Guild Wars III Roleplay (Rated T)

[Strife]

((Haggoth's Spacecraft))

Strife listened to the pirate captain's response, still keeping his blade dangerously close to the throat of Rider.

"...since it's by now pretty obvious that you're stronger than us, not to mention have a hostage and the ship's weapons are out cold, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot we can do. So if you'll let her go and get out, we can get lost no problem and," she scowled, "dunno, move to the moon or something, the seas don't really look liquid enough to sail any more. Come to think of it, what are your intentions? After we leave, will you just sit here in your tower looking all evil for the next twenty years? Might get awfully boring."

"The Cleansing will proceed as planned," replied Strife, "and I will forsee its inevitable success. It makes no difference to me whether or leave this planet or not... Stay out of my way, or I will devour the very fabric of your insignificant little soul."

Strife's blade made a low hissing noise at the hostage it was firmly pressed against. The girl was clearly disturbed by it, but that didn't stop her from having a say in the matter.

"If I could just make a point - how are we going to get back in such a severely damaged ship? We'd have to ask the Fleet to pick us up, and I doubt you want another of their ships on your turf."

Just then, Strife looked out of the opened hatch and saw another ship approaching in the distance. He smirked with amusement.

"Your transportation has arrived. If you intend to accept my proposal, y-"

He stopped the moment he saw one of the ship's crew members raise a plasma rifle at him. He immediately lifted his hostage, placing her chest directly in the path of the rifle's beam.

((Floating Hall of Strife))

Dark Sev felt a wave of new energy penetrate the walls of the fortress. More intruders.

One of the intruders in particular had a very familiar signature. So familiar, in fact, that it almost felt as if he was attracting himself to the source like a magnet. He resisted, however, and chose to remain concealed within the misty walls.

Somewhere near the location of the intruders, there was low and faint droning noise. It slowly built up in volume, but before it grew too loud, it suddenly stopped, leaving an eerie silence in its wake.

[Moonlight]

((That witch's spell wore off a little over 25 pages ago, I believe. Liyer's once again a pretty normal, white-haired human being))

[Floating Tower of Strife]


They all reappeared a moment later in Strife's tower, in back of the person* Sev had used to decide where to teleport to. Sev kind of doubted that this person was responsible for everything that had happened, but maybe he knew something about the one who was.

"I don't know if you're the one who's turning the world to stone and destroying Tabloid Town," he called out, "but if you're not, you'd better tell us who is." His voice made the threat implicit in that very clear.

Liyer glanced back in surprise to see the group that had appeared in his wake, and the one who had spoken. How did they get here...? Whatever; he shook his head and turned to face them with the stone sword swung over one shoulder. "Well, I certainly couldn't do a thing like this. Nor would I want to....However," he looked over the group, considering what to do, "I do know a little about that guy who did. His name is Strife, that much I figured out, and he's from the Space Station or Mage Manor or something. Wherever he's from, he can use magic; that's why the world is stone. And I have not much clue of motives, other than trying to rule the world or wipe it out and create his own anew."

Motioning to the holes riddling the wall of the tower, Liyer continued, "He's out there fighting if you want to say hi. Is that all?"

[Cyborg]

Cyborg stepped out just in time to see Strife raise a hostage up to block a plasma shot. Cyborg raised his hand, creating a leaf he then threw it infront of the plasma shot. He leaped forward, and created a rock, that he turned into sand. He shot the sand towards Strife in the form of small darts. He curved them so they would hopefully strike Strife and not the hostage.

[Rider]

[glow=red,2,300]Sky Hostage Situation[/glow]

Correction: Speck was deliberately trying to get her killed. Also, 90% of this post is now null and void.

[Strife]

((Sky No-Longer Hostage Situation))

((This part has been briefly edited out until I get some clarification in OOC Chat. Until then, hold your horses, people. ^^;; ))


((Floating Hall of Strife))

"He's out there fighting if you want to say hi. Is that all?"

