Pianissimo sighed, removing his blade from the red bubble and sheathing it. "So...what happens if you can't?" he asked, though in reality he didn't really care about the answer. If it attacked again, he would simply finish the job. Though it had been a moot point, he hadn't hesitated just now. Nor would he do so in the future.
The navi thanked him and Memoriam, but he only partially listened. Justice? There is no justice. I fought on your side to oppose the Netmafia...and I'm not stupid enough to engage everyone at once. That is all, he thought, glaring at him.
Nonetheless, he nodded in agreement with the idea of sending another squad.
Memoriam and Pianissimo
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In a short moment's time, the doctor had paged through, presumably sending someone coordinates. "The task force will be here shortly. Thank you two for your cooperation. Come along now, friends," the Navi motioned to the other two of the NetPolice, heading off with the parcel containing CyborgMan in tow. "There's a safe zone nearby, defended by the NetPolice. I'll take these folks there. Keep strong, you two." The doctor gave a strange smile and headed on his way.
Everything was quiet for a moment. Was it a good sign or a bad one that the areas around the two seemed strangely quiet? Before the two could consider seeking out a new location, however, they became aware of a large Navi and a group of followers heading towards them. The leader, clearly distinguished from his train of followers, was a huge Navi in bright red-orange armor. Large horns protruded from the top of the helmet, and long red hair hung from the back. An intimidating facemask bearing a design of an open demonic mouth covered the lower half of his mouth. His eyes, fixed and white, were hardly visible under his helmet. The armor was decorated almost from head to foot in ornamental crosses. At the shoulders was a thick mantle, and across the front of the waist hung a large cloth. Beneath his armor was a dark undersuit, clinging to his masculine frame. His right arm held an enormous sword, nearly as great as his own height; his left, meanwhile, ended in a buster appendage and was heavily braced at the forearm. The Netpolice emblem was prominent on his chest.
"Ho! Stand back!" he shouted to his train, moving his sword ahead of him. The blade immediately ignited, sending embers scattering off of the brilliant surface. "Demons, villains! Stand your ground with weapons at ease or prepare to be slain!"
"Sir, they aren't showing any immediate signs of resistance," a female officer in standard heavy white armor commented. Her features, like all those of the train, were obscured almost entirely by the bulky suits they wore. Her voice was the only factor that distinguished her as a female. "Could it be these two are not of the NetMafia?"
"Rest assured," the heated Navi spoke as he held his stance, "These two have the taint of evil upon them. My sense has never failed me before. And yet-" he said, dropping his guard, "I sense that they are not altogether demons. Perhaps... merely possessed? Yes, you," he ventured, letting his sword fall to his side, "the young one. What I sense in you is like a ghost... something that is looming over you. It is merely the whisper of the devil... he has no hold on you yet. Yes, you are righteous in virtues as of now. And you..." he commented, turning more uneasily to Pianissimo, "merely by your countenance, I took you to be a demon. The air you have around you... you are more like the shadow than the darkness. I sense, though, that you have reservations about submitting yourself to the light. But the time to choose will soon be upon you... both of you. You must be ready."
The rest of the Navi's train didn't seem to find his rambling upon meeting potential enemies particularly out of place. Apparently, this sort of gesture was commonplace for him.
"You'll excuse me, comrades," the Navi apologized, plunging his sword into the earth and extending his hand. "I am called ZealotMan. It is my sworn duty as of this time to rid this space of the foul offenders that are so often plagues upon friendly society. I would that I might introduce my subordinates in good time, but I fear now is not the proper occasion. We have a great deal to do, and little time to spare."
As ZealotMan talked, Pianissimo and Memoriam happened to notice the defensive stance the armored troops constantly took around him. Could the huge Navi not take care of himself? In any case, they abided his long-winded conversation.
"The hour is short, and the time for action grows ni-Aai!" the Navi cried, clutching his shoulder as a data flew from it in sharp chunks.
The sound of a revolver lit through the air, as all eyes turned to rest on who had fired.
"NetPolice... and if I'm not mistaken, you're ZealotMan?" a cool-toned feminine voice came from the direction. A Navi was suspended in the air, in a posture as though the only suspended part was the torso. The other limbs hung casually. The Navi was wrapped in a green coat, with a wide brimmed hat tilted over her eyes. The coat was buttoned to the point where little of her figure was possible to distinguish. The only other features of her determinable were the flowing black hair behind her head and the smoking revolver held in her right hand.
Unless Kazu's memory of his Navi had gotten very fuzzy, however, the smaller details were all off. The coat was larger, the hair a different shade, even the tone of the voice sounded entirely foreign.
"Congratulations. I can tell you know who I am," the Navi said with a chiding tone.
"It's... it's inconceivable! The same Navi that took down six of our operative forces so far? And yet you always leave one left," ZealotMan growled in spite, "to return and tell the tale. The fugitive Rogue... Kris is your name!"
"That's right," the Navi admitted, tilting the hat enough to reveal a small grin on her face. "I'm enforcing the NetMafia's hold here. Now, all of you sit still, and we'll see which of you gets to be the one that returns home with his tail between his legs."
"The evil aura coming from this one is immense!" ZealotMan muttered, turning to the two that had just arrived. "And yet... something is amiss. I sense many, a multitude of evil presences in the area. I can distinguish them... below her, their feet planted on the ground, three in total yet somehow invisible to the naked eye. And how did she possibly scathe me as my guards kept watch? She materialized from the vapors. Hold fast, friends, foul festivity is afoot."
"Don't trouble yourself with preparing a defense," the floating Navi called down. "In 2 minutes, I expect you'll all have come to an end."
NETMAFIA
Kris(?) : 300
EvilPresenceA: ???
EvilPresenceB: ???
EvilPresenceC: ???
