2905/Declaration of War

Declaration of War
Date of Scene:	26 August 2015
Location:	Techno Urbania
Synopsis:	The Black Blade Syndicate engages open warfare against the Cyberia Police. Whose side are you on?
Cast of Characters:	255, Rebecca Chambers, 481, 530, 692, 754, 797

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Higeki (797) has posed:
    Techno-Urbania, Cyberia district.

    One of the region's more dystopian sections, Cyberia is a mix of grime, crime, and technology. Sleek looking vehicles offset dirty streets. Months ago, the streets would also be rife with crime and gang violence, though since the arrival of the Black Blade Syndicate the violence has been disappearing, and the criminal elements have been steadily overtaken by sharp looking men in black suits, rather than the usual badly dressed, shifty dealers one would expect.

    Of course, even with the streets calming down, there are those who still frown on the criminal elements overtaking the city's underbelly. A cluster of black and white police vehicles, red-blues flashing, surround the singular skyscraper headquarters of the Cyberia Police Corporation. The entire tower, twenty floors or so, is devoted to this organization.

    And outside the protective ring of cruisers and CPC personnel is a second group of vehicles and men in black suits. The lead vehicle, an unmarked limosine, produces a young woman with long black hair, wearing a fox-themed kabuki mask. In her hand she carries an old Japanese-style sword. Unaccompanied, the so-called Black Fox leaves the protection of her thugs, approaching the police formation. From within their numbers emerges a senior officer, the Chief, denoted by ornate epaulettes on his uniform.

    "What's the meaning of this?" the Chief demands once he's within speaking range.

    "Right to the point, Chief Rogers," the Black Fox comes to a stop, resting her sword between her feet, hands resting on the hilt, "The Black Blade Syndicate has done what you cannot-- we've destroyed or absorbed all other gangs and brought peace to Cyberia. The only element left that can cause trouble here is the Cyberia Police Corporation-- You." Her head inclines, eyes behind the mask cast in shadow, "So I'm here to offer your company a place in my organization. We've already done your job, so it's only fair."

    "And if I refuse?"

    "That's simple," The Fox lifts her sword slightly, than taps the asphalt with it, "Either your company surrenders to us or we'll kill every man wearing your badge by the end of the day."

Rebecca Chambers has posed:
    Things have been getting tense here in Techno-Urbania, but now they seem to have gotten to a very strong boiling point. Namely between the Black Blade Syndicate and the police themselves. And when a gang that wants to negotiate directly with the police makes it into the news, it makes Rebecca Chambers uneasy. Especially given this news about how the syndicate has pretty much taken out all of the other gangs and how they want the police to join them. This can't end well.

    For the time being, Rebecca is standing ready nearby, no weapons drawn though. She's simply acting as a peacekeeper in case things get out of hand. From the looks of things, they definitely are, which is why she has several weapons on hand for when things get nasty. She's biting her lower lip a little as the talks go on, her sixth sense in high gear knowing that this is pretty much as volatile as a leaking tank of gasoline inside a fireworks factory. It's not a matter of if, but when things explode.

    "Understood, moving to high alert now," Rebecca says into her radio before returning to her ready stance. She tries not to show any emotion on her face, but a slight twitch of her lip shows otherwise.

Razer (692) has posed:
     Just behind the Black Fox stands a man in red and black armor, his electric-blue eyes staring out from under a red helmet. The look on his face is something of a scowl, like he's disgusted with the CPC personnel in front of him. Knowing Razer's history, maybe he is. After all, what do those with authority do other than ignore the plight of those who suffer on society's fringes?

     Red light dances around his right hand, the ring on one finger there glowing softly. He's listening to the Fox an to Chief Rogers and, for the moment, not saying anything. There's no way the CPC will refuse. And, when that happens, Razer will be ready to show them the folly of trusting in their badges to protect them.

     Really, he's spoiling for a fight, and all of his anger and hate is going to be a load of gasoline on some smouldering flames.

Setsuko Kaminagi (255) has posed:
    After hearing the swordswoman on the radio the other night, Setsuko has been wary. An evil sword that wants to fight her specifically, one that may be influencing the actions of what already sounds like a bloodthirsty sort of person. She has gone about her patrols with a particular keenness of attention, of insight, paying careful heed to her divine sense for battle. Just hearing about the alert regarding the Black Blade Syndicate is enough to nudge something in the back of her mind, some corner of divine insight that says, 'This is a battle you need to be at.'

    And so she flies over the city on her hoverbike, coming in high at first but then banking low on approach to the CPC HQ. Her fingers are already flexing anxiously around the hoverbike's grips - her ability to sense battle is screaming at her that a bloodbath is imminent.

HK-47 (754) has posed:
     In HK-47's time as an assassin droid, he'd found there was an old saying among meatbags that seemed to transcend time and space to a degree; 'the more things change, the more they stay the same.'

    The gluttony, greed and all-too-pleasing inherent callousness of organics obviously fell into this category. As did their over-inflated senses of pride and self-importance.

    Overall, the design of this particular world was still very much like the crime-ridden moon of Nar Shaddaa in his own universe - thousands of interlinked metal buildings with neon signposts and largely populated by recreational facilities such as casinos.

    And, of course, there was the ever-present squabbles of power that cropped up between what constituted as "law" on these worlds, as their "law" was more often then not dictated by who had the biggest and most powerful weapons, or who was clever enough to entrap the other in an invisible cage and thus gain all their power.

    Both of which were things HK could respect and enjoy taking part in. Or at least as far as the "murder and manipulation" part went. And nothing served to rejuvenate an economy then some finely-administered doses of anarchy.

    Covered in a simple gray-brown hooded cloak, the droid stalks through the abandoned service walkways of one of the city's many skyscrapers, moving into his predetermined position - a building adjacent to the police headquarters. Upon his arrival, he moves off the beaten path, kneels by a railing and readies his disruptor-carbine, aiming for the police convoy and especially the chief.

    The droid's orders are to provide support for when things inevitably become dicy... however, HK has no qualms whatsoever about providing a spark or two for the flames if it comes down to it, and keeps his weapon primed to turn any errant organic into a charred heap of fried tissue and bones.

    All he needed was an excuse.. and failing that, he would make one up himself.

Kirika (481) has posed:
    Across the rooftops leaps a lone figure with foxlike features, moving with insane speed and agility as Kirika makes her arrival. Landing on top of a nearby building, Kirika remains watching from up high, her scarf flowing in the breeze in synch with her tail. Kirika's eyes narrow as she observes the scene, wary and reaching for her own sword.

    It's clear she knows this is going to be a bloody fight, and that it's a matter of only when the battle begins, which makes the fox worried about how this is going to end. All Kirika needs to know about this is that there's an evil swordswoman and her posse of henchmen about to cause a LOT of trouble here, and she's brought allies from the Fed as well.

    Here we go...

