[IC] HCL 2: Twisted tinkers' triumph

[Akihisa Yoshii]

Even as Teo ordered the butler bots, Creed was no more. What was left of him slowly but surely dissolved into dust. Without the stone to maintain his presence, those thousands of years struck the pile of flesh in mere seconds, reducing it to nothing. There was no soul to wither away, there was only a beautiful red stone laying on the ground where the man had been. Slowly, the stone cracked, but stayed intact momentarily. From the ground up, projected from the stone, an image was created, of Creed. One might say an astral projection, since the stone was the only thing close to a soul he had. A red and white Creed stood there, the stone still slowly cracking. The projection flickered before Creed began snickering. The gem cracked, more and in faster increments as the snickering transformed into manic, side splitting laughter. He flickered more, the image of him fading fast. He looked to the sky. "WHAT A FINE WAY TO GO! WASN'T THAT JUST EPIC?!" He looked forward, smiling ear to ear, the image flickering more and more. "AND NOBODY'S GONNA CRY, IT WAS JUST THAT AWESOME! I MAY BE DYING, BUT I DON'T WANT TO MAKE ANYBODY SAD! SO... DON'T LET ME CATCH ANY OF YOU BABIES MISSING ME, GOT IT?!" And then he really was gone, the stone bursting into pieces. The image disappeared, leaving nothing, as the stone itself dissolved as well. "AND I BETTER NOT SEE ANY OF YOU IN HELL, OR I'LL KICK your asses myself..." His voice faded and then vanished, Creed, erased... there was no afterlife for him, not really, even if it did exist... Clarent simply laid there, the metal slowly cooling. Clarent was not dead, the sword took a beating but his soul was intact... he merely slept. He became dormant, resting. He awaited a master, Creed, or someone as strong as he.

[Teoinsanity]

"Your sacrifice will not go in vain,butler bots,bring me the sword" the buttler bots slowly bring him the sword,and teo senses the soul inside of it "butler bots ,we need to fix this,give me the duct tape"

[thewizardguy]

Mia sighed, as she swiveled in her chair. She had warned them, even made some token attempt at being NICE for a change, something she found was greatly underappreciated. Sure, it had been towards her own goals, and she had nearly killed one of them - the one with branches, she hadn't met that one before - but hey, nobody was perfect. At least she'd let them all keep their kidneys. She'd offered them access to her knowledge and skills on the subject, and not aone of them had listened, and look where it had gotten them. Two of them were dead already, and they'd only taken out a single opponent. Not only that, but she was fairly certain Asura had simply run away. Sighing, she stood up, walking over to the wall even as it slid open. Beneath the metal cover was revealed two cilinders, each containing a mysterious green fluid, a homebrewed mixture of sedatives and life support systems, equipped with the capability to electrocute the inhabitant at will - a feature that had brought her no end of fun. Within one of the two cilinders, the figure of Micheal slowly drifted, two tubes attached to his throat. In the other floated what seemed to be an exact copy, a clone of some sort. Softly, Mia ran her bright red fingernails along the glass, whistling to herself as she admired her work. Not in the physical spectrum, of course, but to the soul. As Mia turned away, one of the tubes slides downwards, with the hissing of released steam. She herself walks back towards her monitors, the settings changing without the press of a button. On the screens, the tube could be seen coming to a halt in a blank white room, lit brightly by green lights. As the fluid drains away into the sewer system that ran throughout the facility, the figure slumped downwards. The tubes popped out of his flesh, releasing him, as the glass that had imprisoned him slid upwards. Unconscious, the Micheal lookalike lay on the metal floor. He twitched. It wouldn't be long before he woke up. 'Oooh, you've got a constitution all right.'

[Akihisa Yoshii]

Clarent began slowly vibrating, a soular pulse of energy being felt for a small distance around, before the two pieces flew together and in a flash of light they became one, an orange, faintly glowing line where the break had been slowly disappearing. The sword slowly repaired what nicks and scratches were on it, now laying there and no longer a threat to anyone, until made active. Before that time came, it was just a sword, a regenerating hunk of metal, without anything special. The soul became hidden, unable to be sensed.

