The Elder Invasion: CHAPTER 2 - Shapeshift Town

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Re: Shapeshift Town - CHAPTER 2

I just want... Redemption. I was taken away when it mattered before... now... I want to make myself needed. Is there any way I'm needed? Guerrilla warfare. It wouldn't have much room for a man that turns into a fifty-some odd-foot tall monster. Taking an offensive and making ourselves would be best for that. Riskier, and ultimately concerning more fatalities. The manzilla scratched beneath his chin, contemplating the options selfishly. Wait, a moment, Felzilla wouldn't do any good when everyone's dead anyways.

"You know, Sakura is right. We should weigh the pro's and con's of them. On one hand, if we stay and fight, there will be many casualties - no matter what. On the other hand, if we resort to guerrilla tactics, it will be slow goings. If time is the ultimatum as opposed to life, then I say we take that. I'm with Asmodeus."
 
Re: Shapeshift Town - CHAPTER 2

It was remarkably easy to pass as a civilian, she found. With her sword left behind in her hotel room and her amulet hidden in her pocket, lying dormant, no one glanced twice at a scrawny teenage girl. She got sent to the infirmary, along with the rest of those who needed protection, where a medic tended to the burns on her sides and legs. It was suspicious, it seemed, that she had gotten off so lightly from her confrontation with a flamer, but she stayed quiet and he soon shrugged it off, leaving her alone with her bandaged limbs.

No reason to try and get involved in this, she told herself, rubbing her arm as she stood up off the infirmary cot and moved to the back of the room, sitting down on the floor against the corner, out of the way of doctors and healers as they tended to the other injured. Just stick around until you find the perfect opportunity to try and leave. You can't do jack shit against a bunch of giant stone spiders, and besides, it's pretty obvious the ISAF and whoever else is fighting these things are doing well enough on their own.

She rubbed the un-bandaged part of her upper arms as if she were cold, and glanced around the infirmary again, before settling in. With all this crowd around, it was definitely going to be a long wait.

Psychosis is in the infirmary, posing as a civilian who was injured by flamers while trying to flee.
 
Re: Shapeshift Town - CHAPTER 2

THE INFIRMARY​

More and more injured flock to my infirmary; the staff are dangerously close to being overrun with the numbers we are having to deal with. We separate them out, those with the most serious injuries injuries being treated first and so on. We can keep going for now, but sooner or later we're going to get tired, and there's always the possibility that more wounded will arrive.

In short, this is turning into a clusterfuck, and unless we get more help, people are gonna start dying.

I make my way through my patients, patching up wounds, stitching cuts, realigning broken limbs. They are actions I've done before so many times that I'm acting more on instinct, my mind moving to other matters. I worry for Asmodeus and his transformation. I fear for the people of this world I've spent 18 years trying to protect.

And of course, my mind dwells on the ship I served on, and the friends I lost along the way.

My eyes scan across the mess that is the infirmary; I watch my staff as they go about their duties, the injured as they mill about in confusion like frightened livestock. I'm about to look back down to the wound I'm treating when my eyes fall upon someone sitting in the corner.

She looks older, with bandages all over her arms and legs. But it's the same scrawny, small frame. The same straight brown hair and serious look upon her face.

It's Rieme. It couldn't be anyone else.

I stare for at least a minute, scrutinising everything about the girl, before I remember I'm supposed to be treating a patient. I finish up hurriedly, my hands, normally steady as a rock, now shaking, before watching the girl again.

It can't be Rieme. It actually can't. She died. She died when Paradise was destroyed, when we narrowly escaped on the Legacy, the tattered remains of the last people in the universe.

Yet unless I'm going completely insane (and that's a possibility I'm considering quite thoroughly at the moment), I am staring at Rieme right now.

It takes me another minute before I can muster the courage to actually speak to her. As I walk towards the girl, I'm half convinced she will vanish, a figment of my imagination and nothing more. Yet she remains sitting there as I draw closer, and she doesn't fade as I stop in front of her.

This is insane.

"....Rieme?"

Grant treats patients in the Infirmary, which is becoming dangerously close to being overrun by the injured, when he spots a girl he thinks is Rieme, a girl aboard the Legacy, sitting in the corner. Half-convinced he's going insane, he moves over to the girl and says her name.
 
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Re: Shapeshift Town - CHAPTER 2

Startled, Psychosis looked up in surprise. Rieme? She knew that name- it was a pseudonym she occasionally used on other worlds outside of Iwaku. But looking up at the man who addressed her- one of the doctors?- she didn't recognize him from any place she'd been to before, and she'd certainly never done anything to become well-known outside of Iwaku. So how did he know her, and that name?

"Excuse me?" she said, not having to feign the look of confusion that appeared on her face. "I think you have me confused with someone else, sir." Sure, it'd be easy to assume that name again, but she didn't know who this guy was or what he knew about her, and besides, it'd been ages since the last time she'd used it- better to make up something else for the time being. "Who are you?"

Psychosis has no idea who the frag Grant is, but would very much like to know how he knows the name "Rieme", a pseudonym that she's used on other worlds before she came to Iwaku.
 
