((Erm, I meant subconscious. Or, limbo, or the Medium, or a formless void, or whatever this is that Zechariah is currently existing within.))
Interface, Scion: <Sh... Shut up...>
Zechariah struggles to keep his mind in check. Even with the absence of Artemis, he still feels that void stirring within him.
She's not Eido Aeterno. She doesn't control fate. I can decide that. That was what I spent so much time in the Medium learning to control. Fate, time, nature... and the Shadow.
>Assume Direct Control of the host. Pull out the IVs and get out. Use the Shadows to cover my escape. Find some dark places that I can hide, that will make it easier.
"Forgive me, agent. I don't want to do this, but the Shadow has already been released, and it won't stop now.."
((Existence is such a complicated concept. Or at least parts of it are.))
You take control again. This feels worse than before. You were laying down at the time, your sensory input was limited. Now you feel the entire range of your host's discomfort. Pain. Dizziness. Weakness.
You slowly rise up on unsteady legs and pull the IVs out of your arms, their contents squirting out as they're removed. You finally remove the heartbeat sensor, the heart monitor ceasing its beeping.
<You still don't get it, do you?>You use the gurney for support and manage to walk to the exit and climb down to the sidewalk. The ambulance must have run into a wall or something. There are skid marks trailing behind it, back to where the driver first began trying to dodge your illusionary obstacle. There are a couple of people out in the windows of the apartments on the sides of the street, watching.
You take a few steps forward before loosing your footing and collapsing. You try to get up again but can't find the strength to do, so you resort to slowly crawling away.
Bryan
Bryan thinks for a moment before answering. <Yes. Yes, I am ready. Time for me to give it all I've got. No time for mistakes.>
If I can sense for minds without my host noticing, do so.
Faron
As he finishes driving up have him assess the building. Anywhere he can jump up too? Any good entrances? Do I have any other weapons then the gun? Have him park a block away and jog towards the building.
You attempt to gain just enough control over your host to use your powers, but it seems like you just can't concentrate enough. Your interface starts beeping and emitting ripples, parts of you randomly merging with your host's. It lasts only for a few moments but it is a bit disorienting, having to partially control his movements. Thankfully, you manage to retain control of the car.
Your host checks his hand for injuries but otherwise seems to either not realise or not really care about what just happened.
The warehouse is a large old concrete thing with a metal roof. Two storeys, ground floor and first floor, with only the first floor having windows. There are also some skylights in the roof. There's a dull orange glow and some smoke coming out of it, barely visible in the darkness.
You park about a block away from it, a small distance behind the burning cars, allowing the abandoned office building there to give you some cover.
Your host only has his "hand cannon" and knife, as well as a spare magazine.
With his strength and skill, he could probably reach the first floor windows, maybe even the roof. There's also the front door. And places like this usually have more than one entrance, although none is visible from this side.
There are two police officers hiding near the entrance to abandoned office building. They are looking at you with surprise.
Irine
...
Abandon all other controls to channel anything and everything that I can affect in the room into a spiraling sphere that swirls around us without touching any of us, including Amelia, making sure to funnel it away from her specifically since she's likely to be the source, slowing it down as it goes and stabilizing it into something that I can properly control. If I succeed in full control, then once it has calmed down I'll shape it into a three tailed fox shape, sitting a short distance away, and looking at Zoe. If I don't, then I focus on trying to keep Amelia and Zoe safe above all else, channeling it away from them as best I can, to wherever is convenient. Abandon style if necessary, Amelia and Zoe are my priorities.
EDIT:
Do the above if and only if the... whatever it is... seems harmful. If it doesn't, then just amp up the fires in the area in general and prep for a time when I'm less distracted. My primary focus is on whatever is happening to Amelia right now.
Zoe
Zoe does what Zoe does, be it attacking, or running to Amelia, or breaking things, or standing still and watching, or... whatever. This is Amelia's show, I don't make the decisions, she does.
Boris turns to face the machines around Amelia. Zoe starts walking towards him.
"What is this?"Boris doesn't respond.
"What's going on?"Zoe grabs him from behind and tries to force him down but he manages to resist, so Zoe settles for keeping him out of balance and pointing her gun at him.
"Listen here. You've been lying at me from the start. So if you want to stay alive to do whatever it is you do here, you better start talking. Understand?"Boris remains disinterested and annoyed.
