly dodging the blades of his pursuer as they entered the rock behind him. Rolling to his feet he opened his hand, summoning his energy into the form of dense crimson rings. Pulling free from the rock Tycho spun about with a mighty backhanded slash which Willie narrowly parried with one of his chakrams.
“Tycho, listen to me! This is not your body!”
The cannon resting upon his shoulder took aim and fired three blue orbs teeming with electricity; the true form of the weapon’s attack. Throwing a ring into the air, he turned the other parallel with his body and held either side with each hand. The orbs entered the eerie distortion at the chakram’s core, before reappearing out of the other ring, which had circled behind Tycho. Completely unaware of their ability, the two of the three orbs struck the Kinigo, while the third exploded into the dirt.
“AAARRGH! LIAR!”
The mighty creature dropped to a knee as it howled; obviously not keen on listening. William did not know how to explain it all to the majin’s new inhabitant. He barely understood any of it himself. As he stood Tycho roared before pulling free two tri-blade circular objects which he threw at Willie with lightning speed. Turning to move he was nowhere near fast enough, as the blade caught him below his left knee and above his right shoulder.
While not fatal blows, the gashes were deep enough to provide a steady flow of blood. The boy did all he could to remember that they were not technically real, in the physical sense. They were manifestations of their respective personalities, residing within their killer and, essentially, captor. But how could Willie explain that to an alien warrior? Advance technology was their niche but this was something far different. Magic is something few understand and no one could fully comprehend as its potential was boundless.
“C’mon man, cut me some slack… I’m just a glorified delivery boy!”
Tycho would have none of it, pulling an extendable spear from his seemingly endless bag of tricks. With a click it sprang open, complete with added spikes, for good measure of course, before throwing it. Jumping up quickly, proving painful for his left leg, the spear passed under and into a metal wall. The rocks of Belegost’s surface had transformed to one of its subterranean cities instantaneously.
“Experience the depths of Kinigon wrath, invader; and embrace death.”
With a gulp the boy landed on his right foot, his left collapsing slightly under his weight. The second chakram returned to his other hand and he let out a well-deserved sigh.
“Yeaah… Is there an option C?”
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Post by Man on Jul 16, 2014 16:10:14 GMT -5
After a brief moment of silence and carefully observation, the two warrior's pit their blades against each other in an effort to subdue the opponent. Model Zero, although experienced with the art of sword play, he was fighting a foe who wielded two swords. However, the android made up for the disadvantage with his slim body and speed. Although the Kinigo was formidable with a blade, and his body was considerably larger than Zero; he could not move as swiftly as Zero, whom was considerably smaller, slimmer, compact. The kinigo attacked twice, Zero countered and dodged. Blow for blow they fend the other off with all their might. Zero ducks under the warrior's thrust and slashes across but his blade is readily intercepted by the other. The ballad was continuous and repetitive, either foe neutralizing the other's attacks while attempting something slightly different to catch them off guard. The first to mess up would lose, and as of now they were both fighting to perfection. They were both aided by technology, a part of them which functioned systematically like machines and so, error was a very low possibility. However, the kinigo was already wounded and that wound would eat away at his strength no matter how resilient he may be. The fight had turned into one of attrition; gradual degrading of either forces effectiveness until the other -which otherwise is just as strong- is able to overwhelm the staggered counterpart.
"...!"
"You're gonna be late for school!"
What...?
The man shifts in his bed, moaning begrudgingly at the sound of his mother calling him from downstairs. Turning on his back, his eyes rest on the blank ceiling as if contemplating reasons urgent enough to get him off his bed. Realizing who the person is, Zero's eyes widen. That's...! He glanced at the calendar beside him, and his eyes slowly enlarge as he realized what day it was. Quickly, he jumped out of bed and stopped half-way down the stairs to see his mother go. The woman sensed his presence and turned at the door to see him.
!? Isn't that...
The woman smiled warmly and pointed at the extra limb. He nodded. Promptly after rising back up the stirs he disposed of the tail in the trash bin and flew out the window with his sword stowed away at its scabbard.
Oh, so you're here.
What? You again? The android was surprised to hear the man's voice again, much less witness images of what he could only guess was his life. They felt oddly familiar, as if he had seen them before. This conversation too, it felt so eerily familiar.
Yes, it seems our connection is growing stronger.
-Nevermind that, who are you, and what did you mean by 'it's too early', and what is this?
Hehehe, you have a lot of questions for an android, say... weren't you fighting someone?
...Huh?
Zero staggered back. The kinigo's last attack put him off balance, but he was able to save face in at the last minute and recover the ground which was lost. He had been out of focused for a brief moment, which gave the kinigo the upper hand, but they were so identical in power and skill it was mind-boggling. Although he was present in the fight, his mind was still lurking in the thoughts of his previous conversation.
These are my memories. Your memories. Before you became an android.
My... memories...
You know... I'd kill to see my mother's face one more time. I never knew -that from that day on- my monotonous life would change, forever. Soon after I had left, my mother's life would be taken by the hand of another, and during my quest for vengeance, my home would be vanquished all the same...
Why am I seeing this now?
Who knows? Maybe it had to do with the electromagnetic wave, or perhaps it just needed time to kick in... Wait. Didn't I tell you all this before?
What?
Zero stared deftly into the eyes of his foe. What did he mean? As far as he remembered, he was never shown these images before. He had never spoken to this being in his life. He had never received a glimpse of who he might have been before everything of anything happened. The kinigo was starting to overwhelm him; who wouldn't, when one's brain was so scattered as his. There were so many things, so many questions and he did not know where to start. All of his common sense degraded to the fruitless effort of just trying to think of everything at once, because he did not know which door to open first. He did not know which door contained what he wanted, so instead of focusing on one he divided his efforts into running towards all of them. However, that is impossible to do unless one could divide themselves, otherwise that just had him running in circles.
At the corner of his eye, Model Zero had the display of his built-in scouter which kept up-to-date information on everyone within the vicinity. Conri Lane and Sebastian were still fighting with all their might, but the others... the leader of the Kinigos, Arpatiko, his energy signature was no where to be found. Zero found this as a perfect way to manipulate his opponents feelings and have him lose focus. "Hmm..." he started. The android ducked under Tycho's slash and intercepted the second with his saber. The blades sparked and hissed as they grind each other apart. "That's weird, I can't read your master's energy signature. Lieutenant Tycho, you are fighting a losing battle. I'm afraid Arpatiko, has fallen."
Hoping the news would shock the warrior gilded in technology, Zero lunges forward with hopes of doing a little more than just scathe his opponent.
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Post by Lord Zasham on Jul 22, 2014 1:40:15 GMT -5
Pitted in inverted combat at the base of an enormous boulder, the two warriors were evenly matched though the burns began to eat at the edge of Tycho’s mind. Then once more the android’s face revealed a momentary lapse that the Kinigo immediately took advantage of, stepping forward for a blow when the android sidestepped and pressed forward again. Yet another example of the expert fighter’s equal skills; Man was a being of calculated precision and, lacking a will, was quite possibly a great weapon with ever increasing potential.
