Description: After the battle with Zabel Zarock went awry, the fight for the communications antennas did not proceed well -- but now there is a different tack to approach. A mysterious stranger has been seen wandering throughout the city, garbed in tattered cloth -- radiating the intense energy of countless, innumerable souls of the damned. And it seems he's been frequenting one of the taller buildings in town: one with a clear shot of the Il Paradiso Opera House. Keeping an eye on the comings and goings of the people within. Yeah, this tower's too small for the both of them.
Once upon a time in 1956, Ted Boobershnick had a dream. he envisioned a world of numbers. A world of righteousness. A world in which people loved and respected their tax collectors. It was Mr. Boobershnick's sincere belief that if he only broadcast the glorious virtues of the Internal Revenue Service long and loud enough, people would eventually see things his way.
Thus, the IRS' grand Metro City branch headquarters was built.
The relationship between tax payers and the Government never did quite recover. Though, it is said that religious services saw a 30 percent increase in attendance the day the IRS grand Metro City HQ fell into the doom pit at the center of town.
Once sixty floors of glorious Revenue worshipping zealotry, the grand IRS HQ did not fair so well on its trip between dimensions. it now stands a crumbling disaster, leaning heavily toward the east as if it might topple at any moment. Its once red bricks have gone to grey, every plate glass window is shattered, and the insides are strewn with destroyed office paraphernalia.
It is this ruined hulk, with its commanding view over the surrounding square, that might be the key to Zach's plans. But like seemingly everything in this twisted realm, there is a catch. High above ground level, near the top of the crumbling tower of bureaucratic evil, a powerful presence waits. Neither good, nor evil, the presence none-the-less throws off waves of psychic might that can be easily felt by anyone with the right senses.
Captain Zach Glenn is one such man. He had been looking at the IRS building with a curious eye after his disasterous run-in with Zabel Zarock; it was possible that it might have what he needed to establish contact with Earth. He was on his way to the building when he noticed the... presence.
It's enough to make him stop short, and glance at the one man who had volunteered to go with him. "This may get complicated," Zach says to Officer McElhinney. "Something is up there."
McElhinney gives Zach a strange look; the cop had not heard of psychic phenomenon before meeting the Marine, and still doesn't really buy into the concept. "You say so, Captain," he says neutrally. But still, he follows the psion into the building. It's not long before the two men are picking thier way towards the top of the building to see what could be found.
Zach's own psychic presence may be miniscule in comparison, but it's unlikely to go unnoticed by whatever is up there.
Unsurprisingly, the elevators are out of order. Often heroes have to prove their worth by climbing mountains, slaying dragons, or answering riddles. All Zach and McElhinney have to do is climb Fifty-ish flights of stairs. Nothing to it.
The seemingly endless stairwell terminates at the fifty fourth floor, the textured stairs winding around to continue up toward the fifty fifth but ending abruptly in a jagged mess of rubble. There is no ceiling, only crumbling walls topped by open sky. The stairwell's fire safety door is, however, remarkably in tact.
Through the door lies the remains of the fifty fourth floor of the dastardly Metro City IRS HQ. The dark indoor-outdoor carpet is hidden beneath a blanket of fallen ceiling tiles and broken 2-by-4s. Plastic cubical dividers lie in crumpled heaps, and gutted electronic devices are strewn randomly about. The tallest of the surrounding walls are perhaps 6 feet tall, though the entire top floor is criss-crossed with wall stubs ranging from 1 to 3 feet in height, bent metal support beams thrusting up from the plaster like the battlements of some demented castle.
At the center of this catastrophe stands a lone figure. Not tall, perhaps a couple inches shorter than Zach, the lone individual stands with its left shoulder turned toward the stairwell door. At a glance the stranger appears to be a lean male, draped in tattered black cloth with gold and carmine trim. Glowing green gems are spaced evenly across his body at elbows, knees, waist and forehead.
All in all, the figure wouldn't seem all that intimidating if it weren't for the oppressive sense of psychic might that blankets the entire room. The warrior's presence is so powerful that even the laymen can feel it at this distance.
