Silence was the only noise to be heard within the fallen city of Grim today. It seemed that even the rats that scurried through every dark alleyway were holding their breath in anticipation. This eerie silence held for minutes on end before one thing broke it. A loud crash as the Exemplar of Justice landed in the middle of a street. Just the landing formed a small crater around him that the calmly stepped out of. He wasn't using the Justice Force anymore to cushion his landing, any destruction he caused all served in his goal. Looking around at the empty street he bent his knees before leaping atop the tallest building he could find.
Another loud sound rang throughout the city as he landed on the building roof, making sure to weaken the impact slightly to keep the building upright. He wanted to see the city for what he assumed would be the last time. Looking over the city he was once again reassured in his plans. This city might have at some point had potential, but it was too far gone now. It was time to makes some long overdue changes. Taking a deep breath to focus his energy he channeled his Justice Force into his throat before he spoke. His voice booming throughout the city, washing away all the silence.
"THIS IS YOUR FINAL CHANCE, WALK AWAY FROM THIS AND NO ONE WILL STOP YOU. CHOOSE If THIS IS TRULY A PLACE YOU WANT TO PROTECT. I DON'T WANT TO HURT ANYONE I DON'T HAVE TO, BUT I WILL NOT LET ANYONE GET IN MY WAY!"
With that Mega Justice sat down on the building top and waited, he would give them twenty minutes. The city had been previously evacuated of any civilians, but he would still give those who may have stayed behind time. He could feel the power running through him though, his Justice Force flowing at a power that he hadn't felt in a while. It seemed that there were many people putting their faith in him right now and he would not fail them. Today Grim would fall, and Justice would rise.
A long night of meditation was finally interrupted by the sounds of Justice's arrival. The city remained still, each man in place until the signal for war was given, each woman and child too weak to fight evacuated to a location a few miles outside to avoid being caught in the crossfire. Only one creature stirred in that city, a creature in dull grey, rising to its feet, its face hidden under a hood as it listened to the booming speech of the mighty Hand of Justice. The creature, however, was unimpressed. It adjusted its cloak an stepped outside its warehouse, drawing two weapons from its sides and firing them simultaneously to create a portal of white light. Slowly, it approached the portal, and stepped through, taking long, slow steps in the tear between space and time.
The figure didn't look like much on the outside. Just a grey hooded cloak over a gender less form. The face was hidden beneath the cloak as its wearer took slow, peaceful step after slow, peaceful step. The portal let the figure out immediately behind Mega Justice.
"You should not have come," said the voice whims the hood, a soft voice, but gender less like its owner. It seemed layered, overlapping male and female voices speaking quietly but clearly, and a white glow began to show under the hood as it adjusted to look at the hero before it. There was something strange about its aura, a combination of peace and restlessness, a mix of sweet knowledge and dark power. The figure didn't say another word. It waited for the target of its words to acknowledge its presence.
"Looks like this lunatic was serious, it's a good thing we already dispatched the forward team" Ruby grunted, watching someone's facebook live account on the happenings in Grim.
"Alright, Priority 1 is to evacuate any remaning civilians. We'll have one of ships sail into the Port of Oblivion for extraction. The ships carrying an equilizer just encase we need it. Priority 2 will be to establish an area of operations, the A.A.S will cover that. Priority 3 will be to stop Mega Justice at all cost. Dismissed"
Ruby's voice boomed over all communications channels to personnel already advancing on the city of Grim. Pushing away from the command desk, Ruby doubled back toward hangar with one thing in mind.
"Commander, what's the point of having an entire command; if you're going to go out there too" Agent Line's concern was noted, but everyone in the room knew Ruby was going to move on Grim herself. "Forward team begin evac protocols. Do not engage. My ETA is 3 hours."
Dismissing Agent Line's concern Ruby climbed on the conveyor belt, before activating it's operational functions.
[Commencing Embargo protocols] Zedora chimed, activating belt which allowed Ruby to glide across; as the Stark tech begin to conform to her figure. As the mask for Embargo fix to her face, she could see the bright Agents of STRIKE standing around preparing to do their part on this end to ensure operational success.
"Alright guys. Let's save the world" With that her thrusters boomed and the STRICOM Commander was airborne and eventually lost in the sky.
Grim City (Priority 1)
The A.A.S, Strike's Aerial Assualt Squadron fell from the heavens, red smoke bellowing out from behind them; as if they were comets destined to smash against the Earth's surface. A small group from the newly formed A.A.S--the elite were to begin Priority 2. Tasked with infiltrating the City of Grim and executing Priority one.
After a few secons of free-fall, their parachutes deployed; allowing them to glide to the city's surface. Once the last agent landed, those designated for Priority 1 begin to move in smaller units across the city; forcing anyone still in the city to the ports. They were not here to engage, none of them could withstand the might of Mega Justice; however they were not without help. Their Commander was en route, and their equalizer was waiting on them at the port.
Angela, lightning lady, flew across the horizon, hammer in one hand and wearing her armor and helmet, her cape which fluttered in the wind as she sped across the ocean towards America. Her destination: Grim City. Today was the day Justice had promised to bring the city down, the day she said she would help him do that, before a man had come to her and convinced him otherwise. In her mind, Angela thought she could also convince Justice to do the same. Why did the city have to be torn down? When she thought about it, it made no sense whatsoever.
It had not been hard to find the man, on the rooftop of one of the tallest buildings of the city. And he was not alone. Someone, or something in grey was there as well. She stopped in the air above the building, "Justice! I implore you to stop this rash behavior at once. The people needs to be given a choice. The right to decide whether or not their city stands lies with them. Not you!"
Enki was preparing for the battle all night. Tens of meters below the city he created 3 underground spaces with a diameter of about 10 metres.
In the area near the Port of Oblivion, where he plans to fight, he created 9, about 20 meters deep pits that end two meters below the surface.
From the neighborhood he called several dogs and subordinated them to his power. They will serve him as a scouts and cover his back. On the dog that looked most furiously put his hand and gave him a mystical force that turned him into a magical dangerous beast. It's not so bad. You seem quite capable to be my dog.
At last Enki to one of the underground spaces kidnapped two men. He left one as a supply if he needed to add energy. The next one he ate before the battle to restore strength.
Great. Battle can begin. I'm ready. With his giant stone axe in his hand, Enki emerged to the surface.
He roared: "I'm here, who dares to come against me!"
Then Enki looks around ready to fight almost anyone who appears and even go hunting if no one is found.
My shadow had spent the night watching the creature calling himself Enki, and it readily reported to me when morning broke. I, too, had been busy and had fed to prepare myself. Unlike the god, my victims had even willing, my blood had been filled from several people. No man answered his premature call to war. They would not respond until Jesse gave the signal, or Justice himself attacked. So for now, I was alone with him, his hounds, and my shadow.
"Good morning, creature," I greeted in a language older than any known to man, an ancient dialect of Svart alfar. My glasses were in place, my red eyes gleamed behind them. My coat blew in the poisonous breeze. A sword was readily available to me from the Realm of Shadows, but for now I left it alone. My arms were folded on my chest as I watched the beast and his minions look about, allowing my faint heartbeat, inherited from my now-deceased Alfar mother, to be heard. If he wanted to hunt me, he could. The shadows would conceal me from his sight only. The daylight shone around me, and in the patch were I stood the predator would see nothing. And there may as well be nothing, for I could leave as suddenly as I appeared. It was but a matter of keeping such a powerful monster away from the real fight. I let my words echo around him a bit, then waited with a cocky smile for him to try to find me.
@embargo: @icefire_outlaw: @megajust: Jacob had, days before, evacuated all of the employees of the Grim branch of his company and their families to safety, and had temporarily moved the Grim based buildings of his company and personal ownership to Chicago, on orders to return everything and everyone to their rightful places once the city was fully restored after the battle, and he had even moved his Grim Night Warden base that Jacob used whenever he was in the city.
Jacob had, days before, evacuated all of the employees of the Grim branch of his company and their families to safety, and had temporarily moved the Grim based buildings of his company and personal ownership to Chicago, on orders to return everything and everyone to their rightful places once the city was fully restored after the battle, and even moved his Grim Night Warden base that Jacob used whenever he was in the city.
Naturally, all of his effects and holdings would be returned to their normal configurations soon enough, but it didn't hurt to be aware of any eventualities that could arise.
He had perfected the Blockade suit that he had used in during the incursion of his satellite, making it nearly indomitable to any assortment of rogues, especially godlike entities, that he couldn't take on without extra insulation.
He had created auxiliary robots to go along with it, previously designed by his company for unmanned search and rescue missions.
