Quicksilver's Decision
[Radio] You send Magnet Man a direct message: "Hey, Magnet Man."
Magnet Man sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "Hey, bro. Bros. What's up?"
[Radio] You send Magnet Man a direct message: "You know you've been avoiding.... the fight we had planned. The Earthworm. You know you want to..."
Magnet Man sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "Um. Well. I've been, uh... busy... you know.. with projects. And... stuff."
Magnet Man sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "...now? *pause* Like.. right now? *pause* This very moment?"
Seismic Earthworm sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "Yeah. That's okay though. I'm gonna tear down one of your facilities for each of the medics you guys killed. I'll even carve their names in so you can keep track. We'll have plenty of time to talk while I'm doing that."
[Radio] You send Seismic Earthworm a direct message: "What about..." (Both) "Your sister?""
[Radio] You send Magnet Man a direct message: "He seems to want to play..."
Seismic Earthworm sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "Same terms we agreed upon."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Gamma CO Gemini Man transmits, "Ahhhhh... this'll be fun."
Seismic Earthworm sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "I've just been waiting for a time when neither of you were e-ringed."
[Radio] You send Seismic Earthworm a direct message: "Hm. Well, no time like now." "We like now." "Come on. What are you waiting for?"
Seismic Earthworm sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "Fine by me. Be there shortly."
Tartarus - Arena Square
This is the central hub and busiest point of Tartarus at any time of the day, month or year. It's here that everyone has to eventually come through if they want to go someplace. Trying to get home? Have to cut through here to head east. Want to go to another city? The teleporters are housed in this district. While all roads may lead to rome, all destinations in Tartarus lead to the Arena Square, and as such it is a constant bustle of activity in the form of thronging bodies, vehicles and aircraft flying overhead. Something akin to an open air market has even been set up with booths and tables, all in the shadow of the immense structure that makes this city what it is.
Towering over the skyline, the huge form of the Sheol Pit itself dominates the area, a constant flow of pedestrian and vehicular traffic coming to and fro, and the loud chorus of the cheers of a great crowd from within rising up. This is one place that never truly sleeps.
Obvious exits:
North leads to Tartarus - Council Building.
East leads to Tartarus - Residential District.
South leads to Tartarus - Slums.
West leads to Tartarus - Commercial District.
Teleporters leads to Tartarus - Teleporters.
Arena leads to Tartarus - Arena Lobby.
Magnet Man sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "Well... it's you and me, right? And.. just him? Right?"
Shadow Man arrives from the Tartarus - Teleporters.
Shadow Man has arrived.
Wilyworm [Quicksilver Earthworm] enters the Tartarus - Arena Lobby.
Magnet Man sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "Well... those are good odds. So.. um.. right now? Do you want me to.. meet you somewhere or something?"
[Radio] You send Magnet Man a direct message: "Arena lobby. You'll see us."
At this hour, at such an offtime, the place isn't as bustling as one might assume during a scheduled bout. In a large part, this is due to the space required for the Quicksilver Earthworm reploid, whose silver coils lie entwined around the lobby. Leaning against a length of her body waits a single Gemini Man, calm, cool, and patient.
Remarkably less cool and collected is the dressed-for-success--that is, /combat success/--Magnet Man, radiating an aura of uncertainty and exuding the feeling that he has just been hogtied into doing something entirely against his will and he still has no idea how it was accomplished. Biting his lower lip (his facemask is not yet affixed) as he crosses the threshold into the lobby, he casts about for his more confidant brother.
"Hey, Gem. Um. So. You.. uh.. ready?"
Gemini Man nods smugly, and steps away from the giant Reploid. "Go on ahead," he says to her. The silver coils start to move into the arena. "Just remember," Gemini says to Magnet Man. "We will make the killing blow. You just set us up for it."
Magnet Man nods slowly. "Right.. set you up for it. So, you want me to.. um.. get 'im in a chokehold, or grab and hold his arms?"
Gemini Man starts to follow Quicksilver in. "He doesn't have arms, dummy. Just slow him down."