"Strife is only a shadow of the man he once was," echoed a voice from seemingly nowhere. Aside from the extra layer of depth, the most striking characteristic of the voice is that it sounded exactly like Sev's. "Ironic, really, that we're using him to the full extent of his namesake."

There was a pause. The source of the voice was still hidden.

"I sense something... familiar... about you. It feels as though I have stumbled upon a long lost brother. Can you feel it... Sev?" The voice spoke of Sev's name quizically, as though it still couldn't quite remember if that was really what he was called. His memories were fragmented at best, but combined with the memories of Strife's previous confrontation with the phoenix and his summoner, they were rapidly becoming clearer.

[Draco]

<<Skies Between Mage Manor and Tabloid Town>>

The Phantom Merc II flew as fast as it could without it's boosters. Gil decided to fly over the bay, instead of following the coast. Along the way the now frozen city of Brassport could be seen along the coast. Gil remains quiet as he presses a button. The ship lurches forward, and rockets to it's destination.

After a short while, the group can see Tabloid Town growing closer. Within minutes the ship is hovering over the stone city.

Draco looks out the window. "You can let us off at that floating building."

As the PM II flies closer, they can see the destruction left by the plasma blasts and the fleet ship flying around. When the PM reaches the building, the wings turn, leaving the ship to float like the helicopter it was originally created from.

"I'll just la-"

Draco slides the door open and looks down.

"It's jumpable."

He takes a step out of the ship and falls onto the roof. He slides down the side a little, and slips into a window.

Gil turns his head to the others.

"...Land the ship. I can land the ship for the rest of you."

He lowers it to the base of the building so the others can get out safely.

[Gelquie]

((The Phantom Merc II))

Gelquie remained in her seat the entire time, listlessly staring out the window, wondering, why again did she choose to go into the ship? She'd spent all her time trying to get to the Mages Guild, and what does she do? Get on a ship, away from the one place where she had a chance. Maybe. She wasn't sure after all of those glares, and with the pounding headache and the striking pain...

Don't think about the pain.

She didn't even want to go back to Tabloid Town. She knew it was a bad place to be. Well, she didn't know much of why, but judging from everyone's reactions to the name, she could conclude it was bad. But everyone seemed to be going there, mage or ninja. (She wasn't entirely sure about Spacefleet quite yet.) They wanted to stop this... somehow. Gelquie figured that was a good enough reason, she was still just iffy on the how part of that equation.

Upon further consideration, Gelquie figured out that it was an irrational, split-second decision. The pain in her head was throbbing, she wasn't sure of her place, there was this strange wind, and there were people just staring and staring, unsure if they would even accept her if she grabbed onto the phoenix... So when Gil's ship started to take off, Gelquie reacted purely by instinct and grabbed on, managing to climb in. The sky just seemed safer.

After a few minutes of flight, the pain receded, her headache went back to numbness, and Gelquie then wondered why she was being so stupid earlier. The Manor was safe. All the stuff was in her head...

Well, the black stuff wasn't, Gelquie thought sadly as she stared down at the black ground shimmering in the sun.

After minutes of silence on her part, Gelquie became more alert as the ship approached Tabloid Town, not only because of her nerves of going into the unknown, but also because she started to feel very queasy from being in an airship.

Focus...

Gelquie looked down as the ship got closer to the floating building. She reminded herself that she would be fine and that in no time, the ship would la-- Did he just jump out of the door? And he didn't get hurt? ...There was no way she was imitating that.

When the ship landed, Gelquie almost immediately got out and tried to walk around.

"Okay, we're now trapped in an admittedly interesting place," Gelquie said mostly to herself, taking a few deep breaths. "Now wha--"

It was then that she noticed the ship going around in erratic ellipses, which seemed to be showing a one-sided battle inside.

"...I guess that then," Gelquie said before letting herself fall into sitting position, her eyes never leaving sight of the ship.