NETPOLICE
ZealotMan: 200 (stun)
ArmorTroopA: 100
ArmorTroopB: 100
ArmorTroopC: 100
ArmorTroopD: 100
VOLUNTEERS
Pianissimo: 160
Memoriam: 195
Terrain: 50% Cracked, beneath Kris
BATTLE ROUTINE SET
EXECUTE
Everything was quiet for a moment. Was it a good sign or a bad one that the areas around the two seemed strangely quiet? Before the two could consider seeking out a new location, however, they became aware of a large Navi and a group of followers heading towards them. The leader, clearly distinguished from his train of followers, was a huge Navi in bright red-orange armor. Large horns protruded from the top of the helmet, and long red hair hung from the back. An intimidating facemask bearing a design of an open demonic mouth covered the lower half of his mouth. His eyes, fixed and white, were hardly visible under his helmet. The armor was decorated almost from head to foot in ornamental crosses. At the shoulders was a thick mantle, and across the front of the waist hung a large cloth. Beneath his armor was a dark undersuit, clinging to his masculine frame. His right arm held an enormous sword, nearly as great as his own height; his left, meanwhile, ended in a buster appendage and was heavily braced at the forearm. The Netpolice emblem was prominent on his chest.
"Ho! Stand back!" he shouted to his train, moving his sword ahead of him. The blade immediately ignited, sending embers scattering off of the brilliant surface. "Demons, villains! Stand your ground with weapons at ease or prepare to be slain!"
"Sir, they aren't showing any immediate signs of resistance," a female officer in standard heavy white armor commented. Her features, like all those of the train, were obscured almost entirely by the bulky suits they wore. Her voice was the only factor that distinguished her as a female. "Could it be these two are not of the NetMafia?"
"Rest assured," the heated Navi spoke as he held his stance, "These two have the taint of evil upon them. My sense has never failed me before. And yet-" he said, dropping his guard, "I sense that they are not altogether demons. Perhaps... merely possessed? Yes, you," he ventured, letting his sword fall to his side, "the young one. What I sense in you is like a ghost... something that is looming over you. It is merely the whisper of the devil... he has no hold on you yet. Yes, you are righteous in virtues as of now. And you..." he commented, turning more uneasily to Pianissimo, "merely by your countenance, I took you to be a demon. The air you have around you... you are more like the shadow than the darkness. I sense, though, that you have reservations about submitting yourself to the light. But the time to choose will soon be upon you... both of you. You must be ready."
The rest of the Navi's train didn't seem to find his rambling upon meeting potential enemies particularly out of place. Apparently, this sort of gesture was commonplace for him.
"You'll excuse me, comrades," the Navi apologized, plunging his sword into the earth and extending his hand. "I am called ZealotMan. It is my sworn duty as of this time to rid this space of the foul offenders that are so often plagues upon friendly society. I would that I might introduce my subordinates in good time, but I fear now is not the proper occasion. We have a great deal to do, and little time to spare."
As ZealotMan talked, Pianissimo and Memoriam happened to notice the defensive stance the armored troops constantly took around him. Could the huge Navi not take care of himself? In any case, they abided his long-winded conversation.
"The hour is short, and the time for action grows ni-Aai!" the Navi cried, clutching his shoulder as a data flew from it in sharp chunks.
The sound of a revolver lit through the air, as all eyes turned to rest on who had fired.
"NetPolice... and if I'm not mistaken, you're ZealotMan?" a cool-toned feminine voice came from the direction. A Navi was suspended in the air, in a posture as though the only suspended part was the torso. The other limbs hung casually. The Navi was wrapped in a green coat, with a wide brimmed hat tilted over her eyes. The coat was buttoned to the point where little of her figure was possible to distinguish. The only other features of her determinable were the flowing black hair behind her head and the smoking revolver held in her right hand.
Unless Kazu's memory of his Navi had gotten very fuzzy, however, the smaller details were all off. The coat was larger, the hair a different shade, even the tone of the voice sounded entirely foreign.
"Congratulations. I can tell you know who I am," the Navi said with a chiding tone.
"It's... it's inconceivable! The same Navi that took down six of our operative forces so far? And yet you always leave one left," ZealotMan growled in spite, "to return and tell the tale. The fugitive Rogue... Kris is your name!"
"That's right," the Navi admitted, tilting the hat enough to reveal a small grin on her face. "I'm enforcing the NetMafia's hold here. Now, all of you sit still, and we'll see which of you gets to be the one that returns home with his tail between his legs."
"The evil aura coming from this one is immense!" ZealotMan muttered, turning to the two that had just arrived. "And yet... something is amiss. I sense many, a multitude of evil presences in the area. I can distinguish them... below her, their feet planted on the ground, three in total yet somehow invisible to the naked eye. And how did she possibly scathe me as my guards kept watch? She materialized from the vapors. Hold fast, friends, foul festivity is afoot."
"Don't trouble yourself with preparing a defense," the floating Navi called down. "In 2 minutes, I expect you'll all have come to an end."
NETMAFIA
Kris(?) : 300
EvilPresenceA: ???
EvilPresenceB: ???
EvilPresenceC: ???
NETPOLICE
ZealotMan: 200 (stun)
ArmorTroopA: 100
ArmorTroopB: 100
ArmorTroopC: 100
ArmorTroopD: 100
VOLUNTEERS
Pianissimo: 160
Memoriam: 195
Terrain: 50% Cracked, beneath Kris
BATTLE ROUTINE SET
EXECUTE
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Kazu didn't know what he was doing. Before he could think about it, he opened his viewscreen and squared off against the Mafia Navi.
"You've changed, To- ...You've changed." Kazu's face looked like it didn't know what to think. Anger, sadness, or something else entirely? What was he supposed to say? "I'm sorry that we had to meet this way..." Only half aware that the entire contents of the battleground could see him, he shook his head slowly. "I'm sorry, but I can't do it all over again," he said, almost angrily, as if Kris had challenged him, when really he had not even given her time to reply. "I have a family now, a life. And I didn't mean for my Navi to be a... a warrior. I'm sorry." He couldn't bring himself to say, goodbye.
Memoriam's brain was working overtime. Interpreting Kazu's speech, reading his emotions, and evaluating the lay of the battlefield took his total concentration. "We'll talk about what my Operator just said at a later time," he said, the tension evident in his voice, as if he could barely spare the brain-space required to talk. "Now, ZealotMan, you must tell us how you are able to see enemies that we cannot, and you must give us tactical information. Use some of my energy; you'll need it."