For the moment the figure doesn't seem to be paying any attention to his surroundings. His face is turned away, attention fixed on something far in the distance.
Zach wobbles in the face of the presence, ever so slightly, before motioning to McElhinney to stay at the door for a moment. Zach walks onto the rooftop, keeping an eye on the stranger as he tries to get a look around the now roof-top. Glenn frowns at this. He had been hoping that there would be some kind of communications rig on the rooftop. With the roof, and any potential equipment that he could use, gone this became a lost cause.
McElhinney, despite any lack of psychic talent of his own, could recognize a dangerous individual when he saw one. A cop knows trouble when it presents itself. He does what the Marine tells him to do, and stays put as Zach starts to make his way back to the door. Zach gestures back toward the stairwell, and the cop starts to back his wya through the door. Neither men are tkaing thier eyes off of this unknown quantity in front of them.
Even as McElhinney begins to back out of the room, the dark-clad figure lifts his left hand from where it had been dangling limp at his side. Face still turned away, the psychic aims his palm toward the retreating cop and flexes his cloth-wrapped fingers. With a deep, teeth vibrating thrum misty green energy flares around the figure's hand, and outlines the open doorway the two adventurers arrived through. Then, with a solid 'SLAM!' the door is wrenched closed, propelling McElhinney back into the wrecked office space.
"Zach Glenn." States the figure, its words rolled out in a chant, layers upon layers of cadences and dialects all speaking in the same flat monotone. "We have been waiting for you to arrive. You must earn what you seek, through Kombat."
Cloth-wrapped feet scraping through the rubbish, Ermac turns calmly about to face the two men. His featureless green eyes focus first on one man, then the other as he extends his arms out to either side. The teeth-grinding thrum in the air intensifies as more misty green energy swirls into being around his hands and forearms. Tattered lengths of cloth hanging from his dark outfit lift, ignoring gravity as they swirl slowly through the air in an invisible breeze.
Life is never easy.
COMBATSYS: Ermac has started a fight here on the top side.
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Ermac 0|-------|------=
COMBATSYS: Zach Glenn has joined the fight here.
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Ermac 0|-------|------=
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Zach Glenn 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: McElhinney has joined the fight here.
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Ermac 0|-------|------=
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Zach Glenn 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 McElhinney
Both men whirl to look at the now closed door, eyes wide with surprise and worry. Then the man pronounces that a fight cannot be avoided. Both men fall back on training.
McElhinney produces his service pistol, firing off several rounds from the weapon. Slow, steady firing, not the staccato of panic fire. Every shot is aimed at a vital point. Metro PD does not mess around.
Zach Glenn, perhaps surprisingly, has the same idea. The Marine pulls not the sword strapped to his back, but his sidearm: a Colt M1911. The Marine fires off nine shots, perhaps faster than McElhinney, but no less accurate for all of that. After the ninth shot, the slide locks back. Glenn thumbs the release and holsters the weapon even as he charges the Kombatant, his right hand drifting toward the hilt of the claymore he carries!
COMBATSYS: Ermac dodges McElhinney's Service Revolver.
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Ermac 0|-------|------=
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Zach Glenn 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 McElhinney
COMBATSYS: Ermac dodges Zach Glenn's Thrown Object.
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Ermac 0|-------|------=
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Zach Glenn 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 McElhinney
Eyes burning with the power of uncounted souls, Ermac watches unconcernedly as both men draw their pistols. Hands held out to his sides and bright with power, he waits until McElhinney's first shot is zipping through the air toward him. Then, he vanishes.
The Outworld enforcer's body disappears in a swirling mass of green light, McElhinney and Zach's bullets cutting through a dissipating cloud of glowing mist a fraction too late.
Near simultaneously, a swirl of green souls materializes directly in front of Zach and Ermac steps calmly out of it right into the blond man's face. Completely ignoring the fact that the taller man is reaching for his sword, the enforcer snaps up his glowing right hand and attempts to grab Zach roughly by the side of the head. If he can get that grip he will lean forward and bare down on the unfortunate man with supernatural strength, attempting to force him to his knees. Glowing green energy will start to spread out from his hand to surround the blond fighter's head. The sensation is likely very unpleasant, unnatural forces pressing in from all directions as if his head were trapped deep beneath the ocean...