Higeki (797) has posed:
    Chief Rogers scowls, eyes wandering to Razer and then across the amassed Black Blade Syndicateers before returning his fiery glower to the Black Fox in front of him. He's a large man, easily a foot or more taller than the young woman before him, and he tries to leverage that by squaring his shoulders and looming over her, "You've got guts, girl. But the game ends here. You think you /scare/ me? You and your little gang are going behind bars. Or the morgue. Frankly, I don't give a shit where you end up."

    Unseen behind her mask, Chell smirks. The response she expected, "So... You'd rather go to war than join us. That suits me just fine."

    Rogers goes for his holster, drawing his pistol up, "You little bitch, you think this is war!?" As the weapon comes up, he barks, "Thanks to that mouth of yours, every one of your bootlickers has a date with the coroner!"

    The girl does not move. Though a tilt of her head accompanies a laugh. There's a click from the sword in her hands and a flash of violet-tinged light. In the blink of an eye the weapon is drawn, held at a sharp upward angle and trailing a stream of crimson in an arc behind it. Slower, more easy to register, she twists the blade around and slides it back into its sheath.

    Only after her motion is complete does the result become clear-- Chief Rogers' forearm disconnects, dropping to the asphalt, gun still in hand. He lets out a shout of pain and surprise, stumbling back a step and groping for the bleeding stump, lost for words.

    Black Fox shifts her stance, lifting her sheathed sword to point towards the CPC building looming behind him: "Destroy everything," comes the order, "And HK, be a dear and finish this scum off for me."

    She knows a certain assassin droid was just waiting for permission, after all.

HK-47 (754) has posed:
The order is followed almost faster then the droid can utter "Acknowledgement - Gladly, Master" as the trigger is already being pulled.

    A split-second later, a bolt of white energy slams into the side of the Police-Chief's nape - and his body ignites in a flash of crackling, sizzling energy as Chief Rodgers' screaming form turns into a roasted blackened skeleton coated in a thin layer of char-broiled flesh. With a sound like cracking twigs and dried meat hitting steel, the steaming husk collapses forward and hits the ground dead.

    Not a minute in and already the primary target was dead. This was going to be a very good day.

    Already, HK is lining up for his next target as he watches the officer's reactions to seeing their commander having literally evaporated before their eyes after being disarmed, aiming for any snipers or problem-targets.

    After all, meatbags were so very easy to intimidate - like a pack of animals. Kill the lead... and they start panicking and flailing, almost begging to be put out of their misery.

Razer (692) has posed:
     And there's the order. Destroy everything. "With pleasure," Razer replies. He raises his ring to his eye level and begins to chant:

     "With blood and rage of crimson red,
    We fill men's souls with darkest dread,
    And twist your minds to pain and hate,
    We'll burn you all - that is your fate!"

     The ring responds, awakening the power held within as the oath summons up Razer's hate. The oath summons up his strength from the darkest parts of his being, and the fact that he responds so well to it... Razer hates that, too.

     With a red aura building around his body, the plates of his armor glowing brightly, Razer cries out in anger - and lets his hate explode outwards in a bright red flash, intending on utterly annihilating the protective ring of CPC vehicles and officers. As the maelstrom calms, Razer clenches his fists, and prepares for a fight.

Setsuko Kaminagi (255) has posed:
    And shit goes bad.

    Setsuko guns the engine. The hoverbike accelerates to maximum speed quickly, closing the last block or so of distance more rapidly than even Setsuko herself could, and she doesn't even bother to stop it before disembarking. She simply turns and falls off the hoverbike in one casual motion, her momentum and angle carrying her just right such that she arcs towards the ground to land in a pavement-cracking crouch, with her sword already drawn...

    ...right in front of the Black Fox.

    "I believe you wanted your chance to face me. You have it."

    No further warning. No pause for introductions, no warrior's salute. This is a battle. She's right in front of the enemy commander. So she goes for the kill without hesitation, standing up into a vicious lunging stab with no pause whatsoever.

Kirika (481) has posed:
    Kirika makes a /horrified/ face as she sees the disarmed chief vaporize by an unseen shooter. There isn't a lot that can get her like that, but Kirika all the same can't help but pause at such a terrible weapon.

    She then leaps right off the roof, hurdling towards the street with her sword drawn. A van is /flattened/ as Kirika lands upon it, and she stares with a crimson gaze towards the Power-Ring user.

    "Your hellish hate will consume you, should my blade not fell you first." She growls, Kinugiri glowing with ice along the edge as Kirika moves with shocking speed, lunging towards Razer without hesitation or warning. Kaminagi is right, this isn't a duel, it's a full-on skirmish.

Rebecca Chambers has posed:
    "Oh my god--" Rebecca can only stare with her jaw hanging open and her eyes wide as saucers. For a moment, she can't believe what just happened: In the blink of an eye literally, the woman slashed off the police chief's forearm. The pain that poor man is in must be undescribable. Rebecca can only stare for a couple of more moments before the shock wears off and she shakes her head, realizing that she's a medic and she has a job to do. Even if the wound is that serious, there's still a chance he can be saved if the bleeding is stopped. Rebecca may only be a field medic, but she's not willing to let this man die on her watch!

    Quickly rushing towards the wounded chief, Rebecca is fumbling with one hand for her first-aid kit. She calls out for several other officers to help get the chief into a better position, instructing them to position him supine with his legs elevated in order to reduce blood flow. Once she's finally arrived, though, Rebecca is shocked to find that the chief has been hit by some kind of energy shot, and is nothing more than a burned out skeleton. "NO!" She yells, tears forming in her eyes as she stares at the remains of the police chief, before looking in the direction of the fire, and spots the hint of the cloaked figure that's HK-47. She thinks quickly and realizes she needs to get up onto the rooftop. It's then that she spots a nearby alleyway with a fire escape on it. Thinking quickly, she rushes in and, thanks to a well placed dumpster, uses that to reach the fire escape. She climbs up it quickly but carefully, not wanting to risk becoming another casualty here. Once she reaches the roof, HK-47 had best watch out, because Rebecca is really mad now!

Garen (530) has posed:
    Somewhere amongst the officers was a strange man. He had kept to himself for the past few days, and beyond that had blue skin. Even so, he had done quite alot, like talking and helping file lots of paperwork. But at the sound of the chief getting meeting his untimely end, he knew things had gotten good. He made a quick signal and....some other cops turned and seemingly made efforts to join the black blade. In reality, Cipher Nine was on the field, and already flipping assets. As for his location...he was amongst the crowds (as his player doesn't know where to place him yet, blame his job.)

Higeki (797) has posed:
    Razer goes off. HK takes his shot. While the Chief's body evaporates and he collapses into a heap of charred bone, the accumulated Black Blade syndicate members let out shouts of their own and open fire with pistols and rifles. CPC officers, shocked by the utter destruction of their Chief, are quickly pressed into cover behind their cruisers. It's a full minute before anyone has recovered enough to return fire. When someone throws a grenade, destroying a parked (and flattened) van, it becomes quite obvious that full out war has broken out on the streets of Cyberia.