[thewizardguy]

'What would you know of destiny?' 5 disperses, the beams of energy striking only a minimal quantity of the swarm of nanobots, even Kilroy comes to a sudden, jolting stop. It's as if a giant hand had gripped him, pressing against his ribs, holding him still in the air. His rocket boots could only shift him slightly, before he was moved back into place. Of course, anyone who had been in HCL for any period of time would recognize this power as similar to Darkside's, the manipultion of the soul to affect the physical world. It was as if a bilion tiny jedi were holding him, and Kilory found that even locating the tiny creatures was nearly impossible. Aiming at them would be even harder at that. 'I don't die here, that only happens later. You, however.... your fate is undecided.' A tremendous force seems to press inwards, as Kilroy feels his body being compressed. This had stopped being a fight, as he couldn't see nor fight his opponent. Any time he attempted to produce one of his AOE weapons, it seems it was jolted upwards or downwards before he could fire, masterful application of telekinetic force from all directions holding him in place. This was a test of endurance, as 5's strength attempted to crush Kilory into little more than a tin can. 'You thought your lack of a soul would save you from my powers? Allow me to show you the extent of your error.'

[thewizardguy]

Images flash past, blurring still frames, a moment taken from time and distilled through the senses. Smiling faces, memories not from this reality. Mithias and Bug fought together, blades flashing, as they faced down the Vampire Lord Dresden. Mithias and Bug joined SOLDIER, Bug expressing his distaste for the organization, Mithias seeking both purpose and order. Moments of happiness and sadness, although not quite right, as if something were missing, or changed. It was as if the frame had been tilted slightly sideways, and couldn't be tilted back, setting the entire world askew. As the train of time passed, time, ironically, became meaningless. It was impossible to say how long it had been since reality had moved along the linear paths it was so used to, or how long it had taken for the two passengers to realize they were riding an elevator. All these moments occurred at once, simultaneously, and yet were ordered chronologically afterwards. The reconstruction of the mind, an interpretation of that which it cannot truly perceive. Inquisitor Stein had fought back with an army of robots, leading to the near extermination of vampires as a whole. Dresden had created a Vampiric Empire, followed loyally by Magnus, as Rhyss Blackblade organized the opposition. Swords clashed and guns fired, but it had all come to an end eventually, the world had calmed down. With a soft ding, the elevator doors opened, the background music fading away. Bug and Mithias stood in a street, dark figures in a darker night. They were at home in the night, however, beings of primal nature. And yet, this city was stalked by something far darker than them, a being often renowned as the oldest among vampires. Gabriel, the Fallen, a being of such power SOLDIER had never succeeded at capturing him, either eluding his pursuers or eliminating them. It was said that when it came to psychic power, no being could hope to match Gabriel. And yet, this night, the greatest duo the world had ever seen would hunt the beast responsible for it all. Tonight, they would hunt the God of Vampires.

[Teoinsanity]

Clarent began slowly vibrating, a soular pulse of energy being felt for a small distance around, before the two pieces flew together and in a flash of light they became one, an orange, faintly glowing line where the break had been slowly disappearing. The sword slowly repaired what nicks and scratches were on it, now laying there and no longer a threat to anyone, until made active. Before that time came, it was just a sword, a regenerating hunk of metal, without anything special. The soul became hidden, unable to be sensed.

@Akihisa Yoshii

"Uh bots ,we don't need the duct tape" Teo grabs the sword and puts it in his pocket,for later study,but now he had to help deal with 5 ,two Lights his cap on fire ,turns it into a pair of wings ,and flies at the swarm while spinning ,making a flame drill that burns anything it touches

[ShadowVentus]

Mia sighed, as she swiveled in her chair. She had warned them, even made some token attempt at being NICE for a change, something she found was greatly underappreciated. Sure, it had been towards her own goals, and she had nearly killed one of them - the one with branches, she hadn't met that one before - but hey, nobody was perfect. At least she'd let them all keep their kidneys. She'd offered them access to her knowledge and skills on the subject, and not aone of them had listened, and look where it had gotten them. Two of them were dead already, and they'd only taken out a single opponent. Not only that, but she was fairly certain Asura had simply run away. Sighing, she stood up, walking over to the wall even as it slid open. Beneath the metal cover was revealed two cilinders, each containing a mysterious green fluid, a homebrewed mixture of sedatives and life support systems, equipped with the capability to electrocute the inhabitant at will - a feature that had brought her no end of fun. Within one of the two cilinders, the figure of Micheal slowly drifted, two tubes attached to his throat. In the other floated what seemed to be an exact copy, a clone of some sort. Softly, Mia ran her bright red fingernails along the glass, whistling to herself as she admired her work. Not in the physical spectrum, of course, but to the soul. As Mia turned away, one of the tubes slides downwards, with the hissing of released steam. She herself walks back towards her monitors, the settings changing without the press of a button. On the screens, the tube could be seen coming to a halt in a blank white room, lit brightly by green lights. As the fluid drains away into the sewer system that ran throughout the facility, the figure slumped downwards. The tubes popped out of his flesh, releasing him, as the glass that had imprisoned him slid upwards. Unconscious, the Micheal lookalike lay on the metal floor. He twitched. It wouldn't be long before he woke up. 'Oooh, you've got a constitution all right.'

