Match of the Millennium

Description: The Darkstalker disappearances have contributed to noticeable unrest around the less-than-human community. Already, massive protests have started to rally around the so-called treatment centers surrounding Ultratech's lauded new reversal treatment for Darkstalkers. With the appearance of Fatal Core being subjected to a corporate military blockade right now, the JANUS facilities seem to be the only way to gain access to the powerful flying engineering station. Unfortunately, the protest outside is much more violent than most, sweeping up even unrelated people and causing the facility to go into lockdown. Now, it's up to a choice few to find the hand that seems to drive these beasts to ever escalating heights of rage before they tear the building down brick by brick.

[MASARU]
The JANUS Facility had been on edge for days now, ever since the disappearances continued to mount; things appeared rather tenable however, with the protests intended to be peaceful for the duration and both police and Ultratech forces present to keep things quieted. All of that changed in a heartbeat; fervent calls for action to break into the facility and find the Fatal Core were called, and the crowd began to resonate like a dull heartbeat. Before things could be brought under control, a dozen massive, dangerous Darkstalkers broke through the line; engaging the police and forces, they seemed like berserkers, smashing and hurling debris and even the occasional vehicle.

The crowd remains split on how to react, some merely watching, some horrified, but others tentatively beginning to join in. There are still those in the back trying to stir up and cause trouble, but it becomes quickly clear that the physical brutes taking the front lines are not acting... correct. They seem to be ignoring most anything beyond damaging what's nearby -- and to those able to acutely sense chi, the reason becomes clear.

A parasitic attachment, like a weird lamprey, is upon the base of each's neck. It seems to be somehow corrupting and forcing those Darkstalkers into that rage. In one case, amidst a fight with Ultratech forces, the parasite was inadvertently destroyed; almost immediately, the subject calmed down and surrendered, rather than continue on...

The source of that strange, amalgamated energy does not remain outside for long. There's a tremendous eruption of force, blowing through one of the reinforced outer doors leading into the main facility. Slinking along within his human form, the black-haired, dark skinned Masaru tears towards his own goal, his primary instigation going as planned; the defensive forces are busy outside, and by the time they register someone dangerous spearheading to the core of the facility, it might be too late...

Gunfire, screams, the sound of conflict, all ring out before Masaru rips open the doors to the penthouse office overlooking the chaos down below. A slender, balding executive had been sitting in front of his bevy of monitors and information, eyes going wide behind his broad-rimmed glasses as the blood-spattered Darkstalker strode in, leaving crimson prints in his wake. In his wake, the spread-thin defense team looks like they had been crushed or ripped apart by something far larger than the figure moving through the door. An easy trail if someone wanted to follow it.

"Hey... I have a few /questions/ about your operation here while everyone's busy outside...!!"

[GREGORY]
An arcane portal opens up to reveal a masked mystical assassin with a certain, fabulous darkstalker in tow. The mystical assassin called 'The Phantom' by various groups addresses Velvet Blue.

"We're here. Looks like we may have to part company. I'm not going to repeat it but you know what the situation is. Don't try to hide. I found you before and I can find you again. I'll see if I can clear a path for you while you do what you do."

With that, the arcane assassin moves towards the riot with a hand glowing with dark purple energy.

[VELVET BLUE]
"Fair enough, I will take your promise to heart," Velvet turned his head to Gregory one last time before he hopped out, giving him a pat on the shoulder, now landing in... where were they exactly? Didn't feel like anyplace natural... felt like the opposite of--right near the heart of whatever they had been trying to find and choke the life out of before it turned everything insane. And speaking of going insane--as a bit of a natural empath since his transformation, Vel was feeling quite a thick and musky aura of rage going on around this place, and that was distinct from the energy signature. The place was currently being besieged, looks as if they couldn't keep everything secure here as they might have liked...

Right now though, the 'guests' that were now rampaging around and wrecking shit appeared to be 'hagridden', upon closer inspection--but it wasn't going to be easy to deal with them or get the creatures off. Wasn't the best way to get a leech off someone was to burn it...?

"Guess it's up to me..." he sighed and drew the long knife from the spot in his boot where he kept it, the vigilante entertainer going to work.