    The Black Fox hesitates when Setsuko drops in front of her, swinging her sheathed sword back and tucking it against her hip, gripping the scabbard in her left hand while her right rests readily on the hilt, "So you sought me out?" Her stance deepens and the sword flashes out-- utterly clean of the blood from the Chief's killing-- too meet Setsuko's divine blade with a spray of violet sparks. It's a brief contact, pushing the thrust off just enough to protect herself before the slice becomes a counterattack, cleaving at the godly swordswoman's midsection.

    Already the blade lets off a faint but visible violet aura, swirling around it from the hilt and licking along the black edge like flames. Behind her mask, the girl chides, "It's even more excited now than before, you know."

    And so two sword fighters engage in the middle of a gunfight, dueling in no-man's land.

Razer (692) has posed:
     Breathing heavily, exhaling through his teeth, Razer is just about to let out a torrent of red energy against some officers of the peace when Kirika lunges at him.

    "If it's going to consume me, then I'll feed it with you first!" Razer snarls, red bands of energy erupting from his ring. As Kirika lunges at him, Razer wraps one of the broken police vehicles in his chains of hate, and /hurls/ the whole thing at Kirika!

     When Kirika's blade comes at him, however, Razer's chains turn into a crackling red wristblade, and he parries the first blow, red energy flaring as the two blades connect!

Setsuko Kaminagi (255) has posed:
    Though her stab is deflected, it's a simple enough matter for Setsuko to retract it as she steps back, and drop the tip while turning the sword in such a way that she can deflect the Black Fox's strike in turn. The end result is no damage on either end, and both of them coming up into ready stances, wary. Only now does Setsuko take the chance to more properly size her opponent up, and to give the battle around them a brief glance. "I go where there is battle," she replies simply, shifting her stance. "For today's battle to include you... fortune, or fate. No knowing which, and no point to knowing."

    With everyone tied up handling reinforcements, things are going to go badly for the police if something doesn't change. So, Setsuko resolves to change the tide of battle herself. "I am here to end this. However I need to." Zanjintou's handle snaps out, its crossgoard expands, and in a quick shimmer of light, a blade takes shape from hilt to tip that is utterly massive. Not missing a beat, Setsuko swings it overhead, attempting to bring it down right through the Black Fox - only to suddenly haul it to one side, intending to cleave through some of her foe's forces with one sweep of her sword. She intends to thin the Black Blade forces at the same time as she fights Chell, through the sheer massive size of Zanjintou.

Kirika (481) has posed:
    As soon as the car flings toward Kirika, the kitsune snarls as she slashes at the vehicle, splitting the thing in two with her sword. Whether or not it explodes is unknown, but Kirika did just slice a goddamn police car in half.

    Kirika then makes a slash for Razer's neck, clashing with Razer's wristblade as they two Elites face off. It's a fearsome scene, one that no sane person would dare interrupt despite the raging gunfight.

    While Kirika may feel a bullet graze her shoulder, she ignores the pain in favor of focusing on Razer, moving to slash the Red Lantern once more.

HK-47 (754) has posed:
    Some meatbags just /had/ to be the heroes, didn't they?

    Not since his days with the Jedi Exile had he seen anyone rush so blindly into the forefront to save some doomed organic from death - and yet here was a female organic, who had to be less then half the Exile's age, rushing to the forefront without even having the Force to try and heal the injuries of the Police chief. Did she believe she could save him from death by blood-loss from his amputation.

    Not that it mattered by the time she got there, as HK's shot had already killed the Chief - though he did enjoy the look of dismay on her face when she reached his smoldering remains. If there was one thing most meatbags hated, it was feeling as if their efforts were wasted - which, in most cases, they were.

    However, the meatbag then begins making her way toward him, and HK realizes that she has spotted him. Re-alinging his rifle, he takes aim at the girl as she reaches the rooftops, inwardly cursing the slightly intertwined and twisted nature of the architecture and the ample cover it provides them both - though the droid assumes the human needs it more then he does.

Garen (530) has posed:
5tWith all hell finally breaking loose, and his converted cops going a little crazy in the streets, Garen decides it's time for this adder to strike. Dropping his guise, he grabs the nearest cop and quickly moves to break his neck. Meanwhile, he draws his blaster and opens up on any cops in cover. "Surprise..." He simply says, losing the local accept for his standard Imperial accent. Of course, once he did that, he also rolled for some cover as well.

Razer (692) has posed:
     Kirika's blow finds a gap in Razer's armor by his shoulder and the Red Lantern grunts, leaping away from the strike. He whirls, a red lash slashing out from his ring, and he cuts down a set of police officers who seem like they had the problem of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. They fall, a long black line of charred flesh and uniform marking the passage of Razer's whip.

     He turns back towards Kirika, and Razer charges. This time, there's no wristblade. No, Razer just gets in close, aims a fist at his opponent's gut - and unleashes a blast of energy from his ring! "DIE!"

Rebecca Chambers has posed:
    Upon arriving at the top and spotting HK-47, Rebecca can only shake her head in disbelief. "This is far worse than I expected," She thinks to herself, realizing what she's truly dealing with right now. It's definitely more than just your average sniper, and Rebecca's kevlar vest won't do much if that thing shoots at her. Which it looks like it's going to do in a minute if Rebecca doesn't get to cover fast. She would open fire as is the usual case, but sometimes discretion is the better part of valor.

    Thinking quickly, Rebecca looks around and finds a brick structure that is about chest high for her, and she runs to take cover behind it. Once she gets there, she crouches down and checks to make sure the safety is still off on her MP5K. She doesn't want to know what HK-47 is capable of doing to her first hand, especially after seeing what happened to the poor chief. Instead, she presses her back against the structure and glances out slightly.

Kirika (481) has posed:
    Well, that's absolutely disturbing.

    Kirika yells in horror at the whip's effects on those officers, before she's hit full-on by the blast of Red Lantern energy. It knocks Kirika off her feet, slamming her against another van with enough impact to leave a dent and bloody her body. A wheeze of breath indicates Razer's broken a couple ribs, and Kirika groans as she tries to get back on her feet again. Her body will heal the damage quickly, and she has no time to recover.

    Her free hand burns as Kirika sends a gout of flame towards Razer, and she charges with sword in hand to leap and slash again at the Lantern.

Higeki (797) has posed:
    Gunfire is basically everywhere. For the most part, thanks to the use of cover, there hasn't been much in the way of casualties on either side in regards to the Police or the Black Blade goons. This changes when Garen reveals his true colors and he-- and any of his persuaded compatriots-- start shooting the officers behind cover with them. This initially appears to be a sudden swing in the balance of power, as cops start panicking without any clear indication of what's going on.

    The Black Fox lets out a 'tch' sound when Setsuko's blade expands in size, her stance shifting slightly in preparation. She has no intention of trying to block something bigger than she is. When the blade comes down, the young woman hurls herself aside into a roll, coming up several meters away in a crouch. The sideways sweep forces her to duck again, while the Zanjintou cleaves through black vehicles immediately behind her. The men crouching behind it shout as they're carved apart, silencing that particular arm of the Black Blades and bringing the gunfight back into parity.

