1288 replies to this topic

[Magnus Greel]

IC: Dimension R

Greel followed suit, reaching to the person closest to him and clutching their hand in his. For Rocky, he grabbed one of the Rock Lion's paws, careful not to touch the razor claws that tipped it.

IC: Platform

Clearly, the fire attacks weren't working. Wasponax did his best to dodge the returning spheres of flame, his Dark Hunter training the only thing that kept him from getting melted by his own projectiles.

What else was there to do? If these people could throw his assaults back at him, and they were all the same, spiting more fire at the band was futile. Not even curling up into a ball and smashing into them since his mech's leg was too damaged for that.

Hmm, the Dark Hunter thought, realizing a better means of attack. From a rent in the metal, an insect emerged, followed by another and another. One by one the extremely tiny creatures came out, slowly amassing into a group large enough to harm larger creatures. They flew separately, moving stealthily towards one of Lyxek's guards, stingers primed to stab. The music was also helpful in blocking out the faint buzzing.

Those within the machine steered it over to the rest of the group for cover.

IC: Central

Hexxon groaned, gently getting to his feet. First, he checked to see if the others managed to get out safely, then turned to look at the wreckage and ruins of the KNPD HQ and Citadel.

Admittedly, the former officer had never imagined that the KNPD would have ended like this. He sighed, brushing any dust off his armor, watching the particles floated to the ground and settle in the rubble.

Edited by Magnus Greel, Jul 04 2012 - 06:45 PM.

[Half-Dragon]

IC: Srizz | City

By the time the explosion went off, Srizz was well out of the citadel. It paid to be selfish sometimes, since some of the others hadn't even come out. That said, the building on the surface was mostly still standing, so they might've survived, but he preferred not to leave his fate to chance. Looking down from a perch atop one of the few high buildings not blown to rubble, the assassin stretched out and wondered what happened next. Presumably, since she'd been willing to work with all kinds of rogues and shady types to save the island, Senshou wouldn't be overly surprised at his pragmatism and might not have a problem with him checking in to see if there was anything further to do to save the universe.

He was willing - nay, happy - to leave someone else to die so he could live, but if the universe went, so did he, and he hadn't lost sight of that.

-=H-D=-

[Burnmad: Toa of Emoticons]

IC: Artorre: Citadel:

Artorre had turned after his final attack and continued sprinting down the hallway. He narrowly dodged several chunks of ceiling as he ran to the stairwell.

IC: Aranai: Lyxek's Platform:

She seemed to have put her pillar in the wrong place. Oh well, some other guy caught the tournament organizer. Aranai started playing again, also sending another jet of water over, this time at Wasponax.

[Hurricane iBrow]

IC: Tavyn, Ring HQ:

The AI watched through the Tumbler's outer camera as the recognizeable form of the Ko-Matoran Djoser fell from the sky.

"Points shall be scored this day." the AI remarked, firing several rockets.

Every single rocket hit their target- Djoser was officially no more.

[Parugi]

IC - Zanth/etc. - Dimension R: Once the last of the group had linked, Zanth wasted no time in pushing back, pulling the entire group over the edge of the tear and back into the main dimension. Wind rushed past their ears as they free-fell toward the Barrens, clouds of darkness breaking as the group passed through them. Pushing the surrounding noise from his mind, the Sherif closed his eyes, activating Suya's teleportation power.

In an instant, the group winked out of existence, disappearing from the air and reappearing right above the ground near the edge of the Searcher's chasm. All ten or so beings landed in the snow, bouncing slightly from the impact, though they were safe from harm. Pushing himself up from where he had landed, Zanth shook his head, looking up at the tear above them.

They had left Ruaki's presence just in time. A massive cloud of darkness emerged from the side dimension, writhing and contorting with each millimeter. There was definitely something wrong with it, however. The white cracks that had appeared on Ruaki's eyes had spread, emcompassing the crimson surfaces, and his mental roars continued to sound. To Zanth, it appeared as if he was in pain--as if something had gone wrong during the merge.

That could only mean that something big had happened, but what? Had the Eye been damaged as well? Had a key been destroyed? He couldn't be sure, though he was aware of one thing: Ruaki was still alive, and was still returning. If he got ahold of that body...

If you all are going to do something... he thought, referring to the Lyxek group. Then you need to hurry... Zanth looked at the others. "Are you all okay?"

IC - Sanshou/Sensha/etc. - Citadel: Sanshou coughed from the large amounts of dust in the air. She, as well as several of the others, had thrown themselves to the ground as the explosions sounded. Looking back, she saw the tunnel behind them had collapsed. She shook her head, trying her best to forget the fact that both the Director and Lurinost now rested in the destroyed stomach of the Citadel.

She rolled to the side, pushing herself to her feet and looking at Sensha. The Ondarian blinked slightly, beginning to come to after momentarily being stunned. Sanshou smiled, holding out a hand to her--and then frowned, withdrawing her hand as she saw Sensha's face, still etched with those strange lines.

"Oh, no..."

Sensha pushed herself to her feet, using her bow staff as support. She turned her head, looking at Sanshou. Even without her helmet, she still stood tall, only partially weakened. She grabbed her staff, swinging at Sanshou. The Artanian jumped back, drawing a blade.

"Sensha, stop this!" she said. "The Director is gone--you aren't bound to him anymore!"

IC - Illuxio/Vailian - Platform Launch Pad: Illuxio and Vailian emerged on the platform launch pad. The robot immediately headed toward one of the remaining vehicles, accessing its controls and quickly getting it prepped for launch. Its thrusters activated almost immediately upon Vailian stepping onto it, causing it to begin to float and head toward the side exit.

"So what are you going to do now?" Vailian asked. Illuxio shut off the control panel, moving to the center of the platform and removing a plate. He began modifying several of the connections in it.

"Without merging, only one soul can inhabit a body at a time," Illuxio answered. "That's a fact--any Iden user will tell you the same. As a 'false' AI, I count as a soul."

"So you're going to...?"

"I'm going to take over that body myself," Illuxio said, replacing the plate. "While I'm in there, I'm going to upload my program. The nanobots will tear themselves apart, rendering the body unusable to Ruaki." He stood up, looking at Vailian. "I may not survive it, but I'm going to try and get back out of it before Lyxek realizes what's happening, and before the explosions begin. With luck, I'll succeed. That's why I need you here--I need someone to watch my body, in case of either an attack or in case Ruaki notices it."

