TSW 25: EMERALD NIGHTMARE

[16:28]	=-=	IcePickLobotomy has changed the topic to “August 13th, 1988. Gilbratar.”
[18:02]	-->|	WE1RD ([email protected]) has joined #TSWIC
[18:02]	=-=	WE1RD is now known as JohnH
[18:05]	IcePickLobotomy	Rain lashes at the windows, the distant flicker and roll of thunder is mutted by the bullet-proof glass of the windows. Angry dark grey clouds hang low in the sky, only a few hundred meters above the windows of your floor. The thick haze of rain leaves the ocean hidden behind a curtain of water, and shadows and darkens the city deeply.
[18:09]	IcePickLobotomy	Walker, along with Mary, Kasra, and Reagan are still back in the base, doing some system diagnostics. The rest of you have been released for the day.
[18:12]	=-=	Napscya is now known as Mary
[18:12]	IcePickLobotomy	Time: 18:47.
[18:13]	=-=	Pale_Wolf is now known as Arina
[18:13]	IcePickLobotomy	A faint pressure and the accompanying hiss of static rolls across the room. The lights flicker.
[18:14]	Arina	looks up with a slight frown. "... Lightning...?"
[18:14]	RobinE	"Why not, goes with the /great/ weather."
[18:16]	IcePickLobotomy	Arina: You note that the water in a glass starts to shake, as if being disturbed
[18:19]	Arina	frowns, standing up. "... should check in."
[18:21]	IcePickLobotomy	Arina: The phone rings for several moments. "We are sorry, but the number you are trying to reach is not available." The automated messages says.
[18:22]	RobinE	"oh they are probably fine."
[18:23]	Arina	holds up the phone. "... Phone lines down." She moves to the windows, pushing aside the curtain and looking out with a slight frown.
[18:23]	IcePickLobotomy	A green light, as if from lightening, bathes the room through the window. As it fades you see the lights shut down by blocks. Somewhere behind a building a eerie green glow emerges, static crackles around the edges of the light.
[18:23]	IcePickLobotomy	The sirens start the wail just as the lights cut out in the apartment.
[18:28]	Arina	's eyes widen. "... We have to get to HQ."
[18:28]	RobinE	stands up quickly, "yup."
[18:31]	IcePickLobotomy	-----------
[18:34]	IcePickLobotomy	The trip to the hangar takes longer than you'd like. Power is out all over the place and communications are mostly cut off. The hangars are a mess. 3 of the units have been deployed, and where Mary's unit would be is instead a twisted mess of metal, gouged concrete and a thick pool of thick black liquid who's stench makes you gag even from here.
[18:34]	Arina	looks around, appalled. "What /happened/?"
[18:35]	RobinE	"Mary..." Robin can only manage to stare at the scene as they go by.
[18:35]	IcePickLobotomy	One of the support crew, a older man who's face is half covered in blood from a head wound speaks up. "Unit 1A went crazy, started thrashing around. They sent it to the surface along with the other two. Orders are for you three to sortie and assist."
[18:37]	Arina	's eyes widen, and her face goes pale. "... that... it... /Vernbeck/ you-!" What follows is a learning experience in what you can only presume is Russian slurs, as she reaches into her pocket and wraps her hand around something.
[18:38]	JohnH	grabs her arm "Whatever it is, it can wait. We've got a bigger issue."
[18:38]	RobinE	is still in slight shock in what she saw.
[18:41]	Arina	looks up at him, wide-eyed. "John the monster /woke/ /up/ and they want to /put/ /us/ /in/ /it/!"
[18:41]	Arina	"They're /alive/, John!"
[18:44]	JohnH	"And they always have been! But right now, we need to go stop it, and the only way to do that, is in our own giant robots, which are also alive!"
[18:45]	JohnH	"That's why we have been picked, because we can control them! So lets do that!"
[18:45]	Arina	shivers. "It's... that's..."
[18:46]	JohnH	looks to Robin for moral support
[18:46]	IcePickLobotomy	"Thank you Pilot Hunter." It's a voice you've only heard a few times before, but is still burned into your memory. The Colonel. Tall and scarecrow like, half his face is covered in a ugly know of scar tissue. The greatcoat hangs off his shoulders more like a cloak or robe.