    "Lady Black Fox..!" One of the men, his arm sacrificed to Zanjintou, staggers around the front of his vehicle, "--We can't fight something like this! We have to pull--"

    His words are silenced by the gang leader, snapping her sword out of its scabbard and driving it back and upward through his midsection, emerging from the side of his neck. She wrenches it free with a spin, cleaving the man neatly in two with a motion that places her face-on with Setsuko once more, splattered with blood across her black uniform, her weapon, and the scabbard she still clutches.

    "I have not come this far to be stopped /now/," the woman hisses. The sword's violet glow intensifies as she slides the blade back into the scabbard. Her stance lowers, ready, while the swirling glow around the weapon grows, "You're a warrior, right? So you know shit like progress always has to crack a few skulls!" When she snaps her blade out from its scabbard, she draws it in a wide arc, slinging off an arc of violet light that carves its way through asphalt and whatever else it may run into, while the Black Fox spins her weapon back into its sheath and stalks after it.

Razer (692) has posed:
     The gout of flame comes roaring towards Razer and he has only just enough time to raise his hands, letting fly with a torrent of red energy to try and counteract Kirika's attack. He groans, pressing against the flames, feeding the energy he's sending out with his pain, and manages to extinguish it.

     Unfortunately, it leaves him right open for Kirika's charge. Her sword bites across his abdomen, drawing blood along the blade, and Razer shouts out. He summons up that red whip again, aiming to loop it around Kirika's arm and pull her defences wide open - so he can punch her in the throat!

Garen (530) has posed:
    Garen simply smirks as he watches the chaos occur. It was satisfying to see a well layed plan come to fruition. But he had other plans as well. He looks around and spots HK on the roof, causing him to pause. "An HK model? Well, I suppose stranger things have happened..." He admits. So, he takes off in that direction, taking pot shots at any and all cops not on his payroll.

HK-47 (754) has posed:
    The moment the meatbag glances out of cover, HK fires his rifle, the energized bolt blowing off the top half of the small brick structure in a storm of stone-and-mortar shrapnel and clouds of chalk-dust. The upper segment is effectively obliterated, but the bottom part, charred and crumbling, still remains intact - and so does the human, assumedly.

    She was obviously an intelligent meatbag to immediately realize she couldn't take him in frontal combat. But it would not save her - intuitive or not, she was still a very fragile organic fleshbag... and an empathetic one at that.

    After all, she'd risked being shot just to help one doomed meatbag. Why not a whole slew of them?

    Sliding behind cover, the droid's cloak trailing behind him enough to just slightly expose part of his rust-red armoring, HK selects his strongest grenade - a thermal detonator - to lob down into the chaos below them. With a six-meter blast radius for the explosion and another ten for the blast force, the front of the police lines, or at least those still loyal to the police force, would be harrowed at worst, and assumedly flattened at best, and provide cover for the turncoat officers to slaughter the officers still fighting the Black Fox.

    Best of all, the female meatbag would have to choose between staying in cover... or trying to be the hero and stop the grenade from hitting the police lines.

    And if she choose the latter... he would have her right in his sights. Save herself or save the floundering police officers - either way, the droid was confident he would exterminate her.

Rebecca Chambers has posed:
    At first, Rebecca isn't sure what to make of HK-47. She thinks he's planning to attack her, and doesn't suspect that he'd be planning something else. Something that would constitute causing far more damage than Rebecca even thought would be possible. He's going to try to use a grenade and kill numerous innocent officers! Rebecca has to stop him!

    But that would mean putting herself into the line of fire. And knowing how dangerous the droid is, she could be leaving herself seriously vulnerable to a counter-attack that could have very serious repercussions. For a moment, Rebecca sweats visibly, trying to figure out what to do. Does she risk her own life to save others or does she stay protected at the cost of the others?

    Then it hits her. S.T.A.R.S. never let innocents die if it can be prevented! Rebecca steps out from her cover and opens fire. She aims primarily for the grenade (or whatever it is) in hopes of detonating it in the droid's hands instead of letting HK-47 throw it. Even if she is leaving herself vulnerable, at least it's for a good cause if she gets hit.

Setsuko Kaminagi (255) has posed:
    "And yet, stopped now you will be," Setsuko replies calmly.

    There will be no saving that man, the Black Fox's own subordinate slain to sate her blade, but nevertheless, Setsuko scowls. She can't condone a style of fighting that feeds on one's own subordinates. Nevertheless, they need to be stopped here. So Setsuko is careful that every move she makes, every swing of her blade, is likely to intersect with more Black Blade forces, even as she launches on the attack at their leader.

    That arc of hungry energy looks as if it just barely missed Setsuko, the demigod tossing herself to one side out of the way - but the deep line of red that opens up along her left side tells the story. "...such a wretched blade," she mutters, coming up to a standing posture again. "I know that /sometimes/ a war is necessary. But this brutal conquest, this senseless bloodshed, this is no war. This is slaughter for the sake of it. If you can see that, don't even bother pretending otherwise. And if you can't, then I was right about that sword. Either way, there is only one recourse."

    Around Zanjintou comes, sweeping in a wide, street-clearing arc, intended to cut right through Chell's path, in hopes that she'll be forced to jump - because the swordswoman allows her weapon's momentum to carry it all the way behind here, whereupon she swings it up and over for another vertical slice, hoping to catch her opponent in mid-air.

Kirika (481) has posed:
    "GHK!" Kirika wasn't expecting such a quick manuever by Razer, as she's stopped from furthering the assault with a whip around her arm. Struggling, she can only stand there vulnerably as Razer moves in for a vicious strike.

    A nasty, pulping noise is heard as Razer hits her in the throat, collapsing her windpipe by the looks of it. Choking, she staggers and stumbles before dropping to a knee and gargling with blood flowing from her mouth.

    She'd drown in her own blood were she human, but her body is quick to knit itself together even as she's immobilized.

    And she lunges to headbutt Razer in the stomach while her throat heals. Ow. Ow. Ow. This is going to be a bitch to deal with.

Razer (692) has posed:
     "So," Razer says, circling Kirika as she lingers on her knees, "You regenerate, or something along those lines. No wonder you're putting up such a fight." His face is cool and expressionless, like he's crushing a bug.

     She lunges up at him, her head colliding with the soft black armor that protects his abdomen - the air whoofs out of his lungs. Razer stumbles back, one hand on his belly, out of breath. He wheezes out something that's almost a word and lashes out with his fist, again and again. He's not anywhere near Kirika, and yet the sheer power behind his hate allows him to strike at her from a distance, the asphalt glowing red at each impact, again and again!

     "I wonder what your limit is! Face the power of my rage!"

HK-47 (754) has posed:
    If there was one thing the droid loved, it was when a plan came together.

    Just as predicted, the human female stepped into his sights to try and save the masses of swarming meatbags below them, and already he is moving. All he has to do to thwart her attempt is tilt his body outward and twist so that his back faces her, the shots of her gun impacting against his armored body instead of the grenade. Small scorch-marks appear on his armor-plating as his cloak is torn open, revealing the form of his clearly non-human chassis. He finally faces the human full-on, letting her properly the edge of his face-plate and his glowing red eye-lens as his hood falls away.