Vailian nodded. "I can do that."

"Huh..." Illuxio rubbed his head, chuckling. "That was easier than I thought. You aren't going to stop me?"

"I swore to help Lyxek," Vailian said. "Given the circumstances--after hearing... everything... I think the best way to save him is to stop this. Regardless of what he thinks afterward." He rubbed the stump on his other arm. "So, no, I won't try to stop you."

Illuxio nodded in thanks. "You're a good guy, Vailian," he said. He activated his comm. "Kovian, it didn't work. I'm going to try a manuel upload. Keep him busy."

IC - Lyxek/Kovian/etc. - Platforms: As Vertak launched forward, swinging at the gauntlets, Lyxek broke away from Ciri, raising his guitar and slamming it against Rhindon. The two blades met, forcing Ciri to roll out of the way to avoid being hit. Lyxek held against Vertak, smiling slightly. With almost excessive force, he pushed back, knocking the Matoran back.

"Not good enough!" he called, turning back to the battle just as Selirah attacked. He played a series of strings on his guitar, deflecting the sonic knives, though still did not personally attack. Even so, he dropped the sonic field as the band's song came to an end, Ciri singing her final notes.

"What do you all think?" Lyxek asked, holding a hand out. "Encore?" From where he stood, the group could easily see the blade-like antenna rising from his back, a green light appearing on it.

Lyccir ran forward, coming to stand next to Vertak. He put a hand on the Matoran's shoulder. "If I create an opening for you, can you try that again?" he said quietly, even as Kovian moved forward.

The Toa of Ice gathering a ice and sonic energy in his hand. Throwing his arm forward, he let his attack loose, sending out a powerful burst of ice and sound. The resulting blast was enough to temporarily stun the band members as they were forced to cover their faces, ice gathering on several of their instruments from the intense cold. Draxion moved forward, gathering a large amount of lightning and letting it loose, forcing them backward again.



Dalmia had enough sense to dodge out of the way as he saw Marx and Ehjoras disappear, leaving behind a cloud of darkness in their wake. Teleporting higher up, he looked around, searching for the pair of beings. Unable to find them, the lowered his wings, forming his cloak around himself again. He teleported again, reappearing in front of Kerid.

"Change of plans," he said to her. Dalmia looked at the growing cloud that was Ruaki's mind. "See that? That's a source of unlimited power, right there. One I can make use of." He flexed a hand. "How would you react if I merged with it, Tournament Organizer? If I truly became a god?"

She didn't answer him, still furious at his attempt to murder Ehjoras. Dalmia smiled.

"Helplessness..." Dalmia said, seeming to drink the word. "I like it. Get ready for a real show." He stepped back, taking flight again toward the shadow cloud.

Kerid waited until she was sure he was gone, around the same time that Lyxek's band stopped playing. Then, "Lyxek!" Ciri looked at her, eyes narrowed slightly.

Better than nothing. "Dalmia's on the loose--he's headed for Rhashahk!" Kerid yelled, pointing toward Dalmia's fleeing form. Ciri's eyes widened, and she tapped Lyxek's shoulder. The Toa of Sonics looked at her, following her finger as she pointed after Dalmia. His eyes widened in shock and anger, and he moved to turn...



"Now!" Lyccir hissed, moving forward again. He disappeared as he passed by Kovian, vanishing into thin air--much to the band's surprise. The Turaga reappeared a second later near Lyxek, drawing his staff up and slamming it into the Toa of Sonics's guitar, knocking Ciri to the side in the same, fluid movement.

At the same time, Kovian rushed forward, dragging his scythe along the ground and sending a flurry of ice energy along the ground, freezing the metal under Tana, Ohmi, and Jysk's feet, even as Wasponax began to surround Tana with his bugs.



Dalmia reached out as he approached Ruaki, his hand glowing...

[Magnus Greel]

IC: Citadel

While pondering upon the fate of the KNPD, Hexxon heard a voice -- Sanshou's voice to be exact. It sounded like arguing, and sure enough that's what the Odinan saw happening. Sensha was still attacking the Artanian, even though her helmet was removed and gone.

He lurched forward to intervene, though came to an abrupt stop. The KNPD HQ had be mostly destroyed... so did that mean he could access his powers again? Using them to overcome the Ondarian would be much easier than hand-to-hand combat or swinging weapons around.

Raising a hand, Hexxon pointed at the Sensha, concentrating on his shadow powers.

IC: Northern Barrens

"I'm fine," Greel answered, recovering from the bounce of impact upon the snow-covered grounds.

He turned his head to Rocky, seeing if the Rahi had made a safe landing as well. It was obvious he hadn't liked the descent through the air or the sudden appearance on the ground, or the drop into cold temperatures and snow.

The Team Slight member gave a slight smile at this and looked over at Zanth, then up at the sky. "What do we do now?" he asked, noting the various events occuring overhead: an enormous serpent among the darkened clouds, shadowy constructs floating in the air, and several hovering vehicles drifting near each other.

IC: Platform

Wasponax spotted the burst of water directed at him as he jogged over to the others and blow a steady jet of fire at the attack, neutralizing it. Then he continued his way. This mech wasn't going to last long in battle if it continued to be open to attacks.

The insects gathering around the band members legs surged forward, pointing their wrist- and tail-mounted stingers at the openings between the metal plating, aimed for the flesh in those openings they could fit into without any issue. Once injected, the venom would flow through their veins and take effect.

IC: Platform

Kaytana once again overhead Dalmia's conversation with Kerid, listening closely as she clung to her whip. That vortex of blackness offered the powers of a god onto those who connected to it... a delightful concept.

Imagine, Kaytana thought devilishly, me with that power. A Skakdi goddess, warping the fabric of time and space to my will! Granting glory to the Skakdi -- the real chosen race!

However, she could enjoy the idea for long as the former Ring member took flight, speeding towards the shadow cloud. Worried with what such a traitor would do with that type of power, the cybernetic Skakdi was forced to choose between stealing a Key and stopping Dalmia. Or maybe she could do both? The others were distracted, and would Dalmia know of something coming while being occupied with assuming divinity?

Her viny tool out and her mechanical arm raised, she glanced back and forth from ancient artifact to winged, greedy being. There was no time to waste; she launched poisoned darts at him, and turned for her other targets. The whip lashed out toward a Key, extending and guided by Kaytana's elemental influence for a more accurate catch.