Lieutenant Tycho was a warrior dedicated to his people and his leader, trained since birth to hunt and capture; or kill, specifically androids. His loyal was absolute, explaining his reaction to Man’s statement.
“Hmm... That's weird; I can't read your master's energy signature. Lieutenant Tycho, you are fighting a losing battle. I'm afraid Arpatiko, has fallen."
The kinigo gritted his teeth behind his bio-mask; unable to sense the powers above. Some damage had befallen his gear during his scuffle with the human William Watson. Though power had returned to his gear, communication, readings, and alternate view modes were still all offline. Without his readings he was blind, unlike the android which undoubtedly had a built-in scouting system, making his susceptible to deception. He however refused to believe the Great Hunter could have fallen to the pathetic human and ice demon.
“LIES! Lord Arpatiko cannot fall!”
Unable to imagine the fall of his leader and savior, the warrior fell into the android’s mind game. Victim to its trap it struck swiftly, lunging at the larger opponent. Fueled with rage at the robots insolence, the Lieutenant allowed the robot onward. As the blade entered his body the Kinigo grabbed the metallic warrior’s wrist, pulling him off balance as Tycho guided the blow. Simultaneously he thrust his right arm, the blade entering robots chest; an eye for an eye.
Familiar with his people’s atom he would force the energy blade through his own abdomen in a way which ultimately prove non-fatal and holding his hand there with all his might. One foot was a step back, as he was ready to pull himself free of the blade piercing his body at any moment. If Man outmaneuvered the bladed arm Tycho would change tactic, pulling the blade in just clear of his side as he sidestep the lunging machine and reset the board so to speak.
Either way it would all change when the meeting of two beams of energy resulted in an explosion exceeding 1.2 million, a force that shuttered the tunnel. Giant rocks rained down, far surpassing the ones the Lieutenant created moments earlier. The sheer concussive power from the blast would resonant deep into the descent, shattering every stone in its wake.
Engulfing the massive boulder on which they battled, the two combatants would find themselves surrounded in a white light; and know only pain.
~
Watson spit blood onto the tunnel floor. Looking up he could see Tycho and Man fighting. Truly amazing what a mind was capable of as the battleground had again shifted to a distant view of the actually occurring battle, but then being a creation of magic and technology played a helping hand. Less amazing was the Kinigo warrior standing above him; a dead ringer for the one hurtling to his doom. His blades had been shattered by the chakram’s blunt force and his cannon removed from its mount.
He now gripped it in his might hands like a gun and held it at William’s head, while his reptilian armor clad foot rested upon his throat. The human had had no luck talking to the alien warrior, and fighting really was not cutting it either. Sure he had trained with Vespasian, but he was still a novice. Tycho was a warrior from birth and he was always the fight to kill kind. Willie was against killing; though death tend to follow him everywhere.
“You will die now, for your lies and the lies of your comrade!”
The cannon began to charge, a blue glow teaming throughout. It was no longer set to stun mode, currents would course through his body until death; though this was entirely subjected to the fact that it was occurring within the mind of deranged lab grown majin that was still a mere infant. Nevertheless Willie felt fear, both for his body in its battle against the deadly android, and his conscience in its last stand against the Kinigo newcomer.
But then a white light appeared in the distance of the tunnel, enveloping Man and Tycho. In a mere instance it came upong the mental projections too, and William’s justified fear multiplied. For a brief, fleeting moment, a hushed calm would wash over the chaos.
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Post by Man on Jul 26, 2014 21:31:42 GMT -5
“LIES! Lord Arpatiko cannot fall!” Tycho proclaimed through the muffled device where his mouth would have been thought to be. However, Zero was not lying. His comrades power-levels were stilling displayed over the screen of his scouter, but Arpatiko's was no where to be found. It was a shame really, there was no need for such a meaningless battle. He had understood their relation to this Church they spoke of although his teammates did not, and he knew that once Conri Lane defeated the devious Sebastian, the Kinigos would no longer be inclined to fight them. Kurosanai insisted with his grandeur speech of friendship that was still lost on the android, but what convinced him were two very real facts; the saiyan was not guaranteed to win, and he could not do this mission on his own. Arpatiko, unfortunately, stood in the way of their mission and so it was inevitable that he would perish by their hands. He hoped the dreadful news would discourage the lieutenant and make him realize that any further fighting was futile. Even if he were to defeat the android, he would still have to face Kurosanai and Frigid. However, it seemed Tycho's equipment had withheld more damage than anticipated. He was blind and unable to see that the android's words were more than just a snide taunt to make him lose his guard.
The loyal warrior did not falter in his determination to take down Zero in the name of his lord, the android understood this dedication to one's master, but it would not change the result of this fight. Model Zero, taking advantage of the Kinigo's momentary loss of focus, lunged forward with his energy blade arched at the large man's stomach. The kinigo simply stood there and allowed his approach, not even attempting to evade. That's when his hand reached for Zero's wrist and pulled on him. Zero lost his footing and felt his body jerk slightly towards the left. He would have fought it, knowing what was coming, but the heavy weights fastened to his limbs restricted his motion and deemed him helpless in relation to the sword going his way. Although the Kinigo aimed a little higher, his sword slid down the android's red jacket and pierced through his midsection just as Zero's saber went through his. Electrical currents spur from his wound and spark menacingly. The android was immobilized by the foe's troublesome blade which perturbed his body.
"Foolish," the android uttered lowly as they were now within talking distance. The Kinigo was a reckless warrior; sacrificing his own health in order to ensure one on Zero. What he seemed to have forgotten is that Zero was an android, and he was just a biological being hiding behind machines. Zero's performance would probably dwindle slightly from the injury inflicted upon his stomach, but he would not die from it. Model Zero's saber was touching flesh, Tycho's flesh, and he was sure it hurt just as much as it did for any other being he has met. Zero had only faced one opponent who was as foolhardy as the Kinigo and that was Wrath, Lord Prometheus Zex's guardian brother. The android thought back to the beasts mindless onslaught, how he took on his blade without a care for the wounds inflicted upon him; how he took on his own Dead Sun attack, how the skin and muscles of his arm were peeled off by the incinerating properties of his own attack. On the other hand, Wrath had the bizarre ability to regenerate and heal his wounds completely in less than a minute. As far as he was concerned, Tycho had no such ability.
The two warriors faced each other silently. Then, suddenly, Zero's scouter went off and two power-levels just over 600 thousand spiked on his meter. It was coming from Conri and Sebastian's direction, as the two combatants held their winds and unleashed their charged attacks against each other. They were too far away to actually sustain any direct damage, but the underground settlement roared and vibrated from the shock wave emanating from the colliding forces. The air was muffled with the raging sound of their blasts, Zero could not see for his back was turned and his eyes focused on Tycho's every movement, but as they clutched their blades and tightened their grips for reassurance, he could see the effects caused by that gargantuan explosion. Boulders even larger than the ones the Kinigo had created earlier were cast from the vertical wall adjacent to them and began to descend over them. The ground was growing ever closer and they were both locked into each other's blades.