[Strife]

((Sky No-Longer Hostage Situation))

((Note: This is a retcon of some of the things mentioned in Rider's post.))

Just before the plasma rifle was fired, another one of the incoming soldiers summoned a reflective disc that looked very similar to a leaf. It appeared out of nowhere in front of Rider's chest. The maneuver wasn't necessary, though - Strife's body had tilted enough when he lifted his hostage that the beam only singed the edge of his shoulder armor, sinking through the wall behind him.

Strife began moving as a series of sand darts came his way. He sidestepped in such a way to avoid half of the darts - the other half curved sharply in his direction, but they shattered immediately when they made contact with his thick armor.

"Fools," he snapped, "You leave me with no choice."

Strife slammed his hostage on the cold metal floor, raised his blade, and drove it downwards. Regardless of whether or not he killed her, he had to move fast against so many foes, so he then dashed over to an unoccupied corner of the ship while willing the hatch door to slam shut. He pulled it inwards until it came crashing inside the shuttle like a massive wall of metal. It would crush anyone who didn't immediately move out of its path.

[Celestial]

((Mage Manor))

The Underdeep posessed Celestial got up, her eyes still static. There was no point maintaining her cover now. A smile came over her face but it was nowhere near friendly. It was the kind of smile you would see in your worst nightmares just before the one chasing you catches you.

"Well, let's see what damage we can infict" she said viciously, looking around for anybody with whom she could go. There was no goal there, just a desire to get out.

((Soon not to be the Dropship))

The Author rebooted after her very lazyer writer's long absense and complete and utter disregard of what was happening right now. There was a battle going on, she could tell that much but beyond that a lot had happened in the last several pages and she was too lazy ro catch up. Being unconscious was good, wasn't it? Unfortunately some of us have plots to get on with.

Seeing as how Nasue didn't respon, The Author took it as a signal tha she was holding on tight. Although she probably missed the responce. Anyway, it was time to work.

She metaphorically reached out from the computer parts and touched the Fourth Wall.

It's just a roleplay, I really should relax, it's just a roleplay I really should relax, it's just a roleplay I really shou-

CRACK.

Somewhere in Dunbarrow, a figure screamed in pain and dissolved into a thousand pieces. The Author winced but she had to keep going. Grabbing the coati and her computer parts, she crawled through the hole in the wall and began running along it, humming Nigeru Mono as she ran, just because it was appropriate and was unoffically adopted as her theme song. Plus it was catchy.

((Kwoi, I hope you don't mind me godmodding. ^^;; ))

[Ikkin]

The man with the stone sword whom Sev had interrogated was rather forthcoming with the information, Ikkin thought. "Well, I certainly couldn't do a thing like this," he said, and she was inclined to agree with him. Whoever had done it must have had an enormous amount of power, and she didn't feel that type of power from him.

"Nor would I want to..." he continued. "However, I do know a little about that guy who did." Well, now we're getting somewhere, Ikkin thought. "His name is Strife, that much I figured out, and he's from the Space Station or Mage Manor or something. Wherever he's from, he can use magic; that's why the world is stone. And I have not much clue of motives, other than trying to rule the world or wipe it out and create his own anew."

Ikkin bristled at the notion that Strife could have been from Mage Manor. Her memories still weren't as clear as they had been before she entered the Underdeep, but she definitely remembered fighting that guy, and he was no Mage.

Come to think of it, he'd been the Commander of Spacefleet. Maybe that was why they were acting so bizarrely...

In any case, she would be perfectly happy to take that guy down. Just as she was about to extend her senses to locate him, her informant gave her that information directly.

"He's out there fighting if you want to say hi. Is that all?"

"Sounds good to me," Ikkin said as she turned towards the hole in the wall, preparing to take Strife on. "I'll be right out there if you need me."