COMBATSYS: Ermac successfully hits Zach Glenn with Lucidity.
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Ermac 0|-------|----===
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Zach Glenn 0/-------/----===|-------\-------\0 McElhinney
stooped forward, cloth-wrapped face just inches from Zach's, Ermac peers past the shell of energy and directly into the Earthrealmer's eyes. There is no emotion in the soul conglomeration's gaze. Nothing to hint that he might be even remotely human. He doesn't even seem to be breathing.
Abruptly Ermac snaps himself upright and heaves Zach off of his knees. With one hand he swings the man up into the air, executing a neat half turn before hurling him away with a telekeneticly enhanced throw, sending him spinning through the air toward the edge of the roof.
Zach is sent flying through the air, any screams choked in his throat by the immense psychic presence of Ermac. Glenn impacts, bounces once... twice.. and slides toward the edge of the roof before skidding to a halt.
"Glenn!" yells McElhinney before drawing his nightstick from his belt and charing Ermac. Assuming the Kombatant lets him get close, McElhinney lays into Ermac with a blistering combination of strikes.
It doesn't last long, but it buys Zach enough time to regain his feet. Zach charges, bringing the claymore free of its sheath as he does so. He takes a long leap, spinning once in the air as he brings the claymore in a one-handed swing, psychic energy sweeping along the blade as the wide swing of the weapon closes for Ermac! "McElhinney! Get out of here!" Zach warns.
COMBATSYS: Ermac blocks Zach Glenn's Dragon's Tail EX.
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Ermac 0|-------|----===
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Zach Glenn 0/-------/----===|-------\-------\0 McElhinney
COMBATSYS: Ermac fails to interrupt Nightstick Combination from McElhinney with Surrender.
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Ermac 0|-------|----===
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Zach Glenn 0/-------/----===|-------\-------\0 McElhinney
Watching as Zach tumbles to a halt some distance away, Ermac seems unaware McElhinney even exists. The cops angry shout does not seem to register, as if he were too far below the enforcer's standards to take note of. It is not until the cop's nightstick is half way to impacting the back of Ermac's skull that he reacts to the Earthrealmer's presence.
Scarves swirling gracefully in his wake, the darkly clad warrior steps forward, head ducking beneath McElhinney's opening strike, and twirls a quick 180 to face him. Even as he and the cop come face to face, his left hand is flashing forward, palm out, in a very obvious pushing gesture. The green glow is just starting to form around the metro cop's body when, through skill or blind luck, the man's vicious back swing clips Ermac's wrist and knocks his hand out of alignment. The glow forming around McElhinney dissipates, and his next few swings slam unimpeded into the enforcer's chest and face as he staggers back, souls thrown briefly out of sink.
The moment of weakness is brief, however. Getting his feet beneath him, Ermac slams his palm into yet another of the descending baton strikes and shoves officer McElhinney back. But, before he can capitalize and move in for the attack, Zach's psychically infused blade is descending toward his right shoulder and he diverts his attention away. Right hand lifting, he slaps the flat of the blade and directs the slash up and over his head. Green soul power sparks against violet as palm touches sword, and Ermac steps nimbly away, sliding into a modified Choy Lay Fut stance directly between his opponents.
perhaps dishearteningly, the few baton blows that managed to land don't seem to have left a mark on the warrior. But, he has no exposed skin. He might be sporting some tough bruises under those wraps.
"Repsectfully, Captain," McElhinney growls, "That's not going to happen." He reaches over his shoulder, and slings a shortbarreled shotgun around, aimming at Ermac's midsection before firing a single rubber slug at the Kombatant!
Zach, in the meantime, charges at Ermac with almost elemental brutality, attempting to tackle Ermac before pummelling with Kombatant with a left cross, a hilt strike from the sword, followed by a headbutt, all assisted by that same shimmering violet energy!