@thewizardguy

Fortunately, for Ven, Michael had brought along his Wayfinder, which allowed for him to locate his tactician friend through the use of his own Wayfinder, the two of them faintly glowing. "Mia's lab..? Just what is he doing there..? Well, I better go check on him, to be safe.." Ventus says to himself as he summons on his armor and transforms his keyblade into the Keyblade Glider, now taking to the skies towards her lab. Meanwhile, Michael remains unconscious in the tube, completely unaware of just what Mia has done to him.

[Wraithblade6]

Images flash past, blurring still frames, a moment taken from time and distilled through the senses. Smiling faces, memories not from this reality. Mithias and Bug fought together, blades flashing, as they faced down the Vampire Lord Dresden. Mithias and Bug joined SOLDIER, Bug expressing his distaste for the organization, Mithias seeking both purpose and order. Moments of happiness and sadness, although not quite right, as if something were missing, or changed. It was as if the frame had been tilted slightly sideways, and couldn't be tilted back, setting the entire world askew. As the train of time passed, time, ironically, became meaningless. It was impossible to say how long it had been since reality had moved along the linear paths it was so used to, or how long it had taken for the two passengers to realize they were riding an elevator. All these moments occurred at once, simultaneously, and yet were ordered chronologically afterwards. The reconstruction of the mind, an interpretation of that which it cannot truly perceive. Inquisitor Stein had fought back with an army of robots, leading to the near extermination of vampires as a whole. Dresden had created a Vampiric Empire, followed loyally by Magnus, as Rhyss Blackblade organized the opposition. Swords clashed and guns fired, but it had all come to an end eventually, the world had calmed down. With a soft ding, the elevator doors opened, the background music fading away. Bug and Mithias stood in a street, dark figures in a darker night. They were at home in the night, however, beings of primal nature. And yet, this city was stalked by something far darker than them, a being often renowned as the oldest among vampires. Gabriel, the Fallen, a being of such power SOLDIER had never succeeded at capturing him, either eluding his pursuers or eliminating them. It was said that when it came to psychic power, no being could hope to match Gabriel. And yet, this night, the greatest duo the world had ever seen would hunt the beast responsible for it all. Tonight, they would hunt the God of Vampires.

@thewizardguy

Mithias lowered his railgun stakethrower and looked off into the horizon. "Bug, we've been through a lot together, and if it weren't for you, I know I wouldn't be here tonight. But this is the point at which we must part ways. Gabriel has overwhelming mind-control power, and he would just turn you against me, against your will."Mithias sighed heavily. "And there's something else I haven't told you. This fight is personal for me. Gabriel is my father. This should be between us."

[supertinyking]

'What would you know of destiny?' 5 disperses, the beams of energy striking only a minimal quantity of the swarm of nanobots, even Kilroy comes to a sudden, jolting stop. It's as if a giant hand had gripped him, pressing against his ribs, holding him still in the air. His rocket boots could only shift him slightly, before he was moved back into place. Of course, anyone who had been in HCL for any period of time would recognize this power as similar to Darkside's, the manipultion of the soul to affect the physical world. It was as if a bilion tiny jedi were holding him, and Kilory found that even locating the tiny creatures was nearly impossible. Aiming at them would be even harder at that. 'I don't die here, that only happens later. You, however.... your fate is undecided.' A tremendous force seems to press inwards, as Kilroy feels his body being compressed. This had stopped being a fight, as he couldn't see nor fight his opponent. Any time he attempted to produce one of his AOE weapons, it seems it was jolted upwards or downwards before he could fire, masterful application of telekinetic force from all directions holding him in place. This was a test of endurance, as 5's strength attempted to crush Kilory into little more than a tin can. 'You thought your lack of a soul would save you from my powers? Allow me to show you the extent of your error.'

@thewizardguy

"That, is your greatest error. To assume, I have no soul." Kilroy says, as soon, a large white pulse went in a wave over his skin, and 5's hold was broken. Dashing forwards, Kilroy began his attack once more, but far more direct. His chest opened, to show a brilliant soul, one rewarded by death, hardened by a fight with a great evil, manipulated by a powerful will. This soul was Kilroy's greatest weapon, and his most prized part of himself. It held within it, a copy of his memories, himself..but was not able to influence the rest of him, normally. As he rushed, his soul began to emit a large amount of power.....before Kilroy stops dead, spikes shooting from the pads of his feet, and his ankles, keeping him in place. "Firing." Is all Kilroy states, in a rather deep voice, as a blast of concentrated soul power rips though the air, and the ground, aimed right at 5. It rips though at amazing speed, shining brightly...filled, with refined soular power. Kilroy, somehow during his leave after serving death, has learned how to manipulate his soul on a alarming level. Even Tsubaki, locked in a blade battle with the strange madman, was shocked by what she saw, giving him an opening to stab.

