Scene #7611: The Prodigal Knight

Owner	Pose
Gawain	BEFORE A man walks into the the elevator of a high-rise expensive apartment building at night, having hacked the front door and dressed 'nicer' than usual to get past the secretary. He's young, blonde, handsome. He presses for the top floor, penthouse. It asks for a keycard. He slides his janky, chunky watch across the keycard slot. Homemade toy. It beeps access granted As the elevator opens, he draws his revolver before the first guard can react. Bang. Ryan Diaz, businessman known for his shady dealings, is sitting on his couch, playing the Nintenbox 1080. He's about to get a headshot, when he hears the gunshots. He stands up and presses a panic button under the table. Security will be blazing in, but the gunshot's faster. Not accurate, though. Hits Diaz in the gut, sending him sprawling to the floor. Security finally arrives. Bullets rain down hell. The gunman pulls something out of his jacket pocket - a ring - and says something clearly as he approaches Diaz. Diaz tries to grab the ring, recognizing its power, as he tries to stable himself against the table. In the moment of truth... A wish is granted. NOW Magical spikes fluctuated immensely. Reports went out to all factions, in their own way. The gunman lies dying in a pool of his own blood, while security teams try to help Diaz. There's a new figure in the magical spikes, stunning everyone. The gunman speaks clearly to them. "My friends...are coming. Help them, no matter what it takes - they're good people. Take this, and tell them when you're ready...Terra-6. It's my access code. Don't let him get away, he's evil..." The gunman goes down. The security point their high-tech rifles at the figure and fire. They're probably not enough. APPROACH The Paladins arrive via a helicopter. Gawain touches down next to the pool, dressed in a fine suit. He hasn't made visual yet. The Watch is expected to blitz their way through the elevator - the keycard is still unlocked from the hack. The Concord...well, they probably have a mecha or a jet or something. Or can just fly. They each have their own reasons to save (or in the Watch's case) kill this corrupt man. The law, the business, or for the Watch, justice.
Gareth	The bullets fired by Diaz's security clatter uselessly against a great steel shield, raised to face the guards while the armored figure holding it kneels beside the dying gunman. They hold the gunman's head up gently as he speaks, taking something from him while nodding slowly at his dying request. "I understand. I'll make sure your wish is granted, so please... Rest. I'll save them in your place." The voice from inside the armor is a soft one, only partially muffled by the helmet covering their face. Releasing the gunman's head, the armored figure stands with one arm held sideways, a giant lance decorated in gold and in white materializing in the air moments later. The lance is snatched out of the air, then braced against the side of the shield as the figure faces the guards and Diaz directly. "For someone to have faced these kinds of odds alone... There's only one possible explanation for this. Prepare yourself, evil-doers!" There's the brief sound of boots scraping on hard floor, and then the armored figure bursts forward, aiming to charge straight through Diaz and his security wholesale, lance and shield leading the way to smash into them head on.
Redshift Operators	A Watch driver in a nearly unidentifiable van pulls up; the van disgorges four people, three of whom surge through the lobby at the pace of a Tactical Jog. In lieu of qualifications and authority, one of them brandishes a thick, stubby shotgun. The only other one with any armament is finding a neighboring building to get to the roof and work from. When the elevator door pops open, the man with the shotgun and the woman with the long, long ponytail surge into the penthouse as quick as they can. First up: The source of that distress beacon. They've gotta head right for the gunman, which means winding up in the wake of Gareth's charge. "Check him! Get him outta here!" The woman moves to kneel next to the dead gunman, medically scanning him... "Too late. He is claimed by darker realms, and cannot be pulled back." The crash of gunfire and violence. "Did he come with an ally? A subordinate, or superior?" "This was a solo cell. Find out what's happening, move!" Red Dwarf rushes to get a better angle on the ongoing violence, and a better firing line on Diaz, the essential priority here.
Persephone Kore	The Psi-Responsive Alter-Ego "Queen in Veils" materializes outside the penthouse's windows in a shimmer of light- a three-story white plastic doll in the image of a goddess. My arrival immediately casts an aura over the proceedings. It's a steady suffusion of warmth and gentleness; a slow coercion towards sunniness and smiles; a gravitational pull towards doing what I want, and away from what I don't! It isn't likely to dissuade a brave knight mid-charge, though. Nor is it likely to stop the guns pointed towards them. I blossom the cockpit open, step out onto my doll's hand, and ask the window glass to stop existing. And it does! So obedient, ahaha. It's instantly and silently shredded away as if by the pull of a black hole, allowing her to step out onto the penthouse floor with her typical serene grace. It's possible Gareth doesn't notice her, yet; she's behind their back. It's hard for Red Dwarf not to. It's impossible for the woman not to, but she has no reason to object to what Phony's doing yet- the saintlike girl bends down and places her hand on the blonde man's chest, tragically fascinated by something and so far oblivious to the havoc happening with the bodyguards. Since I learned to feel people's hearts, I've never seen anyone die. Sapient Heuristics always kept me safe from seeing things like that. Is this what it looks like? He's unraveling, I can feel it. Thoughts and dreams bleeding off into space. What can I do? Hey, you. You're not gone just yet. If I taught you how to fix yourself, would you listen? If I gave you this gift, would you take it? If he does, she'll infuse his wishes with enough weight of reality that he can simply will himself back from the brink of death. (And, though Phony doesn't know it, maybe even a little bit further.)
Hibiki Tachibana	If there's a distress single going out from a single Watchman with no apparent backup...something bad must've happened. For Hibiki, she doesn't immediately care as much about the shady businessman at the cornerstone of all of this as much as hoping she can get there before it's too late. The situation doesn't make that very likely, but if there's one thing she can do, it's hope. She considers taking the quickest route by just crashing onto the scene from above, but that's pretty reckless even for her without knowing what to expect there ahead of time. Instead, the poor secretary manning the front isn't only subjected to the Redshift operatives funneling in, but also a totally out of place sixteen year old girl dashing in just seconds behind them at full sprint. She shouts back as she goes, "Sorry! You shouldn't stick around here!" The elevator is left to the professionals. Hibiki opts to take the stairwell. She kind of needs the space, anyway. "Balwisyall nescell Gungnir tron...!" However, she doesn't actually realize that penthouses are elevator access only by the time she hits the topmost floor, having donned her Symphogear in an off-screen transformation that let her ascend it quickly. This is fine. Several seconds later, a small portion of the suite's floor gives way to her fist before she leaps up through the just-big-enough hole, wasting no time pushing into the chaos. A knight charging into Diaz and what looks like security--several of whom she goes to make a leaping kick into from the side to try and bowl as many of them as possible over. Disabling them without needing to subject them to getting lanced in twain, hopefully. "Oi!" She calls over towards the helmeted knight in the process. "If you're fighting them--were you with him!?"