COMBATSYS: Ermac blocks Zach Glenn's Rushing Tackle.
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Ermac 0|-------|---====
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Zach Glenn 0/-------/----===|-------\-------\0 McElhinney
COMBATSYS: Ermac dodges McElhinney's Riot Shotgun.
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Ermac 0|-------|---====
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////////// ]
Zach Glenn 0/-------/----===|-------\-------\0 McElhinney
The shotgun's loud report rolls across the rooftop, rubber slug smacking one of Ermac's trailing cloth scraps as he leans forward to dodge it. having shifted the absolute bare minimum to avoid getting hit, he then relaxes back into his ready stance and prepares to meet Zach's charge.
Swinging his left palm around, Ermac drives it firmly into Zach's forehead when the young man attempts his furious tackle. A flash of green light flares up when the two powers touch, crackles of purple lightning running up the soul construct's arm, but regardless Zach's forward momentum is brought to a grinding halt.
Shunting the purple energy away, Ermac's arms pulse with his own brand of soul power. The air thrumming with it, he calmly lifts his left palm from Zach's forehead, before twisting his torso violently and thrusting his right hand forward in a psy-infused palm strike aimed for the center of Zach's chest. His motions are smooth and economical. Showing the steady rhythm of a master kombatant.
COMBATSYS: Ermac successfully hits Zach Glenn with Nether Palm.
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Ermac 0|-------|--=====
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////////// ]
Zach Glenn 0/-------/-======|-------\-------\0 McElhinney
Zach is powerless in the face of Ermac's overwhelming will, and is once more sent flying across the ruins of the building. McElhinney throws a worried glance towards the Marine before trying once more to close with Ermac, throwing a quick slash of his nightstick at Ermac's head.
Zach regains his stance, and sheathes his weapon. He realizes that this is not a fight he will win with just his soul power. Zach takes a deep breath before charging Ermac. When the Marine gets close Zach draws his left hand across Ermac's torso in a diagonally upward motion. It's followed by a sharp blade of golden energy.
Ermac may notice something odd at this point; Zach's energy seems... less present. The amount of it is still there, but its presence seems to be somehow muted.
COMBATSYS: McElhinney successfully hits Ermac with Quick Punch.
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Ermac 0|-------|--=====
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Zach Glenn 0/-------/--=====|-------\-------\0 McElhinney
COMBATSYS: Ermac fails to interrupt Claw Flare from Zach Glenn with Uppercut.
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Ermac 0|-------|-======
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Zach Glenn 0/-------/=======|-------\-------\0 McElhinney
Drifting smoothly back into a neutral stance, Ermac takes a single crunching step sideways across the debris-covered floor to center himself yet again between his two opponents. Then, still as a corpse, he waits.
Watching silently as McElhinney and Zach rush him together, the enforcer bows his head, scarves lifting to drift through the air above his shoulders. Just starting to duck forward to avoid the metro cop's incoming baton, Ermac misjudges the timing and gets cracked across the back of the skull. Rather than stumbling, he rides the impact forward into a kneel, knuckles of his right hand scraping the dirty floor as he balls it into a tight fist. Then, green energy trailing the blow, he throws himself forward and up, following his fist directly into the teeth of Zach's oncoming attack.
The slashing yellow claw of soul energy digs into Ermac's right ribs and shunts him off to one side, dark black blood flying from the wound to patter thick and sludgy across the ground. The attack has just enough force to knock Ermac's fist off course, the blow swishing past Zach's right cheek close enough that little sparks of energy jump between their auras.
Thrown off balance, the dark-clad warrior takes a staggering step to his left, more blood droplets slipping through thin slits in his clothing to splatter across the debris beneath his feet. There is no sound of pain or distress as the enforcer turns his stagger into a twist and slips smoothly back into a neutral stance facing the two Earthrealmers. But, he is bleeding.
McElhinney is the first to notice the blood from Ermac. "If it bleeds," he growls as he once more draws his service revolver one more time. He calmly drops the spent shells, and uses a speed loader to reload the weapon. "We can kill it!" He snaps the cylinder back into position before snapping off six more rounds at Ermac's torso.