Some of the aura broke away and merged with the space around ZealotMan as Memoriam's mind started to block out everything except the battle. He saw no useful cover, could not risk an attack, and knew nothing of his enemy. His muscles tensed and his mind blanked. ZealotMan's orders would need to be followed in an instant...
[One-hit barrier for ZealotMan]
[Regen 20]
[Tactical Movement]
1: Dodge
2: Dodge
3: Assistance [Heat Sink ZealotMan]
4: Do whatever ZealotMan orders
"You've changed, To- ...You've changed." Kazu's face looked like it didn't know what to think. Anger, sadness, or something else entirely? What was he supposed to say? "I'm sorry that we had to meet this way..." Only half aware that the entire contents of the battleground could see him, he shook his head slowly. "I'm sorry, but I can't do it all over again," he said, almost angrily, as if Kris had challenged him, when really he had not even given her time to reply. "I have a family now, a life. And I didn't mean for my Navi to be a... a warrior. I'm sorry." He couldn't bring himself to say, goodbye.
Memoriam's brain was working overtime. Interpreting Kazu's speech, reading his emotions, and evaluating the lay of the battlefield took his total concentration. "We'll talk about what my Operator just said at a later time," he said, the tension evident in his voice, as if he could barely spare the brain-space required to talk. "Now, ZealotMan, you must tell us how you are able to see enemies that we cannot, and you must give us tactical information. Use some of my energy; you'll need it."
Some of the aura broke away and merged with the space around ZealotMan as Memoriam's mind started to block out everything except the battle. He saw no useful cover, could not risk an attack, and knew nothing of his enemy. His muscles tensed and his mind blanked. ZealotMan's orders would need to be followed in an instant...
[One-hit barrier for ZealotMan]
[Regen 20]
[Tactical Movement]
1: Dodge
2: Dodge
3: Assistance [Heat Sink ZealotMan]
4: Do whatever ZealotMan orders
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"Shadow? Darkness?" Pianissimo repeated, looking up at the netpolice navi that mistook him for an enemy. "They are one and the same. And I submit myself to nothing," he said coldly. Merely from the tone, the language the man used, the assassin immediately disliked him. Submit himself to the light? What did that mean, join the netpolice and fight for their vision of justice? Hell no. He was Pianissimo, and he fought for whatever he felt like fighting for. And "demon"? Merely a term used by those who could not comprehend power. There were no true demons.
He remained silent as the navi introduced himself. ZealotMan. How fitting, he thought coldly. The defensive nature of his escort, moreover, gave off the impression that the navi was all talk. First impression...I'm going to have to do things my way, Pianissimo thought. His thoughts, however, were interrupted by the gunshot and the projectile that struck the loud navi's shoulder.
In a split second, Pianissimo was in a fighting stance, weapon drawn. He glared at the female mafiosi that had attacked them, undaunted. "Well well...isn't this interesting?" he said. His tone was dark and barely audible, but sounded almost amused. "Kris, huh? I heard about you...Duke told a few stories about Kazu's old navi...I'm kind of curious how you've managed to fall this far..."
He smirked. "Though, I suppose that'll have to wait until this is over...if you survive." The amusement left his voice as he turned towards Memoriam and Kazu's viewscreen. "Do what you need to. But if you get in my way..." he focused on Memoriam, "I won't hesitate to kill you as well." An empty viewscreen opened next to Pianissimo. The navi merely nodded, and the viewscreen vanished. Pianissimo's navi emblem blinked, and what appeared to be a dark blue wrapping of light spread from it, enveloping his armor. "I'll give you a minute."
He waited as Kazu spoke to Kris, and Memoriam to ZealotMan. It'll be a bit easier than I thought, then, he thought, narrowing his eyes. But three others...I can't detect them at all. It's probably better to just wait and see what happens...and try to avoid getting hit. He shifted one leg, ready to move if attacks started flying.
_____________________
1. Barrier
2-5. Prepped Dodge
He remained silent as the navi introduced himself. ZealotMan. How fitting, he thought coldly. The defensive nature of his escort, moreover, gave off the impression that the navi was all talk. First impression...I'm going to have to do things my way, Pianissimo thought. His thoughts, however, were interrupted by the gunshot and the projectile that struck the loud navi's shoulder.
In a split second, Pianissimo was in a fighting stance, weapon drawn. He glared at the female mafiosi that had attacked them, undaunted. "Well well...isn't this interesting?" he said. His tone was dark and barely audible, but sounded almost amused. "Kris, huh? I heard about you...Duke told a few stories about Kazu's old navi...I'm kind of curious how you've managed to fall this far..."
He smirked. "Though, I suppose that'll have to wait until this is over...if you survive." The amusement left his voice as he turned towards Memoriam and Kazu's viewscreen. "Do what you need to. But if you get in my way..." he focused on Memoriam, "I won't hesitate to kill you as well." An empty viewscreen opened next to Pianissimo. The navi merely nodded, and the viewscreen vanished. Pianissimo's navi emblem blinked, and what appeared to be a dark blue wrapping of light spread from it, enveloping his armor. "I'll give you a minute."
He waited as Kazu spoke to Kris, and Memoriam to ZealotMan. It'll be a bit easier than I thought, then, he thought, narrowing his eyes. But three others...I can't detect them at all. It's probably better to just wait and see what happens...and try to avoid getting hit. He shifted one leg, ready to move if attacks started flying.
_____________________
1. Barrier
2-5. Prepped Dodge
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ZealotMan merely scoffed at the assassin Navi's rebuttal, propping himself on one arm and trying once again in vain to rise to his feet. He muttered to himself, apparently not catching the operator's speech as his interest was drawn by Pianissimo's retort. "I can see the darkness surrounding you: one such as yourself discards his senses. He believes he has made himself stronger, but in reality he is merely on the path to blindness. Each powerful strike you make in the dark is merely the result of many futile swipes at self-identity. Only when you awaken to the light that calls out for each and every one of us can you truly understand your fighting potential."
