Description: India holds the lines best it can, as China becomes especially desperate in the face of an impending all-out assault. So much so, Shadaloo has China forcefully draft its various, ahem, member nations together to help make up the manpower for the renewed offensive. One such team that slips pas Indian lines is a ragtag team of people of various nations fearfully held together by a Shadaloo officer. Munin Arshe, returning to the scene where so much grief occurred in that fateful day where Vega defeated her and others, takes her stand.
India was recently liberated by the legendary Terry Bogard in an awe-inspiring display. Those fighters who reach such peaks... they are long revered, but on some level in today's reality, rather feared. Thousands of men marched forth to cast the Hungry Wolf out, and in the end, they were overrun. In the span of a week, India struggled to rebuild under a politically and militaristically turbulent series of events.
With so much ground lost in recent events, China does not have many men to spare any more. They have coerced their, ahem, protected friends that the time is right to strike forth and extend this same hand of gentle persuasion.
The fragmented nature of the military units show. There is a single Chinese officer (actually, a Shadaloo plant) in charge of a ragtag squad of middling-at-best soldiers from the various nations that have all banded together. They number a dozen together, at best, having managed to break through the otherwise deadlocked lines through rural India. They move through the same scorched battleground that Vega himself stood when he made an example of three intrepid warriors...
Everyone is stretched so thin now, but is there still someone out there who has what it takes to stand to them?
For the moment, it is unknown if there is anyone that can succeed. There is, however, one who intends to try!
Were one to look along the walls, rubble, and craters at the defenders present, one would see the usual faces of soliders, many of which are people living in the city. However, yet another pair of eyes watches the enemy soldiers as they march. She remembers that they came the same way the time Vega attacked with them, and as always, repeat their pattern. Hidden in the foilage of the nearby trees, staring down from her hiding place, is one of the intrepid warriors Vega defeated: Munin Arshe!
She smirks to herself as they march almost directly beneath her. Once the defending forces engage them, she'll make her move. Also attached to her belt are a pair of hand grenades, party favors for unexpected guests.
These are DEFINATELY unexpected, and unwelcome, guests.
There are no additional defending forces to spare - that is, in fact, why they are currently able to operate unopposed as they move further inland. The squadmates of various cultures together do not even speak the same language. The best they can get in terms of getting anything done is by their commander (the Shadaloo plant), whose ability to communicate via loud yelling and vague hand motion mimicrky of weapons says all that really needs to be said even as the men who cannot understand one another cast glances.
They are called the Prosperity Squad, but all that is among their number is fear, tension, and uncertainty - each one hand-picked as much for their talents (or lack thereof) as much as their vulnerabilities. At least three of them probably have their families held at gunpoint, no doubt.
The commander lines all of them together behind some rubble and makes some vague pointing motions to the lot of them - many of whom nod or respond in monosyllable. Before long, they will execute the operation that takes out a central communication station nearby that will allow the coalition forces to overtake India again.
Munin has no time to waste if she wants to break them up.
COMBATSYS: Prosperity Squad has started a fight here.
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Prosperity Squad 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Prosperity Squad focuses on its next action.
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Prosperity Squad 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Munin has joined the fight here.
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Prosperity Squad 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Munin
Munin has unsuprisingly good stealth skills, and sneaking closer is no problem. Once high enough, she unhooks a grenade, unpins, aims, and more or less drops it right into their midst, aiming for wherever looks like the softest area of ground, to reduce the sound of it landing potentially.
Before it goes off, she tosses the second towards the feet of the CO, hoping to take him out early and potentially throw them into disarray.
She stays put afterwards, to see the effect for better judging her next move.
COMBATSYS: Munin successfully hits Prosperity Squad with Small Thrown Object.
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Prosperity Squad 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Munin
Unfortunately, the CO is on top of things despite Munin's incredible subtlety - mostly because he nearly trips over it and, in a fit of panic, throws down one of the guys atop the grenade to back away. The sacrificed soldier was a hardened vet of Cambodia whom narrowly survived Shadaloo overrunning his unit - now, it would seem, he would finally get to join them.
Munin's grenade kicks up an incredible cloud of dust that causes sudden bickering and disarray (this is very good for her), so that when the CO starts shouting and pointing vaguely in her direction, they aren't even sure what they're shooting at - but they are being urged, very quickly, to open fire and shoot at her.
COMBATSYS: Munin dodges Prosperity Squad's Cover Fire.
