Ambassador Torkie
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St. Thomas More Pray For Us || Don't Tread On Me
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Post by Ambassador Torkie on Aug 21, 2018 22:26:16 GMT -5
THIS IS A TEST POST=CHAPTER 8B: TRAPPED BY LASER LIGHT=((Courtesy of @codedhopes & @super-tired-robot)) <<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>
{Washington, D.C.,
Shortly Beforehand…} Cardinal: FINALLY… [He was only a few blocks away. He could see from here that there was a crowd gathered some ways away from his target— —just outside a clearly defined radius.] Cardinal: (Ugh…) Cardinal: (I’m going to have to go right through a window.) [He yelled over the wind. They were going to come in fast.] Cardinal: Looks like I was right, Scout! Cardinal: Hang on, okay?! This is going to be a really rough ride! Scout: Rarf! [He tossed a dual-colored sphere in the air, releasing a burst of red light. This materialized into a bird, which caught said sphere before it fell.] Cardinal: Baron, it’s confirmed. FLY. [The robin shot off at an astounding speed, almost as if it had teleported itself. There was a grated rumbling noise.] Cardinal: Sorry, Jazz. Get somewhere safe—the roof, if you insist on sticking around. I won’t let you crash-land. [He leaped out of the transformed flying panther…] [CARDINAL used ITEM-2!] […right onto another gadget. He held out his shield in front of him, angling down at one of the windows that looked out into the sky from a roof.] [MISSION DETAILS: MNN-008, COUNTERSHADE AURTHUR WHITE, HAS TAKEN THE WHITE HOUSE HOSTAGE. AN UNKNOWN NUMBER OF OFFICIALS AND STAFF ARE TRAPPED INSIDE. MISSION OBJECTIVE: EVACUATE THE BUILDING OF ALL PERSONS WITH NO CASUALTIES. RESCUE COUNTERSHADE. SUB-OBJECTIVE: PRESERVE CULTURAL ARTIFACTS AND STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY.] [SYSTEMS READY?] [GO!] Cardinal: We’re going in! Scout: Rarf! -LET'S GOOOO—- [He didn’t really hear the shouting from the crowd in their surprise, but he sure felt their “welcome party” favors. It hurt, but it didn’t phase him one bit. Even when he started taking fire from the White House security system as well. He did leap down off of the ITEM-2, and there was a VERY high pitched whine noise as his blaster primed.] BLAM! [Top of the line security, down to bullet-proof windows? Yes. Able to withstand a charged shot from a plasma blaster designed to take out tanks—as in plural, multiple at once? Nooot quite so much. The sound of glass shattering mixed with that of a starting fire. There was a click and a whirr, the barrel of Cardinal’s weapon changing as he fired again, just as they were landing. It started to rain.] Scout: -OOO I DIDN'T KNOW HE KNEW RAIN DANCE- WHAM. [They landed down in a hallway hard, the rain putting out the fire. The security countermeasures started to go berserk, and Cardinal was forced to put up a wall of razor sharp leaf-shaped projectiles to give him time for his next move.] Scout: -AND Razor Leaf, ooooo- Scout: Rarf! [There was a rotating noise and another click, and then…] Ptew pew pew pew pew! […Dozens of tiny snakes—they looked like little mechanical coral snakes. Then he stood to his full height and blasted a tune.] Cardinal: (Ready or not, Shade, here I come!) [The White House was indeed large and vast--finding Shade in this mess was to prove difficult, even with the Search Snakes. ....But it wasn't long before they found traces of his obvious presence. There were strange, gray orbs floating around the hallways and entrances, glowing a strange, greenish color. At first, they seemed to be dormant— ...Until they turned red when the Snakes approached...] ———————————— "—?" "Motion? Thought Ah' told them flesh wastes t'stay PUT… lessee here…" ———————————— [The Search Snakes were spread out, but Cardinal had remained where he was. He was in full armor—something he hadn’t done in real Combat since the last time he fought his brother. Because of this, his whole face was covered, and his expression was impossible to read. Despite this, his fierce green eyes burned with a fire that pierced even his shades, visible to not only a sensitive camera, but also to the naked eye. After a moment…] SHING! [The leaves that had shielded him scattered, slicing everything in their path as they moved down the hall. This included, among other things, a security camera. The feed went down immediately, followed by several others in the same hallway.] KSSSSSSSS— [Cardinal had created a small blind spot.] ———————————— ”—!” ”"Sonofva..." ”"Who the hell IS this guy...?" "Thinkin' he can come inta' MAH new home…" ———————————— Scout: Rarf! -NICE SHOT- Cardinal: Scout, we’ve got a problem. There are people trapped in here. Scout: —!! Cardinal: I’m going to have to start breaking down doors. Cardinal: (If Shade were in his right mind, he’d want me to do this first.) Cardinal: (And if the President THEMSELVES is here, nnng…) [His fans whined even louder at the surge of compulsion to follow out a military-grade order.] Scout: -RARF- Scout: -WE KNOW HEADBUTT- Scout: -WE CAN HELP—- Cardinal: You might need to save that on the people inside, my friend. I’ll explain in a moment— [He hit the floor to avoid a sudden stream of mixed projectile weaponry.] Cardinal: Some cover, if you please? -Scout, use Sand Attack.- Scout: -Rarf!- [Scout used Sand Attack!] [Scout didn't need to dig--he simply shook himself VERY rapidly, dust and sand scattering EVERYWHERE.] [...He was apparently very dirty.] Cardinal: Heh. -SMIRKS- [He starts shouting in a taunting tone.] Cardinal: HEY SHADE! Too bad your glasses got all dusty. Better wipe the dirt out of your eye! ———————————— ”"Grrrr…" ”"Just keep talkin', Birdy, see where THAT gets ya…" ———————————— [.......] [VEEEEEEEEEEEEE--] Cardinal: I don’t think so. [CARDINAL used FLASH STOPPER!] [WOW, everything is hit not only with BLINDING light, but whatever is in those intangible waves of data is enough to STUN everything in the hall.] Cardinal: >B] [There is a HUGE clattering somewhere deeper in the house--it sounded like something very heavy just fell--] ———————————— "AUGH MOTHERSCRATCHIN' CHEATER—!” ———————————— Cardinal: -Speaks in a low voice- Scout, when I break through the door, the people inside are going to be terrified. Someone IS going to start shooting. Try and stun them, or at least get their aim off. Scout: -Rarf!- -Nods- [ Another click.] [Cardinal used SHADOW BLADE.] [There was a hissing SHUNK noise as he cut RIGHT into a triple-reinforced, double-locked door of something much stronger than steel. Another rotating click, and he stuffed a Crash Bomb into the hole the acid was eating away—he didn’t have time to wait. It blinked and beeped a few times before…] CRASH! [Cardinal slammed through the opening shield-first.] [Bullets start FLYING the second he does, and yes, there is much screaming—] "GET DOWN—" Scout: RARF! [Scout used Tackle! ] [One of the men in black goes down, gun clattering to the floor. Two more follow suit—it seems like Scout has gotten quite good at dodging incoming fire.] [Scout used Growl!] Scout: -GRRRR, STAY DOWN- [Cardinal doesn’t make any witty comments this time. He just goes into a full-on tackle of his own. He grabs one man in one arm, another after dropping his shield— And as soon as he rams into the third…] [CARDINAL used TELEPORT!]