Rubi-Kan Vagrants	The Green Knight's approach is hardly stealthy. The pulse detonation engine of his bike can be heard as it rattles windows from blocks away, with a roar that seems to beat and thrum at the chest and throat. Debris, trash, even outdoors furniture are blown about by the wash of the bike, and the jet burns brightly like a white-hot lance in the sky. The massive hoverbike pulls into a sharp vertical climb at the base of the building, as Bercilak retrieves his axe from a special slot at the rear of the right running board. It crests the summit of the building, whereupon he makes an inverted 180, attempting to plow through the roof with a gravelly chuckle. When the bike slows down, it's no less loud--the roar slows to rapid, rhytmic bangs--he's trying to simply embed it in the floor of Diaz's palatial accomodations, to block the windows with that bulky, armored thing. He dismounts, shouldering the axe, glancing between Hibiki and the stranger. The best way to determine who's on what side is not with words, but with actions. There will be plenty of time to -actually- get Diaz. But he makes a fakeout charge, holding his axe high above his head--and if this new figure has a problem with that, his armor and regenerative powers will more than suffice to protect him. "Ei?" He stops in his tracks, as a radio message is transmitted. "O, fuck yea, sib, I hath thee," he says, clapping Gareth on the shoulder. Now, where was he? Oh, yes. Even as guards likely open fire on him, he's winding up for a killing blow, deliberately toying with Diaz--it'll definitely give someone coming down from below the chance to intervene.
Gawain	As Gareth moves to pierce through Diaz, and as the Redshifts fire on them, taking out security guards, Gawain's moving. Bullets impact with his suit, which is quickly replaced with armor, as Gawain moves to stop directly in front of the knight's lancing charge, hand moving up to catch the lance even as it impales lightly into his flesh from sheer impact. The flesh is regenerating too rapidly for a single unexpected blow like that to matter. "A Servant...Lancer class? A knight. Lance is familiar..." He hasn't placed it yet, but the Lancer will identify him immediately. He hasn't changed since they last met. "I cannot allow you to kill this man!" Gawain's sword is summoned, as he ushers the surviving security to take Diaz and try and get low behind the television stand. "Sir Gawain, Warden of the Paladins, Knight of the Sun. You're all under arrest!" Meanwhile, Persephone makes a deal. The gunman - Sam Striker - has four words in his head. 'I want to live.' These are enough words to spur the contract, and once she initiates it, his bleeding wounds start to stitch themselves back together. It'll be a bit before he's up, but he's certainly alive. Hibiki comes up from the next floor down, as the Redshift Operator's sniper finds a rooftop nearby. Hibiki's barreling is enough to take out most of the guards, just leaving...two chonky elites. Yep. Bercilak blocks the windows, preventing the helicopter from an escape route, but also probably hindering the sniper. Gawain's already inside thanks to sheer speed. "Bercilak! Et tu?" It's actually slightly joking - the telepath can figure out that Gawain and Bercilak are friends Instantly. And like good friends, he roars a laugh. "Well! You're going to have to get past me if you want this man dead! I can't allow you to take his life, in good conscience!" His sword moves to intercept Berc's axe. Gareth and Bercilak are going to need to get past him if they want Diaz.
Gareth	"Reinforcements? Hn... No matter how many of you come, I won't let his death be in vain!" The knight shouts at the new arrivals as that charge takes them right through the initial block of security guards, not even bothering to swerve around the incoming gunfire and just letting the shield and armor handle that instead. "Mages and advanced technology, too? I really got summoned into a lot of trouble..." There's a moment when they look like they might swerve towards White Dwarf and Persephone, likely from them going near the fallen gunman at all. "What are you planning there? If you're with..." There's an uncomfortable pause as the lance-wielder just looks over at Diaz. "... If you're with him, you should leave. I'd rather not hurt any non-combatants! And you!" The knight yells at Hibiki next, almost sounding like they're scolding her. "Kids shouldn't be playing around in places like this. It's not safe!" And then the lancer is stopped when Gawain intervenes directly, stopping that lance in its tracks. It pushes in hard, but once that initial impact wears off, the lance-wielder leaps backwards to get some distance and get a better look at him. "G... Gawain?!" They sound bewildered. "Why are you serving that man?!" The armored figure asks while readying for another charge, shield braced in front and lance against the side. "Unless you're..." There's another long pause as the figure takes out a radio, finally testing it out as per the gunman's dying-ish wishes. And then the roof explodes thanks to the sudden addition of Bercilak's motorcycle. There's a palpable tension in the lancer's stance as they try to make heads or tails of this entire situation, and it takes until he claps the knight on the back before they finally speak up again. "Bercil... The Green Knight? Wow... You look really different from last time!" Alas, the knight's surprise get put on the backburner as they turn back to Gawain. "If you're really sure about this, then... I understand." They reach for the faceplate, pushing it upwards to reveal a thoroughly... Friendly face that looks almost too young considering how deadset she was on killing Diaz. "Seventh seat of the Round Table, Gareth, heading out!"
Persephone Kore	Persephone scruffles up the blond man's hair for a moment before straightening back up. See, you'll make it!! But no backstabbing, okay? Be nice to me, Sam. Nobody's dying now! But there's still the threat that somebody might die- Ryan Diaz, in particular. Sorry, but I really can't just let that happen! You understand, right? She dematerializes in a shimmer of light, reappearing inside the Queen in Veils' cockpit past the broken penthouse windows. A landscape- no, a projected mindscape- radiates out from it, creating a beautiful flowering meadow floating in midair. It's easily a hundred feet across. A second later, an incalculable (yet strangely gentle) telekinetic force seizes Hibiki and Bercilak, drags them backwards out the broken windows, and flings them past the Queen in Veils to land in a bed of flowers near the back edge of that meadow. The thirty-foot-tall doll-mech turns around to face them, its hand cradling its cheek in a perfect imitation of Persephone's body language. "Hiiii, Hibiki! And Bercilak, right? I can't let you murder anybody today! Would you mind fighting me like friends fight, instead? I'd really love that." (She is terrifying, but it's a pretend kind of terrifying, like a scary movie. I couldn't really hurt you! And I don't think you can really hurt me, ahaha.)