Re: Shapeshift Town - CHAPTER 2

THE INFIRMARY​

I blink, looking down at the girl. Up close, she looks even more like Rieme, so alike it's scary. The likeness is down to a similar expression upon the girl's face, one I remember so well from the months I spent treating her in our camp in Paradise. It has to be her... right?

The look she gives me is one of confusion, feigned or otherwise. Does she not remember me? Is she pretending not to? Could little Rieme have survived the destruction of Paradise?

I would like to say yes, I really would. I would like to think that, in the planet's last moments, the people found a means of escape. Despite their attempts to kill us, I wouldn't wish utter destruction upon anyone. The thought that Rieme and the others made it off the planet is a good one.

But I'm a realist; the odds are so close to zero they're not even worth counting. Chances are, Rieme and everyone else on that planet died when the Rift Storms found us again, and this girl is just someone who looks like her.

And that I'm just an old, tired veteran who's sanity is slipping.

I look at the girl one last time, and then smile before turning away.

"Sorry, Miss. You just look like someone I knew. I need to get back to my patients."

Grant is convinced for a moment that Psy is Rieme, having somehow escaped Paradise's destruction, but then comes to his senses. He apologises for disturbing her and begins to move away.
 
Re: Shapeshift Town - CHAPTER 2

She raised an eyebrow, lips quirking in a slight smirk. Like someone he knew? There were coincidences, and there were coincidences, and then there were things like this- perfect distractions from everything that was going on outside and right around them. And probably something more, but she couldn't be inclined to think about it right then.

"You know, it's rude to dismiss someone's question like that," she pointed out. "I mean, jeez, if you don't wanna tell me, fine, I get it, it's cool." Holding up her hands in a warding gesture, she turned her face away, continuing, "I was just being neighborly and asking for an introduction like any rational being would've done." She probably could've gone on indefinitely, but she really did want an answer.
 
Re: Shapeshift Town - CHAPTER 2

Uriel had left the room wordlessly, and followed Gant to the infirmery, there were things he needed to speak to the doctor about, private things, things that the Sergeant would trust to no other.

when he arrived, he had heard the exchange between Grant and a girl who looked almost exactly like Reime, when she accosted the doctor, Uriel stepped forwards, his face a mix of confusion, sadness and irritation

"Yes, but forgive the good doctor for his mistake, we thought you an old freind, long lost and by all likelyhood dead" Uriel began hotly, but a lump formed in his throat and the ghost of a tear formed in the corner of his eyes
he turned away, placing a hand on Grant's shoulder, as if to steady himself.

the thought of Reime brought back thoughts of another long lost comrade, one the Knight thought about almost every night as he closed his eyes, a woman he had tried, and failed, to save.
"Grant, can i have a word with you in private?" the Sergeant whispered, his voice wavering.

OOC: Uriel leaves without voting and heads to the infirmery, where he notices psy accosting Dr. Grant, he in turn accosts her before asking to se the doctor in private.
 
Re: Shapeshift Town - CHAPTER 2

Most of the conference group had left now... Piro stalking out, Palonis and Turd departing in heated debate, Archy sneaking away with Soulless in tow, Grant and Uriel returing to the infirmary. And though a handful of votes had been cast, what weighed the heaviest over that room was a feeling Asmodeus knew well...

Weakness.

Now, as always, the people were yielding, bending to his conviction and taking his victory for granted. Even the strong-willed Myrnodyn. Such was Asmodeus's fortune. Never the wisest one, never the most-powerful one. He had only confidence, bullshit and the facade of context.

And that was all one needed in Iwaku.


"So," he concluded as he looked again at Myrnodyn. "Palonis and Sakura vote for you. Fel, Arachnion, Pirogeth, Torsty, Turd and Kohler vote for me. Looks like we're going for a walk, Dyn-Dyns."

A hostile silence lingered, and no one else spoke.

With a breath Asmodeus came forward, fingers arched as a business-like mood came over him. He spoke quickly. "Very well. We need to reach the mountains. We'll send any teleporters on ahead to make contact with the vikings. The other civilians will take a land route across the Badlands. Using the Barship will draw too much attention. We'll need tanks, cars, wagons, horses - anything that'll keep us low to the terrain and allow us to split if the Elders locate us."

Myrnodyn glanced over the top of the archaeological papers. "We don't have anything like that."

"Then you'd better find something," Asmodeus moved past the regent and slapped him in the shoulder. "The people are looking to you. You're the angel in the tower now. And you'd better find a way to feed these people. They have a long journey ahead of them."

Myrndoyn rose as Asmodeus passed. "And where are you going?"

Asmodeus gripped the back of the regent's chair and nodded at the window. "To see how our new guests can help." With that he plucked the chair from the ground and swung like a pendulum. The chair sailed through the air and crashed through the window, shattering glass and splintering wood. The sound was like a splitting headache, and Asmodeus felt Myrnodyn's scowling gaze on his back as he stood in the breach.

He stepped up onto the windowsill, the breeze ruffling his hair. And then he said something so soft and sorrowful that only Myrnodyn could hear it. "Oh come now, Myrn... do you really think any of this castle will be standing by the end of the day?"