    "Advisory - Prepare to die!"

    The next instant, the now-revealed droid's arm lifts up and the panels on his forearm slide back to reveal a small nozzle that promptly begins spitting out a jet of superheated flame at the human, scorching anything in it's path.

Kirika (481) has posed:
    A bloody smile grows on Kirika's lips, and she spits a mouthful of blood at Razer. "I've yet to find it." She says, confident in spite of everything as she grips her sword. "My body is half-spirit, you see. I carry in me the blood of a Nine-Tail, ruler of the spirit realm! It's her will that I fight scum like you, and send them straight to Hell."

    Her blade flourishes, and she bats away at the projectiles, taking one in the chest but still coming as she flings another fireball to Razer.

Garen (530) has posed:
    Garen watches Rebecca take shots at the grenade and smirks. He, of course, gives a whistle to the cop. "Impressive, but what will you do when you learn that there are two, not one?" He asks. Of course, he's got his blaster pointed right at her. Imperial protocal would have said to shoot her right there. But he was a gentleman, after all. Of course, that's when the flames come flying from Hk. "Not bad...for a droid."

Higeki (797) has posed:
    As the Black Fox and the War God fight, shadows grow deeper and a faint but noticeable pressure begins to settle. Wispy miasma slithers out of the corners of the eye, skittering away when one looks directly towards the disturbance, as if nothing was there at all. The hateful sword in the Black Fox's hands seethes with malevolent light, like a burning, swirling flame while she approaches, keeping it tucked away.

    "Like I should give a shit who has to die, you don't know what kind of hellhole this place was before I decided to change it. 'course there's nothing saying I can't make a bit of money on the side." She stops, planting her foot when Setsuko's assault renews itself, and she snaps, "I'm changin' the world, you dumb bitch, and you're getting in my way!"

    When the Zanjintou comes at her from the side, Chell simply dips her shoulder and charges the last few meters towards the colossal blade's weilder. It impacts her exposed back, throwing out a spray of blood, but she throws her shoulder into a roll with it, effectively vaulting the blade in spite of her injury. Seeming to ignore it, the Black Fox snaps her own weapon out in a swift slash that traces a violet arc. Her foot touches the mangled asphalt and she kicks off, following it up with a charge and a secondary, vertical slice that carves an X shape in purple light, point blank.

    Behind her, one of the Black Blade cars caught in the slash explodes, a stray bullet sparking off the steel and igniting the ruptured fuel tank. Black Bladesmen scatter for better cover that is not currently on fire.

Rebecca Chambers has posed:
    The grenade is still there, and worse, Rebecca is vulnerable to a flame attack. Her uniform isn't fireproof either. She's not covered in flammable liquid but she's still vulnerable all the same. She's only got a few moments to react before she's burned to a crisp! Thinking quickly, Rebecca drops to the ground into a prone position before rolling in a semi-curve like a log, trying to get clear of the flames before she pops back up and opens fire at the grenade again. All the while she's running perpendicularly away from the flames in hopes that she can keep away from them.

    "This isn't going to end well," Rebecca comments to herself as she ejects a clip and loads in a new one. "i've got to stop that thing before it causes more casualties!"

Setsuko Kaminagi (255) has posed:
    "I don't know?" Setsuko replies, her tone rising. "I don't /know/?" The cross-cut lands without parry, cutting a deep, visible X-shape across Setsuko's torso, from shoulder to opposite hip on both sides. But rather than bring her blade around, rather than employ any of a dozen counterattacks she could use, the swordswoman waits for a perfect moment and reaches out to grab the Black Fox by her collar, haul her around and slam her to the ground with bone-crushing force.

    "Let me tell you about 'warriors' using peace as an excuse to sate their bloodlust! Let me tell you about entire villages slaughtered to the last man, woman and child by people who claimed to be 'bringing about order'. Because I have known it far better than you ever will. And I am looking into it right now. If you wanted peace, if you wanted to make this town better, you had many other options than slaughtering the police. You are /nothing/ but a bloodthirsty conqueror, tugged about like a puppet on a string by the hate of that blade in your hand, and however I have to, I /will/ end it."

    Zanjintou snaps as it returns to its 'sealed' form, a katana far easier to wield in close quarters. There is no fancy technique to her attack, no ostentatious name; it is a simple stab, meant to kill.

Razer (692) has posed:
     Razer raises his arm and, with a snarl, deflects the fireball into a nearby police van. It detonates spectacularly, showering the fighters in debris and ash. His gauntlet smokes slightly. "Then, by Atrocitus' will, allow me to send you there to prepare for our arrival! All of you defenders of justice are so alike! So arrogant, so self-righteous!"

     Razer's eyes fall on the asphalt between him and Kirika as she charges towards him. He holds out his hands and /focuses/ on the ground. Red cracks blossom into life, fracturing their way through the street, and with a shout from Razer, the road /detonates/. Not only will it, hopefully, interrupt her charge by practically pulling the ground out from under her - but it'll give Kirika something to deal with as the giant chunks of the street come raining down in moments! The broken parts of the road rain down like giant hailstones, crushing cars and people alike.

     Razer takes to the sky, evading his own storm of debris, as he alights atop one of the nearby buildings. What's he doing up there?

HK-47 (754) has posed:
    This one was /very/ skilled. For an errant moment, HK-47 was reminded of the so-called 'huntress' known as Mira. Self-proclaimed bounty hunter that she was, that particular flesh-bag had placed a disgustingly high value on preserving lives, even the lives of her targets. It made her woefully predictable... but at the same time, never truly vulnerable, for she had an annoying amount of skill behind her.

    Such was the case here.

    HK had a markedly easier time of it knowing in advance what the female's target was - the grenade currently cupped in his hand. So long as it was her target, he could keep her focus occupied. However, it wouldn't do if he couldn't /hit/ her - she was frustratingly agile, and her shots kept pelting his armor. Sooner or later, she may hit his optics - and then what good a sniper could he be for this engagement?

    That was when he saw one of the corrupted police officers heading for their position... and suddenly, a golden opportunity presented itself.

    Abandoning a direct confrontation, the droid took advantage of the human's movements and suddenly vaulted for the edge of the building. She would assuredly follow, right to the edge of the building.

    She had to if she wanted to get a clear shot at a falling target.

    Without so much as pausing, the droid flashes it's optics at the strange blue-skinned police turncoat - a signal to attack - says a simple "Statement - Farewell, meatbag.".... and then hurls the grenade as hard it can for the police barricades, the red light on the orb's surface blinking rapidly as the primed detonator flies forward like a missile from a catapult.

    The moment the human peeked over the edge to try and shoot that grenade... the turncoat would fire at the target.

    And then... the meatbag would be his to finish.

