Description: Metro City has returned... like a corpse being reanimated. Unnatural, and aggressive, Duke has brought the city back, and in his own twisted image. Maki and Zach come to the city, reaching the deserted cordon checkpoint that gates the world from the city... or rather, the city from the world, as they soon find out.
It wasn't quite Metro City.
The military cordon around the city was deserted. Where there were armed soldiers, there was now... desolation. The camp was once crawling with refugees, trying to get into the city. But now even they were gone. The reason why was a mystery.
But it could be that large strip club that was forcing its way across the checkpoint.
In fact, it looked as if the very city itself was forcing itself past the cordon. The roads leading into the city were overgrown with bars, casinos, and legitimate business storefronts. A pawnshop was forced into a nearby barracks, breaking through the walls. A guard towards was partially consumed by a neon sign, outlining slots, slots, slots within. Metro City had been rebuilt, in a sense. But what was built in its place was hardly the city it was before.
And it was clearly spreading.
Zach Glen heard about the fall, and apparent rise of Metro City in the wake of the destruction raging across the planet. Even with 'Empress' Honoka doing exactly what he would not have prefered (violently overthrowing a whole government was not at all what he had in mind when he talked to her), the psion figured that there would be plenty of stalwart protectors and heroes of justice that would rise up against the would-be tyrant. Zach had larger fish to fry. So he caught a flight and chartered a plane to get him out to Metro. Ten thousand feet above the city rising from the wreckage, a twin propeller plane opens up a hatch in its back.
"You sure about this, sir," the co-pilot asks uncertainly. What the customer is proposing to do is somewhat crazy even for someone whose body is whole, and this man while perhaps capable of many things, is not whole in body. "Yeah. I've done this in worse," the young man says with a nod as he assembles his frame with one hand, "I've done this in way worse weather." The co-pilot looks the short man over, and then the square framed rig. "Before your... accident, sir?"
Zach shoots the co-pilot a wild grin. "After, actually. Hold the plane steady," he says as he gets into the harness. "I'll be fine.
Gripping the cross pole with his right hand, he reaches for the opposite end of the pole with the stump of his left arm, a shimmering construct of golden energy grasping the pole to the surprise of both pilots. The psion takes a running start and leaps off the airplane, allowing the winds to catch under the glider. Zach aims the craft towards Metro City and sails in as the plane flies off.
"
Metro City was once a bustling metropolis, then it became a ghost town. Now things are starting to pick up again, but not in the way that it should've been. Things were starting to look like the Mad Gears had taken control of Metro City, except there had been no sign of the Mad Gears for awhile. It was all too eerie, but with the sight of that strip club and the advertisement for slots, it was obvious that whoever was here was trying to rebuild it more like a Red Light District.
Having disappeared for awhile during the whole ordeal that had been going on around the world, the footsteps of Maki Genryuusai could be heard as she walked along an empty street, looking around with a look of anger on her face, one hand gripping her tonfa tightly. It was almost like a scene from a nightmare to her, seeing the remains of Metro City being turned into something that the Mad Gears would love to see. She stops briefly as a piece of broken glass cracks under the sole of her shoe, and she looks around, almost as if she expect someone to have been alerted. Once she realizes there's no one there (for now anyway,) she continues walking. Who or what she is looking for at the moment is anyone's guess.
It was like falling towards the aftermath of a nuclear bomb.
As Zach approaches the ground, he can see the form of a single person moving through the wasteland. He wasn't alone, at least. The glider comes towards the earth, he might be able to identify her more readily. It was Maki, one of the old heroines of Metro City. It seems she too had a reason to save the city... or at least, save whatever this was. The whole thing was too alien.
Something moves out of the corner of his eye.
Should Zach turn his head, he will see nothing obvious at first. A skyscraper of filth and sleaze, a regular pornographic tower. LADIES LADIES LADIES. X X X. An ouroboros of neon scenes, winding through the sky. But that what was happening. It was winding, slithering upwards to the sky. Faster and faster it grows, as freshly half-grown signs falls from the driving skyscraper. It was towering over the gliding in Zach.
And something was falling from it.
They are vague from a distance. Dressed in fine slack, zoot suits, really to the nines. They were humanoid, that was certain. There were a half dozen in the air, sailing down towards in free fall. As they close in, they are more clearly identified. Gangsters. Classic gangsters, in fact, dressed in the old Mafiso style. Pinstripe suits, and clutching bats, brass knuckles, and tommy guns. They looked almost perfectly human. With one difference.
