[IC] HCL 2: Twisted tinkers' triumph

[Wraithblade6]

Suddenly, Mithias shielded himself by negating the fire around him as a beam of hot shit exploded from Alucard. The power his match-enemy could control was staggering, even without Tsukune. Come to think of it, Mithias wondered if Alucard's Tsukune had merely been a slave to the wild and madness-empowered soul that was his older, potential self. What a pity. Perhaps Alucard's Tsukune had sacrificed himself to weaken Alucard while his Mithias' version of his partner soul had sacrificed himself to save him. Either way, Aono was once again, gone. Alucard was wild, mad, unrelenting, and poised with suicidal alacrity against a stronger opponent, Bob, who had all the motivationin the world to fight and win while his secret daughter was at stake.

Did I have to use the word "stake?"

Mithias ran underneath the two, keeping himself warded from the heat. He looked back and forth between both, stressed as all hell. Bob was going to kill Alucard, his own alternate self. Mithias looked upon his own reflection in Alucard, regal, yet blackened with hate and blind to love. Whatever happened in Alucard's reality had fucked him the hell up. Mithias wanted with all his heart for there to be a way to save his alternate self. How could he ever think he had tried enough to reach the soul of the being he knew more than anyone in this reality? He knew his own self. How could he ever give up trying to reach him?

And then he looked to Bob. Bob, certainly not a "good" being, but innocent in this endeavor and noble in the defense of his family, and also a friend. If it came to it, Mithias asked himself, would he ever sacrifice himself for Bob? Yes, because more than just Tsukune's power had rubbed off on the scrappy, mere vampire. They shared the same strength of loyalty to one's friends, and that made the decision.

Shocked by Alucard's audacity, Mithias snapped, "Alucard! You heartless, selfish slavedriver! If Tsukune's sacrifice means nothing to you, then I do not care what happened to you! I don't care... even if you are me and you die at this point. I will negate every fire attack you make, asshole. I'll let Bob kill you before I let you threaten him and those I love." Mithias brought out the soulreaver blade, a long, ethereal wisp of horrifying soul-death that screamed through the air as it moved. Mithias was now beyond offering redemption. Now the vampire too meant business.

"Have at you!" Mithias reached out a clawed hand in fury and negated Alucard's wings.

[thewizardguy]

@Wraithblade6Alucard snarled down at Mithias, seeming moments away from turning this into a 2v1 himself. "What do you know of sacrifice? You follow ideals of heroes blindly, not knowing what they mean, not knowing what they require. I should know, because I've stood there, I've stood in those shoes!" Mithias reached upwards, and Alucard's wings seemed to be blown from his back by some invisible wave of force, as the vampire started falling from the sky like a comet from orbit. "You goddamnn priiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii-"

Bob was not a strategic fighter. In his many thousands of years, he had never bothered to learn how to counter and outwit his opponents. It simply wasn't his style. But even he knew an opening when he saw one, and as Alucard fell down to Earth he neatly separated into two halves, each striking the ground separately. His cape seemed to flow into the sky and devour the stars, until there was nothing but blackness above, illuminated only by Bob's glowing red eyes. "Allow me to show you the personal Hell I've crafted for you." Streaks of blackness shot down from above, latching onto Alucard as they attempted to drown out his soul in a sea of agony.

Alucard, in the meantime, was fighting to the last of his abilities, his torso firing bolts of lightning into the incoming missiles, pillars of frost forming around those that got too close. And yet all it did was slow down his impending defeat. Mercilessly, the manifest nightmares devoured flesh and bone, as he was torn apart. Within moments, there was nothing left but a pair of motionless legs.