Redshift Operators	A giant looms near where Persephone makes her contract. His one good eye blazes a shimmering green. His horrifying gravel-voice forces through the distortion of his damaged helmet. He leans down to take the limp form of the man. He doesn't, of course, fully understand what's going on! So he keeps quiet. He'll let Persephone finish up what she's doing, before he strides back to the elevator, carrying the man's limp form as if it weighs nothing. Either way, the cyborg woman stares for a time at Persephone and then pulls away as she begins to engage the other two Watch members. "Is that really going to work...?" She mutters into her respirator, before shaking her head. THAT prediction, she needs to not make right now. Instead, she's gotta focus on Gawain. Near Gareth, a gruff man with a shotgun racks it, aiming it at Gawain. "You understand him?" There's a light mutter, "I don't." His own statement is delivered with more viciousness. "Out of the way. You helped us out before, but that doesn't mean we're goin' easy on you. That man's gotta die." The woman with the katana strides up next to the gruff man and Gareth, hand on the hilt of her own hard-light katana. "There are many futures, but none where he gives up peacefully." She says, with lots of gravitas. The gunman makes a short "tch" noise before he reaches for his grenadier's belt and slings out a curveball grenade! If Gawain doesn't want that small incendiary grenade all over Ryan Diaz's vulnerable body, he'll have to intercept it, but with that skillful through it's harder to do with shield or blade than with body!
Gareth	There's still a fair bit of suspicion visible in Gareth's now visible eyes as Persephone messes with the gunman's hair, although she doesn't have much time to consider that compared to her just disappearing and that giant machine moving again. There's a long, slow blink when she sees that floating meadow moments later, but... It's probably easier not to think too hard about that right now. Gareth's got some more pressing matters to worry about: Fighting her brother! Squaring up with her lance in hand, she glances over at Red Dwarf and nods at his question. "He's my brother, so of course! We have our own codes to follow, too, even if it's for people like..." She gestures at Diaz with her lance. "... That." She's not about to admit she doesn't know his name. Instead, she just charges at Gawain with her lance pointed forwards like she's a living battering ram. "Come on, Gawain! Don't hold back just because it's me!" She actually sounds somewhat excited now.
Gawain	"Sister!?" Gawain says, before some back and forth about how Gareth thinks this is his Master and Gawain is bad at explaining, no, it isn't. But when she mentions their codes, he nods. "Right. You've made a promise, so I won't dissuade you. You've always been so loyal!" He's upset about the turn of events, but first, he has to deal with Diaz. As the firebomb goes out, Gawain dives in the way, taking the blast straight to his armor. It blackens and chars. "It doesn't matter what he's done. An eye for an eye only makes the whole world go blind, said uh...was it Gandhi?" It was not Gandhi. As Gareth prepares her charge, he suddenly spins the sword around his feet, as a miniature sun floats above him, lighting up the entire penthouse as it reaches the ceiling. It's warm, but not melting, and the light isn't blinding... But it's enough to empower Gawain to full levels. Gareth's lance charge finally impacts, and it skids across his armor, shifting his position away from Diaz but not doing basically any damage. Redshift might have a better opportunity, now! But first, Gawain's sword is lit aflame, and moves to slash into all three combatants, trying to burn through armor with the holy blade. Meanwhile, Red Giant's limp corpse he's holding is not really limp, and not really a corpse, as of right now. There's a cough and a sputter, as Sam Striker suddenly starts struggling. "He can't get away! He's hurt too many people!" He starts coughing out, but he doesn't have his revolver. It's Red Giant's choice whether they continue to the elevator, or he lets Striker down... Because Striker is almost completely uninjured, by now.
Hibiki Tachibana	"Wait, who are you calling a kid? I'm probably not that much--" Hibiki is halfway through retorting to Gareth's comment with some serious indignation when that telekinetic force abruptly seizes her. As soft as it is, it still cuts her short and overpowers her instinctive attempts to pull back against it, and she goes for a rough tumble out the penthouse. And into the mid-air meadow that's blossomed out, where she rolls across the grass a couple times before springing back to her feet at the center of it with an exhale. She's seen the Queen in Veils before, as the bringer of greenery and sun to an underground city. Facing it down rather than protecting it, even with Persephone's flowery - no pun intended - way of carrying herself even through it is not where she expected to be. "...I'm not planning on murdering anybody. I just wanted to make sure he made it out of here," she replies, referencing Sam. Her feet shift, and her hands come up into tight fists; it's not hard to tell even without reading her that Hibiki doesn't /really/ want to fight Persephone. In this kind of situation, she can't really dissociate herself from the stakes to just have a friendly fight, even if she wanted to. Even so. Her gaze goes to the side, in Bercilak's direction, and then back forward. "...And I won't let Gareth and the others fight alone, either!" A kick off the projected earth sends the Gungnir girl into a leap, arm pulled back. Ascending the entire 30-meter height rapidly, her momentum is put into a simple and straightforward punch aimed to try and topple the Queen in Veils right over and move it out of the way. It's durable, she knows that, so there's plenty of force behind it despite her hesitation.
