Raid: King Ness

First topic message reminder :

The 2017 Raid Begins

If your Raid character has a green check mark in their submission post, you are welcome to join the fight against King Ness, the Raid boss for 2017!!  Please read the following introduction below and then post this scene, but re-written from your character's point of view with details that involve your character's specific world.  

Registration for the Raid:
https://www.gatewaytoroleplay.com/t1674-gateway-raid-one#112861

Thank you for participating!

Raid:

Maresca goes over to Ragnarok and places her hand on his shoulder. “I know this looks like and maybe even feels like your world, but I don’t think it is. The guardian would not take us from our world if to fight for a lost cause. Somehow we must make it past this, past our nightmare. Why I don’t know, maybe it will make us stronger when we fight King Ness. Or maybe this is what could happen if we fail. Please just come with me Ragnarok. Don’t injure yourself even more.”

Claire looked at Ragnarok as he fell to his knees. It was a horrible moment knowing that you were the last one alive. It must have felt like a living nightmare to him. "There is nothing more you can do here Ragnarok. Please come with us and help us." She said.

Their words washed over him, but his mind was light years away. His mind raced over everything, going faster than he thought possible. His people, his kind, all gone. Is this what Goliath and his clan felt? His heart ached, for the colony, for his clan, his brethren. "Jack..." Tears fell afresh. "Sheila." Her lifeless body; it would haunt his dreams forevermore.

What was the point? He had nothing to return to, now. It wouldn't matter if he defeated this "king" or not. But how could this have happenened? Had he truly been this integral to his world? No. He couldn't believe it. It would be the height of arrogance, and yet...

Sheila. A snarl rose in his lips and his fists clenched. His talons peeled the metal flooring. "What is the point of any of it..." His hands dug deeper into the floor, the metal buckling and twisting beneath his grip. His snarl began a roar. If this was this Raid's doing, if something he could've prevented had caused this, then the onus was on Raid and not him. His brethren, his clan, Jack, all of them.

He burst to his feet and roared with primal fury. "Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaid!" he thundered, the word sounding completely besital, his wings unfurling. "I will have my revenge for this! Do you hear me?!"

He felt full to bursting with wrath, but his mind was never more clear. There were howls a few halls down in answer to him, and his eyes glowed white hot as he considered them. He hadn't been here to protect his people, but they deserved better than to be Folk marionettes. He would honor them the only way left.
"Lucille," he said in icy calm. "Activate Apocalypse protocol, Gamma Omega Alpha."

"Voice recognition and key code acknowledged. Activating self-destruct Apocalypse protocol. Complete annihilation of colony commencing. Initiating..."

Ragnarok felt deep sadness for the loss of his world. This colony had represented the hope of his people and a testament to how far Gargoyles and humans had come. It would be no more.

"Error." Ragnarok perked at Lucille's sudden statement. "Catastrophic error of relays to remote initiate self destruct protocols. Self-destruct would have to be activated manually." He didn't hesitate for a second.

"Lucille," he said, "activate anti-Folk defenses throughout the colonies."

There were sudden noises and whirring sounds outside in the halls. There were the sounds of turrets firing and screams of Folk getting mowed down. He looked to the two women.
"The veracity of this place is of little import at this moment," he told them. "I will accompany you, but only after I have paid my respects to my people. Make your decision: are you coming with me? If not, the door is there and I will join you as soon as I'm able."

Maresca shakes her head. Why can’t he see that this is not real? Why is he so willing to accept this especially after seeing what happened in Claire’s room? She has been deceived by the demons on her world before. The rooms are a picture of that deception. She tried to explain that to Ragnarok, but he refuses to believe it.

“I have to stay alive for my real world out there, not the fake world that is here. If you cannot discern the difference, then why are you here? Why keep on fighting?” She throws up her arms. “I need to save my strength for the real fight, not this fake one.” With that she turns to the entrance to the room.

Claire looks at Maresca. "Go help the others then. I will stay here and help Ragnarok." She said. She turned to face the gargoyle and smiled. "I am here to help you. Tell me what you need from me and I will do as I am told."