[AERIA CORDAY]
Aeria doesn't really know anyone there, but she seems to end up where troubles brew up. She couldn't feel the chi energy per se, but she could like two minds on some people there instead of one. The violence first attracted her, and now she is curious. She roughen up some people while there because it would be a waste otherwise

She then spots Velvet, though at the moment she doesn't know who he is. He has a really long and sharp knife. He sounds like he would be interesting. She's a curious girl, so she keeps her eyes on him for now, while trying to understand more of the situation.

[GREGORY]
The arcane assassin creates a series of portals in the path of several parasite afflicted darkstalkers. They would find themselves shifted several feet from where they intended to approach and forced to reorient themselves. Meanwhile, both Aeria and Velvet will see that the end result of those portals is that pathway has been cleared for them to move towards Masaru.

"Go! Handle him. I'll take care of the mess out there."

And with that, Gregory steps through a portal of his own.

[VELVET BLUE]
Velvet doesn't have to give more than a wave back at Gregory as he disappears, they already appear to understand eachother. "Jeez, wants to hang out with me so much and yet always talks about killin' me--fatal attraction... maybe," Velvet sighed and grunted as he pushed aside some wreckage and rolled over a few fallen bodies that were in his way, doing a cursory check to see how they were doing before continuing on into the building, not stopping. Under different circumstances he'd stop and try to spend time and energy using his healing powers on them, but he had no such time for that now, alas. He was looking for Masaru, someone that could provide them with the answers to this whole mess.

"Curioser and curioser--where are you..." he pushed hair out of his face with long nailed hands, exhaling, pressing on in his search.

[AERIA CORDAY]
Something interesting is definitely happening around this man. A portal friend, a big knife. Fun times. So when Velvet seems to have a particular goal in mind, Aeria follows him. She doesn't say a word to him at the moment. She's not trying to attract his attention, yet she's not trying to hide from him either. She's just following like a good innocent little... Oh who are we kidding, she's looking for trouble and fun. She also see something seems to have been happening there.

If someone looks, she has doesn't seem to have any visible weapons on her She's wearing a semi-translucent black blouse with white does on it. underneath is a blck bra. It's not a sexy one, but a practical one in this case. She's also wearpin a pair of black denim jeans and black boots.

[MASARU]
The person behind the riot is eventually found by the wayward pair; none of those that Velvet passes appear to be saveable, alas. Something monstrous and gigantic appears to have demolished them, further evidence by the damage to the offices and lower levels. Yet when the office is finally reached by the pair, there's the steady tapping of fingers on keys from a shivering human settled in a chair before the broad desk.

Behind him is Masaru, grasping him within splayed fingers in a bloody hand; he wears only a pair of simple black slacks, but the rest of his frame is covered in crimson. Not his own; is he the assaulter? That's impossible. Velvet, at least, would be certain some kind of beast easily ten feet tall and of far greater power inflicted the damage thus far, with weaponry clearly not evident on this other Darkstalker.

"...oh?" Masaru mutters, as the man in the seat pauses briefly to look up. A clench and wince of pain makes the Ultratech executive return to his work. "Get me the info I want and I won't rip your head off..." he growls out, before glancing up back towards Velvet. His grin betrays the lack of humanity, teeth all sharp and pointed in canines.

"Another Darkstalker...? I know of you. Leave me be...! This is relevant to our KIND. The answers hiding in this machine. I can /make/ this human get it for me."

And then his eyes shift towards Aeria, making an expression of distaste. "...you tracked a human in, though... sigh. Don't suppose you'll remove her on your way out?"

[VELVET BLUE]
Further inside, the reek of blood was almost overpowering--the coppery stench was not one Velvet was appreciative of, darkstalker or no.

"That's right, Andre the Giant, I have come looking for answers," Velvet whips his head back to Aeria, who he hadn't noticed yet so far, raising a brow. Odd. Chances are, anyone to move headlong into this wasn't a normal person--which kind of helped explain things.

"Gonna need that info for ourselves, too, or maybe you wanna fight about it?" Velvet, at this point, didn't seem to overly mind, the wounds from the werewolves and Cinder from his previous encounters on this trail had mostly healed.

"Either way is good for me, maybe the model here wants to take a piece of the action?" he stepped back, drawing his blade.

[AERIA CORDAY]
Aeria continues to follow Velvet inside, seeing all he sees. So much blood. At least from what she could tell. Then there is this other guy. He doesn't seem very nice. She is fine with them talking until he claims she is a normal human. She can't help it her red eyes flash for a second. She shouldn't feel offended but she is.