Bob then appeared besides Mithias. His cloak receded, his blade once more became a cane. But still there was a certain tension in the air, a certain pressure. "Now, normally, I would kill anyone who found out about this. But you see, I find you amusing, so that seems like a less favourable option. Instead, allow me to offer you an alternative." A desk appeared, and upon it was a contract written in the blood of orphans. Unfortunately, Mithias hung out with Gabriel so much he was able to tell from the smell of the blood alone. It was quite probably his saddest ability. "Sign this contract, which will obligate you to never speak of this to anyone. If you break it.... your soul becomes mine."

[Wraithblade6]

Mithias dropped down to his knees. He had just watched Bob kill himself and it was a lot more painful and horrible to witness than he had anticipated. He mourned his lost self that he could not save. Tears were shed, but Mithias comforted himself with the understanding that it would have been worse had he chosen the other side. He'd have lost Bob and possibly even more of his friends down the road. It is what had to be. Still, it was hard to endure.

As Bob appeared beside him, Mithias felt the tension. He contained within himself the potential to become a jackass like Alucard and might therefore also be a threat to Bob and his family. Was Bob also going to kill him? Mithias was upset enough not to care. "He's wrong about me, Bob. I don't follow ideals, I follow my heart." Mithias got up and walked over to the desk. He looked at the contract, then at Bob questioningly. It was clear that Bob would kill him if he didn't agree to keep this event secret, and for understandable reasons, simply trusting Mithias to keep his mouth shut was not enough to satisfy the demigod.

Mithias looked back at the contract, distracted by the scent he unfortunately knew. He sniffed and wiped his eyes on his arm as he gathered his wits. "Orphans, Bob? Really? Ugh." He sighed heavily. The contract read clear and simple, just as Bob had stated. "And I get to keep my life in return then? ... Very well." He took hold of the pen and leaned his hips against the desk as he lowered his hand. "My soul is destined to become yours, Keeper. Guard it well."

"Mithias Aldaric Varomere." Written in stylized flourish.

"If Alucard *is* anything like me, you'll find him very good at grovelling." Mithias tossed the pen across the desk. He looked back at Bob with a look that said, "Now do you trust me?"

[thewizardguy]

@Wraithblade6
Bob smiles, slowly wagging his finger. "Oh boy, you have much to learn." The name was inscribed into the paper, and Mithias could feel down to his core that this pledge was more than just a legal one. He had bound this promise to his very concept, to his very soul. Should he break it, no power in the Multiverse besides the Primals themselves would be able to stop Bob from claiming his soul. "Trust is the tool of fools, it is the assumption that your wishes will come true. Nothing more than arrogance imposed on reality, by fools who cannot see their own acts for what they are."

He picks up the contract and walks away, tucking the scroll up his sleeve. But before he left he stopped, smiling back at Mithias. "At all like you? My boy, you seem to be under the delusion that there is some relation between you and Alucard. Do you think that simply being born from the same parents, in the same place, connects you?" He chuckles, as if he were an old man imparting some deeply held secret wisdom to a young padawan. "What are you but clay, formed by life and love into who you are now? Were you the same person yesterday? Were you the same person before you met me, or were thrown into this world without rules? Alucard was a beast formed from the lives and loves he lost, he was not you any more than you are the human who once breathed on a world far from here."

With those last words, he walked through the door back to the Lounge. Mithias stood alone on the great icy plains of Tassadar. And even as he stood there, Bob's daughter was waking up, slowly rubbing her head.

[Wraithblade6]

Mithias stood quietly, considering Bob's words. They were as comforting as Bob could offer, and Mithias recognized that. Bob was in a way, kind. The words warmed his heart. Mithias watched as a random door just opened for Bob, the scene of the coffee lounge recognizable within, and Bob walked through.

The wind was barely a breeze and the light was dim. It seemed so damn quiet now. Mithias heard the heartbeat and flow of blood behind him and he turned around. He was perplexed to see that Bob had left the girl he had said was his daughter alone, rather than teleporting her off. Mithias swallowed anxiously as he wondered how much he was all owed to say to her.

But still, she was the only being here, and perhaps she needed help. Lord knows Mithias didn't immediately know a way off this forsaken planet. Perhaps that girl did.