Ragnarok looked from one to the other as they spoke and Maresca turned to leave. He nodded to Claire. "So be it." She was a warrior and he'd seen her turn into ancient creatures from his mother planet. He'd have to hope it was enough. However...

"As it stands, you're ill-equipped to deal with the Folk," he informed her. "We need to get you protection."

He held up his tech-band and a 3D diagram lit up the room. "Every colony is set up with emergency armories in the event...of this very thing." Except no one ever thought the Folk could actually infect them. "The automated defenses have been reactivated, but they're damaged and inoperable in several corridors." He pointed. "We're headed here, which would only be the next corridor down, but it's collapsed. We'll have to detour this way, but it's three corridors away this way, and this middle area's defenses are down, so we're likely to encounter resistance.

"Do you follow? If so, let's be on our way."

Claire studied the map for a moment as she listened to Ragnarok. She nodded her head. "Understood. I will do as you say and will do my best to make you proud. Let's be on our way." She said.

Ragnarok nodded. "Then let's be on our way," he said, scanning Claire with his techband. "Lucille, acknowledge citizen Claire. She is afforded all rights and privileges of a 1st lieutenant with clearance to access all areas of colonies by my order. Ragnarok, General--" that would never be something he was used to "-- Gamma Omega Alpha."

"Affirmative," Lucille responded. "Welcome, Claire, and congratulations on your journey into the Corp."

It would never have done for the colony to lock her out in the event they were separated. He needed to consider all contingencies. With that, he headed toward the door, stuck his head out into the corridor making sure all was clear. Then he shot out with Claire in tow.

Fordens magic waned, a magical 'pop' rumbling through his body, his fist being rebuked by the old womans barrier. He saw red, a flash of rage danced through the dark shadows of his face. A meager old bittie throwing him back? Throwing back Forden Stennoth? He was going to crush her, and her little friend and her stupid fucking birds, which were now flapping all about his face, fluttering in his eyes like gnats.  He was going to burn them, burn them all away- Fire- where had his magic gone? The burning sensation, warm like whiskey, was gone. How could it be fucking gone?

The boy.

He was going to crush them, and make his son watch, see their bones rending and popping, nothing but smears of shit beneath the feet of his rule. He let out a bellowing roar rearing his fist back for another punch. He only wished he could see the reflections of terror on her face as his fist came down upon her barrier once more.

Before the barrier had a chance to rebuke him he felt burning, not familiar burning. Terrible, rending burning. Acid. Acid burning through his flesh and muscle, he pulled back, his arm fling in the air dripping acid in puddles about the ground. He yelled, in pain, in anger, in indignance.

Taeyrn smirked, one mark that had been on Delilah's barrier now gone.  He hoped that shit hurt.  An old sigil, but a good one, nonetheless--now proven useful.  He looked to her for guidance, "Did that hurt you?  I don't know how your magic works."

Delilah, at the seismic force of his punch, one after the older, falls to her knees, one hand raised, holding up the barrier still, the other clutching her head, her brain now ringing, throbbing. Her fingers press into her head, trying to get the ringing to stop, making out Taeyrn's question, faintly, through the noise.

"Punch did. Acid didn't." Her teeth grit together, croaking out her answer in a strained groan, her words dying into a slight whimper and she steadies her breathing. It hurts, but they have a job to do. She uses her staff to help herself to her feet, Catherine helping her keep her balance. "What is next?"

Catherine looked worriedly at Delilah. She had no idea how long the woman would last. "Anything you got to go on the offensive? You look like you're gonna pass out at any moment. I can keep the bastard distracted with my drawings for a while."

Taeyrn looks grim, "I've got fire.  His fire.  To which he's immune.  We need to get him destracted or blinded somehow so that I can get close with my sword.  If you two can manage that, I'll work around and get stabby."

Delilah manages a pained smile at Catherine. "I may be old, but I am far from down and out." She looks up at the man. "Tae! Get inside the barrier! And Catherine," She looks back at her. "Distract him as much as you can. I'm going to try something....stupid. But it is all I have. If I succeed, we will have an opening."