{Outside…} [Cardinal reappears inches from the crowd outside the kill zone, dropping the two men he was carrying to the ground. The third, already on the ground, had also been taken with him. This caused no small amount of panic, and he was lit up with half a dozen sniper scopes. A few even got off fire, hitting him square in the left part of his chest.] Cardinal: -Huffs- (Are you kidding me?) BWIP! [He disappears, only to reappear a moment later with two other people, holding them by their wrists. One of them was shrieking and trying to mace him. Again, no effect.] Cardinal: No offense, but I’ve been through worse! Bwip! Paramedics rushed over to the vic—] BWIP! [—ooooor not—] Cardinal: -Drops the guns onto the ground with a clatter- DON’T shoot Beck if he shows up, officers! [He also tosses over a file folder of notes someone had been working on, hiding behind his shield to better withstand incoming fire.] Cardinal: Still—you guys might need those! BWIP!
{Inside} "HEY--THAT'S MY TIE--" [One more man in black snuck in while Cardinal teleported back in--] Scout: GRRRRR— [Scout used Headbutt!] WHAM! [The security man skidded across the room and hit the back of his head with the wall, knocking him out instantly.] Scout: -GRRRR—- -SHAKES HEAD AND TIE AGGRESSIVELY BEFORE SPITTING IT OUT- Scout: | [ [Cardinal picks up the man, pausing for a moment as he hears the security out in the hall recovering from the stun he had put on them earlier.] Cardinal: This is going to be a long day. Scout: —! Scout: -SNIFF SNIFF- Scout: -NOSE IN THE AIR, COULD IT BE—- [BANG!] Scout: -YELPS- [ A red laser appears on the ground near Scout's feet, followed by a energy shot, scaring him out of his wits and causing him to run behind Cards.] Scout: -Whimperrrrr- Cardinal: -OW, that was loud- Gosh dangit, Shade! [He grabs Scout with his other arm—] BWIP! Scout: —? ? ? [—and when he reappears inside, it’s without the officer… …and also out in the hallway, yards and yards from where he had ever set foot. As long as he could see it, he could go there.] Cardinal: You’re going to have to do better than that, KID! Cardinal: But if you insist on playing hide and seek… [Cardinal used SCREECH—] [He briefly stopped the mufflers on his fans, causing their overworked whine to get broadcast over his speakers. It was worse than metal grating mixed with fingernails on chalkboard.] Scout: -WHIIIIINE- ———————————— "AAAAARUGH--!!!" "Goddamn BUCKET OF BOLTS--AH'VE HAD IT UP T' HERE!" "Fahn, if ya wanna DIE SO BADLY--" ———————————— [....Oh dear.] [ All of the orbs go active. And there were red, red lasers, reflecting off of them all at once--which was real, which one was SHADE--] Cardinal: Oh, please. [He laughs as his arm shifts again.] Cardinal: Guess what, Shade? Cardinal: Two can play at this game. [Cardinal used GEMINI LASER!] [ Aaaaaand suddenly, the hallway was filled with death laser ping-pong. And Shade’s were NOT the only ones bouncing at angles!] [BANG BANG BANG—] [It was truly a sight to behold. It was like watching a game of chess, except the pieces were far deadlier. Gemini Lasers met energy shots, with every red laser changing to accommodate the angle and trajectory.] [Cardinal didn’t stick around to watch the lights and display contest. He had already grabbed Scout with one arm, running right into the fire shield-first. About partway through, he leaped and slid down the rest on his back, with his shield out in front.] Scout: -RARF RARF—- -WHEEEEEEEEE- [Cards was moving too fast for the lasers to lock onto him correctly—and once the one behind him figured this out— ...They all vanished.] ———————————— ”"Oh, Ah' see what yer goin' for, Birdy..." "Can't have that, no sir." ———————————— [—This area seemed to be more decorated...] [Cardinal barely noticed, and almost didn’t care. He got up to a knee.] Cardinal: Scout, I need you to do something for me. Find a rope or a cord of some sort. Even a curtain tie will do if it’s long enough. Scout: -Rarf!- [He sets the Zig down.] Cardinal: Please, be careful… Scout: Rarf! -Sniff Sniff- [Cardinal took a moment to take in his surroundings. This looked like a historic display of American History.... Medals, paintings, photos of past presidents...] Cardinal: … Cardinal: (Nnngh… I can’t do anything too dramatic in here, I need to move out of this place…) Scout: Rarf! Scout: -HOLDS UP A FANCY MILITARY ROPE THING- Cardinal: ! Cardinal: Thanks, Scout. Now let’s get out of here— Cardinal: Before Shade does something stupid! Scout: -RARF!- Cardinal: (What I wouldn’t give for backup from Tobias right about now…) Cardinal: (At least that office was one of the only places with anyone inside of the work quarters. I guess most people managed to evacuate.) Cardinal: (Looks like there’s different kinds of rooms over this way—man, I wish that I could have seen the White House back at home, I’m going into this totally blind—) [ A low noise and a rotating click.] Ptew ptew pew! [ Another nest of Search Snakes slither on their way.] Cardinal: (THIS room must be horribly dangerous. This much priceless history? That’s a screaming neon sign for “DEATH TRAP SECURITY” if I ever heard one.) Cardinal: (I’m going to have to tank some hits, probably…) [He looks around the room skeptically.] Cardinal: … [He grabs Scout and holds him directly between his shield and his body, and makes a run for it.] [BWAAAAN—] [Something from the ceiling unlocks—] [Oh dear THOSE ARE VERY MUCH MILITARY GRADE MACHINE GUN TURRENTS—] Cardinal: (Aw glitch.) [There’s a whine as he holds up his free arm, it shifting to have a wrist launcher.] KTANG KTANG! [Cardinal used MAGNET MISSILE!] Cardinal: -EVEN MORE RUNNING FOR IT—- [The missiles lock onto the turrets, attaching to them before exploding. Unfortunately, while this takes SOME of them out… …some of them merely malfunction, firing at random.] Cardinal: DAMMIT— [CARDINAL used METAL BLADE!] [He took some hits protecting older paintings from the unfriendly fire, but his shield held firm. The same couldn’t be said for the turrets that were introduced to one of THE most deadly Power Capsule weapons known to man. They crashed down to the floor. And as Cardinal approached the end of the room—] Cardinal: GOSH DANGIT! […Locked doors barred his way. And he could hear the whine, feel the psychological heat of lasers lighting up his back for long ranged target sights. He whirled around, back pressed up against the surface, taking the incoming fire to his shield.] Cardinal: (WHY are there locked doors in here?!) Cardinal: (Augh…) [To the unfamiliar observer, it would appear the bird had been cornered.] [VRRRRRRRR...] [ A laser.] [ A very familiar one.] [PING!] [MN.8] //: Not so sassy nao, are ya. <DLN-000>: >Shade. <DLN-000>: >This is stupid floor design, Shade. <DLN-000>: >I’ll have to have a word with your brother about this after I haul your chass out of here. [Oh, he was rushing robodrenaline, alright. “Heart” rate had increased, his fans (while thankfully muffled) were louder, giving off more heat than earlier. There was also that clicking and whining noise again…] <DLN-000>: >Your desire for sass is very important to us. Please hold, and the next available representative… [Cardinal used DRILL BOMB!] [He shoved something very much like a Crash Bomb into the door behind him. It ground away at the metal as it tunneled in, embedding itself in the door before exploding.] <DLN-000>: > —WILL GET BACK TO YOU! [Cardinal used FLASH STOPPER!] [AUGH, again with the BLINDING light—] [MN.8] //: -—GNGH- [There was a deep growl on the other end before it cut out--clearly Shade had not been pleased with that. Not at all.] [Cardinal didn’t waste a moment. He turned his back to Shade—he had no choice—and his arm shifted again—] [CARDINAL used SUPER ARM!] WHUNK! [He punched a bigger opening through the thick door where the Drill Bomb had made the first breach.] WHAM! Cardinal: -IN YOU GO, SCOUT—- Scout: RARF! "WHAT IS THAT—" Cardinal: Tie them up for me— OW! Scout: ! D: ? ? ?: Please stay behind me— ? ? ?: TAKE ANOTHER STEP AND I WILL OPEN FIRE— Scout: -GRRRRR- Cardinal: Go ahead, it’ll just put you in the hospital! Metal ricochets, genius! [He squeezed his way through, hearing things becoming active again behind him.] Cardinal: I don’t have— ouch! —time for this— [He grabbed one end of the rope and then—] [Cardinal used TOP SPIN!] bbbZZZZZZZzzzKT— [The top clattered along, circling and snaking around the people in the room. The rope he had tied to it followed after.] Cardinal: -YANK!- [WHAM.] [The sound of multiple human beings hitting the floor at the same time follows suit. Cardinal used the Super Arm again to sort of push them all into one pile of disgruntled, frightened, aggressive humanity.] BWIP!
