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Marvel vs GYM!
A young man wanders the streets, a large paper bag in one hand... And a burger in the other, he'd glance up as he munches away, spotting a sign reading GYM and shrugging to himself.
"Alright! Some kinda fighting/training place from what little research I've done, perfect for a guy like me!"
He'd walk up to the door, staring it down for a moment... And attempting to kick it open, only for his foot to bounce off as the door holds against the might of a skinny teenager.
"OW!"
Cho sighs and simply opens the door like a normal person, walking inside and flicking on the lights as he looks around.
"Huh, nobody around for now. And I missed that tourney they've shown on the net, man is there any action?"
He'd finish off his burger, taking a seat on a couch and watching the door, curiously waiting to see if anyone appears.
A kid would show up opening the door of the GYM with a bored look on his face. He almost looked upset about something or disappointed.
"Tch, this place is boring so far. Not even a single monster to fight. How am I supposed to practice my new strategy if I can't find any enemies? Lame..."
He'd pull out a card from almost seemingly nowhere an somehow balance it on his hand before spinning it around. The card was blank with an X on the back but seemed to glow almost with a mystic light.
"Well, maybe I should head back soon and report that none were around this area. They told me they were getting all kinds of weird signals too..."
Cho's eyes perk up, cards? Are they some kinda magical nonsense or another. And no monsters to fight... The boy stands up and smirks toward this new entry.
"Greetings there! So I hear you too are looking for a battle yes? Well, the name's Amadeus Cho and I think we're the answer to each other's issue tonight! Though I must warn you now, I'm the strongest one there is!"
There's a cocky grin on the man's face as he wanders off to a sparring ring, clearly waiting for the kid to follow... And digging around in the paper bag to pull out some fries, munching away as he doesn't even bother to take things seriously.
*Hat Kid soon appeared on one of the chairs, seemingly like she teleport there but really she used the Time Stop Hat to stop time, enter the GYM and sits down on the chair before time returned*
(also ZA WARUDO) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ePWNmLP0Z0
The boy would look back at Cho with a cocky grin in return. He would follow over to the ring as well while returning the card to a small pouch on the side of his leg.
"Strongest there is? That's sure a coincidence because where I'm from I've already been recognized as the strongest human on the planet. If you don't mind fighting me with that in mind then I'd be happy to oblige.
Though its only fair that I warn you that I'm used to hunting things much larger and stronger than a human so don't blame me if you end up bleeding."
The boy would suddenly hold his hand out as four cards began to float out of his pouch and circle around his hand.
"Not a bad first hand, but maybe a little too good. Hey, who gets the first turn? I'd prefer it but that'll immediately put me at an advantage, just so you know."
So this guy fights with cards huh... Well then, let's see how the strongest human of his planet can deal with the strongest monster of Earth 616.
"Human huh? I'm many things, but my strength can't be said to come from my human side. Nah, I'm something else entirely in that regard!"
He'd tap a device on his right wrist, grinning as green radiation rushes out from it and engulfs him. After a few moments, his whole body and suit would have shifted to a far larger form. Green skin and huge muscles, far larger than any human. He'd laugh a bit as he hears the bleeding comment.
"Hah! Not many things can make the Hulk bleed, and even if it did... Eh, I can heal, this body's a heck of a lot tougher than anything human so I'd say it seems up your alley pal!"
As for the first turn, he grins at the boy and raises his right hand, pulling it toward himself back and forth.
"Anyway, I'll see what you've got! I'm sure there's some pattern to those cards, and I'm curious to see how quickly I can pin them down."
The boy would look a little surprised at Cho's transformation but he'd quickly like that look away and return to his cocky grin.
"Seems like this will be more like one of my normal hunts than I thought. Alright, I'm actually getting excited now! Time to start things off!"
Two of the cards would vanish in an instance in a respective burst of flames and ice. Quickly after, a new card would form in the boy's hands as he drops it to the ground. The card would sink into the ground before disappearing completely.
"The setup phase is all done! Now time for the game to begin!"
He would pull out another blank card like the one from before, before throwing it at Cho, aiming for his left leg specifically. The card would fly with a striking amount of precision and would, in fact, prove to be as sharp as a steel blade if it made contact.
Flames, ice, and something else? Hmm, the first two are obvious. But what does the last mean? No telling with the lack of data, but it's clearly by no means safe. Even so, the card rushing for his leg forces Hulk to act... Or it would if he cared, instead he'd simply stand there only for the card to slice into his leg and cause drops of green blood to ooze out for a bit.
"Youch! That actually stings a bit, unusual since bullets don't phase me and all but hey, I guess this is magic crap we're talking here and if I learned anything with Herc it's that magic is weird."
With that, Cho would blur into motion with inhuman speed. Leaping high up into the air and sailing across the field in an effort to get behind his foe, one might also note the wound sealing itself up as he does so. As he lands, the ground below would crack and rumble. Followed by a green blur moving forward and aiming to slam a fist into Mishiru, he'd strike fairly lightly for the moment, only applying enough force to send a small motorbike flying. Something tells him this kid is a lot tougher than he'd think at a glance after all.
"Now then, that's a bit of a warm-up ya know? Gotta see where things stand before I start bringing out the heavy blows and all!"
*Hat Kid watches the fight*
The noise coming from downstairs wasn't foreign to the man's ears, however, he was more annoyed at himself for leaving the door unlocked. The man takes a deep breath as he takes off his glasses. He begins to rub his temples as he exhales a long sigh.