The angel's wings spread and caught the brilliant light of afternoon, flaring like diamonds before he launched himself from the conference room. He was delivered into the nuclear winds that rushed around Shapeshifter Castle, twisting through smoke and sunlight. Birds and winged-shifters parted from his way as he soared across the half-ruined, half-burning town.

Then, with a resounding slam, the angel struck both feet upon the ground, two miles from the castle. The dust leapt around him then dissipated, clearing the path between Asmodeus and the towering vanguard tank of the Teknikan fleet.

Asmodeus drew his sword from the Sheathe and swirled it, slicing the air with ceremonial gusto then lifting to point at the cockpit of the tall-tank.

And his excited voice bellowed across the space between himself and his old enemy, Captain Nic.

"Open up, Mon-Capitan! We are lords of land and sky no more!"


Confidence, bullshit and the facade of context.







[SUMMARY: Asmodeus assumes he has won the vote and goes on to explain his plan. The civilians will be fed then organised into a convoy that can drive to the safety of the mountains. Asmodeus then shatters a window and flies out to meet with Captain Nic and hopefully get his help with the evacuation plan.]
 
Re: Shapeshift Town - CHAPTER 2

"Delta 1 through 3, you are cleared to proceed." The chattering of the Teknikan fleet became lively again as soon as Nic had relayed Myrnodyn's message of acceptance. Three craft soared out of the Yellowjacket's bow and flew in a circular formation above Nic's landing point, slowly descending.

Nic's vehicle started lumbering forward, when a familiar winged figure approached and set foot right in front of it. The figure unsheathed a sword, which he then directed towards the vehicle. Nic instantly recognized the profile and physique of this person at the sight of the blade, at which point he halted his approach.

"Open up, Mon-Capitan! We are lords of land and sky no more!"

The Prince Asmodeus.

The Captain did not faze or flinch; after all, this is how all his encounters with the angel proceeded. As he looked on from inside his cockpit, the same message resounded inside Nic's mind.

"We are lords of land and sky no more!"

Nic switches off the vehicle's engines, and wears what appears to be a glass visor*. As the cockpit's panoramic display slowly fades, Nic climbs out of the cockpit, and atop the turret of the massive tank. He steps over to the turret's nose, and looks down towards his waiting** guest. The Captain folds his arms as he watches on, wondering if Asmodeus has truly fallen from grace. He then smirks.

"Was that a challenge? Haha, I guess not. Seems like I've invariably called you here. Are you here to warn me that this infestation has really gone out of control, or are you here to propose to an army that would gladly shoot you like the rest of them? You are a Prince, after all, and if there's another person I'd listen to, it would be Paorou, but alas, I no longer hear his voice. I've heard that your people are looking for... options. You first."

Nic lowers his arms, eagerly awaiting the angel's reply.

[SUMMARY: Imperial forces start moving again as Myrnodyn's green light comes through from Nic's conversation with Doctor Grant. Nic agrees to Asmodeus' call to 'open up' and starts talking.]

[OOC:]
* - Nic is wearing ISS. See character sheet.
** - 3 DAYS AND NO REPLY WHAT THE HELL
 
Re: Shapeshift Town - CHAPTER 2

Beneath the shadow of the Yellowjacket, Asmodeus took to the air once more. On outstretched wings, beating slowly and powerfully, he came up parallel to the tank turret where Captain Nic stood.

"My people have all the options they need, Little Nicky!" His voice boomed through the windswept space between them. "It's just a question of corpses, as always!"

A thrust of his wings brought him closer, with one hand on the Sheathe and the sword within it. "Must we really do this, mon capitan? The arm-folding and the posturing and the why did you come here? and what's in it for me? bullshit? This isn't a negotiation, Little Nicky. It's a wake - a funeral for our dearly-departed abilities to not give a fuck about Iwaku."

His cyan eyes and diamond-white teeth flashed, a certain manic enthusiasm. "You're outgunned, Nic. And as for me... well, I've just decided to start caring. So why don't we both throw away the saviour-cloaks? You could vapourize this town, and I could rip your whole fleet out of the fucking sky. But compared to the Elders, we're just a couple of kids with broken toys."

With another rush he sailed over Nic's head and landed on the other side of the cockpit. "You know what I think, Nic? I think you like it here. I think there's nothing you want more than to become another brat in the Iwaku family." He advanced around the cockpit towards the captain. "But you're scared of getting hurt, so you hang around in orbit and sing about the Empire... as if anyone gives a fuck."

The angel came within arm's-reach of Nic, watching his own reflection in the man's visor. "There's twenty-thousand people here who need to get to the mountains, and not a damn one of them remembers that night eighteen years ago when we fought in the streets. So what do you say, Nic? Gonna drop your pants and learn to love again?"



[SUMMARY: Asmodeus insults the Teknikans then asks for their help, implying that they need each other]
 
Re: Shapeshift Town - CHAPTER 2

Fel stood by where Asmodeus once was. "It seems we're all done showboating here." So... How's he gonna pull this one off? That damn angel is off on another tangent of this plan of his, leaving the rest of the world relatively in the dark.

