Egomania: An Absurd Anime-Inspired Action RP! - Chapter 1- (Closed, Started)

[Malbourne]

The truck practically flew through the streets of Boss City, its driver heedless of pedestrians and the pouring rain. He wore a determined look on his face, eyes hollow, and his knuckles whitened on the steering wheel. Beside him, Catherine Ray busily chatted about her favorite channels.

"...but they cancelled it, and now all that's left is the merchandise!" She turned away from the window and said, "You have any figurines from Stars of Justice?"

He stiffly shook his head, never taking his eyes off the road.

Cat turned back to the window to watch the rain and continued, "They're so rare, now, too! You'd think somebody would pick the line back up and we'd get new ones. But I'm happy enough just watching reruns. Did I tell you about the pilot episode?"

The driver nodded his head once.

"Well, you know what I'm getting at, then! The first episode was just filled to the brim with merchandise! They had a gold mine, but it dried up at the end of the third season. Did I tell you about the-"

"We're here," he announced suddenly. The truck braked hard, almost sending Cat's face into the dashboard. He indicated that she could get out.

As she opened the door and slid out into the pouring rain, she shouted back to him, "Remember, if your radio ever gets broken again, you know who to-" Her words were cut off as his wheels ground into the asphalt, and the truck sped off, disappearing around the buildings at the end of the street.

She smiled, staring up at the enormous hotel before her. The Fifth Season it read in brilliant golden letters. She quickly strode through the opulent doors, gazing open-mouthed at the brilliant decorations. Somebody had even decided to hang a banner on the balcony.

As water dripped from her hoodie and jeans, she began wiping her square shades off and thought back to when she'd received that invitation. Mr. Awesome, riding down a slide of colors like a television test, had shown up at the door of her plain store. And after that, she knew she had to get to Boss City no matter what. Hitching rides all across the country and bumming meals off of strangers (some charitable and others less so), she finally made it!

And staying at Boss City meant she had to have a room at the best hotel! So she'd said to the driver, anyway, and here she was! Water splashed across the red carpet as she shook herself dry and searched for the receptionist.

 

[Arcanist]

"Ey, boy! We're makin' our approach now!"

Michigan jerked awake at the words suddenly ringing through his head. He gave a drowsy sigh and took a long look out the window to his left. A breathtaking birds-eye view of Boss City's skyline greeted him. The city really was a sight to behold, with skyscrapers that would make any other city jealous and a unique, bustling atmosphere. It was funny, really - even as well-traveled as he was, he'd never had the pleasure of visiting this jewel of the western seaboard up until just this moment.

The man sitting to his right, however, seeing the wistful stare Michigan gave the window, nudged his gut with a frown. "We're not here to sightsee, Michigan." The man's voice was tinged with clear annoyance and more than a bit of a clear London accent. He took the pair of glasses he wore and produced a cleaning cloth, scrubbing them down as he continued his lecture with a frown. "To be honest, I'm still not sure why we're here at all. That brutish man tore a hole in one of our libraries, and suddenly you think -"

"What, that he might be on to something interesting?" Michigan rolled his eyes, slouching back in his seat. "Blake, if he's willing to go through that much effort just to speak to me, there's obviously a reason. I mean, he could have just sent a letter."

"Don't remind me." Blake ground his teeth together at the thought - apparently he was still sore about the paperwork he had to do in the aftermath of that incident. He replaced the glasses, apparently satisfied at his handiwork. He too glanced out the window, and a nervous expression crept into his feature. "Ehm... Frank? Aren't we supposed to be taxiing? The airport is that way." Blake inquired, pointing in the opposite direction of the plane's heading. "Change in plans, kid. Apparently some hunter scum are poking around the airport, so you're going to have to get a little physical with your exit." He jerked one of his thumbs to a small pile of parachutes in the cockpit. Blake's face slowly drained of color as he eyed the devices and slowly realized what he meant. "Speaking of, you should probably do that now, if you don't want to end up in the water."

"Aw, hell yea!" Without a second thought, Michigan scooped up one of the parachutes and started strapping it on. "This'll be just like when Massey got the jump on the Nazis in Tomb of Ancient Wonders!" He punctuated his tirade with a parachute thrust into Blake's surprised hands, a grin adorning his face.

Blake, on the other hand, was much less keen on the idea. He gave the parachute thrust into his arms another nervous look before continuing. "Michigan, this isn't a movie! You have no idea where you'll end up! You could get impaled on a fixture or caught in power lines or -"

"We'll be fine, Blake. It'll be just like that job in Berlin!"

Blake shuddered. "That's what I'm afraid of. I'm still trying to get the stains out of my suit."

Throwing the cabin door to the exterior open without a care in the world, Michigan took in a deep breath as he tensed his legs, ready to jump. They were close enough to the ground now that he could just make out cars and, if he squinted hard enough, individual people. The plane was moving fast - it was now or never! "See you on the ground, Blake!"

"Wait, where will we-" Blake's protests went unheard, as the boy leaped from the aircraft, without a care in the world.

--------

As it turns out, leaping from an airplane into a rainstorm isn't exactly the best idea.

The winds buffeted Michigan and his parachute, tossing him in unpredictable directions. Struggle as he might, he had nearly no control over his heading, and it was almost entirely by luck that he hadn't smacked right into a skyscraper by now! After his third close call against a radio tower, he decided to cut his losses(literally!) and hope for the best. Taking his knife from his jacket, he sliced the cables connecting him to his turbulent parachute, and he plunged straight down.

In retrospect, he probably should have checked to see where he'd end up landing before doing that. After tumbling through the air for a few seconds, he came to a hard stop - the sound of twisting metal filling his ears.

A bit stunned from the episode, he quickly took stock of his person. Nothing broken - or, at least, nothing felt like it. He forced himself to his feet and took a look around - only an ostentatious hotel, and... oh. He'd landed right on a limo's engine block - he could see a small trail of smoke emanating from under the hood.

Oh well. It's a good thing he'd taken worse falls in the past - the only damage was to some poor bastard's limousine, and not to a person!

 

[Fappy]

Ellie kept her eyes shut and her head low as it bobbed up and down to the rythm of the music pounding on her eardrums. Crouching low to the ground, the ash from her cigarette had but inches to fall as it burned away. She remained like that, lost in her own world for a long while. It was comforting. Liberating. Letting the words and melodies of some middle aged poet wash over her allowed her to open her mind. Open her heart.

It was the only time she was ever able to reflect. The only way she knew how to look at herself.

And someone was really fucking with her zen.

Opening her eyes, Ellie spotted a frantic figure just past her messy, damp bangs. This young woman appeared to be painting. What could she be painting right here of all places?

Then she noticed the woman lock eyes with her. This woman was painting... Ellie.

For some reason this pissed her off. This pissed her off, a lot. Scowling, Ellie watched her for awhile before flipping her the bird as effortlessly as possible. She didn't want this ***** thinking she was actually worth any energy.

As her brush danced effortlessly across the canvas, Renée stuck her tongue out slightly, closing an eye as she held out her thumb next to the distant figure.

"Quoi?" The white haired girl squeaked as her eyes focused on the miserable woman-child. "Is she...?" Renée squinted her eyes. "Is she flipping me off?!"

Crying out, the artist touched her brush to canvas once more. "Très bien!, more emotion, more pain, more aaaaaaaaaangst, oui, oui!"

The woman had clearly modeled for painters in the past!

She was smiling wider. Despite Ellie's displeasure, this woman was delighted.

The fuck...!?

Her temper was starting to get the better of her.

Who does this ***** think she is!?

She could have just gotten up and left. Threw her hood over her head and slipped into the crowd. Lost the woman in the foot traffic of this busy city. But no. No, that wasn't going to happen.

Ellie was not having it. Not one bit. She needed to give this ***** a piece of her mind. Getting to her feet, Ellie removed her headphones and stuffed one hand in her hoodie pocket. She let her cigarette hang limp from her bottom lip as she approached the colorful character. Stopping a few feet in front of her, she took a long drag and blew the smoke in the woman's direction, "The fuck do you want?"

Renée had been so focused on the painting, that she didn't even notice the girl move. Putting the finishing touches on the erect middle finger of her subject, she nodded her head, satisfied that she had captured the true emotion of such a gesture.

As she looked up to continue her piece, she was surprised to find that her muse had left her position! Taken aback by her direct approach, Renée tilted her head slightly as she narrowed he eyes.

"What are you doing?" She gestured towards the spot the girl had moved from. "Sit back down! The painting, it is not fini!" Renée rolled her eyes. "Mon dieu, what an amateur!"

Spoiler: Lighting Between the Eyes

"Amateur? What the fuck are you on about, princess?" Stepping forward, Ellie grabbed hold of the canvas and swept it off the easel. She stared at it blankly as she held it out in front of her. The expression on her face... did she really look that ugly when she scowled? Ellie could feel her bloodboil as her grip on the canvas tightened. She was so furious, she had bit her cigarette in-half by the time her eyes found Renée's. "Who said you could paint me?!"

"Quoi?" Renée blinked a few times, a bewlidered expression on face. "Are you not a model?" The miserable woman-child seemed very aggitated. "I am Renée Fleur, mademoiselle, my paintings sell for thousands, I do not ask forpermission to paint something!"

Frowning, the girl placed her hands on her hips. "Now look at what you 'ave done! The canvas, it is wet, the painting is ruined! You! You miserable woman-child!" Throwing her hands in the air, Renée let lose an angry sigh, muttering to herself as she packed away her paints and easel. "Americans, such brutes!"

Ellie cocked an eyebrow as the foreign woman prattled on. Leaning over the canvas in her hands, Ellie groaned, "Speak. Fuckin'. English. I can't understand half the shit that's dripping out of the mug of yours."