"Alright. Let's go take a look at the damages."
He gives a wistful smile to a small plush figure with blue hair before rising from his chair, and donning his glasses once more.
The man slowly makes his way from his office a floor above down to the GYM itself. The scene before him as he stepped down the final step gave him an almost disgusting wave of nostalgia. It had been awhile since he last raised his blade, but he put that thought aside for now as he slipped in behind the juice counter. He propped himself up against the counter as he watched the large green man fight against the smaller challenger.
"Maybe it wasn't a mistake leaving the door unlocked. Heh..."
Mishiru would raise up another blank card as the one from before vanished. He would try to use the card to defend against the Hulk's fist but the sheer force of even one punch would send him back. He would almost seem to be falling too the ground just when he regained his balance causing him to slide across the ground slightly.
Despite the damage he's taken already though, he'd just look up with his same smug expression.
"That hurt quite a bit but you'll be in for a whole lot more pain now. Trap Card: Pitfall Activate!"
The ground beneath just where the hulk currently was and Mishuru had been before would expand almost immediately into a pit of sorts. The pit would seem to try and suck whatever was above it in. If something were to end up inside the pit it would begin closing around them in an attempt to trap their legs within and negate their movement.
Another card would also form out of thin air around Mishuru's arm, joining the others in their rotation. Mishuru would glance at it quickly.
"Oh, looks like I'm on a lucky streak. You should give up now before you end up getting hurt."
Two more of the card would vanish into thin air, one in a burst of sparks and the other in another burst of icy fragments. Another card would form in Mishiru's hand before he drops it into the ground.
A pitfall huh? This can be worked around... That smug look, kinda annoying, too much like Cho's own face if anything.
"Geez geez, pain's nothing new to me pal so don't expect me to just give up because of a little hurt! If anything, it'd only make me stronger cause this is getting annoying!"
He'd grow a bit larger, the cocky grin taking a slightly darker turn as Hulk begins to pull himself up from the ground. Absurd strength eventually allowing him to simply brute force his legs out of the trap, after smashing up a good chunk of ground. Of course, such a move would still take a bit of time even for the Hulk, giving his foe ample time to begin his next move no doubt. On the other hand, the pattern is starting to be worked out a bit... The "blanks" seem like traps, and Cho would take a good note of where this one had been placed.
"Still though, not bad at all. Most people would be flat on the ground after taking a punch like that! So you've got some superpowers too, means I'll need to hold back less from now on!"
*Hat Kid keeps watching the fight until she sees a man behide the juice counter. She would have noticed that he came from the front door, meaning either that man is a employ that lives here or the boss that lives here*
Mishiru would once again have another card join the rotation around his wrist, stacking up to two. He'd look over the card with an excited smile before it would quickly fade. His expression would show that he was thinking something over.
"Tch, had a killer strategy in mind with this draw but that would be a bit overboard and I'm not trying to kill anyone. I'll just draw this turn instead."
Mishiru would seem to focus for a moment before drawing three more cards from his pouch. With a little bit of effort, they'd begin floating around his wrist as well, adding up to five.
"I'll use my less deadly tactics instead. Let's go! Burn bright, X-Fire!"
He would quickly draw a flaming star in the air with his fingers before sending a ball of flames up into the air. The ball of flames would gently float just below the ceiling like a minature sun of sorts.
"Man, I hate using normal magic. It's so much less cool then using card magic but I have to let my hand build a little more."
A small, humanoid machine roughly the size of a child clinks its way into the building, climbing through the doorway along the wall and settling in a location slightly above the door, its red eyes glow faintly, so as to make its dark metallic body more easily noticed, and for the time being, it merely observes the four entities before it, primarily the two in combat
Flames sitting up in the air huh? There's something he can try and use here... Of course, there's no telling if it'll work. Even more so given he hasn't actually bothered to practice this, and that he's dealing with magic.
"A killer plan huh? I doubt I'd die from it, but there's no need to shoot to kill here regardless! Now then... Hope I've got this trick down well enough!"
Cho leaps up, a grin on his face as he sails toward the fire and even goes just a bit above it without slamming into the ceiling. At that, he'd angle his hands down toward the ground and quickly slam them together with inhuman speed and force. An incredibly loud sound would crack out through the air as a huge wave of air rushes from him and slams down toward the fire, assuming that it could be affected by physical force the flames would begin rushing down to the ground pointed away from Hulk. Aimed toward Mishiru If possible, if not, well he's about to get burned.
"Like my thunderclap? I don't have any fancy magic spells, but I do have enough raw force to just send the air rushing at ya!"
As soon as he lands and gains his footing Hulk would raise his hands up in a defensive stance. Eyes carefully watching his foe.
Soon enough, an unarmed teenager comes from upstairs as well, running a hand through his dark grey hair and looking over everyone, his expression a near permanent frown, his black eyes judging each person inside.
"Jeez, can't a guy take a nap in peace? What's with all the racket?"
He yawns and moves over to the counter, putting on a pair of black gloves and nodding to the other man there.
"Heya Sensei, wild morning, eh?"
The young man then sits down and places his arms on the counter, resting his head on them and continuing to watch sleepily.
