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Post by Shark a' Pult on Dec 29, 2013 1:10:42 GMT -5
The town seemed abandoned as far as he would be able to tell, and for some time apparently. Most of the buildings had fallen into disuse and some were even crumbling to form ruins. The lack of interior details seemed to indicate that things had been this way for a long time, enough that scavengers and looters had well cleared the place out; all that remained were the failing exteriors of the buildings.
"HELLO."
"PRESNOR."
"CITY."
Possibly the loudest thing he had ever heard sounded without warning, reverberating through area like ripples in a pond. Before, the only clues as to where he should have been going, were the sounds of setup. People tuning instruments, getting stage equipment and lights ready. It was faint, but distinct enough to follow through the town with ease.
This though, was scales of magnitude higher. A cursory glance around, and he might notice that the stone of the ground and some of the buildings had cracked from the sonic blast.
---
"Honestly, I've never had to regulate a fight with this guy. I've only read some of the reports where Solaine was in charge, and there was always a common theme between them; massive destruction."
"Sounds like the average day in my life."
Kaede stood with the help of her crutch by the shore, her helper droid floating nearby, the town a ways inland still. She had brought him to the island where the fight was to take place, but with the person he was up against, she had no idea if she was supposed to accompany him to the fight or not. She decided it would be better not to take any chances, despite wanting to help out as much as she could.
"I don't have to tell you to be careful, but the other people before this... they all had some sense of restraint. With this person, I don't think they care how much damage they cause."
"They were all pushovers anyway, I bet."
It was plain to see that she didn't want him to go, but there was no point trying to stop him. She had already tried, and in Solaine's absence it was up to her to regulate, so she couldn't just intervene on his behalf. She was worried about him, but all she could do was wish him good luck and point the way.
---
Following the blast of sound would lead towards a cleared area of town, what had once been an open air amphitheater. Now though it had been appropriated by an odd assortment of individuals to say the least, that looked to be parading as a band. Four in total; the one on the drums was dressed as a crude cardboard box robot, the one on bass was dressed garishly as an alien that looked like the costume came from the bargain bin section of a Halloween store, the one on guitar was dressed similar to a founding father, and the front man had on only a pair of jeans, with a skull and crossbones painted across his chest.
It would have been hard to make them out though, what with the blindingly bright stage lights behind them, and at a first glance, only their silhouettes were easily visible. Probably the first thing anyone would notice though was not the band or the lights (so many that alongside being painfully bright, it was also progressively hotter the closer one got), but the giant pair of speakers. One either side the stage set within the amphitheater, each more than twenty stories tall and nearly as wide. From a distance they could be mistaken as apartment buildings or something similar, but up close the actual rounded loudspeaker portions (each bigger than a house) were unmistakable.
It seemed obvious now where the sonic blast had come from, and since the front man was standing by the mic stand at the front of the stage, who had caused it. The players though, all seemed busy setting things up still, tuning their instruments and the like. It was only the front man who noticed the new arrival, and covering the mic with his hands he leaned forward with a smirk, his wild eyes barely visible through his droopy blonde hair.
"Hey, you here for the show?"
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Post by CJ on Dec 29, 2013 16:04:04 GMT -5
"H-hello."
It didn't take long for Connor to regret trading in his cyborg body for a human one.
His ears rang and blurred his perception. As he came to, he recalled that his old body would automatically dull loud noises so his brain could comprehend them. He was sure it would be the first of many inconviences. Unbeknownst to him already, the ground and buildings had cracked from the sound wave.
Things were different, but nothing much had changed about him phyiscally before losing his previous body to Snake Havey. He still had his medium length blond hair and his sickly light skin. His black cooking apron was wrapped tightly around his waist. The only thing that had changed were his new metal gloves and boots. They were gold in color and made up of many linking parts, like armor. They contrasted greatly with his otherwise plain white collar shirt and khakis.
His pale green eyes were near neon, as though they were still as synthetic looking as before.
"Y-yes," he responded nervously. "No, wait, I mean that I'm here for the scheduled fight. Unless the scheduled fight is the show. Akki invited me to her show too, although I'm afraid I missed most of that due to some sleeping agent or something."