The Zilla began pacing. We've really gotta make this one count. Running his hand through his hair, he began speaking, trying to sound self important like Asmo. "Alright, ladies lets get this MOVING! Anyone who's got anything to pack, do so now, I expect Asmo will at least try to make everyone evacuate as soon as he returns, whether with or without Teknican support, I don't really care. Get a move on, move, move, MOVE!" Perhaps that ladies bit was a little over the top.

It was an unlikely shot, but slowly the remaining people began filtering out.

"Hang on a moment, Fel, you continually insult everyone in the room, and then you start bossing them around like HE does." Myrn pointed out the broken window in relative disgust.

The Manzilla laughed a little "Someone has to take charge. It seemed to me that everyone was standing around in awe of what just happened. So I figured, even though none of us have any clue what's going on, that it would be me. At least I was going to say something." He stepped forward a little more, his boots clomping in a dramatic flair. "Seemed to me that after HE left everyone's bones melted. Anyway, with or without anyone I'm going outside."

And with that, Fel mockingly bowed before Myrn, turned on his heels, and began the process of shuffling out everyone in the room, or in any event, himself.

[SUMMARY: Fel starts telling people what to do, faking an air of confidence. He subsequently gets called out by Myrn.]
 
Re: Shapeshift Town - CHAPTER 2

Myrns private quarters:

"I can't gather my thoughts for three seconds before you immediately assume that the situation has reverted to anarchy and needs new leadership?"

Myrnodyn had been pondering about the situation in the little time the angel had departed through the window. He knew what must be done, he also knew that morale was an important factor in everything having to do with people, and that in some cases, cold calculations were just not as efficient as showing a little heart.

He turned to the others still present and began to address them in a soft tone of voice. "Fel here is right, though. You should all pack your things. The feast is not canceled, but I urge you to be ready to leave right afterwards. It'll be a long journey towards Vetmimir, and we can't afford to waste any time. Also take care of your own transportation if possible. We won't have enough carts or Chocobo's to pull them, so every extra set wheels or wings helps."

With that he turned to the broken window once again. Letting Fel do his shuffling or leaving or whatever prattling he wanted to do to make himself feel useful. It was only an hour before the feast, and it would probably be the last meal of many for many days to come. The shapeshifter regent sighed and stared at the mess that once was so full of life.

"Oh come now, Myrn... do you really think any of this castle will be standing by the end of the day?" It had perhaps been the only thing Asmodeus had said that had made any impression, and it saddened Myrnodyn. He had worked so hard to keep the legacy alive. Lycan was gone. Dead, most likely. Written out. Porg had left the guild, as had many others of renown. Kitti was roaming somewhere, not a word from her since what seemed ages. It had been down to him to govern the shapeshifters of Iwaku and lead them to prosperity.

And now it seemed he had failed. The sincerity and sadness in Asmo's voice had been far more effective than his mad ranting. Oh perhaps there would still be an organisation of shapeshifters somewhere with roughly the same ideals, but never would it come down to this anymore.

As Myrnodyn waited for the people to file out of the room, a single teardrop found it's way down his cheek, falling and resting briefly on the broken glass on the windowsill, before rolling of the edge and falling down to the courtyard. That single tear was followed by another, and another one after it. It was then that the dark clouds gathering in the sky decided that the man would not cry alone, and raindrops joined their salty counterparts in the dirt. The start of the journey would be a wet one.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Shapeshifter Castle: Eastern Guest Wing.

Lysha smiled and ushered her husband into the room before closing the door. "I don't know what kind of guards you are used to, but the guards around here are usually disciplined, well behaved men who would certainly not arrest anyone for loitering around or treat the prisoners any more roughly than is necessary." She frowned and tapped her chin.

"The access to the castle is not restricted right now. In fact it's opened up for refugees from the recent outburst of violence. If you want you can go towards the main hall, which is to the right and down the stairs once you leave this room. The other option is that the two of you help me and my husband get to the bottom of this situation. If the guards have been misbehaving on their own accord out of stress or simple boredom, we will soon find out, and they WILL be disciplined accordingly."

Teroll nodded vigorously and extended his hand to the two persons in front of him. "It'd be great if you could come down to the dungeons with us and sort this out. Also, did you mention Arachnion and his daughter Grace? If this is true then we need to go down there anyway. Grace has been missing for a while now, and archy has been looking for her. He'll be relieved to know that she's okay and ready for the next upgrade. I am Teroll by the way, and this is my wife Lysha."


(Summary: Myrn tries to put fel in his place and asks the people still present to get their stuff together quickly. He thinks about asmo's last words and cries, his faced turned towards the outside so the people don't see him crying.

Meanwhile, Lysha and Teroll explain THEIR situation to the two escapees and introduce themselves formally. )
 
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Re: Shapeshift Town - CHAPTER 2

"YOU'RE WRONG! That would never happen!" In an empty room, a short distance down the hallway from the room where the group had been meeting, two smallish men stood on opposite ends of the room from one another, the younger of the two having his hands balled up into fists, and the other having his arms crossed.

At this loud intonation from Turd, Palonis grumbled and said, "Anton, do you even know who this Asmodeus is? Have you any idea what he's capable of?"