Rubi-Kan Vagrants	Bercilak's response to Gareth and Gawain alike is, effectively, 'hurk.' His axe is yanked off-course when he himself is also yanked. He lands in a heap, tumbling as his cloak of flowers and grasses tangles around him. The Green Knight is as patient as ever, rising from his prone position to toss the cloak back over his shoulder. He cracks his neck, throwing his arms wide in a magnanimous gesture. "Nay, not at al," he says gladly. The axe is shouldered next. "Muchly biloven am I of batail, and neu frends so als." There's a glance towards Hibiki. "Treuli? I fucking was." He chuckles. That piece of shit had it coming. "Frend, awene thou not thy ayen-stonding here todai shalt stay mine ax for e'er-mo. Only for todai." He's glad to indulge a friendly fight, even when doing so allows an awful person a better chance of escape. But... "He shalt sikerli die -one- dai, per happes by mine ax--and if hit be morther, thanne hit shalt be a morther wel oferned." Fuck dude, is that you I'm hearing? Wow, shit, okay. It's cool, though. I don't hurt anybody for real, unless they can take it, or unless they deserve it. So put up your dukes, fam. Let's see what you got. He seems to feel the terror, certainly, but it excites him, like the kind of person that loves to see scary movies. He starts by introducing plant life of his own to the meadow. Vines, thick and ropy, sprout up alongside the Queen, attempting to bind its limbs to give Hibiki an opening, while beautiful flowers easily as tall as the mech sprout up to try and occlude Persephone's vision with their wide petals and voluminous clouds of pollen.
Gareth	"Hmhm! See, I knew you'd understand!" Gareth actually sounds rather chipper at Gawain acknowledging her loyalty, notwithstanding the fact that they're still technically fighting each other. She's expecting a slash or stab in return and brings up her shield as appropriate, but what she isn't expecting is for Gawain to just light up the penthouse with a self-made sun. "Whoa! When were you able to do that?! That has to be something new!" Wincing slightly at the sudden light, Gareth keeps hopping from side to side, remaining light on her feet despite her armor. Even with that fancy footwork, however, Gawain's flaming slash still strikes hard against her shield, and she has to dig her heels in just to withstand it for a moment before getting staggered backwards with a deep scorch mark across it and part of her arm for her trouble. "You've picked up some cool tricks since back then, I see... Hehe. Looks like I've got a lot of catching up to do!" Bracing her shield and spear in front of herself again, Gareth once again goes for another charge, but it seems like something's off. It seems like she's... Holding back? She's not committing to any big strikes just yet. Instead, she darts about more like a fencer would rather than getting into a more direct slug match, only focusing small amounts of mana into each thrust first as if trying to chip away at Gawain's defenses rather than committing to huge maneuevers.
Redshift Operators	The two Redshift Operators are instantly cut down, slashed aside brutally in a spray of armor-shreds and fire. No, that's not quite right. As Gawain gets ready, the cyborg woman's goggles shine in the new light. The third eye there blazes hot. She grabs and elegantly maneuvers with her companion, twisting through a storm of possible strikes to the one that Gawain can't make. Failed versions of the maneuver scatter in bloody clumps around her. After that elegant dance, there's a short bow, and in her mind -- and in the battle-instincts of any observer -- the shadowy shapes of her failed dodges disperse. And she points her still-sheathed blade past her foe. "In the sun, your strength is illuminated. So, too, is something else. Neutron, strike him down!" Things have opened up. The astronaut, at one of the buildings across the street, exhales... And blasts, repeatedly. Going straight for Ryan Diaz. If Gawain wants to keep him alive, he's gonna have to intercept those shots somehow -- in ways no doubt dangerous for him! Can he weave that into fending off the blade of the woman with the robotic arm, as she draws it into a sequence of ruthlessly intense strikes? She gets into a rhythm with the other two. The astronaut's blasts, Gareth's lance-fencing, and her own heavy hard-light katana slashes make for a drumbeat of violence! "He's not escaping." The giant says, setting Striker down in the elevator. His voice is pounds and pounds of gravel. He exudes menace. "One of them brought you back to life. Do you think they can revoke that?" His good eye pierces Sam. He pushes the button for the first floor. Striker, though, can do as he likes.
Persephone Kore	Bercilak's vines bind the titan-doll's limbs, but Persephone doesn't seem interested in defending herself anyway. Hibiki's blow cracks the plastic of the Queen's head, sending ripples through its smoke-like hair- but it doesn't shift an inch! It's buttressed and held still by Persephone's own telekinetic forces, making it practically immovable. "Already the cracks are un-spiderwebbing, shrinking from the edges back towards the center as I will it to be unharmed! Haha, I'm sorry. It's almost a shame- that punch really was amazing! "Your blond friend?" Persephone replies, picking up on your meaning immediately. That's one thing I'm good at! "I shared my power with him so he'd live! He's not in any danger now. I utterly promise." "That weighed a lot on you, didn't it? I can tell you care a lot! But this isn't life-or-death, I promise. Haha, except for that businessman, anyway. Is that okay? If you're not fighting to protect anybody, is it okay for us to play games for a little while? You're just so wonderful; I want to see the things you can do!" She doesn't seem burdened by the flowers blossoming to obscure her vision, either- though the vines are effortlessly shredded off of her when the Queen starts to move, straining and then snapping against the force evident in its gentlest movements without slowing them at all. Haha, you can hear me, can't you? Or 'feel' me. My wishes are real enough to bend the world, you know- so even my thoughts have ripples like this! Isn't it beautiful? Aw, but I'm bad at explaining. Let me show you what I mean! The Queen raises its hand, shredding off the last of the vines. Pollen and air and dust spiral together in the psycho-gravitational eddy, warped and compressed and ignited into a miniature star- just like Hibiki's seen her do before. Just like earlier, its heat isn't blistering or burning- it's gentle and subduing, an exhausting midsummer day, a cozy fireplace, the kind of heat that makes you not want to get out from under the covers in the morning. Not real, lethal fire, but safe and pretend. But Phony can make even 'pretend' real enough to win a fight. Elegantly, effortlessly, she throws the Sun. Look out! Ahaha. "Say," she says, almost absentmindedly. "Why do you want to kill that guy so bad, Bercilak? I could read it off you, but I want you to say it."