He didn't know much about music, but he recognized the drum set on the stage. It was the guitars that confused him, even more so than the outrageous costumes. He knew of traditional guitars, but these were thinner, slicker and attached to cords. He wanted to ask about them, but felt like it would be inappropriate to do so now. He wasn't there to talk about music; he was there to fight.
"I... My name is Connor Anderson," he said with a bow. "It's an honor to meet you."
It seemed like Connor was only being polite, but it was also an attempt to buy time. His thoughts raced as he contemplated why the Valentines wouldn't be able to beat Achtung Baby. Simultaneously, he debated running and leaving before the fight even started. Despite finding a mentor and honing new abilities, he thought he was getting in over his head. If he barely managed to get by the fights with a super powered cyborg body, what made him think he could win this fight or subsequent others with his own strength?
Catching himself in his panic, he realized he had to take things one at a time if he was going to be successful. For now, he should worry about this fight and this fight alone. First things first...
"Excuse me for being ignorant, but who of you is Achtung Baby?"
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Post by Shark a' Pult on Dec 31, 2013 2:35:09 GMT -5
"No surprise there, anyone would fall asleep at one of her shows."
"Ja, with zat harp of hers. Like ze lullaby for ze childrens."
The drummer and the bass player respectively laughed amongst themselves while they responded to Connor in a way, meanwhile the the guitar player struggled furiously with the cable from his instrument. The front man, just watched Connor all the while.
"Excuse me for being ignorant, but who of you is Achtung Baby?"
"Well, I'm Achtung..." he said, before leaning back to gesture towards the others. "...and these are the Babies!"
They all laughed this time, and what more, the guitarist had managed to sort everything out so they were now all ready to play. Still though, Achtung didn't yet take his hand from the mic. With his free hand above his brow, his gaze drifted from Connor to the twilight of the evening horizon as nightfall crept in. Squinting at something in the distance, he wondered aloud to the others.
"Are we sure they're far enough away to be safe? Last city lied about being outside the fifty-mile disaster zone just to get a show, and you remember how bad the cleanup for that was."
"Too late to find out now. Either they're farther than fifty and we're good to go, or they're closer, and well... it'll be the best show Presnor City will ever hear... also the last one."
Moving his hand from his brow to the mic, Achtung leaned back, shaking his head with a laugh. If Connor cared to look as well, he would be able to see a little lighted shape far away on the horizon. From here, it was only about the size of his thumb, jutting out of the water. It was lighted though, like a little gleaming rock floating out in the distance. With the addition of searchlights and faintly visible fireworks above it though, it would be seen that it was in fact another island far away across the sea.
Assumedly, the city on the island all lighted up, was the one the band was referring to. The one they were, in fact, here to perform for. Only now did Achtung let of the mic, holding instead now the stand as he leaned forward.
"ARE YOU READY."
"TO ROCK?"
Again with the sonic blast, enough to sunder stone. Far in the distance the searchlights of the city blinked in affirmation, and the band started to play. Slow at first, just the beginning of the song, but it would build with time. The drummers steady beat sent out a resounding force that imitated an earthquake, and the ground started shake and tremble. The bass players low chords reverberated through and and all solids in the the sound range, causing an intense resonance as things shook them apart and the buildings began to crumble. The guitar players sharp riffs simulated a pushing force in sudden, constant bursts, and any loose material or that which was becoming loose would be blasted outwards and away from the bandstand. And all of it, louder than the roar of the sea or the howls of the wind, louder than any natural sound or force could imitate. This was the power of the band; to create ultimate destruction with the power and force of sound. Not nearly so refined as Akki, to shred a particular target, but to obliterate everything within range all at once in equal measure.
And Achtung... he just stood there at the center front, grinning madly and watching it all take place. Of particular interest was Connor to see how he would fare, if he was not merely deafened and torn apart by the sheer force put forth by the massive sound system array. Some people had come before, all different and many for different reasons. Some were blasted apart into tiny pieces by the sonic force in a matter of moments, while others fared awhile longer still. So far though not a one of them, even the rare few who managed to beat the band, were outright unaffected by the intensity of their music.