"I've got a little somethin I've been waiting to use. Took me a whole month to draw this!" Catherine immediately dove into her sketchbook, flipping through page after page until she found the drawings hidden deep within. "Fly, my pretties! Make mommy proud!" A swarm of around 500 hornets burst from the book, causing the pages to flap wildly as buzzing filled the room. "And now for the ground forces." Catherine flipped to another page, and several beasts of the landranging from tigers to elephants to  crawled out from the book, charging towards the flaming giant. Catherine flipped pages once more, summoning several venomous spiders to her arms.

"These pack enough venom to bring down an elephant, but seeing as we're dealing with something 100 times bigger, these might at least slow the big man down. "

Taeyrn did as he asked, moving inside the barrier, but his eyes were on that of the handle of his blade.  It's so far up above them and there has to be a way to reach it...if he can get to that, then he's set.  He knows of one way, but it might hurt a bit.  He looks to delilah, waiting for her to make her move, but it is clear he's nervous.  He had been so stoic, but now, within this room, the emptiness has left him and he is all emotion.  He doesn't like this side of himself.  Not at all.

Delilah looks at all the elephants, animals, hornets! It's like a zoo! A grin cracks genuinely across her face, looking eagerly over to Catherine with her serious expression, to Tae, with his also incredibly serious expression. They hadn't even cracked a smile? Maybe they hadn't seen it? Paid little attention.

She lifts one finger up, pointing to the stampede.  "Elephant?" She blinked. Ah, well. She had work to do. And the elephants might not provide a distraction for long.

She stood one arm holding up the barrier, looking about the room to find- Ah! Yes, perfect!

She gritted her teeth together, her other hand splayed out, and from the ash and destruction, massive pieces of glass rose, quietly, soaked in her blue.

"Aim for the weak spots, Delilah. Throat, eyes, groin. When you're fighting someone bigger than you, you have to fight smart." Braedon's voice echoed in her brain as she chose her target, formulated her plan. She swept her arm towards him, a pained noise of exertion wrangling out through her lips as the glass shot a beeline for the massive mans eyes, darting, swift as the wind, blue as the sky; aimed perfectly for his iris'.

Catherine felt a little bit at ease with everyone under the barrier, but she knew Delilah was straining herself to keep it up. "Yeah, Elephant." She answered confusedly. "Oh, wait, do Elephants not exist where you're from?" She saw Delilah was focusing hard on the glass in her grasp, so she let the woman do her work without disruption. In the meantime, Catherine kneeled to let her spiders loose, keeping one eye on the giant, hoping he wouldn't see the tiny creatures as they crawled toward their target.

Taeyrn jumped into action as he heard his father's roar of pain, his hands moving up to his eyes and his body backing away from them.  Using one sigil in each palm, he activates the fire beneath him, using the thrust energy to push him upwards just barely enough to grab hold of the handle of his sword.  The big man had one hand over his eyes, but he swatted Taeyrn away with the other.  Taeyrn took the sword with him, holding tight to the handle with desperation.

As he hit the ground, he got back up, paying no mind to the unbelievable surroundings and instead focusing on his blade as he plunged it into his father's knee, expecting that blow to take him down.  Yet, it did not.  Rather, his father was fully standing, unaffected by the blade that had gone straight through his joint.  He almost seemed unbothered, if not annoyed.

"The hell?"  Taeyrn exclaims, freaked out, pulling the blade back out and then back in.  Yet blood did not come.  Only his father's cold, deep laughter.  He looked up at him with confusion, rage.

Fordens laughter was echoing, his gaze now focused upon Taeyrn alone, "Your brother didn't stand a chance--what makes you think that you could?  You knew he was weak long before you left and you left him to die.  Now it is time to pay the price for your betrayal.  Don't you think?"

Taeyrn's grip on his blade loosened, his forward thrust now halted just before he was ready to push his weight into it once again.  Almost dropping it, he falters, pulling the sword down and backing away ever so slightly so as to gaze up upon his opponent's face with more ease.  He thinks on his words, guilt rising up on his face as he remembers leaving his brother behind.  The corpse that he had come home to.  He's always known that his brother's death is on him.

