Scene #5310: The Grave Cannot H- Stop That

Owner	Pose
Reaper	Rumor had it, that Soldier 76 had begun his crusade of do-goodery once again. Or was on a mission. Or was doing whatever the hell it was Jack had gotten himself into. The 'why' didn't matter, of course - not to Gabriel Reyes. Not to REAPER, as he was when the mask was screwed back into his forehead. The only thing that mattered was someone had escaped his grasp - and no one gets left behind. No one. This small, quaint village out in Spring was one of millions - billions, truth be told. White stacatto walls bake under the bright summer sun, verdant green spilling out from windows and trailing down roofs. Wet, fat, and happy, with naught but a small road leading in and out for the occasional trader. Villagers move in the quiet contement of their lives, surrounded by thigh high walls with a decorated arch welcoming visitors to their tiny slice of quaint rural life. In the distance, fields of lively budding fruits are hidden behind faint clouds of moisture, the distant lolling of some distant animal. Boots press the dust, spurrs clinking softly. White pants in gold trim lead up to a dark green shirt, surrounded by a white overcoat to continue that white/gold mariachi theme. A long sombrero tilts upwards, showing a white and gold skull mask. There is a faint hiss of smoke between the teeth, before the creature steps towards the small, innocent villa - a shadow hunting revenge. The yells of terror begin not long after.
Toph Beifong	The areas under the commonwealth have direct contact with the Paladins, so it's no surprise that backup doesn't take long. Even as the villagers run from the mayhem of the shotgun wielding maniac, some manage to call for help and hide away as best as they can, leaving the streets quickly empty save for the injured and dead. Yet as Reaper continues his violent rampage, he will notice that he doesn't go unopposed for long. Suddenly the ground underneath him comes alive, exploding upwards in a reverse rain of rocks and dust. It's rough enough to severely bruise somebody should they be hit, but not enough to fatally injure. The very next moment a young voice echoes between the houses and buildings, full of authority despite its age and gender. "Under section 3, paragraft 14 I'm hereby authorised to take you in to custody on behalf of the Paladins. Drop your weapons, raise your arms and comply, otherwise I will have to use force!" Should Reaper turn around he won't have any problems spotting the owner of the voice. In the middle of the street behind him stands what looks like a young teenaged girl, clad in greens and with metallic armour covering her torso. Sure, she might not be much taller than 5'2'', but her expression is one of determination, there's no fear in her milky white eyes, and she is clearly ready to react should he try something. Another thing he might notice is the badge on her chest, the golden insignia of the Paladins.
Reaper	The injured and the dead - what a fitting descriptor. There is a loud crack of skull on wall, a cry of pain as the elder is held up by a single white gloved hand. A voice, reverberating low and dark, snarling out the questions as yet another 'interrogation' begins. "Where is he? I know he was here... and you're going to tell me, or you're going to watch the life drip from this place - one villager at a ti-" Which is when the ground explodes upwards. The village taking good on the chance to escape, with only bruises to show for a close encounter to doom and damnation. Now lets pan the camera a moment to what Toph might see; Spurred boots shifting sideways, as expected, the faint 'clunk' of rock sparking off a face helmet. And - then nothing. Whispers as if wind were blowing dust along the ground, before solid feet contact the ground once more. And their owner? .. their owner is... broken. Something horribly wrong, from the vibrations that feed her blinded sight. Something that is and is not simultaneously, like watching a frozen sea move or a stone wind blow. By comparison, the snarling voice is nearly normal, though it's hard to tell which part of the.. let's just call it a throat for ease of use.. that sound comes from. "I was wondering how long it would take for one of you.. heroes.. to show up.." Something curling; An additional weight where none was before, flakes of metal forming out of thin air into solidified shapes quick enough that it's almost instantaneous. Guns? "Shame they sent only one; But you'll do."
Toph Beifong	The moment the dreary attacker dissolves, Toph's eyes widen in surprise, though she doesn't seem to freak out. No, that only comes when he reappears closer to her. Her mouth opens slightly, and she stands still as he speaks, not saying a word just yet. "What the /crud/ is wrong with you?" she asks, not bothering to hide the disgust in her voice, nor on her face as she makes an expression as if she tasted something foul. Many questions run through her head, but she can't even figure out what more to ask. His heart... okay, she's never heard a heart like that before. His breathing, if you can even call it that... The moment metal seems to appear in his hands however, the teenager reacts, quickly bringing up her arms. In response an earthen wall rises in front of Reaper, and then Toph pushes forward with both arms, causing the wall to /slide/ across the ground with the intent of sending him flying backwards. "Fucked up or not, I can't let you continue whatever the fuck you're doing for here! If you're looking for somebody, then use the wanted adds, Muddy!"