[supertinyking]

Mithias lowered his railgun stakethrower and looked off into the horizon. "Bug, we've been through a lot together, and if it weren't for you, I know I wouldn't be here tonight. But this is the point at which we must part ways. Gabriel has overwhelming mind-control power, and he would just turn you against me, against your will."Mithias sighed heavily. "And there's something else I haven't told you. This fight is personal for me. Gabriel is my father. This should be between us."

@Wraithblade6

Bug nodded, and sigh. "...Such a horrible fate, for father and son to be pitted against one another..my father and I...my....my father..." Bug began his speech, and he began to shake his head. His father.... His father........ His father.......! "...My father...I need to find my father." Bug repeated, looking around. Something, nagging in the back of his mind told him to seek out his father...

[Gummi Bunnies]

... W-Who am I... again? ... Oh... I remember... my name's Natalie... r-right? ... ... if only I could remember... more.

From that, the girl woke up. All alone. Where was she? She didn't even know. She didn't bother to follow anything she sees, hears, does, etc. It wouldn't be long until she'll forget it all, but she doesn't know that. Her eyes readjusting to the new environment, she carefully made her footing to stand, getting used to her senses slowly. She had no idea on how long she were out like a light, but in truth, she were only unconscious for a short period of time. What else could she do? She only knew her name, and how to do basic needs that a normal living person knew how to do when they are first born. That was it. She didn't really have a true purpose. The girl only gave a tired sigh. Until she were to hear something cry... there will be no purpose for her existence. Not one that she could think of from the top of her head.

[Wraithblade6]

[quote=@supertinyking]

Mithias lowered his railgun stakethrower and looked off into the horizon. "Bug, we've been through a lot together, and if it weren't for you, I know I wouldn't be here tonight. But this is the point at which we must part ways. Gabriel has overwhelming mind-control power, and he would just turn you against me, against your will."Mithias sighed heavily. "And there's something else I haven't told you. This fight is personal for me. Gabriel is my father. This should be between us."

@Wraithblade6

Bug nodded, and sigh. "...Such a horrible fate, for father and son to be pitted against one another..my father and I...my....my father..." Bug began his speech, and he began to shake his head. His father.... His father........ His father.......! "...My father...I need to find my father." Bug repeated, looking around. Something, nagging in the back of his mind told him to seek out his father... [/quo His vampire friend blinked at him confusedly. Bug was acting strange, but for some reason his words were making sense. Mithias felt like his mind was reaching through time and worlds and dreams, cutting through all existence to the core meaning of the universe..!!! He stood there, paralyzed. "Damn you Gabriel!" Mithias grabbed Bug's shoulders and shook him. "Fight it Bug!"

[supertinyking]

"...my father...he....he......." Bug began, before being rattled by Bug.... Then it call came back to him at once. "NONE OF THIS IS REAL! None of it! memories! That's what these are, memories!" Bug says, looking about. "My time with Aono... You getting turned.... Now you killing your father...It's all memories!" bug says, looking around...he then gulps. "If...I'm taking a part in your memory as your friend...then...is my father here too?" Bug asks, looking around.... To Mithias, he must sound completely plum insane.

[Wraithblade6]

Mithias stopped shaking Bug. He was losing his best and only friend to madness, and it was horrible to see. Mithias was desperate to find some way to not have to kill him. "Bug! Listen to me. Your mind is being manipulated. Gabriel is not your father. He's altering your memories and your perception. Look into my eyes. Okay? You lost your father long ago. He is not here. This vampire lord is our enemy." He looked at Bug for any sign of sanity. "Please just trust me and don't move. Don't react, no matter what you see. I don't want to lose you."

[thewizardguy]

As Ven moves through space, he sees the large flux in the distance, a warped area in space which housed Mia's labaratory. This had once been the location of Stein's first lab, off the Soul Eater homeworld. Using the sheer emotional power of hundreds of torture victims, Mia had created a warp in space, a seperate pocket dimension existing outside of this one, hanging perilously out into the Void. A fortress, nearly impossible to breach, guarded not only by the Void Energies that popped out of nowhere in the area around the Laboratory, but also by Avatars of Pain, creatures of emotional energy ripped from the Plane of Chaos. Fed with the pain and fear of hundreds, these great creatures brought with them a little shard of Dark Woods Circus. A little shard was enough, however.....