Then Velvet sees her too. "Oh hi!" she says and waves her hand, grinning a bit. "I am totally fine with helping you kick ass. He isn't very nice." Not that she is like the nicest person ever either, but that's beyond the point. "Count me in Mister? I am Aeria." Might as well say her name in the process.

[MASARU]
"Eheheh... what, you two want to play? I don't really care who else gets access to this information. Fine, then... amuse me enough, and maybe I'll let you share my bounty, Darkstalker. Only the strong have the right to that kind of information, though..."

His left arm holding the hapless executive is then grasped near the shoulder by Masaru's free hand. With a sudden shift and a RIP, he literally tears it off. No blood spurts out, however, despite the alarmed and confused noise from the human. The flesh wriggles, warps, and extends out... before sprouting countless legs like a centipede, shifting to a brownish chitin. The 'hand' that had been holding the figure ripples into a pair of mandibled teeth. "You keep working..."

Masaru then jumps over the desk, smooth and agile. His technical skill is thoroughly presented as he lands casually in the open area before the pair; still missing an arm? But only briefly. Flesh boils and burbles, before gradually stretching out like clay, and with a moist SPLACK reforming it. Was it regeneration, or something else? This darkstalker's body is clearly very strange.

"You have until my captive finishes... I doubt you can defeat me, but... I'm in a good mood. Give me a good time, at least!" His arms open invitingly towards the pair, cackling madly as he shifts into a loose, defensive stance...

COMBATSYS: Masaru has started a fight here as a boss!

                               MASARU                              
  [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|------------===                



COMBATSYS: Velvet Blue has joined the fight here on the right meter side.

                               MASARU                              
  [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|------------===                


                                  >  //////////////////////////////]
                                  |-------\-------\0      Velvet Blue

COMBATSYS: Aeria Corday has joined the fight here.

                               MASARU                              
  [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|------------===                


[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Aeria Corday     0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0      Velvet Blue

[VELVET BLUE]
"Yeah, I kinda got that... from all the blood," Velvet found the stench of it wretched, as well as the man now currently coated in it like he was wearing it like it was sunscreen. Velvet would have probably gotten his danger senses ratched up just from their presence alone, nevermind all the wreckage encountered thus far--human or otherwise.

"Aw man..." Velvet was both verbally disappointed not just at what he'd done to the poor shmuck in the chair, but also to see that he wasn't normal either, or his limb had been 'transformed' somehow by the hulking blood covered giant.

"Gettin' real tired of this--" Velvet attempted to move toward Masaru, who now had the literal highground--jumping and trying to deliver a kick towards one of his knees!

[AERIA CORDAY]
"Well, that's new and interesting." She has to say as she sees all that happens with Masaru. She was totally fine fighting. "What if we win? We get something even nicer?" She had to say that. She can be cocky.

Then she jumps too, to get closer to Masaru. "Let's see how you can deal with things and how my partner can do too." To be fair, inwardly, she didn't know how well it would go or how bad. Suddenly her eyes flash red again as she tries to send a mind blast to Masaru. If it works, it acts like a flashbang to disorient him. Then she sends an uppercut to his knee. Maybe Velvet and Aeria could bring him down a bit.

COMBATSYS: Aeria Corday successfully hits Masaru with Loa Loa.

                               MASARU                              
  [        |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|--------=======                


[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////////  ]
Aeria Corday     0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0      Velvet Blue

COMBATSYS: Masaru blocks Velvet Blue's Dragula.

                               MASARU                              
  [          |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|-------========                


[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////////  ]
Aeria Corday     0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0      Velvet Blue

[MASARU]
Being lazy and underestimating the pair is all well and good, but Masaru clearly had thought them harmless; he merely gestures for them to come towards him with something of a laugh. His attention had been on Velvet; underestimating Aeria to his own detriment, as the sudden flash of bright energy hits him in the face. Her sudden uppercut slams into his knee, a spasm of pain as he drops down partly, twisting to mildly deflect the hit from Velvet. "Heeeh...?! Beat me and I won't devour you both, maybe...? Ultratech's secrets deserve to be spread..." The fingers unsteadily tap on the man wrapped in Masaru's transformed arm, still working on whatever search and data download that was demanded. Sweat running down his face as he glances now and then at the strange insectoid abberation keeping him bound.