Reaper	"The grave will not hold me." Whispers that hissing, reverberating voice as Toph asks precisely what is wrong with him - before the wall appears; Two massive explosions ripple across the stone surface, tearing away shards. No telling what it'd do to flesh, even if it was aimed surprisingly low, even by the standards of the greatest Earth bender's height. And then the wall slams forward; The contact reverberates, a solid hit that drags a cry of alarm. Vibrations cease, the whisper of cloth and metal as the muddy thing is sent into the air - but the moment of contact with the ground never comes. It stretches on, even as whispers of dust crawl across the ground. The hiss of something like sand around the stone, particles of not-quite-smoke around ankles - The solid step of a footfall behind her, as the Thing tries to grab hold of the smaller Earthbender with metal claws. A horrible mistake, but one that has to be learned in person. "Death does not ask permission. I'm going to hurt you - and then you're going to tell me everything I want to know."
Toph Beifong	Okay, it's easy to tell that the shotguns he has do pack more firepower than she's used to, but it's still not enough to utterly tear down the earthen wall. And the earthen wall isn't enough to stop Reaper she notices. The moment Reaper goes incorporeal again the Paladin squire reacts, listening and sensing intently, tense as a bow string where she stands. The moment she feels the slightest pressure behind her, before his weight has settled all on the ground, she's already reacting. Before Reaper has already begun reaching out for the blind teenager, her arm is already raised up and behind her as she focuses on the metal in his gloves... It might be a strange sensation, having your fingers move without your approval. The metal claws shift, moving by themselves, pulling Reaper's fingers with them as they form his hand into a fist. A fist that then flies up towards his face even as he speaks in that threatening manner. By now Toph is already moving to face him. "I'm the one asking questions here, Edgelord!" Toph states, her arm still held out towards him as she concentrates on the metal.
Reaper	Strange isn't even the start of it; Reaper's hands are stronger than they have a right to be, thanks to the same program that made Jack what he is, but there's no resisting a metal bender in her element. THUNK Gabe's head is snapped back by the force of the blow, his sombrero drifting off the top of his head; Fortunately, the mask-helmet continues all the way around, completely enshrouding him. Which is when two feet on the ground becomes one foot, as Reaper tries to plant a foot right in the smaller girl's face and snap her back. A low, growl rippling from that thin he calls a throat, the muddy, squishy shape of half-formed vibrations that never quite finish -becoming-. And then he -melts-. Whether the kick was successful or not, she can feel her sense of the metal, of the pressure of his weight on the earth, disappearing. Even if it was dissolved, there should -still- be metal flakes! But there's only a ghost, a hint. The sound of sand shifting, particles somewhere between ash and snow brushing along exposed skin. Swirling. "And soon you'll be the one screaming." Weight! Metal! And the click of a trigger spring compressing.
Toph Beifong	The metalbender relaxes just slightly when the punch connects, though she doesn't let her guard down. This guy can dissolve and reappear, so she has to be ready for that. What she's less ready for is him kicking out at her, and Toph has to think quickly as she brings her arms up. There's no time for her to bend a defense when he's this close, so... the foot slams into Toph's forearms as she digs her heels down into the ground, preventing her from getting her teeth kickedin. Despite her being light, she stands her ground, pushed back but not toppled over. It did hurt though, judging from the grunt of pain that leaves her. Okay, he's dissolved again... where is he coming next? The blind girl stands still, arms still raised in front of her. Whatever he's doing to the metal, she can't sense it now... drats. There's no time for snappy comebacks to his threat, because that's what he would expect. Now it's time to focus and be ready! It's rather clear that Toph seems unaware of where he is when he becomes smoke, but she appears to have no trouble telling where he is when he's solid. Not moving a single muscle, Toph waits... and the moment Reaper takes shape again, she reacts. Bringing her arms in towards her body, the earth around her reacts, shooting up and packing itself around her, leaving only her mouth visible. Just in the nick of time, as the shots dig into the earthen armour she's made for herself. Not to mention she winces, gritting her teeth. "Good luck in getting me to scream, dunderhead... you will need it when I kick your goddamn ass!" she snaps, then kicks into the ground, sending her barreling straight towards him. Perhaps in a manner that might remind Reaper of a certain German knight. Much smaller, but seemingly just as determined with a much fouler mouth.