[thewizardguy]

As Natalie stood, she could feel the hardness of wood under her hands. Looking around through the dim light, she saw what appeared to be a massive branch, reaching far across, towards a trunk that was surely the size of a skyscraper. Over 200 m thick, it reached up as high as the eye could see, branches and leaves extending far into the distance. Occasional beams of brightness pierced through the thick veil of leaves high above, lighting up the hundreds of mosses that grew on the bark. Parasitic plants grew tall, feeding off of this massive tree's resources, long tendrils of green, orange and red reaching around the wood. The scent of wet leaves mixed with a scent similar to that of copper, or blood.

[thewizardguy]

As Mithias grabbed a hold of Bug, a knocking echoed through the town. It was a strange sound, reverberating, seeming to come from all directions at once. There was a rythm, hard to pick up through the echoes, of this impossible sound. And yet, after about ten seconds, Mithias realized the origin of the sound. It was the sound of over a thousand people tap dancing, perfectly in rythm, in their very own living rooms. With a single resounding click, the lights turned on around the entire town. Dark streets were lit up as if it were daylight, as lights switched on simultaneously, door opening, curtains being shoved aside. And on the end of the street stood a figure, dressed in an elegant black suit, trimmed with gold. A frock coat reached down to his calves, as Gabriel slowly tipped up his top hat, revealing a single bright red eye. 'Oh come now. Did I really raise you to be this stupid, boy?' Grinning, the Elder Vampire revealed row upon row of teeth, glinting in the light, as cheers echoed across the town, as the entire population rushed out of their doors, leaning out of windows, screaming and shouting, laughing and clapping, hundreds of stereos playing the same song. 'Shinedown - Enemies.' Through the flickering haze of worlds glimpsed, through the warped surface of a broken mirror, Bug looked up. And at the end of a street stood a man, clad in an aura of bright green power. Blonde hair framed a pale white face, an arrogant smile on his face. A thick black gauntlet clad his right hand, long claws ending in wicked points. His suit of armour was dark green, the color shifting and twisting, glowing with the power of the Nether Realm. "Let me show you just how real I am, boy!"

[thewizardguy]

As Teo rushes at the cloud of nanites, cloaked in a curtain of flames, he's blinded by a bright white flash. Energy shoots through the air, an explosion of Soular Power, a beam of the brightest white, focused by inhuman will. The very air seemed to boil, and Teo was forced to swerve aside, where he not to be hit by the attack himself. And yet, as the light cleared, a different figure became visible. Dressed in a black suit, skin the colour of copper, mouth twisted into an uncharacteristic smile. There, hung the Noah, top hat cocked sideways, cloaked in power. The air seemed to shimmer, the ground seemed to tremble, as laughter echoed through the air. Lightning crossed across Tyki's chest, growing more powerful with each burst, as his eyes glowed the brightest of purple. "You..... Are one..... Stupid..... MOTHERFUCKER!" With an explosive burst, lightning seems to streak in all directions, homing in on all sources of life. A bright explosion of Soular Power, powered only by Killroy's attack, resonating with 5's Soul. Like a multiplier, he channelled and increased the power output, into a volley of unbearable strength. Teo was wrapped in energy, streaming across him and smashing his soul, as he's thrown to the ground, mind and body receiving blow after blow. After several moments, he found his body and mind intact, saved by his own Cartoon Energy. However, his Soul was severely weakened, and he didn't have much energy left. Were he to use up too much power now, he would become no more than a human until he could recharge, completely vulnerable to the attacks of the world. Kilroy himself was in a similar predicament, as the explosion had ripped him apart. His cultivated soul seemed to have broken to bits, his work wasted, the damage no longer echoed in his mind and body. Instead, concentrated on this core of energy, he had lost it all to it's own failed resonation. The worst part being that he knew it was completely his own fault, wielding Soular power against an enemy he had known to be capable of absorbing and redirecting it. Floating in front of Kilroy was Tyki, balls of lightning in each hand. "Shall we end this, foolish little toaster?"

[Teoinsanity]

"OH fuck me" Teo says in a deadpan manner before he dodges,he then rolls across the ground. "Oh fuck me twice" he says before it hit him,when the smoke setteled,Teo slowly gets up,with an angry Look on his face,and the gem on his collar glowing Crimson Red,and the lenses of his goggles glowing crimson as well,Teo knew he cant use too much cartoon physics,but luckily he had alot of anger to power his gadgets,including his gauntlets. Teo activates his Gauntlets with stellar plasma without saying a word,tho his face ment shit got real