Renée scoffed as she continued to pack away her things. "Hah! Language advice from the American, that is fresh." The girl deepened her voice, mimicing the girl's accent, rather poorly. "Sure thing buddy, let me just finish my cheeseburger."

"Wow," Ellie laughed. "That was something. Jesus." She stood there awhile longer, watching the woman pack up in silence. Looking back at the painting, she scoffed. "Thousands of dollars? Yeah right. You should try caricatures. Maybe you'll find some success in that."

Renée froze, her eyes wide as she struggled to comprehend the girl's words. "Caricatures...?" Her eye twitched. The words caught in her throat. "CARICATURES?!" The woman roared as she pointed a finger at the girl accusingly.

"'Ow dare you, miserable woman-child!" Her violet eyes burned with fury as she berated the shaggy haired philistine. "What would a hillbilly skank know about art?!"

Oh, no you fucking didn't.

"What was that *****!? You want to say that again!?" She tossed the canvas to the ground and closed the gap between them. They were practically kissing. "You call that art!? REALLY!?" She rolled up the sleeves of her hoodie as her tart breath assaulted Renée's nose at point-blank range. "I've seen better portraits scribbled by a baby with sidewalk chalk! Kindly choke on a dick, 'mamwahzel'!"

"'Ow can you see anything with that uncouth mop!" Renée pursed her lips, blowing sharply at the other girl's fringe. "And what is with that outfit." The woman scoffed as she shook her head in disbelief. "The 80's ended a long time ago, ma chérie, you will not find a girlfriend wearing such rubbish!"

"You sayin' I like chicks!?" Ellie tilted her head, her hands now balled into fists. "Come on! What are you tryin' to say to me, huh!? Want me to kick your ass?! Huh!? Come on! I bet you do! I bet you want me to bust open that pretty little face of yours!"

She was more than fired up at this point.

"Pfft." Renée scoffed as she placed her hands on her hips. How dare this plebeian speak to her in such a way, did she not know who Renée was? Was she so out of touch with the world that she had no idea about the most up and coming Parisian artist in decades?

"Please, ma chérie, I am out of your league." She smirked.

Ellie offered a half-angry, half-excited grin, "Is that so? You want to test that assessment?" She inched closer to the woman, violating her personal space as much as one could without physical contact.

Little did the miserable woman-child know. The greatest art school in France was a violent den of conflict. Picasso? You talk ill of Picasso around certain students or teachers and you'd lose teeth! A young girl of the arts had to learn to defend herself!

Picasso. Renée spat at Picasso. Not literally of course.

"I am a lady, ma chérie, I adhere myself to a... 'igher standard." She blew the girl's fringe once again. "Get an 'aircut first, plebeian, then talk."

Okay, the blowing is getting annoying. Fuck this *****.

Grabbing the woman by the shirt, Ellie suddenly pulled her up on to her tippy-toes, "Too much of a pussy or what?!"

"Pussy?" Renée chuckled as she released an amused sigh. "Ah oui, you'd know a lot about that, wouldn't you." She winked at the girl.

"THAT'S IT!" Ellie barked as she threw the girl down onto her bag. Towering over her, the Jersey girl cracked her knuckles. "Let's dance, princess."

Crying out as she fell to the ground, Renée gritted her teeth as she looked up at the fashion disaster. How dare she touch Renée, how dare she look down on her!

Kicking out her legs, she swept the girl's feet from beneath her. "I'm surprised you even know how to dance!" Quickly scrambling to her own feet, Renée brushed her thumb across her nose before tapping her beret forward slightly, curling her lip in disgust. "If you put as much effort into something other than spouting off that big mouth of yours, maybe you wouldn't be sitting in the rain smoking cheap cigarettes dressed as an 80's lesbian!"

Renée spat on the ground. For realsies this time!

Ellie hit the pavement hard.

Did she just... did she just spit in disgust!?

After giving her ass a quick rub, Ellie sprung to her feet. Holding her right fist back, behind her head, she lunged at her opponent with reckless abandon, "Zip-up hoodies are timeless, you *****!" The angst-ridden fist buried deep into the french girl's face. A small ripple formed on her cheek as a small shockwave spread across her body. The two hung, suspended in the air for a moment before Renée's body suddenly rocketed down the street.

Ellie's eyebrows shot up behind her mangy bangs as she took in the destruction she'd wrought. She had gotten stronger. A lot stronger.

Come on, get up.

She grinned.

The sound of crumbling concrete filled the dazed girl's ears. Did she just get hit by a truck?

As Renée pushed herself from the crater her impact had made in the building, she failed to notice that such force should have splattered her across the pavement.

Beret still on her head, Renée clenched her jaw"Merde" Pushing herself from the wall with all her might, Renée shot down the street at an incredible pace, roaring as she connected a devastating spin kick to the side of the girl's head, the force so great the rain was pushed outwards from the impact, sending the girl cartwheeling into the balcony of the building she had recently sought refuge under.

Ellie's spine bent in a v-shape as she smacked against the railing of the balcony and crashed against the sliding glass door, face-first. Somehow she'd lost enough momentum from the back-breaking collision to not fly straight through the glass, but it still hurt like a *****. Holding her arching back, Ellie groaned as she tried to rise to her feet once more. Instead, she was hardly able to keep herself on her knees and elbow.

She packs a fuckin' punch. Christ...

"Gettin' ya ass beat by some snobby French girl, you disappoint me, kiddo." A whisper from nowhere brushed Ellie's ear.

A sudden chill ran down Ellie's spine, forcing her eyes to open wide, "What---? Who was that?" Dragging herself up onto her knees, she unzipped her hoodie to see the pair of 80's-style aviators hanging from the collar of her undershirt. Somehow it hadn't received even a single scratch in all of the excitement. Tentatively, Ellie held it in her hand but withdrew it almost immediately. Something about it... terrified her. She couldn't explain it, but it felt... alive.

Her brow furrowed, she zipped up her hoodie once more and got to her feet. Walking over to the edge of the balcony, she planted her foot firmly on the railing and looked down at her adversary, "SO YOU'RE NOT ALL TALK AFTER ALL!" She shouted down to her. Her back still hurt like a *****. "THIS ISN'T OVER YET!" Using the bent railing as a springboard, Ellie lept high into the air and came diving down upon the french girl with an outstretched leg.

"GET BENT!"

 

[Daystar Clarion]

Renée looked down at her hands, her eyes wide.

'Holy crap! I couldn't even do that during the toughest years at the greatest art school in France!'

Her gaze shooting skyward as she heard the miserable woman-child take flight, a small smile curled Renée's lips. "THOSE BOOTS ARE TERRIBLE!" She teased as she raised her arms to block the incoming philistine.

Moments later, Ellie's heel made contact with Renée's forearm. A literal ring of pure force shot out from around them, crushing concrete and twisting metal as it flew by. The two remained suspended in the air as physics struggled and failed to figure out what exactly was supposed to happen. Then, suddenly, Ellie twisted her body around and delivered a roundhouse kick followed by another kick, and another, and another, and another. Every blow was deflected by the French girl's defenses as the force of Ellie's attacks buried her deeper and deeper into the asphalt crater they were creating, "WHY. WON'T. YOU. LET. UP!?"

Renée chuckled breathlessly as she continued to defend against the girl's rapid assault. "I TOLD YOU!" Renée dug her feet deeper into the asphalt, it felt like Earth itself was shook by their conflict. "YOU'RE OUT OF YOUR LEAGUE!"

The following kick had some extra force behind it, "FUCK." And her next, even more so. "YOU!" The final spinning kick sent the painter skidding on her heels down the street, leaving two trails of rubble in her wake. Landing on the edge of the crater, Ellie marched towards her enemy. Spreading her arms out at her sides, she chuckled. "You gonna fight back or what?"

Renée uncrossed her arms from in front of her face, as she came to a halt, shaking the tenseness from her hands, a toothy grin upturning the corners of her mouth. "Fight back?" The woman crossed her arms across her chest, her scarf billowing in the wind behind her. "But it's so fun watching you try so very hard!" She titled her head inquisitively. "Like a baby trying to speak."

Ellie's grin faded as she got closer, "Yeah, good, laugh now!" She grit her teeth. "You're going to be crying like a ***** once I'm through with you!" What was once a slow march was now an impossibly fast sprint. In an instant, Ellie had closed the gap between them and was sending an uppercut straight for Renée's gut.

A tender, yet sharp sensation travelled up Renée's neck and coiled around her ear. As this ethereal force found its way inside her head, a calm, soothing voice could be heard, "She is an open book. Read her story and tell her the ending."

As if her hand was guided by an invisible force, Renée wrapped her hand around the mangy girl's incoming fist.

What's the hell was that? Her brow furrowed as she matched the girl's strength, their arms quivering as the two unmeasurable forces worked against each other.

The girl glanced up at the new sunglasses perched on the front of her head.

"The fuck are you lookin' at!? I'm right in front of you, *****!" Ellie shouted through gritted teeth. She pushed forward with all of her might, but Renée held her ground. Eventually bits of debris began to rise inches off the ground, all around them and the earth itself began to crack. "SIT YOUR ASS DOWN, PRINCESS! I AIN'T PLAYING AROUND ANYMORE!"

Renée gritted her teeth, her eyes narrowing as she smiled smugly. "Trés bien, I was starting to get bored." The girl was still trying to figure out the origin of the peculiar voice. "Why are you so angry, ma chérie?"

Anger was this girl's weakness, it was only a matter of prodding at her until she made a mistake.

Calmly, she moved her face closer to the girl's, winking as she blew her fringe.


AGAIN WITH THE HAIR BLOWING!?

Steam was practically shooting from her ears when she suddenly threw her head forward for a headbutt, "THAT'S ENOUGH OUT OF YOU!"

Intercepting the headbutt with one of her own, both girls bore into each other's eyes.

"What's the matter?" Renée teased. "Papa didn't love you enough?"