Kalib looks down at the girl and her hat with what seemed to be a forced smile. It wasn't his usual fare, but he didn't seem to notice the change just yet. His protege's words would call his attention before he could dwell on it too long. He looks down at the tired boy and actually manages a warmer feel to his smile.
"When the unusual becomes usual, that's when things really start to get interesting."
He laughs softly to himself at his own odd words.
"A wild morning indeed, Eito. How have you been?"
Some of the flames would, in fact, bounce off the ball of fire but surprisingly they'd be weak and only capable of producing a small amount of heat Mishiru would have to block himself from the heat a little but all and all he'd be relatively unharmed.
He'd look up and laugh a little.
"Heh, that's what you get for trying to use my power against me without even knowing how it works. X-Fire is my signature spell, I'm no mage or anything so it barely has much power on its own but with a little extra power, it becomes a devastating force."
Another card would be drawn as it joins the other. Mishiru would sigh seeing the new card.
"Tch, can't employ my best fire card. I'll have to settle for something moderate. Summoning! Fire II: Fire Demon!"
Mishiru would hold up a single card that would be blank at first glance. Two cards from around his wrist would begin to burn up before seeming to fuse into the blank card causing a red figure resembling a demon's face to inscribe itself on the card.
A firey wring would circle around the card before in a flash of light the card would be gone and a giant worm-like creature with two strange growths coming from the sides of its head would appear. It would immediately rush forward, towards Cho and attempt to wrap itself around him before holding him close to the ball of fire. Its skin itself would feel as if it was on fire if it made contact with Cho's own.
The once shrunken ball of fire would suddenly begin growing exponentially in size as if it increases 3 times the size it once was.
"X-Fire reacts to my usage of fire-related magic. That includes summoning as well. Now, let's see how you deal with fire much hotter than what you threw at me before. X-Fire, burst out!"
The ball of fire would suddenly send out a volley of three fireballs directly aimed for Cho. They'd have no specific target as if shot out like a shotgun round.
*Hat Kid looks up at the ceiling and thinks about something for a moment before looking at the fight once more but her hat seemed to have changed into the Ice Hat*
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/a-hat-in-time/images/4/45/Icehat_icon_new.png/revision/latest?cb=20171012160915
Eito groans softly before sitting up and letting his head fall to his right shoulder with eyes closed.
"I'm in pain, my hair is greying and i'm always tired."
He looks up to his teacher and grins, his eyes changing to a milky white.
"Is this what being old feels like?"
Stupid ass magic! Granted he can't complain about defying physics too much given what he is... Still, it's annoying as hell! But in hindsight makes perfect sense, rather than thinking of it like physics, look at it as the card game it actually is and this combo makes perfect sense.
"I see, so it's a combo deck of sorts huh? Setting up traps to make getting close hard... That killer plan, even this basic magic that combines with your cards. It all builds on each other? Or that's what I'd guess anyway."
And now there's a giant fire worm, wonderful... The urge to simply smash is growing a bit. But that won't get him anywhere. Instead, he'd leap up once again, the rush of the worm flying into his legs as he does so, bits of skin sizzling and burning away as Cho winces in pain. Even so, he'd aim to crash straight down onto his foe and attempt to grab hold of the boy in one hand.
"Hope ya don't mind being manhandled a bit, size is a great edge sometimes!"
Assuming he was able to grab hold of the boy, Cho would aim to hold him up in the path of the flame orbs. Not caring overly much if the heat hits himself, as long as he's able to make his enemy take more damage. As for his other hand, he'd finally reach down and smack out the flames on his leg, groaning despite his inhuman toughness. Sweat dripping off him as he pants a bit.
Kalib laughs as his student recounts his recent events.
"I certainly hope not. That sounds much more troublesome than I expected. And hopefully it's just a temporary thing, I'm not paying you enough to have retirement funds set aside just yet!"
He puts a hand on Eito's left shoulder with a thin smile.
"Plus, I can't let you die before me after all."
Mishiru would be unable to do anything about being grabbed, except the floor would begin glowing as Cho approached.
"Just in time, my trap was about to break too but you decided to get close. I put this one down a little while ago but now I'll get to trigger it! Trape Card: Barbed Wire! Activate!"
From beneath where Mishuru and the Hulk were standing a set of barbed wired would rise from the ground and attach to the sealing. They would create a gap between the Hulk's arm and Mishuru as the boy would attempt to get away hoping that the wires would be enough of a deterrent.
While doing this, another card would appear around his wrist. He'd look it over briefly.
"This might work out well...Just need a good position to use it in."
"I would support paying me more, then. I need more weapons!"
Eito chuckles softly, absentmindedly tightening the gloves on his hands, only to stop as Kalib touches his shoulder and speaks. He tenses up and his eyes instantly turn to a glowing crimson as he turns to stare at Kalib in the eyes.
"Don't say that. You never know what might happen."
Eito then shakes his head and blinks rapidly, his eyes turning green and overlooking the battle again, this time in silence.
The barbed wire hurts a tiny bit, and it'd slow his arm down for about a single second. Before he quickly tears through it. Might rip out some of the roof too, who knows with this magic crap? Sadly, the slight pause is also enough time for the flames to slam into him, setting Cho alight as he mutters a curse and feels his skin burning away.
"Not bad, but not enough to slow me down for long... And hey thanks for the tip! I wasn't sure if they had time limits up till now, so I'll keep that in mind for future calculations!"
