IC: Look I can do "messy" and while I'm not exactly thrilled about coxying up with you bunch I'm willing to if it means saving matoran lives
IC: “Well, saving Matoran is exactly what we do,” Bhadra smiles. “We’re still on patrol, you can tail-walk if you want. The army may put you in front of an Inquisitor though, if you come back to camp with us.”
IC: “Well, saving Matoran is exactly what we do,” Bhadra smiles. “We’re still on patrol, you can tail-walk if you want. The army may put you in front of an Inquisitor though, if you come back to camp with us.”
IC: "The Inquisitors are all bluster anyways," Kuhoko says, taking the lead as they continue their patrol. "It doesn't take much for them to only see what you wanted them to."
"So you wanted them to know about the Kofu Jaga?" Geet says, earning a laugh from Kusi.
"Either way, you don't have to decide yet," Tathel offers. "You're free to go at any point, you're not a prisoner. Maybe we can just enjoy the view and the breeze together, brother."
IC: Jinrek sits, unmoved from his position at the edge of the cave. The Vanguard has vanished, teleporting away, no doubt to continue to meddle in Borom's plans. And only leaving two behind to guard their defeated enemies. I think I'm a little insulted. He supposed he could hardly blame them, he had not shown himself to be that great a threat, but still. He had once been one of the most feared warlords of Zakaz, and now he was restored, far more powerful than he ever could have dreamed before.
But this is not Zakaz. This new world, of legions of Toa, of Skrall and -what was his guard called again?
I'm becoming distracted. There was an opportunity here. Bayor was still conscious at least, if battered. Even numbers. One last chance, to show his worth.
Jinrek meets Bayor's eyes, a glow suffusing his own, and a grin spreading across his face.
IC: Bayor met them. Was Jinrek planning to attack the guards? He wasn't sure why the Vanguard had left so few. He'd only met them today, so he had to assume they were strong warriors. Maybe he could talk to them. Maybe he could convince them to his side, but he had lost confidence in his persuasiveness. At the very least, it might distract them from Jinrek. "What are your names, warriors of the Vanguard?"
IC: "Oh, we are not members of the Vanguard, and hardly warriors - merely allies here to help in the chaos." Terenoa looks between Bayor and Jinrek, a slow dread filling her. Perhaps going with the Vangaurd would have been the better choice after all.
"But I am Terenoa. I believe they called you Bayor? And you..." Her brow furrows as she turns to Jinrek. Why did he look familiar? "I... I cannot shake the feeling that we have met before. Did you spend any time in the Bota? Or, sands forbid, in New Atero?"
IC: Kairus falls. He falls past the strange vehicle and collides with its side, reaching out to try and slow his descent. His attempt only rakes a long rend in the side of the vehicle, and then he is falling, falling, falling-
-onto the roof.
Kairus crashes to a halt a few paces behind Skade and Coylak, struggling to rise under the influence of the Garai. His eyes dart up, dart around the battlefield- -and they fix on the mutilated, unmoving mass of flesh and metal in the center of the roof.
Skade cries out and spins his cane to fire a spike through Kairus' arm. The monster barely seems to notice as it surges past him, half-crawling half-sprinting towards what was Sansod only minutes ago.
Two of the dragon lasers aim for the thing, fully intent of burning it to slag. You won’t touch him!
IC: Coylak helps her out, his clawed hand like a vice against Skade's as he draws their power out. Mirrors appear around them, sending her laser laser zig-zagging around them to strike at Kairus from the side.
IC: The Skrall leans against the wall and eyes up his friend. His expression is half-quizzical, half-impassive. "This is about that thing we found in the silo, isn't it?"
IC: “You gonna tell us why Rahzahkea’s sword was up there?” Petram grunts.
IC: Ticeli snorts. "You're assuming I know why it was up there. I think that kid - Dire? - said they found it down south. You know, by the haunted cities with the charming capacity to turn from happy Matoran to a twisted rendition of Karzahni near-instantaneously.