"I don't care!" Turd replied back, looking altogether more confident in this statement than any he had ever made in his life. "He's working for the good of this world while you're just standing here and denigrating him. How do you know if he's good unless you try to see it for yourself?"

"I've already seen him 'be good' before," said Palonis, creating quote marks with his index and middle fingers. "Asmodeus doesn't work for anyone's good except for his own. He's only helping us right now because those spider things are in the way of something he wants to do. And rest assured, once they're gone, he'll put whatever he's planning into action."

Turd gave a sardonic laugh. "Listen to yourself! You're sounding downright paranoid, Master Palonis."

"The smartest people are often the ones who are called strange by society," Palonis replied, pacing back and forth. "Rest assured, you'll see that I'm right when the time comes. And I'll be there, alone if need be, ready to stab the man in the heart the instant these invaders are gone."

These words hung in the air for a brief moment, and then a pair of knives suddenly slid down Turd's sleeves and into his waiting hands. "If you really are so determined to get rid of Asmodeus, why don't you take him on now? Or are you too afraid that everyone else will tear you to shreds?"

"There's a difference between being afraid and being sensible. For example, you're being foolhardy right now for challenging me to a fight."

"Just promise me one thing, master. If my time as an apprentice meant anything to you, promise me that you will not harm Asmodeus. If you don't, then like it or not, you're going to have to fight me. Right here, right now."

Palonis's arms uncrossed. After staring at his apprentice for a short while, he lunged forward and put Turd's head under his arm, rubbing his shaved head with the knuckles of his other hand. "Ah, you're such a pain!" the ninja said, dropping Turd onto the ground. "But fine, as a single favor towards you, I promise not to harm Asmodeus until the war is long over. But that's all the favors you're getting from me from here on out. I didn't train you to be lazy."

"Splendid!" Turd said, springing up to his feet. "You should go to him and let him know that. I think, under the current circumstances, he might be a little leery about fighting alongside you."

With a theatrical sigh, the ninja stepped out of the room saying, "If I must. Just don't expect me to give him a kiss and a hug. We're still enemies, even if we're fighting together."

As the door closed shut behind him, Turd slipped the knives back up his sleeves. For now, it seemed, the crisis had been averted. However, he'd still need to keep an eye on his old master, just in case.

(In short: Palonis and Turd have a row concerning Asmodeus's relative allegiance, during which the youthful student convinces the aged assassin to forgo his intended termination of the fallen divine warrior's internal functions. Palonis is thereby convinced to relay the resolution to Asmodeus directly.)
 
Re: Shapeshift Town - CHAPTER 2

Listening to Asmodeus' words made Nic tremble with anxiety. Each moment the angel opened his mouth, Nic felt each word was like a spike piercing through his own ego; what else is to be expected from someone who used to be his enemy? Nic prods the side of his visor, switching on a voice recording function.

"This demeanor..." He thinks to himself.

He waits for Asmodeus to finish his speech, at which point he opens his communications channel.

"You heard that, Commander?"

"Let it slide, Captain. Winning of hearts and minds. We'll probably need them too."

"So much for madness."

Switching off his recorder, Nic slowly turned his head towards the angel, who was still somewhat manic in his expression.

"Well, that's better than all the 'threat of oppression' crap I hear from the other side." Nic tries to make a smug face. "I'm guessing you know about these stone monsters better than us, since you seem to be in place to talk trash about how our own brand of pesticide will never work."

The Captain huffs, takes off his hat, and walks to the side. "I've been less involved in planetary defense. The boys say, that it's a blast, though, compared to launching an attack on a world even intel knows all too well. Hovering above us right now is an Interdiction fleet - we're not exactly prepared to transport civilians, but hey, I've heard stories about villages being established inside one of our battleships that's still on active fragging duty!" Nic wears his hat again. "So you say, twenty thousand innocents, ignorant of our exchange over 18 years ago, are to be sent into the mountains? Now, I think 20,000 is a small feat, but can we assure them the destination is safe? We don't have probes up there."

Nic's smug face quickly shifts into his usual stoic expression.

[SUMMARY: Nic takes the blow of Asmodeus' insults, to which his superior insists that it's simply a small matter. He asks Asmodeus if the civilians' intended destination is secure.]
 
Re: Shapeshift Town - CHAPTER 2

TOWN OUTSKIRTS... MID-AFTERNOON...

Asmodeus moved to the edge of the platform, looking out over the half-ruined town and the nuclear wasteland beyond where the Firebase had breathed its last.

He held the Teknikan in the corner of his eye. "It's the only place the spider's aren't crawling, Little Nicky," he answered. "I don't know why, and I don't much care right now. Plus the irony of Iwakuans taking shelter with viking squatters is even more delicious than the irony of you carrying them there."

He stopped to laugh, rolling back his head and chortling at the wounded air. Then his eyes came back on Nic, the teeth gnashing together in exhiliration. "Just get the wounded there - we have a whole infirmary that needs transporting. The rest will go on foot with me. Best not to put all our eggs in one basket, eh?... no doubt the Elders have already detected your fleet. You won't have time to load us all."