For Zach's part, the psion charging Ermac before taking a short hop after he hears the sixth shot and throwing a sharp kick at Ermac's head!
COMBATSYS: Ermac blocks McElhinney's Service Revolver.
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Ermac 0|-------|-======
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Zach Glenn 0/-------/-======|=------\-------\0 McElhinney
COMBATSYS: Zach Glenn successfully hit Ermac with Heavy Kick.
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Ermac 1|-------|=======
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Zach Glenn 0/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 McElhinney
Ermac's blazing green gaze stares straight ahead, focusing on a point somewhere between the two men facing him. Despite the sporadic drops of blood that now trickle down his side, he seems as calm and composed as ever.
The revolver shots directed his way are thwarted with contemptible ease. The enforcer flicking his palm vaguely up and to one side, causing the bullets to deflect off away from him mid flight. Little sparks of green energy hover in the air where the bullets struck his telekinetic shield, slowly fading from sight as Zach rushes in.
Moving a bit sluggishly, Ermac braces his cloth-wrapped feet and curls his stomach, attempting to duck beneath Zach's flying kick. Again misjudging the speed of his opponents, his left temple is clipped hard, knocking his head sharply to one side.
And all hell breaks loose.
Jerking himself rigidly erect, Ermac throws his head back and spreads his arms. The deep, pulsing hum that had been rolling from him suddenly shifts, dropping deeper. No longer a thrumming felt in the teeth, the bass vibrations of power rattle the air, the roof, and the guts of everything around him. The far off sounds of screaming, laughing, tormented souls seem to hang in the air, and blazing green energy pours out of the warrior. In mere moments his entire body is radiant with an aura of lime green power. Faces form here and there in the light, as if the souls trapped within Ermac were pressing their face up to the glass of his being to peer out at the world around him.
Psychically, its comparable to being struck by a car.
Ermac's feet rise smoothly from the ground to hover a foot above the floor. Then, without even looking, he throws his left hand out toward Zach. Brilliant green energy forms around the marine's body as the hand of an invisible giant descends upon him, squeezing. Ermac's hand flicks upward, and Zach is flung into the sky, whipped about over head, and brought hurtling back down toward the roof. Unless he can turn the tides quickly, he's going to be doing a belly flop onto solid ground at a rather uncomfortable speed.
COMBATSYS: Zach Glenn blocks Ermac's Controlled Chaos.
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Ermac 0|-------|----===
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Zach Glenn 0/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 McElhinney
Zach lets out a roar, golden energy flaring around him and disappating the emerald energies Ermac has brought to bear. Zach wobbles slightly under the weight of that strike. Even if he stopped the worst of it, Zach still feels it. Zach then charges, planting his feet and throwing a swift three-quarters uppercut directly at Ermac's head!
McElhinney runs in from the opposite side of Zach, trying to throw a rabbit punch at the Outworld enforcer. The cop thinks that the pair has this being on the ropes, that one last push is needed. Zach is not so sure, though...
COMBATSYS: Ermac dodges McElhinney's Strong Punch.
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Ermac 0|-------|----===
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////////// ]
Zach Glenn 1/-----==/=======|=------\-------\0 McElhinney
COMBATSYS: Ermac blocks Zach Glenn's Dynamite Punch.
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Ermac 0|-------|---====
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////////// ]
Zach Glenn 1/----===/=======|=------\-------\0 McElhinney
Thwarted once again, Ermac lowers his outstretched hand as his telekinetic grip is forced away from Zach's body by the marine's golden will. Still hovering nearly a foot off the ground, he twists neatly through the air just in time to avoid McElhinney's charging attack from behind, coming face to face with Zach's uppercut as it rockets up toward his chin. Reactions boosted beyond their already impressive speed by the focusing of his power, Ermac's left hand flashes up just in time to slap Zach's fist to one side. Golden sparks batter against the brilliant green of his aura, but he pays them no mind.