Tartarus - Sheoul Pit
From outside of the arena, the roar of the crowds was bad enough, but here it can be downright deafening to those not prepared for it upon emerging into the open-air bowl shape of the Sheol Pit's combat area. It isn't just fights that are hosted here, and frequently matches of other sorts take place such as races or other competitions, but overall it's the gladitorial bouts that bring the largest crowds, and it's to this that the arena caters. The pit itself is a marvel of modern technology, great machinery hidden strategically from view both underground and at the side panellings to be let loose at a moment's notice to alter the 'landscape' of where the battles take place within minutes. The arena itself is capable of change it's state to suit almost any sort of terrain battle, from simulating high speed winds and being tall enough to host aerial battles, to changing it's makeup and even the temperature to switch to a freezing tundra or burning desert, to even being able to submerge itself completely in water for aquatic matches, the special shielding protecting the crowd from being flooded. It's this shielding that keeps stray blasts and shrapnel from making it's way up into the bleachers where it could injure the audience. Of course it's invisible, but it's fueled by immense power generators set on the ceiling high above ground-level, constantly thrumming and providing the necessary 'juice' to keep them up and going. The bleachers themselves are a constant flurry of motion, people coming and leaving, cheering and jeering, and vendors going about throwing hot dogs and various other snack foods here and there where they are in demand.
Shadow Man [XSM] [RM]
King [Civilian] [RM]
Seismic Earthworm [MH]
Bass Challenge Results
Battling Cage #2
Pit 2
Battling Cage
Fighting Pit
Seismic Earthworm slinks slowly into the arena and coils up, taking a few cleansing breathes. He sighs nervously and lifts up, looking forward. Where are they?
There is something to be said for box seats - and King is certainly one of the main spenders for them at the arena, regardless of how much time he actually spends him them. Sitting with a rather bored expression on his face, the Golden Ruler of the Masters watches a battle between a pair of animal Reploids with some degree of detatchment... and truth be told, boredom. Animals tearing each other to pieces was so often dull... a real fight was needed for this evening. A few more moments pass until Warpspeed Turtle finally finishes disassembling Hyper Hare, and what is left of the two Mavericks are dragged off the field, clearing the way for the next match.
Magnet Man arrives from the Tartarus - Arena Lobby.
Magnet Man has arrived.
First to herald the approach of the Robot Masters is the movement of a worm of Seismic's dimensions. She moves fluidly, even above-ground, more quickly than the original Seismic Earthworm ever did. Shining under the arena lights, Quicksilver Earthworm enters, and, takes her place, at the side of the arena.
Gemini Man follows that entrance, stepping under the lights himself, crystal sparkling. He finds Seismic quickly, and looks toward him with a cold stare.
Less cold, more cautious: that is Magnet Man. Having been repeatedly defeated by the large Maverick Hunter earthworm in previous encounters, he is far more nervous in confronting his old enemy than his brother Gemini Man. Nonetheless, as he walks in behind his sibling, his left hand shimmers, then shifts to an arm cannon. He takes up place beside Gemini.
"So... this is it, I guess. The time of reckoning. The final battle."
In the shadows behind King, one of his subordinates watches silently, his arrival heralded by no sound and granted by no exchange of currency. Freeloading is just one of the many applications of stealth.
Shadow Man activates his stealth mode.
Seismic Earthworm doesn't look towards Gemini yet. His gaze follows his sister, and he sighs. He nods to her once, and sends her a signal... then finally turns to face Gemini and Magnet. "The terms of our agreement state that I may have a WYRMS technician evaluate her condition prior to the fight. Do you still honor that agreement?"
King raises one eyebrow curiously at this new development - not rising from his seat, but leaning forward slightly as he considers the action now taking place below. So, the Hunter worm was now fighting for something... Gemini and Magnet had best not be betting one of the Doctor's war machines in some foolish game of pride. King looks to the side for a moment, checking to ensure that his shield and axe are onhand. But for now he watches, occasionally speaking over his radio.
Gemini Man reaches over with his right hand, and cracks the knuckles on his left, one by one. "Don't be nervous. This'll be quick..." Gemini's right hand now fades away, leaving only his laser weapon behind. "...and painful."