The Blockade suit was gigantic, yet lightweight, and varied in its armaments. Colloquially, for this mission, he called it...The MegaJustice Buster. As it landed with a massive rumbling of earth, dropped out of his stealth craft docking bay, which resealed itself and flew away on autopilot to land itself in the hanger of the Precinct, his main base of operations in Chicago, he growled, "MegaJustice, your methods are far too extreme to even be called justice. You're blatantly using that sacred ideal to push your own warped agenda, of which I have disapproved of since you appeared to have become power crazed, you're not a singular ruler above all. While I admire your sense pf conviction and would've supported you had you chosen a more tactful approach, I've seen all too quickly how justice can become vengeance, and that is why I've even gone so far as to adjust my own crusade, and why I've become a deputized collaborator of the badge, while still retaining my individuality. I don't want to escalate this beyond where it needs to be, but the lives of those who are good in Grim, and who can make this city better, trump anything you might say. Men are still good, there can still be hope."
At this, pods exploded from his exosuit, releasing an army of giant, fully armored and weaponized androids packing hardware against metas, and programmed to detain those who sought to take Grim, and defend those who wanted to save it.
Essentially, the synthetic robots were mimics, they would analyze whoever they were fighting, and their styles and abilities would match or counter who they were engaged with.
For example, they would use anti-hex tech against a magic user, slow down a speedster, redirect the kinetic energy of strikes, etc.
The incapacitated foes would be put inside dampener cages within the robots, and turned over to the authorities, the government, and STRIKE for a proper trial. Night Warden said simply, "This ends now."
"Good morning, sunshine." Enki answered almost cheerfully. "I do not need to look for you, little god of shadows. You speak old language. But I warn you. Let me have my fun with mortals or I will start playing with you. And I'll find every mortal you care about, everyone who carries your fingerprint and I will eat them alive. And you can watch at it from the shadows. So ... join me or get out of my way."
While Enki is talking, The MegaJustice Buster landed. Army of giant, fully armored and weaponized androids spread through the city.
"Powerful magic!" He shook his head. "It seems that the conqueror MegaJustice is the weaker party. Great! Join him will be more fun." Then he turned to the giant robots.
"I'm here, who dares to come against me! Send your iron golems, wizard. Let's see how powerful your spells are! It's time for a battle!"
My smile immediately faded as the creature addressed me and threatened my people. A growl began to form in my throat when the creature was distracted by the arrival of the Night Warden. Apparently, the monster thought technology to be a newfangled magic. Well, I could blame him. That was what I had thought at first, too. But I couldn't allow him to battle Warden. Jesse might need Jacob's aid. No, I had to do something. Damnable creature. I stepped out of the shadows.
"You will not touch a living being in my city, creature," I said, not so much angrily as sternly. "Not unless you can defeat me in battle." I reached into the darkness and pulled out my sword hilt, a weapon of shadow and black metal like Stygian iron, found on my home world of Svartalheim. My mouth may as well have been carved from stone as my shadow rallied to my side. I waited.
"I was polite to you, little shadow, and I warned you." "You say, that I will not touch a living being in your city? Good. It sounds like a fun challenge."
Enki turned his head to the dog pack and the beast. "Kill people!" All the dogs immediately rushed on the Lighshade Angel. Only the giant dog beast turned his head and ran in the opposite direction to the nearest people.
Enki himself began to disappear into the ground. Hunt start. And it's personal.
Plan:
a) Enki wants to get rid of the unpleasant god and not kill him (for now). If Lighshade Angel try to stop a beast, Enki open trap underneath a Lighshade Angel - a 20-meter deep pit. If he catch him, he immediately closes him under ground and goes to fight elsewhere.
b) If Lighshade Angel attacks Enki, he will face him with Stonebreaker and with dogs. Beast is for distraction. Once Lighshade Angel is busy, Enki attempts to catch his legs in the ground by earth manipulation. Then he puts him into the ground up to his head and goes to fight elsewhere.
c) If Lighshade Angel does something different, Enki will disappear underground. There, he activates his Hunter's Dome (no sound, no smell), moves under the earth beneath the Lighshade Angel. Then he tries to catch him unexpectedly by his legs and pull him down to the ground. There he arrests him and goes to fight elsewhere.
I was irritated by the sudden change of plans, but I had been the one to challenge him. It was only right that he attack. I closed my eyes as the dogs closed in, then gave a silent command to my shadow as I personally teleported out of the way. The shadow stood in my place, the dogs attavking it instead of me as I followed the first hound to the small knot of soldiers it was intending to attack. Coming out of the Shadow Realm above the animal, I raised my hilt and spun my body, creating an axe from the shadows and bringing it down towards the creature's neck in one graceful, hopefully decapitating move.
Mega Justice sat in waiting as he heard every action take place throughout the city, with his senses there was little that could get past him. As long as he kept his concentration he could monitor every living being in the city. A difficult fight would force him to break concentration, but for now, he took notes on what was going on. He heard the faint rustle of parachutes deploying above the city, likely military types, not an immediate threat at least. Numbers might be annoying but with the amount they were sending in now, he'd be fine. The next thing he picked up on was the gnashing of teeth and sound not unlike an animal ripping into flesh, disturbing, to say the least, but likely just a pack of strays.
However what picked up on the clearest was talking, so many words, and so many aimed at him. It seemed only polite to address the first arrive though, so Mega Justice rose from his sitting position to speak to the hooded figure.
"You should not have come,"
"Yet here I am, and I have no intention of leaving." Mega Justice said. As he spoke he moved from several yards away to inches from the gray figure in the blink of an eye. "Now what do you intend to do about it?" Even in the face of what would likely evolve into a fight Mega Justice's smile stayed stead fast, almost having a more taunting look than the friendly look it normally had. His eyes momentarily flashing yellow he attempted to scan past the figure's cloak and get a look at who they were underneath. However, he was interrupted by the arrival of someone he had been waiting for.
He turned to face the Lightning Lady with one eyebrow raised, that wasn't what he'd expected her to say. It seemed less like second thoughts and more like a direct change of heart. "I'm confused where this is coming from, I thought you would be her with me, not against. If you have changed your sides so quickly then so be it, however, you cannot expect me to honor my side of the deal now.The people have already made their choices, just because there are some in Grim who stand against it doesn't mean there aren't plenty more outside of it who wish to see the city gone."
However what really caught his eye was the appearance of the Night Warden, wearing some sort of metal suit. It seemed he was really planning on trying to fight him, it looked like it was time to show him that he'd overstepped his bounds. Even in the mountain of metal, he was wearing there was just a man in the center. Now it was time to show him that no amount of tech could change that.
@megajust: @angela_: @icefire_outlaw: Jacob's suit hummed with crackling energy, artificially replicating the unique energy signature and abilities MegaJustice had. Night Warden set in on MegaJustice with an array of martial arts moves, which would likely hurt MegaJustice as Jacob was now hitting, moving and defending with the force of MegaJustice, though as his energy was synthetic, the strikes wouldn't be as powerful as one imbued with the true Justice Force.
He had been scanning MegaJustice's every reaction since they first met, and would now implement such strategies, he was not holding back, using nerve strikes, attempting to hit vital spots, endeavoring to redirect MegaJustice's own grabs and throws, and on one such movement towards Jacob, he tried to throw MegaJustice towards Angela and company, telling them to unleash their full force on him. Jacob then grappled to a safe vantage point and rained down mini smart homing missiles that would further aid his teammates, providing them cover, and intending to wound his enemies.
To minimize collateral damage, the suit's regulators would keep the energy output of the MegaJustice Buster's hits on MegaJustice stabilized.
A smile parted my lips, and I waited patiently for Justice to analyze his situation before I replied to his comment. "Then you are a fool." The five-layered voice spoke again, and I watched him. My cloak did more than protect me. There was something permeating from beneath it, something so similar to justice itself that they repelled one another like similar magnet poles. Something was different about my aura as well. But most notable, as I tipped my head back and revealed my face, was the difference in my features. Focusing on them would only provide confusion to even above-average eyes. Focusing on my face would only produce the realization that there was not one face, but five, none of which could be separated from the others in view without permeating that odd field around my body. My hair was no longer honey colored; instead it was a lovely shade of lavender, pulled into a tight but elegant braid. My skin glowed the faint white that had been visible from under the hood. This form, halfway between goddess and human, was the result of a long night of focusing and mediating. The eyes were another important feature. They were iridescent, changing from blue to green to red to violet, shining from within with strange power. This was not the Bandit Queen, or Jesse James, or the Icefire, or Astrid. This was something new. Something that had risen to the occasion.
"You are a fool," I repeated, in my five voices. "I had heard justice is blind, but never stupid. You are outmatched. And your power is fickle as the will of the people. You cannot win this fight, let alone a war."
The Beast was wailing and pouring down on the ground in a pool of blood.