Edited by Magnus Greel, Jul 05 2012 - 08:05 AM.

[Hurricane iBrow]

IC: Vertak, The Platform:

"Of course." Vertak nodded.

He knew when he'd been given the opening, and he swung Rhindon once again to slice through the Gauntlets.

[Burnmad: Toa of Emoticons]

IC: Artorre: Citadel:

Artorre looked at Sensha, activating his Komau. He wasn't sure if it would work, but he tried to use the mask to make her mind function normally and resist the brainwashing.

IC: Aranai: Lyxek's Platform:

Aranai pulled out her blowgun, loaded it, took aim and fired a dart at Kaytana again.

"Let's not be stealing the boss's toys now, little Skakdi."

[Cosmic Titan]

IC: Barrens

"I'm fine. What are we doing next?" He said.

And then he turned and saw the thing in the sky. He looked at it, shock visible on his face. "Uh that doesn't look good..."


Toxin stood up and fell back down. The falling and teleporting had made him dizzy.

"Never better." said a cacophony of voices all at once.

He stood back up once the dizziness passed and shook the snowy off himself.

IC: Outside Ring HQ

Marx and Ehjoras reappeared outside the Ring HQ. He carefully set the Matoran down.

"Are you okay?" He asked, worried Dalmia had harmed him.

IC: Citadel

Slate saw the commotion thru a hole in the floor.

"What is the world? What is wrong with her?" He didn't ask as much as think aloud.

He might had done something but it looked like enough people were already on that.

[Magnus Greel]

IC: Platform

Aranai's movement was caught in the corner of Kaytana's natural eye. It wasn't a surprise that the Toa was about to attack again, as she had done so the last time the Skakdi had tried to snatch a Key -- and using the same method of attacking again.

Kaytana shifted to the side, the dart narrowly missing her. Such gumption this one had! Interrupting a Skakdi's business was a dangerous thing, twice was worse, and three times guaranteed a slow, painful death.

She gave Aranai a glare that would make a Takea shark think twice before pursuing its prey. "You've got courage -- I'll give you that," the Ring member said as her vine slithered closer to one of the Keys. "But do that again, Toa, and you'll regret ever doing so."

[Dreadheart]

IC: [Calik Raktu] - Searcher Chasm

"We fight," Calik replied to Greel, "We do exactly what Zanth told Ruaki that the people of this universe would do."

-Void

[Burnmad: Toa of Emoticons]

IC: Aranai: Lyxek's Platform:

Aranai got up from her seat, holding her axe menacingly as she approached Kaytana.

[Parugi]

IC - Ehjoras - Outside Ring HQ: Ehjoras nodded, though shook from shock and terror. He seemed to relax slightly, however. "I'm fine," he said. "Thanks for the save. What exactly's going on right now?"

IC - Zanth/Etc. - Barrens: After getting confirmation from the others, Zanth nodded. "Good," he said. "We can't do much to help the others right now--trying to teleport up to a moving platform would be too risky. But there are still Feranaki in the city that we could start clearing out."

IC - Kaorus/etc. - West District: Kaorus withdrew his sword from the dead Nakari's body, looking around at the other Guild members. There seemed to be only one of the beasts left, which he began to approach. It continued to writh and squirm, though was unable to break free from Tyis's hold on it.

Drawing his blade, Kaorus lifted it over his head, and brought it down upon the Nakari's. It stopped moving seconds later.

"It's done," he said quietly. "At last..."

IC - Sanshou/etc. - Citadel: Sensha stopped her advance, gripping her head in pain as the Komau connected to her mind. Sanshou, sword still raised, took a step forward.

"Sensha, the Director is gone," she repeated. "He can't control you now. Fight whatever he left behind."

Sensha growled slightly. "Fight... Protect... Director..." she said quietly. "Kill... intruders..."

IC - Illuxio/Vailian - Platform: Illuxio looked up as the platform began to close in on the mechanical body. He sat down, gripping a pair of cables from that he had pulled out of the vehicle and connecting them to two ports on his back. The robot nodded at Vailian.

"Wish me luck," he said. Illuxio's eyes shut off as the AI jumped out of his body, connecting with the complicated system that the nanobots had constructed.

Immediately, he found himself in a vast world of coding, resuming the same avatar that he had taken on for the past year. Illuxio took a moment to himself, taking in all of his surroundings, before moving forward, deeper into the body's systems...

IC - Dalmia/Lyxek/Etc. - Platforms: With the distance between herself and Dalmia, on top of the speed at which the Ring member was flying and the air currents around him, Kaytana's darts missed their mark. Dalmia didn't even seem to care about them, if he had noticed them at all. Coldly observing the cloud of darkness, he shot forward, directly into the middle of Ruaki's mind, causing the god to momentarily stop moving.

"God of Death..." Dalmia said quietly. He raised his arms, his entire body glowing with a black and green aura. "We become One!"

The black clouds began to swirl, forming a tornado of energy around him. Dalmia closed his eyes, his expression stoic as he felt the massive amounts of power being pulled into his body. The air seemed to crackle around him, red lightning shooting out in random directions. The crimson eyes shattered, mixing with the rest of the crowd, crystalline energy merging with Dalmia's mind and soul.

The Ring member opened his eyes, the green glow visible through the cloud, as he became one with Ruaki.


Tana screamed as she felt dozens--maybe hundreds--of stingers jabbing into her body. She dropped her instrument, falling to the ground as pain shot through every nerve in her body.

Surprised, Omhi and Jysk began to play their instruments again. A cascade of earth shot toward Wasponax, while a torrent of water swept to the side, aiming to separate the band from the rest of the attacks. Meanwhile, fire arched over the water wall, aimed for Kovian, which the Toa blocked with his shield, even as Omhi used another fire attack to melt the ice around the three band members.

The Toa of Ice froze the wall, allowing Draxion to break it with his staff--and giving the entire group a view of what was now transpiring, as Lyxek yelled out in anger.


Lyxek's eyes widened in surprise. He pushed back, knocking Lyccir away, and moved to block Vertak's swing with his guitar. He met only a cloud of shadow, however, as Rhindon opened two portals. His blade disappeared, appearing again in another spot--out of the way of Lyxek's guitar--and next to the Gauntlet of Light.

Even the burst of sound from Lyxek, which knocked Vertak back again, wasn't enough to stop the blade from striking it.