"Just as we promised," says a voice, closer to Seismic, where another Gemini Man has appeared. "She's ready for inspection."
Quicksilver, for her part, simply inclines the top of her body toward Sy, in an awkward bow. She seems lost.
Magnet Man rubs his neck, frowning behind his facemask. He lets Gem do the talking.
[Radio: (A) Masters] King transmits, "Magnet Man. Gemini Man. I do hope that you have a... reasonable explanation for this."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Magnet Man transmits, "Oh, um, yes, of course."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Bass transmits, "Just.. what.. is going on?"
[Radio: (A) Masters] Gamma CO Gemini Man transmits, "We're killing Seismic Earthworm. Just give us a few minutes."
[Radio: (A) Masters] Guts Man transmits, "A few minutes? I'd have that done in a few seconds."
Seismic Earthworm looks back towards the entrance and motions, calling his escorted technician out. The man is weaponless, of course, but is in as much armor as can be allowed, and carries a briefcase of diagnostic equipment as he approaches Quicksilver. He cautiously taps in his old clearance codes to see if any of them still work, before switching to the scanner.
[Radio: (A) Masters] King transmits, "Perhaps you can fill Us in on this 'agreement' you have with the Hunter...."
The old codes? No. They've all been replaced.
Quicksilver's insides are...needless to say, a disaster. Where four simultanious processors should be working, one remains, in an altered condition. Internally, she suffers from burnouts, crossed wires, and the physical remains of a careful brainwashing. One processor seems almost hacked out, as if someone had a fit of rage on Quicksilver's insides: two others were simply not installed before she was stolen.
However, one thing is as promised: her core code is free of any impressed loyalty.
The technician frowns and moves quickly back over to Seismic, holding up the briefcase. Seismic's three gem eyes cycle their lights, as he reviews the findings. An enraged scowl would form if he had the brow for it. The technician is dismissed, and makes a hasty retreat from the arena. The worm growls low and wordlessly as his gaze returns to his opponents.
Magnet Man swallows hard, even though, as an android, the function is functionally inert. As an expression of his trepidation, however, it's wonderfully relevant. "So. I hold him, you hurt him. Right."
Gemini Man's twin crosses his arms over his chest, his face broken out into a wide grin. The cleanup programming, simple, and functional, was begun by Tron, completed by Wily. Physically messing up her internals was a result of Gemini's own 'computer-savvy' tampering. What works, works.
The original Gemini steps out into the arena, digging his feet as if taking a mark. "That's right..." he says to Magnet Man. "Now... Let's GO!"
"Right!" With the briefest moment of hesitation beforehand, Magnet Man leaps forward, shouting the first battle-cry-like phrase that comes to his mind as he makes a dash for his enemy. "For AIIIIIUUUUUUR!"
He leaps into the air once he draws near to Sy, activating his magnetic fields and, in an act of supreme stupidity or impressive valor (one or the other), hurling himself directly toward Sy's head region. What a way to begin.
Magnet Man misses Seismic Earthworm with his Ram attack! HA!
Seismic Earthworm pulls back and takes a sharp breath, glaring down at the three (well, two and a half, depending on how you count holograms) Masters he's faced with, and howls his rage in a forceful roar as he slams down into the ground, aided by the gravity of his emitter.
Seismic Earthworm strikes you with his Quake for 15 units of damage.
Seismic Earthworm strikes Magnet Man with his Quake attack.
Gemini Man and Gemini Man fall under the earthquake attack, tripping down in their respective positions.
(Nice start...) One twin stands first, then the other, and they both start rapid-firing their weapons at the worm.
Quicksilver startles somewhat at the fight, peering out as if she doesn't understand.
You strike Seismic Earthworm with your Laser Barrage attack.
King watches from his throne, one hand supporting his chin as he watches the conflict below with a slightly more interested expression. Such an interesting match... although the terms of it were not to his liking. Nor to others he could think of. King raises one hand, twitching his fingers in the slightest of expressions - for his axe to be brought to his hand.