They had no faces.
A black void was where the face was. Their jackets billowing around them they begin to encircle around Zach. Every one of them had their heads fixed on Zach. Spiraling through the air, they cuts across, zig-zagging in front of the psionic boxer. It seems that he found what happened to the people at the cordon.
But he wasn't the only one.
As Maki walks through the slowly encroaching effigy of Metro City, she too gets a familiar welcome. Six more of the strange gangsters pull out from the nearby buildings, three from the pawn shop, three from the strip club. All of them are dressed in the same mafia style; all are clearly holding those black voids where their visages should be. These are armed with chains, clubs, and more brass knuckles. It seems that both on the ground, and above, that getting into the new Metro City would require a fight.
And all this time, the city creeps closer and closer.
COMBATSYS: Zach has started a fight here.
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Zach 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Faceless Goons has joined the fight here on the top side.
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Faceless Goons 0|-------|-------
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Zach 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Zach equips Violet Miraitou.
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Faceless Goons 0|-------|-------
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Zach [E] 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Maki has joined the fight here.
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Faceless Goons 0|-------|-------
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Zach [E] 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Maki
Zach snarls as the... things come after him. For the moment, it doesn't even register that these may have been people at one point; he hadn't heard about people disappearing in the city. They don't even /feel/ like people to his senses. It's still a good way to the ground, but these abberations don't look like they will allow him to land. No helping it. Zach reaches for the harness, undoing it and dropping away from the glider.
The psion tucks into a neat flip, pulling a single wakazashi free with his right hand. Gold light slides along the blade as the psion attempts to simply /land/ on the back of one even as he presses the stump of his left arm into the creature's body before loosing a triple burst of Soul Power, point blank on it before leaping away and towards the next one!
The glider does get a brief glance from Maki as she looks up, expecting to be attacked by someone or something. She then sees it's just Zach, remembering her encounters with him over the years. She doesn't call out or say anything to him, since this is not the time or place for socialization or greeting people. Especially when there's something definitely wrong with this place in more ways than one, given that there's movement on the ground now too. And when Maki turns to face the incoming gangsters, she can only stare in disbelief and awe.
"Am I dreaming?" Maki shakes her head in disbelief. "No, this is real." Choosing not to disbelieve what she's seeing, most likely because she's seen lots of other things during this harrowing time, Maki grips her tonfa tightly and stares at those faceless grunts. She takes a deep breath and blows it out before looking around to make sure she's not about to be ambushed by anyone from her blindside. Then she points at them, not caring whether or not they can see or hear her, although the former is more than likely given how they're approaching her.
"You're not scaring me! I've faced worse things than you!" Maki targets the nearest goon and attempts to strike it with her tonfa in the stomach.
COMBATSYS: Faceless Goons blocks Zach's Blast Punch.
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Faceless Goons 0|-------|------=
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Zach [E] 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Maki
COMBATSYS: Maki successfully hits Faceless Goons with Medium Strike.
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Faceless Goons 0|-------|-----==
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Zach [E] 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Maki
They don't even make a sound, as the duo fights back.
Zach has the most trouble with his goons. As the six begin to zoom around him, Zach manages to land a swipe with the sword on one of them. As he slashes against the suit, he doesn't feel like he is hitting flesh. In fact, as the blade retracts, there isn't even torn fabric. Instead, the suit is... scratched, a white scar where the blade strikes. It is the blast of energy, however, which is more startling. As the blasts hit it in the void of the face.... Zach can see the blasts enter the face, and continue onward. Further, and further, into in oblivion... In time for three of the other goons come diving down, attempting to smash into the glider and Zach.
Maki, however, is in her element.
One of the goons takes a solid smash with the tonfa, right in the gut. The abomination twitches on impact, gripping the tonfa briefly. A chunk of the abdomen cracks, the fabric shattering. Parts of the thug collapse on the ground, like pieces of broken stone. And yet, the creature is still standing. The other thugs begin to circle around Maki, one on each side, while a third one walks back and forth. As the struck creature still recovers, the three pounce on Maki, attempting to tackle her down.
And she will find, they are MUCH heavier than they look.
COMBATSYS: Zach blocks Faceless Goons' Pile On.
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Faceless Goons 0|-------|----===
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Zach [E] 0/-------/----===|-------\-------\0 Maki
COMBATSYS: Faceless Goons successfully hit Maki with Pile On.