From the last bit of strength, the giant jaws gripped your leg, desperately trying to avenge his death and suffering. However, before her jaws can fully snap a giant pit opens under you. The body of a canine monster instantly falls into it and his mouth is trying to pull you down with him to the darkness.
Without a sound, odorless and unseen Enki moves underground. Good move small shadow. One day you will be a dangerous God. But today I have to get rid of you.
At the same time that the abyss opened up beneath you, Enki emerged partly from the earth. Enough to throw one of his knives directly on your head. "Watch a little shadow! Knife!" Enki was well aware that you needed a moment of concentration to teleport. And you will not get it now.
Beast goes for your leg. If she catches, she will pull you down with her. The knife flies to your head. It's a good throw straight to your eyes. And when it hits you ... hope it does not. A normal man would not even have seen that knife. I would kill him without a chance to react. But you are not normal man. You see him right? So, dodge and fall. You will survive. There is a trap behind you, and as soon as you fall, I'll shut you down. How experienced in battle for life and death are you little shadow god? Are you afraid of death? Can you react so quickly? So cold-blooded?
God damn it... I'm running late he arrived to soon but the good news is that the other's will be there to slow him down so that I can get there and get on this action. Just several minutes ago I was in a hotel in Bludhaven when the news reported that Justice had made a jump from his previous location. Odd's were in my favor he was heading for Grim and I had to get there to protect the city. I had already told Aleenah the previous day she wouldn't be allowed to come due to the threats we were facing and even went as far as to say I didn't care what she did in Bludhaven after I left. Damn I hate that city it's on my to do list whenever I'm in the clear and have some spare time to try and clean up the place but that didn't matter now I was propelling myself through the water as fast as I could to reach the city and I would be there in several more minutes to join in on the action.
Several Minutes later- Port of Oblivion
The waters surrounding Grim hadn't gotten any better that's for sure oh well hopefully we would find a way to clear that up soon enough. But now I had to deal with the matter at hand running through the port towards the battle I caught a glimpse of a guy in red and some guy with a horned helmet fighting. I saw the results of their battle with the man in red disappearing into the earth but seemed now that the man who won the fight would turn his attention to the real fight I probably couldn't allow that to happen so I changed my direction and began approaching the horned man and drew my sword." Hello there so whose team are you on?" A quick check to be certain but he looked like no ally to me.
I knew I couldn't stop myself from falling, so I didn't. In allowing myself to tumble into the abyss I managed to evade the knife, and so I could place my attention on the maw of the hound grippin my leg. With one wrench of my hands, I tore the teeth from the appendage, and as I hit the earth below the wound was already healed enough for me to stand on it. The earth above me closed, leaving me alone with the bleeding corpse, in the dark, surrounded by earth.
Little did my foe know, these were ideal conditions for me. Basic hemomancy from my father minor necromancy, geomancy from my mother and umbramancy from my heritage as a Svart. I manipulated the blood from the deceased dog into the earth above me before focusing on the shadows. Then, placing my mind on both shadow and earth, I pushed upward, causing an upheaval of earth, blood, and momentarily, pure darkness, to erupt at the surface, spraying it over the fighters above as I leisurely created a staircase from the darkness and soil, and mounted it quickly to show my red hat and coat in the light of day once more.
"It would appear you underestimate me, demon," I said, in my ancient tongue once again. I watched the human from the corner of my eye as I stepped into the sunlight, but placed my attention mainly on the honed creature.
As you approach, Enki looks at you surprisingly friendly. "Hey, are you not the Orange Water? You are the guy who sent me here. You're right, there's a lot of fun."
"Actually, no party, I'm just enjoying a little fight here, what about you?" He looked at his sword. "It looks like you want to fight. Fine. I'll come to you easily, what you're saying." Giant stone axe, he still clutched in his hand, suddenly vanished.
"My fists against your sword. What do you think?" At that moment, Lighshade Angel appeared again.
"It would appear you underestimate me, demon,"
"Yeah. I did not mean to hurt you. If I wanted to, I crashed you under the ground. But I have to say that you made the impression on me little shadow god."
Enki took a long snort. "Well guys, it'll be two on one. I will start fighting more seriously. Do not take it wrong when you die."
Enki whistled and a pack of dogs ran on you. They are ordinary dogs, but driven by his will to fight to death. At the same time, Enki start to quickly disappeared into the ground. One blink of an eye and it's gone.
The Sisters of the Order of the Sacred Conflict, deployed along strategic points across the city, had been inactive and silent...until now.
Katraya strode forward, the words of the God of Silence having finally been unleashed upon all those gathered to fight. "At last! The words of the God of Silence falleth upon the unworthy!" Though her words suggested obedience, her tone was sarcasm mixed with venom. "At long last, everyone has come to tell this city how to live...or how to die. Some claim to speak for it, some claim to speak for the public beyond it and one claims to speak for...what? The concept of free will? Where have you all been while the people of this city suffered? Where were you when it was lit aflame from orbit? Where were you when it fell into ruin decades ago? Where did you stand while girls were selling themselves on the streets because they felt they had no other option?"
Katraya pointed an accusatory finger at Mega Justice. "Mega Justice, your name speaks volumes, your actions speak paragraphs. Where were you? Yesterday our order took in a boy who's parents had been murdered by scavenging cannibals. The day before that, we took in a girl off the street who was willing to do anything it took for a loaf of bread. Where were you?"
She shook her head and made a half gesture in the direction of the Lady of the Storm. "And what of you? Where was your thunder and lightning? This city has been fought over so many times no one even remembers what started the conflict. It was fought over first by heroes and villains who lived here, who grew up here and understood the hardship attached to the name. Both sides brought allies, both sides brought destruction and death. It happened again and again, the Hubris of Metas, I believe it was just called. How is this better? None of you care about this city until it grabs headlines. Between those times, you leave it to its fate. The people of Grim long ago gave up on heroes coming to save them...just as they long ago forgot the real name of their city."
Katraya sighed. "The Order of the Sacred Conflict stands for peace." She turned her back on the gathered and walked back to her squad. "Heretics." She muttered the last. Decadent heathens. Let them start their war, we'll end it.
Had Mega Justice been punched by a single one of the Wardens punches he'd be mildly surprised that he could feel them, but he wasn't. The Exemplar of Justice wasn't going to just sit and let the man wail on him. After all, he had speed on his side as well, and even with the warden attempting to mirror his powers a suit like that wouldn't be able to keep up with him. In might have bordered on epic to see a mere man stand up to the titan the was Mega Justice, however, as the hero casually side-stepped his throw it seemed more useless. "Stick to the night, Warden, you should know when you're outmatched." As the warden moved to grabble to safety Mega Justice leaped after him. As he soared through the air he plucked every individual missile from the air before crumpling them with a pinch of his fingers. Landing next to his opponent Mega Justice raised his hand before aiming a flick at his chest strong enough to shatter human bones and send him flying several yards away.
However, before he could move to finish him, he heard the voice of Katraya ring out. He listened to her talk quietly. "No one person can do everything, nor should I attempt to. Every life can't be saved, and you would be insane to attempt to hold anyone to take standard. While that you took in that one girl I saved dozens, don't think that you can guilt me with talk as weak as that." With that Mega Justice stretched out both arm as if he was preparing to make a large clap. His hands started glowing yellow as he concentrated Justice Force into them, and with that, in the blink of in eye, his hands slammed together. Letting lose a boom that would be heard across the city as the massive wave of force he created looked set to level the building he was standing on. He had waited for the evacuations to take place, it was time to start razing the city.
Valhala. The nGod of the Beyond, of Discovery, born from man's first journey to the stars; the Space Race. Quietly, he stepped out the quantum foam that'd spawned him many years ago, appearing to emerge from a tear in the sky. Gliding above the skyline of Grim City, the arrogance and vanity on his face as clear as day, Valhala cast his gaze upon the city below. His blue eyes studying what would soon be reduced to a battlefield, his gaze taking in the sight of the metahumans gathered, and his mind thinking of the one ultra-human, both with curiosity and derision. He wondered, why would beings of such extraordinary abilities and powers expend this great an effort on such a conflict? On a conflict over the city of an inferior species; mankind.
The Superior One
Immense power coursed through his veins, pulsating in his every cell as the Prophet of Perfection hung still in the sky, his gaze ever-present, ever judgmental as he hovered above the imminent battlefield, figuratively and literally looking down on those below him. He would not interfere. Not yet and not here. Mankind was indeed an inferior species, biologically unworthy and suffering from humanity, from a socially-inculcated sense of personal inferiority propagated by their moral codes and religions, which in Valhala's mind, subsumed their individual will and worked with their biological limitations to erode their potential. Mankind was a doomed species. A thought only strengthened by what he expected to transpire below him; yet another war in man's repeated cycles to incite conflict, to wreak havoc and chaos over matters far too petty.