His wings spread out again as he readied himself for flight. "We'll gather the wounded in the Eastern Courtyard after the feast, before sundown. I hope you have enough beds." He flashed his eyes at Nic before launching off the cockpit and back into the violent breeze.

"Welcome to the family, Captain!"




SHAPESHIFTER CASTLE... LATE AFTERNOON...

There was a clatter of soup-spoons and silver dishes as a servant was knocked over by a swinging door. Asmodeus swept into the small staff-kitchen and stepped over the man. With his leading foot he kicked up one of the dishes into his hand and started drumming the Sheathe against it.

"ALRIGHT PEOPLE, EVERYONE TO THE MAIN KITCHENS! DYN-DYNS WANTS HIS DIN-DINS!"

The other cooks and servants stared for a moment, lost for words as the purple-robed angel hopped up onto the chopping table.

"YOU HEARD ME!" the angel shouted, drumming harder on the dish. "WATER! BREAD! MEAT! SOUP FOR THE WOUNDED! LOBSTER BISQUE! I DON'T CARE! GET THESE PEOPLE FED! REPORT TO SAKURA IN THE MAIN KITCHENS - NOW!"

The gusto finally took effect and the servants got into action, herding out of the kitchen and towards the main dining hall.

"RUN, MY EGO-ZOMBIES! RUN!" yelled Asmodeus, jigging up and down on the table as they hurried around him and out of the room.

Finally they were gone, and Asmodeus hopped down, placing the Sheathe on an oven-top and checking his reflection in one of the shiney work surfaces.

"Man of the people..." he muttered, sorting a strand of his golden hair.





[SUMMARY: Asmodeus agrees with Nic that the Teknikans should transport the wounded civilians to the mountains while the rest go on foot. He then gets involved in organising the feast, ending up alone in one of the staff kitchens.]
 
Re: Shapeshift Town - CHAPTER 2

It didn't take a lot of effort to find Asmodeus. Even without asking for directions, the fact that a lot of people dressed in cooking wear were running towards the dining room, accompanied by a very familiar shouting, told Palonis all he needed to know about the angel's current location. What he'd be doing in the kitchen wasn't the ninja's concern. All he needed to do was come in, give the angel a status report, and get out. Simple, right?

Shoving open the doors, Palonis grinned when he saw the angel standing over a stovetop. At first, it looked like he was cooking something, but then he realized that the angel was just looking down at the Sheathe. "Being vain over your weapons hardly becomes you, angel," Palonis said.

"If you're here to taunt me, ninja, then go away," Asmodeus replied, not looking up.

"Far from it, my friend. This happens to be your lucky day, as my apprentice has ordered me to leave you alone."

"I'm delighted to hear that," the angel said mockingly. "That threat of refusing to work with me wore off quickly, didn't it?"

"Hey, it wasn't my idea," spoke the ninja as he paced around the room to get a better look of Asmodeus's face. "My apprentice seems to be uncontrollable these days."

Turning towards Palonis to give him a sharp look, the angel replied, "Perhaps he just prefers my company to yours these days. And who can blame him? What with you prancing about and pissing all over any idea that doesn't match yours from A to Zed."

"That's a good one. Who is it that sat out on a battle, drinking tea, while thousands of soldiers died and Jack Shade got nearly killed?"

"...That wasn't me."

"Oh really? And I suppose it was also not you who nearly destroyed the world last war either? I'll bet that the people in this castle especially have the memories of THAT one fresh in their minds."

"THAT WASN'T ME!" Grabbing a meat cleaver discarded on a nearby countertop, the angel turned around and swung it in a horizontal arc. The ninja reflexively ducked the attack, but still winced as the tip of his hood flew through the air, landing in a corner. But there was no time to mourn the loss of a part of his outfit, as the angel had taken hold of another cleaver and had brought them together in a cross slash, which Palonis barely dodged by leaping to the side.

"Son of a...Asmodeus, what are you doing?" It was a little odd to feel surprised about this, but a little bit of Palonis had been wondering if Asmodeus had truly been changed. Evidently, not completely. Reaching for the sword on his back, the ninja hesitated, remembering Turd's request, just long enough for the angel to throw both cleavers straight for his head. Moving his upper torso to the side, he watched as the cleavers flew past him and embedded themselves into a wall. Asmodeus was playing for keeps.

"Alright!" the ninja said with clenched teeth (not that anyone could see), "If that's what you really want, then come on!" Raising his fists, the ninja ran straight at the angel, who himself had settled into a casual fighting stance, both hands held palm forwards in front of him. With a small focus of will, the ninja suddenly closed the distance in one light-speed dash, zoomed past the angel, and aimed a karate chop at the back of his neck.

Asmodeus had already started turning by the time Palonis's arm had risen. Catching the chop on the edge of his arm, the angel reached with the other, grabbing the ninja's wrist, and aimed a precise kick at his knee. Unprepared, the ninja buckled, and as he fell onto one knee, the angel spun him around and put his arm into a nelson. At least, that was the intention. As Palonis saw what was happening, he quickly concentrated, and just as Asmodeus was applying pressure, the ninja disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Reappearing on one of the stove tops, Palonis said, "You'll have to do better-" before quickly ducking again as a kitchen knife slammed into the wall behind him. Asmodeus had grabbed hold of a knife block and was now systematically throwing out blade after deadly blade. Soon, there was a nice assortment in the wall. This gave Palonis an idea. Grabbing hold of two of them, he tossed them back just shortly before he leapt off the stove himself.