Good info to have. As for his next move, he'd get further away at this point. To be exact, he'd look around the ring for a bit before spotting a fire extinguisher. With a smirk on his face, Cho'd rush for the thing in a blur, quickly taking hold of it before leaping up into the air and staring at the ball of fire. As he sets off the device, he'd use it on himself for a moment, flames crackling away and being battered down by the device. Just as suddenly as he started, however, he'd toss it with incredible force aiming to slam it into his foe's upper chest, assuming it hit the bits of foam still rushing off it might leave the boy a bit distracted.
"Uh, if anyone here's the owner don't sweat it! I'm perfectly willing to pay for that if you guys need!"
The ball of fire would be extinguished completely along with all the other flames.
The fire extinguisher would slam directly into Mishiru causing him to be winded for a moment but despite this, he still held a single blank card up as he began gasping for air. Three of his cards all at once vanished in a burst of icy fragments as they fused into the blank card. A circle of cold aura began forming around the card as the blue image of a dragon inscribed itself onto the card.
Finally recovering Mishiru would begin to regain his breath.
"...I-I've still been through worse than that. Y-you've set yourself up now though. That foam you sprayed yourself with. I bet it's really cold, right? Well, I have a friend who knows a little something about the cold. Summoning! Ice III: Frost Dragon!"
The card would glow with a bright blue light that would cover the area before a large figure began to take form. Its skin would be blue with a cold aura surrounding it. Icey spikes would cover it back as it crawled forth.
"N-now, Frost Dragon, attack!"
The dragon would open its mouth as the cold aura began to condense within it. A ball of white seemed to be ice would begin to form as it shot it out at a high speed. The ice ball would be aimed directly at Cho. If it missed it would hit the ground below Cho causing the very air itself to begin freezing, forming a glacier where the arena once was.
"I'll have a word with Em and Tatsuya. I'll see if they can get you a better discount at the Armory."
Kalib felt Eito tense up so he quietly waited for the next words to come from his student. The change in his eyes forced Kalib to think for a moment. Those words held weight.
"You're right, Eito."
He pulls back his hand and scratches the back of his head.
"I won't ever be able to see the future. So I can't say things like that for certain... but so much has changed Eito. The situation itself has changed without me even noticing. I'm not even a player in my own story anymore."
A sad laugh escapes from his lips before he continues speaking.
"I'm not the man I was before Eito. When I first arrived, I was so greedy for power in order to beat the asshole who brought us here because I wanted out... but somewhere along the way... I started to see this world as a nature reserve or a sanctuary. My power had a reason to exist, because I wasn't fighting for myself anymore, but instead to protect everyone I could reach."
He holds up his right hand without even looking.
"Persona."
Nothing appeared.
"And now I have nothing Eito. I reached my hand out too far, and I had my power ripped away from me for it."
Kalib quickly wipes away tears forming in his eyes before continuing.
"Look... I don't know what will happen next. But I figure you deserve to know what happened before."
Aw crap, this stuff would freeze pretty easy that's true... And he's turning the whole damn ring into ice, there's no good way to engage the kid from here. So instead...
"Impressive I must admit! But I'd say we're getting a bit too cold in this battle."
Despite his best efforts to dodge, the ice ball would slam into Cho's right arm and leave it frozen in moments. He'd sigh and rub the back of his head with his left hand.
"All bad puns aside, I'd say we've both gone about as far as we need to in this one wouldn't you? I could keep going to be sure, and I'd bet you can as well. But we're not trying to fight for our lives here man! So I'm fine calling this a draw... And maybe I'll go grab a bite to eat, as soon as I thaw out this hand.''
With that, his transformation ends. The man smirking over at his "foe" and simply casually walking toward the counter... Huh, nifty little talk there. Well, for now, he simply leans on the counter and grins a bit.
Eito turns his head to stare at Kalib, his right hand is shaking, his eyes shifting through colors rapidly. He fully turns around and-
"Hahahahaha..."
He starts chuckling. He places one hand on his right shoulder, running his other hand through his hair.
"I don't think that's any reason to worry. It just means that you're at a new beginning."
He extends his right hand slowly.
"Persona!"
In a burst of blue flames, a large figure appears, the walking set of hellenic armor covered by a red cloak kneels in front of the two.
"I started without Odysseus. I started without weapons. I started without training. I started with nothing, yet here I am now!"
He walks next to Kalib and reaches around his shoulders.
"Why bother with the present when you can look to the future?"
*Hat Kid looks at Eito and Kalib, soon takes a mental note on what they are saying*
During Kalib's little speech, the small device clinging atop the door frame turns to him for a moment, its eyes flickering and refocusing to better watch. It pauses, no longer paying attention to the fight, before slowly climbing down onto the floor. It looks up to Eito's Odysseus, though of course as a machine its utterly expressionless
Kalib finds himself laughing after everything Eito said. A slow, painful, and lonely laugh. He finally calms himself as he looks towards Eito with tear drenched eyes.
"A new beginning, huh? As a man, or a monster?"
His face was twisted in pain as he considered the hope his student was trying to offer.
"No matter how many times I try... I always do more harm than good. And especially the other me... this new beginning might not even be mine. I'm terrified Eito. The future is terrifying..."
His voice began to shake as he finishes speaking. He takes a few moments to catch his breath and try to dry his eyes, both to no avail.
"There isn't a future for me. That's what my body tells me. Every ounce of my being is terrified to take another step, because if I do... I might just fall apart. I might stop being me."