Gawain	Gareth tries to chip away at Gawain's defenses, which doesn't work very well - his armor is tough, and any damage done to his flesh regenerates from weak blows. Even so, he's being shifted around as he responds, allowing the Redshift Operators to close in. They dodge Gawain's blows, and then start slicing into him, as suddenly, the sniper starts blasting. Gawain sees the blow right before he'd hit... And dives in the way once more, shielding Diaz with his body. He's completely prone as blasts graze his face and dent his armor, but they're still not doing much in that sunlight. Even so, Gawain is trying not to just facetank. He pushes Diaz aside, and with his sword lit again, moves for more slashes. This time, his spare hand comes up, moving to try and grab Red Dwarf by the helmet and throw him into his partner, and possibly Gareth by association! Meanwhile, Red Giant deposits Sam Striker on the ground, and says some menacing but helpful things. Even so...as the elevator door's about to close, Sam Striker holds up a hand to stop it. "Have you ever had something you care about so deeply, you're willing to die for it? Friends? Family? Even if you don't truly want to die, you're willing to take that risk every time? A mission?" "The Watch is that for me. I may not be a true-born Elite, but I have a gun, and I can put a bastard in the grave. They're good people, and I'm willing to die to take them one step closer to nirvana." "So are you leaving, or are you coming with me?" Sam Striker says to Red Giant, as he moves to grab his revolver, and fire it once into Gawain. Gawain tanks the shot point-blank, and doesn't counter respond, but it shows that Sam is willing to put his money where his mouth is.
Rubi-Kan Vagrants	"God," says Bercilak, unbothered by her promise. "Swich imenes my deming of him may be as total as I plese, and by Him that made me, he shalt rememor hit for al his dais." When a sun is hurled his way, Bercilak gets behind his pauldrons and trucks -through- it, thrusters firing his bulk straight through that exhausting summer heat. He doesn't appear to tire, even when he no longer has his thrusters carrying him, even when his heavy boots firmly thud into the soft grass of the meadow. "To idwell overwele as he, an othere must be povrened." He gives the axe a few warm-up swings, one-handing it as he slowly strides up to the Queen. Conversationally, he continues. "That not al on, ani-man who would prosper so gretli bi retailinge of antidotum, maken his riches bi the deth of theim that nede hit." He makes a false start right, once he's within striking range with that massive axe. In a blur, he changes his grip, the head of the axe now aligned with his left shoulder, as the thrusters fire, sliding him left across the grass and digging scores into the earth. A quick jab, with the butt of the haft, and then with a clean, disciplined shift of his hips and shoulders, the edge of the axe is brought across the knee of the Queen. Before his slash is through, his grip shifts down the haft, and he makes a thrust, aimed at the same point, with the weapon's blunt eye. "As aforesed, I shalt simpli bete the shit oute of him, if thy covenant wards him of deth. Much hath he to sware for."
Gareth	As the fight continues, Gareth starts to feel a rhythm building. She's never fought with or against anyone like Red Dwarf, White Dwarf, and Neutron before, but she's starting to understand their tempo a little better as she weaves her thrusts in-between their own shots and strikes. When Gawain just eats her thrusts, however, she backs off again to weigh her options. "You've gotten a lot tougher since before, too! Hmm... I'll just have to try something different, then!" Still full of vim and vigor, she moves into Gawain slashes with her shield raised once again. Instead of just taking it head on, however, she angles her shield this time around to duck into the slash, letting it narrowly pass over her head as she hears Sam's bullet pinging off Gawain. "Eh? You're alive, Mas...? Oh, right. You're not my Master yet, but... That's great! Even though it doesn't feel so dramatic anymore." Despite her efforts, Gareth's mind is still a little scattered at the moment, and not just because she still doesn't know his or Diaz's name. "... Well, leave the fighting to us anyway. This fight's beyond what you can handle now, so please don't get yourself killed again!" Advancing on Gawain again, Gareth shoots White Dwarf a knowing nod before rushing Gawain once more. She tries to throw him off guard with a shield bash first, and only then does she swing the lance from the side with an explosive burst of mana on impact.
Hibiki Tachibana	"...Sheesh..." Flipping backwards and away after her punch to land back on the artificial ground, Hibiki isn't all that surprised to see that her punch didn't do much of anything. It's Persephone's way of both speaking to her directly and her mental chiming in along with it that's tripping her up, even though she's well aware of her ability to read her. She might be projecting a 'false' aura of menace, but those abilities of hers... Wait a second. "Wait, you--" Her arms momentarily come down a little bit to blink a few times. She never would have noticed that Sam actually pulled through, nor that Persephone was the one responsible for it, in all of that chaos if she didn't say so. Of course, she knows she's not lying. But getting her intentions picked up just like that and it being said so matter-of-factly still gets her to just stop and stare up at the Queen in Veils for a few seconds. Which is just long enough for their foe to repeat the same thing she's indeed seen before. The star is /way/ too big, even miniaturized, for Hibiki to get out of the way in time, and she only manages to get it back together fast enough to throw her hands out in front of herself in an attempt to hold it back - which fails completely as she vanishes underneath it. --Haha. You really are something else, Persephone. Thanks for helping him. Really. That's two times I don't know what would've happened if you weren't here... I almost don't even want to move to keep fighting after taking that...but neither of us want that. Besides, I know warmer sunshine than this...! Before the compressed star is gone, Hibiki bursts out of it in a blast of thrusters alongside a roar, closing the distance back towards the Queen in Veils. "So I'll play your game--!" Bercilak is striking along the earth, but she's going high again; her boosters shoot her like a rocket towards the torso of the towering doll, where she throws herself into a punch towards its center of mass with all the thrust she can generate behind it. This is followed up immediately with her opposite gauntlet abruptly transforming, doubling up in size as it replaces the internal piston with rockets and a whirling turbine. Said rockets immediately help her launch straight upwards back towards the Queen's head, unleashing a flying uppercut followed by the mechanisms slamming back together for a second impact that would definitely threaten to knock it off its feet with a direct blow, if it weren't for the telekinetic force anchoring it in place.
Redshift Operators	The gruff man is tossed bodily at the woman, his body spinning as he slams into her. "SHIT!" "Oh--!!" Her grace in movement strains as her muscles struggle with making sure the impact is minimally damaging to them both. It's likely he's about to bounce off a shield, though. He pulls into a tight roll and lands on his feet. Pulling up from the roll, the gunman starts to blast shot after shot from his shotgun, focused on Diaz, trying to force Gawain to be in two places at once. He'll find a way, no doubt, but it should force him to suffer buckshot and strain. The cyborg with the katana nods back to Gareth. The side opposite Gareth's swing is the one she swings from, trying to force Gawain to take heavy strikes from two ends! A synchronized pincer-strike of blades. The giant stares wordlessly at Sam. Wow! He thinks, that must be an important thing he's doing! Not sure what it was, but Red Giant probably should help! "Your choice, Samuel." Gravel churns. His steps out into the penthouse are audible through its entire structure and probably the one downstairs too.