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Prosperity Squad 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Munin
Her plan successful enough, Munin drops any attempt at being subtle. Luckily for her, their fire is all over the place, and she is able to avoid what comes her way easily. With the shriek of a banshee, she drops straight out of the trees into the midst of the group, weapons trailing dark violet chi as she goes. She starts attacking the soldiers left and right, aiming for vital areas with practiced speed. She isn't used to group fighting, but with this being her life or theirs seemingly, she has no hesitation about making it theirs!
COMBATSYS: Prosperity Squad interrupts Fierce Strike from Munin with CQC Training.
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Prosperity Squad 0/-------/---====|==-----\-------\0 Munin
Two soldiers find themselves overpowered in the confusion - and even fright - that comes with the sudden screaming. Some of them would actually prefer to pretend to be taken out just so that they might not be asked to hurt anyone else further, but most the squad does not get a chance to fake this in the heat of battle.
Especially not when the CO actually stops Munin with a solid punch to her midsection before holding her up by her neck before the confused squad.
"It's you." The CO speaks to Munin, in English. "I watched you attempt to take on Lord Vega, like a gnat to a flame," he sneers. "Did you not learn? You're worthless. It's pointless to fight... as these pathetic, whimpering sorts surrounding me have learned."
He can say as many nasty things as he likes about them, because they don't understand English. Most of them are simply pointing guns at Mumin, as if confused as to whether or not he wants her shot already.
"Now please, do get lost," the CO says as he releases Munin simply by dropping her. "Run now and I will politely count to five before they shoot you dead."
This makes Munin VERY unhappy. Being grabbed and held off the ground for one thing, by the neck for another, that this guy talks about that fight so casually for a third!
She glares at him while he is still holding on to her, her eyes beginning to glow more and more. When he lets her go, she continues to glare up at him until he offers to give her a 5 second head start. She seemingly takes off running, though in reality she hasn't moved in any way!
She hopes the chi image of herself running, which shouldn't last more than a two or three count, will distract them just enough, as a bright intense flash of chi explodes from her eyes at the exposed backs of those who DO follow it! She makes no verbal response, however.
COMBATSYS: Prosperity Squad interrupts Flashbang from Munin with Focus Fire.
- Power hit! -
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Prosperity Squad 0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0 Munin
The CO smirks at her silence, at that gaze she makes. He feels she won't be able to do anything. Sure, he's undermanned and with a bunch of random would-be victims who barely understand him (or seem all too loyal beyond fear), but he does not believe for a second - for a SECOND - that one of the people Lord Vega so readily overcame will be a threat to him or the squad.
Especially when he sees something weird about her taking off running. It doesn't seem really... solid. Say what one will about this rotten man, he has seen plenty - and it's with a turn of his head that he actually sees the /real/ Munin, moving ahead and then shouting for the team to turn around and shoot (comically, he mimics the sound of firing with his mouth for added emphasis of 'shoot behind you right now').
They probably get off a good amount of rounds before Munin's eye chi beam flashes actually blind them. She may not have escaped being found out, or being shot - but if she's not lying dead, she has a chance to up and turn it around while they're all blinded!
Munin dodges what gunfire she can, but already knows exactly what to do while they can't see her.
Both her swords begin to glow more intensly with that dark violet chi, and she swings them both in a pair of arcs that will each hit cover one side of her front-to-back, sending a pair of shadowy chi-waves at everyone surrounding her!
She also makes a mental note to save the CO for last. Not only to make him suffer, but because his ineptness may make his squad do much more stupid things!
COMBATSYS: Prosperity Squad blocks Munin's Shadow Wave.
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Prosperity Squad 0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0 Munin
That the squad seems to be trying to cover their eyes with their arms puts them in something resembling a decent defensive position for the wave of shadowy chi, but this only goes so far for the most of them - in total from the last few amazing volleys of her energy, the squad's lost four more to unconsciousness as some black out from pain or (in the case of one of them) bumping his head against a tree hard enough to knock him out.
Six of them still stand yet, all six of them armed indeed as their vision comes back to them somewhat spotty, but it's easy to see Munin standing there with her little short swords out.
"Such children's tricks," the CO growls as he signals to two of them to go grab her. They show some hesitance, given her swords. He reiterates with an angry glare and sweeps of his arms (looking like he's trying to carry something big) as a way of saying 'go! grab her, grab her now.'
They comply - if she looks into their eyes, they don't hate her. They seem almost apologetic, really, that they're in a position where they /have/ to, but how far can sympathy really go for anyone here?
