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Post by Shard on Oct 29, 2009 0:34:35 GMT -6
It hurt. After it landed, that was the only thing that registered in the creature's mind. It really hurt. The crystal all over its body was beginning to show serious cracks, especially along its right side. There, however, the damage to the crystal was understated by the broken ribs poking through its chest.
Voices were shouting around it. It didn't know why. It tried to move its head to find out, but it had barely moved when its world exploded.
Drixel connected solidly with the creature's right hip, his initial attack breaking the pelvic bone all the way through. The shockwave that followed stripped the crystal and a good amount of flesh from the creature from the waist down. The back right leg was gone, and the left hung on stubbornly by flesh alone.
Not that the creature cared. It was too busy roaring and screaming at the same time, rage and pain and fear coursing through its every thought, every cell. The crystals remaining on the creature's upper body grew suddenly, but chaotically, spines extending from every surface at random angles as the creature's abilities responded to the shattering of its mind.
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Darzul
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Post by Darzul on Oct 29, 2009 0:50:23 GMT -6
"Sir, there's Riskan!" one of the soldiers exclaimed. Apek turned to look, and saw that he was laying on the ground near the demon, a chunk of rebar in his arm.
"Oh, crap," he said, concerned Maku would not be able to move before the angel hit home. Fortunately, he did, but the demon did not. The angel smashed into it with an immense amount of force, seemingly mangling its legs with the blow.
"Get an ambulance here," Apek barked at one of the soldiers. "And get the general on the radio," Apek said. "Tell him there's now an Omega Emergency and we need him on site ASAP."
The soldier paused. "Omega Emergency? Sir, I wasn't aware that designation-"
"Just do it, dammit!" Apek shouted furiously. "That's an order! And tell the chopper to lock weapons on the demon and wait for my mark," he added, looking at the unusual and unsettling transformation it seemed to be going through. Carbines probably weren't gonna cut it anymore, but assuming that the angel failed they still had to get Riskan out of there.
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Post by drixel on Oct 29, 2009 1:02:18 GMT -6
Drixel stumbled to his feet, blood running down his right arm. on his shoulder there was a large gash. Drixel stumbled only thing preventing him from falling to the ground as getting a hand on a near by building. his breathing was heavy.
he was able to pull out and coat his fist. Drixel's energy was nearly depleted. the rock on his hand soon fell off into rubble. Drixel looked and saw maku. "little help here." Drixel puffed out.
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Maku
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Post by Maku on Oct 29, 2009 1:07:16 GMT -6
Maku closed his eyes tightly as the shockwave blew rubble and dust over him and everything else in the area. He waited a moment, then heard a horrible noise fill the air, and assumed it was the creature. Drixel's plea reached him, but was very nearly drowned out by the screaming.
An irrational anger filled him for the second time that day. Rolling to his stomach and planting his right hand to stand, Maku got to his feet, swaying slightly before finding his balance. A scowl twisted his features as he walked around the crater Drixel's attack had made, completely ignoring Apek's new orders as he made his way to the front of the beast.
He clenched his right fist tightly, black lightning crackling up and down his right arm with increasing intensity as the creature continued to scream. Another flare of pain in his ruined shoulder caused his scowl to change to a grimace before his anger broke through again.
He'd had enough of this shit.
"SHUT! THE HELL! UP!!!!"
Pulling his right hand back, Maku dropped to his knees as he threw a punch right into the creature's mouth. All the energy he'd built up coursed through his fist, and directly into the creature's head and body.
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Post by Shard on Oct 29, 2009 1:12:25 GMT -6
For a brief instant, as the boy's fist had moved forward, Shard had fought his way back into control of himself. When he saw what was happening, however, he couldn't help but let the screams continue.
The screaming intensified as the beast's head began to crack and buckle, finally exploding as the energy from the boy's attack took its full effect. As soon as the lightning reached the beast's warped vocal cords, the screaming died, leaving only the sound of exploding crystal bones in the air as the creature's spinal column shattered.
Then, the sound died down, as the crystals that had grown throughout Shard's human body shattered, shredding what remained of the flesh. The beast and the spirit were no more.
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Post by drixel on Oct 29, 2009 1:16:31 GMT -6
Drixel let out a soft chuckle as he saw the head of shard explode. he looked over to Maku. "thanks for you help." he said holding his hand over the wound on his shoulder, blood still dripping from his fingers. "could we get me some medical attention?" Drixel asked.
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Darzul
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Post by Darzul on Oct 29, 2009 1:49:12 GMT -6
Apek heard what sounded like a mix between a small controlled demolition and the squishing thunk of a thousand stab wounds all at once. He looked at the demon's grotesque form, and saw it now appeared to be formed of pinkish crystals, the inside covered in blood.