"What ARE you rambling on about, dead man?" the floating Navi called down to her targets, before taking notice of the operator screen that was directing a message her way. She listened at first with indifference, as if she didn't recognize the voice at all. All at once, however, the realization seemed to hit her... could it be that she merely hadn't recognized her former operator? Her face, however, had twisted into a contorted expression of hatred entirely unlike that of the former Kris, and a wide sneer formed across her face. "So, you dare speak up and tell me that you've got a new life? I'm following my own path now, the one I chose, the one both of us chose! I'm following the one you were too weak to, the one that caused you to turn your back and get a new plaything. So don't expect any mercy," the Navi finished in a cool tone, "if I'm not exactly pleased to let your Navi get out of here with his pretty little face intact." The rage seemed entirely disembodied from the Navi itself. Though the anger was definitely on the point of Kris's past, the lack of control made this Kris seem like an entirely different person... could it really even be her?
"You've noticed it too by now, surely," ZealotMan said in a hoarse whisper. "This Navi has no resemblance to a mighty warrior who has slaughtered entire squadrons of NetPolice officers singlehandedly. Yea, I believe she is not the one of whom she claims the identity... but these presences then..." Somehow or another, ZealotMan seemed to have missed entirely the point of Kazu being Kris's former operator. Nonetheless, he clearly had a plan to keep on moving. "I've heard your affirmation, young warrior," he spoke to Memoriam. "I thank you for your assistance. Fortunately, my Fervor Armor won't let this wound keep me stayed at length: my troops will protect me for now. Keep yourself alive and be prepared to strike when my body has recuperated."
The enemy, however, didn't seem to be prepared to give him the chance. Kris seemed ready to exercise her point of finishing in 2 minutes. With an undetectable motion, the suspended Navi had drawn her weapon. In a motion that seemed almost scandalous in comparison to the reserved, stealthy appearance she had first born, she began fanning the revolver with amazing speed. It didn't take a sharpshooter to detect the unfathomable number of rounds being emptied in the small frame of time she was firing. The armored troops had instinctively taken formation around ZealotMan to protect him. Shots rang from all directions, and the sound of metal being pierced or dented at high velocity and cries of pain rang through the air as each of them fell immediately. Detecting where these shots had come from was entirely impossible for the pair, but keeping themselves alive wouldn't be. In spite of the bullets that seemed to rain from all directions earlier, the two were able to see the incoming bullets from her gun plainly with their focus. These bullets were dodged successfully, but the Navi already seemed to be reloading. "My two minutes aren't up yet, and my gun's just getting warmed up. If you're too scared, maybe you ought to just run away again...?"
"Fear is not likened unto patience, scoundrel!" ZealotMan shouted at his enemy, managing to rise to his feet finally in a quick motion. Flames seemed to stream from the crevices of his armor as his soul ignited. "If you're ready at hand and heart, follow me. I may have learned the enemy's secret. Try to land hits on our main target if you can, but above all, do not part ways. I have an inkling that they may select me as their prime quarry. If it comes to pass, then I will spearhead our efforts and keep you out of harm's way! No evil presences can stand before the might of my blade." His voice had risen to a positive growl as he let out a bellow, his entire body igniting into flames. "Godspeed!" His head darted back, his eyes trailing a strange light as he looked to Pianissimo. "Do what you like, but I will say this: you are a good warrior, and it would be a shame that you should not survive to become a better one. I am ready to lay down my life," he concluded, turning back ahead, "for the cause of the NetPolice!"
NETMAFIA
Kris(?) : 300
EvilPresenceA: ???
EvilPresenceB: ???
EvilPresenceC: ???
NETPOLICE
ZealotMan: 200 (Dodge Up, Barrier)
ArmorTroopA: 30 (stun)
ArmorTroopB: 30 (stun)
ArmorTroopC: 30 (stun)
ArmorTroopD: 30 (stun)
VOLUNTEERS
Pianissimo: 160 (Barrier)
Memoriam: 210
"What ARE you rambling on about, dead man?" the floating Navi called down to her targets, before taking notice of the operator screen that was directing a message her way. She listened at first with indifference, as if she didn't recognize the voice at all. All at once, however, the realization seemed to hit her... could it be that she merely hadn't recognized her former operator? Her face, however, had twisted into a contorted expression of hatred entirely unlike that of the former Kris, and a wide sneer formed across her face. "So, you dare speak up and tell me that you've got a new life? I'm following my own path now, the one I chose, the one both of us chose! I'm following the one you were too weak to, the one that caused you to turn your back and get a new plaything. So don't expect any mercy," the Navi finished in a cool tone, "if I'm not exactly pleased to let your Navi get out of here with his pretty little face intact." The rage seemed entirely disembodied from the Navi itself. Though the anger was definitely on the point of Kris's past, the lack of control made this Kris seem like an entirely different person... could it really even be her?
"You've noticed it too by now, surely," ZealotMan said in a hoarse whisper. "This Navi has no resemblance to a mighty warrior who has slaughtered entire squadrons of NetPolice officers singlehandedly. Yea, I believe she is not the one of whom she claims the identity... but these presences then..." Somehow or another, ZealotMan seemed to have missed entirely the point of Kazu being Kris's former operator. Nonetheless, he clearly had a plan to keep on moving. "I've heard your affirmation, young warrior," he spoke to Memoriam. "I thank you for your assistance. Fortunately, my Fervor Armor won't let this wound keep me stayed at length: my troops will protect me for now. Keep yourself alive and be prepared to strike when my body has recuperated."
The enemy, however, didn't seem to be prepared to give him the chance. Kris seemed ready to exercise her point of finishing in 2 minutes. With an undetectable motion, the suspended Navi had drawn her weapon. In a motion that seemed almost scandalous in comparison to the reserved, stealthy appearance she had first born, she began fanning the revolver with amazing speed. It didn't take a sharpshooter to detect the unfathomable number of rounds being emptied in the small frame of time she was firing. The armored troops had instinctively taken formation around ZealotMan to protect him. Shots rang from all directions, and the sound of metal being pierced or dented at high velocity and cries of pain rang through the air as each of them fell immediately. Detecting where these shots had come from was entirely impossible for the pair, but keeping themselves alive wouldn't be. In spite of the bullets that seemed to rain from all directions earlier, the two were able to see the incoming bullets from her gun plainly with their focus. These bullets were dodged successfully, but the Navi already seemed to be reloading. "My two minutes aren't up yet, and my gun's just getting warmed up. If you're too scared, maybe you ought to just run away again...?"