[18:46]	RobinE	's face is a nice mix of shock and fear.
[18:47]	IcePickLobotomy	"You are to sortie immediately. Your will be briefed as your units are prepared for launch."
[18:47]	Arina	looks up at him, wild-eyed, and swallows heavily, standing to attention and saluting. "... Sir."
[18:48]	JohnH	stiffens immediately, pivoting with almost inhuman speed, salute at the ready
[18:48]	RobinE	"I made a promise to keep fighting," she says very shaky, "lets do it."
[18:48]	JohnH	"Yes sir!" John shouts, and gives Arina a pleading look before sprinting to his EVA's pod
[18:50]	RobinE	Shaking heavily, Robin walks to her eva.
[18:50]	Arina	swallows, moving towards her Outrider.
[18:51]	IcePickLobotomy	"Comrade Alkaeva. We will speak later." He calls after you.
[18:51]	Arina	"... Thank you, Sir."
[18:54]	IcePickLobotomy	As your units boot up, the briefing document is uploaded to your HUD for your perusal.
[18:56]	Arina	reads it, and just laughs bitterly, laying her head back against the rest and clamping her hand on something. "... I spend weeks swallowing that secret and then they just up and admit it."
[18:57]	JohnH	"So we have to subdue Mary and destroy clones of her unit?"
[18:57]	RobinE	lets out a deep breath, "Secrets are always end in pain," she leaves a pause "lets do it."
[18:57]	JohnH	"This should be...fun" John has to spit out the last word
[18:58]	IcePickLobotomy	[PREPARE UNIT LAUNCH IN 10, 9, 8, 7. . .]
[19:00]	Arina	looks nauseous as she synchs up and lays her hands on the controls, skin breaking out in hives.
[19:01]	IcePickLobotomy	The scream of the launch rails rattles your bones and teeth. Your vision grays and blackens before they slam home along the surface.
[19:02]	IcePickLobotomy	It's raining, thick sheets of rain coming down from above. You can see a path of utter devistation before you, small fires hissing in the rain and water pools in craters. The shattered remenants of one of the sky-scrappers lays across the width of the damage, and just past it is a section that hisses and steams as the rain lands upon the glassy black surface.
[19:02]	IcePickLobotomy	And at the far end. . .
[19:04]	IcePickLobotomy	Unit-01/A. It's limbs twitch and spasm, a corona of green light surrounds it as arcs of green lightening gently gouge out glowing trenches in the ground. The thick black liquid is splatters all over it and oozes from the gaps of it's armor. The rain slides off it like water and oil. Static and interference flicker heavy around the unit.
[19:05]	Arina	stares at it, expression just... lost.
[19:05]	IcePickLobotomy	There's no sign of Unit-00 save for your TacLink, which reads as [Unit-Offline, Severe Damage.]. Unit 04- reads [Unit Offline, Critical Damage.].
[19:05]	IcePickLobotomy	Unit01/a [SYSTEM ERROR]
[19:08]	RobinE	"Such carnage," Robin looks over the damage.
[19:08]	JohnH	"I can only hope this isn't intentional."
[19:10]	RobinE	"Either way," she lifts up her outrider's mutated arm, "we cant let it continue."
[19:10]	Mary	eva stands there, dark puss and slime flowing over most of her units while it is twitching , and leaning foreward hunched over as it with a might haul rips off a plate of its arm armor and throws it away before it stops and turns to you , its eyes glowing green and sick as it opens its mouth and scrams at them
[19:12]	IcePickLobotomy	The howl if feral and inhuman, sounding more like a wounded machine than any noise a living thing could produce. The hairs raise along your backs, tremors of fear and hatred older than the sun crawl across your bones and muscles.
[19:12]	IcePickLobotomy	*is
[19:12]	Arina	's skin crawls. "... they're still alive..."
[19:13]	JohnH	shouts in Mary's direction "Stand down!"
[19:14]	IcePickLobotomy	JohnH: There's too much EM Interference to open comms. Maybe if you got closer it would get through. . .