{Outside…} [Cardinal jumped off and did a backflip out of the way off of the piled people, bringing his shield out in front of him.] [.......] [That's weird.] [No sniper fire?] Cardinal: -Takes a moment to catch his breath- (Ugh… I can feel the slugs embedded inside me. I’m going to need to shed this armor before too long, at the rate this is going—) [It took him a moment to realize he wasn’t being shot at.] Cardinal: …? ? ? Cardinal: -Peeks out behind his shield- ,’B/? [Vrrrrrrr...] [...? Wait, that sound—those sound like propellers—] Cardinal: … Cardinal: -Looks uuuuuuup—- AviCam: -FLOATS IN- Cardinal: … Cardinal: … -COCKY GRIN BENEATH MASK- Cardinal: Smile, you’re on candid camera! AviCam: -MAKES SOME LETTERS IN THE AIR- [G O F O R R E S C U E—G L.] Cardinal: See ya later, Hoverbrother. Send my love if things… Cardinal: … blow up in my face ;D [He takes the moment to take off his helm entirely. Man, he looks exhausted.] Cardinal: I can only assume you’re keeping them from crowding around with questions—thanks, because— [He pulls out what looks like a miniature oil can and douses himself with it. And then another one. Oddly enough, he seems bone dry after. Huh.] Cardinal: -Puts his helm back on- —I gotta scram! Bwip!
{Inside} [He reappears back inside.] Cardinal: … Cardinal: …? ? ? Cardinal: (Where the heck did Scout go?) [The happy Zig was nowhere in sight.] Cardinal: Nnnngh… (I told him what would happen, so… I guess something went wrong. I hope I run into him on the way rounding up stragglers…) [There was a buzzing noise as he was lit up with lasers again.] Cardinal: … Cardinal: Really, Shade? This is SO boring. [Buuuuut then they… start spazzing out?] Cardinal: …? Kkkkk… Cardinal: ! Cardinal: (Wait a second—music?) [Not just any music…] Cardinal: Eight! [PING!] [MN.8] //: Well, well, well. [MN.8] //: If it ain't the infernal Wily child and the Lil'  . [PING!] [ A surprisingly firm voice echoes though the comms—] [MN.9] // COUNTERSHADE! <DLN-008>: >Shut up, Shade. <DLN-008>: >The only reason I haven’t fried you to a soot speck is because Beck’s my friend and Cardinal would kill me. |[ [The whole building abruptly seemed to fill with harsh static. Not just the noise—the electricity itself. And, as Tobias had predicted, Cardinal was NOT pleased.] Cardinal: Cut that out, Eight. Cardinal: Is there anyone else in here?! <DLN-008>: > Yes— Cardinal: Then cover Beck and STALL for me, dammit! [He takes off.] Cardinal: (With Tobias messing with the security system, that should make it marginally less deadly by making the systems cut in and out—) Cardinal: (And there’s two of us, he can only be in one place at a time, he’s not Siam, after all—) [BANG BANG BANG.] [Crack!] [Cardinal’s armor had finally taken too much damage from energy shots. It shifted away into his normal gear.] Cardinal: Fantastic. Cardinal: -RUNNING FOR IT AGAIN- [Lasers in all directions--] [Wait—no...It couldn't be.] [That can't be him just down the corner.] Shade: Boo. Cardinal: Shade, I’m not— [CARDINAL USED RAIN FLUSH!] [It was raining indoors and now EVERYTHING was wet—] [His other arm turned into a blaster.] [Cardinal used SPARK SHOCK!] Cardinal: —IN THE MOOD FOR THIS! [He suddenly was surrounded by live electricity.] Cardinal: Out of my way or I swear to God I’ll fry you to a core. Shade: .... [He stands there for a moment, looking as if he is complimenting the threat.] [Then.] Shade: -Grins- Shade: Alright. [BANG—] [—? ? ?] [Wait, that shot came from behind him— And where did Shade go?!] Cardinal: -Ow- [In the bad mood he was, he jumped up onto ITEM-2.] Cardinal: I told you I’ll get back to you, you impatient brat. [BZZZRRRRRKKKZZZZZGGGHHHHHHHVVVV—] […Well. THAT hallway and everything in it was sure toast. Various spheres dropped to the floor, but no sniper (or core thereof) was among the casualties. Cardinal shot on down the hall, following flashing static panels along the way. Left, right, right, left, up a flight of stairs, down stairs— He was suddenly thrown off his wind surfer when everything began to float and hold in place. And an object in motion…] Cardinal: ! WHANG! Cardinal: OW! Cardinal: Tobias, what the frag was that for?! [Disgruntled, he didn’t wait for an answer. Left, right—] Cardinal: -Comes to a screeching halt- … Cardinal: … And I thought the last room was a death trap… [Standing before him were two more impressive looking doors. They were more grandiose and obviously stronger than the last. And… the Presidential Seal was in proud, bold colors right in the center.] Cardinal: (That’s gotta be the way to the Oval Office!) Cardinal: … (But… Tobias led me here, so that means…) Cardinal: (Oh hell…) [VRRRRRRRR--!!] [There was a wave of UFO-like Xelbots that flashed into view--before vanishing into thin air, barreling themselves straight into Cardinal's path--] Cardinal: -NOPE- TSSSSEW! [Cardinal used Rolling Cutter! It’s super effective!] Cardinal: Hey, Area 51 called! They want their rides back! Cardinal: Hope those came with a warranty. [VRRRRRRRRR!] [Oh, lovely, more turrets--] [VVVVRRRRrrrrrrrr....] [....They...powered off? Suddenly, the lights flickered.] Cardinal: … [ And dimmed. ] Cardinal: ? [To his slight surprise (and fair annoyance), Cardinal began floating again.] Cardinal: Tobias, for the LAST time— [PING!] [MN.3] //: Oooooh, Shaaaaade! [MN.3] //: BIG ZZZSISTER WANTSZZ TO HAVE A TALK WITH YOU. [MN.8] //: -Oh, bite me, witch hag.- [MN.3] //: YOU CAN'T PLAY HIDE AND ZZZSEEK FOREVER-- Cardinal: … Dyna? [MN.3] //: Go on now, Becky, I got thiszz, I KNEW thiszz place had it'szz own power grid, yum.~ [MN.9] //: Hookay, thanks, Dyna! c: Cardinal: -Aaaalrighty then- (I better hurry up before the whole gang arrives.) Cardinal: -Bounces through the lower gravity before it abruptly changes- [He takes one look at the door.] Cardinal: (How am I going to—) […But was interrupted by the sound of the security systems starting up again.] Cardinal: .___. [CARDINAL used SKULL BARRIER!] [He was just in time to prevent becoming an energy and lead pincushion. Still under fire and holding up the shield, he rotated through his capsules until…] POW! [He lowered his hand, turning off the Thunder Beam. He had managed to blow the fuse, which turned off the security in the hallway… …and the lights… …and the air conditioning. It was starting to get very hot, and things smelled like burnt electronics.] Cardinal: Man… [He takes out the Shadow Blade again.] Cardinal: I feel sorry for whoever holds the homeowners insurance on this place. [He sliced at the door repeatedly in intersecting diagonal lines. This time, he let the acid eat away at the door. He didn’t like how unnaturally silent it was now that he had put the whole hallway into radio silence. Only the windows brought any light in at all.] Cardinal: (Here’s to hoping I’m not too late… not for them, OR for him…) [Cardinal used HARD KNUCKLE!] C R A C K! [Cardinal used SHIELD BASH!] [ And burst RIGHT into the Oval Office!] [There were only three people inside, all standing around the desk, as if discussing something. The ladies had looked up sharply at the noise, and had backed away before he came crashing in.] Des: Crap-- [The only other male in the room pulls out a firearm and pulls the trigger--] [BLAM!] [ A moment of silence.] Maid: -Oh thank GOODNESS—- Cardinal: -Looks up with a slight smile- Cardinal: Nice headshot, sir. [The maid shrieks.] Maid: OH MY GOD IT’S IMMORTAL— Des: ..... Des: Or he just has a very good helmet. Cardinal: Sorry to crash the party, Mister President. Cardinal: But we do need to evacuate before my best friend does something he regrets when he gets over his hangover. [The older lady gave a very puzzled expression.] Min: … Des: ....... Des: What? [Despite the situation—even with his weapon still aimed at the intruder—Des couldn't help but press the subject. It was all as if something out of a surreal dream.] Des: I'm not the president-- Des: I'm Secretary of Defense. Des: -What made you think I was POTUS.