COMBATSYS: Munin counters Medium Throw from Prosperity Squad with Shadow Strike.
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Prosperity Squad 1/-----==/=======|=====--\-------\0 Munin
Sh doesn't seem to care at the moment. They may not WANT to, but they are, and that is all that concerns her until further notice.
As he tells them to jump her, she flourishes her swords, dark violet energy drifting off her swords like a fine mist. Her eyes flash and glow for a moment with violet light as she says "Come and get me!".
Then they do! As the first comes, she steps sideways, her blade cutting him down at the stomach. The second comes right behind him, and she steps into him, stabbing him in either leg and lifting the taller man over her head, where he falls with a dull *THUMP!*. A third from the side is downed with a double swipe to the knee.
One by one, all that come at her are struck down, nonlethally when possible, but without hesitation in either case! Once enough are down that no more approach, she looks at the CO, as if to say 'your move'. She is covered in dirt and blood, both hers and others, which only makes her small feral expression that much creepier.
A third one actually moves towards Munin in the attempt as described, but immediately stops when he sees her just... do that, just missing the double swipe to the knee. The way she is covered in their blood, the look in her eyes... he suddenly backs away, as if to run.
The CO immediately shoots him through the head. There are three left - the CO, and the two squadmates who seem less and less confident in their chances, let alone the fight, but are scared to step back and - despite outnumbering the man two to one - are afraid to even try and turn to shoot him.
"Fancy," the CO's eye twitches, "but that is all that it is." He snaps his fingers with a hand as he lowers his pistol, and the two know exactly what the fingersnap means. They had it drilled into them (or more likely, shot into their fellow soldiers who didn't immediately submit to re-education).
The CO gives Munin a simple glare as he then drops a ball of powder that encompasses all four of them together - herself, the CO, and his two still standing cronies. Make no mistake, there's shooting. Lots of it - how do they track her? Is there some sort of secret?
It's impossible to tell if they're still standing where they were when the smoke ball hid them all, but there is a lot of shooting. Sounds echo strangely within the mist, making it difficult to tell when the shooting actually stops - or what have you. What kind of sorcery is this?
How does one with power over shadows overcome this strange illusory sensation?
COMBATSYS: Prosperity Squad successfully hit Munin with Armor-Piercing Rounds.
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Prosperity Squad 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\1 Munin
Munin instantly ducks low, figuring the shots more than likely would go over her head. Alas, this is not the case, and whatever it is they have allowing them to see her works as intended.
She winces as several rounds pierce her flesh in one side and out the other. When the cloud clears, however, she is still standing despite the badly-bleeding injuries.
As she starts to walk steadily towards them, trailing red, the shadows on her body start to deepen. Soon, her form is entirely covered in inky blackness, and is as if she was solid shadow! Her eyes suddenly open, glowing brightly with purple chi, as does her mouth, the light silhouetting her clenched teeth!
The lights glow brighter for a moment, and then she SCREAMS, sending spearing tendrils of black chi off her various parts of her form, impaling anything they strike!
A few seconds after this, whether anything is struck or not, the blackness and tendrils dissolve into nonexistence, leaving only her looking normal, though tired.
COMBATSYS: Munin successfully hits Prosperity Squad with Iron Maiden.
- Power hit! -
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Prosperity Squad 1/-----==/=======|-------\-------\0 Munin
They're a bit smarter than that - so many fighters avoid shots by going super low super quick that there's a pretty good range of bullet sweeps to tag her, even if there's only a few shooters. As the smoke clears (their ears are ringing, by the by, it's very unpleasant), the darkness around Munin swirls the light about to a truly frightening visage.
Both the last standing Prosperity Squad members and the CO, who only gets out a tense grimace before Munin's impaling black chi runs them all through in a fashion that, somehow, is more visceral than the picture of being riddled with so many bullets as to be unrecognizable as anything other than a formerly human sponge.
This decisive, rage-fuelled rampage robs her of any parting words that she'd like for the CO and her cronies to hear as the three of them all fall over, lifeless. As the bizarre smoke clears, it is Munin who stands alone, who manages to repel the extra spillover from the front lines still narrowly being held by India.
Here, on this battlefield, though she left Asia to go seek friends to help fight... perhaps she, herself, can still contribute plenty as a shrieking figure who turns the darkness to her whims - if that is the air she chooses to cultivate, the path for her to follow as she stands as one of the comparatively few people of the planet with the power to grow stronger yet.
Log created on 18:50:14 03/02/2012 by Rust, and last modified on 09:00:52 03/05/2012.