Before she could leave, however, another voice sounded out throughout the tower. "Strife is only a shadow of the man he once was," it said, sounding so much like Sev that Ikkin did a double-take. "Ironic, really, that we're using him to the full extent of his namesake." It paused, then continued, "I sense something... familiar... about you. It feels as though I have stumbled upon a long lost brother. Can you feel it... Sev?"

"Oh, I definitely feel it," Sev said. "How could I not, when you've been in control of my body for the last six months. I'm going to kill you for that, by the way."

"Do you need me to..." Ikkin started, turning back towards Sev, but he cut her off.

"I'll take care of this myself," he said. "You go and take care of Strife. I'm pretty sure Rider and the Captain are in a lot more trouble than I could ever be. I'll hold him off while you go."

"Good luck, then," Ikkin said, taking to the air and flying towards the spaceship in which Strife was fighting the pirates.

***


"So, like I said," Sev said, feeling nothing but pure, undiluted hatred for the monster that had controlled him for so long "I'm going to kill you. And I'm pretty sure you'd like to do the same to me. So, why don't you just show your face and make this a real fight?"

[Strife]

((Floating Hall of Strife))

"So, like I said," Sev said, "I'm going to kill you. And I'm pretty sure you'd like to do the same to me. So, why don't you just show your face and make this a real fight?"

"If it's a fight you desire," began Dark Sev, "Then I will grant it to you. But know this, dear brother...

"I am your exact duplicate. My powers and abilities mirror yours in every way imaginable, so in a fair, uninterrupted bout, we would indeed be an even match. I, however, have one distinct advantage over you... I know that I am only a duplicate. I realize that my time in this world is limited, and I have absolutely nothing to lose. No strings, no concern for the future, and a death sentence dangling right above my head. I am you at your absolute maximum capacity, accessing the kind of emergency reserve strength and speed that only emerges when the adrenaline of desperation kicks in. I am you at your most brutal, thoughtless, and primal.

"And you still think you can take me by yourself?" Dark Sev chuckled briefly. "So be it."

The entire ceiling of the lobby area suddenly errupted in flames, filling the room with intense light and heat. The flames rapidly began to concentrate themselves toward the center of the room, until eventually, they combined into the shape of Dark Sev's body. He dove down in a spiral towards Sev like a miniature tornado of fire.

[Ikkin]

Sev wasn't sure why he waited through his dark doppelganger's entire speech about all the advantages he would have in a fight. Maybe it was curiosity.

In any case, he certainly wasn't impressed by any of it. "You assume that I've ever had anything to lose that I couldn't get back. I don't. But I, unlike you, have something to fight for, and that's why I'll win."

He managed to finish his entire little monologue just as his opponent appeared in a burst of flames, which gave him no small amount of satisfaction. This was slightly dampened by the fact that there was a crazy phoenix spiraling down at him, but only just slightly.

Sev smirked up at the duplicate, holding his ground until it seemed almost too late to get out of the way. Just as the dark phoenix was about to hit him, he flared out his wings and propelled himself backwards, blasting a stream of fire towards it as he went.

[Rider]

[glow=red,2,300]The Sky Battle[/glow]

Rider rolled out of the way of the massive sword as it slammed into the floor beside her. Unable to stand, she army-crawled after Strife, pausing only to roll out of the way of the hatch door.

Rider's plan more or less consisted of "stab him in the ankles and see what happens," and she was scared as anything because of it. All logic told her that she knew that fear gave him more power and she was senselessly fighting because she thought that would stop her from being afraid. And it wasn't working.

There is nothing to fear but fear itself, and hell was she afraid of it. There was no winning this fight.

"We need to abandon ship," she said. "Take him down with it if we can. Speck, do you have any lemon bombs? Or does this thing self-destruct?"

[Huntress]

((Haggoth's ship))

Hunty froze on spot as the scene with the plasma shot played out, only breathing in through her teeth with a quiet hiss, not daring to move a muscle. When Strife let Rider go, she relaxed visibly - and tensed again at once as he tossed the ship hatch at them.