"I was hoping to figure that out myself, really. Do some snooping around, look for some holes in the fabric of reality..." He shakes his head. "But I'm getting off track.
"Yes. This is about the silo." It takes him a second to collect his thoughts, but he continues. "We've... most of us saw it in the silo, those of us that were there. That big looming thing with the arms and the whole neck-snappy thing-" He shudders. "That thing. I've, uh, been acquainted with it before, you could say. It- I-" He struggles for words, making it only a second before burying his mask in his hands. When he speaks again it's soft, ragged, muffled behind his hands.
IC: "Uhhh.... not yet I don't." She snags a tablet from a desk and starts writing. "See if you can't find that cabinet, I'll have the list ready when you do."
IC: Down the street, Crystalia also staggers to her feet. It's a tired motion, with none of her usual grace, but she's smiling. She raises an eyebrow. "Ready to admit defeat?"
IC: "Nope. I'm still good. You?" Kage said with an equal smile, not even bothering to pick up his sniper rifle, exhaustedly raising his fists.
IC: A dry, crackly laugh escapes her mask. "Never better. You're not done with me yet." She begins to pace, circling around and watching closely for his next move.
IC: Six hesitates, but nods. "Ready." Her eyes flare, and her shadow stretches long behind her. "I uh, fair warning, I'm not much of a fighter. But I can try and let you know where people are?"
IC: "That's perfectly fine. Hopefully, we won't need to fight..." Hikari mused.
"I doubt it, so if anything happens, stay behind us." Finished Xantha. "Let's go."
IC: "Oh! Uh, right!" She keeps pace, thankful that her athleticism was better than her fighting skill. But keeping watch of the shadows is second nature to her. As they run, her thoughts wander. Time and time again she was surprised by how reasonable the Toa here were. How kind. The others hadn't... lied to her, had they? Twelve would never, and she knew Nine wanted only the best for her, for all of them, but still. This death, this destruction. Did they really think it was worth it?
Something takes shape in the shadows around her - a pair of Skakdi, bearing down on a group of innocent Matoran in a workshop, one standing bravely before the others, trying to defend them. Maybe Nine thought all of this was justified. She didn't.
"Hey! Uhh, the- this way!" She gestures wildly, changing course to lead the others towards the problem.
IC: Satao sighs, staring up to the heavens in silent thanks. At least someone competent was here.
...and very good at hiding, apparently, he thinks to himself. He couldn't find the Skrall anywhere. A hollow feeling begins to spread through his chest. Durnil was there. Somewhere. Right?
Satao hears the sound of several very heavy things slamming into the ground. Something rolled past his vision, a crumpled ball that was Durnil’s shield. It’s looking for him, hunting him. He hears its mocking laughter. “Keh heh heh!” It’s close, on the other side maybe? It’s hard to tell with how loud it is. Bang, bang, bang...
“You weak creatures break so easily.” It mumbles. “What will it take to give me a challenge? Keh heh heh!”
IC: Satao sits very, very still, knife held in a death-grip against his chest. "Here's a challenge for you," he mumbles, "stop being a psychopa-"
IC: Durnil steps to the side, breathing heavily, and stands in silence, watching Huringa enter the codes. After a moment, he speaks. "I would recommend extracting Satao relatively quickly. I do not know how long he can evade the creature that was chasing us."
IC: Huringa blinks and in a motion so fast its difficult to follow, queues Satao's code two seconds ahead of One's; this should still bring them back intact and without fusion. "Mmm. Well, if he is still alive, he should be here about now. If he's not then we'll have the body at least."
IC: Eighteen appears on the panel, dazed, but conscious enough to sleepily roll off in time for Satao to follow him. Satao looks shocked, lashing out with his knife in a blind panic but only catching empty air, giving just enough time for One to appear behind him, a heap of cloth with a scythe propped on it that only moves enough to breathe.