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Post by CJ on Dec 31, 2013 11:34:01 GMT -5
"Wait," Connor muttered, "so he's Achtung and they are the babies, which means that Achtung Baby is their stage name?"
Things weren't looking good. It was the Valentines all over again, with more than one person occupying a rank. He was aware that he could ask someone to join him in his rank, but there was only two people he could ask. Snake Havey was gone, disappeared from his life like the Shichibukai Arch, and the other was far too innocent to ever dare ask to participate in something like this.
He was in this alone, until he beat Achtung Baby and whoever was ranked Fourth. If he beat those impossible odds, he could join Beth at Third and finish the Grand Path. But that was merely wishful thinking at this point.
Following Achtung's gaze, Connor recognized the lights of a city in the distance.
"This isn't Presnor City... that's Presnor City... then..."
His face fell in despair.
"Oh no."
Connor threw his hands over his ears and yelled out when the sonic blast sounded again. His ears rang horribly and his body felt like it was ripping. He took off to a run when the drummer introduced the number, shaking the very ground beneath him. He was going to die if he stayed here and realized that the destructive nature of the band was why the Valentines and perhaps even Snake Havey couldn't beat Achtung Baby.
But if these guys were only fifth in ranking, what did that say about the higher ranks than them? What if Four ever tried to take Beth's place?
His metal boots stopped in the rumble when the bassist began to play. With his back facing the band, it was impossible to tell what he was thinking. As the guitar riff started, the chef turned around to face them, not knowing the effects of the bursts.
A loose chunk of debris struck him in the side of the head and he went toppling to the ground.
It looked like the fight was already over. Connor's head was bleeding profusely. His clothes were ruined and his skin was torn with wounds. He should have died on the spot, but he slowly started to move.
His fingers tapped along with the bass. The impact of his fingers against the ground sparked small waves of electricity. Soon, his entire body was pulsing as sparks bounced from his open wounds. His ear canals flooded with static light.
Connor stood, facing the incredible sound with his knees near buckling and his head held low. His hair and apron whipped in the blast, subject to the power of Achtung Baby. It was all too apparent he was human (for all intents and purposes), so why was he sparking and emitting electricity? The power wasn't coming from the gloves or boots he wore, which remained cold and dull, but from him.
More importantly, despite being horribly injured, he was grinning.
"What is this music?" he asked with a laugh, his voice drowning in the sound. "I think I've heard it before!"
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Post by Shark a' Pult on Jan 7, 2014 4:59:35 GMT -5
Unfortunately the sound was simply too intense, and poor Connor was entirely overshadowed by the band, at least to the capacity where they couldn't hear him from all the way up on the stage. That he was not simply blasted apart by the sonic force however, was worthy of note, which at least the front man was aware of. With a grin, he leaned forward with the mic, letting loose the opening vocal segue. He hadn't even reached actual lyrics yet, but what followed was a concentrated burst of sound added to what the band was already managing. If each of them in some way contributed to the sheer destructive potential of their music, it was the vocalist that added the direction. The the winds of a hurricane, a storm of sound and gale twisted towards Connor in a swirling vortex, resembling a cyclone issuing forth from the mic. In the motion, the perfect blend of the ultimate annihilation made sound, mixed into one great blast. As it ripped forth from the amphitheater like an unleashed beast, everything before it down to the very stone was reduced to ashen rubble and carried with the force like a wave; at this point even if Connor could somehow miraculously not be obliterated, there was the very real danger of the entire island beneath him turning to dust, and his person being cast off into the horizon like a piece of straw to a tornado. He might even reach Presnor city, or, what was left of him. Truly, this was the end for him. The life and history of Connor Anderson, concluded in a fearsome maelstrom of destruction. He had come a long way, all for nothing. --- When suddenly, without warning, a flash of light could be seen. Only for a fraction of a second, appearing almost as a beam, passing through the amphitheater from one side to the other. Since it went over their heads, the band didn't seem to notice and continued to channel annihilation towards the chef. Before they had a chance to react though, the entire amphitheater collapsed upon them, shorting out whatever connection their instruments had to the sound systems. The sonic blast of death traveled only a bit further but without the band to direct it, the entire thing unfurled on itself and merely dissipated in a chaotic din of noise rather than music. The ashen debris stirred up by the wave of sound harmlessly fell to the ground, and it seemed the entire island shuddered to a final rest as the last remnants of the musical resonance faded away. It was past sunset now, early nightfall, but despite the collapse of the entire venue some of the lighting was still functioning so the place was at least fairly well lit. As the dust and sound faded eventually though there could be made out a rather odd-looking figure standing on top of the collapsed roof of the amphitheater which appropriately enough, was now resting on top of the remains of the band, likely crushed underneath. Dressed in a mismatch of clothing, clearly the individual had no concept of style, though Connor would possibly recognize the unmistakable helmet he wore with its distinctive bat-like extensions. "How ya' doin' there boyo? Quite the racket that was, eh?"