Wh-wh-what?!

Ellie's eyes were that of a raging bull, "SHUT UP! Y-YOU DON'T KNOW SHIT ABOUT MY DAD!" Parting her hands from her opponent's, Ellie reached forward to strangle the good-for-nothing, know-it-all, piece of shit.

The crisp voice reverberated through Renée's head once more, "Now."

Ellie heard an exasperated sigh in the back of her mind. "Godammit kid, really? You freakin' dumbass."

Just as the voice faded, a thunderous roar erupted from Renée as she delivered a crushing blow to the girl's stomach. As she doubled over, the French girl followed through with an uppercut, her fist burying under the girl's chin as the power of the attack grew.

"AU REVOIR!" Renée unleashed the full extent of the blow, lifting both her and the mangy girl into the air with the fiercest of uppercuts, sending the girl roaring into the sky.

Ellie took off into the sky like a rocket ship, piercing a hole through the clouds as she went.

She couldn't remember much past the gut punch when she came to. She found herself under a pile of rubble in the middle of a convenience store. Her whole body ached as she struggled to move, to push herself out from under the debris, but it was no use. She was beaten and broken. Her mind was a haze and she felt like she was about to hurl, "F-f-fuck y-you..." She whimpered as she clawed at the title floor in front of her, attempting to pull herself free. "I-I-I'm not finished yet... I-I can still fight..."

All the customers had already cleared out long ago, save for one little girl who stood by the register sipping an ice-y, unphased by what was in front of her, "Watch closely kid." Said a voice from behind her. The little girl turned her head to see none other than Tyrone sitting on the counter. "Shit's about to get real."

The kid furrowed her brow, "Oh, I don't really understand."

The fabulous black man adjusted his glasses and grinned, "Just watch."


"Really kid? Daddy issues? Are you shittin' me?" The voice was stronger now, but still unplaceable.

Ellie shut her eyes and slammed her wary fist against the broken tile, "Hey, f-fuck off! You don't know me! You're---" Her words died in her throat as she blinked, stupidly. "Wait... who said that?"

"Next you'll be telling me your sensei was killed by his best pupil, or some shit, you're like a walking goddamn cliché!" The voice was deep, gruff, but not cruel.

"Sensei!?" Ellie scoffed. "Do I look like Ralph Macchio to you!?" Her vision was blurry still, but she managed to dart her eyes around the room. Nothing. "Where the fuck are you?"

"I wish, kid's a goddamn baller." The voice chuckled. "You haven't figured it out yet have you? Think reaaaaaaal hard, kiddo."

"Don't patronize me!" She coughed up some blood and tried harder to pull herself out. It was no use. "Fucking rubble!" Bracing herself against the floor with both hands, she closed her eyes shut and tugged with all her might. After a good, long pull she came out empty handed once more. Exasperated, she opened her eyes and started panting. That's when she noticed it. The sunglasses were completely unharmed.

Again.

"What the fuck?"

"Oh! Here it comes! Wait for it, wait for iiiiiiit!" The voice chuckled once more.

Ellie was about to reach for the glasses when the voice interrupted her again. Rolling her eyes, she sighed, "You're an asshole. Fine! I see what you're getting at." Plucking them off of her shirt she struggled to put them on her face. As soon as she did, she planted her elbows down on the floor once more.

And.... nothing happened.

"Soooooo... is something supposed to happen orrrrrrr?"

"I... err, I can't do it while you're looking." The voice grumbled

"Wh-what!?" Ellie didn't know whether to get more angry or laugh. Though, she was more confused than anything else. "You want me to close me eyes or something?! Hurry it up! There's a piece of rebar poking me in the ass!"

"Too much info, hombre" Ellie felt something tap her on the shoulder.

"What's that, Mister?" The little girl asked Tyrone.

Ellie looked up above her head, "HOLY FUCKIN----WHAT THE SHIT!?" She nearly pissed her pants.

"You can see it?" Tyrone sounded surprised.

"Yeah."

"Wait and find out." He grinned.

With huge fangs jutting from it's lower jaw, deathly pale skin that appeared to be sewn together from a number of different 'sources', and frizzy platinum dreads tied into a ponytail, the creature was the last thing Ellie expected to see standing over her.

"'Sup kid?" It growled as took a step backwards, crossing it's muscular arms over it's equally muscular torso. The creature stood at around six and a half feet tall, wearing an open leather jacket, the sleeves ripped off at the shoulders, torn, faded jeans, some seriously heavy duty leather boots, and too many accessories with spikes to count, it looked like some kind of heavy metal mascot reject from the 80's.

Ellie twisted her body around under the rubble, frantically trying to scramble out of reach of the monster towering over her. What in the hell was this thing? Propping herself up on her elbows, her chest rose and fell at a rapid pace as her nerves got the better of her. She whispered through clicking teeth, "Wh-wh-what the sh-shit are you!?"


The creature slapped a palm to it's head. "Ah shit, yeah, of course, I have a thing! Ahem!" The creature leaned it's head back, raising it's hands into the air, before swinging them downwards, a huge explosion erupting behind it as music began playing from out of nowhere.

Spoiler: Rock and Roll!

The creature howled as it began raising it's arms once again, the volume of the music growing louder as it did so. It's throat grumbled loudly as words poured from it's mouth. "I am the King of the Mercury Kiss! The Lord Sempai of Screaming, I am..." Several small explosions exploded overhead, sparks raining down on the creature as it howled into the sky.

"DRAUGULA ALUGUARD!"

Ellie blinked stupidly more than a few times and her breathing had ceased entirely. Her brain fought in vain to make sense of what she saw before her. He was... some kind of demon. A zombie maybe? She wasn't sure. He did, however, look like something she'd have doodled on the margin of her Literature notes.

"Um...." Her eyes bolted around a bit as if she were trying to spot a hidden camera. "What?"

Glancing downwards at the girl, Draugula narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "Fuckin'..." He let loose an exasperated sigh. "You're killin' me over here, kid!"

Ellie cocked an eyebrow. Her fear was now slowly being replaced by annoyance, "Killing you? You're not the one sitting under a pile of rubble right now! I can hardly breath!"

"Ain't nobody's fault but yours, dumbass." He broke out of his pose and walked over to the girl, offering her his claw. "But I'm here now."

Hesitant at first, Ellie reluctantly put her hand in... his, "So... what are you?"

"Eh, that's some meta shit right there, kiddo." He pulled the girl from the rubble, brushing her down as she regained her balance. "I am you. Well. Not you, you, I'm me, but what I am, is you." he titled his head, scratching the rough skin beneath his neck. "Understand?"


"Not even a little bit," She shook her head. Putting her fingers around the frame of her glasses, she cocked an eyebrow. "Do you have something to do with these?"

"The shades?" He raised an eyebrow, "Oh shit! Yeah, the shades, the shades are very important, they allo-" Just as Draugul was about to explain, a familiar voice echoed throughout the area.

"Miserable woman-child slash 80's rock lesbian, are you 'ere?" Renée cupped her mouth as she called out. Stepping over stray debris as she made her way through the store. "I did not mean to dragonpunch you into the stratosphere!" Renée's eyes fell on the dishevelled girl. "Ah! There you are." She hopped over a rather large pile of rubble as she approached the girl.

Not at all concerned about the 8-foot tall Tim Burton abortion? Okaaaay...

Ellie quickly went to work popping her joints and working the soreness out of her body. It was all in vain of course, her injuries were quite severe, even for a demi-god, "Look who decided to show up: the hack painter. That was a helluva punch, I'll give you that."

"Bonjour!" The woman chirped rather cheerily. "No 'ard feelings eh?" A distasteful look creased her brow as she looked down at her tartan skirt, before brushing the concrete dust from its pleats. "Ow is your 'ead?" She chuckled.

Draugula leaned down to whisper in Ellie's ear. "She can't see me, she doesn't have her shades on, see." He nodded at the circle lensed frames perched on the French girl's forehead.

Ellie nodded, "Good to know, now help me kick her ass, okay?"

"My thoughts exactly." The ghoul smirked as he slowly began to sink into the ground.

Renée tilted her head, raising an eyebrow. "Pardon? Who are you talking too?" She clasped her hand over her mouth in shock as the realisation washed over her.

"Merde! The poor girl's 'ead took such a beating, she must 'ave the brain damage!"

"Something like that," Ellie chuckled. "So, yeah. About that actually, I think it's time I returned the favor." Her joints creaked as she dropped into an impromptu fighting stance. "After you return from orbit you can tell me about the view from space. That sound good to you, princess?"

"Persistent little bugger, aren't you?" Renée scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "The blow to your 'ead didn't knock any sense into you it seems."

"On the contrary," She grinned. "I think I'm starting to get just what's going on here, and I intend to put you down before you do the same." She tightened her fists and dug her heels in to the ground before shouting. "NOW!"


"Buffoon!" Renée stated loudly, shifting her weight as she moved into her own fighting pose. "Let's see wh-QUOI?! WHAT IS THIS?!" The girl cried out in surprise as her feet were anchored in place, the concrete cracking beneath her heels as if she were being pulled into the ground by some inivisble force.

As Draugula wrapped his hands around the girl's ankles, he slowly peeked his head through the ground, angling his gaze as he looked up the woman's skirt. "Huehuehuehue, I see Paris, I see France..." A perverted chuckle escaping his smug grin.


"What are you, Brazilian!?" Ellie muttered to herself before lunging forward. "Grit those teeth, Frenchie!" Her first blow, a right hook to the jaw, sent Renée twisting around in place, seemingly in slow motion. Before the blood could even escape her bruised gums, however, the young punk delivered a lightning-fast barrage of fists to her torso and face. She roared fiercly with each blow until she'd figured the little girl was ready to fly. "LET GO!" She barked.