Satao's eyes dart around the room, looking like a caged animal. "What the karz!" The words are barely more than a hiss. "You little- you left me!" His eyes lock onto Improbus. His dagger flies across the room, burning red hot as it seeks Improbus's eye.
Two of the dragon lasers aim for the thing, fully intent of burning it to slag. You won’t touch him!
IC: Kairus is barely aware of anything outside of Sansod's body. The first laser hits him head on and sears away his left arm, burning away his chest until black ribs are poking out and he has fallen to the ground, one knee and leg burned away. Pain is an unfamiliar sensation, blending into the blinding confusion Kairus is experiencing. He is confused. He is hurt. He barely knows whats going on.
The second laser starts to burn away the rest of him, and only then does Kairus regain enough lucidity to react. He raises his right hand, even as the fingers turn to dust, even as the muscle burns up, and a rumbling, ragged noise booms across the roof.
"Stop."
A horrible, cold light spills out of Kairus' eyes. It is growing brighter.
IC: A terrible screech of metal is all the warning Lync has to dart aside, and not a moment too soon. A Kane-Ra plummets inches from her mask, and she can just barely see the glint of golden armor inside before it's gone. She pushes aside the exhaustion--no time for that now--and draws on her dwindling reserves of adrenaline, calling on the winds to carry her up to join Rahzahkea at the Temple's peak.
She's met with the acrid tingle of electricity on her tongue and a blast of heat like a slap in the face, followed immediately by the shuddering rumble of Kairus's call. His horrible light shines across, and her eyes narrow. She doesn't wait for Rahzahkea, taking only the time to swap back to her Hau before darting ahead. The winds propel her once more, and she threads the needle between the necks of Hanah's dragon, protected from their wrath as she calls upon her mask power. She emerges surrounded by a bubble of force, streaking like a rocket directly for Kairus.
IC: Coylak backs away, dragging Skade with him. He focuses on Hanah again, eyes flaring with light as he activates his paralysis vision once more. Thirty-five flickers around in the background, dodging between sprays of shrapnel and heavy blades as he tries to keep up with the Malvo clones closing in around them.
Nine bats a kanoka aside with his machete, rapidly losing ground as Pheore bears down on him. He wasn't sure why she didn't just fry him with plasma, but he wasn't complaining. A snaking fracture in the rooftop sends them both off-balance, but Pheore reacts first. Nine has just enough time to block, but this time the disk has more weight to it, wrenching his machete from his grip. He growls, ducking under the next shot and closing into close quarters with a shadow-charged punch.
Borom twists his arm, catching the strike with the jagged guard of his own weapon. He disengages with a flourish, taking enough time to send a spray of stone shards at a Malvo clone that had gotten too close for comfort before arcing back in with a flurry of cuts, harrying Vashari from all sides.
Hanah slows some again, as her lasers continue to rip across the battlefield toward them.
His blue blade matches Borom’s blow for blow in a flurry of strikes. His shoulder spikes erupt in flames.
IC: Borom tunes out the chaos around him; his focus is entirely on Vashari. His power flares out, causing the ground beneath them to crack and crumble and leaving only scant footholds for him and Vashari to stand on. He then seizes hold of the rock, bringing it into the air around them with a flick of his sword and beginning to batter Vashari from all directions, dancing in and out of reach with quick slashes the whole time.
IC: Kairus falls. He falls past the strange vehicle and collides with its side, reaching out to try and slow his descent. His attempt only rakes a long rend in the side of the vehicle, and then he is falling, falling, falling-
-onto the roof.
Kairus crashes to a halt a few paces behind Skade and Coylak, struggling to rise under the influence of the Garai. His eyes dart up, dart around the battlefield- -and they fix on the mutilated, unmoving mass of flesh and metal in the center of the roof.
Skade cries out and spins his cane to fire a spike through Kairus' arm. The monster barely seems to notice as it surges past him, half-crawling half-sprinting towards what was Sansod only minutes ago.