As Valhala's gaze held, his features calm and methodical, his posture one of regality and an arrogant sense of superiority, he was certain. Mankind had no worth in this universe. And as a god, a true nGod, he was unencumbered by the inferiority complex that plagued man. That he was the worthy judge, a member of a superior species, the one to assume the role of master over the lesser stock and determine their fate. And their fate would be determined by their actions here, by how this conflict would transpire and end. Valhala would not act today, he would not pass judgement on the day of Grim's reckoning. The day would come that he would wield the unimaginable power humming at his fingertips to erase this world and leave nothing of it behind. For now, for today, he would only watch.
Arms folded behind his back, his poise and smugness a thick presence in the air as he hovered high in the sky where the clouds roamed, he watched, his eyes and senses waiting for the invincible philosopher he'd met on Earth's moon; Supra-Man. He knew he would arrive. That he would come.
He smirked and waited. To be proven right. About both humanity and the ultra-man.
He turned to face the Lightning Lady with one eyebrow raised, that wasn't what he'd expected her to say. It seemed less like second thoughts and more like a direct change of heart. "I'm confused where this is coming from, I thought you would be her with me, not against. If you have changed your sides so quickly then so be it, however, you cannot expect me to honor my side of the deal now.The people have already made their choices, just because there are some in Grim who stand against it doesn't mean there aren't plenty more outside of it who wish to see the city gone."
Angela looked around. She didn't know what this place had seen to make it like this. This was not a place fit for humans to live. It was a wasteland, a cocoon full of hornets that stung everyone and everything. Garbage, the worst of mankind spilled out from its streets. It wasn't that there was no good present, but that it was extremely hard for anyone to move past all the death and destruction that painted the skies red, and littered the floor with corpses. While not true, these references did make up to be the aftermath of whatever had occurred here in the past. "Maybe you are right Justice, maybe this city do need a change,"
She shook her head and made a half gesture in the direction of the Lady of the Storm. "And what of you? Where was your thunder and lightning? This city has been fought over so many times no one even remembers what started the conflict. It was fought over first by heroes and villains who lived here, who grew up here and understood the hardship attached to the name. Both sides brought allies, both sides brought destruction and death. It happened again and again, the Hubris of Metas, I believe it was just called. How is this better? None of you care about this city until it grabs headlines. Between those times, you leave it to its fate. The people of Grim long ago gave up on heroes coming to save them...just as they long ago forgot the real name of their city."
Angela agreed. Although, she also knew what needed to be done, "That does not make it right. Make this place right. The city does not need to decorate its past like its something glorious. Whoever or whatever lived here no longer does. The plague needs to be removed from the face of this planet"
As Satar, Amin was the man most responsible for the state of Grim City. Twice he brought the city to it's knees, annihilated it's population and left ruin in his wake. He'd mauled and maimed the city's greatest vigilantes, and the world's greatest heroes who'd come to Grim's defense in the past. Under his leadership, the Brahma Brotherhood had taken the city captive and perverted it into it's base of operations. It was where he murdered Lucia Aurelius, where he'd battered a Green Lantern and stole his power ring. But it'd been long since he played the role of the world's worst ever terrorist, since he was the Scourge of the World. Nevertheless, he had a vested interest in Grim City. In what would transpire and what would become of it.
Amin was not ignorant to the announcement made by Mega Justice. Or the great deeds of Supra-Man. As the French head of state, he was aware and intrigued by the affairs of the world, by the roles played by metahumans in today's society. And perhaps more than anything, the White Collar Cobra was aware of the threat posed to governments by men of such power. The United States government had failed to stop him as Satar. What chance does any government have against beings of Supra-Man or Mega Justice's caliber? With him as President of France, perhaps all the chance in the world. He was hard at work. With his nation's think-tanks and scientists, it's intelligence agencies and other publicly undisclosed resources. The foundations for contingencies were being laid. Retired to his desk in the Salon doré of the Élysée Palace, his posture always global and always permeating the gestures of a strong commander, Amin sat with his hands cupped before him, a half-smoked Montecristo No. 2 cigar resting on the ash tray to his right, the rich scent of cigar smoke hanging thick in the air.
His eyes, cold blue in color, gazed upon an ethereal screen that seemed to hover in the air. His face wore an earnest expression, marshaling his icy steeliness as he gazed into the screen with a quiet intensity as he observed the events of Grim City. And the screen itself? A psychic construct conjured by what Amin described as a wound in the psychic world, an ultra-powerful monstrosity born from experimentation on the sampled DNA of Anthony Stark. Savant. And it was streaming the events of Grim City to France's president.
Grim City, United States
Savant
It's head encased in a cruel metal helmet, as though designed as a prison to keep it's overpowering psychic energy from leaking out and wreaking havoc upon the world, Savant strode forward, barefoot and clad in black. A blue glow emerged from the it's helmet's eye holes. Savant strode and strode until it's feet no longer touched the ground. Hovering, climbing into the sky by the will of it's telekinetic might, Savant rose to the edge of a skyscraper, it's glowing gaze resting upon those below it. It said nothing, uttered no word. It only observed, studied and streamed everything captured by it's eyes to the psychic screen it conjured in Amin's office a continent away. This was an opportunity, for the White Collar Cobra to bare witness to the capabilities of this new generation of heroes.
Of metas that he'd yet to encounter on the battlefield as Satar. Of metas his government would have to be prepared for, have the means to combat should they ever turn rogue. He'd study them, their behaviors and tactics, their psychologies, their tendencies and their weaknesses. He'd promised to keep France safe from the threat of metahuman terrorism. He would. He would purge the Knights of Justice from his country. See Reynard captured, and the nameless group brought to justice for the Boltian abduction. He would eradicate the Brahma Brotherhood and the 3rd World, and he'd see Satar hanged... and he smirked a liar's smirk at that one final thought. And he would protect France should a menace like Mega Justice ever seek to claim his nation as he sought Grim.
For some time, Enki is gone. Dogs attacks on you, but even if they can delay you and maybe even hurt slightly, if you are not cautious, they are just dogs. You probably will deal with them in a while.
A bigger threat is coming. In the ground under your feet Enki is preparing to attack. Mother Earth gives him strength. This time Enki will fight seriously, willing and ready to kill.
Preparations.
After tens of thousands of years of practice and because its origin could Enki ground manipulate almost unconsciously. Now, deep underground he amplifies his earth manipulation so it is 10 times stronger than in his fight with Lighshade Angel. His reach is now 100 meters around him. And everywhere within its reach he can manipulate the ground at will and control up to 100m3 of earth at a time.
He used a seal of confusion on the entire area of 10 square kilometers. Old illlusion magic, full of small delusions, fake sounds and odors. Everyone in the area is wandering and stumbling. It's an unpleasant spell. Enki sometimes forced the group of hunters wandering in the woods for days before they managed to find their way out. What has so far been known is suddenly a little different, strange, confusing, scattering and scary.
With his mighty earth explosion technique, he has created a dangerous trap that acts as a very powerful mine. If he can manipulate and force you to enter the place, it will immediately explode at his will with a force that can kill all the people within range of 10 metres and destroy the nearby building. Enki is ready to bury you underneath.
Time to attack - first stage.
Suddenly, from several places around you, stone spikes will go against you, pointing to your feet and body. If you dodge, another attack you. Every second they attack you from different directions around you. Thin, thick, fast and slower, straight and bent spears like stones snake trying to bang, punch and stab in a constantly changing rhythm.
Bumps, holes, even hungry mouths begin to form in the soil and try to imprison your feet to prevent you from moving and jump. Every move, every step, requires great concentration, speed and acrobatic talent. Every second is an opportunity to make a mistake. Stumble, hesitate. An error that will immediately be rewarded with pain and injuries.
The ground beneath you moves and moves fast. It's as if The Mother Earth hated you and tried to kill you.
Enki moves under you. He feel you through vibrations in the earth. Whenever you touch the earth he knows about it. And even if you do not touch the ground, he knows sense you due to his Hunting Sense, a clairvoyance ability that gives him information about your precise position through extrasensory perception.
Enki is waiting. He can fight this way all day. He knows the time is on his side. Every second it means avoiding multiple attacks on you - dodging, slipping and stumbling. For him, it means to be submerged in the Mother Earth and to draw her strength.
As an experienced hunter, he is waiting for the right moment. When you make a mistake, you become accustomed to the constantly changing tempo of attacks or try to leave the area.
Then he will attack directly. And this time he will kill.
Practice makes perfect. Your turn. Show me how you can fight.
I watched in silence as people arrived to fight. There was no expression on my save one, a shocking peace despite my current position. War was about to erupt for my city. Yet, I would not be needed for this war. Perhaps I would not have to fight today. Others would. The Supra-Man and Mega Justice would fall against so many opponents. But I could not keep my hopes too high. There was a chance I would have to fight, and wen the time came, fight I would.