"You are keeping me from my work. I told you this will save her. That's what you care about, right? Now let me go."Zoe is getting frustrated by the lack of information and mostly the lack of control, the feeling that she can do nothing to help the one she cares about.
"Why is it I don't believe you?""Whether you believe me or not is irrelevant. My work-""Your work?!"Zoe begins to turn her gun with the intention of shooting one of the machines in the room, but Boris seems to have started moving his hand before her, stopping the arm.
"Please don't do that."They struggle for a few seconds, Zoe trying to force the gun out of Boris' grip.
<Control your host or I'll be forced to do so myself.> Victor threatens you.
She manages to pull it out of his hand and point it at him again.
"Tell me why you're doing this!""You want to know why I'm doing this? Look at her."Zoe looks at Amelia. It's almost imperceptible, but the area around her seems somehow... off. Like there's something wrong with it that you just can't put your hand on.
"What- what is that?" Zoe is more afraid than angry now.
Meanwhile, you boost the fires around the warehouse back to normal and watch closely for any sings of aggression on Boris' part, in case you have to intervene.
"Something tells me that's not exactly good!"
If it doesn't seem like I'm nearing the limit of it, assume direct control once more and climb the wall. Insurgents! Must! Die!
If I am, well, try to command this guy to do it indirectly.
((Well, I'm not sure about what exactly the "approaching the limit" should be because the rate at which you loose synchronization is semi-random so I'll be conservative.))
You mentally nudge your host to try climbing the wall. He's not really sure about this but decides to give it a try anyway. If it is going to bring him closer to justice...
The wall doesn't offer many handholds, but he does manage to find a relatively large crack to hold on to. With some effort, you manage to climb up to the ledge near the first floor windows. Closer examination reveals that these ones, unlike the ones on the front wall have semi-opaque wire-mesh glass and while the glass is almost all gone, most of the wire has managed to remain in place.
You could get in this way with some pushing, but it would probably make some noise.
You can hear voices coming from inside. Your host decides not to take a peek for fear of revealing himself. Balancing on a ledge while wearing heavy armour isn't the easiest thing in the world and getting shot at or surrounded by flames would probably only make it worst.
Still, even from this position, you can see a metal catwalk near the windows.
((I'm baaaaaack.... for now anyway. I don't know if I'll be able to keep it up, but I'll try.))
((DID I DO ANYTHING RIGHT? D:))
Theri
...Orange light?
The interface just turned orange. Yes, for one, we technically can fight. (Anyone can technically fight), but we can't fight well. No offense Awena, but you're not that combat capable--I am, however that would include taking more than partial control of you. Something which I am very reluctant and lathe to do once again.
I'd rather we stay back and...if you can, I can, erm, try to channel my energies to the wounded man to help him. Is just my guess. But its your call. You can pick to fight but I'm really unsure we can match men with rifles against...whatever caused those explosions out there.
I'm only well versed in physical arts. No manipulation of the essence in the air though. Are there any spirits nearby?
...
Also I feel really thankful Awena. So thanks for being such a trusting host.
I said that more than thrice today. Ahaha...mhmm.
Same to you River.
Do such! As stated above, suggest.
<I only wish that I could help you more. Perhaps this wasn't the right choice for your first journey. I think I put you in a situation with more pressure than you deserve.>Awena considers what you told her for a moment before responding.
"I... I don't know anything about guns." she says.
The man turns to look at the other approaching the windows.
"But I could maybe... use my hands? I mean, help the wounded?"The man looks back at her.
"What's your name?"
"Awena.""Awena. I'm Max. You're the one that came with the van?"
Awena nods.
"Okay. I don't know why you're here, but you might as well help."
Max reaches for his back and retrieves a knife. It has a black handle and a smooth blade that is slightly curved near the tip.
"Take this. If they get in, hide and try to stay out of the way. If they get close, try to ambush them, take them by surprise, hit the sensitive parts. You got it?"
Awena nods again, a bit more uncertain this time.
"Good. See if you can help here. Ask if you have trouble. I'll go check on the others."
<That man seems capable. I agree with him.>Max gets up and looks at the man near the windows again. "See anything?" he asks.
"Nothing out there. Looks like their car exploded." responds the other. "Maybe the idiots blew themselves up?"
"Just keep your eyes open."
Meanwhile...
((No! Do limericks!))
Ouch.