- : / Cardinal: … [Cardinal was on his feet now, standing at attention, very military in posture.] Cardinal: You’re standing behind the desk, sir. [The older woman rolls her eyes.] Des: -Narrows his eyes a little- And...? Des: -It's 20XX, doesn't everyone know who POTUS is—- [While he appreciated he wasn't still being shot at, Cardinal was losing patience. They were wasting time, when Shade was still out there.] Cardinal: And I don’t have time for this. We’re leaving now— BZAP! Cardinal: -Baaaacks away from the stern looking woman, okay, she’s got a taser, that gave us pins and needles- Des: Nice shot. [Minerva looks down at Cardinal with disapproval. Humorously, her heels made her slightly taller than him.] Cardinal: >_>; [It didn't take long for Cardinal to realize where his mistake was. He spoke with begrudging respect.] Cardinal: …Madame President, I presume. [Minerva Morandi was not pleased. She sparked the taser again for emphasis, speaking sternly to the intruder that had broken past the last of their defenses.] Min: Why should we believe you? You broke into the White House, through several top-notch levels of security, disengaged a good portion of the defenses in more than one hallway, and just mentioned your alliance with the terrorist who put us here to begin with. Cardinal: … [Cardinal had to admit she had a point. A point he hadn't even considered before. He wasn't like his brother. Not like Beck. He wasn't a sanctioned hero, with the recognition and support of the masses. No, he was a nameless vigilante, and all he had was his honest answer.] Cardinal: Because I’m not shooting right now? Minerva: You didn’t think this through at all, did you. Cardinal: No sir, I did not. [The maid snorts a little at that. The poor woman looked like she had seen better days, especially before her sudden promotion after the whole mess had started. Desmond Donald, on the other hand, seemed to be unsure of whether to be impressed or just incredulous.] Des: Wow. Des: He has guts, at least? (Or no forethought.) Cardinal: Thanks, but we’ve got to— [He saw a tiny, TINY red light.] Cardinal: !!! [He does a teleporting tackle to slam the President to the floor. Fractions of a split second later, there’s a VERY strong shot that leaves burn marks around the wall right behind where her head had been.] Maid: -STRAINED NOISES, TRYING NOT TO SCREAM- [PING!] [MN.8] //: Tch! [MN.8] //: Keep gettin' in mah way, Birdy, and Ah' WILL make ya regret it! Cardinal: I could say the same to you, pal. [Des had abruptly changed his aim toward the direction the shot had come from, even knowing that he was outmatched to handle such a foe. He was defending not just two innocent women: he was defending his President, and his long-time friend. If someone was going to try and take them out, it wouldn't be without a fight from him first.] Des: -ARE YOU OKAY—- [She was fine. Shaken, perhaps, but didn’t show it. Then she became cross, and started to speak to the silent hunter.] Minerva: So, you've finally shown yourself, have you? Such actions will land you in a great deal more trouble than you can hide from, Radar. This is your last chance— hand yourself over to the authorities, or you will be facing the consequences— Cardinal: NO! Cardinal: Leave him alone! [For the first time since he had come in… He actually SOUNDED scared. Desperate, even.] [MN.8] //: Heh. [MN.8] //: Was that ya soundin' desperate there? [MN.8] //: -LAUGHTER- [MN.8] //: Ah' hate t' disobey a lady, but m'afraid yer term is up. [MN.8] //: Now. [CLICK.] [MN.8] //: R u n. [For a brief moment, silence.] Cardinal: … Cardinal: …Heh… [He starts laughing.] Min: ? ? ? Des: ....-Whispers- Um I don't think this guy is all mentally sound— Cardinal: Shade, Shade, Shade… Cardinal: You know what? Cardinal: You’re right. Maid: ?! Des: (What—?!) [MN.8] //: -Ooooh, now ya got his attention- [MN.8] //: Somethin' change yer mind, Birdy? [MN.8] //: Was it the fact that yer doin' this all fer nothin'? Cardinal: Hardly. Cardinal: More like… Cardinal: I don’t have time for this, Shade. Cardinal: Guess I’ll have to make my own! [He turns and FIRES—] [Cardinal used TIME STOPPER!] [There's a harsh KFLSHK! noise and the very dust itself seems to hang suspended in the air, frozen in time.] Min: ? ? ? [Cardinal waltzes over toward the door, grinning.] Cardinal: Now then… Cardinal: Judging from the trajectory of the shot… Cardinal: -ELBOWS, hard- CRASH! [Cardinal pulls a nearby curtain down and tosses it onto… well. Now that it was given form, it was clearly the fallen sniper.] Cardinal: -Pulls something out of his traveling bag, shaking it- ~ Cardinal: -PSSSHT!- [ After spraying his own symbol on the cape once he found it, he quickly tagged “HOPE lives” on the floor. Then, and only then, could he relaxed and be satisfied.] Cardinal: B] Cardinal: -Tosses empty paint can behind him, looking down at the time-frozen sniper- Looks like you lost hide-and-seek, kid. Cardinal: Too bad. Min: -Just. Stares-  [The President was both grateful and impressed.] Min: What… did you do? -Okay his methods are VERY strange but that was rather impressive- Des: -...What DIVISION is he in is the better question-- Min: -Starts advancing- Who built you? [Cardinal had not been expecting this sort of response at all.] Cardinal: I— [She grabs at his scarf and yanks up a metal bit that glitters in the light.] Min: I thought I saw a glint of these. -Shakes them once- -Dog tags, Des.- Is there something ELSE you need to tell me about, Desmond? Des: Min, I swear I don't know about this— Cardinal: (Uh…) [It was then that Des noticed the serial number branded into Cardinal's shoulder.] Des: Wait a second—! You're DLN-000? Min: ! Seriously? [Cardinal had had enough. He forces her hand away, holding (gently but firmly) onto her wrist.] Cardinal: As charming as it is to have conversations with you… Cardinal: -WHISTLES SHARPLY, SCOUT WE’RE LEAVING—- Scout: -RARF RARF RARF—- Cardinal: That effect kinda won’t last forever, we really do need to get out of here— Des: .....Is...Is that a raccoon— Cardinal: Close enough. Group hug, everybody! Scout: -BOUNCES INTO MIN'S ARMS- Scout: -HALLO NICE LADY- Min: ! Oh goodness— Now wait just a— [Nope, he’s already scooped her up and grabbed the others by their jacket fringes.] Byuubyuubyuu…