Just as soon as Draugula released the girl's ankles, Ellie delivered her most devastating blow yet. Stomping forward, he bent her legs low to the ground and jabbed her in the ribs. The French girl took off like a drag racer through the store front, out into the street and crashed right through a half-dozen brick walls.

After shaking the soreness out of her hands, Ellie looked to her supposed friend and grinned, "That was cool. What else can you do?"

 

[ProtoChimp]

Wolfgang swaggered down the street with his luggage slung across his back. The 4 metre wide and 7 metre high luggage would crush the back of a puny boy, but Wolfgang was a man! Such things wouldn't even make him struggle! The plane may have been weighing heavy on one side due to the contents inside of the suitcase, but if he had managed to defy those ***** physics to fit everything he needed into a bag 21 times to small for it, the plane just had to adjust. And that it did! Perhaps the plane was indeed as manly as Wolfgang. It had carried him, and thus was worthy of his respect.

Strutting along the golden pavement of Boss city Wolfgang watched as the Union Jack emblazoned the skyline, while a busker's saxophone casing was suddenly overflowing with wads of cash, and proudly belted out God save the Queen.

"Hmmm hmm hmm hmmmmmm hm hm," Wolfgang happily hummed to himself as his country's national anthem had invaded the city. A wry smile brought to his lips as he extended his arm out, flicking out his sunglasses and throwing them on his face.

"Perhaps this city CAN match Wolfgang on the manliness scale, it's nearly matched Wolfgang on the swag scale." Leaping up onto a nearby street car.

[HEADING=1]"SULTAN OF SWAG! YOUR NUMBER ONE CONTENDER HAS ENTERED THE RING!"[/HEADING]

 

[Dogmatic99]

"Aaahh." Lucius let out a contented sigh as he took a civilised sip of tea. Not that lackluster colonial bilge of course, he'd had his private brand imported especially for this journey. No doubt this establishment would need a drastic overhaul if it was to become a hotel branch that Lucius could be proud to have under his ownership in proper company.

Still, looking at the decour of the expansive resteraunt, he had to admit the place had potential.

Catherine prodded the glass on the aquarium, trying to get a reaction from the aubergine starfish. She frowned, disappointed. "Looks like they're sleeping..." She turned away, looking about the lobby. Her eyes fell on the opulent sign that said "Restaurant" along with some fancy words she couldn't understand. Her stomach growled. Hoping to find something both filling and delicious, she strode up to the doors and shoved them open, dripping water across the red carpet at her feet. A man behind a podium glanced at her with bewilderment.

"Do you have a reservation?" he asked, scrutinizing her soaked attire.

"I'll just take it to go, thanks." Cat walked past him, striding into the main dining area, and saw there were no other guests but for a man sitting alone at a table. She approached and asked, "Hey, can I eat with you?"

Lucius looked up in bemusement at the rain soaked youth. She certainly didn't look like the usual customer of the Fifth Season, though one never could tell with these new money American types. No sense of Gravitas.

But far be it from him to deny a lady a simple request, he was a gentleman after all. "Of course madam." He inclined his head politely, pushing out one of the free chairs with his cane. "Lucius Elder, at your service."

Cat beamed, happy she'd made a good first impression. She plopped down in the chair and glanced about. "So, er, what sort of food do we eat here?" She silently hoped there wasn't anything outrageously expensive. "I hope it's not burgers. I must've eaten about twenty of them on the way here!"

"Twenty? How frightfully gauche." Lucius mused. "Well one might care for the smoked salmon or the chef's choice. The fellow seems to have a rather eclectic taste, to his credit. Though I wouldn't recommend it for those with an... unrefined pallet." He glanced at Cat rather askance over the lip of his tea cup.

Cat bristled slightly. "Unrefined?" If there was one thing she could count on, it was her appetite for everything delicious and...refined! "I think I shall try the chef's choice," she stated, fist gently hitting the table. She turned her head, trying to spot one of the servers skulking about the shadows. "Waiter! I'm ready to order!"

The man from the podium in the front hurried in, trying to straighten his vest. "I'll be the waiter tonight, miss..."

"Cat!" She looked at Lucius. "I know what I'm having! And you?"

Lucius poured a fresh top up of piping hot tea, hardly impressed by the young lady's outburst. "I'll be having the pheasant and venison stew."

"Uuh, we don't serve those things he-"

"You do now." Lucius calmly cut off their overwhelmed waiter. Sending him off to the kitchen with a glum look on his face. "Can't find the help these days." He tutted.

"Why?" she asked, eyeing the tea thirstily. "Do you need something fixed, perhaps? Turns out I'm in the market for a job..." She noted with dismay the lack of extra cups on the table. Would it be rude to drink from the teapot? It wouldn't hurt to ask, in a roundabout way. "Mind if I help myself?" she asked with a suggestive nod. "Only drink I've had all day is the rain!"

"Not currently, no." Lucius said absentmindedly. He snapped his fingers and in a flash a shadowy butler like figure appeared behind Cat and deposited a floral coloured tea set disappearing as silently and quickly as they had appeared.

"Though I do find myself in the market for some fresh servants. Having recently lost some to an incident with a flamboyantly magical black fellow. Can one say black here? American seem so frightfully sensitive these days."

"Oh, I don't mind," Cat replied. For the brief time she'd been in school or interacting with customers, most people didn't really ask about her dark skin, even given how her father was white. Something clicked in her head suddenly. "You saw an awesome black guy?" As she poured the tea, messily splashing hot water across the table and, she winced, in her lap, she asked, "Did he have sweet shades and a dark tuxedo?"

"And an aura of light reminiscent of a an ancient demigod." Lucius' eyes snapped into a meeting with Cat's.

She seemed familiar with the fellow, could she be talking about the same person? she had to be! What were the odds of their being two semi-divine Afroamericans wandering about? No one ethnicity could lay claim to that much coolness, whatever the Japanese media claimed!

"And who offered an invitation to Boss City."

Cat's jaw dropped. Tea steadily flowed from the overfilled cup and off the table as she said, "You saw him too?! Wow..." She noticed the tea was ready and began setting the teapot back onto its tray, saying, "I knew it! You and I should become fri-"

The tea tray slid from under the teapot, crashing to the floor. Her grip slipped, and the teapot toppled to the ground, shattering to pieces and coating the carpet in a thick flood of steaming tea. Cat glanced down. "Whoops."

Lucius quickly went into a world of his own, could this girl be another contender in the battle royale? If she was here for the same reasons it would certainly serve to start off on the right foot with her. To have an ally or even a fri-

And then there was tea. Tea everywhere! Including splashing onto Lucius' freshly pressed tweed waistcoat and scolding his chest. He was about to let out a cry of pain when his upper lip stiffened into a consistency of iron and Lucius retained his composure. Still, his temper would not let this abide.

"Madam!" He barked, rising to his feet and stamping his cane upon the tea sodden ground. "You do me a diservice! I demand satisfaction!"

Cat was stunned and upset with herself for making such a clumsy mistake. "Sorry, I didn't mean to! Is there anything I can do to fix it? I don't have money, but..." She nervously stood up from the table. In her haste, she accidentally overturned the small table, and the rest of the tea setting plummeted to the ground. "Sorry!" Cat apologized, frantically trying to wipe off Lucius's waistcoat with a tablecloth drenched in the warm liquid. "Hang on, it's coming out..."

Lucius gawped in disbelief as he was drenched in even more sweet, delicious, tea decadence. A brew of leaves he had spent a whole summer cultivating, battling his way through Asia and unlocking the secrets of the ancient tea masters all in the name of creating a blend worthy of the Elder name. One of his own creations, tied to his heart and drenched in his soul! Something worthy of being called liquid gold and here it was, soaking into a lackluster carpet! And now this girl had the nerve to invade his precious personal space!

On the other side of the distant a maid was screaming, her tender nerves ravaged by the unseemly sight unfolding before her. "Master Lucius needs an adult!"

"I am an adult!" Lucius yelled back at her. His hands moved with blinding speed as he removed one of his gloves and threw it on the ground so hard as to cause a shockwave in the air, knocking Cat back and causing such violent ripples in the air as to shake the stains from his clothing. Lucius' demeanor had turned from cold and distant to cold and steel formed fury.

"Madam, I am not one to wantonly raise my hand to a lady. But you have struck me a grievous, insulting, blow. I see only one way to resolve this situation."

[HEADING=2]"I CHALLENGE YOU TO A DUEL!"[/HEADING]​

 

[Daystar Clarion]

Slowly regaining consciousness, Renée groaned as she raised a hand to her head. "Worst 'angover ever." She coughed as she pushed herself onto her elbows, wincing as a sharp pain pierced her ribs. Feeling a wet sensation on her fingers, the girl opened an eye, releasing another groan as she spotted the blood on her hand.

Looking around her, Renée had no idea where she was, whatever building it was, there wasn't much of it left. Dragging herself across the rubble ladened ground, she rested her back against a wall, gritting her teeth as she clutched her side.

"Lucky shot." She chuckled to herself as she removed her beret, knocking the dust from it before plopping it back on her head.

"Luck is an illusion," A faint voice called out. "Do not put your faith in such abstract nonsense."


Renée squinted as she struggled to pinpoint the location of the soothing voice, letting out an exasperated sigh as she leaned her head back against the wall. "Do not tell me." She mumbled. "It is actually I, who 'as the brain damage." The girl clicked her tongue. "Fantastique."

"Your body is damaged, yes, but your mind is as clear as ever. In fact," The French girl suddenly felt a cold, tingling sensation on the back of her neck. It was as if a ghost had passed behind her. "You could say that it is finally 'open'."

"What the 'ell are you talking about?" The girl scoffed slightly. "You sound like some kind of phony half-baked prophet." As she tried to get to her feet, Renée cried out as her legs gave out beneath her.

"Merde."