The vampire lifted a hand and looked at it. He tried to call the Jiguntou, but it wouldn't form. He scoffed in frustration-he KNEW what it felt like in his hand, but his body felt like a toddler's, trying to make the moves of a master but far too uncoordinated to succeed. Perhaps with time, he would be able to learn the things Tsukune had been able to do. There was no reason Mithias couldn't have the same potential. He was after all, also a vampire.

Mithias dropped his hand down, seemingly out of power and looked at the girl. "Hello." He tried a greeting. "Are you alright?" Hopefully, she wouldn't shoot a flaming Ewok at him.

[supertinyking]

@thewizardguy@Wraithblade6

They both could sense the portal...
They both could see who it was stepping out......
Bob would quite feel the metal gauntlet gripping his throat.....
Bob would also feel the dagger plunged into his stomach, one that make his body groan, and ache. This dagger wasn't a normal blade. It felt dull, but still parted his flesh like a scalpel. He didn't gloat, he didn't make any arrogant move to let Bob have an opening. He was serious, deathly so, as he began his assault on Bob. The girl would be surrounded by wraiths and spirits, that would drag her seemingly into the ground. In reality, they dragged her into the forsaken dimension, where she was kept under by mystical voices of specters and ghosts, chilling songs that forced one into a cold, deep, sleep.
Drac's attacks began to speed up, as he had a momentary upper hand, he stabbed into Bob several times with this strange blade, it causing the soul stealer great pain each jab, like one would react to a normal knife. To Mithias, this blade would appear to be that of clay, shaped into a dagger, it's handle wrapped in cord. With his gauntleted hand, Drac kept Bob choked, limiting his shape shifting abilities. It was a brutal assault, much like that of a real life stabbing.

Drac then made a possible error. He looked at Mithias. "...I'm sorry." He says, as he then turns back, to continue his attack.

[Wraithblade6]

Mithias turns to see Drac, freaks out, and futilly tries to stop him.

Yay cellphone posts.

[supertinyking]

@Wraithblade6
As the vampire would jump onto Drac, he would throw him off, striking his head against some distant rock, knocking him out cold, as he would then turn.
@thewizardguy
Drac would then attempt to plunge the dagger into Bob's skull, aiming for a killing blow.

[kishin asura]

@supertinyking

"knock it off you guys." Camilla says "fighting won't solve anything."

[thewizardguy]

@supertinyking
Even as Drac rushed towards Bob, the Stealer of Souls turned. As a being of emotions, he could instantly sense that Drac intended to kill him, and he also knew that this fight was against him. Taking out Alucard had cost too much of his power. Drac was a dangerous opponent, and not one that he could take out right now. As such, he instantly prepared to teleport away from combat, returning to his Lounge to power up once more.

With a burst of speed Drac shot forward, his gauntlet closing around Bob's throat. Bob's energy was drained, his powers stunted as Drac disrupted any attempt at fleeing. However, Bob would evade him still.

And yet, even as he thought that, the blade pierced his skin. The point of impact shone, beams of bright redemitting from Bob's body as the blade's edge dissolved it. His body seemed to twist and contort, and yet his once so free form served now as a prison of arcane flesh, the blade's touch ripping through Bob's magic. Luahgter and screams alike could be faintly heard as the stuff of dreams escaped from the cracks, as Bob was sliced apart like a pinata.

In those critical few moments, Drac might have killed the Stealer of Souls. Had he known where Bob's core was located, and had he struck it, it would have instantly ended the godlike being. But Bob would not be held forever, and his window had passed. Faced with his possible death, he did something drastic, something that he wouldn't have done for any other reason.

All at once, Bob released the souls he had bound. Billions upon billions of beings, woven into the very fabric of his clothing. Lives and loves, collected from across the Multiverse. A vast host of emotions that had fed and nurtured the Demon God for so long. The work of thousands of years, compressed into a single momentary release.