{Outside} Des: —? ? ? ? ? Des: -He can TELEPORT-- [Cheers erupt from the crowd, with the recovered Secret Service members forcing their way through, hemming out reporters and warning back drones with sniper lasers. One camera WAS allowed to come in closer.] Cardinal: Heh… Cardinal: Hello again, Avs. Cardinal: -Puts Madame President down- I see you’ve upgraded this to include a speaker now. Your faith in me is reassuring. B] [ Avi’s voice crackled through the speakers.] Avi: Bro, you do realize you can't hide from this, right-- Cardinal: Sadly. That’s a cost I’ll have to carry. Min: (…Hide? Cost?) Des: (They're talking like they know each other…!) Avi: OKAY GOOD JUST CHECKING. Avi: Because sometimes you kinda just let these things fly WAY OVER YOUR HEAD-- [The vague, stressed pun didn’t seem to have any effect… other than making Cardinal’s shoulders sag with weariness.] Cardinal: … Cardinal: -Quietly- I’m sorry, Avi. I’m not done yet. Avi: --.... Avi: Dude, Beck's in there now, just-- come on, man, can't ya believe in him too--? Cardinal: Six, this is about a lot more than believing and proving and anything else, and quite frankly— [He douses himself in those strange cans again.] Cardinal: —I’m tired of seeing my brothers die. I won’t risk any chance of that happening again. Min: Excuse me—! It's too dangerous to go back inside, and we have some questions for you, 000! Where do you THINK you’re going— Cardinal: Here, take this, it may help you on your journey— -SHOVES SLIGHTLY SINGED SCOUT- Scout: -LICKS FOR NICE LADY- Min: -Ackpth—- Scout: ~ < 3 Avi: --.... (I guess I tried...) Avi: please don't hurt him too bad. Cardinal: I don’t have time for this. You saw the file extension, you know my intentions. [He gritted his teeth. It hurt, again. Hurt because there was all this pressure, and nowhere for it to go. Hurt because he couldn’t cry.] Cardinal: …See you in clearer skies, Avs. Cardinal: Goodbye… BWIP. Min: —… Min: …Get me Sanda Labs on a secure line. -Stop wriggling, strange raccoon thing—- NOW.
{Back Inside…} [Cardinal chose not to reappear in the Oval Office, but instead in an open room he had passed through on the journey. From the looks of things, Beck and Dyna had been through not long ago, themselves.] Cardinal: -Takes in a shaky breath, hoo- (…Okay. Orders… orders over. Good… good, now—just need to find either Eight or Nine…) Cardinal: (Can’t turn on my transceiver. They know I’m here and they want me out. But I can’t just stand by and let those two slice each other up and stain the rug with their Xel.) Cardinal: -Grumbles- Where are you, Shade… [He walks through several halls. Everything was dead silent. The expected countermeasures of security never came.] Cardinal: … [He was beginning to get very puzzled.] Cardinal: (Did Beck already get to you? …And wow, I seriously made this big a mess?) Cardinal: -Crosses his arms absentmindedly as he enters the secretary’s office- Come on, Shade, I said I would get back to you— ________________ Thaaaaat's it, just a lil further... ______________ [He held his shield loosely by his side as he meandered the halls for another good five minutes.] Cardinal: … Cardinal: …I guess Avi was right? Cardinal: Maybe I should turn my transceiver back on, find out if they’re outside… [He goes over to look out a window that faces the lawn, scanning the crowds for signs of his energetic young counterpart.] Cardinal: Just my luck to miss out on the party… _________________ Heh. Stupid bird. Should've paid attention t' where you were goin'... ________________ [He turns away from the window, glancing at it over his shoulder.] Cardinal: I should probably apologize to the President— [CRUNCH.] Cardinal: (What—? That doesn’t sound like glass—) -Looks down- [What Cards saw on the ground-- A dart. Several. In the shape of a figure eight, all black as night.] Cardinal: … Cardinal: (Wait a dAMN SECOND HE SAID ALL HIS DARTS DO SOMETHING—) [BANG!] [The darts all exploded into shrapnel, sharp, dangerous pieces flying everywhere, breaking pottering and lights and anything else that was in it's radius.] [Cardinal wasn’t shielding, so he took a direct hit. Now, he was made to withstand exactly this sort of thing. To take it and tank it. Didn’t mean it didn’t hurt.] Cardinal: -GAH—- [He staggered back, disoriented by the damage.] [BANG--!] [Red lasers fill the room, reflecting off of various objects to keep Cardinal guessing--] [BANG BANG--] [--With two more ACTUALLY aimed for him--] [He took the hits, but answered back with a vengeance.] KTANG! [Leaping onto the walls and vaulting onto a statue, he peppered the room with high speed Quick Boomerangs.] Cardinal: |[ Cardinal: You clearly haven’t learned I don’t go down so easy, Counter. "Haven't ya heard of try, try again?" [BANG--] [ A dart this time, yellow--] [Cardinal used METAL BLADE!] [The net was torn up even as it came onto him. He leaped onto a chandelier.] [Cardinal used RING BOOMERANG!] Cardinal: Haven’t you ever heard “Doing the same thing twice and expecting different results is the definition of insanity?” [Laughter.] "Look who's TALKIN'!" "Ya sure are persistent." [Cardinal was beginning to lose patience. He was tired. He felt tired and old.] Cardinal: Countershade, I have been chasing after you for over a WEEK now. I’ll hardly give up because you’re throwing a temper tantrum. Cardinal: Get a grip, Shade— Snap out of it! This isn’t like you! Cardinal: -Crossly- WAKE UP ALREADY! "Temper tantrum? Boy, ya must be a real antique by now. Seein' as ya ain't made of Xel." "Who even ARE ya, anyway?" Cardinal: You can’t be serious. You recognized my brother and you don’t know me? That’s not a funny insult. -Actually sounds rather put out- "Nope. Ya don't ring a bell." Cardinal: Are you REALLY that out of it? That’s honestly just pathetic. The “sad, pitiful” kind. "Gotta hand it t' ya, Birdy, as ya are annoyin', yer good. Heh." "And Ah' do so love a good challenge." Cardinal: Fine then. Cardinal: I’ll make you remember—I’ll bring you out of this, I am going to snap you out of this if it’s the last thing I ever do! [Cardinal used DUST CRUSHER!] [ All the shrapnel and debris that had been created by Shade and others before him was kicked up in a whirling cloud of sharp death that enveloped half the room, shredding everything in its path before getting embedded into the wall.] "--Ngh--!" [There is some painful data, but it is quickly snuffed out by something other than Shade.] "Oh, it WILL be--ya can't keep flyin' FOREVER, Lil' Birdy..." Cardinal: Try me. […Not his best choice of words.] "Heh." "Since ya ASKED so nicely!" KSSSH!!! [The chandelier came crashing