Eito raises one eyebrow at Kalib and shrugs, Odysseus rising.
So what? The future may be terrifying, but that's just what makes success so satisfying."
He walks over to his Persona and looks up at it, as if searching for inspiration in it's empty helmet as Kalib spoke.
"I trust you. You're better than me at this whole thing, so I know you won't change, because you're better."
Eito once again turns around to face his teacher, his eyes glowing a bright red as he smiles.
"After all, you can't be a monster. That's my role!"
Wow, this all hits just a little too close to home for Cho. He can't help but think about his own monster, and where exactly that power might lead... He'd chime in, his usual cocky grin replaced with a somber frown.
"I'd know a thing or two about monsters, and while I doubt ours are the same thing... I can say this much, be a human. Even if it damn near kills you, don't ever just be the monster."
He'd stand up, no longer leaning on the counter and beginning to walk toward the door.
"The future is always spooky sure, but hey that's fine! It's all about figuring out the pattern, and how to make that pattern go the way ya want. Future isn't set in stone, so make something from it you want."
Might stop being himself... Yes, Amadeus knows that feeling all too well.
"And just remember, you can always keep being yourself! As long as you know who that is anyways, for example. I'm the seventh smartest person in the world! Just keep in mind whoever you are dude."
And with that, Amadeus Cho departs for good. Adjusting his suit and tie as he walks away into the morning light.
Mishiru after taking a momentary break from all the spells he had cast during that spar would finally feel as though he recovered. Having overheard the conversation, he wasn't too sure what to make of it.
"All you people talking as if you know the future. Nobody knows what's going to happen in the future, well, except me but naturally, I know how to cheat any system.
That's what playing with cards is all about."
Once again, a small, black device takes perch on top of the GYM's counter, its dark metallic exterior stands out against the somewhat brighter GYM background, though it remains so motionless those who are unfamiliar with the place might simply mistake it for decoration
Mishiru would be sitting on a bench against the wall shuffling what seems to be a deck of blank cards. Despite his age, he seemed to almost be a master at throwing the cards around without letting any of them drop or even letting the deck itself get messy.
His expression was that of a bored child waiting impatiently for something to interest him.
"Tch, still on standby. This sucks, how long is it gonna take HQ to identify those signals. Back home it wouldn't take them this long. Whatever, I'll just keep thinking up new strategies in the meantime."
@ Mishiru "wanna go?"
Heat signature detected. Rebooting.
A rather high-pitched and cheerful voice emanates from the black, humanoid device. Its red eyes open, looking up towards the sound. The device hops off of the counter, scrambling closer to Mishiru
Signature identified, you're one of the combatants from last night. Seemed to enjoy it quite a bit too. Is this considered normal in this society?
"not really.." seeing that mish fell asleep he decided to answer "these battles are usually for training purposes, though some take joy in doing so." the boy stops for a moment and asks "is there other stealth and reconnaissance units like yourself, Uno? "
Training, huh? That sounds nice.
*Kai enters the Gym, hands in his pocket and lit splint in his mouth. He glances at the others before taking a seat.*
Guess the bar's closed. Kinda lame, but whatever.
*the boy then notices kai* "hey, you there, wanna spar?"
Depends if ya can keep up with me or not, kid.
*Kai smirks.*
Cause I'm not entirely sure you can.
the boy's whole demeanor changes "Your corpse could never" and summons a skeleton warrior
(edited by Alex_Liang)
*Kai sighs and leans back on his chair.*
Ooh. Edgy. Ha. Ya should grow outta that, kid. People'll just laugh at ya more than they'll take ya seriously.
Requesting number of similar units, one moment please
The device freezes for a few seconds, before blinking a few times and standing up
There are several stealth and observation unit model Unos, the model number is applied to all units of similar build and function. Uno is simply an identification number for the first design, and the first sent into an area. The current number of active Uno units is 6.
Uno pauses for a moment, processing further before taking a few steps back
Factual inaccuracy found. Recent observations show combat being used primarily as a form of entertainment, the more brutal, the generally more positive audience response. Such as the ongoing tournament, there have been 5 rounds, usually ending in a near-death experience for the competitors, much to the crowd's delight.
*summons some skeletons and imitates Kai* "Ya still sure about that?"
That supposed to be insulting? How old ARE you exactly?
*Kai gives Uno a slight glance before closing his eyes and rocking on his chair.*
More bots. Tch. What happened ta doin your own dirty work?
Mishiru would notice the strange device with a bit of surprise. He would look more closely at it before responding.
"Are you...a robot or something? Guess this still isn't the most bizarre thing I've seen, still pretty up there though. Not sure if combat is normal here but where I'm from fighting is my job. Might as well have fun with it, that's why I chose these cards as my weapon.
What better way to enjoy fighting then making a game out of it? Much easier to win a fight if you think of it as a game."
A young boy walks in wondering what all the commotion is to find 2 guys looking at one another like they wanted to kill who they were facing. Huh... this might be fun.
"Before I answer rudely, what kind of accent is that? Brooklyn? As for my age, nunya, as in none ya business!" (the boy looks about 13 years old).
Ya didn't answer my question. Why should I answer yours? The world is built on give and take, kid. A Nameless Nobody like me knows that better than everyone. You don't get shit for free.