[19:15]	Mary	looks at robin and a green glow coalsactes around her before it turns into a long ray that reaches out for robin.
[19:16]	Arina	[Retcon, that happens later]
[19:16]	RobinE	starts to move towards Unit 01/A, moving close to the sky-scrapper.
[19:17]	IcePickLobotomy	RobinE: As you clambor atop the building you notice something. Unit-00 pinned beneath the rubble. one arm is missing and half of it's head is simply gone, the legs pinned under the rubble.
[19:18]	RobinE	"Located Unit-00"
[19:18]	Arina	"... How is she?"
[19:19]	RobinE	"Well, it's pinned and missing some... pieces."
[19:20]	Arina	"... not good."
[19:29]	Mary	looks at robin and a green glow coalsactes around her before it turns into a long ray that reaches out for robin corckscreewing trhogu the air and leaving a green afterglow as it pushes her field aside as if it was nothing as it greedy tendrils reach out for her.
[19:33]	Mary	(as its)
[19:36]	JohnH	"Knock that off!" John shouts and starts heading towards the rogue unit
[19:40]	Mary	turns half to him, and after a second ignores him while green light crackles around the unit in a perversion of St'elmos fire
[19:42]	Arina	grits her teeth and forces 02/A forward alongside John, jerky and unsteady.
[19:47]	Mary	reaches out a rapid pusling lightning stream is unleashed from the unit towards robin, luckly for her it misses her, and the blasts are melting the forefront of a bulding and a small traincar with the splash damage.as it arcs around.
[19:49]	RobinE	"That's right," she grunts as she climbs down, "I'm on my way." She heads on to the glassed trench.
[19:50]	IcePickLobotomy	RobinE: As you move into the glassy trench, you see something on your end of it. Unit-04. It's slumped over, molten concrete pooling over it's crumpled form. You can see traces of gears and treads along the trench, alongside a arm from the elbow forward. It's armor is slagged all over.
[19:51]	IcePickLobotomy	And. . . it's hard to see but there's a small hole in the front of the armor. The exit wound is sizable. Unless the plug had ejected. . .
[19:52]	RobinE	"I found Unit-04, this one's bad."
[19:52]	Arina	somehow goes paler. "... how bad?"
[19:53]	RobinE	"Well...Let's hope the plug ejected first."
[19:55]	Mary	shivers as another plate of armor partially disolves and then drops from its knee as the Emerald Nightmare is scraping its leg against a building, leaving a dent in it while power gathers around it before the lightning that missed her arc towards her again,  a blindign display of flashes and green glowing whose jagged movement violates the air
[19:55]	Arina	"... we need to find it."
[19:56]	Mary	caressing her unit and field in a perverted embrace
[19:57]	RobinE	lunges out of the way of the blast directed at her.
[19:59]	Mary	The blast hits the street beyond her, and every remaining cart that was on it is set on fire simultainusly and goes up like a cheap pinto.
[20:02]	JohnH	negotiates the terrain, taking up space next to Reagan's downed unit
[20:07]	Mary	screams at Robin again, and the corckscrew lighning reaches out towards her in a way of destructive energy that is roughly the same size as your evas Torso
[20:14]	RobinE	shrieks as the lightning catches her leg on fire, "AHHH, Can't... Stop!"
[20:14]	Arina	continues her approach, bringing her Outrider down to scoop up Reagan's plug. "Come on, please be okay..."
[20:15]	IcePickLobotomy	Arina: Vitals are stable, but weaker than you'd like.
[20:16]	Arina	carefully delivers the plug to a recovery shaft, and jerks her Outrider back up and lumbering towards the Intruder again.
[20:16]	JohnH	"How's she doing?" John yells back
[20:17]	Arina	"She's okay."
[20:17]	Arina	"Not great, but okay."
[20:21]	Mary	looks over at them her eyes concentrate on reagan as she in a threathening gesture rips off a plate of armor from her leg and throw it at her as lightning starts to arc and tongue towards her.
[20:21]	Mary	does not reach her..yet
[20:26]	RobinE	works up a charge at Unit 01/A, "This has to stop!" she yells as she slashes her mutated claw out.