The disembodied voice grunted, unimpressed, "You're lucky you can even stand after that last blow. In your un-transformed states, neither you nor that street rat are in any condition to continue fighting. You should take this opportunity to rest. Regain your strength."

"Transformed state? What?" Renée shook her head, immediately regretting the decision as the stabbing pain behind her eyes got more intense. "Monsieur, I do not know who you are, but if you could call me an ambulance, that would be very much appreciated." She let out a chuckle that quickly turned into a cough. "Or at least give me some aspirin."

"Absolutely not," The voice didn't sound pleased. "Using drugs for such benign ailments? That is a sign of weakness. No student of mine is allowed such pathetic handicaps."

"Student? What?" Renée sighed with frustration as she tried to locate the source of the voice. "Come out 'ere, show yourself, 'teacher'."

"Those sunglasses you so carelessly dropped on your way in here... put them on."

"What?" The girl shook her head in disbelief. "This is no time for dress up!" She glanced around the room as, her eyes quickly locating the shades, lying in a shaft of light a few feet in front of her, sparkling fantastically.

Renée whimpered. "But they're over there, and I'd have to mooooooove." She complained, pouting.

A brief sigh echoed through the girl's mind, "I will do you this one courtesy. Never again, do you understand?" Suddenly, the glasses lifted off the ground and began to float towards Renée. "Hold still."


"What the shit?!" Renée squeaked. "Oh non non non, stay away from me!" She held out her hands as she struggled to push herself up the wall, but her leg would still not give her the time of day.

"Hold still!" The voice demanded. Forcing the glasses onto her face, the unseen force withdrew. "There."

Slumping back on the ground, Renée forced her eyes closed, pushing heself against the wall in an attempt to phase through it, which didn't go particularly well.

After a few seconds of not being brutally ghost-murdered, she slowly opened her eyes, turning her head slightly as her gaze found the stranger.

"W-who are you?" She stammered.

Spoiler: Enter sexiness

The man standing before her was... alien to say the least. Not that he looked particularly inhuman, but rather, he had a fantastical air about him. Standing at 6'2, this lean, fit, pony-tailed man crossed his arms over her chest as his gaze bore into her own, "I am Alphonse Riposte, The Blossom Bushido." Despite his proper name and demeanour, his dress was quite flamboyant. His chest exposed, he had training bandages wrapped around his lower torso and forearms, a long green cape draped on his shoulders, matching green hakama and wooden sandals on his feet. His 'badass' aesthetic was diminished somewhat by the rectangular glasses which were currently creating quite the glare.

He slid his hand down to the hilt of his bamboo sword and bowed his head, " I am at your service, madam."

Renée felt her heart flutter in her chest, her cheeks flushing ever so slightly as her eyes took in this perfect specimen of a man. "B-b-b-bonjour." She squeaked nervously, unconsciously brushing aside the stray strands of white hair from her face.

Alphonse adjusted his glasses and grunted, "Now that the pleasantries are over, let's get a move on. That girl and her... friend will be upon us soon."

Renée didn't really question how this exotic man only appeared while she was wearing the sunglasses, or that he was woefully under dressed for a first meeting. All she knew was that he was telling her to follow him and she was going to bloody well do it.

"Right, 'ere we go!" Renée gritted her teeth as she leveraged herself against the wall, managing to push herself to her feet, the white haired girl clutched her side as she shuffled to catch up with the caped man.

His eyes closed, Alphonse stepped out of the building with his bamboo sword slung over one shoulder, "We should find a quiet place to lie low while you re-cooperate. We've drawn a lot of attention to ourselves in such a short time that..." He opened his eyes and stopped in his tracks. "Oh, dear."

Renée chuckled, "A rest sounds good to m-YOU!" The girl interrupted herself as her eyes fell on the miserable woman-child, her gaze quickly drawn to the monstrosity standing beside her. "Mon dieu! What the 'ell is that thing?" She squeaked as she partially stood behind Alphonse.

Spoiler: Round 2!

Draugula grunted as he crossed is arms over his chest. "Shit, she figured it out." Closing his eyes, he shrugged, "Oh well, at least I get to beat the snot outta Pretty Boy over there." he chuckled, nodding towards the swordsman.

Ellie blushed, "Wh-what's with the outfit?!"

Alphonse dropped into a low stance and held his bamboo sword out in front of him, "Stay behind me. You are too weak to fight in the state you're in."

Renée did as she was told, standing closer to Alphonse.

'Cherry blossoms, he smells like cherry blossoms.'

"Why are you doing this?" She muttered, looking up at the man. "This isn't your fight."


Draugula cracked his knuckles, sneering as he scoffed. "Bamboo? What? You gonna spank us to death?" He snorted as he nudged Ellie with his hip. "Hehe, get it kid?"


"Ha, ha," Ellie mocked. "Less joking more punching."

Alphonse looked over his shoulder, "I am your ego. It would be negligent of me to let you fight this woman alone."

"Excuse me?" The woman gasped, taken aback by such language. "I don't know what an ego is, but it sounds scandalous!" The woman's cheeks flushed slightly.

"Yeah, yeah, more punching, gotcha." Draugula, moved his head side to side, his neck popping and cracking as he began to walk towards the smooth chested pretty boy. "Let's make this easy, okay buddy?"

"Please," Alphonse sighed, keeping his gaze on Renée. "That eccentric act of yours is not as endearing as you may think." Looking to his opponent, the swordsman narrowed his eyes. "You won't find any argument from me."

"Hey, Frenchie!" Ellie shouted from over Draugula's shoulder. "Your glasses are gay!"

Renée peeked around Alphone's flowing cape, narrowing her eyes at the mangy girl. "I better be careful then." She gasped, "I don't want you coming onto me, I can do so much better!"

Draugula sneered at the samurai wannabe. "Hey bub, you're shoes are untie..." He trailed off as he glanced down at the man's lace-less footwear, before chuckling. "Heh, worth a shot." Like a flash he lunged towards the swordsman, roaring as raised his fists.

"Simpleton." Alphonse let the hulking brute come within striking distance before ducking under his blows an thrusting the pommel of his weapon against Draugula's ribs. The monster was sent tumbling head-over-heels, landing right at Ellie's feet.

Doubling over in pain, Ellie clutched her mid-section, "Sh-shit, what the fuck's going on!?"

Punching his fists into the ground, Draugula grunted as he got to his feet. "Forgot to tell you, kid." He began unwrapping a long chain from around his forearm. "Any pain I feel, you feel too." He chuckled as the length of chain dangled to the ground.


Renée clapped her hands as Alphonse deftly countered the monster's reckless attack. "Très bien, very good!"

Handsome and a competent fighter, what a catch!


Ellie coughed and rolled her eyes, "Awesome."

Alphonse did not reply to the French Girl's praise. Instead, he pressed the attack, moving in fast with a series of slashes.

"Look out!" Ellie shouted as she dived out of the way.


"Not blind, kid!" The patchwork man quipped. "I still have a few tricks up my sleeves!" He glanced down at his sleeveless jacket. "Well, you know that I mean!" Raising a leg, Draugula stomped on the ground, three large slabs of concrete leapt up in front of him. Punching all three in quick succession, they exploded into the shape of tombstones as they were sent flying towards the swordsman.

Renée stood back as she watched the man engaged the monster. She had no idea what was happening, but it was exciting!

Alphonse grit his teeth as he leapt into the air in an attempt to deflect the oncoming attack. Stepping off the top of the first tombstone, he sprung forward and sliced the second and third in two. Still in mid-flight, he closed in on his opponent with a vertical slash.

Rising onto one knee, Ellie dug her fingers into the bit of asphalt underneath her and scowled, "Don't let him win..." She muttered.

Draugula grunted, lashing out with his chain, managing to wrap it around the man's ankle. "Gotcha!" With a twitch of his wrist, the zombie brought the swordsman crashing to the ground.

Renée winced as a flash of pain erupted through her shoulder. "What the 'ell?!" She cried out, falling to one knee as she clawed at her arm.

"YES!" Ellie shouted as a suddenly surge of strength shot through her, allowing her to rise back onto her feet. "GET WRECKED!" She wore a crazed grin as she cheered.

Alphonse grunted in pain before lashing out with his bamboo sword to sever the chain. Rolling a safe distance away from his opponent, he scoffed, "I see you're full of surprises."

"IT IS YOU WHO IS GOING TO GET WRECKED!" Renée snapped back, pointing a finger at the girl.

Draugula chuckled. "More where that came from, pretty boy." As he took a few steps forward he threw the remains of the chain aside as he held out his arms. "Care to find out?"

The frazzled swordman glanced over at Renée and sighed before locking eyes with Draugula once more.

I must end this quickly.

Sheathing the sword, he closed his eyes and took a deep, slow breath. Then, suddenly, his eyes shot open and he shouted, "Bokken Forbidden Art: Lightning Sheath Technique!" Alphonse disappeared and reappeared several yards behind Draugula in the blink of a eye. Ellie quivered for a moment as anxiety gripped her. What had just happened? Did he hit him or....

"FUCKIN' SHIT!" She squealed as a sharp pain shot racked her entire torso. It felt like she'd been bludgeoned one hundred times. Struggling to stay on her feet, the girl writhed and trembled before her rage began to numb the pain. She'd managed to withstand that attack. She grinned. This swordsman would not get a second shot.

Dragula roared, clawing at his chest. "IS THAT THE BEST YOU GOT?!" His eyes burning as he turned to face the pretty boy. Squatting like a feral beast, he quickly closed the gap, feinting an overhead slash with his claws before raising a foot to kick the man in the gut, sending him flying backwards. Clicking his fingers, a large wooden casket erupted from the ground behind the swordsman, catching its lid closing as it caught the swordsman in its embrace.

"Non!" Renée cried out, clenching her fists as she got to her feet. Glancing over at the mangy girl, the white haired girl narrowed her eyes.