"fine. 12"
Ha. I knew ya were a damn brat, but seems your even worse than I thought. A little old to be on the battlefield, me thinks. Though, I suppose their are worse ways to learn life skills.
*Kai chuckles to himself, scratching the back of his head.*
Still, I don't fight kids less the deserve gettin beaten. You should hit the road before that happens.
Uno turns back over to Kai, eyes solid, there's really not that much more I can say about a traditional robot
When operating over a wide area, or within enemy territory, it is highly practical to send expendable units over ones of real value. That way if any irreperable damage occurs, nothing is lost.
With that said, Uno turns around and focuses its attention on Mishiru, eyes blinking to refocus as it continues in a cheerful, if monotonous voice
This unit is designated stealth and observation unit Uno. You speak as though you are some kind of soldier, yet are also a little young. This is not entirely unheard of, though usually in their own specialized units.
Uno focuses on the deck in Mishiru's hands, though it can't detect much of anything from it, having observed last night's combat it is fully aware of their capabilities
Even so, making a game out of it is virtually unheard of. I am... Unsure of what to think about it.
"yeah, fat chance of that happening." in order to convince him that he's a challenge enough he decides to create a circle of fire around himself
The boy listens to the 2 men argue. Creepy. Oh yea. This will be fun.
That's why we Nameless Nobodies exist, robo. Expendable armies for hire. Still, if a weak fool wants to hire behind a mass produced army, I suppose you toy soldiers can work.
*Kai barely glances at the ring of fire. He simply snaps his fingers, causing the ring to extinguish.*
Pyrokenisis. Ya wanna impress me, use something a bit more fierce than a few embers.
the boy, suprised that the ring just dissapears, decides to use new tactics. this time he decides to summon a group of 4 minotaurs and commands them to attack
(edited by Alex_Liang)
*Kai seems to fall asleep in his chair, snoring. It would seem that Alex is boring him.*
a group of minotaurs swarms kai and attack
Mishiru would notice Uno's confusion. He was unsure how much he should actually talk about but it wasn't exactly like his profession was the biggest secret in his own world.
"I guess you could say I'm a soldier. I even worked alongside the normal military at one point but the company I'm employed with deals with very specific kinds of threats. Most of it is a preservation of humanity kind of deal so I guess you could say I'm also humanity's savior."
He'd once again return to his overly confident and smug grin.
"Well, there's no need to be scared of a grin so I guess it was originally a coping method but I don't need something like that anymore. Not like every battle is a game to me but when most of my opponents are too weak to pose a threat I can't help but treat them like that."
*Kai opens an eye. Lazily, he takes his splint from out of his mouth and breathes out a stream of fir, engulphing the minotaurs, before placing the splint back in his mouth and reclosing his eye, returning to "sleep"
Boring.
the boy, shocked at the dissapearence of the minotaurs, ups and....dies he drops to the ground dead
Tch. Greenhorn. So bored. I'm gonna find a job to do. Some rich old bastard is always ready to hire a Nameless Nobody to kill something for em.
*With a yawn and a stretch, Kai gets up and leaves.*
The device stares back at Kai silently for a moment, as though in some mode of thought, before merely shaking its head and turning its attention back to Mishiru, its red eyes refocus before it speaks again
Before continuing further, I would like to put forth a proposal. There are two unit Dues designated to investigate in case of any accidents that may occur to each Uno. If you so desire, I can call them now to offer an opponent. As machines, you can tear them apart as brutally as you like with absolutely no consequences. More can always be built, and it may be worth using them for a test
Mishiru would hesitate for a moment at the proposal. He wasn't too sure why they would propose such an exercise but as far as he could tell there was no harm in it.
"A match where I can go all out? Sounds interesting, it's been a while since I've had a fight like that.
Alright, I'd be game for it. I'm kinda curious what fighting a machine is like anyway."
Understood, one moment please.
Uno looks up, blinking for a moment as it waits. A few minutes later, a scrambling sound can be heard outside of the GYM, before a pair of much taller humanoid devices enter the door, one at a time. Their black metallic bodies are for the most part, streamlined to enable unimpeded movement, with a few odd design choices. Their heads are shaped like a somewhat pointed helmet, long red plume flowing from the back of them, complete with three long shoulder spikes reaching shortly past the top of the helmets. Rather than hands, the devices have long, light blue swords that seem somewhat transparent, almost as though made of colored glass.
(or instead of relying on all that, you can use my background image as reference for a Due)
As the two devices enter, Uno scrambles back to the counter to announce
Initiate mission: Objective, target elimination.
Without waiting any further, the two Dues split up one circling to the left and one to the right of Mishiru, aiming to force him between the pair before rapidly approaching
Mishiru would look over the two before bringing his hand up. Four cards would float out of his card pouch before beginning to float around his wrist. He'd first quickly glance over the cards with a bit of confusion.
"This is a weird starting hand. Whatever, I guess I'll start by doing this."
He'd hold up a blank card as two the cards floating around his wrist would fade away in a burst of sparks and ice shards. The blank card would begin glowing before he dropped it to the floor below, allowing it to sink into the ground.
He'd hold up another blank card and throw it with precision to the Dues to his left. He'd aim for one of its legs, hoping the card could cut through and impair its movements.
The left Due tries simply stepping around the card, avoiding getting its leg totally sliced through, instead a gash is ripped through it, showing an almost complete lack of wiring inside. The Uno comments
Initial contact, attempts to cripple or disable the unit rather than swiftly destroy.