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Post by CJ on Jan 7, 2014 22:55:11 GMT -5
Achtung's voice rattled Connor's consciousness, blurring the song he adored. His hair blew back as white flooded his vision. He thought of his son, who he would never truly know. He thought of his wife, who was stuck in the middle of this horrid Grand Path because of him. Her struggle, his friends' struggle to get his body back, what was it even for? It was only a matter of time before he met a terrible end.
Caught against a fading chunk of debris, the beam of light lit up in his vision. He thought it and what came after to be an illusion. In a few brief moments, the band was apparently destroyed and trapped under rubble. Did they accidentally destroy themselves?
Fully opening his bloodshot eyes, he looked himself over. The pain he felt was indescribable. He held in a scream when he realized that his arm was broken by the elbow and the other was pinned against the shattered wall he leaned on. He was trapped and despaired in what he thought to be his inevitable demise, caused by a metal band of all things.
His ears rang, but they picked up something. Having been listening for any sign of Achtung Baby, hoping they wouldn't find him, he tried to figure out where the strange, accented voice was coming from.
Suddenly, he found the stranger wasn't so strange after all.
"Arch!" he gasped.
Blood poured down the side of his face from his head wound, making it hard to see clearly. He smiled, seeing the outline of the helmet of his long lost friend in the electric light. He too began to glow in the light. His broken arm twitched, fixing itself partially into a correct position. His wounds began to scab under his tattered clothes, until he comprehended the rest of the stranger's appearance.
"No," he said in sadness. "You're not Arch."
The light about him vanished in the change of emotion and his wounds bled again. Connor gulped as he tried to figure out what was going on. There was so much he wanted to ask. Where was Achtung Baby? Were they OK? How did this stranger get ahold of Arch's helmet? What was happening here?
"Who are you?"
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Post by Shark a' Pult on Jan 9, 2014 4:51:29 GMT -5
"Arch? Oh, ya' mean the poor sap what I took this from..." he said, tapping at the helmet with a chuckle.
Hopping down off the wreckage of the amphitheater, he meandered over towards Connor, not exactly taking a straight line and kicking the odd rock or piece of wreckage as he went. Connor might be able to get a better look at him now, and it would be quite jarring, looking like the fellow had coddled together his attire from a bargain bin in some garish costume shop. There was the helmet, there was an exotic tiger coat from which hung a number of origami animals by threads, there was a snakeskin belt, there was a bible tied to his right upper arm, there was a necklace of what looked like large whale shark teeth, across his back was an oversized pair of scissors, adorning his hands were a number of rings, and hanging from his belt was what looked to be a masterwork sword that had been broken at the hilt with scraps of a beautiful kimono wrapped around it.
Distinctly, there was not a pair of metal wings that would have looked rather nice on his back.
"The name's Martin, and I ain't nothin' but a messenger, carryin' a message. Whether I can give it to ya' though, depends on yer' answer..."
In his hand, he had a guitar pick unique to the band that had just been crushed. The specific item of interest, that Connor technically needed to advance rank in the game.