These beings were linked to them somehow, maybe the link could be broken? Shifting her weight, Renée shook the pain from her arm, resolute in her purpose. Dashing towards the other girl, Renée let out a roar as she raised her fist. If she could strike now, while the creature was distracted with Alphonse, maybe, just maybe...

Alphonse shook off the disorientation rather quickly and went about preparing his escape, "Such cheap tricks will not keep me in---wait..." He couldn't see through the casket but his telepathic connection to the French girl allowed him to sense her gambit. He could feel her legs moving across the street. He could read her thoughts and sense her intentions. He could see the excitement welling up inside her. Her ego was taking control. "FOOLISH GIRL!" He shouted as he sliced his way through the casket.

Things had certainly got more exciting on the girls' end. In an attempt to break Draugula's concentration, Renée had lunged at her foe. The girls traded a series of furious blows. Despite how weathered the two of them had become, after every subsequent bruise they seemed to only get stronger, "I'LL RIP YOUR HEART OUT YOU *****!" Ellie screeched as she grabbed the French girl by the hair and started pummelling her in the stomach.

His knees weak, the swordsman grasped his sides, "You!" He shouted at the monster before him. "We have to stop them!"

Draugula raised an eyebrow as he glanced at the two girls. "Are you kidding?" He chuckled. "Why would I break up a cat fig-" His words were interrupted as the white haired girl broke free from Ellie's grapple, delivering a fearsome knee into the girl's face as she grabbed the side of her head.

Draugula growled as the pain transferred to him. "You know something I don't, pretty boy?"

Renée gritted her teeth, with one hand she lifted the shorter girl off the ground by her neck. "TALK, TALK, TALK!" The woman roared. "DO YOU EVER SHUT THE 'ELL UP?"

The swordsman scoffed and shot Draugula an ice-y glare, "Do you WANT them to overload!?" He looked down at his own hand as an intense energy began to flow out of it. He could feel his power growing. He was drawn to it. It was becoming increasingly more difficult to deny. "Maybe you would like to take control of that street rat's mind, but I'd rather the artist not buckle under a power she cannot control." Looking to the French girl he shouted. "ENOUGH! TAKE THOSE GLASSES OFF, AT ONCE!"

Draugula furrowed his brow as he felt his energy begin to sky-rocket. Clenching his jaw he glanced at the swordsman before conceding that he had a point.

'Stupid kid is gonna get her mind fried.'

Crossing his hands over his chest, he turned to face the two girl. "Alright kids, show's over, break it up."

Renée tightened her grip around the girl's neck as she felt power surge through her. Such incredible power, it lit up her entire body. "Non! First she must pay, she made the first move, I will make the last!"

"Another time," Alphonse barked before swiftly punching himself in the face. As the French girl staggered backwards, relinquishing her grasp of Ellie, he moved in-between them. "If you keep fighting like this you won't be able to control me. Stand down."

Her ass on the pavement, Ellie wiped the blood from her lip and growled, "Out of the way, homo! I have unfinished business with this *****!"

Renée cupped the side of her face. "Control you?! WHAT THE 'ELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!" She shook her head. "WHAT THE 'ELL IS ANY OF THIS?!" Despite the intoxicating power coursing through her veins, there was a look of fear in her eyes as she struggled to grasp the situation.

Draugula sighed heavily as he placed his hands on his hips. Shaking his head, he stood over Ellie. "Pretty Boy is right, kid, you gotta stop right now, you can kick her ass another time."

"No, fuck that!" Ellie spat. "I am finishing this, NOW!" Scrambling to her feet, Ellie prepared to attack with everything she had. The power coursing through her small frame was like nothing she'd ever felt. It was... intoxicating. Her eyes went wild as she drank it in; a cruel, toothy grin growing ever larger on her lips. "DIE, *****!" She howled as she sprung up in the air in an attempt to leap over the swordsman and strike down Renée once and for all.

His back turned, Alphonse sighed heavily and adjusted his glasses with his middle finger.

Draugula swore under his breath as he failed to grab the girl. "HEADS UP PRETTY BOY!"

The zombie closed his eyes, sighing deeply as he crossed his arms over his chest. Clenching his jaw, he chuckled as he prepared himself for what was about to come.

This was gonna hurt.

As Ellie soared over Alphonse, she roared, "GET BEN---"

"Fool." In a flash, the swordsman's weapon had been drawn from its sheath and swung in a wide arc over his head with one hand. Though the bokken had not made contact with Ellie's body, somehow the force of the blow found its mark anyway, squelching Ellie mid-taunt. A turbulent wind burst out violently, knocking over cars and debris all over the street. Ellie was sent flying into the air until she was nothing but a sparkling spec in the distance.

After sheathing his weapon, Alphonse looked to Renée, "It's done."

Renée lowered the arm she had used to shield her face from the fierce display of power. Looking over at where the Frankenstein had been standing, he was no longer there. As all the anger began to drain from her body, she tilted her head as she looked up at the swordsman. "A little bit of overkill, don't you think?" She giggled.

 

[Dogmatic99]

Cat dropped the towel, staring Lucius down. She felt conflicted. On the one hand, he had until moments ago acted the part of a refined gentleman. But now, he was demanding a fight! "Mr. Gentleman," she said evenly, wiping her hands on her hoodie, "I thought you were supposed to be a kind person, somebody who stood for justice. I apologized, and even tried to make amends. But what kind of person resorts to fighting to solve a problem?" The intensity in her eyes deepened. She stepped forward, heel smashing the glove on the floor. "I accept your challenge! You will know a real hero from this day forward. Mr. Lucius, declare your weapon. It's time to duel!"

Lucius' hand gently tightened around the curved head of his cane, tempted to draw its true face and quench his fury on the keen edge of a blade. But it would not do to resort to first blood over such a matter and it would be even worse to scar the form of a young woman in such a way, he was a gentleman after all. Besides, she seemed unarmed.

"I shall use my cane. Claim whatever weapon you might." Lucius put it plainly, reclaiming his glove and straightening his bowler hat before striking the proper stance.

Cat snorted and raised her hands menacingly (she assumed) before her, readying a combat pose. "A true hero needs nothing but his fists, every finger loaded with the cold steel of justice and every fingernail whetted on the cool stone of discipline!" She paused, not sure what to do next. "A true hero never strikes first," she added after a second of hesitation. "So, come at me!"

"That's...what are- oh never mind." Lucius sighed, resigned to her nonsense. He dashed forward faster than one would think he could in such fancy shoes, thrusting out with the end of his cane in a quicksilver jab.

Cat squealed nervously, just barely sidestepping the cane as it brushed her hoodie. "Not so fast," she shouted accusingly. She lunged forwards, her fist aiming for Lucius's jaw.

Her fist collided with Lucius' cheek with a dry thud. He tensed his neck muscles and braced himself in that moment. Lucius locked eyes with cat in one fiery moment and strained as his head forced her fist back, face and knuckle pushing against each other. It was in that moment when it seemed as if he would slow down that his hand skipped up the cane's length and pulled it back harshly, aiming the curved handle for the back of Cat's head.

The cane smacked Cat clear in the rear of the skull. She stumbled past Lucius, rubbing the wound irritably. That hurt way more than she'd expected it would. The table beside her had a plate full of biscuits, she noticed. With a swift motion, she gripped it and threw the contents at Lucius's face.

Lucius yelped in surprise as a flurry of baked treats went flying at him with deadly intent. It took every quick reflexed move in his book to dodge each projectile as they whizzed past. Not quick enough though as one clipped just close enough to rustle close to the side of his head, sending a few strands of hair drifting to the ground. Lucius looked behind him to see the cookies had embedded themselves in the far wall.

"Chef knows his stuff." He mused. "More to the point! It seems our mode of combat has changed, very well! I shall meet you upon an even field of battle!" He was a gentleman after all.

A waiter walked past, calling out that the seafood platter was ready. Lucius swung his cane out like a bat and sent the freshly boiled lobster flying towards Cat, pincers drawn.

Cat glanced at the wall, not sure of what had just happened. The biscuits had planted themselves a clear several inches where they'd struck, one of them bisecting the forehead of the mustachioed man in a painting. She squeaked and dropped the tray, ducked the lobster, and began leaping over the serving counter and making for the kitchen double-doors.

The lobster exploded into delicious viscera on the kitchen doors as Lucius gave chase, leaping over the counter and kicking the doors open with a vengeance. Adding another dent to them as the lobster had already left its own light crater. The kitchen, put simply, was stupidly big. They wouldn't find themselves wanting for weapons.

With a viscous roar, Cat initiated her sneak attack from across the aisle. "TELL ME HOW JUSTICE TASTES," she yelled, deftly kicking a cart full of warm, spongy applesauce upwards. While it was in mid-air, she brought her fist back and, trying to focus her new found power, slammed her palm into the rear of the cart, sending it careening through the kitchen, past startled cooks, and towards her opponent.

Applesauce! Weakest of all the sauces! An unworthy weapon for a swiftly made foe! Lucius bent his spine back further than he ever had before and watched as the cart sailed on overhead, though the sauce still rained around him in viscus dregs. Bringing himself up Lucius flipped off his hat, catching enough sauce to fill it to the brim. Spinning on his heel Lucius flicked his wrist and launched a giant glob of apple madness right back at cat.

Wiping a piece from his shoulder and licking it off his finger, Lucius frowned in disdain. "Your justice needs salt."

The sauce slapped Cat square in the face. Despite its soft, amorphous composition, she was still knocked to her rear. She wiped it off, glaring. "I should've known better than to underestimate an opponent such as you!" She stood up, leaning against the counter to her side, and grabbed a six-foot pizza peel. She spun it before her deftly and slammed the aluminum tip into the tile floor. "Now I have a weapon! I hope you're prepared," she warned as she approached, a steady walk turning into a swift sprint as she closed the distance between them.