With a terrible crunch, Rhindon's edge cleaved through the metal of the gauntlet, severing it in half. Lyxek's expression turned to one of anger as the protections around the Keys disappeared, shutting off Ruaki's means of rebirth. Too damaged to operate, the gauntlet and its counterpart fell, clattering to the ground at Lyxek's feet.

The rose landed near the left edge of the platform, freezing a moment later as Kovian sent a burst of ice energy at it, before shattering from a sonic blade.

To the right, the necklace landed, its crystals reflecting the lights of the battle.

As for the Mask of Night, the Eyes, and the other half of the Sword of Ybrus? They had been floating in various spots around Lyxek's platform--underneath it, in the air. And so, they fell, spinning and shining in the faint rays of the sun as they headed toward the snowy terrain of the Barrens.

The pillar of darkness, rising from the garden, disappeared. The dark clouds that had blotted the sky were beginning to thin already, allowing the natural horizon to bloom again. The sun now shone on Lyxek and the rest of the group. Its beautiful rays were a dissonant sight against the anger that now lined his mask, as he glared at the group, his guitar slamming onto the ground next to him as he fell to his knees.

Lyccir pushed himself to his feet, looking sadly at Lyxek. The other members of the Ringmaster's band stopped playing their instruments, looking in shock at the Toa of Sonics. Lyxek did not say anything, merely closing his eyes.

The Turaga sighed. "It's over."

Edited by Parugi, Jul 05 2012 - 05:25 PM.

[Burnmad: Toa of Emoticons]

IC: Aranai: Lyxek's Platfom:

Aranai frowned. "So soon? I didn't even get to kill anyone."

IC: Peacemaker: West District:

Peacemaker looked at all the Nakari corpses littered around the courtyard. Then he spotted Tyis. He turned to Kaorus.

"Tyis does not look well."

[Cosmic Titan]

IC: Outside Ring HQ

Marx smiled when the Matoran said he was okay.

"Well Lyxek is trying to bring back Ruaki. And Dalmia is being a brat. We are trying to stop Lyxek from succeeding in his foolish idea. And both Lyxek and Dalmia seem to not respond to any logic."

He paused looking up at the clouds as they began to thin.

"But I'm glad to see your okay."

IC: Barrens

Sol frowned he didn't like killing living things.

"Although I would rather not kill. I will help anyway."


Toxin was worried. He was a Feranaki after all. Would they kill him too? Did they know he was a Feranaki?

"Uh Zanth? Is there a cure to the the Feranaki Infection?"

He had heard the name eariler and assumed it was that beings name. And well he really didn't want to be like this forever.

[Magnus Greel]

IC: Platform

Wasponax attempted to counter the earthen attack with a blast of fire, though the power behind the band member's was greater. The Dark Hunter was knocked back, causing his mech to land multiple feet away from where he had been standing. By the time he recovered from the blow, the battle had ended.

It's over.

Those words repeated in the hive mind. Was it really? Had they saved the universe from destruction? He picked himself up, trying to understand if this was true, and also summoning back his other components.

"What about Dalmia?" he asked.

IC: Platform

Kaytana sneered when Aranai approached, drawing her enhanced, sword-like blade of grass from the arena match. However, she never got to parry the swipes of the guitar-axe when she noticed things fall apart around them. The Keys began falling from their spots in the air, no longer rotating around Lyxek.

"No!" she gasped silently, sending her whip, akin to a tentacle at the moment, after the necklace.

It snaked over to the artifact, wrapping around the jewels, even as the Skakdi surged toward the platform's edge. With worry in her eyes, she watched the other Keys, especially the sword, drop down into the Barrens below, as well as the spot where they would land.

[Burnmad: Toa of Emoticons]

IC: Aranai: Lyxek's Platform:

Aranai leaped after Kaytana, swinging her axe at her back. As she did so, she said "Scratch that, I may kill someone yet!"

[Magnus Greel]

IC: Platform

Kaytana turned at the sound of Aranai's shouting, swinging her own weapon to block the attack. Her pointed teeth clenched tightly as she met each strike of the axe's blade and her eyes glaring at the action before her. Even the circular replacement seemed to narrow in hate.

"Insolent pest!" seethed the Skakdi, throwing out her prosthetic arm at her enemy, the metallic limb bringing the full force of a Skakdi's strength hat was powerful enough to stun smaller creatures. "I warned you of what will come of this!"

The whip had returned with the necklace, bringing up to and placing it around its wielder's wrist. However, if she wanted more of the Keys, then she couldn't deliver her promise of suffering to this Toa. It was either destroy a foe or become rich amd gain whatever else the artifacts offered.

[Burnmad: Toa of Emoticons]

IC: Aranai: Lyxek's Platform:

Aranai jumped back, avoiding the arm. She swung her axe down toward Kaytana's head. She was at the edge of the platform, and would have to get away from there to avoid being pushed off.

[Magnus Greel]

IC: Platform

Kaytana responded with putting her plant-sword in the path of the axe, catching and holding the sharp-edged tool in place. With another burst off strength, she moved her arm forward, pushing Aranai's weapon away. While she had done all this, her whip had quietly crept over the small distance to the Toa's ankle, beginning to curl around it. Once a tight hold was established, it would inject the venom the Skakdi had given it via its thorns into the being through the openings in her armor.

"Too easy," Kaytana smirked, attempting to keep Aranai oblivious to the vine with taunts.

[Burnmad: Toa of Emoticons]

OOC: It's a diver's suit. What openings? =P

IC: Aranai: Lyxek's Platform:

The skakdi super-strength worked against Kaytana this time, as Aranai continued to press forward with the caught axe. The blade of grass snapped in two as hundreds of pounds of force pushed it against the axe. Aranai brought the axe down and swung it at Kaytana's legs.

[Magnus Greel]

OOC: I guess it'll just have to make them, then.

IC: Platform

The loss of her modified spiked dagger plant leaf was somewhat disappointing, though she could always craft another if she wished to. There wasn't any time to worry about it, though, with an axe coming at her legs.

Kaytana swiftly jumped above the weapon as it came around, landing several feet to the side away from it. Now that that was out of the way, it was her turn for an attack. Grinning, she yanked the whip back with her strength, which had gotten its grip on Aranai's ankle from going undisturbed, to pull the Toa off her feet. As it was pulled back, the green vine squeezed hard, trying to perforate the diver's suit with its venomous spikes so it could infect her.