Even as the little mets are heading towards the axe, a blue-gloved hand curls around the handle. The android to which it belongs steps forward, raises the axe, and turns it slightly inwards towards the King, passing it to him.
It's a strange coincience that renders Magnet Man prone--the charging gravity emitters interfered with his magnetic attractor fields, unfortunately slamming him into the ground just before the earthquake struck home. A lucky shard of rock breaks through his chestplate, but the magnetic Master pulls himself to his feet, eyes narrowed. Now that battle is joined, he shall be victolious--there is no more room for hesitation!
"Okay, worm! That was a lucky shot! You'll never survive.. er.. dodge.. this one!" He extends his right hand in the Vader Force Grip style, clenching it into a fist and then twisting--Seismic is a big worm, but he, the Master of Magnetism, can contort even the large Hunter like a pretzel! If the blasted thing would stop squirming long enough for him to get a proper hold with the conflicting magnetic fields...
Magnet Man strikes Seismic Earthworm with his Embarrassing Self-wounding attack.
Seismic Earthworm snarls as the lasers spear through his armor, falling back some. And then the pretzelish twisting makes him drill his own aft. Still, it is only a glancing blow, and the worm simply glares at Magnet. His emitter glows, crackling a sharp response to the field, before the worm lunges suddenly to snap at him.
Seismic Earthworm strikes Magnet Man with his Devour attack.
Seismic Earthworm drains energy from Magnet Man with his Devour attack.
King recieves the weapon without acknowledgement - he is the Ruler, after all, and such services are not only expected... they are assumed. However, King does make a mental note to give Shadow Man the appropriate pat on the head - the tiny heads up in his visor showing the view from one of his Crown Mets before they trundle back and reattach themselves to the back of his shield. Which immediately tips over, moving across the ground towards King.
"Uh, uh, uh..." Gemini Man calls out, mockingly, as he sees Seismic dip down to grab onto his (second) team partner. His rapidfire shots cease, and, while the second twin drops back, Gemini himself changes a setting on his gun. The glowing white length of a Gemini Laser emerges from the weapon. It moves at somewhat less the speed of light, taking its good old time to reach the busily chewing worm.
You strike Seismic Earthworm with your Slow Motion Shot attack.
Magnet Man shrieks as his body is caught up in the drill-like maw of the massive earthworm, and immediately loses all sense of decorum, shouting "Aaaaah! Worm's gonna eat me! Worm's gonna eat me!" all the while, in addition to ineffectually flailing at the rock-hard body with his fists.
"OwowowowowowgottathinkthinkthinkwhatcouldSolidSnakedo... oh!" With a grunt, he thrusts his hand toward his hip, activating his subspace pocket, and draws forth... a Game Boy? A grimace of pain spreads further across his face as he turns it on, with the tinny 8-bit *bling!* signalling its activation. "Chew on this!" His hand flares with electrical energy before he tries to hurl it into Sy's mouth...
...and seconds before it detonates.
Magnet Man misses Seismic Earthworm with his Limpet Mine attack! HA!
Seismic Earthworm chews on that. Munch munch grind grind... And then suddenly roars in pain and cringes as the blast from the Gemini Men melts off a good chunk of his armor, exposing some wires and servos, and a providing a nice trickle of mechfluid. He turns to regard the source of that attack with a ball of turbulent gravity, balanced inward to stress, and outward to detonate. The dark orb zips through the air, seeking out the holographic body-doubler.
Seismic Earthworm misses you with his Crushing Blast attack.
Quicksilver's tail is flickering quickly, her head bobbing the same rythem. The violence is upsetting her; she seems to want to interfere, but is not sure on which side to do so.
A brutal thud marks Magnet Man's release--as he's dropped heavily to the ground, bleeding from a large hole ripped in his side. Clutching at his torso, Magnet Man staggers to his feet. And suddenly, a vicious flash of anger flares in his eyes. "YOU DO THAT EVERY TIME! I HATE WHEN YOU DO THAT!" Snarling, he disappears in the distinctive flickering haze of a blink system. When did Magnet Man get a blink system?