For now my self-assigned duty was preservation. Katraya had a point--none of the others had been here wen Grim fell. But I had. And I would not witness its fall again. When Justice slammed against the building we stood on, it would not fall. My energy was extended over its frame, holding it together, binding each piece to the others to protect it. Balance and Justice. So alike in their existence, so different in purpose. I held the building together with pure grey Force energy. The same energy that protected me from anything he could throw at me, I ised to protect this building. I would use it on any other he tried to destroy as well. He would not harm a single stone in this city. I stood tall and lean under my cloak, my layered face balanced in all things. And I waited for someone to take their attention momentarily from the other metas, to notice the ghost in their presence.
The dogs were easy to fight off. It was a matter of killing some and baring my teeth at others to scare them away. My sunglasses scanned the surface for Enki, to no avail. The creature seemed to be gone. That is, until nearly an hour later, when I was pacing the port for foes. That was when the earth began to move. Stone was dangerous, but in many ways soil was far more so. I could break stone with a word, but while the dirt moved I could give it no command. Shadows enveloped me and pulled me away from there temporarily, depositing me in the center of the former harbor. I knew what had to be done. Getting to my knees just as the poisonous muck that took the place of soil here began to move, I removed one glove and dug my clawed hand into the ground, chanting in the ancient Svart tongue, "I am blood of Svartalheim, my flesh is hewn of her clay, my heart beats her life, my blood is rich in its precious metal. By the power of my people, the Alfar of Svartalheim, I claim this earth for Svartalheim. I place my clay in its sand, my shadows fill the crevices in its stone. This earth is mine to command, for it is claimed for Svartalheim."
The ground shook, then was still, the Port of Oblivion having become earth under my command, not the earthling's. I rose to my feet and closed my eyes.
"Drag him out of his hiding," I commanded, softly, in English. If Enki did not move out of the way, he would be uprooted from the earth under my command, and dragged to the surface to face me.
Amy and Myers had only had to change vehicles once since they left Bludhaven, since Amy had shot out the brakes on the SUV they'd tried to leave the city in. She'd chosen a pickup truck with a lock that barely worked and a full tank as their ride for the four hours it took to get to the city. Amy hadn't realized it was already almost 4:30 when Myers appeared in her car, nor did she care, really. Still, they were a little late for the party, as she realized when she saw the metas clustering around the building in the center of the city, where, she assumed, Mega Justice and Jesse were. She pulled the truck to a stop and took a deep breath as she devolved from her water form and looked up at the skyscrapers. She then glanced at Myers.
"Looks like we're a little late. You have any ideas, or is this a fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants kind of deal?" Amy hadn't really had a plan, expecting to arrive before the battle to let Jesse know she was here. Unfortunately she'd spent most of the night evading a dogged bounty hunter, so she hadn't hit the road until just before her skeletal companion showed up. Now, she was uncertain of what to do. Her brown eyes betrayed this fact, but she didn't really care. If there was a plan, great. If not, she'd adapt. She always did.
Tens of meters below the ground, Enki keeps track of the movements of his enemies. It is more a game than a real fight, but it is interesting enough to have fun.
But then ...
"I am blood of Svartalheim, my flesh is hewn of her clay, my heart beats her life, my blood is rich in its precious metal. By the power of my people, the Alfar of Svartalheim, I claim this earth for Svartalheim. I place my clay in its sand, my shadows fill the crevices in its stone. This earth is mine to command, for it is claimed for Svartalheim."
Enki enraged. "You little arrogant filthy bastard from Svartalfheim! So you, Outsider, think you can take the ground for yourself? That my Mother is a poor prey for your dirty hands? You think you can ravish MY MOTHER?"
Enki's anger ragged the ground. "I'm Enki, The Titan of the Earth! Born from Abzu, Primeval Sea and Ma, Primordial Land. Thirty thousand times the world turn around from times I was born and people still lived in caves."
"I am The Horned God, ancient God of the Earth! I gave people cattle in times when you were not born! On the Earth and under Earth and through the Earth, I move freely where I like! From the deepest depths of the Earth is my Stonebreaker Axe, the core of my mother's body!"
"And there is no god in this world who would turn my Mother against me!"
Deep under the ground, the earth shuddered. Enki still stays in his human form, but bigger power behind him, and beneath him, is disturbed from his calm.
A smile curled my lips, but it was not a smile of victory. I heard his words, every one of them. I understood his rage. My eyes closed and I returned to my knees in the filthy dirt. I spoke again, in my old tongue, the tongue of gods and ancient Alfar.
"Midgard, sister to my mother Svartalheim, I do not seek to harm you, I seek not to harm your son save in defense. Lady Earth, Gaea, mother of Titan and Giant, I, Erik Dokkson, of your sister Svartalheim, I offer you her clay in exchange for your aid. I seek only to protect my own mother, a creature of your clay, a daughter of your poisoned earth. I seek to aid her and to cleanse you. Please, Mother Gaea, accept my offering in exchange for your aid. My clay is not pure, save in one respect, that it is Svart. Earth Mother, I seek to bind my clay to yours, but not without your permission." I changed my blade to a knife and slowly flayed some of my flesh from my arm. I planted it in the earth at my feet, covering isn't on the dirt. "Please, Gaea, Mother of Titans, accept my offering of peace and give my people aid. And--this might be too presumptuous of me--but perhaps you could convince your son to do the same?" The last was childish, I knew, but it worth asking. I just hoped the Horned God didn't take it the wrong way.
If the earth rejected my offering, the wound in my arm would be healed as my shadows retreated from her. If she accepted and I continued bleeding...I honestly hoped her son didn't take it wrong and try breaking down buildings. That would just make Jesse very, very, very upset.
@horned_god: @lighshade_angel: Little did this horned idiot know I was an expert at killing dogs and this time I knew they weren't human. Every single dog that came at me I slayed easily enough with the occasional bite at my leg but my armor protected me from the bites anyway. I looked over at the man in red who seemed to be doing pretty well in this fight as well.
When the remaining dogs finally ran away or were killed I looked around to notice he was no longer there and smirked," That the best you got punk." Suddenly the ground began to shake and almost everything in the area seemed to change in small ways in one second I see him but in the next he's gone again maybe it's some kind of illusion. But the problem is the holes in the ground aren't with one almost swallowing me up which I manage to avoid by grabbing onto the side of the pit and climbing back out. So I rush to nearby building and jump up putting my sword and dagger into the wall allowing me to stay above earth manipulation. I hear him address the man in red and reply", Your not my god you horned idiot we won't let you win."
Had Mega Justice been punched by a single one of the Wardens punches he'd be mildly surprised that he could feel them, but he wasn't. The Exemplar of Justice wasn't going to just sit and let the man wail on him. After all, he had speed on his side as well, and even with the warden attempting to mirror his powers a suit like that wouldn't be able to keep up with him. In might have bordered on epic to see a mere man stand up to the titan the was Mega Justice, however, as the hero casually side-stepped his throw it seemed more useless. "Stick to the night, Warden, you should know when you're outmatched." As the warden moved to grabble to safety Mega Justice leaped after him. As he soared through the air he plucked every individual missile from the air before crumpling them with a pinch of his fingers. Landing next to his opponent Mega Justice raised his hand before aiming a flick at his chest strong enough to shatter human bones and send him flying several yards away.
However, before he could move to finish him, he heard the voice of Katraya ring out. He listened to her talk quietly. "No one person can do everything, nor should I attempt to. Every life can't be saved, and you would be insane to attempt to hold anyone to take standard. While that you took in that one girl I saved dozens, don't think that you can guilt me with talk as weak as that." With that Mega Justice stretched out both arm as if he was preparing to make a large clap. His hands started glowing yellow as he concentrated Justice Force into them, and with that, in the blink of in eye, his hands slammed together. Letting lose a boom that would be heard across the city as the massive wave of force he created looked set to level the building he was standing on. He had waited for the evacuations to take place, it was time to start razing the city.
"Heretics." Katraya said into her com system.
"Must Burn!" Was the chanted reply across the city.
"Light it up." She grinned. The next orders were more specific, orders for mutations to activate. "Gene-lock durability level three, Gene-lock strength level two."
Katraya activated additional locks for herself. "Gene-lock combat level regeneration, gene-lock strength level three." With those commands a series of micro needles injected DNA directly into the blood stream of the Hyper Mutant. Her malleable DNA absorbed the fragments and adjusted accordingly, providing her with a host of new abilities at her command. Despite the chant the Sisters didn't immediately open fire, undisciplined weapons fire would lead to nothing but property damage and wasted ammo. For now they held their positions, activated their gene locks and waited for an opportunity to strike.