[20:29]	Mary	gets hit ber her, and the attack is opening up the vile puss on her arm as sparks start to fly
[20:30]	Mary	And more of the vile blood is dropping on the ground where it sizzles as the storm increases in strengh and wipes the blood over the area.
[20:36]	Mary	turns towards her and all the lightning that is on the Eva, no the Nightmare in emerald floats and then strikes Robin in a single cataclsym hit that melts the street around the two of them and makes the scene for a moment as bright as day before darkness falls again on them.
[20:38]	JohnH	shields his eyes and blinks away the stars
[20:40]	IcePickLobotomy	The first bolt slams into Robin's AT Field, the legs catching fire. The rest of the storm blinds you, but as it passes her unit stands unharmed, the dieing purple light of her AT Field lighting up the dark city streets.
[20:41]	IcePickLobotomy	[Redact last.]
[20:41]	IcePickLobotomy	The first bolt slams into Robin's head, the armor glows a dull red as rain splashes and hisses into steam. The rest of the storm blinds you, but as it passes her unit stands unharmed, the dieing purple light of her AT Field lighting up the dark city streets.
[20:44]	IcePickLobotomy	JohnH: The manual datafeed on his unit is almost sealed shut but you are able to access it. The black-box data notes a massive temperature spike followed by critical core damage and a catastrophic plug breach. No attempt to eject was registered.
[20:45]	Arina	"John...?"
[20:45]	JohnH	"He might still be in this one, get up here and help me keep him safe!"
[20:46]	Arina	swallows. "... John. There's a hole where the plug was..."
[20:56]	Mary	stretches her hands out and the corkscrew lightning forms again, before it enters her field, a tiny wound a first before it penetrates into her chest and then starts to expand
[20:57]	IcePickLobotomy	Something on Robin's unit smoulders for a moment before busting into flames, writhing her unit in fire.
[20:59]	Arina	grits her teeth. "... John. Robin. Reorder those objectives."
[20:59]	Arina	forces an unsteady, sudden motion that brings the sword over her Outrider's shoulder. "Primary: Survive."
[21:00]	Arina	propels 02/A in a sudden, gigantic, battlefield-crossing leap, jerkily coming down on top of Unit 01/A with the immense sword cleaving down into... the ground next to it. "Primary: Recover Mary, intact."
[21:00]	Arina	struggles to catch her breath after landing, finally finishing: "... ha... ha... Secondary: Disable the Intruder."
[21:01]	RobinE	"I....This....I can't...." Robin sounds well shaken.
[21:01]	Mary	turns towards the new thread and screams at it lightning arcing away from her and towards Arina even if so far it is just a pale reflection of the hit that nearly took out robin.
[21:35]	RobinE	"Your sister would be so disappointed Mary," Robin spits out.
[21:35]	RobinE	"I know I am."
[21:36]	RobinE	"At this rate you are going to leave her nothing to live in."
[21:36]	Arina	"... she's not at the helm. This is Chernobog."
[21:37]	RobinE	"She's in there, she must be able to."
[21:38]	JohnH	bullrushes the rogue EVA, slamming into it with a massive shoulder
[21:39]	Mary	shudders as her leg gets stuck on a part of a building before she crashes past it  it as some red flames start to dance around her now as john crashes into her, and the smaller monster stumbles but then remains on its feet, crashing into a shoping mail that starts to break down as it catches itself
[21:40]	RobinE	"Mary, *I Thought You Wanted To Save Everyone!"
[21:41]	IcePickLobotomy	RobinE: You manage to establish comms with Mary, though the EM interference is spotty. The video-feed flickers on, it's heavy with static and interferance. The red glow of the emergency lights reveal a plug covered in the same black gunk that it's bleeding. It raises up to Mary's neck, her face and hair splattered with the stuff.
[21:41]	Arina	"... Mary, hang in there. We'll get you out."
[21:42]	RobinE	"Mary, you have to fight. Like we are. Prove to me how much you want to save your sister!"
[21:42]	RobinE	"Cause right now it looks like you gave up!"