"What's goin' on with ya' and this whole Great Walk thing?"
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Post by CJ on Jan 9, 2014 12:01:33 GMT -5
Connor's lips moved to make words but he found himself speechless.
At this range, the helmet was oddly nostalgic. Having never seen Arch's true face, it was like seeing his friend's head pasted on someone else's. It wasn't all too hard to determine that the other accessories were from notable criminals. A brief thought passed to look for anything that the Shichibukai Uzo might have owned. But with his power, he figured he could flee from someone like this quite easily, not understanding Martin's real abilities.
He hadn't felt fear like this in a long time. Fear for Arch's whereabouts, fear for the lives likely lost of the band, Achtung Baby, and, of course, fear for himself. This Martin was a killer and a thief. If he really did kill Arch and Achtung Baby, what chance did Connor stand to survive him now? Why would he humor him like this and not kill him outright? The messenger routine was a scam, he figured. Whoever this guy was, he was a player of sick games.
About a year before, Beth told him of a man who helped save their son. Like the rest of Grand Path who helped them that day, he forgot who Martin was. Today, he thought this "messenger" to be a liar.
His fear shifted quickly to anger, thinking of Arch in the same situation as him, caught like a rat in a trap. His blood boiled as he clenched his free fist. His metal glove creaked when he saw the guitar pick in Martin's hand.
"Great Walk, Grand Path, whatever it is. I'm in it for power. Power, to protect my family from people like you!"
With a shout, Connor let out a burst of flame from his mouth, intending to cover Martin in it. The glove and boots of his free hand and feet lit up in fire in accordance with his rage as he thrashed about, trying fruitlessly to be free from the sound torn debris.
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Post by Shark a' Pult on Jan 14, 2014 21:33:22 GMT -5
The torrent of fire issued forth unhindered, but before it could reach Martin, it was halted by what seemed to be a literally hole into space. A glimpse of a starry blackness, and the fire was gone. The fellow himself, remained in place, relatively unconcerned.
"Well now, that wasn't very nice."
A moment later and an identical hole opened behind Connor, unleashing the very fiery burst that had been intended for Martin, upon the chef. The intent was unclear, but it wasn't as though Martin figured that was that, because he moved forward in an attempt to kick some of the debris off of the chef's arm.
"If it's just power though, that's a little disappointin', on account a' that's what everyone says. At any rate, the ones I'm carryin' this message for, wouldn't look too kindly upon it."
All the while he stood at the ready, in case Connor tried something. He seemed fine to help the chef, but he was expecting a fight, he just didn't want to beat up a crippled person.
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Post by CJ on Jan 15, 2014 10:36:22 GMT -5
Connor paused, seeing the images of several stars in the black portal. In his days as a cyborg, he could look at any star in the sky and receive data about its name and proximity to Earth. These days, the sky was as cold and nameless, through somehow more beautiful in its mystery.
He was brought back to reality when his attack struck him from behind. It didn't hurt him or even damage his flame resistant clothing, but he was nonetheless surprised. He immediately understood what Martin did to be some kind of Devil Fruit ability. But what was it? What could reveal stars' light and refocus attacks? Connor thought of Uzo's portals, but those portals lead to his own dimension, not to the stars. This was very odd.
"I'm not everyone. I'm not like the other ranks. I'm getting out of the Grand Path for my family. I never wanted to be in this mess in the first place."
Sighing as he shook his good arm, now free from the debris, he didn't know what to think of Martin. Was he to see him as the potential killer of his old friend, charismatic businessman or both?
Rampant thoughts spun in his head.
Don't get so angry. Calm down. He's not here to kill you and you shouldn't try to kill him. Besides, he would have killed you earlier if he wanted to, like Achtung Baby. Breath and focus. There's plenty of time later to find out what happened to Arch. Take things a step at a time. First, find out why this guy's here.
"Let's start again. I'm Connor Anderson- ACK!"
The chef went to shake the messenger's hand but had forgotten that his arm was broken. He sat in the rubble and looked away in embarrassment and pain.
"Now, you said your name was Martin. Who are you working for and what do they want to say?"