Delilah grapples onto Catherine's shoulder to steady herself, her staff clattering to the floor, her face growing pale as her vision blurs in pain. Her brain feels as though she'd been thrown down a jagged cliff, her body is foreign to her. She holds her hand up to keep the barrier up, and does not see, but hears the altercation. She looks up, seeing the blurry form of Tae, dancing in her vision.

"Tae..." Her voice slurs, she musters her strength into her voice. "TAE!" She yells to get his attention, her eyes grasping their clarity once more. "He's lying! Do not listen to him! Your bro-" She exhales, the force behind her voice irritating her head. "You didn't betray your brother! You know this man, he is a monster, look around you! All the people he hurt, destroyed! Your ruined home! That is all this man knows! Fire, destruction!  He will not destroy you Taeyrn! Who was the one who came here, to another world, to save their own! YOU!" Her voice grows louder. "He knows nothing of your bravery Tae! He knows nothing of compassion! You're trying to save the world, Taeyrn!" She takes an inhale, rage registering on her face as she things of all those suffering in her world, in Tae's world, in Catherine's world.

"DON'T LET THIS BASTARD STOP YOU!"

Catherine held firm to give Delilah a solid support. She saw Tae's vigor fade as the giant belittled him with his words. She couldn't believe what was happening before her eyes. However, she couldn't think of any words of encouragement that weren't..."offensive". That's when Delilah called out to Tae with a speech better than anything she could've come up with. After Delilah gave her word, Catherine struggled to say something as well. "Uh....What she said! Kick his ass, already!" Catherine felt embarrassed she let herself get so invested in another person as to speak out of character. She tried pushing it aside for the time being.

Taeyrn looks to Delilah in tandem with his father.  Like father, like son, save the father looks plenty pissed.  Moving forward, he lifts up a foot to kick the woman, kick at her barrier.  "Like a bitch like you would know anything.  You didn't see Tae leave his brother behind.  You weren't there."

Taeyrn holds up his hands towards Delilah, now distracted and worried for her safety, "Noo!"  He has dropped his sword completely and now, he's punching the leg that hasn't moved repeatedly with unabated fear--to no affect.

Delilah flings Catherine out of her barrier, sending her in a gentle, dry, slip-n-slide towards the door, her staff along with her. If she died, at least they'd have something to maybe bring back to Braedon.

But if she died? She was bringing this bastard down with her.

As his foot descended on her barrier, she felt it. Every mote of force, every bit of weight, she was being crushed, like her head was in a vice that kept tightening, and tightening. But the barrier held, and Delilah, with both hands in the air, holding it together. His foot was stuck on her barrier, she made sure of that. She wasn't letting him go, no.

"Listen...you...fucker." Her eyes were wide, murderous, bloodshot in their concentration. "What the hell would you know about family? Their loyalty? Their...love? Parents-"A strange cracking effect took over her barrier, like splintering glass. "Are supposed to protect you!" There was a tremor through her barrier. "Teach you!" Another tremor. "They're supposed to be what you run to when you're scared, not what you run from, not what you're scared of!" Another tremor. "You say you're a king? A king of nothing, ashes, and the dead, and a derelict city. The only reason you're a fucking king is because everyone else is DEAD!" Another, stronger tremor. "You are not a father, you asshole! And I don't think you ever were! And you wear a crown, but you are no king!" The tremor rose, and this time, it did not stop. Her barrier continuing to rumble. Blood dripped from her nose, into her teeth, her snarl, dripping down her ears. "And the only thing you are going to do-" The barriers rumble resonated through the room.

"IS EAT. MY. SHIT!" The barrier exploded in an organza of blue, shattering, blasting the mammoth man back with seismic force, knocking him off balance, teetering down to the floor. She collapsed, panting, coughing, the pain in her head blinding, the ringing in her ears was now a shriek. The agony gave her tremors, and she tried to pull herself to her feet, but she couldn't, her brain felt splintered, dead. She looked at Taeyrn, her eyes trying to communicate what her mouth couldn't.