The angel reacted appropriately, grabbing hold of a frying pan and deflecting both knives handily. However, before he could lower it again and find something new to come after the ninja with, the pan was suddenly slammed into his nose by a flying kick, staggering Asmodeus back. Standing in a defensive stance, Palonis gave a small chuckle and said under his breath, "First blood."

(Summary: Palonis and Asmodeus meet up in the kitchen and immediately start insulting each other, with the ninja hitting too close to home. A fight breaks out, involving use of the handy kitchenware and close quarters combat.)
 
Re: Shapeshift Town - CHAPTER 2

Blood trickled from Asmodeus's nose as he lowered the pan. His eyes narrowed and his mouth twisted into something between fury and exhilaration.

He tossed the pan over his shoulder and flexed his fingers.

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlAHZURxRjY&feature=fvst"]YouTube- Blur - Song 2[/nomedia]​

A beat of his wings sent him forward between the worktops, a hammer strike at Palonis's skull which the ninja blocked and repaid with an elbow-strike. Asmodeus arched his back to dodge, then chopped at Palonis's ribs with his other hand. Palonis's leg came up, knee-blocking then delivering a sickle-kick to the face. Asmodeus blocked, hooking the leg and grabbing a handful of the ninja's suit. Dragging him across the worktops, the angel smacked Palonis's head on each of the hanging pans.

Palonis rolled out of the angel's grip and onto his feet, grabbing a chopping board and walloping Asmodeus. But the angel spun with the force, pulling open the microwave door and giving Palonis his own concussion.

The two men staggered apart, rubbing their heads, then looking at each other again.

Palonis vanished in a puff of smoke and appeared behind Asmodeus, grabbing a knife from the wall.

Slash! slash! dodge! dodge!

Asmodeus grabbed another knife and parried the flurry of the blows, a duel in minature, until his weapon was flicked away. Palonis lunged, coming halfway over Asmodeus, who grapped a cleaver. With a roar the prince swung with all his angelic strength and Palonis vanished again, leaving the chopping table to be sliced in two.

Both halves of the table crashed to the floor, followed shortly after by Asmodeus as he took a pan to the head from the shadows behind him.

He landed face-down then threw out his arms to open the nearest cabinet. He grabbed something, spun, then struck. Palonis yelped and staggered away as his ankle was cut open by the cheese-grater.

"Ow! Son of a..."

Asmodeus's wings thrust him to his feet and he reached for the Sheathe, pulling the sword halfway out before Palonis grabbed his wrist and pushed the sword back in. Then Palonis went to draw his own sword from his back and Asmodeus grabbed his wrist. They held each other for a moment, suddenly freezing, before Asmodeus headbutted the ninja.

They fell apart with a hiss of metal, pausing, then realising they were holding each other's swords.

"Haha!" roared Asmodeus, grinning from ear to ear, "This is it, right here - the golden dream of Iwaku! Saints and Angels at each other's throats! Didn't you miss this Palonis?! DIDN'T YOU?!!"

The question wasn't meant to be answered. Asmodeus rushed forth, using the ninja's lighter sword to whip savagely at his foe. Palonis was forced onto the back foot, fumbling with the larger sword that belonged to Asmodeus. He tried to vanish again, but the Confluence forces of the angel were flustering him, disrupting the flow of energy. He dropped the sword and dodged once... twice... then tripped over the remains of the broken table, tumbling to the floor.

Asmodeus was already in the air, coming down towards Palonis with the sword in both hands, the blade aimed at his chest.

The ninja was out of options and he felt his eyes closing instinctively. He braced himself, knowing how much it had hurt the last time... how the dread hand of death had shaken every fibre of his being and delivered him to oblivion.

Something struck his chest and his blood ran cold.

"Mrow?"

Palonis opened his eyes in shock. Asmodeus was gone. The kitchen lay in ruins and in the corner Myrnodyn stood with shimmer of teleportation magic dissipating around him. The Shapeshifter Regent had a TF pistol outstretched.

And sitting on Palonis's chest was a very confused kitten with very familiar blue eyes.

scared_cat.jpg




[SUMMARY: Fight! Fight! Fight! YAY KITTY!]
 
Re: Shapeshift Town - CHAPTER 2

Hand still outstretched, the pistol shaped TF gun only slightly moving to the right so it was now aimed at Palonis' face instead of the adoring little kitten on his chest, Myrnodyn took a few steps while taking a quick surveying look around the kitchen. His gaze, much fiercer now than the tired look it usually had, turned on Palonis again while a snarl began to form on the Regent's face, contrasting heavily with the flappy ears and innocent features of his puppy form.

"So...what do you want to be ninja? a turtle? a little cute puppy...like me?" Myrnodyn raised an eyebrow in sarcastic motion as he waited just long enough for the revered character to open his mouth before he waved his gun to the side in a dismissive manner.