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Faceless Goons 0|-------|--=====
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Zach [E] 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Maki
Zach rolls, tumbles, and shoves limbs aside even as the goons scratch and claw at him. Cloth shred, flesh tears a little under the assault. Still falling, he notes as he drops towards another goon. Zach tucks his right arm in, sword running parallel against his leg even as he thrusts his left arm forward. Once more a hand of pure energy surges forth, reaching for a goon underneath him.
If he makes the grab, Zach heaves, twisting his body into a spin that will whirl the goon around twice in a vertical circle before spiking it into another goon. Hit or miss, Zach repositions into a dive, attempting to get to the ground to reinforce Maki as soon as he can manage without splattering himself across the ground.
Perhaps he should have brought a parachute.
Those goons are heavier than they look. And speedy too. Maki finds herself getting piled on by the goons, which really creeps her out in more ways than one, and is finding things are getting a bit too close for comfort here. When you're in a situation like this, sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures. And Maki knows what kind of measures to be taken here.
She attempts to plant her tonfa into the ground as best as she can with all those goons on top of her. "Get off me, you perverts!" Maki yells out, attempting to use that planted tonfa to spin around like a whirlwind, and hopefully get those goons off of her, while giving her some breathing space.
COMBATSYS: Zach successfully hits Faceless Goons with Charged Combo.
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Faceless Goons 1|-------|=======
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Zach [E] 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Maki
COMBATSYS: Maki successfully hits Faceless Goons with Bushin Senpuu Kyaku.
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Faceless Goons 1|-----==|=======
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Zach [E] 0/-------/----===|=====--\-------\0 Maki
These weren't human.
As the hammering comes, Zach is able to evade the assault... but not being anywhere near the glider. As he rips free from the swarm of goons, one tumbles below him. As he is gripped by Zach, the remaining tear into the glider. As the assault goes into full free fall, one of them breaks free, diving towards Zach as he clutches the goon, a bat in its hand. That is its mistake: it is an easy target as it is hurled straight back up into the other. Both explode in a spray of dust, fragments of goons spreading through the sky.
Maki has a rough time though.
As the swarm comes rolling on top of Maki, she feels like she is getting piled on by boulders. Piling on her, the heroine of Metro City responds with perfect form. The flurry of a whirlwind strike shatters against the heap of goons... literally. Three of them falls apart, shattering into stone fragments. The pieces of faceless goons falls apart, while the remaining four stagger back, taking severe damage.
But things weren't gonna go easily.
There is a groaning sound from the city. As the the remaining goons recover, four in the sky, three on the ground, the twisted skyscraper... turns. Aiming towards Zach and Maki, its shadow casts over the pair of them. It bends, and bends, as the goon begin to converge on both Maki and Zach. Both of them dive down, not to beat on them, but to grab each of them. For Zach, one for each limb. For Maki? Two on the arms, and both on the legs. And should they make the grab? They will expose them to the looming skyscraper, as it finally strikes. It will explode forth, firing an explosion of construction and building force.
Straight down into both Maki and Zach.
COMBATSYS: Zach interrupts Gang Warfare from Faceless Goons with Mirai Blade EX.
- Power hit! -
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Faceless Goons 1|-------|=======
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Zach [E] 0/-------/-======|=====--\-------\0 Maki
COMBATSYS: Faceless Goons successfully hit Maki with Gang Warfare.
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Faceless Goons 1|-------|=======
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////// ]
Zach [E] 0/-------/-======|=======\==-----\1 Maki
Maki is caught in the onslaught of the goons and finds herself really being caught up in their midsts, which is not pleasant for her at all. She struggles to break free, but it's not easy at all. The closer they get to her, the more uncomfortable she becomes. She takes out her tonfa and attempts to clobber one while then attempting to throw another goon away from her.
Zach's adrenaline spikes as he descends on Metro City at a disturbing clip as the goons position to intercept. His awareness expands as he notes the skyscaper becoming animate, despite the fact that steel and concrete simply DO NOT DO SUCH THINGS. Emerald eyes narrow as the psion coldly considers courses of action.
The wandering warrior tucks into a forward flip, quickly reversing the grip on the wakazashi as he drops on another goon. A surge of Soul Power rushes through Zach as he SLAMS the tip of the sword into the creature's chest. Zach tucks his legs between himself and the goon as he rides the monster to the ground. The ground shudders and craters under the impact as Zach simply walks out of the dust cloud towards Maki's position.