"Fear is not likened unto patience, scoundrel!" ZealotMan shouted at his enemy, managing to rise to his feet finally in a quick motion. Flames seemed to stream from the crevices of his armor as his soul ignited. "If you're ready at hand and heart, follow me. I may have learned the enemy's secret. Try to land hits on our main target if you can, but above all, do not part ways. I have an inkling that they may select me as their prime quarry. If it comes to pass, then I will spearhead our efforts and keep you out of harm's way! No evil presences can stand before the might of my blade." His voice had risen to a positive growl as he let out a bellow, his entire body igniting into flames. "Godspeed!" His head darted back, his eyes trailing a strange light as he looked to Pianissimo. "Do what you like, but I will say this: you are a good warrior, and it would be a shame that you should not survive to become a better one. I am ready to lay down my life," he concluded, turning back ahead, "for the cause of the NetPolice!"
NETMAFIA
Kris(?) : 300
EvilPresenceA: ???
EvilPresenceB: ???
EvilPresenceC: ???
NETPOLICE
ZealotMan: 200 (Dodge Up, Barrier)
ArmorTroopA: 30 (stun)
ArmorTroopB: 30 (stun)
ArmorTroopC: 30 (stun)
ArmorTroopD: 30 (stun)
VOLUNTEERS
Pianissimo: 160 (Barrier)
Memoriam: 210
last edited by
"Or maybe you just see a more literal darkness," Pianissimo responded dully, glancing down at his armor. The speeches of ZealotMan were quickly starting to become irritating, the kind that made others beg the maker to shut up. The assassin himself, however, was above that and knew there were more important matters than a nut making speeches about light and darkness.
Like the rain of fire erupting from the weapon of the one who called herself Kris.
It seemed odd, though. Nothing about the accounts of anyone present seemed to add up to what he was seeing. Duke saw it too. Was this really the same navi? The one he knew as Kazu's original partner had much more controlled emotions. Rage was barely known to the navi, as was the complete lack of self control that she had shown. The language itself of the navi was completely different as well. So...what had happened? Can seven years really change a navi that much? He doubted it. Navis were programs. Though some of them were designed to simulate life, an area Duke was exceptionally skilled at, they were still not human. Seven years to a navi was not seven years to a human. And with how much he had teamed up with Kazu, he figured he knew that navi well enough. He should, even. After all, Miyamoto 404's personality was the base inspiration behind Pianissimo. Though over seven years that inspiration had become warped from its original form to that of an assassin, the root was still the same.
"If that navi is the real thing," he told Pianissimo, "It's strayed so far from what I remember that it might as well not be. Don't hold back." The voice came from the same empty viewscreen as before. It seemed Duke was in a crowded location again, one where being seen operating a navi in a war zone would draw unwanted attention.
Or was there another reason...?
Pianissimo nodded. So that was how it would be. There was no reason for him to question it. The familiar feeling of chip data spread through his body. Recognition followed as he sorted through the data. Powerbolts...both of them. Hadn't used those in awhile. And the areagrab...was it really smart to use it so quickly? Yet now he could definitely see how they would be of use. Get behind the enemy and hit fast and hard, then lay on extra hits before they had a chance to retaliate. It could work perfectly...or it could end horribly. But he had to do something, and this seemed to be the best option...for now. And an extra movement to throw the enemy off would definitely help...
"Two minutes, you said..." he muttered, glaring up through shielded eyes at the navi. "Better hurry then. I'd hate for you to be wrong..." As he spoke at slightly greater length, his voice started to waver, as though someone were playing with the volume of a stereo. The last two words, however, clearly reached Kris's ears, despite being no more than a whisper. "Tick tock."
At that, the dark red trim on Pianissimo's armor faded to match the black that filled the rest. The scarf and eyes darkened as well, followed by what little was visible of his face. To end it, Pianissimo's entire body fell through his own shadow. The dark spot on the net rippled as he passed through, then shrank into nothing.
His armored form reappeared out of nothingness directly behind her. Overconfident...explosive, hateful...reminds me a bit of Persephone. Yet somehow, she seems even more incompetent...she's already dead. Dots blinked on the surface of his eyepieces. Her form was weak, the rear was completely unguarded as usual. His black katana ripped through the air as he fully rematerialized, swung at the glaring blind spot. Purely human design. The neck is the weakest... These thoughts were followed by a second slash, aimed more specifically at the neck of the female gunner navi.
In two slashes, his body fell enough that he reached the cracked ground below him. Two slow, he needed something else...
Positioning one foot so that it broke off a piece of the ground, he braced himself in the resulting gap and one other crack. Giving the navi a slight upward glance, he whispered once again... "Time's running out..."
Smart move? Bad move? He didn't know, but at the very least, it would draw fire away from where it should have been aimed. By the time any normal navi would have been able to aim directly below themselves, Pianissimo had activated the areagrab chip. The crumbling ground where he stood was the only evidence he was ever there. To the side he reappeared, several feet away, with both hands glowing an eerie indigo color and planted against the ground. The glow immediately left his hands...
...and two columns of energy erupted from the crumbling terrain underneath Kris.
___
1. Cloak and Dagger - Teleport behind Kris, 90 slashing to Kris.
2. Silencer - 140 slashing to Kris
3. Areagrab to right side of Kris, at edge of cracked terrain
4-5. Dual Powerbolt - 140 x 2 to Kris
Like the rain of fire erupting from the weapon of the one who called herself Kris.
It seemed odd, though. Nothing about the accounts of anyone present seemed to add up to what he was seeing. Duke saw it too. Was this really the same navi? The one he knew as Kazu's original partner had much more controlled emotions. Rage was barely known to the navi, as was the complete lack of self control that she had shown. The language itself of the navi was completely different as well. So...what had happened? Can seven years really change a navi that much? He doubted it. Navis were programs. Though some of them were designed to simulate life, an area Duke was exceptionally skilled at, they were still not human. Seven years to a navi was not seven years to a human. And with how much he had teamed up with Kazu, he figured he knew that navi well enough. He should, even. After all, Miyamoto 404's personality was the base inspiration behind Pianissimo. Though over seven years that inspiration had become warped from its original form to that of an assassin, the root was still the same.