Oh, because noooow they were using proper weapons! Lucius rolled his eyes. No matter, he would keep his initial word and refrain from using his sword. The young aristocrat put up a spirited defense, parrying each attack as it came but the weapon of culinary fury was far heavier than it first looked and its reach was impressive. Not to mention his opponent seemed possessed by a great spirit of combat.

"I must admit, it's been a while since I've been tested so well!" Lucius chuckled. He was quickly cut off as the peel's long handle bent around his cane and its head thwacked him on the skull.

An huff of triumph escaped Cat's lungs. She pressed her advantage, flipping the tool about and thumping him hard in the stomach, effectively pinning him to the wall. "Do you see the strength of my justice?" she asked, eyes ablaze with righteous mania. "You can still yield with dignity if you so choose!"

"Bah!" Lucius spat. "You've got to be kidding, I'm just getting started!" He struggled and strained, finally managing to get his arm free enough to force the intruding weapon aside and break free, slipping out into a narrow isle of the kitchen.

"Correction: you're just getting finished!" Cat pointed the tool in his direction, aiming, and threw hard, hoping to knock his legs out from under him.

"Oh very witty!" Lucius drawled. Jumping over the peel and landing on its flat head as it flew on and using it as a springboard to launch himself at the little ruffian.

She already had a rebuff at hand: a flat-faced steel frying pan. With a grunt of exertion, she brought it to bear on Lucius's prone, airborne body. The metal collided with his face with a satisfying ring.

While he was prone, she grabbed him by the scruff of his refined yet ruined waistcoat and shoved him against an applesauce-coated wall. "I knew I'd get you to taste justice in the end!" She grinned impishly. "It was inevitable."

A female voice with a bored drawl echoed in the back of Lucius's mind. "Huh, thought you were s'posed to pride yourself on never losing." The voice emitted a disappointed sigh. "Well, I guess appearances can be deceiving, 'specially when they're mostly leftovers and soiled clothing."

Lucius let out an infuriated growl. The indignity! It would not stand! He pushed himself off the wall with greater force than he thought he could, sending a low sweeping kick out at Cat to gain himself some space.

"Then I guess it's time for some... JUST DESSERTS!" He roared, chopping at the layers of a massive chocolate cake, sending each tier spinning off towards Cat.

...Wait... was there another voice there for a second?

Cat started dodging the cake. "Hey, what'd that cake ever do to you!" She clenched her fists, furious. "The least you could do is give them a decent burial. In your stomach, preferably."

The voice in Lucius's head sounded amused. "And your temper's running away from you, too. I really hit the jackpot." She sighed again. "Maybe consider taking a deep breath before doing anything else?"

"Who even talks like- what?" Lucius' eyes darted back and forth as in scanned the room for the intruder. Apparently he now had two mad women to deal with.

"Well perhaps we can give the cake a burial at sea!" Lucius tipped his cane and looped it through the wide handles of a soup vat, flipping it head on at his opponent. "And who is trying to interfere with this duel?" He hissed through gritted teeth.

"Put the glasses on, ivy-league," the voice retorted. "After you wipe your face, of course."

Meanwhile, Cat found herself on the counter, just barely avoiding the scalding mess of turnip-and-carrot surprise. Something had unsettled her opponent, but she had no idea what it was. All she knew was that it made him fight like a tangled cord, and she was having a lot of trouble finding an opening. "Time for a change of pace," she muttered, locking her fingers around the handle of an oven and pulling hard. Screws bolting it to the floor squealed, giving way.

"Ivy- well I never!" Lucius scoffed and snorted. What a preposterous and uncivilized thing for a woman to say. What were they even talking about?

That was when he remembered, the sunglasses he'd been given, along with his invitation. Lucius' hands instinctively found their way to the shades he'd hung out of his pocket by their handles. Somehow they were intact. Even more surprisingly they were unstained, a small radius of clean had formed around them. Well it wasn't as if they could make things much worse, if anything they'd help keep the turnips out of his eyes.

With a quick flick of his wrist the handles of the fresh spitfire glasses were out and Lucius smoothly slid them onto his face. Nothing could have prepared him for what happened next. "GOD... save... the queen..." He gasped out of a gaping jaw.

"I guess 'bush-league' would've been more appropriate?" The woman was leaning nonchalantly against an enormous refrigerator to his left. She was adorned in a brilliant silver breastplate over a black long coat and a metal-with-cloth miniskirt. Her cropped platinum-blonde hair was kept in check by a silver circlet adorned by an opal the size of a thumb. Giant gleaming gauntlets encased her hands, and glistening greaves with three-inch heels extended to her thigh. Strapped to her back by a long strand of chain was a hefty silvered long sword, its pommel catching the light from over her left shoulder. Her blue eyes drooped a little, and her long face brightened a bit when she saw he'd finally noticed her.

"Good to see we can speak face-to-face. Name's Eisenschilde." She pointed with a thumb. "May wanna duck."

The oven had finally split from the flooring. Cat groaned slightly and pointed the burners towards him, shouting, "The flame of justice never dies!" With one hand she turned a dial, and a spout of flame rushed forth, scorching the kitchen tiles.

Lucius was lost for words as he took in the awe inspiring sight of her. Everything about this woman seemed so impossible, yet here she stood, like a graceful gothic phantom revealed from the ether. Her attire was like no form of armour Lucius had ever seen, it gleamed so bright it looked fresh from the forge. and the way it hugged her figure wasn't half bad either. Yet the most catching thing about it, once he saw it, was the Elder family crest emblazoned on her aptly named breastplate.

"What... are you- Oh! Hellfire!" Lucius was snapped out of his bewilderment as he leaped back as far as he could to avoid the flames. Which, it turned out, was quite far. His mind was reeling but his body felt fresher than ever, running high on battle fury and adrenaline perhaps.

Eisenschilde planted herself before him, stray sparks bouncing from her skin and armor. "I think we can take her, two-on-one." With a slick swing of the chain, she unsheathed the long sword and leaned on it with both hands. She turned her head to look behind at him. "What do you say? Wanna show me what you've been holding back?"

The emergency gas cut-off for the oven's line kicked in, and the flame guttered out. Cat glanced at it, confused. "Eh?" Without warning, an alarm sounded. Sprinklers turned on, and water began spraying from the ceiling all over the kitchen. She looked up, annoyed. "I said the flame's not supposed to go out!"

"It would be my pleasure" Lucius grinned. He still wasn't sure what was going on in the slightest but she seemed to be on his side and that was enough for him right now.

With renewed vigor Lucius dashed forward, grasping his cane like the sword it truly was, his swing cutting ripples through the cascading drops of water. Even if she was't distracted Cat would have never seen the chain wrap around her wrist and reel her in like a fresh catch, pulling her right into Lucius' reach.

With a sparkle of light his blade was drawn upwards and the cane handle rocketed up into Cat's chin, sending her crashing through the ceiling and into the the rooms above.

Lucius brushed some stray debris from his shoulders and turned to his newly formed partner. "I fine effort if I do say so."

 

[Terratina.]

Spoiler: Time for a little breather

There really wasn't much to do as the rain continued pouring down, except watch some lone tumbleweed go by. Polly had been such a fool in coming to Boss City, there seemed to be nothing at all special about it. Then again, all cities seemed the same to her - all noise, all busy little ants rushing around, thinking about nothing but the next five or so minutes of their lives. Clearly they hadn't just sat on the porch and watched the stars go by. They were but ants in an ant farm, only good for what lay within their enclosure.

Speaking of which...

There was a... person near her. He (assuming he was male) was cleaning some sunglasses. Unless there was a local weirdo who jumped down buildings every so often, it was safe to also assume that the man had also been bewitched by that simply enchanting n-- black (that was the politically correct term, right?) man. Polly sauntered up to the man, the collection of various keyrings on her rucksack making her approach a nosy one.

"'Scuse me, mister." She began, "By any chance have yer been invited here by a Tyrone McNamminus? Know anythin' else 'bout that? Sorry but I'm just plumb bumfuzzled."

 

[Fallen-Angel Risen-Demon]

When the woman spoke to him, Mr. Rei turned his head slightly to the side just enough that he could see her out the corner of his eye. He was only half-interested in her at first before she mentioned the name of the phenomenal black man, the one known as Tyrone McNamminus. He pocketed the sunglasses and turned to face her fully, giving her a silent evaluation. By the looks of it she was some kind of tomboy, and judging from the accent she was from the south. "Hm."

The hooded man thought for a moment before speaking. "Perhaps I was invited here by that man, or perhaps I was not." He said, although with the words he used he might as well had said nothing. "Although, whether or not I was called here by Mr McNamminus, I can tell you that I most likely know no more than you."

He paused, wondering further on the nature of this event. Would this woman be an opponent? How many others could there be? Should he sabotage her now, or should he wait and see if he could make use of her? ... Or maybe he could treat her as an ally?

"You can me Mr. Rei." The enigmatic fellow stated. "Now tell me, what should I call you?"

 

[The Funslinger]

Having stepped off of the crowd, the Spine was searching for a hotel. He eventually found the one he was looking for: The Five Seasons.

"Rock n Roll," he said, heading towards it. As he drew closer, he saw a limousine parked outside. The bonnet appeared to have been crushed, and there was smoke rising from it. The Spine remembered seeing a similar car broken down in the Snickleways when he was a kid. No sooner had the engine guttered did a tide of urchins flood out from all sides. They had passed over the car like locusts. Within seconds, the car had been stripped down to nothing, and the suit and cloak clad passenger was being dragged screaming into the darkness with filthy hands rifling his pockets all the way.

Grinning at the memory, the Spine turned to see some guy walking away from the vehicle. He grinned. "Totaled that one, didn't ya, mate?"