Soon they were engulfed in a bright light that made it impossible to see anything. They were so far away, yet his armor creaked at the intensely dull heat it was sustaining from Conri and Sebastian's attack. Despite all the factors playing into their battle, the android continued his attempt to subdue the enemy. In the moment, it mattered not that they would soon be crushed by dozens of newly carved boulders as they fell closer to the ground, or that their vision was complete disabled by the blinding light that preceded them. What mattered was that Zero had the chance to use an a technique he might never get to use again throughout the duration of their fight. Zero reached out with his free hand and latched onto Tycho's arm -the one holding the blade in Zero's chest- to ensure that he would not try to move away from him. The android preferred him close and pulled on his wrist to force the blade deeper through his midsection and the Kinigo's body closer to him.
Then, the android's emerald crystal, engraved on his forehead, began to glimmer a surprisingly teal glow. Tycho would begin to feel the drain almost instantly as the energy was sucked and absorbed straight from him body. Ivan installed an absorption device into the androids forehead and the few times he had the chance to use them, they worked magnificently. All that was required was to hold the victim steady at close range and the energy particles would begin to seep in through the crystal on his head. The Kinigo would begin to feel weaker, and short of breath. Soon after he would slowly lose the strength and will to continue fighting.
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Post by Lord Zasham on Jul 30, 2014 0:49:47 GMT -5
The situation only grew more dire for the Kinigo warrior as it progressed. The machine’s words may have simply been lies used to gain an emotional advantage, as they themselves lacked any true emotion, but the following explosion overhead made Tycho face the potential truth. The Great Hunter could have fallen…
“Foolish…”
The insolent machine remarked, but the Kinigo in turn remained silent behind the stoic bio-mask. His grim task had become clear. His sacrificial move had served its intended purpose. Two warriors clad in metal held each at breath’s length in a dangerous game; their respective blades buried in the midsection of the other.
The burn of the energy saber against his flesh fueled his conviction. The loss of his mentor and the subsequent realization of his task numbed him to the searing pain. Meanwhile Man’s abdomen spit sparks where the Kinigo blade rested, while luminescent phosphor green blood trickled beneath his battle worn armor. If his master had made his final stand then he too would follow. The android’s grip had tightened around the bladed gauntlet, as the center of his forehead began to glow.
Kinigos were familiar with absorption technology, an ability exclusive to the robots. Tycho however had only ever seen the technique in the form of red crystals installed in the palms of their hands, and had never experienced its effects first hand. He felt the drain first before his sensors began to go off; it was a slow trickle but threatened to become damning. The android was resourceful as the lieutenant had not expected such an attack.
However it mattered not to his overall object. Looking down he saw there was little time left; soon the rocks would envelop them both. His plan fell in place at an increasing speed. The cannon atop his shoulder had been primed for some time, always maintaining a lock on the android’s chest. Moments after the eerie teal glow began the advanced weapon would unload a constant stream of crimson energy.
“Burn...”
He whispered to the robot as the red beam would strike between the two. Both combatants’ hands were occupied in a deadly grapple, a contest racing to an abrupt finish. The close range beam would do considerable damage though the resulting explosion would be considerable worse; for both warriors. Such an end seemed a sad injustice, as they were both victims truly; Man, a skilled adversary in his own right, was but the mere puppet of a scientist. Tycho, his people, and… Arpatiko… They were all slaves to the Church of One.
And so the Lieutenant’s final plan came to fruition. He wished to melt the machine to slag beneath the might of his cannon, using every ounce of energy within him. But the explosion would envelop them both, moments before the boulders would bury them both in a mountain of debris. The warrior did not expect to live; rather to die gloriously and earn a place amongst the exulted walls of his ancestors.
Tycho considered falling in battle against this warrior to be an admirable death. He hoped that they would agree.
~
The blinding flash of the enormous explosion engulfed the two beings, just as the Kinigo was poised to end the struggle. Tycho believed the body to be his own and that William was an intruder into his mind. Willie on the other hand knew the truth, that they were both just prisoners here, captives of chaos incarnate.
In the hushed calm that followed the white out, the human summoned his chakrams to his hands once more. With one sudden motion he clipped the back of the Kinigo’s leg that was not pressed against his throat while simultaneously striking the gun from Tycho’s hand. The hand cannon fell along with its owner.
Ever the impressive warrior the Lieutenant caught himself and rolled back to his feet almost instantly, only to come face to face with his own gun. William too as on his feet, gun held awkwardly in his smaller hand, while a chakram pulsed with crimson ki in the grasp of the other. Whether or not it was a mental battle, it hurt all the same; one eye was blackened, his lip split, and blood slowly loosened from the corner of his lips. He did not want to fight anymore; he sensed the looming madness only grew stronger amongst the discontent.
“Just listen Tycho, please; I am not your enemy.”
Making a noise, which Willie took as the equivalent of a snort, the Kinigo lunged forward, intent on wrangling the gun away from the boy. Instinctively William shot twice, a gelatinous blue orb teaming with static struck Tycho’s right shoulder and left side of his abdomen, before he fell backwards a victim of his own technology.
“This isn’t your body; hell it’s not even mine! We’re just prisoners of an insane warden bent on absolute destruction. Can’t you see? You and I are gone, we are nothing but shadows now!”
It was hard hearing him say the words himself. Ever since he had met Gunny he had been digesting quite a lot. After all, how often are you told that you are now just a collection of data within the monstrous bastard of magic and science? Yet here he was, yelling these tightly held secrets at a being who was a victim no different than he. Without a doubt he was suffering from the same lack of understanding that William did following his unwitting assimilation.
However Tycho would not let himself fall for what he perceived to be mind games. Stubborn to the end he shot a foot up, kicking the gun clear from the boy’s hand before rolling onto the back of his neck and kick flipping into an upright position. William had underestimated how much his armor would absorb the shock; after all it was Kinigo technology. Dropping an enormous boot into the human’s stomach, William’s heels would drag about ten feet before screeching to a halt. The cannon would drop almost perfectly into the Lieutenant’s waiting hand.
“You are the shadow William of the Watson and I will cleanse you from my mind with my dying breath.”
The rocks and tunnels had faded away as the two opposing forces stood facing one another in a void of absolute white.
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Post by Man on Jul 30, 2014 23:32:24 GMT -5
Zero's hand was latched onto the Kinigo's gauntlet. The jewel on his forehead was glowing a teal hue, sucking energy particles from the other's very skin and absorbing it as an addition to his unlimited energy reserves. The pervasive light soon faded along with the distant thrum of two energy attacks colliding far from their reach. Chunks of rock and boulders larger than the ones Tycho had created earlier with his cannons were now cast above them, and the ground was growing closer with every second that passed. The two warriors were settled in each other's gaze, swords and claws in their guts as they held one another in a mutual grasp headed for damnation. Although Zero could not determine whether his attack were affecting the lieutenant through facial features alone, he knew he that despite his stoic and calmed expression, under that bio-mask, the Kinigo warrior felt his energy drain from his body slowly -but surely.