'Tear that bastard apart.'

Catherine felt the world slip from under her as she flew across the room. She found herself at the door, well away from action. Catherine got to her knees, wondering how she ended up at the entrance. Seeing Delilah under the barrier by herself, Ctherine saw what was happening. She scrambled to grab her book, looking for some object she could summon to support the barrier. Ohhh no, you're not dying on us today, asshole. In her desperate search, she missed Delilah detonating the barrier. She felt a pressure wave move through her as she heard the sound of the blast. Catherine looked up to see a collapsed Delilah with the barrier completely gone. Mortified, Catherine sprinted to Delilah's body and kneeled down next to her. "Hey! Can you hear me? Blink if you can hear me."

Tae screamed, clawing at his father with desperation and fear, panic rising up into his mind.  He's going to kill her and there's nothing that he can do about it.  Taeyrn backed away, leaning up against the burned wall, one hand on his heart as it raced, vision blurred from tears as he froze for the first time in a very long time.  His father's words hit home as he considers Delilah's position:

The big man bellows, "You couldn't save Kai and you can't save her.  You're just going to let her die, too, like you do every time."

Yet, Catherine moved into his line of sight and he moved his focus to her.  She'd be next!  He's going to kill them both!   Swooping down, he takes the sword in his hand again.  IF they can hurt him, he can, too.  He's only human.  He's only human.  With angry eyes and a war cry of his own, he runs to the foot that is attacking Delilah and rushes his blade through the large ankle.  Finally, blood flows through as he pulls the blade out and a roar of pain calls out.

Relief thrummed through him, calming his bones from the effect of Delilah's shattering barrier that had pushed into his very core.  Warming up, he's frozen no more as satisfaction rushes to his ears like the sounds of the ocean back home.  His father stumbles away, unable to stand properly, but Tae turns his back on his father, no longer worried.  Instead, he holds out his hand with a smile to help Delilah fully stand with him.

Delilah tries to talk to Catherine but her words are slurred. Blood dripping from her nose still. "'Mffff-fff-fiiiiinnne." Her arms buckle as she tries to push herself up. The entire room is moving around her, tilting and swirling. And she is so- so- tired. She looks up when she sees a shadow over her. That's Tae? She can't make out his face, he's giving her something?

It's only when her hand is in his that he realizes he's trying to help her up. "Ah," Her voice his quiet, trying not to irritate her pain. She looks to Catherine. "Hhhelp? P-plllease?" Her tongue, her body feel like they are removed from her, and she slings her arm around Catherine, hoping the two of them will help her stand.

Giving no pause to her request, Tae just moved down to pick the lady up.  He looks to Catherine and moves his head towards the exit.  She wouldn't have to help at all--he could carry her alone.  "Let's go, Catherine.  Delilah."

He can hear a loud, thunderous stomping from behind him, the yelling of his father coming closer from behind.  His back is still on his father as he walks, but the man's words cut like ice at his neck:  "You get back here and face me like a man, you coward!"

Taeyrn kept walking.  He didn't turn.  Catherine looks alarmed, looking over her shoulder, but he tells her not to look back.  Instead, he walks more quickly to the exit, eager to leave.  Yet, despite his quickened pace, he is entirely calm.  Once his sword had sheathed, it was as if he had returned to his old, stoic self.  Finally, the stomping began to get near.   His father is approaching, now realizing that yelling out to Tae would make no difference.

Hearing his father too close for comfort, he finally turned, looking up on his father's fist as it threatened to come down.  He simply stood there, holding Delilah in his hands as he warned the ladies quickly to do nothing.  He stared his father down and the man looked at him with such disgust.  A countenance that he certainly recognized.  With a straight, emotionless gaze, Tae realizes that his attack is frozen.  He's not swinging to hit them.

"Are you finished?"  Tae asks, sounding bored.