"Not bad, not bad... HERE." He then kicks off the ground. A strange, flowing motion that seems to almost make him teleport right in front of Velvet while the other Darkstalker makes to retreat. Almost gently, he extends his palm to try and capture Velvet by the face... only to then twist, inhumanly enhancing his muscles to bolster his own strength and speed, along with a masterful twist of throwing technique to try and hurl Velvet back-first into the ground, hard enough to likely crater the ground slightly... "Hahahaha...!!"

COMBATSYS: Velvet Blue blocks Masaru's Terminal Velocity EX.

                               MASARU                              
  [           ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|-------========                


[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////      ]
Aeria Corday     0/-------/------=|=====--\-------\0      Velvet Blue

[VELVET BLUE]
Velvet's booted foot smacks right into what feels like hard bone as Masaru twist, meaning that Vel also felt a lot of the blow, and that wasn't good, meant Mas hadn't really felt it himself--but just then looked up as the giant centipede-wielding darkstalker's face twisted in pain, looking back at Aeria with wide eyes. Ahhh, so /that/ was her power. Some kind of mentalism.

"Hey I like your offer, we can make it a deal--" Vel catches the arm as they attempt to grab him--only to be thrown along with the titanic movement, winding up crashing through cubicles and sending cheap LCD monitors and printers flying in the cramped office space.

"Oww.." Vel pulled himself back up, rolling out of a mess of what had been some office drone's workstation, picking a pencil out of the side of his butt with a wince, before throwing it away without looking.

"You're pretty strong," Velvet danced back towards Masaru, twisting as he tried to bend and throw one of his feet up, putting all his force behind the next strike with his boot, into Masaru's midsection!

[AERIA CORDAY]
She gives Masaru a wink after he feels the pain. She is stronger than a human her size should be. She also had her mind, as Velvet realized. Aeria is feeling good. At least until there is talk about devouring them both. That wouldn't do. There will be no devouring today. At least if she has any say about it. "No thanks, no devouring today. I reserve myself for the right one."

Masaru suddenly takes off in the air, so fast too. She can't help but back off. It's self-preservation. But she quickly realizes the attack is not toward her. Poor guy. She hopes he survives the attack. He actually does with a nice block. It didn't look fun, but as long as he can continue to fight. He is quick to go on his attack too, and Aeria joins in. She tries to sweep the legs from under Masaru. If she manages that, which is really unsure, she then tries to slam the palm of her hand into his throat. Oh yeah, she's fairly certain she is going to pay for this soon. But she's really having fun at the moment.

COMBATSYS: Masaru dodges Velvet Blue's Mule Kick.

                               MASARU                              
  [           ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|-------========                


[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////        ]
Aeria Corday     0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0      Velvet Blue

COMBATSYS: Aeria Corday successfully hits Masaru with Ampulex Compressa.
- Power hit! -

                               MASARU                              
  [                  |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|---============                


[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////        ]
Aeria Corday     0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0      Velvet Blue

[MASARU]
"Heh... you actually repelled me a little... you're maybe not as weak a Darkstalker as I expected. This world needs to change... and this is the catalyst. Don't you hate it? Humans, so weak yet thriving, like an anthill across the whole planet?! They are trying to EXTERMINATE us...! Shouldn't we return the favor?!" He then leaps backwards, evading the brutal kick from Velvet with a small grunt of effort. Once more Aeria opts to lash out with impeccable timing; and slams right into the throat of the sleek darkstalker.

"Trrk... human. You're treading on thin ice, here... let me occupy Mr. Blue here. That's who you are, right? Velvet? I've done my homework, although I don't think you know who /I/ am, do you...? Hahaha...!"

He then grasps his left arm, ripping it off. Once more, it seems to merely detach like clay; before he twists, and hurls it towards Velvet in a brutal toss. It spirals around like a bolas, before suddenly unfurling into a green-scaled serpent; trying to hiss wildly as it grows to nearly ten feet long, intent on wrapping about him head to toe and applying a bone-shattering amount of pressure to him! "Stay down a moment... I'm going to have to start trying, I suppose...!"

COMBATSYS: Masaru knocks away Velvet Blue with Devour Hope.
! VENGEANCE !