COMBATSYS: Maki successfully hits Faceless Goons with Armed Combo.
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Faceless Goons 1|-----==|=======
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Zach [E] 0/-------/-======|=======\==-----\1 Maki
The front line shatters.
The skyscraper smashes into Maki, the building driving into the asphalt. Dipping back up, it rises back from the street, putting down a new sweepstakes outlet. Maki is ripped back up, as the goons cling on to her. Ripping free, she is able to clobber the threesome easily, smashing them to pieces.
But that's nothing when compared to Zach.
The psionic boxer rips into the goons trying to seize him, fighting back perfectly. The skyscraper spreads out, an ever-shifting landscape winding above the cordon. The skyscraper thrusts underneath Zach, the building ripping underneath him as he grabs a goon... and surfs it down on the skyscraper. The building, the goon, and the wandering warrior all smash into the ground in unison, right beside Maki and the remains of her goons. A massive fallout of dust fills around them...
And the dust clears.
There are no more of the goons. Only rubble, and new buildings. More pawn shops. An insurance agency. And another seedy bar was... above them. The buildings weren't required to grow from the ground anymore, it seemed. But the thugs were nothing more but pieces of debris. They were not human. They were just hewned from the same stone as the buildings themselves. Extensions of the will that was building this city.
Zach and Maki have managed to breech the city.
COMBATSYS: Faceless Goons takes no action.
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Zach [E] 0/-------/-======|=======\==-----\1 Maki
COMBATSYS: Faceless Goons can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////// ]
Zach [E] 0/-------/-======|=======\==-----\1 Maki
At first, it feels like Maki was being beaten up by weird goons. But now that she looks, she finds that there were no goons in the first place at all. They were... debris? Was Maki hallucinating? Is she on drugs? Is she dreaming?
"Something else is going on here," Maki thinks to herself as she takes a moment to catch her breath, having been hit with a lot of dust just now especially. She feels like this is getting more mysterious by the minute, and decides to make an effort to get out of here as quickly as possible. She looks to Zach and gives him a slight nod. "Didn't think I'd be bumping into you here," She comments. "Now is not the time or place to be catching up, though. I'm getting the hell out of here, and if I were you, I'd do the same myself." She may have breached the city with Zach's help, but right now she'd rather be indoors someplace.
Zach flicks his blade to one side before sheathing the weapon. He regards the skyline warily for a moment as he pulls a long coat out of his backpack. He sets the garnment over his shoulders, the lay of it covering both his sword and his maimed arm. He heaves a sigh as he starts walking towards the towering Il Paradiso.
"This city ain't right," he says. "Whatever caused the storms is probably behind this. Hide if you want, but I'm done running around. It's time to stand and fight."
"You're right," Maki says with a nod as she looks to Zach. "I'm coming with you. We're going to find the cause of this and stop it!" A slight smile forms on her face.
COMBATSYS: Maki has left the fight here.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Zach [E] 0/-------/-======|
COMBATSYS: Zach has ended the fight here.
***************
From on top of the Il Paradiso tower, a half-naked mountain of man stands tall. Dark-skinned, neon-violet leylines run over his upper body. In one hand, a Time Sphere is clutched. Golden eyes glow fiercely, as he glares over his new city. It was his image. It was beautiful. He could feel every corner of the world around him, driving into it, spreading his power over the desolate wasteland. In its place was the perfect gangland paradise. Thousands of fronts for his operations, a thousand homes for his new minions. Already, the refugees were streaming back, and already they were made to be part of his new empire.
But something resists.
He had resistence before. Those soldiers, who dared to try and contain him, to stop his newest immigrants. They were consumed into his new empire. But these... these fought back. He could focus on them, feel them. And yet, despite it all, they resisted him. He struggles to pin them down, to drive his presence into it. But he cannot. He is too large now. And whatever it was slips his grip.
The rage grows.
A rumble goes through the city. The wails of his prisoners rise up. The beast of a man loathed challengers to his empire. His kingdom. Eventually, the spread of his city would stop. And he would need to bring stability to his new city. To stop the interlopers, the intruders, the invaders. He would have to hunt them down.
And crush them like the insects they were.
Log created on 21:31:25 09/21/2014 by Duke, and last modified on 01:08:25 09/22/2014.