Loose debris rattles across the floor as the enforcer drifts backward, opening a 3 foot gap between himself and the blond marine. Lifting his right hand he flexes the fingers, the air distorting around him as he gathers his will. Ceiling tiles lift from the rubble-strewn floor, steel beams groan, and the entire rooftop arena seems to give a shutter. Then, Ermac throws his right hand forward toward Zach and unleashes the pent up power. yet another green shell of psychic might forms around the psion and an invisible giant's fist seems to punch him in the chest, hurling him backward away from Ermac. The glowing green force tightens around him, rotating him in the air so that he cuts a neat arc through space before plunging back toward the ground at an ever-increasing pace. Unless he can stop it, Zach is likely to meet the cement floor skull first.
McElhinney is ignored for the moment, all of the enforcer's attention fixed on his true target.
COMBATSYS: Ermac knocks away McElhinney with Breakdown.
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Ermac 0|-------|---====
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Zach Glenn 1/----===/=======|=======\=------\1 McElhinney
Zach prepares to brace up under the strike, to attempt to pit his will once more against Ermac's. McElhinney, however, has other plans. The cop reacts to the flare of aura, interposing himself between the Outworlder and the Marine. McElhinney is caught, and spiked into the concrete of the floor. Zach's eyes go wide as he witnesses the man's almost insane bravery. That surprise tightens into rage. For all the Marine knows, the cop is dead.
The sudden rage, the fear, the pressure all serve to cut something loose inside Zach Glenn. The Marine charges, drawing the claymore once more even as he throws a roundhouse kick at the Kombatant. Ermac may notice that Zach's 'presence' has regained the level that it previously had.
As it happens, McElhinney is apparently not done either. The cop staggers back to his feet, and locks his eyes on Ermac. He starts a wobbly charge, the movements becoming more sure as the charge continues. The cop attempts to tackle Ermac.
COMBATSYS: Ermac dodges Zach Glenn's Heavy Kick.
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Ermac 0|-------|---====
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Zach Glenn 1/----===/=======|-------\-------\0 McElhinney
COMBATSYS: McElhinney successfully hits Ermac with Book 'Em!.
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Ermac 0|-------|-======
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Zach Glenn 1/----===/=======|-------\-------\0 McElhinney
McElhinney brings Ermac down before straddling the warrior. "YOU!" he roars almost drunkenly, before delivering a sharp cross punch to Ermac's head. "HAVE!" Another punch between the eyes. "THE RIGHT!" another left cross "TO REMAIN!" a right hook "SILENT!" McElhinney delivers a crushing headbutt before flopping off of Ermac.
"...bitch," the cop wheezes as he gasps for air.
Set and ready, the enforcer vanishes in a swirl of souls as Zach charges him once again, avoiding the kick only to reappear just behind his left elbow. Once again he seems to be ignoring the cop of the bunch.
And once again he's shown what a bad idea that is.
McElhinney impacts him from the side, sending them tumbling to the ground in a mess of flapping fabric and green energy. A nearby wall is encased in green energy and crushed as the two figures struggle on the dirty ground, the cop coming out on top and raining down a brutal series of blows onto the lean figure beneath.
But, abruptly Ermac flings his hands out to either side, a pressure wave of compressed air blasting garbage and one exhausted cop away from him in all directions. Though the attack is mostly harmless damage wise, it gets the damned fool human off of him and likely saves the officer from getting his spine snapped. The enforcer's mask is torn across the cheek and brow where McElhinney's knuckles struck, showing dark skin of a color impossible to gage through the lime green aura that surrounds him.
With a jolt of power, Ermac flings himself upright and whirls around, scarves whipping out behind him as he spins gracefully through the air toward Zach. Leading with his right foot, he spins into a heavy heal kick aimed for the side of the psion's head, attempting to smash him off of his feet, then catch him out of mid air in a glowing shell of telekinetic power and drive him back-first into a protruding section of wall...
COMBATSYS: Zach Glenn blocks Ermac's We Win.