                               MASARU                              
  [                   ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|===============                


[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////                     ]
Aeria Corday     0/-------/----===|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2      Velvet Blue

[VELVET BLUE]
"Yeah, I get that," Velvet grunted, to Masaru's comments on how humans and their entities were trying to exterminate Darkstalkers. Which well, they were--that was not being argued. But there seemed to be other forces driving Velvet. Velvet is left wide-eyed however as the large piece of Masaru is removed from his body and tossed toward him. He's dumbfounded as it sails through the air and despite his attempt to knock it aside--it just /wraps right around him/ and turns into a giant snake, crushing him! Velvet quickly grows red in the face and his eyes become reddish and bloodshot as he struggles, like he's being crushed by a giant anaconda--finally rearing his head back and clamping down with a horrible growl onto the side of the thing--with his own definitely too long to be human fang-like eyeteeth. Whipping his head back and forth, blood splatters over his face and front as he finally gets the strange ambulatory appendage turned snake to loosen and pulls himself out of it. But he's in too much pain and shock to move after that, on his hands and knees, breathing hard before trying to pull himself up.

COMBATSYS: Velvet Blue gains composure.

                               MASARU                              
  [                   ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|===============                


[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////                  ]
Aeria Corday     0/-------/----===|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>-\1      Velvet Blue

[AERIA CORDAY]
She manages to hit again. Right now things are on her side. She knows she has to keep the pressure, while Velvet seems to have most of his attention. But, she's pissing him off, soon it might be her turn."Come get me then if I am pissing you off. Maybe you can't" Yes that was cocky, on purpose this time. It might not be a good idea though.

Masaru actually rips his arm, and... what the hell, she can't even describe what she sees, but she starts running toward him. She's going to help by attacking again. If she has her way, she runs to him... what the hell, is that a serpent? Well damn, Masaru is scary. Anyway, she runs to him and finishes with a quick jump kick toward his chest. It might distract him a bit. Velvet seems hurt now if the noises that just happened are any indications.

COMBATSYS: Aeria Corday successfully hits Masaru with Light Kick.
Grazing Hit

                               MASARU                              
  [                     ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 1|--------------=|===============                


[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////                  ]
Aeria Corday     0/-------/---====|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>-\1      Velvet Blue

[MASARU]
Not many people fight by ripping off their own limbs; let alone transforming them in a strange way. The snake hisses and sputters, collapsing to writhe before falling limp under Velvet's bite. Slowly it burns away in a hiss of ash, leaving only a black stain on the ground in it's wake. "Hehehe..." Aeria rushes forward and strikes out, catching the slightly disoriented Masaru in the chest glancingly and sending him backwards. A glance is given to the bound figure working on the computer; he's still tapping away, even if he's progressively turning red like a tomato. "Okay. Let's play, girl. But want to see..." He then rushes towards Aeria, trying to capture her by the throat to twist and throw her over his back. "...what I REALLY look like?" he growls out, entire form seeming to warble like a sea of ants were starting to move about beneath his skin... Eyes turn black, as some strange, inhuman transformation seems to be taking place within the clearly unusual Darkstalker...!

[VELVET BLUE]
Velvet finally is able to stop shaking uncontrollably, pulling himself up and smacking himself a time or two, before finally being able to stand, still hunched over a bit, but making an attempt to 'rise' to the occasion here. "Is that really what you look like--lets find out!" gritting his teeth, focusing chi energy from his eyes before using his hands to send it toward Masaru with laser-like speed, ripping through a desk and cubicle--leaving very small, perfectly burned holes in the latter!

It's like a white hot blue white energy lance, rocketing towards the centipede man!

COMBATSYS: Aeria Corday fails to counter Crushing Throw from Masaru with Aggressive Strike.

                               MASARU                              
  [                   ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 1|------------===|===============                


[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////                  ]
Aeria Corday     1/----===/=======|>>>>>>>\-------\0      Velvet Blue

[AERIA CORDAY]
Aeria says. "Finally!" When he tells her they will play until she gets grabbed by the throat. She wonders what the hell he actually is. She has never seen someone quite like him. Before he can throw her, she makes a fist, which strangely changes to metal. Metal chi can be felt around her, even if it's totally out of place for her. Even she is confused by that. There is too much confusion and fear around the whole thing. She never actually hits Masaru to get herself out of this predicament. He simply throws her over his shoulder, and she hits some desks hard, falling to the ground. She is trying to catch her breath, her body already starting to work overtime to heal her a little.

COMBATSYS: Masaru blocks Velvet Blue's Vorpal Blast.