The right Due continues its charging unimpeded, once in range it would spin in an attempt to slash at Mishiru's torso horizontally
As for the left Due, its somewhat damaged leg would slow it down enough to prevent it from arriving on time with the right one, a few seconds after the right one attacks, the left would flip towards him, bladed arm extended for a vertical slash
As the left approached Mishiru the ground would almost immediately begin glowing. Mishiru would smile smugly as he pulled out another blank card.
"Trap Card: Barbed Wire! Activate!"
A set of barbed wires would extend from the floor and attach to the ceiling in order to both entangle the right Due and keeps its attack from connecting.
Hoping the barbed wires would be enough to keep the right Due from attacking Mishuru would focus his attention on the left trying to block the blade with the card in his hand. The card would somehow be as hard as steel but it was uncertain whether or not he could defend against the blade fully.
Another card would join the rotation around Mishiru's other hand. Two of the spinning cards would disappear once again, one in a burst of flames and the other in a burst of sparks as a blank card would float out of the card pouch and drop into the floor beneath him.
"Doubt this one will do much but better to at least try to set something up than to not."
The "dead" boy wakes up, fully alive and starts to watch tha battle
The right Due spins right into the trap, entangling its limbs in the barbed wire, though its hardened armor wouldn't be harmed by the barbs, it is forced to take time shredding apart the fence rather than attacking, giving him a few moments with just the injured Due
As for the left Due, the force of all its weight and momentum would slash down onto the card, even though it is as hard as one might expect from a blade, the card does little more than slow its slash down before cutting the card in two, edge of its blade just short of Mishiru, the device doesn't waste any time in thrusting the point of its left blade towards the device on Mishiru's wrist in an attempt to pierce it
Mishiru would be powerless to stop the blade from reaching his shoulder. The blade would pierce it causing him to have to move back a bit, right up to where the barbed wires still were. An immense amount of pain flowed through his arm but he'd only let out a wince.
"Tch, t-that hurts...b-but I've still felt worse. Targetting my arm makes this game much harder but if I didn't have a way to deal with being short an arm then I'd already be dead."
Finally Mishuru would brace his legs as energy could be seen visibly flowing through his body. With one swift jump, he'd suddenly be capable of traveling several feet in the air, all the way up to the ceiling. He'd have made his leap leftwards to get away from both the barbed wires and the left Due.
Another card would float out of the pouch on his leg and begin moving around his wrist adding to a total of two cards.
He'd quickly move his one good arm through the air quickly drawing a star that seemed to glow with a subtle blue light. The star would vanish as what seemed to be a chunk of ice formed and began floating near Mishiru's head. It seemed to be giving off an icy mist that would begin cooling the boy down.
The left Due immediately attempts to follow him, preparing to spring, only to find its injured leg leaving it slashing the air a foot beneath him. Upon realizing its inability to reach, it instead moves to assist the currently tangled right Due, both devices slashing through the barbed wire until the right one is finally freed, with only minor cuts from the other's blades. Once both are freed, they move several feet apart, circling around Mishiru like wolves searching for prey. The Uno on the counter notes
It seems you are far more suited for a single-combat scenario. Based on yesterday's performance I doubt a single Due would have brought any trouble at all, yet it didn't take long for two of them to gain the upper hand
Another card would float out of the pouch as Mishiru lands on the ground. It would join the other adding to three total. The icy aura around Mishiru would begin glowing along with the chunk of ice. He would seem more energetic than a second before as if the pain was starting to be numbed, however, his injury from the stab wound didn't seem to get any better.
"I just had a bad hand is all, well, until now. Hopefully, I don't regret this but I'll be spending my all my cards at once!"
Suddenly, all three cards would fade at once, each exploding into sparks. Mishiru would slowly struggle but begin to move his injured arm only somewhat hindered by the pain. He'd lift up a single glowing blank card which would begin to become inscribed with the yellow icon of a dragon.
"Summoning! Lightning III: Storm Dragon!"
The air would spark with electric currents around the card as it would emit a blinding flash of light. In the cards place a large dragon would appear. It would look akin to any dragons from legends that one might've seen before, with a set of four arms and wings. Its body was covered in yellow scales as it glared down the two Due and let out a roar similar to thunder in a lightning storm.
Mishiru would point the beast towards them as if to give an order to attack.
The dragon would charge up briefly before breathing out a stream of lighting aimed at both the Due. The lightning would electrocute and paralyze the Due if such a thing was possible.
The two unit Due split up, so as to spread the electricity out more when it strikes them, they pause for a moment after being struck, as though merely surprised, before beginning to move towards the Storm dragon. Well before they get there, the Uno interrupts
Cancel Mission. Return to base for repairs.
The two Dues freeze in motion, before standing straight and scrambling towards the door, returning to wherever they came from. As for the Uno, it jumps down from the counter and approaches the arena again
Even towards the end you made no efforts to destroy the units, even though I gave you permission. Why is this?
Mishiru would look back and sigh. His expression was a little tired as the icy aura continued to try and negate his pain.
"I don't decide what cards I get, it's all luck of the draw. Besides, I'm not the type who's tactics revolve around brute force. Lightning cards were all I was drawing so I have to work with them to the best of my ability."
Fighting machines certainly wasn't something he was used to either. Usually, he thought things that were much less resistant to his abilities.