The extra energy extracted from the Kinigo was used as a surplus to momentarily enhance Zero's performance, but it's true purpose was to serve as detriment for his foe. The Kinigo would probably start feeling anorexic and inexplicably exhausted under that metal body armor. Every breath would become a chore as his mind starts to consider possibly just surrendering. He had seen it happen before during the technique's testing phases and again while implementing it on the field when on real missions. He would experience his victims submitting to his will, their arms which were previously struggling for their lives would promptly fall beside them. It was as if the technique was persuading them, brainwashing their minds and leading them through a thought process that impels them and makes them believe that giving up wouldn't be so bad -or their resolve was just not worth all the effort.
On the other hand, the Kinigo was not demonstrating any of the symptoms the android recognized to be the effect of his technique. Perhaps Tycho's grip loosened slightly, but he was not struggling to break free from the android's grip whatsoever. Then again, the Kinigo was a warrior clad in armor and aided by hi-tech devices. The technology bundled with his body probably made him more resistant to the detrimental affects infringed on his performance, prevailing where his biology could not. Regardless, nothing prepared him for what was coming next. Whether or not the Kinigo felt what Zero's previous victims felt, their locked positions would not be maintained for much longer as the warrior had been setting Zero up from the beginning so he could unleash a wave of energy from point blank. As calculated and cautious as Zero was, this was his first opponent to possess an ostensibly autonomous weapon over his shoulder. Such a device was easy to overlook, especially considering that it had been damaged beyond repair by Mr. Watson just moments ago. Once Ivan received the reports from his mission, as soon as he returns to the Omega Collective, it was almost certain that he would adapt some of the Kinigo's fighting concepts and install them onto Zero; such a weapon would come in handy. Tycho uttered a single word,
"Burn..."
Short, fast, and cold, the Kinigo warrior dismissed the android. Promptly after, a constant stream of crimson energy unloaded from the cannon that rested on Tycho's chest, which had been locked on Zero for some time now, and engulfed him whole. The energy wave was like a torrent of plasma rushing through him the way a rapid river would. Once again, his vision had been sabotaged by the intense concentration of light, sparks shot from his circuits as he stood suspended in the air; a whip-like flicker of electricity snapping at his eyes. Their deadly lock of blades and grapples lasted not a second more as the beam of energy ended in a gargantuan explosion of epic proportions that split them apart. He could hear nothing but the roar of the wave and then the guttural clamor as it detonated and cast an unstoppable and fierce gust of wind that pushed him away. It did not matter how hard either of them held onto each other, Zero lost his grip on the Kinigo and soon after descended towards his demise. The numerous boulders raining above them followed in the fall and enclosed them into a tight catacomb from which there would be no escape. Each colossal piece of rock pelt down over them like a cascade of meteors plummeting into the ground after years of traveling through the void of space and building up their speed and weight from the gravitational forces surrounding them.
Silence...
It seemed the battle was finally over and both warriors were nowhere to be seen. Buried under the tomb of rocks smashed against each other, it was not likely any of them would be walking out alive. The city border was only about three miles away now that they had finally reached the top and the glimmer of their street lamps looked like stars in the distance. There was no wind in the underground levels of Belegost, at least not while so far from the tunnels. It was dead silent and completely still. The only sound coming from a small piece of rubble rolling down the desecrated region of debris, just as a landslide would thrum over a mountainside and pull smaller ones along with it, creating a stream of fluid rocks traveling to the base of the peak. Who would have thought that their innocent mission to retrieve a lost crew from a distant planet would end in a battle to the death with the likes of these men and the Church of One.
"Are you dead?"
...
"I was never alive to begin with..."
"Don't say that..."
What happens now? Do I fade? Do I cease to exist? I guess... it'll end just as it began. Without a past. Without a future. A present forgotten.
...
"You need to stay alive! I need you!"
...
"Who are you?"
"I'm... I've been fighting. For a long time. -it hasn't been that long really... I've been sealed between the minutes of time. I've been fighting my greatest foe yet, and I cannot defeat him. He is a being of unimaginable power. It doesn't matter how many times I ascend... he beats me anyway..."
"How could I possibly help?"
...
"Stand..."
Suddenly, rocks begin to shift and shuffle in place. In the beginning, it was only spare, but then it increased its persistence until a single hand burst out. Slowly, it pushed against the rubble and the rest of its body was extracted from what was supposed to be his grave. Model Zero rose from the catacombs, oddly enough, he still managed to keep his grip on his saber. His long golden hair was burnt. As he stood, the weights which he couldn't remove before fell off for they had sustained too much damage in the previous attack, they were no longer resistant enough to remain attached to the android. They each dropped one after the other, making an audible thud when landing on the rocks. One of them were having a little trouble, hanging from the side of his arm, Zero gave it a nudge to finally remove the bindings which suppressed his power. His red jacket also dropped, only his chipped helmet remaining, along with his black skin-tight suit which was torn and burnt. The stomach wound inflicted by Tycho's blade was cauterized by the scorching beam of energy that he had unleashed just minutes ago. Electric shocks twitch sporadically around his slim figure, steam rising from the stitches and closed wound, from his cheek and his shoulders. If he were a normal entity, he might have been roasted alive by the Kinigo's energy wave.
Who would have thought the lieutenant capable of pulling such a sacrificial move, giving his life in order to ensure the death of another. The man was truly a patriot to his people. Zero knew it was all a misunderstanding, he tried to avoid this scene, but everything was growing out of control far too quickly -to the point that resisting was no longer a logical option, but a stubbornness with no ground to support itself. If they had only waited it out, Conri would defeat Sebastian and the Kinigo's and Arpatiko would lose any credible reason for opposing them. And even if the saiyan perished, Sebastian would have been fairly injured -enough for them to finish the job. Perhaps, Mr. Watson would still be alive if they had done as told.
Zero scoured the area carefully. There was no such thing as being too careful. After all, if he survived, it was possible the Kinigo did too. His scouter sustained a little damage from the fight, it flickered on and off like static, but it was still functioning well enough to do its job. Model Zero searched for any sign of Tycho's life-force.
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Post by Lord Zasham on Aug 6, 2014 23:16:21 GMT -5
Time seemed to slow down in the moments before the crimson beam made impact with its designated target. Despite the close proximity, as the distance waned the seconds seemed to stretch for minutes. Last few centimeters before contact felt like hours; the final millimeters like days. The kinigo did not regret the self-destructive action for a single seemingly everlasting moment; instead basking in the glory of knowing that he had died in battle aside his mentor.