A wave of emotional energy tore apart the ground and sky. The very planet shook as unrivalled forces exploded outwards, tearing apart everything in their path. Once the valve was opened, the energy streamed out, all of them dissipating at once. Drac was blasted away, his flesh torn from him as his mind was clouded with the lives of so many beings, all of which had been enslaved to that bright smile and pair of red eyes. Men, women, children, beings with no definable age or gender.

As the dust settled, all were left ina crater. The sky had turned read, and still the ice shook, revealing the metal far beneath. In the center floated Bob, his very being torn to pieces. His main body hovered, missing most of it's head and it's legs. Where his left eye would have been a strange gem was revealed, the very core of his being. What he had instead of a Soul. And where once his grim had been was a gash of a mouth, filled with dislodged and twisted teeth. Tears of blood streamed down his face, dripping down into the crater. His suit was burnt and curled, his top hat tilted and torn, stained with blood.

"Did you think you could simply finish me? THAT YOU COULD USE MY FAMILY AGAINST ME?" Bob's voice rang not with the arrogant tones of the demonic joker that had just moments ago fought Alucard. It was the sound of rage, of sorrow. For the last one thousand years Bob had been a jester, a cruel and fickle God of creativity and insanity. But this was a different side, not seen in millenia. "Learn to look over your shoulder. Learn to check every corner. Go home and hug your children, Drac. Because I will come for you. And I will make you watch while I kill everything you hold dear."

And with that, Bob left. Leaving nothing behind but the incinerated remains of his daughter.

[supertinyking]

@thewizardguy

Drac saw what was happening when the lights spewed from the wound he inflicted. He foresaw the explosion, and he did something extremely foolish, and dangerous.......
In a desperate act to save Bob's daughter, someone of no relation to Drac, he used his sealing magic to coat bob in seals in the moment before the explosion of power, funneling it towards Drac, launching the forsaken king backwards, his body torn apart by the sheer force of the explosion, leaving him in much the same state of the jester, torn to shreds, little more than a torso, his soul revealed as well..but the daughter was unharmed. Seeing his body was destroyed, Drac's spirit leaves, and no doubt, Bob would see an opening. His spirit was detached from his body, and he was attempting simply to leave, leaving the remains of his earthly body on this icy and metal planet. His gauntlet is missing, as well.

[supertinyking]

@kishin asura
The two stop fighting, Rinack's arm in Hunger's mouth, and Rinack's staff about ready to be smashed into somewhere it really shouldn't.
"..Fine." Hunger says, from around a full mouth, as he spits out the undead sorceror's arm. Rinack gets up, and cracks his neck.
"Well, shall we get off to murderin?" He asks, with a wide smile.

[supertinyking]

@supertinyking
@Tyki

As the sergals would bombard the planet, and troops would be put onto the ground, a darkness would come to the planet, the sun blackened out, as a pitch black storm would form. Anger, pain, missery, betrayal, loss..all these emotions swirled, churned, and putrefied in the dark mass that began to form, quite the surprise to be sure, at least to the sergals. As Minx walked forwards, she batted Sergal troop, debris, rock, and the like out of her way, parting the way until she stood across from five.
".....You...." She says, her eyes glowing brightly. In a fit of rage, she flies forwards, and most likely Five would ready some sort of deflection, some sort of control, something..but it would seem to fail, fizzle out, and malfunction. Minx's strike into him would bring him a burning feeling, but not deal any physical damage..but it burnt, like a hot blade ran across sensitive skin.
"Your suffering will be the stuff of legends..." Minx whispers, from his shoulder.