Garen (530) has posed:
    Garen smirks again as he watches Rebecca escape the flames. He looks over at Hk and nods. "Step aside, and let me show you how an 'organic' handles things." He says. He then pulls both blaster pistols and opens up at the S.T.A.R.S. member. The HK, it would be clear that the officer had more training then the standard cop. He might also spot certain imperial methods to his firing stance, as well as his imperial accent.

Rebecca Chambers has posed:
    Rebecca can only stare in awe and disbelief as the grenade goes off the building. She rushes towards it, hoping to yell for the cops below to look out or at least take a shot at it. Of course now that it's been thrown, there's little she can safely do to stop it. Unfortunately, though, there's more to that then stopping other police officers from being killed. Because the moment she gets to the rooftop edge, there's gunfire coming at her. One of the shots actually hits her kevlar vest in the back, causing her to stumble forwards. If it wasn't for the barrier there, she'd be falling a long ways to the ground. As it stands, the barrier protects her and keeps her from being made into a Rebecca pancake!

    Still, not being flattened isn't the only thing Rebecca must worry about. She turns and sees Garen firing at her and she realizes that she's got no cover this time. Thinking quickly, Rebecca drops into a crouched position and returns fire while trying to quickly move towards cover again. "I don't care what you are," Rebecca replies angrily. "You are going to pay for messing with me!" She continues to fire, feeling a mixture of guilt and anger at the fact she was unable to stop the inevitable demise of numerous officers on the street level because of this enemy.

Kirika (481) has posed:
    "I am not the one slaughtering those appointed by the city to enforce law and protect citizens." Kirika snarls, "Nor am I the one who openly took about this simply out of boredom. I know not who this Atrocitus is, nor do I care." The kitsune's speech is interrupted however, as she stops to leap towards the chunks of earth.

    Her nobility is what keeps her from pressing the fight, as she stops to split each coming piece of debris that comes down towards the ground again, to protect nearby civilians and officers.

    "Everyone, get underground!" She calls out to those who listen, mid-slice of stone.

Higeki (797) has posed:
    With a "Wuphf..!" Chell hits the street flat on her back, the mask she wears cracking enough to fall away. With black creeping across her vision, the wind knocked out of her, she becomes something of a captive audience. It's several long moments before she's caught her senses enough to start picking herself up, spitting out, "I'm not a puppet..!"

    Shnk

    Setsuko's blade drives through the Black Fox's chest and into the street beneath her. The girl's eyes snap open in surprise, mouth open with the shock. Her free hand reaches for the sword impaled through her, fingers wrapping gingerly around it across the back of the weapon to avoid the edge.

    "...Ffffuck..!" she spits out, blood escaping her mouth. With a wrenching motion, she pulls the sword out in a spray of crimson, though doesn't release it while she rises to her feet.

    The girl's head shakes with a hollow laugh, which grows louder, "You don't even fuckin' get it..! This is Shouri-no-Ken, you idiot. So long as I got this--" She releases Setsko's weapon with a shove, snatching at the weapon holstered in her still-clutched scabbard. Her own blood runs down her arm and along the sheath, disappearing before it can drip from the end. Its glow only intensifies, while motes of flame begin to gather around her, dancing like wisps, "--Ultimate victory is /MINE!/"

    A blood-covered hand grasps the hilt of Chell's sword and she swings it out in a lightning-fast horizontal slash, tracing a violet line through the air that burns whatever it touches. She hefts up the scabbard while sliding the blade into it, the line she'd slashed growing more unstable, until it explodes in the second the sword clicks fully within its sheath. The blast scatters police and Black Blades alike, and a nearby car catches fire with unearthy violet flame seconds before the fuel tank catches and transforms it into a more traditional orange fireball.

Razer (692) has posed:
     Razer lands, going down to one knee and sucking in some harsh breaths. The power from his ring might sustain him, even as it flickers and weakens, but there's still limits that he can't push beyond. Still, without Kirika following him, Razer gets a chance to catch his breath.

     And, as Kirika does her best to save people, Razer seizes his chance - he's just about to exploit that nobility to the fullest extent possible.

     With a shout, Razer slams his ring hand agains the roof of the building. It's not a particularly large structure, just a few storeys, but he infuses the structure of it with his anger, bending support beams with his hate, fracturing walls with his rage. Red energy isn't nearly as multi-purpose and flexible as green energy is but it is far more destructive. From there, all he needs to do is give the front facade of the building a little push.

     Leaping free from the front section of the building, Razer goes to bring the front of the building down on Kirika!

Garen (530) has posed:
    "Better people then you have said that, and I'm still standing." Garen replies smugly. He quickly rolls out of the path of incoming gunfire and finds some cover. He rummages and finds a nice flash grenade, which he hurls towards Becky. "Never fight against your betters!" He shouts in taunt.

Setsuko Kaminagi (255) has posed:
    Setsuko is fast to withdraw her blade and hop back when even that direct stab does not end the Black Fox. In a flash, the weapon takes its massive shape again, and she heaves it around, high and forward, the blood from her wounds pouring down her front and sides. Her stance is cautious, right until the moment where Higeki traces a horizontal line. Then she allows Zanjintou's weight to simply fall, dropping the blade such that she can shift herself behind it, using its width as a shield against the worst of the enemy attack - but even that can't protect against the full power of the Shouri-no-Ken.

    But in the wake of that incredible blast, from behind, beneath the Zanjintou, comes a simple voice. "The 'Sword of Victory', is it...? Let me teach you about 'victory', girl."

    Zanjintou lifts. It sweeps around. Setsuko is scorched, bleeding, and yet she stands stern and proud. "My name is Setsuko... KAMINAGI SETSUKO! I am the Sword of the War God! Neither divine nor mortal, human nor god, I have chosen the path of eternal bloodshed! To me who lives on the battlefield forevermore, for whom war is unending, the word 'victory' is meaningless!" Another quick sweep, this time holding the massive sword horizontally, straight behind her. "And if this slaughter is what you call 'cleaning up', then I will end your improvements here and now with a peerless divine blade! ZANJINTOU!"

    Forward the demigod explodes moving with a superhuman speed, closing the gap between them with the suddenness of a bolt loosed from a crossbow. But a step becomes a leap, the silver-haired woman launches into the air, and for a brief moment her shoulderblades flare with a twin pair of blue-white jets, almost winglike as they drive her back to the ground. In that instant she swings the sword, adding all that momentum to it in one tremendous slash.

    "SHIPPU DOUTOU!!"

HK-47 (754) has posed:
    There is little anymore that can truly surprise HK-47 anymore. Especially after that odd debacle at the Honnouji Academy. But the presence of what the droid could now plainly identify as a Chiss was still an unexpected development nonetheless. Especially when he noted the other's accent - pure Dromund Kass. The Chiss's fighting styles also contained plaintive cores of Imperial combat directives, albeit heavily modified - improved, even - to the ones the droid had seen among the organic operatives of his own time.

    That he was from a variant of the Sith Empire was obvious... but which one?

    intriguing as the matter was, the droid was forced to shelve it for the moment as he bore witness to the fruits of his labor - namely the sight of the modified thermal detonator hitting the streets.