Arpatiko had saved Tycho as a youngling, when the leader of the Church first came to Belegost. That day also saw the deaths of the Lieutenant’s parents; marked off by the ‘righteous’ One of Light as collateral damage. The Great Hunter raised him to be a fierce, adamant warrior and he in turn became their leader’s right hand. He could not imagine a better way to face the final judges then by the side of Belegost’s Guardian; a man who had been a second father to him
The Kinigo only hoped, despite the actions of his master and himself, that these warriors might be strong enough to bring down the Church of One, thus freeing Belegost from their tyrannical grasp. Tycho and Arpatiko were not powerful enough to free their planet, and futile attempts would only bring the unholy Church’s wrath down upon their people. In these eternal moments he held onto that hope, intent on carrying it with him as his plan came to fruition.
If the half-saiyan was strong enough to vanquish the malicious Sebastian, if the icejin and human were strong enough to dispatch the mighty Lord Arpatiko, if the android could survive the loyal Tycho’s final attack, then perhaps they truly did stand a chance at ending the religious fanatics’ evil reign. These were his final thoughts as the attack found its mark.
First the cannon’s beam would burn into the robot’s wounded chest; the Kinigo could feel the heat through his mask. A moment after the attack would become unstable and erupt. At the speed time moved for the warrior, it seemed to wash over him as if he lay upon a beach while the tide slowly rose around him. A wave of heat would wash over them, penetrating his advance armor, instantly followed by the initial concussive force of the explosion, and then the come the blast itself.
As the two combatants were projected away from one another by the attack’s detonation, Tycho merely felt himself listing away from his opponent. He was beyond pain at this point. As the android grew farther he prayed for the robot and his crew to be victorious in their crusade against the Church; that his death and that of their leader would not be in vain for the Kinigo people and Belegost as whole. The hope was still there, still strong. It grew darker and darker around them as he drifted to the ground.
The rocks enveloped them in an instant. Yet still he lived for a few moments more. The excruciating pain returned with death’s vengeance, yet the hope still lived. Even as he wanes into darkness, he held that light close to him, guiding himself towards the afterlife.
~
Something within the boy simply snapped. Standing there, beaten, bloody and clutching his abdomen, faced again with the Kinigo’s tiresome determination, he lost control. Surrounded by a sea of white, William’s left eye twitched once; a sign of the ‘short-circuit.’ Without any hesitation he shot forward, holding out his free hand to summon his other chakram as he did. As he reached the Kinigo’s he struck alien’s weapon away with the dense ki ring. Catching the other as it arrived Willie slammed the weapon’s blunt edge into Tycho’s mask, knocking him back.
“AAAHHH!”
An animal unleashed the human kept the momentum with a war cry, striking with one chakram after another repeatedly in a mad rage. With each blow, a dent formed in the odd faceplate and Tycho was stumbled back a step. Then a crack formed; then another, as the maddening wail continued. William’s mad flurry of strikes gave the Lieutenant no reprieve, not even a moment to defend.
One step after another the warrior stumbled back, dazed and confused, another blow bound to follow leaving Tycho to believe there would be no end to the onslaught. Then in one shocking moment, after one mighty blow from the ring weapons, the mask shattered; a sound that echoed endlessly throughout the white void. The Lieutenant would fall back, shell shocked to the point of immobilization.
“Why won’t you just listen!? You’re dead damn it! You’re dead! DEAD!”
Tycho would find no reprieve as his body hit the unforgiving surface, as no sooner would Watson be upon him, swinging his rings in a bloodthirsty rage. Glowing green blood splattered the white canvas that enveloped them in every direction; a fiendish masterpiece. The Kinigo’s face had a long forehead and mandibles with razor sharp teeth, a terrifying sight indeed. But Willie would not look upon it for long as in his berserk rush, void of emotion and empathy, he viciously assaulted the downed opponent.
“You’re fucking dead! You’re nothing but data now…!”
The blows would slow then stop altogether. Kneeling over the motionless Lieutenant, breathing haggardly, he looked down at the unrecognizable warrior. An eyeball bashed from its socket lay looking up at William amongst the puddle that was his face. He saw memories dancing across the dead eye which remained staring hauntingly at its accoster; reflections. Looking up Willie saw the white vastness lit up with Tycho’s memories, scattered about in a chaos of life experiences; his life literally flashing before his eyes.
“We… We’re nothing but data now…”
He mumbled as he fell back, the Hell’s Gates dissipating into thin air. Seated beside the mutilated alien, the horror set in upon the boy as he stared at his the soft green glow of his blood-soaked hands. They shook uncontrollably as tears began to run down his face. William was terrified by what he had done, but more so by what he found himself capable of; that this darkness existed within him. It was not Zasham, not this time. His terror extended beyond his actions, as the truth of the situation weighed heavily upon him.
Facing one’s own death is not easy to accept, for anyone.
~
As Tycho’s final breath left his mangled body, his body would begin to blacken, like it was rapidly rotting away. Any sign of the former warrior’s life and power would cease to exist. Then his corpse would seem to melt, liquefying and filling in the cracks and crevices betwixt the rocks. This black goo would then begin moving of its own accord, instinctively searching for freedom. Its course through the mountain of debris that fell upon the two warriors would be long and tenuous.
Moving at an angle through the stones he would near the surface, finding a pocket just beneath the final boulder separating this crypt from the still, stale air of the tunnels. Sweet still, stale air. A thought which seemed to ripple across the midnight goo, beckoning to take shape. Pooling together into a sentient form it began to harden, its shapeless curves becoming skin, clothes, hair. William Watson would open his eyes as he finally appeared, gasping for air.
“What… What happened…?”
One moment he was weeping over a faceless opponent, the next stuck between massive boulders. All he did know was he was in control again, thus he must have won the battle for the body. A shock was still settling in on the boy, from what he had experience mentally as well as what he had just ‘awoken’ too. Looking at his hands there was no blood yet he could still feel its faint glow tainting them. After a few moments, sense seemed to return to Willie as he began thinking outside of his own mind.
What became of the others? What of Man? He would need to find out what had happened to them. Pushing aside the rampant chaos within, he focused on the task at hand; moving the giant boulder pressing down from above and free himself. Pressing against it with flattened palms, he mustered up what little remained of his energy. The gladiatorial weights still encumbered him but he did not notice nor think to remove them.
With a grunt the boy would slowly lift the massive rock from the side under which he rested. He felt every last ache as they radiated across his body, but he continued rising until he was fully extended. Taking a deep breath, William summoned his strength into one mighty push. The huge rock pivoted, the end he pressed lifting into the air, before falling backwards with a resonating thump. Having completed flipping the stone, Willie fell back upon a flat stone and stared up the vast tunnel into the darkness above.
Where he appeared was nearly two hundred yards from where Tycho had fallen and about hundred or so from where Man's cinematic surfacing. He would allow himself a few precious moments of rest before he checked on the wellbeing of his comrade to simply sit in the penetrating silence of the eerie tunnels.