Katraya on the other hand activated her armor's jump pack. The engines roared to life and catapulted her into the sky. She landed on an empty roof top where she had good visuals on both Supra Man and the so called Mega Justice. She readied her OVK and waited, again. When dealing with metas one had to be careful and not waste ammunition on an opponent that may simply be immune to it. She had plenty of other means of combating the exceptionally durable, but unfortunately she knew nothing about most of the participants here other than apparently Mega Justice could fire beams of energy.
I wonder how fast you react, or if you're so over confident you won't bother? After a moment she simply raised her weapon and fired one handed. The OVK ejected a three round burst from the end of the barrel, propelling three seventy five caliber self propelled, mass reactive rounds down range. Each round was designed to penetrate the latest armor designs and explode inside of the target, a nasty round more than capable of taking out armored military vehicles. Each of the three rounds was sent directly for Mega Justice, a test of his reaction and his durability.
A sudden pop signaled the arrival of Jack within the city. Landing on his feet for once, the tall gentleman took any sign of good luck he could get. Quickly he double checked his coat pockets. Two stacks of twenty rune cards prepared the day before. Also his "trump card", the magic weapon Fall Wind in its dormant state. His fingers rested on the small pinwheel for a moment, knowing the weapon could kill him if he was not careful. "Five minutes." he reminded himself before moving on. Jack began looking for any signs of Nightwarden or Jesse James, the only ones he would recognize.
For a moment, Angela did nothing. She just stood in the air. She watched Mega Justice engage with the robots that seemed to have come out of nowhere. Her gaze followed the cultist woman who seemed to have jumped off on to a rooftop, a target for her weapon acquired.
Angela moved, leaving behind a sonic boom as she did, headed right into the path of the projectiles, letting each of them be blocked by Stormbringer, and exploded on contact. As for Lightning Lady, she had simply shrugged off the attack. It wasn't enough to harm her in the slightest. "You are not allowed to attack my benefactor, whatever your name is,"
After you've done, the ground has ceased to shake and the silence has blown. Your arms continue to bleed, and blood flows into the dirt.
A voice comes from the ground. It is the voice of the monster you met, but there are deeper tones in it.
"I do not hold grudge against you, Erik Dokkson, of Svartalheim and fight not against you God of shadows. I'm leaving you at peace."
There is silence for some time. It seems to be over. But then the voice resonated again.
"When the Earth turns around and around and around I will go back and see what the people you protect have done to my mother. When I see the poison and filth in the skin of my mother, I, Titan of the Earth, will bring destruction to this city."
Not far from the place where you hang on the wall, the ground suddenly opened. It does not seem to be the usual effort to catch someone. The hole remained permanently open and in place.
"Help me, please help me," it comes out of the pit in a silent, male, hoarse voice.
Deep in the ground, 50 meters below the surface, is a trapped man.
Some voices in play asked the question of where was she when this and that happened. When it came to the status of the city, she was one of those citizens who watched chemical fires outside her window afraid. Who hid in room afraid for her life as the streets she knew were bombed. It was only after one of the more recent of attacks that Lizzy began working to recreate herself into who she wanted to be. To be a hero, she'd fled the city and now was only sorry for it for choosing herself over the people. Perhaps it was necessary however if she hadn't she wouldn't be as armed for this as she was. Her neon pink mech landed on a roof and took a moment to just watch as things escalated.
She programed Sisters Eye to dispatch a round for Kaija allowing the giant to arrive on the scene right beside her in a flash of luminous light. Entering the atmosphere thus speeds of reentry, thats seventeen thousand miles per hour the portal could arrive in no time anywhere. The nerd had done her best to let the world know it was there. That she would use it, to be there for the world when it needed a hero. Her past work defending people showcased her motives and intention. The people, no political tape, no scheme, no expectations in return. Just a defender of what she believed to be the true concept of justice and human rights. Of course she was apart of a force of the government that had every right to be here. Grimm had been reinstated to the US and as a member of UNKD it made sense that her and the giant might be here to prevent further damage. "Watch your step for me would you. Lets be a bit more strategic then the company we're in." It was a comment made more as a tease. Kaija's status was above hers after all, and she was confident nothing even needed to be said. The offer of transportation was also made to a team in Japan, her team that she didn't expect to come but naturally gave the option to.
The city was largely quiet, it was however probably just hiding in ones homes hoping for the best. Who would want to abandon their home, especially under the order of a man who promised to level their home, their place of work, their favorite bar to drown their sins and everything else they knew? Yes Strike had shown up to help promising and great as they were. Their leader was also arriving in the hardware of Stark. Grim had fallen in large part because of the iron politician's abandonment and of Satar's acts of terror. So why on earth would they turn to help from someone dressed like the man who had abandoned them? There may not be as many civilians, good or bad, stepping up to bat. That wasn't out of them not being there however so much as more likely the uncomfortable acknowledgment that they couldn't fight their aggressor. Which spoke volumes about the hero Mega was, that for him his all mighty stature allowed him to declare himself right. Well maybe so but not here, not while she could make a stand. She was one of them who had hid from people like him during events like this but not any more.
The Lightning Lady had changed sides, this was good and Lizzy kind of wanted to think it was in part thanks to herself. Probably not however, her voice was probably drowned out by someone in a scarlet cape. Sucked but that was fine changing to the side that was right was enough. A neon pink streak and the mech was now within the immediate air space of those in play. "Glad you started listening, we'd said this place needed change from the start." The outlaw had said as did she, and most would agree just in general it seemed. It needed help, its status quo had been deeply flawed and this called for someone better then dark and vengeful to step up. Near by was a mysterious figure, an interesting sight to behold who it was proved hard to tell. Deductive reasoning however, the person who Lizzy had been talking with to try and sell Mega on the just way of doing business wasn't here. Lizzy was a bit late, you'd think the other person publicly speaking out would be present by now. Could just be coincidence however, was better then the presence of the Warden at least. A sight that deeply infuriated the technological teenager, he'd deployed practically an army. Why so many against one man? Why show off like the egotistical types who'd done so much harm to this city. It was a deployment of resources that personally reminded Lizzy of Nebraska and the president. Of what the gamer perceived to be actions of an atrocious sight done by the power mad. No matter though, someone had to bring Mega down. And Gaige was a hero who didn't hesitate to jump into a fight in such a way.
The mega buster and BFG systems were off limits for the time, they used resources to destructive in the area. With so many of the robots around as well as more organic allies this also was just to much friendly fire potential. Her Sonic drones would deploy establishing a radio channel to reach the Gamer and surveying the area. Kratos Units would move to assist in securing civilians should the need arise, she couldn't use those drones offensively in such a populated area she felt. The Onix units would focus on Lizzy however to help make sure she had the kind of defense to go against Mega. With that she took aim, double checking the area of effects of her weapons to make sure that the Hammers would not endanger allies and pass through air instead of endanger structures. Her KIllzone system would not risk impacting allies, they might impact buildings on a miss nobody should be on the receiving ends however. With that she began "I tried talking, now its just defending."
The Hammers of Dawn small drones easy to scatter one would look to strike from an upward angle toward Mega's rib cage, one moved to be behind to fire a lance of energy at the neck near the spine. Two lasers on her mech Mjolnir aimed for the man's heart her other two for the right wrist and left knee. It might be lethal it might not be, Lizzy didn't like killing either. Against such a powerful opponent she couldn't hold back however to much was at stake so the energy weapons fired. With the speed of light the weapon systems sent off beams of scorching energy at the designated target, at the heat of forty thousand kelvin the air grew hot by their sheer presence. In addition to that trying to keep him on the defensive she'd open fire with the Killzone, twin VUlcan cannons that could pour out two hundred rounds in a single seconds. Right now she didn't feel she could use her Slipspace ammunitions properly, however she had developed another technique with such bullets. Picked up in the assault on France she'd learned to control the usual effect of trying to drag one into the blank space. It turned every bullet into a miniature black hole, a round that could burrow through most things. It was brief, a round that went clean through the roof would stop by the time it hit an office desk below. WIth any luck however the onslaught of automatic weaponry would do more damage to Mega then he ever thought a bullet might do. Or at the very least the field of fire Lizzy provided would be enough for someone else to try there luck. Personally the gamer was hoping for a colossal back hand to try and slap aside the smug smile aside, though she'd admit she was kind of biased.
Mega Justice was about to move and catch the bullets shot at him, no matter his durability he was he often found it fruitless to just get hit for no reason. With all the magic bullets that people had you never knew what was really being shot at you. Instead, the Lightning Lady moved to intercept them and used her mighty hammer to block them. It seemed that her sense of allegiance was much like the tides, but still, he was glad to have an ally. Hopefully, she would stay that way. Confident that she could deal with the group of religious zealots he moved to handle the glowing woman. He had thought she was the bandit until he saw under her hood, sit she looked eerily familiar.