    An instant later, as Razer brings down the building on the crowd, the modified explosive detonates with the force of a point-blank tank round, atomizing everything in the immediate six-meter radius and sending flame and air pressure outward another ten meters, burning or winding whatever was unfortunate enough to be in it's way.

    Between Razer collapsing a building and the exploding grenade, it is unlikely that police and civilian alike will escape unharmed or without casualties. Just the sight of ash and smoke being thrown every which way by the combination of collapsing building and exploding grenade brings a warm glow spreading outward from the droid's motivators, the execution of combined chaos adding to the list of panic-inducing issues for the already-haggard police force.

    Of course, there are still more immediate concerns to handle before HK can properly enjoy the scene - namely the very alarming sight of his current client and on-site Master being impaled by a blade.

    Trusting Garen to hold the meatbag off, HK takes his disruptor rifle back out, takes aim at the form of the silver-haired meatbag facing his Master... aims for her center of mass... and pulls the trigger.

    He does not need to kill her. He does not even really need to wound her. All he needs to do is interrupt her attack - throw her off-balance... and give his master an opening. For the other speaks of victory... and yet she has failed to account for the fact that victory goes to the one most willing to do whatever it takes to win. And HK has no problems interposing into other people's fights if it means doing just that.

Rebecca Chambers has posed:
    There's nothing that Rebecca really can do right now, because the bomb has been thrown. Meanwhile, this other opponent of hers, whose name she does not know, has chosen to blind her with a flash grenade. Realizing what it is, she raises her hand to her eyes just a second too late. The flash goes off just as she covers her eyes, meaning her vision is partially obscured and her ears are ringing like you'd expect after you've heard an extremely loud noise at close range. This type of combination really pisses Rebecca off, but there's little she can do because she can't see at all.

    All she can do is remain crouched down and try to rely on memory to find cover again. Right now, she just wants to stop the ringing in her ears, as the blindness is wearing off slowly but steadily. Still, she can't see very well, leaving her a sitting duck for Garen.

Garen (530) has posed:
5tGaren counted down the timer, and shielded his eyes before the flash. He knew he had becky cornered, yet he just couldn't bring himself to pull the trigger. Be it his intention to draw out the fight, or even his own small bit of dark enjoyment, he wanted to make this last. So he rather then shot...rushed ahead and threw a roundhouse kick towards Becky. At this point, and if HK was watching, he had all the hallmarks of a world that had agents from Imperial Intelligence.

Higeki (797) has posed:
    Chell's bloodied face sneers at the broad blade Setsuko uses to defend herself from the fury of Shouri-no-Ken. She slips the weapon back to her hip, holding the scabbard in a practiced angle with her free hand ready to draw once more. She all but ignores the blood pouring from the sucking chest wound she's already taken. She dips her head, hissing at Setsuko's self-introduction and the display of her divine power, the enormous sword now bearing down on her.

    Blood-slick fingers wrap around the cursed sword's hilt and Chell's posture changes. In an instant, she dashes forward and the two warriors encounter one another in the same instant.

    Time stops. Setsuko and Chell face to face, swords in motion.

    Time resumes.

    Meters away, Chell's feet touch down and she skids to a stop, sword held out at an oblique angle. With a practiced, automatic motion, she twirls the weapon and then sheathes it.

    Half a second later, blood sprays from a slash through her chest and back, nearly carving the girl completely in two from shoulder to the center of her ribcage. With a gasping sound she collapses to her hands and knees, clinging to the sword in one hand, the other sinking into the puddle of warm crimson pooling around her. Unable to speak, all she can manage is a gurgling cough, but she's somehow not /dead/ yet.

    She is, however, no longer able to fight. Against the Zanjintou, it seems like victory may not be attainable after all.

Kirika (481) has posed:
    "You are dropping a building on me. You bastard." Kirika seems almost /too/ calm about this, even as the building collapses on top of her. There is a truly terrifying sight of debris collapsing and falling right on to of one person. The ends Razer is willing to go to take down just ONE person is utterly horrifying.

    This entire day is really not going well for anybody so far, Kirika finds, as she's buried in rubble. It's almost as if the kitsune had been flattened by that attack.

    Or so it seems, as time stops.

    And Kirika begins to assume a cutting stance underneath the rubble just before impact, focusing all her might into one slice.

    And time continues, the blade /cleaving/ through stone and steel. If this works, the building debris will be in two halves now, harmlessly landing on either side of Kirika.

    She's still been put through hell considering the wounds Razer inflicted earlier.

Rebecca Chambers has posed:
    As her vision comes back, Rebecca looks up just in time to see Garen attempting a roundhouse kick at her. She quickly thinks and rolls out of the way, while at the same time trying to push herself into a position where she can try to counter with a sweeping kick aimed at Garen from down low. She may not be a martial artist, but S.T.A.R.S. are trained in military combat, and some of those techniques are derived from martial arts. All the while she's starting to feel the ringing in her ears going away.

    "I overestimated them," Rebecca comments as she finds her senses returning to normal.

Garen (530) has posed:
    Garen quickly moves to avoid the sweep, but fails. Thankfully for him, he quickly recovers. He grins a bit and wastes no time with words. He at it again, a trio of kicks flying towards becky. "Maybe, but your not escaping here without more then emotional scars." He says, his accent now clear to becky, british and from an imperial varient.

Setsuko Kaminagi (255) has posed:
    The peculiar movements of Setsuko - the superhuman speed, the sudden, sharp hop, the equally sudden descent-under-power, make her movements unpredictable, even for someone used to fighting superhumans. The shot taken by HK still manages to clip her across the back, searing away cloth and burning the skin underneath, a feat that in and of itself makes HK's shot impressive. It would be a disabling hit on any ordinary person.

    The demigod doesn't even slow down for such a serious wound. The reason why might be obvious by now; her earliest injury, the cut along her side, has already ceased bleeding. She's a regenerator, and superhumanly tough besides.

    Not that she's not in a bad way. Her wounds are numerous and deep by now, burns and cuts alike. And one more adds to the spread, a cut along her right shoulder from Chell's last strike. But for as bad as her wounds are, Chell's are worse. It's a killing blow. Now, Setsuko turns. Now, she tilts her head, looking straight up to where HK is... no, looking /straight into HK's optics/. Her voice lifts up, her words ostensibly directed at the men under Chell's command still alive, but also meant for the Confederates present.

    "Your leader in this endeavor is finished! I would advise leaving before things get worse for you."

    As if to punctuate her point, the silver-haired swordswoman floats up off the ground, holding position about two meters up. It's a silent, implied threat against HK - 'If you don't retreat, I'm coming for you next.' Even in that bloody, ragged state, she's still willing to fight.

Rebecca Chambers has posed:
    Rebecca tries to get out of the way of the kicks, but one of them hits her in the stomach. Even with a kevlar vest on, that's still pretty painful. Rebecca doubles over and stumbles backwards, placing one hand on her stomach the moment she stops stumbling. She gasps for air and then drops to one knee as she briefly loses air in her lungs. Once the oxygen is back and her breathing is stabilized then she gets back up and glares at Garen.