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Post by Man on Aug 7, 2014 2:12:41 GMT -5
His scouter beeped. Two consecutive sounds firing off one after the other as a nearby power-level was detected. Glancing at the figures displayed in the corner of his eyes, the android was led slightly to the right about a hundred yards away. It was definitely the Kinigo's energy signature. He was the only person who could possibly lie beneath the rubble as the city was still miles away from their location. It was unlikely that a random wanderer would coincidentally find themselves in the midst of their battle. Zero would have detected their presence long ago. The android peered, prodding the area for any sign of movement, but the ground was completely still and motionless. He would have thought Tycho to be dead if he weren't able to detect his very being with the built-in scouter in his eyes.
Zero sheathed his saber away. He raised his arm and pivot the pommel in his hand so the blade was arching down and towards him, preparing to thrust it downward when he realized the container had fallen from his thigh. It had been a small, inconspicuous device always attached on the side of his left leg. At first glance, it did not appear to be long enough to harbor his sword; it was better sized for a pocket knife than his saber. However, his saber was made of energy and that energy was deconstructed and reconstructed every time he ejected the hilt from its case or returned it. Now, he had no way of stowing his saber. His entire body was stripped of any armor, now only his red helmet, his skin-tight battle suit, and the white protective gear around his pelvis, which managed to survive the point blank energy wave with chipped edges and burnt marks. Sword suspended in the air as he processed the condition of his body, he lowered his arm again and resorted to keeping his sword at bay.
His left hand, which was free of any obstacles, retracted into his wrist so he may access the hidden cannon within it. The android must remain cautious and alert with his opponent, the Kinigo had proven to be a formidable foe and capable of just about anything. That's what set them apart. Tycho may be gilded in technology, but inside he was still an unpredictable, biological being. Model Zero, on the other hand, was told he was a machine. He was just an imitation of man and his actions were all predetermined by the complex codes programmed into him. Every word he spoke, every step he took, they were all Ivan's scripts running through a processor. Even his thoughts were the by product of his ingenious programming, making him believe they were his own when they were just another script being loaded into his system.
Slowly, he took the first step. His eyes twitch at the static sparking through his body. His saber dragged on the rubble as he approached the Kinigo's location, harbinger to his arrival as it hummed. Zzzzz... I know you're there, it said. The blade runs into a sizable rock. Clack! I'm coming for you, it said. The rock splits open without much effort and he continues traversing the disproportionate land. Zero wasn't even applying any force, allowing the saber to hang and swing carelessly with the movements of his arm. It whistled in the silent air. His eyes kept looking back at the figures that read Tycho's energy signature. It was fluctuating and slowly fading. Regardless, the android would not show pity. Unfortunately, they were in the battlefield and fate had them stand on opposing sides even though Zero knew it could have been avoided -but it was too late now. The die had been cast. He tried to prevent it, he tried to discourage his opponent and turn them into valuable assets instead of wasting them in a meaningless squabble. Tycho, Arpatiko, and Sebastian would have been very helpful in finding the lost crew they had been sent to recover.
Standing five feet away from Tycho's body, the android steered his left arm and aimed to the ground. He would end it all in a final flash of blinding light; fast and painless so the mortal could rest in peace. The nodules within the muzzle lit up one at a time, an uprising, high-pitched noise whir like a siren as energy is gathered from the android's reserves and conglomerates in his arm to form an energy wave. With his weights finally off, his power-level soared to its maximum potential, ready to terminate the Kinigo once and for all. Then, suddenly, Tycho's energy faded. It vanished from his screen, his scouter no longer detecting his presence. It seemed the Kinigo finally gave in and succumbed to his fate. In the end, he had not a chance to face off against the android. Zero receded, calling back the energy that had been gathering in his arm and the glimmering bright light flickered out. He stared at the man's grave for one more moment before deciding to turn away. Sebastian had been able to block his scouter and negate the android's ability of read his energy signature; he couldn't discard the possibility that Tycho had been doing the same thing in an attempt to psyche him out and throw a surprise attack.
Walking away, he was gazing towards his comrades location, gathering information of their whereabouts when his scouter fired off again. Beep! Beep! Zero peered to the left. His scouter had detected another energy signature rising from the cracks of the underground. He moved towards it without hesitation. Questions rise up in his head: How did he get there? How did he conceal his energy from the scouter? Nonetheless, the android would execute him on the spot without any remorse. It seemed he had been correct in his suspicions. However, if this were indeed an attempt to blind-side the android, it was poorly done for he had detected him from a mile away. Perhaps he was trying to run away? It would have been a most logical reaction, he thought. As Model Zero closed in on the Kinigo's location, he stopped with caution. He could hear eerie sounds coming from below the surface, unintelligible and incomprehensible odd noises. The noises would then stop all at once, Zero stood by vigilantly, slowly creeping closer to the point of interest when the sudden silence was shattered by the shifting rocks below. One large boulder swerved in place until promptly dismounted and pushed aside. Zero prepared to apprehend the Kinigo warrior; then, just as he was about to exterminate the lieutenant, he realized it was not Tycho. Instead, it was Mr. Watson, the alleged deceased, who climbed out of the catacombs.
The would be Watson dug himself out of the rubble which contained him until he was standing completely. His body and clothes looked as though he had not been fighting at all. Because Zero was an android, William would not have sensed him standing right behind him. Model Zero took one final step and prepped the end of his cannon to the back of the man's head so he may feel the muzzle against the hairs on his head. "Make one move and I'll blow your head from shoulders," he spoke clearly and sharply, making sure the man understood his position and that he had every intention of killing him if it was necessary. William might have recognized the android's humane and young voice to be Model Zero, and if he did, then he would also know an android would have no quarrel taking the life of another. They were both agents assigned to this mission by Lord Zex himself. They were outmatched in power by the rest of the group, but they had been entrusted with carrying out the mission. Zex didn't really care about anyone in the group, he only cared about the mission and retrieving whatever valuable information they learned. That is why they were ordered to survive no matter what the cost and return even if it was just themselves. However, William Watson died fighting Lieutenant Tycho, so who was this?
"I'll ask you once and not again," Zero stated. The first statement was meant to bring attention to his next, a technique speakers used when making sure their audience was paying diligence to what he was about to say.
"Who are you?"
Three simple words. How William answered would determine everything that occurs from here on out. His words were a trigger, and that trigger would unleash a chain reaction.
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Post by Lord Zasham on Aug 12, 2014 23:32:29 GMT -5
William sat upon the stone listening to the calm of silence. Letting out a breath he felt his strength slowly returning to him. Being stabbed, blasted and crushed had temporarily drained him, as it would do to any. He would not return to his regular strength, not for some time, but he felt the exhaustion slowly lift. In this moment the weights’ presence became apparent and unbearable. With a sigh he began pulling them off, desperate for an unhindered breath of fresh air. His body begged for relief.