[21:43]	RobinE	"Is that how you'd want her to remember you!"
[21:44]	Mary	eyes are vacant, as she claws at something in the gunk "Stop touching me! go. go away! wh can't I move! no, not there... no, sam.., STOP , STOP , not there!
[21:44]	RobinE	"FIGHT. PROVE YOU WANT TO WIN!"
[21:45]	Arina	swallows. "... have to hold up our end."
[21:46]	Mary	"Samuel! I, why are you here, I am not going back into the darknes! It was not my fault !
[21:47]	RobinE	"We want to help! Tell us how!"
[21:47]	Arina	"... MAGI, how can we extract her? Cut out the plug?"
[21:47]	IcePickLobotomy	[Restrain Unit-01/A and then engage the manual release switch.]
[21:47]	Arina	"... Roger."
[21:47]	Arina	"Thank you."
[21:48]	Mary	gets more agitated inside the plug and the flames around her dim for a moment before they start up again, while she shoves the corckscrew lightning at john.
[21:48]	RobinE	"Don't let that thing tell you what to do! You are in control remember!"
[21:49]	RobinE	"We aren't your enemy, the intruder is!"
[21:52]	RobinE	"Look me in the eye and tell me I'm wrong!"
[21:52]	Mary	raises a hand only for it to fall back into the gunk and foreward " No no, I am not listening to you, I won't kill her ! I have to stop you!"
[21:52]	Arina	drops her Outrider's sword in a thundering crash as she lunges in to wrap 01/A in a titanic, lumbering bear hug. Her control ain't exactly there but the Outrider is no weaker than ever.
[21:52]	RobinE	"IF YOU STOP US YOUR SISTER WILL DIE!"
[21:53]	Arina	"It's immobilized, hit the eject!"
[21:53]	IcePickLobotomy	Arina: You can see that the black liquid is bubbling. You can feel the flesh under your grip shifting, writhing. Changing and growing.
[21:54]	Mary	"NO SAMUEL! LET ME GO ! " lighting arcs alongside mary while the red flames grow ever stronger creating a burning flame halo around her.
[21:57]	RobinE	"WE AREN'T SAMUEL! ITS ROBIN AND ARINA!"
[21:59]	Mary	The fluids inside the cockpit seem to bubble and boil for a moment while a wave seems to shiver and go out from inside of her in the cockpit before the glorious green flames around start to burn ever brighter, into a new dawn a glorious new dawn for Mankinds last day.
[21:59]	IcePickLobotomy	And the feed cuts as the flames drown out your sight.
[22:09]	IcePickLobotomy	As the fires fade you see the unit tear off the torso armor. A moment later you see a flare in the dark as the plug ejects into the distance.
[22:10]	IcePickLobotomy	The balastic arc takes it into a skyscrapper. It smashes into it and tumbles into the ground, hidden from sight behind the other buildings as the sky-scrapper collapses.
[22:11]	Arina	"MARY!"
[22:11]	Mary	is silent
[22:11]	IcePickLobotomy	Yet the Unit is still moving. A series of interlocking green panes flicker into life as the black gunk boils away and begins to harden.
[22:27]	JohnH	lights into it with his pallet rifle, squeezing off a salvo
[22:27]	JohnH	"Time for you to die!"
[22:27]	IcePickLobotomy	The green force-fields interopose themselves between the salvo. It almost destroys all of them, leaving only a few left.
[22:28]	IcePickLobotomy	Behind them you can see the hunched over unit tearing off the last of the armor, leaving only the head clad in humanities restraints.
[22:29]	Arina	stumbles back to pick up her Outrider's sword again, glaring at the former Unit and forcing her green light out into a pulse to eat away at its AT field. "... these damned monsters... and we're in them..."
[22:32]	IcePickLobotomy	Arina: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k70iKGjr-Zs ]  The last of the force-fields snap away, just in time for the unit to stand up and place one clawed hand over its chin. With a metalic shriek it tears the helmet off and tosses it to the ground. The liquid has ceased flowing and has hardened into a obsidian looking skin. The head emerges directly from the shoulders, and 7 emerald eyes in...