"If that navi is the real thing," he told Pianissimo, "It's strayed so far from what I remember that it might as well not be. Don't hold back." The voice came from the same empty viewscreen as before. It seemed Duke was in a crowded location again, one where being seen operating a navi in a war zone would draw unwanted attention.
Or was there another reason...?
Pianissimo nodded. So that was how it would be. There was no reason for him to question it. The familiar feeling of chip data spread through his body. Recognition followed as he sorted through the data. Powerbolts...both of them. Hadn't used those in awhile. And the areagrab...was it really smart to use it so quickly? Yet now he could definitely see how they would be of use. Get behind the enemy and hit fast and hard, then lay on extra hits before they had a chance to retaliate. It could work perfectly...or it could end horribly. But he had to do something, and this seemed to be the best option...for now. And an extra movement to throw the enemy off would definitely help...
"Two minutes, you said..." he muttered, glaring up through shielded eyes at the navi. "Better hurry then. I'd hate for you to be wrong..." As he spoke at slightly greater length, his voice started to waver, as though someone were playing with the volume of a stereo. The last two words, however, clearly reached Kris's ears, despite being no more than a whisper. "Tick tock."
At that, the dark red trim on Pianissimo's armor faded to match the black that filled the rest. The scarf and eyes darkened as well, followed by what little was visible of his face. To end it, Pianissimo's entire body fell through his own shadow. The dark spot on the net rippled as he passed through, then shrank into nothing.
His armored form reappeared out of nothingness directly behind her. Overconfident...explosive, hateful...reminds me a bit of Persephone. Yet somehow, she seems even more incompetent...she's already dead. Dots blinked on the surface of his eyepieces. Her form was weak, the rear was completely unguarded as usual. His black katana ripped through the air as he fully rematerialized, swung at the glaring blind spot. Purely human design. The neck is the weakest... These thoughts were followed by a second slash, aimed more specifically at the neck of the female gunner navi.
In two slashes, his body fell enough that he reached the cracked ground below him. Two slow, he needed something else...
Positioning one foot so that it broke off a piece of the ground, he braced himself in the resulting gap and one other crack. Giving the navi a slight upward glance, he whispered once again... "Time's running out..."
Smart move? Bad move? He didn't know, but at the very least, it would draw fire away from where it should have been aimed. By the time any normal navi would have been able to aim directly below themselves, Pianissimo had activated the areagrab chip. The crumbling ground where he stood was the only evidence he was ever there. To the side he reappeared, several feet away, with both hands glowing an eerie indigo color and planted against the ground. The glow immediately left his hands...
...and two columns of energy erupted from the crumbling terrain underneath Kris.
___
1. Cloak and Dagger - Teleport behind Kris, 90 slashing to Kris.
2. Silencer - 140 slashing to Kris
3. Areagrab to right side of Kris, at edge of cracked terrain
4-5. Dual Powerbolt - 140 x 2 to Kris
last edited by
[Regen 20]
[1-hit barrier for Pianissimo]
[Tactical Movement]
"Suppression fire." Pianissimo's sword melted into his body as he said it. For a few seconds, nothing. "Suppression fire! He said again, forcefully, and Kazu realized that the command was aimed at him. With building intensity, the all-too-human Operator of Memoriam flipped through the disarray of his folder of chips and snapped three chips into his heavily modified PET. The entire time, he couldn't keep his eyes off of the other one of his Navis on the screen. It still might not be her, he reminded himself. And, he further reminded himself, if it was, then he had a duty to fight her. He couldn't go back down that road. His Navi was never meant to be a warrior, a survivor. He had to side with the status quo. It was for his life, his family. How long had it been, he thought, since he'd operated that green-shrouded figure? An eternity, three lifetimes.
Memoriam quickly assessed the firepower being downloaded to him, and found that he approved; his Operator had not lost his touch. He prepared the destructive power within him for immediate use, concentrated on finding a strategy, realized instead that he would rather try an experiment. The details of the plan quickly came together in Memoriam's electronic brain, so that by the time his emulated mental powers were ready for action, his fighting partner had already leapt off to fight. It was fortunate; Memoriam knew that for the time being, he was but a minor player in this battle; the other, Pianissimo, was the true star. As for ZealotMan, Memoriam could not rely on a combatant who had not yet revealed his abilities.
Pianissimo's feet were still in the air as Memoriam's computing power surged forth, beginning the rapid sequence of action that he'd finalized in the preceding few milliseconds. "Sorry, Kazuhiro," said the Navi tensely as his aura started to make the air around him quiver. "I'm going to have to use you for a while."
There was a thrumming sound somewhere deep in the electronic environment as Memoriam manipulated it. Virtual light, sound, space, and proportion bent to his will as his energy flowed from his own form and into the Net-space. A square appeared in the air, then was suddenly filled by a human face, with messy black hair and Japanese eyes-- the face of Memoriam's creator, Kris' ex-Operator, Kazuhiro Ishihara. "Kris," said Kazu in the flawless American accent of a Netbattler turned family man, "I want you to reconsider. Please, maybe there's a way we can join forces again. Memoriam here would listen to me if I had a talk with him. You're right. I was weak, I abandoned you, and even if I don't want to go down that road again, maybe if you use your influence we can all achieve--"
Kazuhiro gaped at himself talking on the computer screen, having taken a few shocked seconds to realize what had just happened. "Memoriam," he said quietly over his own words coming from the computer. "Please don't do this. I know you're curious and I know it's tactically--"
Both of Kazuhiro's voices were cut off by roaring gunfire as Memoriam's aura raged to life, spitting fire and energy like a lightshow highlighting Pianissimo's charge. Memoriam's sword was more flame than weapon, twisting and flickering like a living flame in his hand, lashing out at Kris and whatever invisible henchmen accompanied her with the fury of a machine gun. Memoriam was firing as fast as he could while still being absolutely accurate and not risking friendly fire against Pianissimo, which was still very rapidly. Still not done yet, he drew his aura back into himself for a split-second before throwing himself to the side, diving almost all the way down to the floor and spraying a barrage of six blue spikes that skimmed the ground and then spiralled upwards to strike at Kris from every angle.