down, with him inside it. Even though he teleported away, he still had the force of momentum, and crashed down into the ground pretty hard.] Cardinal: Hggghhhh… Cardinal: (Gah… hate HATE falling from heights, come BACK, vision—) [BANG!] [Countershade took this perfect opportunity to fire off another shot--it was so easy, once he was blind--] Cardinal: AUGH! [Cardinal counteracted with a spam of Metal Blades that went in ALL directions, embedding DEEP into wherever they found score— And there is a LOT OF rolling around and taking cover--seeing the saw blades stirred up something...Something that made him even angrier. ] "MOTHERSCRATCHIN'--Ah' HATE when it takes more than one bullet!" Cardinal: See now, if you REMEMBERED anything, you’d KNOW I don’t go down to one hit! "Goddamn waste of mah TIME--" Cardinal: Tch. Cardinal: Anything you don’t have time to do right the first time, you’ll need to have time to do over. Cardinal: And I’ve put a hell of a few lifetimes more into this than you. [BANG BANG--] [The explosive darts were out now, but single striped instead of the deadly double. Perhaps Shade didn't want to ruin his new 'Home' anymore than it already was. Cardinal tanked the hit with his shield.] [The Proto Shield held firm as ever, though he moved aside to avoid being backed into the wall.] Cardinal: -Gets back to his feet, shifting his weaponry again with another click.- Cardinal: This is not the first time we’ve done this song and dance, Shade! [Cardinal used BUBBLE LEAD!] [The acid pellets burst upon contact, hissing and eating away at the floor and various high ground on the other side of the room.] [SSSSSSSS...] "Aw FRAG IT--" Cardinal: You forgetting?! Just means I have ALL THE MORE ADVANTAGE OVER YOU! [Cardinal used TOP SPIN!] kzzzZZZZZZZZGGGVVVVGGGHHHTTTT— [Marble columns were sliced clean through and brought crashing down.] [CRASH--!!] "--!!!!" [There was a few moments of scrambling and--] [--Silence?] Cardinal: Nice try, but I know you’re fine. Your camo goes out if you’re not. Cardinal: And if you want to play this the hard way, I’ll do just that. >B | [....] "Alright." [Click.] [That came from RIGHT beside him!] Cardinal: (Glitch—) [Cardinal used ICE SLASHER!] [It wasn’t fast enough to prevent the shot that seared through his right shoulder, but. It was enough to send the whole room about ten degrees below zero, and send icicle spears flying. There was a HISS of pain and a grunt, Shade's camo flickering for a moment-- --Before returning to normal, and the lasers that herald his presence once again came from a completely different direction-- Cardinal ends up backed against the wall, having no other option besides his shield at this point. The Skull Barrier and the Leaf Shield had both been spent during the rescues.] Cardinal: B[ [Cardinal used ITEM-1!] [He jumps onto a hovering platform to gain height before firing off some plasma blasts at strategic surfaces—places where he would go if he had that side of the battlefield.] [BLAM!] [BANG BANG BANG--] [ As if in response, Shade shoots at the ITEM-1 before unleashing a trio of--oh, no, double stripped darts--!] Cardinal: ! [Cardinal used WIRE!] ZZZZZZZIP! [ A grappling hook shot out of his arm, bringing him up toward the ceiling and away from the explosion. Unfortunately, this position offered him no cover whatsoever, except for his shield—which, as always, remained squarely over his central mass.] Cardinal: This is getting a bit old. Cardinal: I’d rather light things on fire, but that wouldn’t be being… [He smirked.] Cardinal: …a good House guest~ [BANG--] [CRASH!] [He had the wind knocked out of him again, but… Judging from his wheezing and shaking laughter…] Cardinal: -Worth it- [CLICK.] [....Uh oh.] Shade: Was it? Cardinal: Yup. Cardinal: Too bad it didn’t… [Cardinal used AIR SHOOTER!] [STRONG gusts swept across the room, moving EVEN the fallen marble slamming into the wall!] Shade: --!!! Cardinal: BLOW YOU AWAY! Shade: Ngh-- [Shade loses his footing and is forced to back up a ways in order to keep Cardinal in front of him--and on his sights.] Shade: Enough of this-- [CLICK.] [...Not even Shade could make a shot in these kinds of winds--] [...Right?] [BANG!] Cardinal: -OOF!- [Okay. He was really taking a beating now.] Cardinal: (This has got to stop. Man… haven’t even knocked out his active camo yet, lame. I wish I could use more explosions and fire, that might have helped…) Cardinal: … (Then again, not being in such a cramped space would have helped anyway.) Cardinal: Hoo… man, you do hit hard… [BANG-- BANG BANG BANG--] [...Shade doesn't answer back. He just keeps shooting.] Cardinal: It really is too bad Round Two had to be like this—nngh! Cardinal: I think you would have preferred remembering! Shade: Hey. Shade: Birdy. Cardinal: What. Shade: Do me a favor. [--Wait--why was his voice coming from behind, Shade was right in front of him--] Shade: Stop yer PRATTLE. [BANG--!] [Cardinal was put to the floor, dizzy from being shot in the back. His fans were buzzing a bit, and he had to prop himself up with an arm.] Cardinal: -WHEEZE- Now that was beneath you, my friend. Cardinal: You’re an assassin, not a traitor. Shade: Not my fault yer bein' difficult, Birdy. Shade: All yer... [BANG.] Shade: Sass, all yer brave front-- [BANG!] Shade: Ya don't fool ME. [He had to deflect the shots with his shield, but his arm was starting to tire from taking the shock of the blows. He gritted his teeth.] Cardinal: Is that supposed to mean something, Shade? I’m honestly—nnn!—confused. Shade: It does. You'll get it REAL soon. [BANG--] [...? ? ?] [That's...that's a red dart.] [Completely red, stuck to Cardinal's shield.] [--And then it started to glow RED, RED HOT, OW--] Cardinal: AUGH! [He could NOT handle that much heat, not so close to his core! He was forced to drop it to the ground and roll to the side.] [Cardinal used NEEDLE CANNON!] [Needle shaped spears skewered anything and everything in sight… …and some things out of sight. A slight rip noise betrayed that Cardinal had scored a hit and pinned the sniper’s cloak to the wall.] Shade: TCH! Shade: Oh, that is IT. Shade: -LOCK ON TO CARDINAL'S SYMBOL-- Shade: Yer SCRAP. [BANG BANG BANG--] [Cardinal hit the floor, hard. Silence.] Shade: -That was mah CLOAK, FRAG YA- […But after a moment, he did manage to sit up again, coughing a bit.] Shade: Fer the love of-- Shade: Ya just don't DIE. Cardinal: -Raspy- So I’ve been told… Cardinal: (Great… all I have left is fire…) Cardinal: You… [He spoke seriously now.] Cardinal: You’ve… got to stop, Shade. Cardinal: You’ve… got to stop…! [He staggered to his feet.] Cardinal: This isn’t you. It’s not your fault, but you need to stop— Cardinal: Don’t you remember who you are?! Shade: --..... [Who...] [Cardinal grabbed his scarf and shook it. The dart there from Shade, a gift from so long ago, stood out in sharp contrast.] Shade: ...... [Why did he have his...] Cardinal: PLEASE! Don’t you REMEMBER me at ALL?! _____________________ "Yer stuck with me. B]" ___________________ "Catch me if ya can, hunting !" _________________ [Memories, as if from some far off forgotten dream...] Shade: --... Shade: -Confused-- Shade: The hell... [Cardinal took a quiet step forward.] Cardinal: Shade! Cardinal: You’re my best friend. Cardinal: We TRUST each other, remember?! ————————————————— “Being able to trust someone and want to be around them, miss them if they’re gone… That’s its own vulnerability, in a way.” ————————————————— [ Another step.] Cardinal: (Just…) Cardinal: (Need to get close enough…!) [Trust...] Shade: -Blinks-- [The purple and magenta fade from his eye for a second--] Shade: (What...) [....And then.] [....A name.] Shade: . . . Shade: Cardinal...? Cardinal: ! Cardinal: -Another step- YES! I’m here, Shade— Cardinal: I promised nothing would make me give up on you, and I mean it. Cardinal: -Another step- You’re sick, but we can fix that— come home, Shade, before you do something you can’t fix. [… …Fix…?] ————————————— [ An admission of weakness. His core was messed up so badly, that…] [From a powerful enough opponent, a direct hit at full charge, if exposed, would cause him to explode. And no armor in the world would ever fix it.] ————————————— Shade: ...ngh... [The assassin staggers, as if something dull was pressing on his mind, something that was NOT a part of him, something that didn't want him to--] Shade: ! [Something within screamed--] [--But then, it all became clear.] [Clear to the virus, that is.] Shade: ...... [Cardinal was reaching out his hand to touch him. If he could just get a hold of him, he had just enough energy to get them out of here. Away from this place—if not to safety, at least where he couldn’t do any more damage.] Cardinal: Shade…? Shade: . . . Shade: Songbird...Eh... Shade: Well, that explains the bird part. [CLICK.] [There was an unsettling PREDATORY grin on Eight's face, as his rifle was pointed DIRECTLY AT CARDINAL'S CORE--] Cardinal: !? [He was too shocked, totally blindsided, taken completely off guard—he didn't even have time to get scared before—] Shade: Adios, Songbird. BANG— [The direct hit from such a close range— point blank range—had done massive amounts of damage. He didn’t really feel hitting the floor, no… It was all lost in a vast sea of white-hot pain that engulfed his senses, enveloped his whole body— He couldn’t even say for sure if he screamed.] Shade: That hurt, Birdy? Shade: Ah' BET it DID. [Cardinal had to turn to his side to avoid choking on oil. Now he felt sick, shivering from the pain and errors that were wracking his body.] Shade: Oh, Ah' remembered ya, yes—ah' sure did... -GRIN- Shade: Ah' remembered how t' finally KILL YA. [Cardinal could hear the words, but they just wouldn’t register— but if they had, he would have been crushed not just in body, but also in soul.] Shade: That was STUPID, bah the way. Shade: What were ya even thinkin', huh? [Even if he wanted to run now, there was no way out. He didn’t have the energy to teleport—he barely had enough to move. Move he did, though, at least enough to get to his knees. …] […relatively speaking.] Shade: Eheh... Shade: Looks like yer wings have been CLIPPED...Lil' Birdy. Shade: Nowhere t' RUN, nao, is there. Even if ya COULD move.... Cardinal: Hnnnghnnnnnggh… Cardinal: … (Can’t… can’t move…) Cardinal: (Need… need repairs…) Cardinal: (N-need to partition energy into repairs—) Shade: Still breathin'? Shade: Ya really ARE persistent! [The world became a white void of pain as he was kicked in the side, hard. He fell over, and Shade forced him onto his back with a bit of pressure. His vision started to come back in, but—] [CRUNCH--] [ A boot crunches on top of Cardinal's chest--] Cardinal: (AUGH!) [He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t. Breathe. The weight was crushing him, breaking him, threatening to put pressure on his core—his constant massive conversion of energy into matter to save him was only intensifying the pain.] Cardinal: Ghhghkk—! [He was too badly injured to move. He was using all of his power just to stay alive, now—he could barely hear, barely see—] >ERROR: HARDWARE DAMAGE CRITICAL Cardinal: ! >COMPLETE SYSTEM FAILURE IMMINENT Cardinal: (nnnONONO—) >INITIATE SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE Cardinal: AAAAUUUGH! [Cardinal gave a choked cry of despair as the countdown began— audibly, no less—] >TEN… Shade: -Ooh, now... What is this?- >NINE… Shade: Oh, right... >EIGHT… Shade: Ya Wily constructs go up with a bang when yer too helpless t' RUN. >SEVEN… Shade: -Chuckles.- >SIX… Shade: Nao ain't that somethin'... >FIVE… Cardinal: (No…!) >FOUR… >SYSTEM OVERRIDE >THREE… >RUN PROGRAM: FINAL_DAYS.EXE >TWO… >WARNING: FINAL_DAYS.EXE IS AN UNAUTHORIZED PROGRAM. USING THIS PROGRAM WILL PREVENT COMBAT.EXE INITIATIVES OR SYSTEM MAINTENANCE FROM RUNNING NORMALLY. CONTINUE? >ONE… >YES >DON’T ASK ME AGAIN > -PING!- COMMAND CONFIRMED. >SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE HAS BEEN CANCELLED. Shade: .... Shade: Tch. Shade: Was hopin' t' see fireworks. Oh, well. >EXECUTING PROGRAM: FINAL_DAYS.EXE [He became limp and weak as the program went live. He was no longer burdened by instincts meant to preserve him to be fighting fit later, or to continue fighting on. All the energy that had been spent toward those goals was now going into extensive repair, to keep his vitals up and his senses working. This process would not be interrupted, no matter how much energy it drained from him. …But as a result…] Cardinal: -Rattled wheezing from shaky, submissive gasps for air- Shade: Heh... -Smug smirk- [He was now completely helpless.] Shade: Look at ya... [Everything felt faint. It hurt, and yet…] Cardinal: -Hazily- (Can’t even move…) [He felt so tired. So tired. He wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and get his rest….] Cardinal: (C-can’t…) Cardinal: (So… so tired…) Shade: Just look at ya, ya waste of scrap. Shade: All yer talk and sass and comebacks and fancy display... [CRUNCH--] Cardinal: ( -PAIN!-) [Cardinal became briefly blinded by pain, his eyes glazing over. His fans wailed in protest at the crushing weight put on his chest.] Shade: --And all it took-- [His armor—!] [SNAP--!] [His inner plate armor split open—] <DLN-000>: > -PAIN!