[supertinyking]

@thewizardguy
"No, they're an enemy of our allies, and via extension, us." Delta says, watching Matt with an odd sorta skepticism. The clone which gun is taken sorta just looks at Matt. "Should we be lettin him do that?" The man asks, his accent welsh. The other clones shrug. "Ma'dam, your orders?" One asks.
"....Leave him be. Take this woman in. She's under arrest for murder." Delta says, and the clones do quickly take Honey into custody. "Oi, it wasn't my fault he wandered into my crypt!" She says, struggling slightly, but then, a ship flies down, from orbit. A huge ship, but looks to be a single man fighter. Out from it steps the huge, imposing fallen emperor, Rogen. He sees the situation, and cracks his neck.
"Ten seconds, that's how long you have to take those chains off of her, before I do something drastic." The man threatens, his voice causing even Matt to feel his bones vibrate within him. Quickly, the clones do in fact unchain Honey, and she rushes over, glomping Rogen. Rogen smiles warmly, and hugs her back, being quite careful not to crush her with his rather large bulk. He then looks at Matt, and his mech, and his nose flairs, his eyes widen, and he sets honey down, and marches over to the man. "...Your name..it wouldn't be Matt, would it?" Rogen asks, his muscles twitching, uncontrollably.

[Tyki]

@supertinyking

surprisingly, the sergals actually land alright, five being continuously pelted with laser fire as well as odd spheres with a blast similar to a mini-nuke from under-slung grenade launchers on the sergals' rifles, leaving five subjected both to having his power negated and useless while being blanketed with astounding amounts of fire power despite the fact that the weapons were only those of foot troops.

[thewizardguy]

@supertinyking
Even as Drac began to leave, he felt his spirit become trapped. Bob wasn't called the taker of souls because of his tea parties. And now that Drac was a disembodied spirit, he was practically helpless even against a heavily damaged Bob. Smiling, Bob grasped Drac's soul in his one remaining hand. "My. It seems you are a greater fool than even I took you for." As Drac's energy is drained, Bob begins putting himself back together. "However, you do have my thanks. It would be foolish of me to release a man who made such an attempt on my life, and quite frankly I need the power. But you have my word that your family will remain unharmed. As you left mine out of this, I will allow yours to continue." With that, Drac was sucked into Bob's maw, assimilated into the Chaos Gem.

When next he opened his eyes, Drac found himself in his home. His family was around him, smiling. He was celebrating something. He didn't know what, and it really didn't matter. His wife was at his side, his children happily before him. Eating, playing, talking. It was a normal event, and yet was perhaps one of Drac's most treasured memories. On some level he knew that this was a memory he was reliving, recreated within his thoughts. That his happiness and sadness in this simulated life would feed Bob. But on the wall hung a sheet of ancient parchment, a contract signed in blood. And as long as it hung there, Drac knew his family would be safe. And as such, in this simulated reality, with this knowledge at hand, he was content.

Bob had rebuilt himself. His suit once more shone with the glitter of gold dust, and his bright smile once more illuminated his face. His eyes returned to their shine, and his top hat straightened. He briefly smiled down at his daughter, before turning to leave, briefly dusting himself off. "Keep this event in mind, my boy. In this world, it's kill or be killed. There will always be someone willing to kill you, you will always have enemies. Whether you're a hero, a villain, or something in between. You keep yourself safe." He waved a simple greeting, as a door materialized in front of him. "I have a feeling that we'll be doing business, at some point in the future." With that, he leaves Mithias alone on the ice planet of Tassadar.

[thewizardguy]

@supertinyking
Matt raised an eyebrow as the Old Clone Emperor landed his fighter craft. He of course felt an urge to study it, but was sufficiently tactful to realize that taking apart this fellow's ship might not be the best of ideas. "Yep, the name's Matt all right." He backed away towards his mech suit, unsure if he should run or fight from this intimidating fellow. He seemed to rapidly plug the bits of the gun back together, adding several extra parts from his pockets. He then tosses the created object at the Clone Emperor, smiling. "Heya, catch this big guy!"