    "I've had more emotional scars in my lifetime than anyone my age should ever have! And as for physical scars, they can always heal sooner or later. We have good medical technology, while you Confederate goons probably couldn't even cure a common cold!" She takes out a bottle of chemicals and shakes it a little. "Take this!" She yells, throwing the volatile chemical vial towards Garen. It will explode on impact, causing some bad damage from chemical burns!

Higeki (797) has posed:
    A killing blow. Any ordinary human would be dead on the spot from such a deep wound. One lung damaged, the other cut clean through, doubtless a severed aorta and probably severe damage to the heart--if not cut completely in two. Crimson blood pours from Chell's wound as she shudders there, barely keeping herself upright. In her hand, the sheathed sword's sinister glow intensifies.

         Useless.

    "No!" the girl snaps, "F-fuck you!"

         Prove it. Stand.

    Shaking from the strain, her body barely holding together, Chell pushes herself up in stages, nearly slipping in her own blood two or three times before she retains her feet. The entire time, she utters curses, a repeated litany of 'fuck you fuck you fuck you fuck you' that does not stop. Staggering between burning cars, clutching the sword and her side to keep herself from falling apart any further, she spits out a mouthful of blood before her voice returns, raspy and forced.

    "Fuck them all, blow it. Rest of you, get the fuck out."

    The surviving Black Bladesman nearby, shocked by the state of his leader's health, nonetheless relays the order. Surviving Black Blade Syndicate members start retreating under fire from the remaining Cyberia Police, some of them dragging wounded, others firing up what cars still work to aid in the escape. It's into one of these that Chell hauls herself, instantly transforming the back seat into a bloody mess, an ironclad grip on her sword.

Razer (692) has posed:
     Above it all, on what part of the building is left standing after Razer dropped it onto the street, the Red Lantern takes some time to examine the situation. It's chaotic, to say the least, although his allies seem to have things in hand.

     That is, until Setsuko starts claiming that Chell's been finished off. Razer pauses. Sure, he has no particular love for Chell (or anyone, really) but it seems like it might be best to take flight. He's tiring and his ring is running out of energy. He's not sure how long he can continue this fight for.

     "Yes," Razer murmurs to himself, and hearing what Chell says over the radio, "I do believe it's time to withdraw."

     Gathering his crimson aura around himself, Razer takes to the skies, leaving only flames, ash and the broken bodies and vehicles of a police force behind him!

Garen (530) has posed:
    Garen moves, but not quick enough. The vial manages to catch the side of his face, leaving quite the angry, nasty burn there. But all that managed to do was make the agent angrier. Seemingly, he didn't even feel the pain of the burn, but in reality he was merely supressing his own feelings. He wasn't just any agent, after all. He was Cipher Nine! So he narrows those red eyes at Rebecca. "You have made a grave mistake, officer. I'm not someone you want to make an enemy of." But at that point, the call for a retreat is given, and he hears the words he was waiting for.
    A few days prior, Garen had infiltrated the cops ranks and had set up a nasty little 'insurance policy' for the black blades and the black fox. That being well hidden explosives all over the building.
    Back in the present, Garen grins and hits the detonator. "Checkmate." He says, before dropping one last flashbang and using it's detonation to escape.

HK-47 (754) has posed:
If the droid were capable of cursing, he likely would have blown out his voice-box by now. Even with the shot to the meatbag's back, the the silver-haired humanoid didn't stop her attack. And as a result, his master was now all but bisected! This did not bode well for him - on top of being a crippling blow to his own pride as an assassin and bodyguard, HK's operational systems were hardwired to /shut down/ and all short-term memory /erased/ if his master was terminated.

    Therefore, he was faced with two options - try to save what was likely a dying master and possibly shut down mid-battle... or switch masters to a new, more intact one while the current one still functioned to preserve his operational status until the end of the mission.

    ... as if he really needed to debate it.

    Facing what HK is now certain is an Imperial Intelligence Agent from some aspect of the Multiverse that mirrors his own, the droid speaks plainly - "Statement - My current master, the meatbag Chell, is in critical condition. Request - In the interests of preserving my in-field operational status, I ask permission to regard you as my temporary field-Master."

    He waits long enough to get a reply, then almost casually takes aim at the girl, disregarding her ability to levitate - he had seen Jedi perform such tricks before. He had seen Jedi heal serious wounds before. However... in the cases where he fought the strongest ones, he had a team of HK-51's providing back-up. At the moment, he had no such loyal forces with the potential exception of the agent behind him... and in all honesty, he knew the battle was lost.

    Turning back, HK regards the Chiss with an analytical gaze. "Recommendation - Retreat is advised, Master. Addendum - However... I would ask permission to finish off the meatbag before we leave. I do so enjoy tying up loose ends." As if to accentuate the point, he draws his vibroblade, approaching the female like she is livestock to the slaughter.

    However, he takes a moment to note the detonator in the chiss' hand... and upon remembering he was undercover as an officer, the droid's processor's catch on that they won't be walking away without sending this entire sector of the multiverse into a beautiful display of pure chaos.

    "Begrudging Appraisal - Not bad... for an organic."

Rebecca Chambers has posed:
    Unfortunately, Rebecca is not expecting this flashbang, and she's left blinded and deaf for the most part. She can only curl up into a semi-fetal position and wait for the damage to be undone. When she finally gets her hearing and vision back, she looks up and finds that Garen is gone. "Damn it, I lost him!" She drops to her knees and bangs the ground angrily. "I can't believe it!" She struggles to get back up and looks around, hoping that the damage isn't as bad as she thinks it is.

Higeki (797) has posed:
    Bip.

    In immediate response to the detonator, the Cyberia Police Corporation headquarters goes up in a series of large explosions, courtesy of concealed explosives. Great big pieces blast out of the structure on all sides, raining glass and rubble on the street-- But the structure itself does not fall.

    Some explosives, it turns out, were more well-hidden than others, prompting a double sweep. Not only for more bombs, but for the person who planted them. The culprit hadn't been found in time by the undercover investigation, but a large number of explosive charges had been recovered and disabled.

    The result is that while the Cyberia Police Corporation tower is damaged and on fire in places, the full structure is still standing. The logo above the main entrance flickers out, but defiantly flickers back on with the buzz of neon lighting, despite the damage and debris raining down.

    In the streets, surviving CPC officers raise their weapons in a cheer when the Black Blade Syndicate pulls into a retreat. A few even take potshots, but the bulk of the men on the ground are just happy to have survived.

    Stepping out of the main door, his uniform decorated with a single ornate epaulette and a series of service medals, a man with a salt-and-pepper hair tone and a bushy moustache folds his hands behind his back, a grim frown showing just beneath the curtain of his facial hair.

    "Commissioner Jordon!" A sergeant ascends the steps, "The Blades are leaving. I'll get you a casualty report ASAP but what are your orders in the meantime?"

    "Commend the Elites who attended the combat. And get me the Silver Guard. If the Black Fox wants a /war/," the Commissioner mutters, "She's going to get a /war/."