Gawain	"Yeah. I'm not your Master - not interested in power over another person. You're free, Sir Gareth. But I still want you to help us. We're the heroes." Sam says as he prepares another shot. Gawain just shakes his head and sighs, but doesn't counter-argue, because...shotgun blasts! There's too many pellets to protect Diaz with only his body, so... Gawain throws his sword. It embeds into the TV as it blocks several blasts, the rest impacting straight with Gawain's torso, denting it further. The double explosive lance+katana pincer is what finally cracks him open, revealing flesh and underarmor. His sword in the TV... "I don't need it to fight you. Let's go toe-to-toe! Go home, Watchman! You're outclassed!" Gawain's fist suddenly surges with super-speed into Red Dwarf's helmet, before he sidesteps to slam an elbow into White Dwarf's gut. His final blow is a ducking uppercut to Gareth's jaw, trying to stagger her backwards! "Aren't you supposed to be a goddamn knight? Why are you protecting big business? What ever happened to justice!?" Sam shouts as he fires straight into Gawain's head. A hand goes up to catch the bullet, which he drops to the ground, once again refusing to hurt Sam. "These people can't be saved through death. I know he's not a good man. I saw the news. But...he can't change if he dies. His mind will never change if he's a corpse in the ground!"
Persephone Kore	There's really no point in feinting at all- I wouldn't cheat you if I could! Persephone's movements are slow and graceful, and so are the Queen in Veils'; it's easy to get the sense, whether from her mental "broadcast" or from her actions, that she doesn't want his attacks to meet with anything but success. So Bercilak's axe bites deep into the Queen in Veils' knee, and the followup blow further widens the gash, and she takes it with serene equanimity. It finds no bleeding hydraulics, no sparking electronics- just a solid ball-joint, with no inner workings to speak of. "Oh," she says, distinctly saddened. "So he's gouging for medicine, huh? That really is awful. You know, I needed medication for years and years. If we hadn't been able to afford it..." But even sobered, she weathers Hibiki's blows with that same wide-eyed appreciation. The center-mass punch jolts it hard enough to send cracks all the way around its torso, sending bits of the dress-like chassis spinning off into orbit; the followup to the head jolts its chin back, scattering more shards of white into the air. The pieces fall back into a spinning orbit around the Queen, circling it like a planetary ring, but it's slower to reform now- still reasserting its form against earlier injuries, it can't catch up to the newer ones. Awww. I know I am!! But you're really special too, Hibiki. Earlier, you were sad that you don't have many ways to help people, right? But what you have, I think it's wonderful. You're a performer, projecting your heart even more beautifully than I can! "So I'll make you both a promise," she says, levitating the Queen backwards off the floating meadow. "If me and Gawain win this... I'll convince Ryan Diaz to stop doing those awful things he does. I really, actually will. You can trust me on that, can't you?" But don't let that stop you from trying your best! Because it really is cute when you do. The floating meadow is broken straight down the middle and folded in half, hundreds of tons of dirt and rock shifted on a moment's whim. It snaps shut like the jaws of a flytrap, trying to slam Bercilak and Hibiki both between two vertical walls of grass ad flowers! But even then, the monumental pressure is gentle and kind- it's a hug, it's a sweet caress, it's destroying tension and inviting surrender.
Gareth	"That's pretty noble of you. I knew I put my faith in the right place!" Grinning confidently, Gareth readies her shield again as she tries to keep her pacing, although it's fairly apparent from the look on her face that she's already a little winded from trying to keep up with Gawain. "But really, you shouldn't be here anymore. You shouldn't waste whatever miracle saved you!" Sadly, Gareth probably won't be making the connection between Sam's survival and Persephone anytime soon. With Gawain tossing his sword into the TV, though, Gareth actually looks annoyed. "What? I told you not to take it easy on me! Rrr... Alright, then!" She tosses her own lance aside, conveniently leaving it within reach of Sam or Red Giant, then square up with Gawain as she gets her own fists ready! Alas, she's not quite as beefy as Gawain, and the difference in experience becomes quickly apparent when she's caught flat-footed and gets decked right in the chin. The blow nearly knocks her flat on her back, too, as it carries her off the ground momentarily from the impact. As she lands, however, Gareth moves right back into Gawain's space to grab for his head. "Kh... Don't forget, Gawain. I learned this from you!" And then swings her own head forward for a giant-ish headbutt, going straight for a forehead-to-forehead impact! It's probably going to hurt her more than it hurts him, though.
Redshift Operators	CRACK! The gruff man now has a heavy fracture in his helmet to match the giant's, and he reels away, spitting something into his blood-in-mouth-recepticle-device, which quickly decontaminates and ejects it from a front port. In about eight different possible futures, Gawain's elbow-slam knocks the ninja woman out in a single strike, and she only has time to pick the one where she's able to blunt the impact with her organic palm. "Ghhh!" If they're going this close-quarters, the gunman is at a slight disadvantage, but the cyborg is not. She sheathes her own blade, recognizing that she can't reliably force re-escalation. And then the cyborg ninja takes an intense, dramatic stance. Her robotic arm suddenly crackles with arcs of electricity. The metal of her fist begins to rattle. With her other hand, she discards her sheath, and forms a chakra-directing seal (though, of course, she has no unusual chakra to direct). Motors within her robotics rev, and surge... She breaks into a dash, using all her speed to make this a high-speed mega-strike, right as Gareth hopefully has Gawain reeling and on the defense from the headbutt! "SHINOBI PUNCH!!"