[22:32]	IcePickLobotomy	...2 columns, one of 4 and one of 3. A baleful green light permeates the area around it, and crackling arcs of emerald lighting snap and hiss across its form.
[22:33]	IcePickLobotomy	Static hisses and roars. The last update from the MAGI is simple. [Target designated CHERNOBOG. Primary Objective: Engage and Destroy.] before the link cuts out in a buzz of white noise.
[22:34]	=-=	Mary is now known as Chernobog
[22:34]	Arina	's eyes widen. "... /you/."
[22:34]	IcePickLobotomy	It turns and regards you a moment with its eyes, as if sizing you up.
[22:35]	Arina	's body and Outrider are /shaking/, panting for breath as she stares wide-eyed at the monstrosity.
[22:36]	IcePickLobotomy	There's no further warning. It moves fast, far faster than the archival footage indicated, one arm ending in a sharp blade lashes out at you.
[22:36]	Arina	"-wh-?!"
[22:39]	IcePickLobotomy	Arina: It doesn't hurt. Not at first. A moment later as the blood jets out from your right leg, now missing below the knee. . . No wait, not your leg. /it's/ leg. The Units.
[22:39]	Arina	shrieks. "AAAAAAAAAAH!"
[22:40]	JohnH	"Arina!"
[22:42]	JohnH	presses his attack, firing more rounds into the creature
[22:43]	Arina	stumbles back, tears falling from her eyes as she slams the Outrider's sword into the ground to hold herself up. "You... again..."
[22:43]	IcePickLobotomy	The first round harmlessly splashes off Chernobog's heads, the rest are absorbed by crackling arc's of green lightening.
[22:45]	IcePickLobotomy	Which then lashes out at John, a storm of green bolts that leave glowing motlen gouges wherever they strike.
[22:51]	Arina	sobs as she drives her Outrider into a stumble towards Chernobog, sword thrusting in and hopefully holding herself up by it. "Why...? Why you...?"
[22:53]	Arina	shoves it into the monstrosity's torso and just 0x1dleans0x1d on it. "... why do you always appear when I'm happy...?"
[22:53]	Arina	"Is it me you hate so much...?"
[22:54]	IcePickLobotomy	It tries to step back, but it's not fast enough, taken off guard. A green barrier halts your blade at a distance that seems too close for Cherobog's comfort.
[22:55]	Arina	and her Outrider slump into the blade. "... why do you keep appearing...? Why do you take so much from us...?"
[22:57]	IcePickLobotomy	It turns away from Arina and jams the tip of it's bladed arm into John's head.
[22:59]	Arina	"No-!"
[22:59]	IcePickLobotomy	Followed up by a storm of green lightening that does little more than score his armor.
[23:00]	Arina	"John!"
[23:00]	JohnH	stumbles and grabs and places both hands on his head in an attempt to steady himnself
[23:01]	Arina	drives the sword in deeper, howling incoherently.
[23:01]	Arina	doesn't drive it in much deeper.
[23:03]	IcePickLobotomy	It ignores Arina, lunging for John but doesn't land a solid blow.
[23:03]	IcePickLobotomy	Another storm of lighting surronds John, and again it fails to damage him.
[23:04]	Arina	stumbles again as it goes off her sword, planting it in the ground as a crutch. "... why...?"
[23:05]	JohnH	"WHY WON'T YOU DIE!"
[23:06]	JohnH	pulls out his knife and goes for the stab
[23:09]	IcePickLobotomy	JohnH: The same green field blocks it, but it's weakening for sure.
[23:09]	JohnH	"Keep it up Arina!"
[23:11]	IcePickLobotomy	It turns back to Arina, slashing at her.
[23:12]	IcePickLobotomy	It knocks one arm away, but little more.
[23:12]	Arina	gives a wracking sob of what John will have to presume is agreement as she less 'attacks' and more 'directs her fall and sword onto the Intruder' after its blow knocks the sword off its bracing position on the ground.
[23:13]	IcePickLobotomy	It hooks the blade under your arm, barbs emerge from it as it manages to pierce the armor. You're now caught on Chernobog's blade.