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Ermac 0|-------|-------
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Zach Glenn 1/--=====/=======|-------\-------\0 McElhinney
Zach brings his left arm up, catching the kick on his shoulder and forcing the Marine to wobble a bit. "On your feet, McElhinney!" Zach yells at the cop, who is already slowly rolling over to one side. Glenn whips the claymore around to a ready position with what appears to be practiced ease before taking the weapon in a two-handed grip. The point of the sword, almost as long as Zach is tall, is aimed directly at Ermac's heart.
The cop doesn't even get back on his feet; he simply brings the riot gun out once more. McElhinney chambers a round before attempting to fire a second rubber slug into Ermac's midsection. Hopefully it's enough of a distraction.
Meanwhile, violet energy flares around Zach, wrapping itself around the claymore. Gaelic script, in a gently glowing purple, flows down the weapon as it the energy starts to spin in an almost drill-like motion. Zach lets out a low growl before charging Ermac, attempting to drive that soul powered strike into Ermac.
Ever so slightly to Zach's right of Ermac's breastbone.
COMBATSYS: McElhinney successfully hits Ermac with Riot Shotgun.
[ ||| ]
Ermac 0|-------|-------
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////// ]
Zach Glenn 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 McElhinney
COMBATSYS: Zach Glenn successfully hit Ermac with Heartbreak Shot EX.
[ ]
Ermac 0|-------|---====
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////// ]
Zach Glenn 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 McElhinney
As quickly as the sudden horrific burst of power came, it departs.
Ermac's blazing aura dims as Zach wobbles back under the force of his kick. The far off sounds of screaming and laughter trails off into one prolonged shriek as the misty green aura draws back inside the enforcer, leaving only faint wisps of power circling around his hands and forearms.
Dropping out of the air, Ermac lands lightly on his feet with the soft crunch of ceiling tiles breaking under his heels. But, before he can fully gather himself, his opponents are upon him.
Lifting his right foot to step backward in preparation for a sharp twist out of the path of Zach's sword, the enforcer is struck solidly between the shoulders by a rubber shotgun slug. The impact staggers him forward, right onto the glowing tip of Zach's weapon.
Stabbing Ermac is the soul power equivalent of grabbing a live wire. Energy jolts through the sword blade and crackles down its length toward Zach's hands, the construct's body throwing its head back in a silent howl of pain. For most enemies, that might be the end of things. A stab through the heart and they fall dead.
Not so with Ermac.
Head still thrown back, the enforcer lashes out with his right foot and braces his cloth-covered toes on the cross guard, using it for leverage to throw himself backward off of the blade. Stumbling back, the dark-clad warrior stares toward the sky with blazing green eyes as he lifts both of his hands and thrusts them out to either side one last time, body flaring as swirling souls flow out of the wound in his chest.
The mass of souls whirls about Ermac faster and faster, expanding outward in a vortex of shrieking green energy.
Then it explodes.
Green energy lights the sky, blasting outward across the rooftop and blowing down the remains of walls that get in its way. If the two remaining kombatants are unlucky, it might sweep them up and carry them out into space, where locus guards may or may not be able to save them. Regardless of their fate, when the explosion finally dies away, Ermac is gone. But the tower, what is left of it, will be free to search.
COMBATSYS: Ermac can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////// ]
Zach Glenn 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 McElhinney
COMBATSYS: McElhinney blocks Ermac's Clear Your Mind.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////// ]
Zach Glenn 0/-------/------=|=====--\-------\0 McElhinney
COMBATSYS: Zach Glenn blocks Ermac's Clear Your Mind.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > /////// ]
Zach Glenn 0/-------/----===|=====--\-------\0 McElhinney
Zach brings forth another barrier of soul power, forcing the psion back on his heels. When the dust clears, Ermac is gone. The problem is: so it McElhinney. Zach calls out to the cop while trying to sift through some of the rubble. About five minutes into this, some of the wreckage Zach hasn't checked yet shifts, then slides to one side to reveal the Metro cop, who looks battered but allive. Zach grins.
"Come on, Officer," Zach says with a grin as he helps McElhinney to his feet. "We're not done here." The two stagger off to see what they can find to get communications to earth restored.
Log created on 17:34:19 04/19/2015 by Zach Glenn, and last modified on 19:26:56 04/20/2015.