In the real world, Kazu felt as if he was in Kris' place, being struck from a place that he could never expect.
1. Misdirection [Sacrifice 15, Illusion, Take Aim]
2. Vulcan2 [5x10] Kris
3-4. AquaNeedle1 [20x3] EvilPresence A, B, C, AquaNeedle1 [20x3] EvilPresence A, B, C
[1-hit barrier for Pianissimo]
[Tactical Movement]
"Suppression fire." Pianissimo's sword melted into his body as he said it. For a few seconds, nothing. "Suppression fire! He said again, forcefully, and Kazu realized that the command was aimed at him. With building intensity, the all-too-human Operator of Memoriam flipped through the disarray of his folder of chips and snapped three chips into his heavily modified PET. The entire time, he couldn't keep his eyes off of the other one of his Navis on the screen. It still might not be her, he reminded himself. And, he further reminded himself, if it was, then he had a duty to fight her. He couldn't go back down that road. His Navi was never meant to be a warrior, a survivor. He had to side with the status quo. It was for his life, his family. How long had it been, he thought, since he'd operated that green-shrouded figure? An eternity, three lifetimes.
Memoriam quickly assessed the firepower being downloaded to him, and found that he approved; his Operator had not lost his touch. He prepared the destructive power within him for immediate use, concentrated on finding a strategy, realized instead that he would rather try an experiment. The details of the plan quickly came together in Memoriam's electronic brain, so that by the time his emulated mental powers were ready for action, his fighting partner had already leapt off to fight. It was fortunate; Memoriam knew that for the time being, he was but a minor player in this battle; the other, Pianissimo, was the true star. As for ZealotMan, Memoriam could not rely on a combatant who had not yet revealed his abilities.
Pianissimo's feet were still in the air as Memoriam's computing power surged forth, beginning the rapid sequence of action that he'd finalized in the preceding few milliseconds. "Sorry, Kazuhiro," said the Navi tensely as his aura started to make the air around him quiver. "I'm going to have to use you for a while."
There was a thrumming sound somewhere deep in the electronic environment as Memoriam manipulated it. Virtual light, sound, space, and proportion bent to his will as his energy flowed from his own form and into the Net-space. A square appeared in the air, then was suddenly filled by a human face, with messy black hair and Japanese eyes-- the face of Memoriam's creator, Kris' ex-Operator, Kazuhiro Ishihara. "Kris," said Kazu in the flawless American accent of a Netbattler turned family man, "I want you to reconsider. Please, maybe there's a way we can join forces again. Memoriam here would listen to me if I had a talk with him. You're right. I was weak, I abandoned you, and even if I don't want to go down that road again, maybe if you use your influence we can all achieve--"
Kazuhiro gaped at himself talking on the computer screen, having taken a few shocked seconds to realize what had just happened. "Memoriam," he said quietly over his own words coming from the computer. "Please don't do this. I know you're curious and I know it's tactically--"
Both of Kazuhiro's voices were cut off by roaring gunfire as Memoriam's aura raged to life, spitting fire and energy like a lightshow highlighting Pianissimo's charge. Memoriam's sword was more flame than weapon, twisting and flickering like a living flame in his hand, lashing out at Kris and whatever invisible henchmen accompanied her with the fury of a machine gun. Memoriam was firing as fast as he could while still being absolutely accurate and not risking friendly fire against Pianissimo, which was still very rapidly. Still not done yet, he drew his aura back into himself for a split-second before throwing himself to the side, diving almost all the way down to the floor and spraying a barrage of six blue spikes that skimmed the ground and then spiralled upwards to strike at Kris from every angle.
In the real world, Kazu felt as if he was in Kris' place, being struck from a place that he could never expect.
1. Misdirection [Sacrifice 15, Illusion, Take Aim]
2. Vulcan2 [5x10] Kris
3-4. AquaNeedle1 [20x3] EvilPresence A, B, C, AquaNeedle1 [20x3] EvilPresence A, B, C
last edited by
"That big blowhard is going straight for them... I guess it's my job to cover their tails again," the floating Navi muttered to herself quietly, taking aim below at the charging Navi. "If you want to be the first to go, I'll be happy to oblige. I'd planned only to take a couple of minutes taking you guys down, but now I'm content to spend an eternity with you three until you've died three times over from my guns." Clenching her teeth, she steadied her aim.
"Agh, what? They're not in pursuit!" ZealotMan said, glaring out of the corner of his eye as he flew toward the first detected entity. "I might have foreseen the outcome... he's a man of the darkness, after all. And, I imagine he's too old to be receiving diatribes from one as ancient as myself... Very well! The younger generation is impressive indeed. I shall leave this war to wage in your capable hands. Take heed, friends!" he called, suddenly diverting his course and heading to a position directly beneath the Navi who was preparing to fire. "I won't be able to dodge at this angle, but I never intended to anyway..."
Pianissimo's strike from the back had already begun. Oddly indeed considering the earlier hot rage she had displayed, the Navi didn't even react to the transmission being played. Instead, she whirled one arm back behind to match Pianissimo with revolver in her right hand while keeping the left below, aimed at the flaming ZealotMan below. "Don't even try that on me," she said with a creeping smirk. "If you knew me half as well as you thought you did, you'd know better..." Though the Navi managed to dodge Pianissimo's first strike, she was eating her words after the next attack came through. The assassin's second strike hit home, sending her reeling back in pain. Her arms remained trained on her targets, however, as she released two shots whizzing for their targets. By heading downward, Pianissimo had avoided the first shot. However, the shot meant for the Zealot Navi was headed for that same position, as he'd begun a dash at breakneck speeds for the very position.