Rubi-Kan Vagrants	You wanna see what I can do? Hit me. Hard as you can. I'll live, bitch. On God. It isn't hostile at all, that thought--even 'bitch' is friendly, as odd as it may seem. He beats a fist against the massive harness which rests over his already substantial green machined plate and laughs, just in time for that earthen prison to smash him. There's no tension in him whatsoever. In fact... Fond memories to his forethoughts, and he makes no effort to hide them from her. Numerous fights with a shapeshifter strong enough to drink lakes and crack the earth, whose inescapable gravity crunched his bones, made his attempts to close in on her as difficult as Persephone's figurative gravity does now. And yet... and yet, hurling weights made ten, a hundred times more heavy at her, he was having the time of his life, in one such fight. He is enamored with that shapeshifter--and the two of them often express their fondness for one another with displays of brute strength and outright attacks. Metal creaks and groans, and though the Green Knight is buried in tons of earth, his bucket helm allows him to speak without swallowing dirt. "Harder," he goads, undoubtedly smiling behind that expressionless black visor. Grass roots grab onto his armor in dozens, hundreds, thousands, all intertwining, strengthening, thickening, carrying him through the earth at the command of his axe. "I profren contre-wise: he shalt halt not alon, but so als don ded-bote, as fits one so riched as he." Bercilak erupts from one side of the earthen prison in a violent spray of earth, roots and grasses, his armor bearing scores from the pressure that rapidly regenerate, similar to the Queen-in-Veils. Sweet of you to be gentle and all, but nobody ever got good from homie wins, you feel me? Dust off them hands, 'cause I always do. With a war cry to accentuate his thoughts, he takes to the air, his massive hoverbike crashing through Diaz' princely suite to meet him midair. Like an old friend, it greets him, and he makes a pass, attempting to ram its armored cow-catcher into the Queen. Bercilak does a half-roll, to clip the doll-jointed mech's waist with one of the rear motivators, then brakes a split second after torch it with that deafening, chest-thumping crack-crack-crack engine. Gunning it quickly thereafter, he flips an impressive shitty for such an unwieldy vehicle, coming back around with his grip on the axe choked all the way up. He attempts to smash the Queen's shoulder with the edge, using it as a punching weapon on his pass.
Gawain	Gawain goes into melee, but this turns out to be a mistake for two reasons. One, he gets headbutted, and it finally actually hurts! He staggers back, allowing the SHINOBI PUNCH (actually a kick???) to impact with his solar plexus, sending him onto the ground. He rolls over to shield Diaz again before they get bright ideas, as he'll slowly drag himself back up to fight once more. "A true ninja's power...able to hide their chakra...incredible!" He absolutely believes White Dwarf is now everything she'll ever say she is. Yep.
Hibiki Tachibana	...Yeah. I think it's wonderful, too. "But I still can't throw suns around," Hibiki follows up in a much more deadpan voice than her internal one, flipping back and briefly blasting her thrusters to hang in midair after the results of their attacks. She still, on some level, can't help but be jealous of what Persephone can do. But compared to last time, there's more confidence in herself pushing that down. Maybe because of that exact talk they had. That promise gets her to widen her eyes in surprise, however. She once again trusts that the other girl really, truly will without really needing to think about it that much. From everything she's spoken about and felt from her, Hibiki's not entirely sure if she /can/ lie. Especially after that moment of dejection when she replied to Bercilak... And then the landscape comes crashing in, literally. The Gungnir girl's head snaps between both incoming walls, and her reaction is immediate and thoughtless. "I'll be holding you to that one! Not that you're going to win--!" She turns in midair, and hammers her still-transformed gauntlet towards one of the walls. Just as it closes in. There's a few seconds where she's trapped within that smothering, comforting pressure. Then there's an explosion of dirt and flowers as she blows a gap right through one of them, as if to say no way that's going to make me give up, and the blonde haired girl emerges out of it to sprint up and along the opposite side. "And when we do, I'm seriously going to feel sorry for him after Bercilak gets ahold of him!" She leaps off when she hits the edge, towards the floating Queen in Veils. Where she goes to drive a flying knee into the same portion of its torso she rammed into earlier, and follow behind it with a series of whirling kicks and straightforward punches all aimed at the same point. Faster and faster with each one, until her limbs are a blur.
Persephone Kore	"Ahaha. You know, I've never met anyone who didn't want me to be gentle with them. Is it okay if I tell you that I'm scared?" That's authentic and sincere- she really does mean 'scared'. Bercilak's motorcycle-boosted axe-blow catches the Queen's shoulder neatly, baring the toy-like joint's inner workings to the light. The whole mech shivers slightly with the strike, but it's still held steady by Persephone's forces. Its head turns to follow him as he passes, forcing him to weave between its halo-curtain's slats, but its body language is still dreamily warm. It isn't that I don't think you're being honest. It's that I really don't know how. You know, I make things real just by wanting them to happen? And I don't know how to want to hurt someone. It just doesn't work. Hibiki's blows shatter plastic, bend metal, and finally rip the cockpit wide open. Even when she does, Persephone doesn't move to defend herself- the girl holds no obvious controls, instead leaning back cross-legged in a seat with her hand on her cheek. Her eyes are wide and delighted. I really, really am! "I knew you could do it, Hibiki! See, you really are special, haha. You broke right through! But is it okay if I'm not done fighting yet? Even if you cracked the Queen wide open, I just know there's still so much you can show me." Just for the two of you, I'll try to be less gentle, okay? A terrifying force bears down on both of them simultaneously, instantly pinning them to the concrete far below- Bercilak's ripped off his motorcycle in the process. Their bodies weigh far, far more than they should- the sidewalk beneath them is audibly cracking, being ground into dust; lifting a hand is nearly impossible, even with respective formidable strength. Even now, though, she can't quite forget how to be gentle. This force couldn't actually crack bones, but it could squeeze the will to fight out of them. It's a play-bite, a teasing shove, but injected with just a little bit more... frustration? And then, just a few seconds later, it subsides. Persephone sighs in exhaustion; the Queen in Veils descends to street level along with them. "Haha, sorry. I really couldn't keep doing that. I told you, I'm not strong enough to dislike anybody like that!"