IC: Kinaki loses power over Kairus as he falls out of sight. I’d been hoping to step that thing from reaching the roof, he thought to himself. “Nothing for us to do down here. Let’s climb the stairs quickly!” Kinaki rushes to the temple door, forcing himself to move swiftly despite how tired he feels.
Satao hears the sound of several very heavy things slamming into the ground. Something rolled past his vision, a crumpled ball that was Durnil’s shield. It’s looking for him, hunting him. He hears its mocking laughter. “Keh heh heh!” It’s close, on the other side maybe? It’s hard to tell with how loud it is. Bang, bang, bang...
“You weak creatures break so easily.” It mumbles. “What will it take to give me a challenge? Keh heh heh!”
IC: Satao sits very, very still, knife held in a death-grip against his chest. "Here's a challenge for you," he mumbles, "stop being a psychopa-"
And he's gone.
The area where Satao was just standing was flattened, like it was stepped on by an enormous foot. “Run, run, run away. Back to where you ants play. Have your fun, for soon the time will come, for all to bask in the Sun.”
“No one ever stood atop the heavens before. Not you, or I, or even the gods. But the unbearable vacancy of heavens throne ends now. From now on, I alone will stand at the top.”
Posts: 8,250
Species: Human. I'm pretty certain of that. Kanohi: Kanohi Bluglass, Mask of Anti-Glare Prescription Glasses Weapons and Equipment: Equipment: Flat caps. A wallet. A driving permit.
Weapons: I have an awesome katana on my wall.
IC: Kinaki loses power over Kairus as he falls out of sight. I’d been hoping to step that thing from reaching the roof, he thought to himself. “Nothing for us to do down here. Let’s climb the stairs quickly!” Kinaki rushes to the temple door, forcing himself to move swiftly despite how tired he feels.
“No one ever stood atop the heavens before. Not you, or I, or even the gods. But the unbearable vacancy of heavens throne ends now. From now on, I alone will stand at the top.”
IC: Bayor met them. Was Jinrek planning to attack the guards? He wasn't sure why the Vanguard had left so few. He'd only met them today, so he had to assume they were strong warriors. Maybe he could talk to them. Maybe he could convince them to his side, but he had lost confidence in his persuasiveness. At the very least, it might distract them from Jinrek. "What are your names, warriors of the Vanguard?"
IC: "Oh, we are not members of the Vanguard, and hardly warriors - merely allies here to help in the chaos." Terenoa looks between Bayor and Jinrek, a slow dread filling her. Perhaps going with the Vangaurd would have been the better choice after all.
"But I am Terenoa. I believe they called you Bayor? And you..." Her brow furrows as she turns to Jinrek. Why did he look familiar? "I... I cannot shake the feeling that we have met before. Did you spend any time in the Bota? Or, sands forbid, in New Atero?"
IC: "I do not remember you." Jinrek remains unmoving, but his glow continues to brighten. "Perhaps we met in Atero, most of my time there was spent in a prison."
IC: Ticeli snorts. "You're assuming I know why it was up there. I think that kid - Dire? - said they found it down south. You know, by the haunted cities with the charming capacity to turn from happy Matoran to a twisted rendition of Karzahni near-instantaneously.
"I was hoping to figure that out myself, really. Do some snooping around, look for some holes in the fabric of reality..." He shakes his head. "But I'm getting off track.
"Yes. This is about the silo." It takes him a second to collect his thoughts, but he continues. "We've... most of us saw it in the silo, those of us that were there. That big looming thing with the arms and the whole neck-snappy thing-" He shudders. "That thing. I've, uh, been acquainted with it before, you could say. It- I-" He struggles for words, making it only a second before burying his mask in his hands. When he speaks again it's soft, ragged, muffled behind his hands.
IC: Reave kind of stands there, frozen. Unsure how to respond. He unfolds his arms and looks toward Petram before returning his gaze to Ticeli. His brow furrows and he finally speaks.
"...and it's back for the rest of us?"