Whoever she was though it was clear that she was stopping his attempts to destroy the city. It wasn't just that, her mere presence was seeming to hamper him. He would have to deal with her first then move on to bringing down the city. Leaping over back to her he rolled his neck, "Fine then let's deal with you first then." Pulling back a fist his grin widening as he called out his signature attack. "JUSTICE PUNCH!" His fist blasted at her covered in Justice Force, even if she nullified his energy she'd still have to deal with a supersonic fist flying at her.
As Jacob went sailing, thrusters in his suit engaged, as well as ionic shielding, helping him maintain his balance and stay on his feet from the flick of MegaJustice's finger, while absorbing the brunt of any kinetic damage he may have sustained, and though he wouldn't have any shattered bones, he would surely feel bruising after this altercation.
The readings he had gotten from MegaJustice's striking power would be fed into the suit's database and would allow him to augment the suit's own striking power by adjusting its hydraulics, so he would pack more of a punch from now on.
Jacob knew he couldn't merely go toe to toe with these beings, he was testing MegaJustice's limits, strategically planning many steps ahead.
He tapped a few buttons on his command console, issuing another directive to the automatons, they were to also clean up the city.
They sucked pollution from the air and filtered it before releasing it into the sky again, sent out repairing nanites that would restore the buildings that were destroyed, and sent high-powered purifying solvents into the rivers.
These were the other functions of these mechs' previous recon and rescue purpose, in order to properly rescue soldiers, the terrain of a battlefield had to be managed so that they could be more easily found.
Jacob fell back and regrouped with Xeril and Jay, swinging over to them on a grapnel wire launched from the suit, before retracting the high tensile filament as he landed in front of them, and they waited to plan their next move.
Jacob also sent some of the bots that weren't gradually healing the city to slow MegaJustice down and impede his movement, so that Jacob's allies could better stop MegaJustice.
"Ma'am the Port is bogged down. We can't initiate Priority 2 until we clear it. Doesn't look like that's going to be able to happen even if we did engage."
[Our ETA is 1 hour, I'll authorize the release of the Equilizer.] It didn't take long for Ruby's call to reach the inside of the ship. "Mrs. Pettis. You're needed."
I Told you, you would
The Mazoi Princess stood eying the events transpiring in the city, from a video account aboard one of STRIKE's ship. The situation seemingly spiraled out of mortal control, Mega Justice and his goons were trying their darnest to see this city in ash.
Though she agreed Grim needed change, she didn't believe forcing these people to do so was the best way to go about it. About three days ago, Ruby Gallagher got in touch with Charlie about getting The Goddess involved in this conflict, Ziccarra agreed only to pay the debt left over from when her daughter was on the team.
"I told you, you would" Moving from the command deck to the surface of the ship, Ziccarra's pacific blue eyes stretch across the gritty ugly Grim City skyline. There was much work to be and no more time to waste. "Goddess...Give ...Me...Strength"
As if Zeus hauled the both of lightining himself, it stretch across the vast ugly sky before striking the Spanish native square in the chest.
Dropping back to the surface of the ship, The Modern Day Athena rose sword and shield ready. There were a number on conflicts spread out across the City, but she was brought here specifically to see Priority 2 carried out. With a simple jump the War Goddess was airborne before plowing into the already upturned Earth.
"First thing's first" Executing a backhand spring into the massive crater in the ground, Ziccarra free fell about 50 meters, until she float in front of a dome.
"What the hell" She grunted. From what she could make of it, was that it was solid rock. The trapped man continued to call out in distress prompting the War Goddess to call out to his captor.
"This man plays no part is this struggle. Let him free."
"Oh another one of you." Katraya holstered her weapon, it would serve no purpose against the sudden influx of god tiers. That didn't mean she was without means to fight. Katraya reached down and drew her blade from its sheath. Thanks to the intelligence given to her before the battle she had been anticipating at least one person with ridiculous levels of physical durability and had come prepared.
The blade glowed with a blue aura and was a marvel of fine technical engineering though Katraya rarely resorted to its deployment. The weapon hummed beyond human hearing as its blade vibrated at speeds imperceptible to the human eye. The sword's specific design was to match the vibration and activity of the target's molecules and not cut, but separate the target at the molecular level. Durability couldn't simply ignore reality, it was a form of resisting damage because of hardened skin, damage resistant organs, etc. Far fewer beings were capable of ignoring their molecular makeup being vibrated apart.
skill lock- sword mastery. Gene lock level two teleportation.
Without outward sign or movement Katraya vanished. She teleported across the gap between herself and her new target and re-materialized behind her. If she was still there, Katraya would thrust the sword towards back chest, intent on separating the molecules of her body and driving the blade through her spine. The strength behind the thrust was equal to four hundred tons of striking power, more than enough to crush cement and break steel. She maintained her position in the air after teleportation via use of her jump pack.
I smiled. It was soft and faint, but it was there. Five minds as one focused on the assailant. We separated them into two categories, light and dark. The Bandit Queen and Yuki to the dark side, Stella and Jing on the other, Spex binding them together. We smiled as he shouted. His fist could blow us off the face of this earth if it hit. But it wouldn't. With a skilled wave of my hands, I separated the light and dark energies permeating around me, creating an almost visible shield of Light and Dark Force Energies, layered under Pure Balance. I knew the Balance could only negate the Justice energy in my opponent's hand. I could harm him about as much as he could harm me. But the individual Light and Dark would be able to stop the fist from shattering my chest and ribs. I slid back as the blow hit, but I was alive, and I was still strong as I wove the forces back together like a spider with her web. My clear but mystical eyes met his glowing white ones, and my voices rose from deep in my being, even deeper than my chest.
"You don't know what you are dealing with, Justice," Balance said, for that was what I was called in this form. "Which places you at a disadvantage. I know what you are and how you function. I know your strengths and weaknesses." Something changed in those eyes. One of the faces, it was impossible to tell which, disappeared. The mind shifted to accomodate as it projected one of its mentalities to a different place, a simple Astral Projection. Two minds became centered and purely balanced. Two others remained pure Darkness and Light. The mind as a whole was unmoved by the change, save that it lost one of its five trains of thought and strategy. That mentality would return once its duty was done. For now, the rest had other business to attend to.
It had been over a year since the last time I'd been to this city. Over a year since I had stood in the center of this city, and raised arms up against Satar. I had come to the aid of those I believed could not defend themselves, to protect those who were innocent against such an overwhelming threat. Deep down I had believed I could make a difference, like I could change this cities fate. In my heart of hearts I knew my actions would mean something, they would be seen as heroic, and the masses would be able to make something of this city. It would be a brighter, better world.
On that day, Satar had killed me, and shown me a cold and bitter truth. Grim City was dead, and my actions had only delayed the inevitable. For before me I saw not the lively city of a metropolis, but the grave of those who were foolish enough to stand by it. It was only by a miracle, or rather a curse, that I was here today, to see the fruits of my labor toiled and wasted. Everything I'd worked so hard for, every truth and virtue I had used to believe in, shattered, desecrated, and discarded like those that had come before.
I truly wish I had stayed dead.
But I had a mission, something I had to do.
Alexis stood beside me, my darling being so selfless as to join me on my mission to make amends for what I had failed to do so long ago. I didn't know what she saw in me, what made her so drawn, but whatever it was it was clearly something I myself did not see. Heroism? No, I had given that up long ago. For I was not here today to do something as naive as try to bring Grim City to life. No, I was here to deliver a truth, something that the people needed to hear, and this Mega Justice, this Jesse, EVERYONE... stood in my way. But for now, I would defend. Looking towards Alexis, I nodded towards the the man, Mega Justice..
"Let's go Alexis. Time to bring some "justice" down on this self-righteous man."
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Heavy Metal Inc. wheeled into the city, with the war they'd been promised already begun. The van they packed themselves into collided with a building, lodging into the wall and getting the car stuck. "Dang it! What the hell Quiet-Riot, who taught you how to drive your grandma?!"
"My grandma's dead Disturbed!"
"I know."
Several shuffling noises could be heard within the vehicle, rocking back and forth with the sounds of a scuffle going on inside. "Guys!" snapped Mr. Megadeth, "We are professionals damn it, I'm not paying you to laze around!" Mr. Megadeth shot his hand forward, pointing out towards the city. "Now get out there and protect the city, we're getting paid pretty heftily for this one." Quiet-Riot and Disturbed looked at one another nervously, unsure of how to inform him that he hadn't paid them in quite some time. In fact, they weren't entirely certain they were ever actually paid in real money.