He reappears on top of Seismic Earthworm's head, his arm cannon pointed straight down at the worm at point-blank range. "DIE!"
Magnet Man strikes Seismic Earthworm with his Arm Cannon attack.
The Gemini Men leap and scatter as Seismic moves downward: the real Gemini twin avoiding being crushed by only a split second's movement.
"Almost hit it..." the clone says. Too quiet for Gemini to really hear, he knows it's said, nonetheless. The next burst aimed for Seismic is from the hologram, who fires a quick shot into the open wound torn by the more powerful, slow motion burst.
"Impressive..." Gemini Man mutters, as he, himself, steps back, watching Magnet Man's rage build. He wasn't aware of that blink module...
You strike Seismic Earthworm with your Clone Laser attack.
Heavy footfalls mark the passage of a single person across the walkway that spans the outside of the arena. Footfalls that are accompanied by the heavy tread of King as he makes his way around to the area just above where Quicksilver is standing, his axe held loosely in one hand as he watches the conflict in the arena. There shall be *no* interference in this perticular match. So said the rules of the arena. So says the Will of King.
Seismic Earthworm growls most unhappily as multiple energy blasts carve bleeding holes into his sides... energy. It's always energy. Very well. The worm begins his ascent, leaning back on his tail as he swings himself upward, attempting to remove Magnet by smashing him violently into the forcefield at the top of the pit.
Seismic Earthworm misses Magnet Man with his Body Slam attack.
That mysterious blink module again...
Magnet Man disappears seconds before he would have collided with the forcefield, reappearing on the ground, not far from Gemini Man. His arm-cannon shifts back into a hand, though he's still scowling. "I'll /kill/ him," he growls, most uncharacteristically. "I'll turn him into slag. SLAG!" he shouts, "LIKE A PUMA HIT WITH A LONG-RANGE PARTICLE-PROJECTION CANNON!"
Gemini Man looks over at Magnet Man, almost, questioningly. "Wow. Hey... are you..."
"NEAT." The second twin just laughs to himself. "Oh, corruption is so much fun." Another blast from his cannon, fired wild, that bounces off the ground before heading back over towards the Earthworm.
You miss Seismic Earthworm with your Ricochet Blast attack? HOW?
Seismic Earthworm does have degrees in architecture and mathematics... he can see where beams are going to bounce and try not be there, even if he barely moves fast enough to get his entire butt out of the way. He glares at Gemini and his drill begins to whirr to life, spinning up to the supersonic speeds he uses to propel himself through the earth. Trampling rampantly forward, Seismic bounds upwards and aims down onto one of the Geminis at drillpoint.
Seismic Earthworm strikes you with his Diamond Drill for 36 units of damage.
You are below your courage-endurance point.
A loud cry from the struck Gemini twin, as Seismic's drill burrows right through him, tearing him apart, until he finally disperses in ribbons of white light. Gemini Man himself drops to his knees, even though the attack did not hit him. His teeth are grinding, as he struggles back up...small fractures somehow appearing in the crystal all over his body. He lifts his arm. "We're not finished yet." A flash of white from his cannon sears out toward Seismic Earthworm.
Upon the waves of Seismic's old Wyrms frequency, there is that distinct, confused, watery-sounding... You strike Seismic Earthworm with your Gemini Laser attack.
His brother is standing right next to him.
Magnet Man strikes Seismic Earthworm with his Magnet Buster Megablast attack.
King continues to watch the battle unfolding below, his eyes narrowed slightly... and the faintest smile touching his face. Well now, this was going better than expected. It seemed that alternative motivational methods would not be necessary at this point...
Seismic Earthworm collapses to the ground under the multiple blasts of energy, his armor plating puddling and pooling around him as it melts off, leaving a crippled and heavily bleeding framework. He lies still for a moment before being able to process Quicksilver's message. He turns to her weakly, a sullen gaze desperately begging forgiveness... and then he looks away, drill teeth gritting as in her he finds the determination to carry forward without armor. The skeleton of the worm rises from the liquified mess, sparks flying from mangled servos and mechfluid spilling in great waves across the arena floor. His gaze turns to Magnet, and his drill clicks to the green gem, pulsing brightly and unleashing a sharp crack of thunder.