[thewizardguy]

@supertinyking
((and here I thought 5 was in space beside the ships. Shows what I know.))
As Minx launched herself forward, 5 simply smiled. Her control over the Dark Side was amazing, and he could already feel his own powers being measured and countered. Any energy he applied was countered by an equal and opposite source of energy. It was Darkside's power and expertise, reborn in this child of darkness. At some level that base rage, that unbridled furious power, was endearing. And it would be his route to victory.

Much as he had done with Kevin, he simply resonated with Minx. Even as Mia ran forward, trying to spray Minx with the insulating fluid, she was too late. Minx's anger made the perfect gateway, and Absolute Resonance was established. Minx could feel her body twitching, even as her mind was filled with ever more hatred, her Soul serving now as a mere conduit to 5's powers.

Both forces united, 5 manipulating Minx. Their strengths combined redirected blasts and lasers, several Sergal infantry being blown to pieces by their own weaponry. But it was only then that 5 revealed his true knowledge on Sith techniques. An intricate and specialized technique that required unparralelled skill and focus. He reached into the bodies of the Sergal Soldiers, changing and manipulating their internal structure. They fell to the ground, convulsing and screaming, as their blood was turned to acid. Their skin broke, and their eyes dripped from their sockets, as 5 and Minx stood in the centre of it all.

The first wave of Sergal troops had been completely annihilated. Mia herself was flung through a building, much like one would shrug off a small child. If one were the Hulk, that is. Minx was a battery, her power added to 5's own, and combined they were unstoppable. Perhaps this was the greatest power in the history of the Sith, as 5 reached up and started pulling the corvettes out of the sky and into the planet's surface. But this was not, as some might think, the end.

About ten meters away, Stein stood. His Soul was hidden, a special trick he had developed for the day when he would have to defeat someone with his own ability. In his hand was the White Blade, the scalpel capable of cutting through souls. ["Hello, this is Stein speaking. If you wish for this attack to have any success whatsoever, I recommend you follow my instructions. Our opponent is using another Sith as a power source, doubling his power if not worse. However, I believe I can break this bond if I get close. I need you to blind him. He won't be expecting someone who can elude his Soular Sense, and with his eyes out of the picture I'll be able to get close enough to break the bond, and weaken him again. Only then will this stand a chance of working."]

Mia, in the meantime, was on the floor. Part of her flesh had been ripped from her face, revealing the solid Black Blood beneath. She loved the way it stung, it made her feel alive. But she also knew that getting up would most likely mean death. So she stayed on the floor, for now.

[Tyki]

@thewizardguy

The only response to stein's messages were short, simple, and instantly followed [duck] before a massive blast from one of the ships in the back row tears through the gaps in the lines, pushing five's shields to the limits and finally actually breaking through the planet's crust and plunging him into the core, his dark side abilities being drowned out by shrieks of unknown entities that he had neither the time nor the concentration to attempt to resonate with as his shield was both being assaulted by lava bubbling up from the crater he was forced into as well as the blast that seemed to be focused entirely on him, giving stein a loveley opening considering the fact that five, for now at least, was being forced to focus on blocking both the environmental hazard and the beam of fuck you from the heavens while his now boosted dark side powers seemed to fail as flashses of raw emotional force actually start to break away at his links to his souls, causing various portions to rebel and weakening his grip on his only newly acquired minx

[supertinyking]

@Tyki@thewizardguy
As all these events spiral down, Minx unleashes her plan. In a moment, like a rope slashed with a blade, Five's control is broken, and the tables turn, Minx seeming to block his influence with some sort of ability, and she begins to turn the tides, reaching into the mass of souls within the monster, and she clutches her hand around a two things. Five's main soul/core, and the remains of the shard of Kevin's soul, no matter how small, and burnt out. She takes this, and remains gripping the core of Five.
"Most jedi and sith can shield themselves to some extent, but now, I've been mastering this ability, so I can fight you. Weeks of obsessive meditation has hardened me against your control." Minx says, before lighting up Five from the inside, force lighting generating from within his body.