                               MASARU                              
  [                      |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 1|-----------====|===============                


[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////                  ]
Aeria Corday     1/----===/=======|>>>>>>>\-------\0      Velvet Blue

[MASARU]
There's suddenly a horrendous noise, like flesh ripping, as Masaru's frame expands. He grows upwards, easily breaching ten feet; broad shoulders impact the ceiling and crack into it heavily. Both of his arms are replaced by multiple long, twisted tentacles; his skin takes on a dark grey, glistening and looking almost aquatic. His head regresses mostly into his body, a little stub with four slit-like eyes left behind. Rippling up his belly is a strange, vertical mouth; one that bisects open with a little hiss, as pulse after pulse of his inner energy ripples out, covering him in defensive chitin and layers of armor. "Something like this?" warbles out an inhuman voice. This explains the damage outside; did he break into the building in this form?

Tentacles flutter before himself, the lasers rippling across and leaving him only slightly singed. Before a moment later he bursts forward, rushing towards Aeria. One twisted tentacle flutters around, settling itself before her; before splitting open the end into a great, gaping maw. A point of blue light builds up in the center, before a great explosion of energy blasts out, shaking the ceilings and floor, sending broken pieces of the building all around as he forces the fight away from the small office where the captured Ultratech continue shis unsteady work on gathering the data he demanded... easy to tell now why he was so intimidated, perhaps!

[VELVET BLUE]
"Great on those mental attacks, less so on the physical stuff," Velvet winced when he watched Aeria get tossed, clearly she was about as fragile as he was. Meanwhile they were dealing with some kind of demonic centipede man that could split himself apart, also into giant centipedes. It was like that bit in the Creepshow movie with roaches just skittering out of the guy. Sorta. Well not really, but--that's the only thing Vel can be reminded of right now.

His own attack seems to have been abosbred--or redirected somehow, which leaves him panting again, hands against his knees, as he draws his blade and attempts to fight through the weird tentacle and centipede arms, hacking and slashing!

COMBATSYS: Aeria Corday reflects Xenophobia from Masaru with Sacculina.

                               MASARU                              
  [                                 ||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 1|------=========|===============                


[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////                  ]
Aeria Corday     0/-------/------=|=======\-------\0      Velvet Blue

[AERIA CORDAY]
Aeria is hurt, and it's getting worse. She can see between slighted eyes more of Masaru and what he's doing. Tentacles, so many tentacles. If they would get inside of her, this could be a very interesting hentai episode.

When Masaru burst forward to her, she screams a bit. When the tentacle comes in front of her and opens up, with a blue light at the center, her scream gets stronger. A scream of fear mixed with anger. She tries a desperate move as the explosion happens. She shields herself from the explosion, ready to send it back, and ducks. Certainly, that wouldn't work. He's so strong. But it does, it works, somewhat. When she feels safe, she uses that energy to send another flashbang mind blast toward the huge creature and jumps toward him. Close enough to him, she uppercuts him. him in the jaw while she is in the air. On a normal person, she would take them off their feet, but as she lands, she just feels lucky she is still in this, for the time being, breathing heavily.

COMBATSYS: Masaru attempts to interrupt Armed Combo from Velvet Blue with Monstrous Rush.

                               MASARU                              
  [                                     ||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|--------=======                


[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////                  ]
Aeria Corday     0/-------/------=|=======\-------\0      Velvet Blue

COMBATSYS: Velvet Blue fails to reverse Monstrous Rush from Masaru with Star Struck.
- Power fail! -

                               MASARU                              
  [                               ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|--------=======                


[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Aeria Corday     0/-------/------=|

COMBATSYS: Velvet Blue can no longer fight.

                               MASARU                              
  [                               ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|--------=======                


[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Aeria Corday     0/-------/------=|

[MASARU]
The twisted abomination seems even more shocked when Aeria's desperate gambit pays off; the explosion ripples backwards, journeying up the thick tentacle and blowing off at his shoulder, cleaving and damaging multiple others at the same time. There's a sort of laugh, not any real noise of pain. "You're interesting for a mort--" Then he's struck by a fist, sending him sagging backwards. "Eheheh... enough...!" As Velvet rushes forward, he suddenly rushes in a tide of undulating tentacles and massive frame. An attempt to deflect him is made, but he's unbelievably strong, and merely latches on with the writhing sea. Before drawing him into his massive torso-mouth -- crushing down, before a great blue beam of energy erupts out, sending Velvet's smoking frame flying off to the side. A slow hiss leaves him as he turns towards Aeria, seeming rejuvenated from his little 'snack'. "Well, then... shall we finish, girl?!" A wet *splort* as the tentacles she destroyed suddenly regenerate, slithering out to full length once more as he brandishes them menacingly. "I'm amused... amused enough to spare you both... but will I give you the info I've slaved to achieve? I'm not SURE yet...!"