"Yeah! SUCK PLASMA, FOOLISH--GAAAAK!" A thundercrack, and a hurtling bolt of electricity--Magnet Man, in the midst of taunting Seismic Earthworm, presents an unmoving target, easily struck. The electricity surges throughout his body, pieces of his armor exploding and shattering outward in sequence as the intense power shorts out and then detonates his numerous magnetic emitters. The force of the blast heaves him backwards, where he lands in the dust not far from his brother.
Magnet Man misses Seismic Earthworm with his Magnet Missiles attack! HA!
Energy is still charging in Gemini Man's weapon, as tiny pieces of crystal start to literally drop off of his forhead. (It'll be worth it... It will be WORTH it...)Oo "This is it." Gemini Man raises his right arm, steadying it with his hand, as the burst of white plasma charges to its upper levels. A laugh comes to him as he stares at Seismic, and the mess Gemini's weapons systems, and those of his brother, have made out of the once heavily-armored Hunter. "Look at you," he says. "In death...you're almost as ugly as she is." The blast looses...without near so much fanfare as Magnet Man's attack, but, a simple CRACK of the Gemini Cannon. "So long."
Seismic Earthworm shudders violently as the blasts miss due to passing through the already gaping holes in his frame. He faults, hitting the ground and laying motionless for a few seconds... and then Gemini's insult to his sister gets parsed properly. All three of his gem eyes crackle with energy, but crack from the strain, leaving red-hot energy patterns in their wake. Rendered useless. The worm rises and takes a deep breath, then roars his rage as a blast of caustic etching fluid that sweeps over and into the arena floor.
Seismic Earthworm strikes you with his Acid Blast for 10 units of damage.
Seismic Earthworm strikes Magnet Man with his Acid Blast attack.
"NO!" The Magnet Missiles careen through Sy's frame, their angle arcing slightly due to the metal therein.. but not enough to override their forward thrust. They continue through to explode harmlessly against the forcefield further up in the air. "That.. that can't happen!" He staggers forward, unbelieving... and when Seismic rears back for his final strike, Magnet Man can only gape. "No! Impossible! We were so close! We--" He is silenced in a roar of acid; not even a shriek accompanies the purifying burn of the chemicals. His armor, flimsy and ornamental, is melted away, and the rest of his body is scored to the frame, exposing melted wires and scant few pieces of actual armor remaining.
Flung backwards by the blast, he lands on his back ten meters away, where he groans and rolls onto his hands and knees. "So close," he whispers. "We... we..." He collapses as he begins to crawl forward, and does not rise again. "...sorry, Gem..."
Gemini Man's eyes grow wide as he sees the worm is still on the move, even after his most powerful attack... His reaction is similar to Magnet's, if not voiced. (It's just not possible.) And, then, the last attack. The acid, tearing into his body through the cracks in his crystal armor, eats at Gemini's systems, knocking him onto the ground as he gives a gurgling scream.
The reactions from the crowd, largely, disappointment, boos and jeers...
Quicksilver moves. The simple barrier between the battle arena and her holding area is no forcefield, and she bursts into the combat area, through the wall that held her back. Face to face with her brother, she stops. Again, not moving, not transmitting. Now, watching. Perhaps they are...all dead.
Seismic Earthworm lays silent on the ground for a long moment... then shudders and slowly... oh so achingly begins to move to look at her, as best he can with such damaged sensory equipment. "Y... you're free now.." he chokes, "They.. can't hurt you any-" he winces and collapses to the ground again, voice determined but broken. "anymore.. unless you let them. What... do you want?"
A burned, white hand snakes forward, clutching at the ground of the arena in a vice-grip, and manages to drag what is left of the grey-and-red body attached to it an inch or two forward. "...a home," it croaks, voice-synthesizer obviously damaged. "...goal... purpose..." The words are so quiet, piteously broken.