"Keep quiet! Yesterday I was regent of a thriving community, and had command of one of the best techno-magical labs in Iwaku. Today, I've got a handful of scientists, millions of engels worth of valuable equipment I can't possibly salvage in time, and a whole town without homes expecting me to deliver them to safety."

The strange puppy waved the TF gun around in the air as he monologued, building up steam as he ranted away at the ninja. "...And if that wasn't enough, Asmodeus returns from the dead, and he and 'saint' Palonis have a gay little re-enactment of past times in one of MY GODDAMN KITCHENS!"

Shifting to his more imposing human form, literally growing before Palonis' eyes as his furious face edged closer to stare the ninja in the eyes. "I want you to get out, and take that kitten with you. And once he turns back you two WILL cooperate towards the safety of Iwaku or I swear I'll find a way to make an example out of you both!"

Turning around, not bothering to check if the ninja was in fact doing as told, Myrnodyn caught a glance of something he had passed by in his rage just before. The sheathe, being an absolute, had not been changed by the magic of the gun and just lay there at palonis' feet. Slowly bending to pick it up, he carefully brought the artifact to his chest, sending a warning glance at the creatures behind him.

"I'll be taking this...for now." And with the popping sound of air suddenly rushing in, he disappeared again.


(Summary: Myrnodyn rants about his grievances to Palonis, threatening to shoot him as well, and to kill him and Asmo if they ever pull crap like that again. he then matter of factly picks up and steals the sheathe of Iwaku)
 
Re: Shapeshift Town - CHAPTER 2

As Myrnodyn made his exit, Palonis pulled his bruised and sore self back to his feet, dropping the cat that had once been Asmodeus onto the floor. Obviously frightened, the creature nonetheless flipped in midair and landed on its feet. It appeared that being unfamiliar with his new form hadn't dulled Asmodeus's athletic abilities any. Once comprehension had dawned on the adorable kitty's face, its face scrunched up into a mask of rage, and it made a ferocious hiss at the ninja towering over it.

"Don't give me that look, angel," the ninja said, crouching down and wincing at a twinge of pain in his grated ankle. "This was all your fault for starting the fight in the first place. Besides, you should be happy that you're a cat. If he had turned you into an ant or a cockroach, I would have been completely unable to resist the urge to crush you under my heel."

The cat's face momentarily flashed a horrified look, then reverted back to its angry expression. Asmodeus loudly mewed something which Palonis assumed wasn't complimentary, then turned and began to walk out. The ninja was tempted to step on Asmodeus's tail on the way out, but as he raised his foot to do, the angel cat suddenly turned with a loud hiss, its fur on end and the claws on its front paws fully extended. This surprisingly terrified him more than the angel ever had, and he recoiled back hastily as the cat raised its nose at him and pranced out of the room.

"He's even high and mighty when he's a cat..." Palonis mumbled, walking out as well with a bit of a slouch. He'd followed his apprentice's wishes, he'd tried to be friendly, and this was the result. What a waste of time that had been.

Giving a brief glance at the demolished kitchen behind him, the ninja felt a brief pang of guilt. Without any money, however, he really wouldn't be able to repay Myrnodyn for the damage at all. Maybe when this was over, he would volunteer to serve the dog man as restitution for this act. Assuming that either of them were alive by the end of this.

(Summary: Palonis and Asmocat still don't like each other, but at least he feels sorry for breaking stuff)
 
Re: Shapeshift Town - CHAPTER 2

Pirogeth started wandering the hallways he was permitted in, eventually winding up somewhere between the infirmary and the dining hall. Obviously he was oblivious to his direction but that didn't deter his quest through stone corridors. He was simply thinking, thinking to himself about the conversation, the people he met, and especially the spats between everyone. Seemed more like a convention of powerful people with bragging rights rather than a team. Shaking his head at the thought of being judgemental of them he remembered his own past was not so brilliant. "They simply acted the way I would have if I knew them better." His hands found rest on his hooks, where his weapons should have been. After the incident back at the tower he had really no right to carry them inside the halls. The continous flicking of the square hooks eventually let his mind focus on the now, clearing it. His ears only listening into the sounds of probably one of the quietest hallways in the castle at the time. He took a seat on what appeared to be a bench still flicking the metal on his waist and just staring at the wall across from him. The only thing that broke his concentration was the sound of several pots and pans that were being clanked together followed by some odd blasting sound. He would have got up to see what it was had he not been so focused on his current activities. Instead around the corner he heard Myrnodyn's voice speaking through a closed door, shouting about his troubles and how everyone should just keep the peace. Ironically after the speech, footsteps from the ninja could be heard in the hallway. There was a small back and forth between him and a cat...something he really did not expect. The strange dialogue perked his interest enough to at least look towards the corner where the noises came from. And witht hat a cat walked by, his pace that of confidence. Pirogeth could sense something different about this animal, something that he had seen before. A brief dig through his memories and he remembered Asmodeus carried himself around like that. "Hahaha, a cat? I guess the leader here does have a sense of humor."

[SUMMARY: Pirogeth had been wandering the halls for awhile and listened in to the sounds of the kitchen struggle as well as the post-battle.]
 
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