Vespasian’s disapproving features appeared in his mind’s eye but for once it did not sway him against the action. What the boy had experienced weighed heavily on him both mentally and physically. Willie convinced himself that his master would understand. If not, then he would surely receive a beating, what the Gladiator considered training, though he doubted it would compare to his recent activities. Meanwhile lighter he became the lighter he felt, the clunk of each weighted item bringing him a step closer to relief.
Just as he pulled the final gauntlet off, something pressed up against his head, causing him to drop it out of sheer surprise. The last sound, a clang as the attire hit the rest of the weighted clothing at his feet, echoed through the dead silence at the bottom of the cavern. Before its final whispers drifted off into obscurity, he heard a level voice which spoke with calculated precision.
“Make one move and I'll blow your head from shoulders,"
A voice which unmistakably belonged to Man, or rather Android Zero. The boy had heard it in length when the robot had stalked him through the Gamma Slums. Again he heard the sound when it called to him minutes ago, before the death matches ensued. Instantly his mind returned the answer to the instinctive subconscious question, “who was that?” It seemed he was coming to understand the extent of what it was to be a technarcana more by the minute. Perhaps his reclaiming of the body, or the manner in which he did so, had unlocked something.
More likely his acceptance of the situation opened doors he had mentally shut in his denial. Either way a cannon’s barrel was pressed against the back of his scalp and he was none too pleased. He tried not to hold it against the machine however; he knew it was but a patsy to his own code.
"I'll ask you once and not again,"
It seemed redundant to start his interrogation in such a way, as if the barrel of the cannon currently pressing into his hair did no say it so much more eloquently. The slight pause afterwards for dramatic effect had little on William for some reason; quite a large growth for a kid who feared his own shadow before being absorbed by the technological demon. It seemed he was growing internally though appearing and sounding no different externally. It then occurred to him that it may be the assimilated Tycho’s own stoic warrior personality playing a part, thus compensating for Willie’s own deficiencies.
"Who are you?"
Clearly Man did not believe his eyes, unsurprisingly. Robots analyze every detail and come to the most logical assumption from the data gathered. Something William was coming to understand very well, as his own mind worked in a similar fashion when unhindered by the former human’s own denial. However he did not have any programming, at least none of which he was aware. Undoubtedly a core cause behind Zasham’s madness.
“William Leo Watson, Jr., resident of Alpha Prime and servant to its Lord.”
The boy said concisely, though instinctively embarrassed by his middle name. A reaction garnered through a childhood of comments. Then he thought of his father, the brave man who had given his name to his son. The knife he had taken to the chest all those years ago was in defense of the boy. Courage, despite being an ordinary man, to trek across the star systems to save the woman he love, to work in the most dangerous place in the galaxy, and to fight a criminal in a battle he could not win to save a son he would never see mature into a man.
“Do you mind telling me what happened here? Last thing I remember was Arpatiko’s man smashing me into the tunnel wall like a rag doll before I was out cold. Then I wake up under a pile of rubble all the way down here. Let’s start there actually; how did the rocks I was buried in get all the way down here?”
He would spit out with a tone of genuine confusion after speaking his name. Though he had the general idea of what had occurred, he was still a bit fuzzy on the details. After all he had been in the passenger street, busy taking an impromptu trip down Tycho’s memory lane. Not to mention cluelessness was required at the given moment to help his case. Then there was the whole mental showdown, something that seemed to be going around. Power apparently had an ill effect on the mind. Of course his particular difficulties stemmed from Zasham’s inability to control the result of his absorption ability.
William had always found lying to be quite difficult, though now it flowed from his lips with practiced ease. Perhaps it was the half-truth of it all, as the best lies are spun with truths, or perhaps Zasham too was beginning to have an effect on his personality. He doubted the Lieutenant’s influence was at place as he was not much of a liar. In fact Kinigos in general were honest creatures. Right now the boy was not going to dissect it all, intent on first leaving the situation alive.
Though at least now he did not have to worry whether or not Man was alright. The weapon against his skull proved he was well. Still he worried for others, a core tenant of William’s dominant personality, even Kurosanai Muzai; the arrogant prick from Earth. After all he did not want the man to have died. Only be horribly maimed. The overzealous Conri Lane was pitted against the mysterious Sebastian, while the human and Frigid faced off against Arpatiko; two unpredictable battles. Watson hoped his team members were alright, though he also hoped they too would not come up behind him while he was removing articles of clothing and subsequently press anything against the back of his head.
Maybe an “are you alright?” or a “glad to see you’re alive” would be nice instead.
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Post by Man on Aug 13, 2014 20:55:06 GMT -5
Model Zero pressed the barrel of his gun on the back of the man's head. As far as he new, Mr. Watson was killed by the hands of Lieutenant Tycho and the kinigo was now dead. So who was this person whom had just risen from the rocks and why was his clothing completely unscathed? There was no blood, no injuries, no sign of struggle. It was very likely that he was some kind of impostor, but who and how could anyone possess the ability to replicate his appearance so masterfully in such a small amount of time? Zero had every intention of blowing off the would be Watson man's head off his shoulders and he warned the man he would so he may stay still and comply to his demands. Mr. Watson appeared to be a normal person, but Zero always knew the man to be quite odd since his various encounters; the day IIshavoh mysteriously vanished and the day he chased him around the Gamma Slums back in the Omega Collective.
“William Leo Watson, Jr., resident of Alpha Prime and servant to its Lord," he answered.
That's right, the android thought. He works for Prometheus Zex too. However, that was standard information anyone could know. Zero needed to make sure this was the real Mr. Watson. He observed the man with utmost scrutiny -not that he was perfectly aware of every feature that defines Mr. Watson- but he searched for any outstanding evidence that might work against the potential impostor.
“Do you mind telling me what happened here?" He said, acting clueless in respect to what had happened, and perhaps he was genuine confused. Zero focused on his voice, the way he spoke, the words he used, and his demeanor as he said it. "Last thing I remember was Arpatiko’s man smashing me into the tunnel wall like a rag doll before I was out cold. Then I wake up under a pile of rubble all the way down here. Let’s start there actually; how did the rocks I was buried in get all the way down here?”
His voice seemed just about right, he thought. He didn't detect any abnormalities. He referred to the moment Tycho rammed into him and they disappeared into the tunnel. Zero and the others were having a discussion with Arpatiko, deciding whether or not they should fight or stay put when the lieutenant returned, ostensibly triumphant, and then everything devolved into chaos from then on. Soon Frigid and the human would fight the Kinigo's leader and Zero would face off against the lieutenant. The android was sure the man understood his situation, but he thought that it might makes things a little easier if he spelled it out for the man.
"That's what I'd like to know," Zero responded. "Mr. Watson died in battle against Lieutenant Tycho of the Kinigo warriors, yet he stands before me as clear as day. Your clothes are completely unscathed and you do not look injured in the least. One could hardly believe you were fighting." As he spoke, the pieces began to fall into place and his eyes become narrower as his suspicion grew and his numerous conclusions surfaced.