Reaper	No time for talking now; A smart man would've slipped off the small girl and gone for distance. She was blind but fast, so she obviously had -something- besides vision to go on. A smart man would've popped a few concussive grenades and let them rock her to sleep - then put the barrel to the back of the head. Gabriel Reyes may be a smart man, but he's also -in his headspace-. He was REAPER. The undying creature of pain, giving or receiving. And so rather even as the small girl forms rock armor and turns the explosive shells aside - even as she flies TOWARDS him - he merely backpedals, the explosive kick of the hellfire shotguns driving his arms up with recoil. Only to let them drop back down again, a hammer of fire. Which is when the small but suddenly more mass-ladened rock train smashes into him. There is a crack of bone - well, something like bone - as he is sent tumbling back. The hellfire shotguns clattering to the ground, Reaper tumbling head over heels- SCHLUCK. That'd be a village water pump. The tremble of pain, the silent hiss of escaping breath. A single piece, now, the metal of the spigot joining the back of his .. uh... spine. And quote unquote bones. The patter of liquid striking the ground below him, a heel kicking at dirt. And still that low hiss, the sound of a wounded animal, head dropping back.
Toph Beifong	Bracing herself for impact, Toph barrels straight into Reaper with her left shoulder first, leaning forward even as the shells dig deep into the earthen armour, creating cracks in several places. What matters is that she herself isn't seriously injured besides some big bruises. Stopping just short of the water pump, Toph digs her feet into the ground, skidding to a stop. Raising and shaking her shoulders, the shotgun shells that Reaper had unloaded on her tumbling out to the ground as she fixes the earthen armour covering her. Though she does wince as she realises the way that Reaper hit the construction, especially how the spigot now seems to be... in his spine. Is he seriously injured? He did spoke of death several times... what's the deal with this guy? When she speaks, her voice is still determined, serious. But there's also... concern? "Surrender, and I'll make sure you'll get medical treatment." His heart is still... beating, unchanged from before. But he still feels wrong.
Reaper	The heel of the boot kicks at the earth a few more times, her only answer the faint chime of spurs getting spun. A death rattle? Slowly, the Thing relaxes - muscles unclenching. A thud of a hand hitting the earth. The unsteady, muddy vibration of what could be called a heart maintains its uneven pace, as if it had to remember to be a heart. It's really hard to tell what his vitals would be, through her vision. The faint whisper of sand. Weight loss nearby; The clay of dead body weight suddenly lightening. Withering to bones and less. A shift. The wet sound of liquid pattering. The Reaper pulling himself wetly from the spigot, but the liquid that should be blood is disappearing, removing its moisture from the earth below him. Even the distant roll of the sombrero behind her disappears, evaporating with the dropped guns. ".. Medical treatment?" Comes the voice, a low and deathly growl. "Little girl, I'm far beyond the touch of medicine now."
Toph Beifong	The teenager remains still where she stands, observing him as she awaits his answer. And whether he will be okay or not, it's hard to tell since his body is so alien to begin with. When he moves though, the final question is answered, and Toph makes a face once more. Eww. Though all she lets out is a heavy sigh, reaching a hand up to her forehead as she taps her foot on the ground. "Should have known..." Unseen to Reaper, the earth begins moving underneath their feet... "I'd say you're far out of touch with most things, really..." she mutters under her breath. "Okay, I've tried playing nice, but since you're so stuck on death..." Her foot raises just slightly. "Then /STAY DEAD!/" The ground opens up underneath Reaper, revealing the deep hole underneath.
Reaper	Reaper is a lot of things; A high functioning socio-path. A terrorist. A murderer, a betrayer. A violent, death obsessed soldier. A broken ghost of a better man. A savior of Earth, once upon a time. But he is not a man who can fly. The hole opens up, and he has just enough time for an alarm shout of annoyance as he falls in - gloves scraping at the ground in a desperate bid for purchase before he's gone. Into the depths! Leaving only the shattered remnants of peace for this village, a distant memory of innocent summer days before the Reaper came.
Toph Beifong	All it takes is a stomp, and the hole closes up. If it was somebody who couldn't take such punishment, Toph would feel bad. but this guy clearly is tougher, and perhaps this will give her enough time to deal with the injured and dead. Letting the rock fall down around her, Toph reaches for her radio. Time to call in medical assistance. Hopefully that psycho didn't get to do much damage here before she managed to arrive...