How close to the exit am I? Is there anything in the way? Regardless, get out as quickly as possible. Damage to self will have to wait until I am clear.
<<The bombs are placed. I got one of the core spheres, but not the other. Doing my best to get out now...>>
((There once was a man who could summon.
The robot he fought told him "Come on!".
He fought it all day,
put a bomb in its bay,
thinking that way his fight could be won-on.
Also, "damage to self?" I didn't knew John was into that.))
You manage to push back the pain and examine your surroundings. You seem to be lying on one of the BETA's largest "bones".
Your left arm is bleeding moderately. The saw blade cut deep, chipping the bone. You've already lost a lot of blood. You probably won't be able to stay up much longer if this keeps up.
However what you see when you look up is a bit strange. All the light inside the BETA has gathered into a single point. A single sphere. And that sphere is getting out of the chest area.
<BETA core vulnerable.> The voice isn't coming from your interface.
<Use of Conductor Spear authorized.> Through your mutivision helmet, it looks like an incredibly bright humanoid is standing next to you, its details lost in the light. It's holding something spear shaped. It looks utterly dark in comparison to him.
<Single penetrating hit guarantees victory. Targeting irrelevant.>He puts the spear in your right hand. His hands feel cold and hard yet flexible, like fabric made of soft metal, while the spear's shaft is simply cold, hard yet lightweight metal, with a few small bumps to facilitate traction. He holds the spear upright, allowing you to use it as a support for getting up if you wish to do so.
Fniff((If you want me to retcon you into doing something, just say so. I'm just doing a turn because I have some time.))
All the light from the robot's chest condenses into a single point, a single sphere, becoming fainter and fainter while doing so. The sphere is then expelled outwards and crash lands at the base of the building opposite to the robot, raising a small cloud of dust. The light is barely visible through the dust.
"Great work. I knew you could stay alive long enough to get the job done."You look next to you, to the source of the voice. It's a man in a very expensive looking black suit, white shirt and a black tie. His medium length black hair are combed backwards, following the shape of his head. He's holding a spear in his hand, a tall black shaft with a silvery tip. The shaft seems to be a bit thicker near the middle.
"Now you see that point of light there?" he says and points to the light in the cloud of dust.
"One little stab with this spear and victory is yours."He hands you the spear.
"Oh, and don't be afraid to shoot the other if he gets in your way. This is a competitive sport, after all." he adds with a smile.
Elsewhere...
Anyway, English is really not that good for rhyming. Languages like German that have rules for how you form words are a lot easier to rhyme in, since if you want to find a rhyming word, you can simply use one that follows the same rules.
((Makes it that much more satisfying when you get a good rhyme. Also, that's why we have rhyming dictionaries.))
"But aside from 'out' and 'out,' none of those rhyme, and you're not supposed to rhyme a word with itself!"
((Are you sure? I'm fairly certain those do rhyme. Then again, I'm not that good at speaking English, so the words might sound wrong in my head.))
<I'm sorry.
I didn't realise you were the rhyming police.
Don't worry.
I'm not afraid you'll bring me to justice.
You see,
This is out of your jurisdiction.
Because me,
I will not stand for any restriction.><I don't see where the problem is. It sounded perfectly fine to me.><Of course it did. It is supposed to sound like that.>Rune groaned, before getting up onto four legs. He then turned into an african elephant, walked over to the TV, and sat down and watched it.
"No hard feelings, guys?"
"No hard feelings Rune. It was me who broke the tv after all."
Keep watching the tv, switch it to dramatic black and white. And give everyone a moustache.
"Hey! I liked the cartoons!"
Switch it back to cartoon mode. Also remove the mustaches.
Rune turns into an elephant as he walks and then stands close to the TV, watching Nikolai and Angel argue over what is better, dramatic moustaches or cartoons. The argument quickly devolves into a YES-NO yelling contest, as they both continuously keep switching channels, resulting in a very bizarre and fragmented mix of images being displayed, the outcome slightly resembling a moving Picasso painting.
Ssshhh! This is a movie theatre, man!
Anyhow, this is my mental construct, so poof.
Be hypocritical and then try to will the guy out of existence.
"That is very hypocritical of you sir." the man responds. "I am after all just a figment of your imagination."
You manage to poof yourself out of existence. Now there's only a movie theatre in your mind but you're not in it. You're not exactly sure how that works.
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