[VELVET BLUE]
"Oh shi--" Velvet is engulfed by tentacles--not quite the way they thought they would go, to be fair--but they were pulled into the giant The Thing-esque mouth and there is a bite down, a--CRUNCH--and the next thing anyone knows is Velvet goes sailing outward. There is a portentious booming CRACK of wood as several things are broken in the explosion, and Velvet is next seen hanging out of the nearby wall--well, his legs and tail are, anyway, he doesn't appear to be moving however. Uh oh.

<K.O.>

[AERIA CORDAY]
"You're strong for and big for an a.." she doesn't finish her sentence. She sees what Masaru does to Velvet, and how Velvet ends up. It's nasty, so nasty. She is next, she is sure of it, but she isn't giving up. "Let's finish this. I can still surprise you!" She couldn't say anything more. What was there to say.

She then concentrates, her eyes flashing red again. Yet another mind blast, but this one was different. If it works out, it would give him trouble breathing for a moment.. Does he even breathe in that form? She doesn't know. She doesn't care. She jumps again and tries to hit his sternum. She's giving her best, while she is still standing. She's kind of scared on the inside, yet feeling alive.

COMBATSYS: Masaru just-defends Aeria Corday's Cordyceps Fungi!

                               MASARU                              
  [                            |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|--------=======                


[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Aeria Corday     0/-------/------=|

[MASARU]
"You've surprised me plenty... stronger fighters than you haven't hit me nearly so much..." the great monster laments, sounding more disappointing in himself than anything. "Being fearless is a strength, but I'm far too rusty... heheheh... I had best prepare myself better for the retaliation this is going to cause..." Here is where Aeria's anatomy fails her. The mental blast doesn't seem to do anything to him; there's no sense that anything was disrupted. And does he even have a sternum?! She strikes him hard in the center of that huge mass, but it just feels like rubber... before the bestial creature lashes out, trying to capture her in a tentacle and give a slow, compressing squeeze. "Come now. You did a good showing. Shouldn't you be happy with that...?" he teases, bisecting open that great, cavernous maw in his chest once more...

COMBATSYS: Aeria Corday dodges Masaru's Entangling Grasp.

                               MASARU                              
  [                           ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|-------========                


[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Aeria Corday     0/-------/------=|

[AERIA CORDAY]
"I might not be done surprising you." She lashes out at him, but it's not too impressive. Her attack fails greatly right after that. She raises an eyebrow for a quick second, as what she hits feels like rubber. "You are interesting to try to take down." She dares say again.

hen she doesn't even have time to land as the creature tries to get her in a tentacle. Surely she will be caught. She's still in the air. But no she uses her feet to push on that rubber-like body of her opponent, getting herself away from the said tentacle and landing with a slide on the ground. She seems surprised that it worked a little.

She takes that time to breath and allows her body to heal a bit better. She even taunts Masaru. "Come on! You can do better, can't you? I am the little one here. FINISH ME!" Yes, crazy Aeria.

COMBATSYS: Aeria Corday gains composure.

                               MASARU                              
  [                           ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|-------========                


[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Aeria Corday     0/-------/------=|

[MASARU]
A slow crack of the neck-area follows from Masaru, as he gets vaulted off by the shifty human. "You're not normal..." he points out, seeming to finally be divining the unusual nature of the person before him. "But not someone like me... not exactly... is something ELSE inside you, I wonder? I can divine the soul, you know. Feel it. /Taste/ it. Now I'm curious about yours...!" Again he whips forward, swinging out a broad tentacle to try to impact Aeria and fling her away towards a wall, a mad, inhuman cackle leaving whatever excuse for a mouth takes up the majority of his torso...!

COMBATSYS: Masaru successfully hits Aeria Corday with Strong Tentacle.