"The curtain call draws near... Devil Expulsion!" ZealotMan called, releasing the flaming energy that had built up around him in a radial wave. The flames spread around him as though without a target, but soon began to break against the formerly invisible forms of the surrounding enemy targets. The large Navi was howling like a beast, but it began to taper off as though he was losing that composure. "I have little strength left, but... I am ready to give my life in the service of the NetPolice at any time!" ZealotMan gave a leap into the air over his ally, intercepting the bullet and allowing Pianissimo to escape in time for his areagrab. "... Momentary rest!" the Navi yelped as he hit the ground. Though his systems were stalling, he felt it necessary that his allies didn't have to concern themselves over him.
"Dammit! The gig's up!" one of the exposed Navis, a dark-armored HeelNavi with a large cannon designed after a repeating revolver rested on his shoulder, shouted as the wave connected. "Move, move! Take these ones out and we patch up this whole mess before anyone finds out." He and the two other formerly hidden Navis, identical to his own design, began to take aim for the assassin who had gone on the move again.
The once floating Navi now lay on the ground, struggling to recover from the injury. "There's no way... they've defeated our instant kill! There were too many targets... and to think we'd try and take the idiotic fire one first!" She began to raise her revolvers, but a number of chutes of energy exploding around her interrupted her. The gun flew from her hand as she was riddled with the stabs of Memoriam's blade.
"Ay, now ye've done et!" one of the black-armored Navis cried as they began peppering Pianissimo with round after round from their shoulder-cannons. "Our money makin' scheme's ruined thanks to ye!" The Mafia Navis salvo of fire ended abruptly, however, as they were pierced with the needles Memoriam had fired. The one remaining began to whimper and turned to run before being taken down by a few shots from the heavily-armored police Navis who had just recovered.
It looked like the dust of battle was clearing. The only moving enemy remaining was "Kris," writhing on the ground from her injuries. Were there any questions left to be asked?
NETPOLICE / VOLUNTEERS WIN
NETMAFIA
Kris(?) : UNABLE TO FIGHT
EvilPresenceA: DELETED
EvilPresenceB: DELETED
EvilPresenceC: DELETED
NETPOLICE
ZealotMan: 150
ArmorTroopA: 30
ArmorTroopB: 30
ArmorTroopC: 30
ArmorTroopD: 30
VOLUNTEERS
Pianissimo: 100
Memoriam: 210
Rewards:
Memoriam: 1000z, MarkCannon1
Pianissimo: 1000z, Kunai1
"Agh, what? They're not in pursuit!" ZealotMan said, glaring out of the corner of his eye as he flew toward the first detected entity. "I might have foreseen the outcome... he's a man of the darkness, after all. And, I imagine he's too old to be receiving diatribes from one as ancient as myself... Very well! The younger generation is impressive indeed. I shall leave this war to wage in your capable hands. Take heed, friends!" he called, suddenly diverting his course and heading to a position directly beneath the Navi who was preparing to fire. "I won't be able to dodge at this angle, but I never intended to anyway..."
Pianissimo's strike from the back had already begun. Oddly indeed considering the earlier hot rage she had displayed, the Navi didn't even react to the transmission being played. Instead, she whirled one arm back behind to match Pianissimo with revolver in her right hand while keeping the left below, aimed at the flaming ZealotMan below. "Don't even try that on me," she said with a creeping smirk. "If you knew me half as well as you thought you did, you'd know better..." Though the Navi managed to dodge Pianissimo's first strike, she was eating her words after the next attack came through. The assassin's second strike hit home, sending her reeling back in pain. Her arms remained trained on her targets, however, as she released two shots whizzing for their targets. By heading downward, Pianissimo had avoided the first shot. However, the shot meant for the Zealot Navi was headed for that same position, as he'd begun a dash at breakneck speeds for the very position.
"The curtain call draws near... Devil Expulsion!" ZealotMan called, releasing the flaming energy that had built up around him in a radial wave. The flames spread around him as though without a target, but soon began to break against the formerly invisible forms of the surrounding enemy targets. The large Navi was howling like a beast, but it began to taper off as though he was losing that composure. "I have little strength left, but... I am ready to give my life in the service of the NetPolice at any time!" ZealotMan gave a leap into the air over his ally, intercepting the bullet and allowing Pianissimo to escape in time for his areagrab. "... Momentary rest!" the Navi yelped as he hit the ground. Though his systems were stalling, he felt it necessary that his allies didn't have to concern themselves over him.
"Dammit! The gig's up!" one of the exposed Navis, a dark-armored HeelNavi with a large cannon designed after a repeating revolver rested on his shoulder, shouted as the wave connected. "Move, move! Take these ones out and we patch up this whole mess before anyone finds out." He and the two other formerly hidden Navis, identical to his own design, began to take aim for the assassin who had gone on the move again.
The once floating Navi now lay on the ground, struggling to recover from the injury. "There's no way... they've defeated our instant kill! There were too many targets... and to think we'd try and take the idiotic fire one first!" She began to raise her revolvers, but a number of chutes of energy exploding around her interrupted her. The gun flew from her hand as she was riddled with the stabs of Memoriam's blade.
"Ay, now ye've done et!" one of the black-armored Navis cried as they began peppering Pianissimo with round after round from their shoulder-cannons. "Our money makin' scheme's ruined thanks to ye!" The Mafia Navis salvo of fire ended abruptly, however, as they were pierced with the needles Memoriam had fired. The one remaining began to whimper and turned to run before being taken down by a few shots from the heavily-armored police Navis who had just recovered.
It looked like the dust of battle was clearing. The only moving enemy remaining was "Kris," writhing on the ground from her injuries. Were there any questions left to be asked?
NETPOLICE / VOLUNTEERS WIN
NETMAFIA
Kris(?) : UNABLE TO FIGHT
EvilPresenceA: DELETED
EvilPresenceB: DELETED
EvilPresenceC: DELETED
NETPOLICE
ZealotMan: 150
ArmorTroopA: 30
ArmorTroopB: 30
ArmorTroopC: 30
ArmorTroopD: 30
VOLUNTEERS
Pianissimo: 100
Memoriam: 210
Rewards:
Memoriam: 1000z, MarkCannon1
Pianissimo: 1000z, Kunai1