But they didn't have time to question that. Disturbed hopped into his motorcycle, with Quiet-Riot sitting in the sidecar, rather dejected. Mr. Megadeth meanwhile took the wheel, driving off to find the man known as Night Warden. He had to inform the client that he had arrived.
In the midst of an intense planning session with his teammates inside Grim, Night Warden turned to see that one of the mercenary crews he had hired, among many, had arrived. As he approached, Jacob shook Mr. Megadeath's hand briefly, before letting go and entering some button presses on a holographic display that had arisen from his gauntlet.
As the luminescence of his display faded, Night Warden said,"Thank you for coming. You'll find that I have authorized your fee to be transferred into your account, but the money wired will only become valid once your mission is complete. Defend Grim and Grim's defenders at all costs, and stop MegaJustice and his forces. Leaving them alive and in custody is the best order, but if you find no other alternative, then and only then is lethal force authorized. You have your mission, I trust you won't fail us."
Knocking his opponent away Mega Justice was about to respond to her claims that Justice would die when he was interrupted. He felt a sting on the back of his neck as a small shot of energy hit him. Turning around confused he caught a glimpse of the mech driving Lizzy milliseconds before he took the full force of her arsenal. Lasers flashed through the air as they struck his body. He felt each bullet attempt to tear away at his flesh, some managing to take small bits of his skin off. Yet even through the bright lasers, it was clear that it hadn't been nearly enough to take him down. He strode through the gunfire and towards the pink mech his smile not wavering as more and more of the bullets landed as he got closer. Even still he didn't move as if he was in any particular hurry until he finally attacked. Once he did, however, it was at speeds faster than any human eye could hope to track.
Seeming to disappear from where he was standing the Exemplar of Justice nearly instantaneously closed the gap between him and the mech. In one fluid and swift movement, he attempted to firmly grip the sides of the mech. Usings his strength he would create holes in the suit with his fingers and keep it in his grasps. Assuming he managed to grab the mech it would take but an instant before he launched both of them into the air with one powerful leap. The robots that were sent after him would have a hard time following him giving him plenty of time to deal with the teenage superhero. It seemed the mech was her only form of weaponry, it was admirable that she'd take him head on with it, but it was a mistake. Once they made it high enough the Hand of Justice would begin to attempt to crush the mech slowly. He would force even the toughest of metal would bend before the will of justice. "I'd advise you eject... now."
Spotting Nightwarden with people he did not know, Jack rushed as fast as he could towards the planning group. Upon his arrival, Jack greeted his old teammate, "Forgive my lateness, I had some last minute preparations to make." With a smile hiding his nervousness, he asked, "What needs to be done?"
The drive had taken longer than anticipated, what with Vi and I having to make a stop and switch vehicles, but all the same we had finally arrived at Grim City. And somehow, with all the things that I'd heard about the place from past conversations, it honestly looked as bad as they had said. Desolate buildings galore, with hollow streets signifying just how lifeless this place felt. I could only imagine it; the death, the destruction that this city had seen in the past. Actually, I could do more than just imagine, I could see it. I saw their shadows, like a mirage the imprint that the human soul left behind could be traced back.
My eye looked past time and space, and I saw a little boy playing in the streets with friends, calm and playful with no sense of dangers around him, no care for the worries adults often felt.
I saw a woman getting held up at gun point in an alleyway, her screams echoingn throughout the ages, yet no one coming to her aid, leaving her to a most unfortunate fate.
Honestly, I'd seen other places, other worlds before that were much like this. Don't let it be mistaken, this is not the only place that was filled with sin, with the despairs that only the worst in people can bring out. I'd seen entire timelines that had been gone to ruin in a similar manner. But each time only managed to dull the feeling a little. Every time I saw these things, it still had impact on me. As much as I nonchalantly shrugged it off, pretended to be the most easygoing person around...I still cared.
I knew who I was, and what I was capable of. Compared to even the strongest of beings this world had to offer, I could be considered a deity among them. But I never saw myself as that. I never pretended as though I was above those around me. Cause when you develop an attitude like that, well, you're going to be in for a rude awakening at some point. And that's why, even in the bleakest of times, I tried not to let myself get to unattached to others. And I wouldn't now.
The sound of fighting erupting all around. We were late to the party it seemed, already I felt their presence, the masses who had arrived to try and lay claim to this city. In the skies lightning arced in the sky, bullets rained, and robots roamed the area. In the same vicinity stood the center of it all, Mega Justice. Turning towards Vi, I gave a puzzled look. "Heh, well honestly I'm not much a fighter," I shrugged, folding my arms behind my back. "To tell you the truth I'm not really liking either side here. I think I would do best to help with collateral damage, maybe halt some of the fighting." I turned my hollow eyes towards Vi, implying my seriousness. "I don't want any more bodies."
Briefly I glanced up, my vision looking through the clouds and at the man hovering far above, more than likely delivering judgement to those below. For whatever reason, it seemed as though Grim was of great interest to all sorts of people, metas, and even those who would call themselves gods. I turned my gaze, catching sight of another being. It too looked down, and the feeling of being watched just didn't sit quite right with me. My vision took a quick scan of the area. It looked as though the majority of the population had left, but there were still some scattered about, caught in the middle of the fighting. I nodded up into the air to point out @amin_karrit and @valhala . "We don't want to just float around like some others here."
"We don't want to have a bad time, do we?"
A booming roar of thunder caught my attention, and I looked back up. In the air another conflict raged, this one between what looked like a cult leader @katraya, and a goddess of thunder @angela_. "How about we start with those two." I would reach forward with my hand, signaling her to grab hold. If Vi did, we'd *Pop* to their location. If she didn't, well I'd just go anyway.
*Pop*
Once there I would react quick. My eye flashed blue, and hopefully my powers would slightly, very slightly, divert the cultists thrust. I didn't want to try to take full control of her movements, rather just push it out of the way a bit, almost like a suggestion. "C'mon now, there's no need for that is there?" I questioned, my toothy grin wide and one eyebrow cocked. I raised my arms up in a shrug. "We don't want to have a bad time, do we?
Night Warden told Jack,"If you can help repair the city and fortify our defenses, as well as help deescalate some of the fighting, that would definitely be appreciated. You can also try to halt the assault of Megajustice and his thunderous colleague, that would also serve us well. Take whatever measures you feel necessary."
Night Warden also perceptively noticed the skeletal being who appeared, and based on his actions trying to prevent unneeded violence, he surmised that he could be an asset.
He pointed the being out to Jack, and said, "See if you can rally that man to our cause as well, Myers Voorhees, I believe his name is. He may help us find more solutions to ending this."
Grimm City, this place meant something or still means something to my Lucia, I honestly don't know anything about this city and it's still a surprise I managed to put two and two together to find out Lucia was coming here to fight another metahuman even after a not too recent fight that was cutting it pretty close Alexis walked proudly but aware by Lucia's side when they traversed the high ground of Grimm City Lucia was so determined to get in here and face this Justice guy but why's the city so important to her? Alexis monologued to herself in thought recalling on how she insisted on Lucia letting her tag along, in Alexis's mind she couldn't let Lucia go on her own for this mission and it wasn't because she doubted Lucia's combat capabilities but rather because she saw how important this was and it stirred a determination inside to assist Lucia succeed on her mission.
What ever the reason Lucia is here for I can deal with, this is so important to her I could practically feel the importance as I walk by her and I want her to be happy I want her to be fulfilled...satisfied I want to be there supporting her during her trials whether they be physical or emotional There were still plenty of questions Alexis had for Lucia most questions asked before never even touched Lucia's personal background but Alexis would be patient for her love and would also show utter faith followed by loyalty hoping in the end that Lucia on her own initiative will eventually open up to her and reveal more about her self.
Despite the severity of the situation Alexis was calm one could say even at peace "Sure thing Red!" Alexis replied to Lucia with eager admiration as she gave her romantic partner a new loving nick name and smiled confidently, Alexis dropped to a knee then opened her Amethyst eyes to scan the area for a quick analytical examination of the battlefield "Two tango's, about tenish apparently neutral individuals on the battlefield...three neutrals are engaged with tango's but only one of them has barely enough raw power to match them" Alexis looked towards Lucia as a skeleton figured appeared next to a cult leader "so what do you have in mind?" Alexis asked awaiting her partners suggestions before giving an opinion of her own "I was thinking we could just focus down on fisto over there and let the others deal with hammer, blunt damage hardly does anything to me and I can reduce collateral so I can aggro fisto there and you can get some hits in with out getting hit yourself" Alexis finished her words and attempted to place her hand on Lucia's shoulder for a gentle reassuring squeeze, regardless of Lucia's answer Alexis will comply to her loves request or follow the next actions with out the slightest disagreement.
"Please don't get hurt, hurts me more to see you bleed than a stab wound to my body"
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