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Post by Shark a' Pult on Jan 16, 2014 0:17:27 GMT -5
"I know who ya' are, I've met yer' wife before. Who I'm workin' for though, well..."
Taking his foot off the rubble, Martin straightened up, trying to formulate an appropriate answer for the chef. Or at least, one he would understand.
"...suppose it would be a stretch to say the Government overall, but some of the people up top are grindin' their teeth lately, so here I am."
This was a part of the job he didn't like. Well, he didn't like any of the job, but he wasn't all that great with words and he felt like a glorified mailman. He wished Eta were here, she was better with that kind of thing, or even she could just hand the chef a letter detailing the same thing in person.
"You and Beth are stirrin' up trouble in ways ya' don't understand, upsettin' a balance. The ones I work for, they told me to tell ya' to stop. Me, I'm tellin' ya' not to go down this path any further, there's no pot of gold at the end."
Displaying the guitar pick, he slowly, very visibly put in in a coat pocket for Connor to see in the hopes that he would get the message across. Once he had, he leaned down to a crouching position so as to better look at Connor on the same level.
"So yer' gonna' leave this place, go home, and that'll be the end a' that. Gettin' out for yer' family, all a' that? Nah, you'll always be number six and Beth will always be number three. Agreed?"
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Post by CJ on Jan 16, 2014 13:11:45 GMT -5
Whenever Connor initated a fight in the Grand Path, he tried to imagine why the person was in the rank they were. It was easy to determine why Doc Super couldn't take Akki's place. His bullets were useless against the power of her harp. Now he wondered in despair if he was correct about of any of his assumptions. Was the Grand Path a fixed game? Was he ever really supposed to be playing in the first place?
"No," he responded. "I can't agree to that. Solaine Winterfield never said anything about this. What's the point of the Grand Path if I'm told to stop midway through? Wasn't it supposed to be a fair contest for the position of Emperor? I didn't mean to upset any balance. I only want out."
His legs wobbled as he brought himself painfully to a stand and clutched his broken arm. His near synthetic eyes glared at Martin. They didn't look like they belonged to him, but rather someone much more powerful. His gaze darted to the pocket the pick was in. He resisted the temptation to lash out and wrestle Martin for it, not knowing the extent of the messenger's abilities.
"You can go back and tell your superiors that I'm not stopping. It was bad enough with me, but now that's Beth's involved, our son's at risk of losing both of his parents. If you don't know what kind of problem that would cause, your people in the Government certainly do. There's no way I can put him up for adoption without risking his life and others, so we have to get out of this situation for him. The only way Beth or I will ever cease is if they take us off the ranking system. We'll move to the far edge of the one of the blues and not bother anyone. You'll never hear from us again."
Having looked so closely at Arch's helmet again, he despaired. What did Martin and his employers do to him? Did he break a status quo too? He barely contained his rage as embers flicked off his gloves and boots. He knew he probably wasn't far off the mark.
"Why can't you people let us live in peace?"
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Post by Shark a' Pult on Jan 23, 2014 21:47:57 GMT -5
"Ya' actually listen to what the Heartbreaker tells ya'? How did ya' make it this far?"
As Connor stood up, Martin himself moved to his feet, but paced back a step or two to put some distance between him and the chef. He knew at least as much from simple observation that he could explode at a moments notice, in more ways than one.
"Why can't you people let us live in peace?"
"Ya' know the answer to that already. Has yer' life ever been peaceful? Yer' life is this way because ya' made it this way, and it's our job to pick up the pieces. Now ya' wanna jump ship a' this Great Walk, just quit out and have us clean up the mess ya' leave behind?"
Martin responded very plainly to Connor at this, with no hesitation, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. He may as well have asked the messenger what two plus two was. He had glanced over the reports given to him, mostly he was running off what Eta said of the situation. He had some idea of the trouble the Andersons were responsible for, but it was honestly surprising for him to meet Connor and hear from the man himself. He couldn't tell if it was some elaborate ruse, or if the chef thought himself the victim in all this, and it worried him that he couldn't tell.