"Riskan, that was amazing!" Apek declared, running toward him. The rest of the strike team followed, and Apek put Maku's good arm over his shoulder, holding on to his waist to help support him.
"Help him," he instructed the rest of the strike team, who promptly headed for Drixel to help him up. An ambulance siren could be heard in the east, an SUV motor in the west.
An SUV arrived before the ambulance, and then skidded, the rear end sliding until the driver's side faced the group. The vehicle lurched, then stopped, and Darzul emerged, looking concerned.
"Okay, captain, where's the Omega-"
Darzul's words then caught in his throat. Looking haggard and painful, and seemingly partialy constructed of crystal, an angel stood before him, held up by a few members of Apek's strike team. Apek himself was holding a young man, shredded badly and with pure black eyes, a piece of rebar in his arm.
The members not holding someone up promptly stood at attention, saluting Darzul. He lazily flicked a salute back at them, muttering "At ease." He then walked toward Maku and Apek. "So this was a real Omega," he said as the ambulance pulled up. "So, what happened? Talk to me, Onnie."
Apek smiled. "Truth be told, with the exception of private Riskan here," he said, gesturing to Maku with his head, "the team didn't do much. The private and this angel fought off what used to be a demon of some kind. It was a humanoid, armored with some sort of black crystal. Then Riskan charged his arm with some sort of dark lightning, punched it in the face, and that finished it off."
"He saved the city, Darzul," Apek continued. "I'm recommending him for a promotion, and both of them for the Medal of Selfless Defense."
Darzul nodded. "That's a big one," he said. "Get them into that ambulance, and make for that hospital on the double. I'll expect a more thorough debriefing once we get there."
He then stood next to Maku on the other side, gingerly draping his stabbed arm over his shoulder to help the captain move him along. "Dark lightning, huh?" he said. "In case you're curious, an Omega Emergency is a threat to the city and the army, of the supernatural sort. Onnie-I mean, captain Apek-thought I was being ridiculous when I added it to our designations." He smiled at the wounded warrior. "Shows what he knows, huh?"
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Maku
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Post by Maku on Oct 29, 2009 1:58:10 GMT -6
Maku cringed slightly as Darzul lifted his bad arm, but the pain of it being moved was more than compensated for by the relief of the pressure of its own weight. With a chuckle at both Darzul's comment, and the realization that the flaring pain had stopped, Maku replied. "I would've agreed with him, once, sir. The last year or so's changed my mind pretty damn solidly."
Glancing back to see Drixel carried off, Maku glanced back at the remains of the beast. A sudden sense of vertigo overtook him, and if Darzul and Capt. Apek hadn't been holding him up, he would have landed face-down on the ground from the sensation.
In his mind, he felt a large part of himself waking up, and somehow merging with the part that had been running his body. The real Maku was back in control now, but he knew everything that had happened to him over the last several minutes, and had a pretty good idea of why.
"I hate to get your hopes up, sir, but I think I've got some answers for you about that thing there. It's a bit of a complicated explanation, but I'm pretty sure it'll make sense once it's told."
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Darzul
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Post by Darzul on Oct 29, 2009 2:11:58 GMT -6
Darzul looked at the ambulance, and saw Drixel being loaded into it.
"Sorry I have to ask," Darzul said, looking at Maku. "But I think the ambulance is full. If you don't mind, we can lay you down on one of the benches on the APC and drive you there ourselves. Faster than waiting for another one to show up, if not quite as comfortable and without the medical equipment."
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Maku
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Post by Maku on Oct 29, 2009 2:15:06 GMT -6
Maku glanced at Darzul, the APC, the ambulance, back at the APC, and once more to Darzul. He gave a firm nod, carefully pulling his arms free of his superior officers.
"Not a problem, sir. After the day I've had so far, an uneventful ride in an APC sounds fantastic." He took a few shaky steps to test his footing, then started heading towards the APC.
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Darzul
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Post by Darzul on Oct 29, 2009 3:05:21 GMT -6
"You four, take that back to base," Darzul told a group of soldiers, gesturing toward the SUV once Maku had climbed inside the APC.
"The rest of you guys, get in the APC. I'll drive," Darzul told the group as they all packed into the vehicle, the 3 soldiers on the bench opposite Maku, Apek riding shotgun, and Darzul at the wheel.
"Don't worry, Riskan," Darzul said. "I can drive anything with wings, wheels, or sails, and most things without." He turned the key, and the APC rumbled to life. "And I can do it better than that ambulance driver." Darzul then drove toward the hospital.
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