"We're Toa. Nature is our weapon." - Rahzahkea
"You. No matter what spell you were under, this was your doing. Remember that". - K̞͍̗͚̘a̶g̰̥e̳̦̞̝̻̕
IC: Huringa blinks and in a motion so fast its difficult to follow, queues Satao's code two seconds ahead of One's; this should still bring them back intact and without fusion. "Mmm. Well, if he is still alive, he should be here about now. If he's not then we'll have the body at least."
IC: Eighteen appears on the panel, dazed, but conscious enough to sleepily roll off in time for Satao to follow him. Satao looks shocked, lashing out with his knife in a blind panic but only catching empty air, giving just enough time for One to appear behind him, a heap of cloth with a scythe propped on it that only moves enough to breathe.
Satao's eyes dart around the room, looking like a caged animal. "What the karz!" The words are barely more than a hiss. "You little- you left me!" His eyes lock onto Improbus. His dagger flies across the room, burning red hot as it seeks Improbus's eye.
IC: Huringa doesn't cry out, they don't shout, they don't yell at Satao to stop. But the Kestora tackle-dives him faster than any Matoran could, aiming to bring him to the ground. They feel stronger than a Matoran too- -and their eyes are wide and shining with something between panic and rage.
"We're Toa. Nature is our weapon." - Rahzahkea
"You. No matter what spell you were under, this was your doing. Remember that". - K̞͍̗͚̘a̶g̰̥e̳̦̞̝̻̕
IC: Kairus is barely aware of anything outside of Sansod's body. The first laser hits him head on and sears away his left arm, burning away his chest until black ribs are poking out and he has fallen to the ground, one knee and leg burned away. Pain is an unfamiliar sensation, blending into the blinding confusion Kairus is experiencing. He is confused. He is hurt. He barely knows whats going on.
The second laser starts to burn away the rest of him, and only then does Kairus regain enough lucidity to react. He raises his right hand, even as the fingers turn to dust, even as the muscle burns up, and a rumbling, ragged noise booms across the roof.
"Stop."
A horrible, cold light spills out of Kairus' eyes. It is growing brighter.
IC: A terrible screech of metal is all the warning Lync has to dart aside, and not a moment too soon. A Kane-Ra plummets inches from her mask, and she can just barely see the glint of golden armor inside before it's gone. She pushes aside the exhaustion--no time for that now--and draws on her dwindling reserves of adrenaline, calling on the winds to carry her up to join Rahzahkea at the Temple's peak.
She's met with the acrid tingle of electricity on her tongue and a blast of heat like a slap in the face, followed immediately by the shuddering rumble of Kairus's call. His horrible light shines across, and her eyes narrow. She doesn't wait for Rahzahkea, taking only the time to swap back to her Hau before darting ahead. The winds propel her once more, and she threads the needle between the necks of Hanah's dragon, protected from their wrath as she calls upon her mask power. She emerges surrounded by a bubble of force, streaking like a rocket directly for Kairus.
IC: Kairus' focus is entirely on the purple creature drowning his world in burning light. His hand outstretches and power blooms- -and then another, smaller creature is ramming into him. An invisible shield of force pops into being between her and him.
Blindsided, Kairus is hit-dead on by a wall of force that sends him stumbling backward. The charge stops and for a comical moment he simply looks bewildered. Stunned. The purple light licks at the edges of his body and rips away flesh. The rebounding lasers bouncing off mirrors join them, searing away his chest until its just something like bone.
***
As Rahzahkea rises above the roof he takes a moment to look over the fighting. He sees Vashari engaged with Borom, keeping pace with the Skrall. He sees Hanah blanketing half of the area with purple lightning, he sees a handful of Skakdi near the back- -and his eyes go wide as he sees Lync and who she is fighting.
He knows that monster.
Beside him he sees another Toa; a Ba-Toa with strange mechanical arms and a brightly glowing sword with a horrified look in his eyes.
'Kea screams through the minds of all present, an image of Kairus on the roof.