[23:15]	IcePickLobotomy	The AT Field flares into life once more before it breaks and shatters.
[23:16]	Arina	leans into the blade, crying, reaching into a side package to cradle something in her hands. "... you just... keep taking everything..."
[23:17]	Arina	"... can't even escape you with the only things we have to fight you... because that's you too..."
[23:19]	IcePickLobotomy	And then it removes the arm, barbs tear and pull at your arm, pulling loose flesh, tendons and wires.
[23:19]	IcePickLobotomy	The arm hangs uselessly as the auto-repair sequence begins.
[23:21]	IcePickLobotomy	Arina: Syng-Level warnings start to chime. It's hard to think, hard to fight past the sensation of your tendons being pulled out of your arm, hard to concintrate past the sensation of being strangled by the armor, of arms and legs bound too tight, painfully tight.
[23:24]	JohnH	"LET HER GO!" John rages, attempting to stop the monster's actions
[23:25]	IcePickLobotomy	JohnH: Dozen of green barriers spring to life between you and Arina, between you and Chenobog. Just like before, only now there's far more.
[23:27]	IcePickLobotomy	They part and it lunges out at you with the blade.
[23:27]	Arina	stumbles, struggling to raise her sword, but can't manage it with one arm hurting too much to move. "... no, i have to... pick it up..."
[23:31]	IcePickLobotomy	A storm of lighting surges over John, but he is unscathed.
[23:34]	IcePickLobotomy	The panels part way again, it steps into John's guard, the blade skips past his arm in a clang of sparks.
[23:38]	JohnH	sees the opening in the panels and swings his massive (but tiny by comparison) blade towards the opening "GET AWAY FROM HER."
[23:41]	Arina	swallows, arm reaching up to... something. "... why won't anything listen...?"
[23:44]	Arina	pauses. "... who... are you...?"
[23:44]	Arina	lightly hums a short tune.
[23:45]	Arina	's eyes widen. "... you're...?"
[23:46]	JohnH	"What are you doing ARina? Kill it!"
[23:48]	Arina	wobbles in her seat, staring blankly at something only she can see. "... is that... what you want...?"
[23:49]	JohnH	"YES, THAT'S WHAT WE ALL WANT!"
[23:50]	Arina	laughs softly. "... oh... I've been pretty stupid, haven't I...?"
[23:55]	Arina	grins the same way she did at her concert, slamming her hands back on the controls. [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLhU8ea4yZQ ] "... All right then. Listen to my song and I'll show you!"
[23:55]	Arina	's lightly taps her finger against the controls to keep a beat, and at the right moment, starts singing, swirling into motion and bringing the Outrider's sword up to carve into Chernobog.
[23:58]	IcePickLobotomy	Black flesh and wires sloughs away, where the knee ended a new leg, tanned skin, five toes, a human leg, emerges.
[23:59]	IcePickLobotomy	Steam rises of Arina's unit, a black braskish water leaking from the gaps and rents in the armor.
[23:59]	IcePickLobotomy	And the blade smashes aside the last of panels, shattering it's defense.
[00:00]	IcePickLobotomy	A storm of lightening engulfs Arina as Chernobog starts to backpedal away from the Russian
[00:02]	Arina	lands on the new leg, carrying on her song with a smile, and 02/A's AT field swells out in a red glow that smashes aside the lightning as she follows in a dancelike step.
[00:03]	JohnH	pauses for a half second at the change in scenery, only to return to his battle-trance, blade flying
[00:04]	IcePickLobotomy	The blade slams into Chernobog, the backpedal becomes a stagger.
[00:05]	IcePickLobotomy	Even so it lashes out with its blade at Arina in a desperate move.
[00:07]	Arina	twirls into the most graceful headbutt you've ever seen in your life, glowing, pulsing red stopping the blade cold, as her own descends.
[00:10]	IcePickLobotomy	It staggers back, rather than be outright killed, it instead loses it's right leg at the knee.
[00:12]	IcePickLobotomy	Another storm of green electricity alights the dark city and rubble, flickering dangerously in the rain. BUt it is merely thunder and not lightening.