[Hurricane iBrow]

IC: Vertak, The Platform:

"Nooo! Not the sword!" Vertak's voice cut through the air as he ignored the victory.

The Matoran scrabbled back to his feet and leapt off of the platform, grabbing the Necklace as he did so- except he found out seconds too late that it was in the hands of Kaytana.

"You... from the arena..." he panted, too quietly to hear as he continued on his way.

He flipped around in mid-air and fired a thin laser beam of light at the Skakdi, aiming to cut a hole right through her leg, before shifting into a dive and stretching his arms out, hoping to grasp the other half of the Sword of Ybrus and, if he could, the Mask as well. Preferably within a distance where he wouldn't have to risk breaking a limb or two even with his graviity powers.

"That... sword... will not... be lost...."

Edited by iBrow Hearts Rarity, Jul 05 2012 - 08:52 PM.

[Magnus Greel]

IC: Platform

Kaytana'a focus on her fight was drawn away by Vertak as she noticed him rush passed her, grabbing at her prize. She grabbed his wrist with the hand that had the necklace coiled around it as he touched it, and used his flip in mid-air against him, using her superior strength to slam him towards the ground, which she hoped would crush every bone in his body if he landed like she wanted. This also redirected his laser beam, causing it to miss her leg, but she moved it just in case.

"I haven't forgotten about you, Matoran," the Skakdi spat, as if the words were dirt in her mouth, pulled her artifact-bearing hand away, and glanced to see if her attack on Aranai had been successful. She noted that he was after that sword as well, and she couldn't let that happen. It was falling to the plains of snow below, out of reach for both of them, though that didn't seem to concern Kaytana. "That blade will be mine Matoran. I will be rich, I will be powerful, I could be unstoppable."

Edited by Magnus Greel, Jul 05 2012 - 09:56 PM.

[Parugi]

IC - Ehjoras - Barrens, outside Ring Base: "I could tell," Ehjoras said, in response to that quip about Lyxek and Dalmia. "These people never do..." He looked back up at the platforms. "We still need to free Kerid..."

IC - Zanth/etc. - Barrens: "They aren't alive anymore," Zanth pointed out to Sol. "When the Feranaki infection takes hold--with very, very few exceptions..." He glanced at Toxin. "The host is killed, and their body is used as a puppet. It'd be a disservice to leave them as they are."

The Sherif looked at Toxin. "Not to my knowledge, no. I apologize." He thought for a moment. "In theory, though, the Eyes of Apheer could potentially be used to create one. However..." He looked up at the platforms. "Who knows if we'll be able to get our hands on them?"

IC - Illuxio - Nanobot Body: There! Illuxio hurried forward. Before him lay a large data stream--a signal connection, from which the nanobots were communicating. The robot approached it, reaching forward and connecting to it. He closed his eyes, beginning to transfer the form-breaker to it...

IC - Vertak/Keys - Falling? Unless something just changed.: Unfortunately, the Keys had gotten a massive head-start on Vertak. The Sword of Ybrus was still too far out of reach for him to grab it, and the ground was approaching very quickly.

As for the mask, it was too far away for him to grab it, due to the spacing between the Keys. Draxion, however, would probably be able to grab it.

Except....

IC - Lyxek/Lyccir/etc. - Platforms: Lyccir looked at Dalmia, frowning at what he saw. The mechanical body was still intact, though Dalmia seemed to have stopped Ruaki from reaching it by absorbing the god himself--which he still seemed to be doing, as he was in the middle of a tornado of darkness. Neither of those things boded well, though Illuxio had said that he would take care of the body...

He snapped back to reality as a soft laugh began to sound from Lyxek. The Ringmaster slowly began to laugh louder. It was not an angry sound, nor was it one of sorrow at the failure of his ultimate plan. It was one of mirth.

Horrible, corrupted mirth.

The Toa of Sonics looked up at them, a dark smile on his face. "It's over?" he asked. Lyccir frowned as Lyxek shook his head. "It's not over... until I say it's over."

[Burnmad: Toa of Emoticons]

IC: Aranai: Lyxek's Platform:

As Kaytana jumped, the whip was pulled directly into the path of the axe, severing it. Aranai's eyes followed the vine to her ankle and she frowned. She unwrapped the plant and tossed it off the platform.

[Cosmic Titan]

IC: Outside Ring HQ/Platforms

"Let's go then."

Marx placed a hand on Ehjoras' shoulder and teleported both of them thru the shadows and back to the platforms.

Marx stood near Kerid's cage and grabbed two of the bars and wrenched them apart; he should have enough strength unless Lyxek went all out and got protosteel or better for the cages. He heard someone laughing but really was not paying too much attention to that.

IC: Barrens

"Okay let's go." replied Sol. He was still killing something but at least it was not as bad as killing a Matoran or something else with a mind of its own.


Toxin became very, very grateful after hearing how most Feranaki where just puppets. His various mental issues seemed like nothing now.

"Well if I can get ahold of those then that would be good. Or maybe some psychic could transfer my spirit into a different body."

He paused thinking.

"Well. Best clear out the other Feranaki. At least they won't be able to infect me further." I hope, he added mentally.

OOC: Oh so that is how it works. Oops didn't realize that.

[Hurricane iBrow]

OOC: Kaytana never had a chance to attack Vertak- at this point he was already off of the platform and falling. Unless she decided to throw herself off as well.

IC: Vertak, Falling with the Keys:

Vertak narrowed his eyes, staring at the Sword of Ybrus as it fell- and then suddenly, it was no longer falling. Vertak grabbed the handle as he shot by and then froze in mid-air himself, grunting as he did so.

In actuality he'd used his gravity powers to a rather neat effect, so that he and the Sword (and possibly the Eyes, which he'd completely lost track of) were floating in the air. However, the strain was already beginning to reach through, and so Vertak began to slowly decrease his power usage, allowing himself to slow his journey to the surface enough that he wouldn't be harmed upon impact. Maybe.

[Half-Dragon]

IC: Theron | South District

Theron wrenched his blade from the corpse of the last Nakari he had slain and strode over towards Tyis. "The deed is done," he said as gently as he could. "Are you well, warrior?" Admittedly, knowing who this was, he felt more than a little uncomfortable speaking to him without disdain, but he had performed... well. His actions had made this victory possible. He deserved that much.