"And here you said that I'm the one who sucks at diplomacy," she muttered under her breath, dashing forward. The smart thing would've been to jump aside but the hatch was headed towards the control panel in front and a captain has to look after her ship as much as she has to look after herself, if not more so.

The door was clearly heavy, but the Sue-sword was still blazing and Hunty knew how it worked. One shield, one hit. No exceptions. It'd withstand anything.

She darted sideways and brought the sword down in the middle of the ship, creating a wide hazy shield on the door's path. Then another, and another for good measure. The door hit the first shield and stopped, stumbling backwards, while the shield faded. Hunty used that time to create yet another shield behind the previous ones.

"We need to abandon ship," she heard Rider's voice. "Take him down with it if we can. Speck, do you have any lemon bombs? Or does this thing self-destruct?"

Hunty's head jerked sideways. "What? Another suggestion like this and I just might shoot you myself. This is my ship-"

"For now," Bloody Mary said smoothly.

"-for now, yes, and I'd be a mighty lousy captain to abandon her. Him." Judging by the ship's voice, anyway. Complicated business She straightened her back. "Strife? My offer still stands. Leave now and so will we."

((Fleet HQ))

TMC was marching through the hallways with Rane and Kienne still in tow. The pirate lord felt rather uncertain about following him, but figured that things couldn't get much worse anyway. There were less people in these hallways and most officers they passed seemed to be busy hurrying elsewhere, towards the sounds of rioting, and were apparently glad more than anything to see people who weren't panicking.

There were two guards in front of the door that was drawing the Horseman in. He froze them in time before they had a chance to even look around and strode into the lab. Rane stopped at the doorway and craned his neck to see.

The lab was empty apart from the huge chromed Harley in the middle of it. TMC marched straight to it, past all the equipment that monitored it, and landed sideways on the seat. The bike came to life with a hoarse roar. The Horseman turned to glare at its dials.

"Um, TMC," Rane said carefully.

"Yeah, this world's a done deal, better find yourself a new place to live," TMC said absently, clicking various buttons and levers. "And they didn't wait for me. They didn't wait for me! They put Pestilence back in the saddle instead! What does he know about the Apocalypse? They're all just big softies working day after day with you whiny fleshbags and getting all," he waved his hand around, "attached to you. Can't have a proper Apocalypse when you don't really want it to happen. I was good at this. I knew how to work this! And they wrote me out?"

"Well," Rane said hesitantly, "what does it matter now? If the world ends, there'll be no more apocalypses anyway. You'll have to go elsewhere and find something else to do."

There was a pause: the kind of long, drawn out pause people get when their entire lives get rearranged and repurposed. The pirate lord eyed TMC nervously and shuffled from foot to foot.

"They're still fighting," TMC then said quietly. "It's not over yet."

"But will be soon, right?"

The former Fourth Horseman looked up at him briefly and then swung his leg over the bike. He grabbed the handlebar. The bike's roar rose into a screech.

"Maybe," he said. "Maybe. Adios, wussboy. I have some catching up to do."

The bike turned briefly into a series of hazy bike images piled on top of each other, then it was gone together with the rider.

[Rider]

[glow=red,2,300]Sky Battle[/glow]

"This isn't the Weewoo! And it's certainly not going to get us to the moon. At this rate, I doubt it'd get us out of town. Speck brought us a perfectly serviceable ship and - how the hell did you get a perfectly serviceable ship? Whatever. Strife's goals are clear. He will not hesitate to destroy us. Our goals are still very much unclear, and in case you haven't noticed, that... thing that was helping us get there jumped ship."

All that in the middle of battle. Hey, talking is a free action.


[glow=red,2,300]Fleet HQ[/glow]

"Yeah, this world's a done deal, better find yourself a new place to live,"

Kienne's hand drifted subconsciously to her belly. "But... we just got here. Well, just got here again."

But of course, this didn't matter to the Horsemen. Particularly this one.

"We just got this world back..."

And TMC was gone.