"YOU."  Angry at Tae's boredom, he swings, but the fist goes right through them.  Stunned at punching the air, he almost falls forward, backing up to retrieve his balance once more as Taeyrn raises an eyebrow, giving him an unimpressed expression.

"No point in trying, you bag of Granidt dung.  You can't hurt me.  Not now, not ever.  I figured it out."  Taeyrn says.  "Goodbye....father."

He turned again, moving to walk towards the exit once more.  His father screamed, hitting the floor through them, his fists moving through them over and over as they felt nothing except for his aimless rage.  He hit the walls, his feet blundering as he limped across the massive hallway with his wounded ankle, practically dragging the foot behind him as he bled all over the place.

Taeyrn walked calmly, ignoring his father with all his might, as difficult as the man made it to do so.  All of the anger was loud, his thundering kicks and punches make such noises and such chaos, but he walked on, uncaring.  Unaffected. He soon found the exit, inner joy bounding from within and threatening to burst and break his bored mood.  He couldn't be happier to be done with this place.  To be done with his old man.

Catherine sighed with relief when Delilah started mouthing words to her. "Don't speak. Save your breath." Thankfully, Tae insisted to carry Delilah back to the door. Gods know she couldn't do it on her own. She followed closely next to Tae, impressed in his calm, but still distressed about the gigantic flaming man behind them. "Um...Tae...?" She started as Tae's father boomed with his taunts. As the man threw a punch towards the group, Catherine couldn't help but close her eyes and make peace with the life she lived.

And yet, when the fist certainly should have crushed them all, Catherine felt nothing. She winced one eye open, and saw that they were completely unphazed, as if Tae's father was a ghost. She was so stunned that she almost missed Tae walking back with Delilah. She quickly grabbed Delilah's staff and caught up with the two and felt immeasurable catharsis when she crossed the doorway. As soon as she was back in the fourier, her legs gave way and Catherine collapsed to her knees. "Thank goooooooood." She groaned.

Delilah slumped weakly in Taeyrn's arms. She felt guilty for being 'dead weight' so to speak, in such circumstances, but she couldn't exactly protest. She knew she had limits.

The only thing that told her she was moving was the sway of Tae's walking. She closed her eyes, the light in the room making her queasy, and leant her head on Tae's shoulder, pressing her forehead against it for relief. She heard the mans yelling behind them, and gave a trembling, rude hand gesture that Braedon had taught her once. Accompanied by a small, weak. 'Fuck oooooooooff.' Muttered so lowly only Tae could hear it.

As they exited the room and returned to the circular dome-like entrance that they were in before, Tae heard the door close behind them, his father's cries fading out.  He turned to find the door had vanished and he smiled.  It was over.  He won.   He fucking won.

"Shit.  That sucked."  Tae says hoarsely, "I guess if your door goes, you're done for good."[/b]

{Attn: All in main room}

When Maresca reentered the main room it was empty. She assumes the others are in Tae’s room. She was half tempted to go in there, but at this point she may be more of a hindrance than help. She looks over her shoulder at her door. The time Ragnarok was away was six months. She wonders if hers was a scene from the future as well. If so how far? And if that future can be rewritten.

She wonders if she should go back to her room. Unlike the other rooms there was no danger. Both she and Claire were in there alone without being attacked. She begins to walk towards it.

She hears noises behind her. Looking her shoulder she sees Catherine and Tae carrying Delilah out. There is blood on Delilah’s face. She turns around and approaches them. She is already chanting a healing spell. “Here, let me help.” She hovers her hands above Delilah’s face. She shakes her head upon realizing that her injuries are not physical. The words she chants softly change slightly to help relieve the pain first and to help rejuvenate her. Too soon the soft glow from her hands dim and sweat beads form on her forehead. “Just a little bit longer, please gods.” She whispers. “Sorry I cannot completely heal you, but you should feel a lot better.”

She looks up and sees that Tae’s door is gone. “It is gone. What did you guys do? How did you get your door to disappear? I wonder if the rooms are a way to test us? She looks over to Ragnarok’s door. “The invisible woman told him that he was the last alive. He and Claire are still in there fighting.”