"Right now, there are only a few possible conclusions that come to mind," he said, "either Mr. Watson truly died and you are an impostor, or Mr. Watson never fought in the first place and this was all a ploy to ambush us," Zero pressed his cannon on the back of the man's head. "Which one are you?" William would have to form some kind of logical explanation to justify this peculiar situation, or dismiss Zero's accusations with more logical explanations that prove he is wrong. Perhaps William would have to tell the truth and hope the android would understand, or perhaps there was an inevitable fight just waiting to break out. The idea that William was an impostor was far-fetched; how would someone copy his movements, his voice, and his way of thinking so perfectly? Zero definitely had no knowledge of such a similar ability, however he was also aware that he did not know anything and that such a phenomenon could very well exist. On the other hand, it was also believable that Mr. Watson had been deceiving them all along.
He probably knew they were going to Belegost and they were going to meet with the Church of One and the Kinigos. He probably organized it; thus, Tycho smashing him into the tunnel was just a performance, and William's death staged, just so they could trap Conri Lane and have him beheaded by Sebastian. This would explain why William was still alive, and why he appeared as though he had not fought at all -because he didn't. There was silence in the air. No wind. No sound. Just William and the android with his cannon pitted against the back of the man's head and ready to fire in an instant. First thing's first, he thought. He needed to determine whether this was truly Mr. Watson in front of him, and then find out on which side he stood.
"If you are who you say you are, why have you come here and who sent us?" The android asked why he had come, not them as a group. The Kinigos and Sebastian already knew they had come to find a lost crew, however, the answer Zero was looking for was something only Mr. Watson could answer. Why was he working for Zex in the first place? He wanted the man to speak of his family and the fact that they now lived under the master's domain and Lord Zex had promised to keep them safe as long as he did whatever he was told. Knowing this, Mr. Watson couldn't possibly betray them -unless he was acting under Zex's orders, which was impossible. Therefore, confirming his identity would also confirm his loyalty to the team and the mission.
Once William answered the first question, the android continued with the second. "What did I ask you on the day we met in the Gamma Slums?" This answer was something which simply could not be replicated as it was something where only Mr. Watson and him had been present. He wanted to hear William mention the name of IIshavoh and to speak about his meeting with Lord Zex in the mansion, where he was ordered to fight against the bio-android, and the fact that he blacked out, the android had disappeared and he had somehow gained Zex's trust without knowing what had occurred to his opponent.
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Post by Lord Zasham on Aug 14, 2014 13:48:52 GMT -5
“That's what I'd like to know, Mr. Watson died in battle against Lieutenant Tycho of the Kinigo warriors, yet he stands before me as clear as day. Your clothes are completely unscathed and you do not look injured in the least. One could hardly believe you were fighting. Right now, there are only a few possible conclusions that come to mind, either Mr. Watson truly died and you are an impostor, or Mr. Watson never fought in the first place and this was all a ploy to ambush us. Which one are you?"
Willie blinked a few times. He supposed those were, while a tad farfetched, plausible. At least based off what little the android actually knew about him or his history. The first part was right, or at least he thought so. He believed being absorbed had technically killed him and that only his memories remained, giving him the illusion of continued life. At the same time, perhaps he was just trapped deep within the Majin, his physical form imprisoned within. William was still only beginning to comprehend the complexities of his situation.
“Well, I guess that train of thought explains the muzzle currently massaging my scalp… I am pretty embarrassed by how quickly Tycho knocked me out, wasn’t much of a fight. I’m not much of a fighter…”
His cheeks burned. A visual display of his embarrassment due to his lack of contribution in recent events. It timed well, though the real reason for the reddening was because of his actual involvement. Regardless he did not think either accusation merited a detailed denial, figuring the truth would reveal itself as Man continued his interrogation without delving into the madness of speculation. The truth being that he was the William who had arrived here, and that he was not conspiring against the group in anyway.
"If you are who you say you are, why have you come here and who sent us?"
Sticking to his guns, literally, about his initial assumptions, he was intent on investigating. Probably deciding which of the two categories the being before his cannon belonged. If Willie knew certain things then obviously he was no impostor. However, the answer would prove he was no such thing; and why he couldn’t possibly be attempting to set up an ambush or anything of the sort.
“Prometheus Zex, the man to whom we are both employed, sent us on this mission along with Conri Lane, Kurosanai Muzai, Frigid, and some namekian that has apparently gotten very lost. Or perhaps killed? Anyways, we’re here to find a team of his that last lost contact in this sector of uncharted space. As for why I am here personally, I’ve been promised my mother, Wynne, will be cured and the well being of her and my little sister, Isabelle, insured while I accompanied the rest of the team.”
If he was lying, and in fact was an agent of the Church, the group he knew diddly squat about before today, then his family would be dead. Prometheus was not a forgiving man, and was unaccustomed to mercy unless it suited ulterior motives. If Willie was betraying the team, and thus by extension Zex, then the only two people in the universe that William truly cared about would be exterminated. Turned to ashes or shot out into the icy expanse of space along with the station’s garbage. He would die before he saw such a fate became them.
"What did I ask you on the day we met in the Gamma Slums?"
Man was very cautious, overwhelmingly so, but then again he was an android. His brain was a computer and would analyze every possibility. After all, members of Zexus may know of his arrangement with Prometheus. The place was under constant surveillance. Despite Prometheus’ airtight grip on his organization, information could have slipped through. It was plausible. However it was only the two of them on that rooftop that day. The android’s built-in scouter would have detected any other presence.
“The day you stalked me? You inquired about a biological android by the name of Iishavoh. A being I killed in self-defense after blacking out due to repressed anger issues. Someone who I was forced by Prometheus to fight to death for the last spot on this mission, his employment, and the benefits it awarded my loved ones...”
Despite Iishavoh being scum, a pang of guilt still struck the boy. But it was far overshadowed by the thoughts that were filling his head. For some reason he did not fear death, perhaps since he had already faced it, or maybe because in some manner or another he felt he deserved it. Either way, only two things seemed to matter in that short pause. Paramount to anything else in his life. Willie knew Man was just a machine; but he forced himself to believe a soul could exist among the circuits and wires.
“… Look, if you are going to kill me for whatever reason, could you promise me something first? Will you look after my family? If I’m gone, I fear Zex will shun them from his mansion, and then Alpha Prime’s criminals will…”
He could not finish the sentence, as a lone tear fell from the corner of his misty eye. It was not intentional, and part of no act, but rather an instantaneous reaction to the sinister things he imagined happening to his loved ones should he perish. Unspeakable, yet terrifyingly ‘normal’ on the hallowed out asteroid, things that immediately choked him up. With his father dead, and his little family they had a galaxy away on Earth, he doubted they would survive. That they could survive. He had seen his own father murdered in a dank alleyway with his very own eyes.
With a burning hatred, he knew a far worse fate awaited women who fell victim to Alpha Prime's deviants.
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