                               MASARU                              
  [                         ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|-----==========                


[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Aeria Corday     1/-------/=======|

[AERIA CORDAY]
The only thing she answers to that is this: "I am not normal. I have the power of FRIENDSHIP inside ME!". Perhaps she could make a carebear proud, but she was mocking Masaru. Not the smartest thing to do. One might wonder why her survival instinct goes at a time.

Then it happens. Another tentacle attack. She tries to get out of the way again, but this time she is too slow compared to the speed of said tentacle. She gets hit by the tentacle and hits the wall with force. Maybe she will stay down now.

Lo and behold she gets up yet again. Masaru hurts. He hits so hard, yet Aeria's body keeps healing her body at a faster rate than a human would. She stubbornly refuses to stay down right now. She then runs again toward in, unsteadily so, because the hits have shaken her. She tries to get to Masaru's body and punch him in his guts with her momentum and with a scream.

COMBATSYS: Masaru fails to interrupt Strong Punch from Aeria Corday with Shallow Grave.

                               MASARU                              
  [                                 ||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|-----==========                


[              \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Aeria Corday     1/-------/=======|

[MASARU]
"...?" There's the sort of look from Masaru that indicates he doesn't even remotely get the reference, but at least he's baffled. But still it seems the tenacious girl continues to assail him, rushing forward and then swinging her fist. Tentacles begin to whirl and intercept, but she strikes him right in one of his eyes; a snarl of pain, and his snapping shut tentacles close just adjacent. "...I'm getting annoyed. Hahaha... you've annoyed me!! Someone of your level! That's worthy of a gift, isn't it?! Stand down now... and I won't crush you like I did the Darkstalker... there's no point to continuing, is there?! You won't WIN... but you've triumphed enough to satiate me! And..." Behind, there's a low whimper from the human in the office, still wrapped up in a centipede. "He's got the information I wanted done, now. That was the deal of the game. ...or keep coming. I don't particularly care much either way...!!"

[AERIA CORDAY]
Aeria manages to get through and damage him again. She's still standing. Then he offers her to stand down. She ponders a short moment. "Fine, I will stand down. It was the deal indeed. But remember Masaru." She takes a pose. "That little puny human you thought I was, stood against you, has lasted the whole time, and is still standing in front of you to tell you off." Another pause. "AERIA! Never forget that name. Now you will leave Velvet be too. Both of us will leave. And if I have annoyed you as much as I think I have, you will give him the information you have now. Otherwise, we continue, and yes I will most likely lose, like 99.9% chance so, but damn, I will be a torn in your side for quite a while yet, and you will lose time." She watches him, standing her ground, looking fresher than she really is right now.

COMBATSYS: Aeria Corday takes no action.

                               MASARU                              
  [                                 ||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|-----==========                


[              \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Aeria Corday     1/------=/=======|

[MASARU]
"...don't get full of yourself." There's a whirling, bulging ripple before the great, monstrous form seems to collapse in on itself. In a ripple of color, it becomes bronze skin once more, and the humanoid-seeming Masaru stands before them once more, seeming exhausted but not nearly as poor off as before. "Time is the issue... heheh... I don't want to fight the entire squadron, which is likely on it's way..." He strides back into the main office, reaching out to snag two USB devices with, presumably, whatever information he forced the executive to give. A hand reaches out to pat-pat the terrified human's face. "I said I wouldn't kill you. I'm a monster of my word. ...if this has what I want. It does, right? Otherwise, I'll find you." A pale, slow nod leaves the executive, before he touches the centipede wrapped around him. In a slow, surreal absorption, he draws the creature back into himself, the gestalt Darkstalker turning to flick one of the USBs over to Velvet, to land before the hole he's settled in. "Shame on you, Velvet Blue... this random girl did better than YOU did. Hopefully it's a wakeup call... but the spoils of my war can go to my kind, as I think we /all/ want Ultratech to fail. Hahaha... better hope we don't cross paths again -- Aeria." He bothers saying her name, before twisting and bursting through the glass wall. It shatters outwards, before Masaru descends in a fall and vanishes from sight shortly after; nimbly using slender tentacles and his own hastened speed to flit off into the night before the reacting troops can move to properly intercept him...

COMBATSYS: Masaru has left the fight here.

[              \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Aeria Corday     1/------=/=======|

COMBATSYS: Aeria Corday has ended the fight here.

Log created on 15:18:19 04/15/2022 by Velvet Blue, and last modified on 10:23:34 05/06/2022.