=H-D=

IC: Srizz | Citadel

Srizz had moved to a new perch. There was a window in the Citadel wall that, after some testing, was confirmed to be structurally stable. It also afforded a wonderful view of the little fight going on below. He didn't interfere, of course - you had to know when your intervention would cause more harm than good. But it was fun to watch anyway. That said, if it took too long he might just kill the mind-controlled one and screw his orders. Sure, Senshou would be upset, but didn't they have a universe to save? He was pretty sure it wasn't saved yet. Could well be the other teams were dead. Paid to at least check in.

-=H-D=-

[Parugi]

OOC: huh... Where is everyone today? D:

IC - Ehjoras/Kerid - Platform: While the bars were strong, Marx managed to bend them after a moment. Kerid climbed through the opening, nodding her thanks at Marx as she pushed herself to her feet.

"Kerid!" Ehjoras said. He jumped at the Steltian, hugging her tightly. She stared, surprised, at the Matoran, though laughed a moment later.

"We're both alive," she said, sighing. The tournament organizer looked at Marx. "I can't express how much I appreciate your help. Thank you."

IC - Tyis/Kaorus/Guild - West District: As the group approached him, Tyis was sitting on the ground, his head in his hands and his eyes closed. The Guild leader looked up at Kaorus, taking the Siorun's hand as he pushed himself to his feet.

He smiled, nodding at Theron and Peacemaker. "I'll be fine. I have to thank you--were it not for you two, this plan might not have worked. Yet, this is a victory." He looked around at the city square, frowning at the sight of the dead Nakari. "It is unfortunate, though. I tried communicating with them, assuming their advanced minds would allow them to see reason. But I was wrong. They were no longer living creatures--at least, not what Mata Nui would define as one." He sighed sorrowfully. "Oh well..."

IC - Sanshou/Sensha/Elithes - Citadel: Sanshou frowned. Stabbing her sword into the ground, she moved forward, grabbing Sensha and slamming her into the nearest wall. The Ondarian screwed her eyes shut, fighting back both mental and physical pain now.

"Fight it," Sanshou ordered. "Remember who you really are, Sensha!"

"Sensha...?" The KNPD officer opened her eyes. A great cloud seemed to press against her senses, muting them all. She saw virtually nothing but darkness. But she recognized Sanshou's voice, hanging onto it, drawing strength from it, the cloud began to thin. As the lines around her eyes began to fade, the cloud thinned. New light appeared in her eyes as she saw the destroyed halls of the Citadel. The Ondarian blinked. "What... happened?" She looked at Sanshou, realizing that the Artanian was holding her against the wall. "Sanshou...? What's going on...?"

Sanshou smiled, letting go of Sensha. She fought back the tears that were beginning to well in her eyes. "You're back," she said quietly, laughing out of a sense of happiness that she had not felt in months. "I don't have to stab you after all..."



"Touching..." Elithes said from beneath Srizz, having popped up near the window as the Haaz'ryz was taking position. He crossed his arms, closing his eyes. "Not vhat I vas expecting, given how zhings normally turn out, but... defintiely a nice change of tone..."

IC - Illuxio - Nanobot Body: The streams of code turned a bright red, signaling that the destructive code had been successfully uploaded and was already doing its job. Illuxio opened his eyes, looking up at the constantly moving streams of data, smiling as the red light quickly rose up and began to spread along the 'floor' and 'ceiling' of the nanobot mainframe.

The AI's avatar turned, beginning to walk away as the code set to work, tearing apart the body at its microscopic seams. He wasn't concerned about getting out at this point: for the first time in ages, he felt tired. Things were coming full circle for him now; Illuxio decided that, if it came down to it, he wouldn't mind dying here.

He closed his eyes as the 'hall' around him began to collapse.

IC - Dalmia - Air: As soon as the last vestiges of Ruaki's essence disappeared into Dalmia's body, the Ring member's eyes widened, and he gripped his head tightly in both hands. Where before thousands of voices had whispered in his mind, Dalmia now heard millions upon millions of them, shouting and screaming all at once, creating an unbearable symphony of pain and confusion in his head. By themselves, they might have been just bearable enough for him to function properly; however, beneath them, he heard another voice, much darker than all the rest, its very echo threatening to cast him into a totally dysfunctional state.

He screamed, kicking madly in midair, twisting and turning, all the while digging his claws into the black helmet that still surrounded most of his head; the piece of armor, once a comfort to him, now seemed to suffocate Dalmia, closing in on him. His wings flapped with excessive force, sending out shockwaves of energy in random directions. Barely managing to pull a hand away from his head, he slashed the air, opening a portal to a dark and silent place. Dalmia tucked his wings in, disappearing into its swirling depths.

The portal closed behind him. For all intents and purposes, both Dalmia and Ruaki were gone.

IC - Lyxek/Lyccir/etc. - Platforms: Lyccir blinked in surprise, looking at Lyxek. The Toa of Sonics laughed again, grabbing his guitar and pushing himself up. Kovian raised his scythe, uncertain of what the Ringmaster would try, though Lyxek made no move to attack.

"How can you say that," Lyccir asked. "when Dalmia has absorbed Ruaki, and when the key system itself is now broken?"

"I didn't place all of my money on this single plan succeeding--no self-respecting gambler would have," Lyxek said. "Too much opposition. Too many variables, man." He laughed, placing a hand on his forehead and closing his eyes. "I mean... really? Rhashahk's mental link kept me updated on everything, Lyccir. I admit, stabbing the Heart didn't have me that worried, but convincing the Director to destroy himself, and the Eye along with it? I have to admire that. That was freakin' genius--who would have thought that the old AI would've grown a conscience?"

He snapped his fingers, prompting the platform to descend and reconnect with the other two. Lyxek sighed, holding the guitar on its bottom point and spinning it slowly.

"And Dalmia... Heck, I gave him that one," he said, turning his head to watch the show behind him. Dalmia was just finishing absorbing Ruaki. Lyxek smiled. "Can't believe he actually went along with it... And your AI friend, Illuxio--my other self?" He held his arms out as Dalmia vanished through his portal; just as it closed, the gigantic nanobot body began to explode, blasts of energy rupturing along its serpentine frame and causing it disintegrate. "Honestly, I couldn't have done it better myself."

"Are you saying you knew this was going to happen?" Kovian asked. "And you still went along with it? Who does that?"

"Someone who knows that they have more cards in their hands than the ones they choose to share," Lyxek said pointedly. "Or, someone who just saw the beings in front of him--and others--succeed in taking out his unsuspecting God of Death, proving his inability to stop them. Which is why I'm going to do something for you..."