"I don't think I actually have too much to deal with metal armor. Maybe some fire cards would've worked if I could get a fire dragon out but that would require drawing three fire cards."
The Uno tilts its head, of course, as a machine it can't really be thinking that much, its voice rings out as ever
Your combat style.... Is based on randomness? That seems.... Inconsistent. So your claim is that you were simply unlucky and thus unable to cause serious harm to the devices. Yet early on you didn't attempt to strike anywhere that might be considered mandatory for the device's function, rather than going to disable its core or remove a limb, you attempted to slow down one of the Due in order to prevent them from reaching you at the same time.
But ultimately that is unimportant. Do you mean to say that if things had worked out more in your favor you would have gladly melted down the two units? Just like in most combat scenarios
The Uno ends with this question, staring directly into Mishiru's eyes as though looking for something
Mishiru would almost feel uncomfortable with the line of questioning but would answer to the best of his ability anyway.
"Something like that, I have a lot of options based on the cards I draw but if my opponents have certain resistances I'm not prepared for then it can get a little more difficult.
Well, I won't lie, artificial beings and me have a bit of a history and typically I don't go out of my way to destroy something unless it's a threat to humans. I'm not sure what answer you want from me other than that. There's only one type of creature I truly wish to kill and that's it."
His voice almost seemed to lose its smug nature for a moment as if by just mentioning artificial beings he already was pained in some way.
"Mind if I ask you something? What were you programmed to do or what's your goal here?"
Uno straightens up somewhat, fiddling with its hands in a very much unrobotic fashion before letting out some kind of generic answer
Stealth and Observation Unit Uno is designed to observe and analyze the world around its creator so that they can come to their own conclusion and issue orders for units Due and Tre accordingly. As for Due... Well, they don't exactly look like they were designed to hug kittens, do they?
Though the device can't alter its tone or pitch in any significant way, that last question almost seems sarcastic. Given the shoulder spikes and plumage, in addition to Uno's horns, they almost looked like demons
Mishiru wouldn't be too sure what to make of that answer. It seemed suspicious that their creator needed an observation unit to observe the world for them.
"Well, it's none of my business I guess. As long as humanity itself isn't threatened it doesn't fall under part of my job. Though, I am kinda interested in meeting this creator of yours.
Can you tell me what they're like at all or would that be against your programming? I'm always interested in how different organizations operate."
The Uno tilts its head, finally cutting the high-pitched, cheery voice module for a lower, feminine on, a slight chuckle emanates from the device
You're already speaking to them. I took direct control over this unit a while ago when it became apparent there would be repeated need for my input, otherwise we would have had to wait as it replayed the scenario for me and allowed me to respond over and over again. None of these units have minds of their own or anything, they merely act as mediums under my direct or indirect supervision.
I haven't met anyone in person in a long time. Far safer to simply use disposable devices like this one to communicate
Mishiru is a bit thrown off by the sudden change in voice but quickly begins to understand as the voice speaks. He would quickly look over Uno as if wondering if it really had no mind of its own.
"I guess I could understand wanting to be safe. so, were you using the fake voice before to also protect your identity?
I'd imagine that's the reason for most of the units though that just makes me more curious. It seems like you're trying to accomplish something that requires you to keep who you are a secret."
The boy would suddenly realize that perhaps he's being a bit too inquisitive.
"Ah, sorry, I must sound like I'm being suspicious. Sometimes I get a bit caught up in overthinking things. Whatever it is your trying to do, as long as no one who doesn't deserve gets hurt, it's not my business. Going even further, maybe I could even help out if you need it. I have resources of my own."
The Uno unit shakes its head, continuing on after returning to the cheery, prerecorded voice
Negative, this voice module was recently installed in all unit Unos to allow communication without my direct supervision once I decided communication would be necessary. It was chosen to be friendly and endearing in hopes of counteracting their intimidating exterior features.
Uno absentmindedly scratches the back of its head, before continuing on
Earlier I was testing your willingness to destroy, an unfortunately common human tendency. Though you claim such results to be inconclusive on account of misfortune, I disagree. Otherwise I would not deign to speak to you now. As I said before, I wished to take a look at the people here before making a decision based on the results
Mishiru was unsure how to respond to that. Was he really that unwilling to destroy something. He would be brought back to countless experiences in the past during his missions. He seemed to recall that a majority of the time his missions were to destroy a specific creature but whenever he had to fight anything besides such creatures he would always hesitate to use anything more than his traps to hinder them.
"I still think it depends on what I'm fighting. There are some things I can't afford to let get away. But even if they are just machines they were only acting on orders for a practice fight. I guess the game thing might just be an excuse not to bring out everything I have."
The line of questioning began to make him question his own mindset in regards to most things. Were his battles even ever for the purpose of destroying? It was a bizarre question with an obvious question. He only ever thought because he felt he had to. There was always hesitation in his eyes when he was faced with an unnecessary battle. That's why it was a game because there were no consequences that needed to apply.
The Uno pauses for a moment, before closing its eyes, after a few moments pass, it only has one more remark
You have a good heart. Maybe we'll end up meeting after all. Assuming the world doesn't make you regret it first.
With no more than that, the Uno moves for the door, down on all fours like some kind of animal as it returns to autopilot, apparently satisfied. As for the creator, in many ways its different from where they came from, though only time would tell how much so. If nothing else, there are things to consider
The boy stands in a corner of sadness extremely confused on what just happened.