King just watches from above, his fingers tapping along the controls that all Elites have mounted along the back of one arm. How pathetic. How pathetic indeed... the Golden Ruler narrows his eyes, considering the scene before him. The solution was obvious, but he felt that it might be best to allow this little drama to play itself out further... to see if there might be any reason to salvage this situation.
Free. Quicksilver is not quite sure what that means. ... Free. The crystals on her upperbody, her 'face,' scrutinize the mess of worm before her, then, she looks back...at the almost fragile-looking, shattered forms of the Robot Masters. ...Home, he said. Home. Yes. She knows that.
[Ugly thing,] transmits across the Wyrms frequency. Two words she's been called herself, many times. And, then, her quick body springs forward, driving toward Seismic to bodyslam him, even in his injured state, right out of the arena.
Seismic Earthworm's 'ribs' crack and splinter as he's slammed into. He cringes, and slides back to the exit slowly. [Then I truely have failed you. And as bad as their hands are... if you call that home, I must respect it. I will not fight you.] Defeated despite victory, Seismic begins the long trudge home.
Behind King, there is the faintest movement of the air, and the third present Gamma Master is gone.
Gemini Man's eyes shudder open again, and he looks...straight up, adjusting his vision under the humming forcefield around the arena. His head rolls to the side, and he sees the motion of the attack as it connects. Though it's blurry in his vision, it's impossible to miss, nor the roar of the crowd against his aurals as Seismic moves to retreat. Softly, pained, Gemini chuckles.
[Go on. Go on.] Quicksilver's transmissions are almost frantic now, new words developing in them by the minute. [Go home.] Quicksilver zips around, to tail Seismic, almost as if to push him away. But with the same, fluid motion, she turns back around, looking at the people who, for better, or worse, she calls friends, and masters. The top of her head bends forward, nudging at the barely-moving Magnet Man, gently.
[Radio: (A) Masters] Gamma CO Gemini Man transmits, "Hee hee hee hee hee hee..."
Seismic Earthworm treads out slowly, and is gone.
A single gesture to the Pit leader, and a gap appears in the forcefield, allowing King ingress into the depths of the Pit. The Ruler descends, carried down by a hover platform to the shredded sand floor of the arena like a golden god come to earth. Looking somewhat disdainfully at Quicksilver for a moment, he treds across the sands towards Gemini Man's fallen form, each step resounding rather well in the quieting din of the stadium.
A single cracked, eroded optic stares at the scene unfolding--and as Seismic Earthworm, his hated enemy, begins the long journey home, Magnet Man feels the briefest twinge of sympathy.
"VIIIIIIIICTOLYYYYYYYY!"
Quicksilver Earthworm draws back at bit at King's entrance, not because she dislikes him, but because she fears she is about to be punished. Her head inclines toward the broken Gemini Man.
Gemini still chuckles, punch-drunk, spread out on the ground. "Partial victory. If we'd killed him, too..." He looks over toward Quicksilver. "Training paid off."
King gestures, and dispatches one of his Royal Mettools. The Hat wanders off, and returns with a tray bearing upon it a single royal cookie as your reward for excellent RP.
Magnet Man has disconnected.
Without the convenience of passing through the forcefield, Shadow Man appears again, walking at a leisurely pace through the fighter's entrance. He pauses, glancing briefly over the worm as a dealer would evaluate some piece of merchandise of litte value. Then he continues, heading not for it but for where the elder of his brothers lies. As the pain gets to Magnet Man and he drops off, Shadow Man lowers himself to one knee and hauls his brother onto his shoulder in a fireman's carry. When he rises again, he does not turn, but rather waits to see what the youngest Elite may have to say.
King looks down at Gemini Man for a moment, his eyes considering... that any of Father's children would allow themselves to be defeated by a Hunter was poor showing, no matter what point was to be made. Had Bass been here, likely Gemini Man would be suffering another 'punishment' session at the Force Commander's hands.