He moved over to the edge of the platform, looking down at City, observing the smoke clouds that continued to rise from it. The Ringmaster's eyes lingered on the two giant Feranaki, which continued to move through the destroyed streets. "See, the Feranaki weren't part of my plan--that's all on you. But, since I have no intention of being a sore loser here and have every intention to continue with my goal of becoming immortal, I'm going to be generous."

"How so?" Lyccir asked suspiciously, leaning on his staff as he spoke.

The Ringmaster looked at the rest of the group. "I've been here a while; I have respect for City, even if it's not as much as all of you. So, my Cluster mechs are going to clear out the Feranaki for you, along with every other creature or obstacle in the way of rebuilding City. Heck, I'll even have them carve an actual path into the Garden for you, so you can access its resources," Lyxek said. He stopped spinning his guitar, grabbing its neck and leaning on it. "In exchange, you're going to let my band and the rest of my followers go... and I suppose those two dolts, as well." He pointed over his shoulder at Kaytana and Aranai, who were still busy fighting. "Most won't regroup; I can tell you that much. But they will get off the island."

OOC: The heck? my post disappeared! D: Rewriting Illuxio, Sanshou, and Tyis ICs... ugh..... ><

EDIT: Fixed.

Edited by Parugi, Jul 06 2012 - 10:53 PM.

[Burnmad: Toa of Emoticons]

IC: Aranai: Lyxek's Platform:

This was taking too long. The Skakdi was still standing, so Aranai took the opportunity given to her by Kaytana's jumping away to switch targets. She turned around, and after a fraction of a second, decided to go for Lyxek. Her decision was, of course, influenced by his insulting her. She hurled her axe at him.

[Cosmic Titan]

IC: Platform

"You're welcome." Said Marx with a shy smile behind his mask.

He watched as the giant nanobot construct exploded and as Dalmia vanished. He hoped it was over. He looked at the others as they started to talk.

"After all you've done you want to walk free!" said Marx is an outraged tone.

He took a few breaths and remembered he had little or no authority here.

"I suppose you can leave. But don't you dare even try to bring back Ruaki. There are simpler ways to extend life..."

Marx would have continued to speak but instead he just shook his head and looked off into the distance.

IC: Citadel

"Huh? I thought that would be more difficult." said Slate to himself.

He turned intangible and started to float out of the building.

[Half-Dragon]

IC: Srizz | Citadel

"Yeah, heartwarming." Despite the sarcasm and eye-rolling, Srizz was smiling if you could read it. Whether that was at the outcome or some joke on his part depends on what you want to believe. "But it does occur to me that while we did our job fine, it seems like we'd know somehow if Ruaki or Rhashahk or Lyxek or whoever actually was dead by now. Think the other teams're dead or something?"

-=H-D=-

IC: Theron | South District

Theron nodded solemnly. "You did all you could," he said, "but the beasts were beyond saving. Whatever they once were, those beings suffer no longer." He looked out to the rest of the city. "The battle is not over. There are still many more, beasts and criminals both, tearing this city apart. We should devise a plan of attack."

=H-D=

[Burnmad: Toa of Emoticons]

IC: Peacemaker: West District:

Peacemaker nodded. "Thank you, but the odds of your failure even without us were extremely low."

He looked around. "What do you think we should do next?"

[Hurricane iBrow]

IC: Vertak, On the Ground:

Vertak's feet touched the ground and the Matoran's eyes shut. He swayed on the spot and then fell to his knees, placing the Sword of Ybrus on the ground beside him as he tried to stay awake. The Matoran heard a rumble and a screech and, glancing up, saw that the Tumbler was right beside him.

"Thanks." He grunted, clawing his way into a standing position via the Tumbler, and then slowly leaning down to pick up the Sword of Ybrus.

"Where... is Rhindon? I don't know how to merge him back...." Vertak muttered to himself. "The Eyes... they could help...."

The Matoran leaned himself against the Tumbler and pointed his palm in the general direction of the eyes, shining a weak beam of light that he hoped would glint off the surface of the jewels.

[BZP Blade]

-==IC: Selirah==-

Selirah panted, as she finally watched everything end, however, despite the fact that she dropped the staff she wielded, she still walked up to where Lyxek was.
"Thank you." Selirah said with a nod, however, still attempted to slap Lyxek.
"But that's for this whole crazy plan, which could've killed us all." Selirah said, a look of slight annoyance on her face, however, she smiled.
"If we accept; then could you at least not try plans that are this... dangerous?" Selirah asked, wondering if he would accept those conditions.

-==IC: Kairan==-

"Let's get to that, then. We have a long way to go, in terms of repairing the City, but the Feranaki need to be dealt with first." Kairan said with a nod.

[Hurricane iBrow]

IC: Vertak, On the Ground:

Giving up momentarily on the Eyes, Vertak looked around until he saw the Mask, and he slowly made his way over, limping a bit now on his left leg. The Tumbler edged along with him, giving the Matoran some support.

"Key n-number two..." Vertak murmured as they reached the Mask.

He leaned down and picked it up with his free hand, now propping himself up against the Tumbler with his elbow.

"Open up please. Might as well have you hold it." he said quietly.

The Tumbler opened up and Vertak placed the Mask on the seat within, allowing him to activate his makeshift flashlight once again as the Tumbler closed and he continued to search for the glint of the Eyes.

[Parugi]

IC - Elithes/Sanshou/Sensha - Citadel: Almost as soon as Srizz was done speaking, a series of explosions sounded in the distance. Looking out through the window, the Haaz'ryz would see the mechanical body--meant for Ruaki--breaking apart.

Elithes watched this through a hole in the wall. "Er... Does zhat answer your question?" he asked. "Zhat and zhe fact zhat ve aren't dead... Vhich leaves only zhe Feranaki..." He sighed, leaning against the wall again. "Zhen again, zhere aren't any ozher living creatures in City right now, and zhe Feranaki are at least contained... Maybe ve could tackle zhat problem later?"

IC - Lyxek/Lyccir/etc. - Platforms: Aranai's axe dropped to the ground as the gravity around it increased. Ciri turned her hand away from it and toward the Ring member, giving the Toa a warning glare.

"I agree," Kovian said, in response to Marx. "How many people have you killed, Lyxek? 'Generous' offer or not, what gives you any right to walk away after this, after all of the deaths and destruction that you and your organization have caused?"