[00:14]	JohnH	adds the lightning with another quick flash of his blade
[00:16]	JohnH	carves his first initial into the creature's chest
[00:16]	IcePickLobotomy	The blade carves into the Intruder, severing it's spine. It topples over, limbs twitching.
[00:17]	IcePickLobotomy	Only for it to pull itself together.
[00:17]	IcePickLobotomy	It lunges again at Arina, but is unable to do much more than threaten her.
[00:18]	Arina	's dance simply reverses the sword's course, going right back up on a slightly different line than the one it came down on. This line also goes through a few things it considers important.
[00:20]	IcePickLobotomy	Arina: You split it down the middle, guts and entrails of a alien nature spill out onto the street, steaming and hissing in the ran.
[00:20]	Arina	It probably doesn't have anything particularly valuable in its groin, unfortunately, but the rest of the torso probably counts, as the humming blade simply comes right out its shoulder.
[00:23]	JohnH	goes for a nice thrust directly at it's core
[00:24]	JohnH	"Consider this my gift to you at the end of this amazing date" John kicks half the body towards Arina
[00:25]	IcePickLobotomy	Arina: The green diamond glitters up at you, there's a sense of acceptance.
[00:26]	Arina	smiles, bringing her song to a conclusion as she brings the sword right down and through the core. "What gives you the /right/ to do any of this?!"
[00:29]	IcePickLobotomy	[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5TwT69i1lU ]The core shatters, sending a spray of glittering green dust into the air. THe lights on the city flicker back on. The rain pours down, running black with ash and dust. Distant fires sputter and glow in the dark. A crackle of lightening silhouettes the 3 Towers behind you.
[00:29]	IcePickLobotomy	And as the adrenaline fade. . . Arina, you /hurt/ . Your arm feels raw, your body covered in bruises and mild burns.
[00:32]	=-=	Chernobog is now known as Scya
[00:32]	Arina	just stops, panting for breath and looking at the body of Chernobog.
[00:33]	IcePickLobotomy	Nothing. It doesn't move, not even so much as a twitch. Black colored blood pools around the body, the rain hisses and boils where it touches the body.
[00:34]	Arina	pulls her helmet off, cradling a medal in her gloved hands, tears falling down her cheeks.

[23:33]	IcePickLobotomy	--------------
[23:35]	IcePickLobotomy	It's cold.
[23:36]	IcePickLobotomy	The plug is cold. You feel cold, and hot. Too hot, too cold. You can't tell what's real, arms of flesh and blood, the faintest sensation of synthetic cloth over your skin, or the painful sting of wires pressing against the metal that enframes your flesh.
[23:37]	IcePickLobotomy	And there's something else. Not in the plug, not in the unit, not in you but still there all the same.
[23:37]	IcePickLobotomy	A faint light, a song without notes. Your own melody filters through it, but it adds nothing to the shape or sound of the song. It's lonely and empty.
[23:41]	Arina	swallows, arm reaching up to... something. "... why won't anything listen...?"
[23:42]	IcePickLobotomy	It seems to flicker in response. A single note, A. Clear and crystaline, rings in the plug.
[23:44]	Arina	pauses. "... who... are you...?"
[23:44]	Arina	lightly hums a short tune.
[23:44]	IcePickLobotomy	It pauses a moment before copying the tune in it's own crystalline voice.
[23:45]	Arina	's eyes widen. "... you're...?"
[23:46]	IcePickLobotomy	It hums the tune again.
[23:46]	IcePickLobotomy	(Err, not humms but does the tune again.)
[23:48]	Arina	wobbles in her seat, staring blankly at something only she can see. "... is that... what you want...?"
[23:48]	Arina	(That is, killing it)
[23:49]	IcePickLobotomy	It wants direction. Purpose. A Reason to exist.
[23:50]	Arina	laughs softly. "... oh... I've been pretty stupid, haven't I...?"
[23:51]	IcePickLobotomy	It echoes the tune again.
[23:57]	IcePickLobotomy	The core responds, singing along in a wordless crystalline voice. Slowly, it begins to take on a  reddish coloration. . . .reddish coloration. . . .