Gemini Man makes a slight choked sound as he's lifted up. Then, he looks King in the eye, and utters, softly, one word, his voice rasping almost as if he were turning into Snake Man. "Test." Gemini coughs, and tries again. "Quicksilver tried to defend us from Seismic before. But she hesitated. After new training..." Gemini shakes a little, then continues. "You'd have been right to try and shut her down, if she decided to turn on us. But she won't. She's ours, now. Legally. And because she wants to be. Seismic loses. It's a pity... he didn't die. That would have sealed it."
King smirks slightly, looking at the struggling Master in front of him. An interesting motivation, but... "Well, isn't that good to know. We assume that the 'terms' of your little deal with the Hunter involved giving her back if you lost the fight with him, or if she chose to go back." King just looks at the Twin Master for a moment moment, still dangling from his closed fist, and considers. "While the Shoel Pit is designed for you to be able to work off your agressions, We would advice you to speak to one of the Elites before you use any of Our Father's war machines as... betting material."
Gemini Man can't help but smile, despite this warning. King's 'first person plural' mannerism amuses him. "She's ours," he says, simply. "Ours."
Quicksilver, for her part, just watches this, waiting to make sure her masters are okay.
King smirks, and tosses his shield to the ground. A pair of Crown Mets chirp on the back, sliding out from their slots on the back and digging underneath the shield - essentially forming a platform on legs. Gemini Man is placed upon this shield pall, and King turns to walk from the arena, the transport with the wounded Master upon it following him from the room.
Shadow Man's action (or lack thereof) is much the same as the worm's, but although there is no evidence to the fact, one may assume his underlying reasons are not. As King turns to go, so too does he, carrying the other fallen Master.
So it is that Magnet Man, in the midst of violent fantasies, is thrown to the side when the great, heaving bosom of Seismic comes crashing down onto his brother's body. There was no way that thing could have been avoided, but nonetheless it shocks Magnet out of his semitrance with a sudden sense of guilt. "Gem!" he shouts, snapping his left hand up again. It shifts into an arm cannon once more, and he fires--though not giving so much thought to it, he shifted to the other, slightly less-effective, though more impressively named secondary fire...
...and strikes in tandem with his brother.
Seismic Earthworm strikes Magnet Man with his Emerald Shock attack.
He drags himself to his feet, looking beaten, bloody, broken... yet resolute. "I won't let you have her," he whispers before bracing himself. "You haven't won this fight yet, worm! Behold..." Light flares around him as he activates what appears to be a jurry-rigged flashsuit on his person.
"...MY TRUE FORM!" Both hands appear to be turned into large missile-launchers, and he's wearing a curiously archaic form of black-and-red armor--one static, metallic wing protrudes from his back, flung upward and outward. "FALL BEFORE ME!" His arms level, and he fires--again and again, missiles, shaped like little magnets, rocket out from his arm-launchers. He cannot be undone... he cannot...
You miss Seismic Earthworm with your Gemini Cannon attack? HOW?
You fall to the ground, unconscious, due to massive systems damage.
Magnet Man falls to the ground, unconscious, due to massive systems damage.
And when she turns to Seismic again, the top of her body, is, slightly, shaking.
Decision: made.
Seismic Earthworm enters the Tartarus - Arena Lobby.
Seismic Earthworm has left.
That twinge brings his pain back into focus, and all the abuse he's suffered, and everything that that Hunter has done to he and his friends--and the pity is gone, snuffed out beneath the crashing wave of remembrance. He tries to drag himself to his feet, or at least his knees, but he lacks the strength; instead, he rolls onto his back as Quicksilver nudges him, and stares up at her with one broken eye. "You... stayed with us. I can't believe...' He pauses, the eye flickering shut.
And he begins to laugh.
He laughs, pain wracking him with each sound, but he doesn't stop; his victory is expressed in the singular purity of that broken, joyous laughter. He laughs for himself, and for his brother, and for the one who refused to leave them both. As it begins to die down, he steadies himself, there on the ground, and takes a deep, shuddering breath.
Shadow Man takes Magnet Man.
How fortunate that King was not Bass. The Golden Ruler knelt down, picking up the damaged Master by the front of his armor and hauling him up into the air, on eyelevel with the twelve foot tall King. "Explain," he intones simply, waiting to hear the reason for this evening's activities.