Lyxek rubbed his face, smirking at Selirah. "We'll see," he said quietly. The Ringmaster glanced at Marx, and then looked at Kovian. "This isn't an offer, Reaper. I'm telling you what's going to happen, because there's nothing you can do to make me do anything differently."

He turned his head, closing his eyes. "Besides, you're willing to work with Lyccir, aren't you? He caused as much damage as I did--if not more--and paid far less for it." The Turaga shifted uncomfortably, though didn't say anything. "You've earned my respect, so I'm helping you before I leave. Don't like it? Then make a rash decision and try to kill me--see what happens."

"Is that an invitation?" the Toa of Ice asked, gripping his scythe tightly, though Lyccir grabbed his arm.

"Let it go," he said warily. "He'll get his judgment in due time."

Lyxek chuckled as Kovian lowered his weapon, though still glared at the Ringmaster. The Toa of Sonics glanced over the edge of the platform. The entire time that they had been speaking, it had continued to float steadily forward, toward the Searcher's hole. Now, they were virtually on top of it. The Ringmaster took a deep breath, closing his eyes again. He opened them, smiling at the group in front of him.

"Well, if that's all..." He held a hand out to Ciri. The Toa of Gravity shot another glare at Aranai before walking over to him. Lyxek took her hand, pulling her close and looking into her eyes. He pushed her away after a moment, and then threw a short salute at Lyccir and the others. The Ringmaster snapped his fingers. "Later."

Without warning, he allowed himself to fall backwards. Lyccir gasped, running forward and sliding to a stop at the edge, though was too late--by the time he was able to look, the Ringmaster had disappeared into the darkness of the Garden. Moments later, eleven lights--each of them a different color--appeared in the shadows, slowly growing larger and larger before the mechs that were emanating them shot into the air, slowly flapping their large, ivory wings. The mechs hovered in the air for a moment, and then shifted directions, heading toward City.

IC - Vertak/Rhindon - Barrens: As Vertak placed the Mask of Night inside of the Tumbler, a deep crack in appeared on its surface, the result of the abuse it had taken over the past few years on top of the impact of its landing. The crack quietly spread, even as the vehicle's door closed...

Meanwhile, Rhindon had landed several feet away from the Matoran, the blade's point stabbed into the ground. The sword remained silent as Vertak searched around, still unsure of whether or not it really wanted to reunite with its other half...

IC - Zanth/Sepcret - Searcher's Chasm: Zanth nodded. "Right," he said, gathering his thoughts and preparing to teleport. Just as he finished checking his armor for any major damage, something fell past the group, dropping quickly into the darkness of the chasm. Moments later, the Cluster Series mechs appeared, flying in the direction of City. One of them--CS-02, lined with green lights--stalled for a moment, its pair of glowing eyes observing Zanth and his group for a moment.

Sepcret and Zanth both froze, preparing for an attack, though nothing happened. The mech merely turned away, flying off after the others--almost seeming to give them a two-fingered wave before leaving.

"What the heck...?" Sepcret said. "What was that about?"

IC - Tyis/Kaorus - West District: Tyis nodded at Theron. "I suppose you're right," he said. "Right... Well, I think the best course of action right now would be to eliminate the two largest of those green monsters; from what we saw, they were the ones converting the citizens of City into their smaller brethren. Killing them would--"

He was interrupted as a set of three large, winged mechs flew overhead--CS-01, which bore bright red lights and a single, large eye; CS-04, which possessed violet lights and eyes set in a diamond shape; and CS-09, bearing bronze lights and with eyes laid out in an intricate, star-like pattern.

The mechs passed by the Guild of Tyis members and their two partners, setting down on a pair of nearby streets. They began opening fire on the Feranaki nearby, their powerful rays--whose colors matched with the glowing lines on their bodies--easily destroying the smaller creatures. Their aim was virtually perfect, striking only the individuals that they wanted to hit and leaving no noticeable damage to the surrounding structures.

"Huh..." Kaorus said. "Whose are those?"

[BZP Blade]

OOC: ... Oh. Wow; that song that Selirah played was even more fitting than I thought it'd be. xD

-==IC: Selirah==-

Selirah's eyes widened about when Lyccir gasped, and she mimicked his movements, dashing toward the edge, a horrified look on her face.
"Lyxek!!" Selirah yelled out, not able to believe he did that; even as the mechs flew upwards, Selirah being forced to stumble back, so as not to be hit by the mechs she assumed were going to go above the platform; however, she was still shocked by what Lyxek had done. Selirah shook her head, and frowned.
"... I don't think he's dead..." Selirah said, as knowing Lyxek, he had a backup plan for a backup plan.

OOC: *Insert Lyxek flying off to another island on one of those Cluster Series mechs* =P

[Magnus Greel]

IC: Citadel

"Is she okay now?"

Hexxon stepped over to the two, peering down at them, rubbing his shoulder and his mask aglow. The metal of his pauldron beneath his hand was dented badly, a result from the explosion. Mentally, he was probing the area, searching for the absent Anar.

IC: Platform

Kaytana stared at the party of beings before her, hands at her hips and her mouth agape. She couldn't believe what she was seeing and hearing from over there. Lyxek deciding to be generous to his enemies, offering to help clean up the mess? Where was that mischievous look in his eyes, or those dark intentions? He sounded like a heroic Toa to her, rather than the gambling Ringmaster who used countless deaths to achieve success.

He's gone soft! the Skakdi thought angrily.

The idea of trying to blow them all up came to her, though she dismissed it. Kaytana might need that chance to get off the island safely after what she had done and who she had allied with. Besides, she could just move on to another island and begin again, create another chapter of destruction and death in her story of life.

Grumbling, the Ring member produced her teleporter device and placed the disk on the platform's floor. Then she switched on the Day Run silence and camouflage generators still present and in her possession. There was no time to celebrate or whine in the corner about recent events. There were, after all, Keys to be secured, and she bet she could still capture a least one more.

Without a sound, Kaytana disappeared, headed to the spot where she had predicted the artifacts to fall.

IC: Northern Barrens

"My thoughts exactly," Greel said to Sepcret, watching the Cluster Series mechs fly off. Things had only gotten stranger in the past hour, leaving the Team Slight member perplexed as he battled his way from location to location with his allies.

Edited by Magnus Greel, Jul 07 2012 - 04:45 PM.