Rubi-Kan Vagrants	"Sikerli," says Bercilak honestly, already coaxing the hoverbike into another pass. The helical lift generating device at the bottom rotates in place, allowing it to bank gracefully. Of course it's alright to be scared. "I shalt ilern thee," he says, as the crack-crack-crack of that engine speeds back up into the roar it makes at top speed. His axe is lifted--but Persephone's will yanks him from the bike. With no hands on the accelerators in that console before the seat, it soon stalls out into an idle, slowly drifting back to earth. Much more slowly than Bercilak. "God, god! Bahaha!" His body is pinned to the earth. Enjoyment radiates from him, even as his fingers crack concrete from the effort he spends attempting to struggle against her grasp. His massive harness bends and distorts unusually under her grasp, as if some sort of will were attempting to wriggle it, and the plates beneath it, out of her grasp. It is soft like sand one moment, hard like diamond the next--but it hardens too much, and cracks, under her force. Split like a walnut. Even without that huge harness, his armor is tough and he's massive. Green machined plates groan and creak under her pressure as he attempts to fight against it, until he realizes... He's got thrusters. It ends up causing him to scrape across the concrete, digging scores in his armor as fast as it can regenerate, the friction eventually causing him to catch fire--and that cloak of flowers and grasses with him. He laughs as his visor repeatedly spiderwebs and repairs itself, until... Until she steps out of her mech, and the fun rough-housing is over. Clearly, the two of them have very different ideas about this sort of thing. But it seems like she might understand how he sees it, given time, or perhaps a proper explanation. He stands, and the flames which engulf him die as if snuffed out by some invisible force. The last to go are the ones which stubbornly climb up his cloak. When these burn their last, the cloak grows back to its original length, as his armor mends itself one last time. "Ah, treuli... 'tis not aboute liken one ille. I shalt ilern thee, for thou nigh-on understond, methinks. As for Diaz..." [Vicinity] Persephone: ... You're right, though. About making amends. [Vicinity] Persephone: But he can't make amends if he's dead, can he? [Vicinity] Bercilak: Muchly the contre--swich wouldst be his ded-bote, wert I to enforce hit. Ak, I am bihowen to espy thine own enforcing. Forthy shalt mine axe be stil, anau. But hark--'tis thee, and not he, who shalt paie, shouldst he ifall ayen to ivel. [Vicinity] Persephone: I know! [Vicinity] Persephone: But he won't. [Vicinity] Bercilak: Bahaha. That we shalt espy, one yere hence. [System] Note added: One Year Hence
Hibiki Tachibana	The cockpit comes open, and the next punch Hibiki is winding up is halted in its tracks mid-pullback. Surprise is apparent, even in her face--when how the Queen in Veils isn't /actually/ piloted in the way she thought it was becomes clear, her eyes meeting the other girl's briefly. This really is basically just playing at fighting for her, isn't it? Wait. Less gentle...? The next thing she knows, she's out of the air and is instead forced back to ground level, eating asphault. It's not something that could truly inflict lasting damage, no. But the sheer suddenness of it, the overwhelming force gets her voice caught in her throat even where the heavy pressure fails to do so...no, not just that. The sort of emotion she can feel behind it. Hibiki can't help but wonder how much of that was genuine and how much of that was her forcing it, even after what Persephone says after the telekinetic force lets up. She remains floored even several seconds after that, body and spirit both struggling to pull themselves back together after that. "Ngh...you really...can't dislike anyone, can you?" Still, she slowly forces it. Her hands meet the cracked ground, and she forces herself back to a kneel. Then a stand, where she takes a few steadying breaths before tensing up her shoulders and starting forward. "Then...!" Since she knows the towering doll isn't even going to try and avoid, she doesn't need to rush. Step by step, she gets closer, managing to clench one of her hands back into a fist. It's pulled back--her muscles visibly tense up, and once she gets close enough, Hibiki twists her body into a heavy swing. A simple hook that'll try and collide with an undamaged portion of the Queen's leg, without any of the impactful machinery or roaring thrusters behind it. After which, Hibiki continues moving forward with the motion of her own punch and hits the ground again, falling onto her stomach beside the limb. "...Sorry. I just don't think I can give anymore...in a fight like this...haha..." Her voice is exhausted in the spiritual sense more than the physical. It's the truth, and she's content admitting that. "...Make sure you take care of that guy. But I know you will," she adds on the subject of Diaz, after Bercilak's one-year promise. He's sure he's going to keep that. There's a thought she can't help as she lets herself fully rest down against the sidewalk, though. ...Are you really okay having that much kindness for everybody else all the time, Persephone?
Persephone Kore	Hibiki's fist ought to blow right through the Queen in Veils' leg. Bolstered and puppeteered though it is, it's still only plastic and metal. Her lesser, rapid strikes could chisel through it; a wound-up hook like this ought to be even more dramatic. But your heart isn't really in it, is it? Ahaha. It's okay. I know the feeling. For a brief instant, the Queen in Veils seems as heavy and real as the entire world, and everything else is a hollow plastic toy. Spacetime bends and breaks around that impossible body. And Hibiki's fist, snagged by her momentary gravity, bends around it as if in orbit, meeting nothing but air. A moment later, the Queen in Veils shimmers out of existence, teleporting away- no doubt for repairs. Persephone drifts to the ground, hair and clothes gently fluttering; she looks tired, but her smile is undimmed. "It's okay," she says, walking over to place a hand on the resting magical girl's shoulder. "You can't really give your all in a fight like this, can you?" Just like I couldn't bear to fight for real. A struggle for power in absolute terms, and not a game between friends- I could never be like that. "Ahaha. You're too nice to really be mean to a friend, aren't you? But that's beautiful too." Hibiki can feel it, through that hand, when Persephone's whole body tenses up. It's exactly and precisely in response to that thought: "Are you really okay having that much kindness for everybody else all the time, Persephone?" It's utterly obvious that the answer isn't "yes". I want to be able to hold the whole world in my hands, and not dislike anybody. My heart and soul are in it. To make Sapient Heuristics' dream come true, I need to be. Persephone doesn't lie. But that's still not a "yes". "Maybe it's different for the two of us," she says, turning to Bercilak. It takes a moment for her smile to come back, but when it does, it's genuine again. "The way you felt... there wasn't any hostility in it, I think. Haha, you're better at 'playing games' than I am, aren't you? Better at fighting like friends should." "I don't know if that's something I can learn. But if it is, I'd love for you to teach me, Bercilak. I'd like that a lot." "For you, I can try to be brave." When she leaves, she leaves upwards, gently floating back up to the penthouse. Ryan Diaz is going to make amends. I can be pretty persuasive!!