- [With his transceiver off, no one could hear him— no one could hear his anguished data streams—] Shade: --Was a few shots, from one bot-- C R A C K—!! [He jerked sharply, almost convulsing as the armor clattered, giving way to expose the energy core within. It was glowing like a small sun—white hot, too.] Shade: - T'prepare ya t' meet yer Maker. That is... Assumin' there's an afterlife for ya pathetic box bolts... [Cardinal gave off bleak rattling noises as his coolant system attempted to draw air over broken fans.] Shade: Best start prayin', lil' Birdy. Yer gonna learn the answer t' that question the hard way. Cardinal: -Repairs, need… need repairs…- [His vision came back to him as the conversion went into overdrive, desperate on keeping the fans running, to keep him alive. This allowed his eyes, dulled before, to resume their green spark—his sunglasses had been knocked off long ago, and so there was nothing between the green fire and the sickly purple gaze.] Shade: --? Shade: What in tarnation-- Cardinal: Hnnnnggghh… Shade: --.... [Wait a second... There was something just right of the power core, mostly tucked behind it. As it glowed, the mobility rig seemed to just… rebuild itself. Enough for Cardinal to grasp at something hidden below his scarf, clutching it with a stubborn resignation.] [.....] [Two and two were put together within a second, and the Teal Silence let out a dark chuckle.] Shade: Stubborn jackass! So THIS is how ya kept yerslef goin' so long, hmm? Shade: Real clever... [He suddenly JABBED right at it with his rifle-- which was a VERY bad mistake…] Shade: ARUGH--! […as far as the sniper was concerned. The tip of the rifle had been vaporized, and Cardinal was filled with a jolt of energy that the conversion provided. From the strength Shade had unwittingly donated, he knocked the rifle out of the way to prevent his friend from losing balance, and possibly ending up losing the rest of his arm to the power converter.] Shade: NGH-- Shade: Little goddamn bastard--should've known ya had 'nother cheap shot like that up yer sleeve... Cardinal: -Irratable snort- (Oh please, that’s just how I’m BUILT—you wouldn’t go sticking your hand in stomach acid, would you?!) [There was still enough strength left from that for him to regain some focus. It took effort, and he struggled to reallocate repairs to non-vital systems. Like… talking, for example. Cardinal vented a bit and scrunched his eyes in a grimace, trying his hardest to work up the energy to talk.] Cardinal: Nnnngh… […But he could only groan. The pain was so heavy…] Shade: Bah, for the love of— spare me yer theatrics, Songbird, S'not like ya can sing anymore. Cardinal: (But…) Cardinal: (I’ve GOT to, I need to tell you…!) [CLICK.] Cardinal: —hghkkt! [He knew that noise.] [He KNEW that noise, and it filled him with dread.] Cardinal: (No…) Shade: Heheheh... [ A sadistic smile partnered the laugh that escaped from Shade--the dart that was usually in his mouth was gone...] Cardinal: (Shade, oh God no— please… no, don’t… you can’t do this…) Cardinal: -Weak ping of protest- Shade: Ah' TOLD ya...Ya can't fool me. Shade: Ya scared now, li' Birdy? Cardinal: -Strained fan whine of despair- [He was in distress, that was for sure. A heartbroken dismay was sapping away at the willpower maintaining the diminishing fumes of strength in his body. Shade leaned over, resting his rifle arm on his left knee as he put his weight on Cardinal’s shoulder. The fans there screeched as they were crushed beneath the sniper’s considerable weight.] Shade: Good. [The blinding pain lifted as the weight was drawn away. When Cardinal could see again, he saw his friend’s back facing him.] Shade: I'll give ya this... Cardinal: … [ A low hum...] Cardinal: … -even weaker ping- [He couldn’t mask it. When Shade turned around, Cardinal couldn’t help but give off a faint signal of hopelessness— Shade was using a sniper scope to light up his core as a target, purely to mock him out of spite.] Shade: Ya were better ’n most. Damn freakin' annoyin’, too. Shoulda known better ’n ‘’ta come HERE, t' mah huntin' grounds. You got a death wish, songbird? Huh? [He took a step forward, letting his spurs rattle loudly in his stride across the floor...] [Slowly.] [It was tempting. So tempting. He was tired. He hurt. He was scared. If… if he just let go, the pain would stop, it wouldn’t hurt anymore… he could rest, he could leave before…] Cardinal: … (No… can’t…) [Cardinal took in a shaky breath, willing himself to stay alive, even though his energy core…] Cardinal: (Can’t let it end… like this…) […was starting to turn cold.] Shade: -Data- Shade: -Well, if ya insist, we can GRANT it for ya.- Cardinal: (Can’t…!) Cardinal: (I CAN’T LET IT END LIKE THIS!) [Cardinal struggled to focus through his failing vision, to look that menacing red-violet eye directly on with his own, dimming green pair. He shut down all but his central core mass fans to get the energy to speak.] Cardinal: -Very raspy, distorted gasp- Shade… Shade: --.... [...He's not sure if he should be annoyed or impressed.] [Cardinal spoke again. There was a clear but quiet, submissive air of despair in his frail voice.] Cardinal: Countershade, please… [Oh.] [He took a step forward...] Shade: What was that? Cardinal: Don’t… don’t do this… Cardinal: …beg… begging you, please… [.....] Shade: -GRIN- [He smirked cruelly at this, at the sight and sounds of Cardinal begging, pleading for his life, for mercy. Ha! Finally, after all of his talk and bravo! What a delightful feeling.] Shade: Heheheheh! Cardinal: please… Shade: (Eso es, Pájarito. Ruega por la misericordia hasta que mueras.) Cardinal: …it’s only… only… g…going to… Shade: --? Cardinal: …going to hurt y o u… Shade: --......... [For a moment, that makes Shade pause. The sick, purple aura left him, the malice, the evil that had dug it's way deep into his core was lifted for just a brief moment-- ] Shade: -N--No-- Shade: (No, no, no…!) Shade: -Straining- M-must… fight… the power… [He, too, seemed like he was in just as much pain as Cardinal was.] […] [CLICK.] [...But the moment... Passed.] Shade: Enough! [He spoke with a firm, authoritative command of finality.] Shade: I don’t have time t’ waste on you. Obviously ya ain’t gonna stay out of my way while ya still runnin’. Shade: An’ as we’ve already established, ya have this fraggin’ annoyin’ tendency to keep hangin’ on. Fahn, then—I’ll give ya the honor a’ takin’ ya out myself! Cardinal: (No…) [Cardinal gripped his hand tighter, as if bracing himself.] Shade: An’ just tah make SURE you don’t get out of sight at the last second… [He lowered his gaze, and his aim, right down to Cardinal's exposed core.] Shade: This'll be the last bullet Ah' waste on ya. [Cardinal forced himself to maintain eye contact, even as Shade lowered his rifle to point directly at the exposed core. He didn’t… feel scared anymore. Just… defeated.Hopeless. …Accepting of his time, resigned to his fate… even as he dwelt with lingering, final regret, on his failure and shame.] Shade…[Darkness overtook his eyes. His power was nearly entirely depleted. He would only last a few minutes longer, at most—one way or another, he had reached, at last… his final day.] [Vrrrrrrr...] Oh, Shade…![He could faintly hear the sound of Shade’s deadly aim setting up. It seemed… so far away…] I…[He heard a faint fizzling and hissing noise as the energy converter fell silent. There could only be one reason for that— No more energy left to convert from.He could feel his heart becoming as cold as i c e …]I’m… so sorry…!
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. I forgot that people rarely bother with two-way.