"Tell me this then, ya' say we're the bad guys, ain't leavin' ya' alone? Why did ya' get into this whole mess in the first place then? Ya' done fought that knight to help yer' friend," he tapped at the helmet again, "but like an idiot he went and got hisself killed, lotta' good that did."
He was one to speak his mind, but he wasn't so clueless as to not be able to read people. In preparation he shifted his stance to the side a bit, slowly reaching for the broken blade wrapped in the shredded kimono.
"No one forced ya' to start fightin' again though, but here ya' are and Beth as well, playin' the Heartbreaker's game. Why? Cuz' I know ya' both aren't stupid."
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Post by CJ on Jan 25, 2014 11:14:43 GMT -5
Martin was right. Connor's life never was peaceful.
He liked to pretend he was a good person, that he always wanted the best for others, but he knew that wasn't true. Time and time again, he took advantage of people for the sake of what he wanted. Sure, he did it with his family's safety in mind, but he nearly killed Snake Havey and Leon Valentine, a mere child.
"So you did kill him," he muttered, assuming Martin meant that he had killed Arch.
The flames burned stronger on his gloves and boots. He leaned forward and closed his eyes, trying desperately to shift his rage into despair. Every inch of his being wanted to rip Arch's helmet off of his head and disfigure Martin. Awful thoughts spun in his head of the things he wanted to do to him.
He remembered the boy on the ground, screaming as fire scrotched his eyes. It was the only clear memory he had of his life as a witch. Even as a child, he was nothing but someone who took. He took the boy's eyesight. If it wasn't for him, Kaede would still be normal. The only reason Beth was even involved in the Grand Path in the first place was to save him. It was only a matter of time before someone too powerful came after her for her rank.
The fires raged but in his conflicting emotion, they only burned at a steady rate. He tried not to look directly at Martin so he wouldn't think of Arch. Knowing he was cold and gone, like his foster father and so many others in his life, was horrible to imagine. He wanted to know what happened to him, but knew that solving his current situation was more important. If Arch was dead, he was truly dead and there wasn't anything he could do to save him now.
Connor twitched when Martin mentioned Beth and the word "stupid" in the same context. It took him a few seconds to realize he was likely inferring that Connor was stupid, not Beth.
"Who is 'the Heartbreaker?' Are you talking about Solaine Winterfield? You call me stupid, but you're crazy to think I would listen to my friend's killer over someone I trust. Why wouldn't I stop fighting when it's only a matter of time before someone powerful comes along and kills us both?"
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Post by Shark a' Pult on Feb 1, 2014 13:44:21 GMT -5
"Ah right, ya' call her Solaine. Guess that's all ya' would know her as..."
Martin didn't know her on a personal level, so he defaulted to referring to her as how he knew her from reports. He had a feeling that she wouldn't like it if Martin kept digging up dirt on her and sharing it with people in the Grand Path, but what did he care? She wasn't here right now.
"Ya' should know by now these fights aren't to the death. She likes keepin' her pieces alive, otherwise she woudn't have a game to play. I tell ya' what though, yer' worried about someone powerful comin' along?"
Drawing forth the broken sword, Martin held it out in front of him. In a very slow, strained effort, he drew his free hand along where the blade should have been. There sounded a roaring sensation as a thin column of what looked like hardened wind was formed, roughly imitating the length of a sword by the time he was done. In truth, what he and Connor were seeing had nothing to do with wind powers. Instead it was air and dust within the area being sucked into the miniscule spatial tear he had created, far too small to discern with the eye, giving the impression of a swirling column of wind and dust the length of the "blade". All the while was the sound of a storm, and while there was no noticeable effect on actually being able to breathe, it certainly felt as all the air around them was being drawn towards the tear.
"Ain't no one stronger than me. If ya' can beat me, then ya' got nothin' to fear."
With a flick of the wrist, Martin brought the sword to his side, and in the process, it effortlessly cleaved through a large portion of stone rubble from the destruction earlier. This seemed unintentional, as Martin hadn't even noticed it, but he didn't react in any way beyond staring Connor down and inviting an attack.
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