 

[Terratina.]

"You can me Mr. Rei. Now tell me, what should I call you?"

"Howdy there, Mister Ray." Polly replied with a slight tip of her hat, "Polly Jean. Jus' call me Polly."

Of course! She'd been invited to a 'Ultra Spectacular Mega Showdown Battle Royale Extravaganza' and the mysterious man next to her was probably another contestant - assuming that the confusing matter of his flip-floppy way of speaking translated to a "yes". Either way, she could see that the man wasn't being particularly helpful. In fact, he was just being outright rude. Did he? Or didn't he? All Ray had to do was say a yes or a no, instead he had retreated to the land of the maybes.

Suddenly, the rain stopped.

"Er... I gotta go!" She saw the opportunity and dashed, had to get to the cheap hostel soon, after all.

 

[Malbourne]

With a resounding slam, Catherine reached the twenty-third floor. In a way. She blinked and found she'd gotten wedged in the flooring of an entertainment room, empty but for a polished pool table perhaps a dozen feet across. She wondered briefly how many people were supposed to play, when a wave of depression hit her suddenly.

"I shouldn't be thinking of pool at a time like this," she muttered aloud. The lonely voice echoed throughout the room, something that didn't help her dour mood any. Cat let her head fall onto her shoulder, wondering what the point of freeing herself from the floor was if somebody was just going to come along and knock her into another ceiling. "I'm a failure as a hero of justice..."

'This just in!' A booming voice shouted, sounding very official and commanding. 'Catherine Ray is getting seven shades of PUNK beaten into her upside her head! Witnesses have described the scene as sad but kind of artsy. Now over to Donny with sports!'

Meanwhile, down below...

"I must say that was a fine display madam. This fight has certainly taken a turn for the interesting." Lucius smiled happily to himself, twirling his cane with great satisfaction. "Lucius Elder, at your service." He gave the newly apparent guardian a flourishing bow.

"But who, may I ask, are you?" A woman so ravishing, only a fool would pass up the chance to get to know her better... if you know what Lucius means.

....Rah-ther...

The swordswoman rubbed ashes off of her breastplate with the palm of her gauntlet. "I already said I'm Eisenschilde. Clean the corn outta your ears." She looked him up and down. This guy with a clean-pressed suit (mildly splattered in food), a ridiculous cane, and an overbearing dictation was a remarkably capable fighter. Amusement sparkled in her eyes as she approached him. Her hand planted itself on his head, ruffling his hair and ruining whatever respectable semblance he'd maintained after the fight. "I guess you can call me your knight in shining armor, my prince!"

On floor twenty-two-and-a-half...

Cat glanced about. It sounded like somebody'd left the television set on. She tried to turn her head, hoping to get a peek at the channel, wondering what program was featuring her name of all names. When she turned around, she was surprised to see nobody in the room. "Funny," she murmured. "Is there a radio station playing in the pool halls or something?"

Cat's head was suddenly filled with the short sharp sound of static as somber piano music and the sound of pouring rain filled the distance. 'You think it's that easy? I wish.' Grumbled a voice so gravely it must have been cool. Sounded like its owner was sucking on a cigarette too. 'But this goes deeper than that kid. This is bigger than you, bigger than me, bigger than all of us! Bigger than this whole damn city where the angels come to fall.'

"Yes, well-" Lucius smacked the side of his head, dislodging several pieces of corn. "Forgive me if I wasn't totally focused on conversation while someone was trying to set me on fire. Perhaps, to be more blunt, I should have asked: What are you? If my eyes don't deceive me then you seem to be linked to these glasses or perhaps I hit my head too hard on some of the cutlery."

Lucius fought hard to regain some of his composure as the nordic amazon towered over him as if he were some child. It didn't help that her strange attire left just enough to the imagination while giving some very key suggestions. And where on earth did she get his family crest?

"I'm you," she replied. "I suppose that's the best way to put it. I like to think I'm that part of you that says, 'Leave that cookie for somebody else.' It's probably the complete opposite, though." Eisenschilde shrugged. "I guess we'll find out, won't we? In the meantime, let's get acquainted." She leaned against the marble counter, folding her arms and ignoring the water pattering against her armor. "What's your life dream, prince? Where do you see yourself in ten years? Twenty?"

Film noir? Cat rubbed her forehead with a free arm, wondering if blowing smoke in her head was bad for her health. "How deep does it go?" she asked. "Who are you? Where are you? What are you doing here? What feels like it's pinching-"

A lobster fell from her hood as she shook her head violently. It clacked its pincers in irritation and scuttled towards the pool table. "It's not that kinda pool," she remarked. "I don't even think this place has a pool." Her stomach growled, reminding her that she'd failed to grab even one appetizer from the kitchen in the fricasse fracas.

An idea struck her. She glanced towards the pool table, trying to look the lobster in the eyes. "Uh, Mr. Voice, sir...Sorry, what's bigger than the city? I can't think there's much bigger than an entire city, even if you took all the people out..."

"Prince is taking it a little far I think." Lucius snorted. "Besides, don't we still have a foe to vanquish? If you're the warrior your appearance suggests you are then I imagine you'd like to confirm your victory. Besides..." He smirked a little. Mischief sparkling his eyes. "I'm eager to see what else you're capable of." Lucius couldn't put his finger on it but ever since Eisenchilde had shown up he was feeling even more energized than ever before. As if he could take on the world!

Another blast of static and a frantic perky rock riff cut in. It was trying way to hard to get people hyped. "Will Cat find out the epic mystery? Will she survive the fresh assault? Or will she slink away into the night, never to find out the truth behind the mysterious sunglasses?! Find out next week in: CAT PUTS ON THE MYSTERIOUS SUNGLASSEEEEEESSSSSSSSS!!!!!"

Cat blinked. She probed about her hoodie pocket and found the pair of square sunglasses, intact. They may as well have been freshly bought from the store considering the only thing wrong with them was the dampness. She put them on and looked about, from the massive pool table to the rest of the empty room.

Well, not completely empty.

She stifled a gasp of astonishment when she saw something that seemed as if it had come straight out of one of her television shows. "Oh, wow..."

Before her very eyes it appeared!Human in shape and chrome in colour, sleek, shiny and fresh out of the box! A machine creature of the highest science, made of technology far beyond the power of this puny, last season world. Small gaps in the chassis showed dark, tightly wound wires and intricate whirring gears.

Except for the head, that was crazy retro. A big old clunker of a TV set, complete with knobs and dials along the side and bottom of the staring lifeless screen. Though the cat ears on the top were a little weird. It stood at the far side of room, arms folded across its metal chest. Its head tilted at regular intervals with rapid taps and clicks and whirs of gears and motors.

Silently satisfied it paced towards Cat and yanked her out of the wreckage with mechanical precision. It may ahve looked her up and down for a moment, it was hard to tell without a face. But then the screen lit up into life, switching over onto some Japanese cartoon. A tiny girl with bright pink hair and a colourful kimono jumped up and down, waving frantically at Cat.

"Konbanwaaaaa!" She cried out in an insanely chirpy voice! "Oaidekite ureshi desuuuuu! Cat-sama, I am super happy fun time to be meeting you! Our friendship pierces stars now for fighting time yes, ooooh?"

Cat's jaw fell. "Sugoi..." She squinted, examining the face. She slid around, trying to absorb the magnificent chrome of the body, the chassis, the ears! Everything about it was simultaneously elegant, powerful, and...cool!

She stopped before her newfound friend, staring at the screen with unbridled joy. "You've got a really awesome design! Almost like one of the sets I tried making. Must be a new model, or maybe a new entertainment system!" Cat peered at the pink-haired avatar. "Hello! It's a pleasure to meetcha! I guess you know me, but what's your name?"

Sprinklers in the kitchen hissed, continuing to coat the floor in ankle-high puddles. Eisenschilde sighed. "I didn't think you'd be that eager to get back into a fight, 'specially now that your suits ruined two ways to morning." The knight strode towards the hole Cat had created in the ceiling and pointed upwards. "Let's give chase, then. Think you can make this jump?"

"You know what?" Lucius studied the series of yawning chasms above him, his eyes scanning the debris and crumbling masonry. "I think I can." Yes, it all ined up quite nicely.

Readying his cane, Lucius leaped towards a hanging chunk of rock and launched himself off of it towards another edge, dashing from one foothold to the next with alarming speed and ease. He'd never felt so capable in his life! Was it all these sunglasses? Outrageous!

The gloriously glowing automaton struck a proud pose as its face channel changed again. This time to a basic tech support channel that came with all newer models.

"Congratulations on obtaining your new entertainment system." Chimed in a calmly lilting voice. "Iru Bokku, Model V2-8, special Addition. BRINGER OF THE WAVE! HARBINGER OF THE SIGNAL!" It's voice took on a much harsher, cybernetic sounding tone for the last few words but it quickly recovered. "Complete with over five hundred and two channels, translation options, in built games and combat functions. Upgrades unlockable later."

The channel quickly switched over to a fashion show, with super camp presenter standing alone in the studio, an open blazer showing off his abs. "You heard it! Iru Bokku, the living box and can I just say I am super thrilled to meet you, Cat, sweety. Now how bout we kick some perky butts and get you feeling FAB-U-LUS!"


"Alright!" Cat slammed her knuckles together, completely hyped. "I already feel FABULOUS! Where's that phony gentleman?! I wanna kick his perky butt RIGHT NOW!"

She practically sprinted to the hole, blood pumping, and was nearly bowled over by the sudden entrance of Lucius, closely followed by what looked like a woman in silver armor, black coat, and a long chain.

Iru quickly leaped to its human's defence, its screen flickering onto a silent menu.

SETTINGS > COMBAT > MODE > SHINOBI > ON

In a flash it had adopted the stance, feet together, body rigid and straight, hands up in the pointing position and wires flowing from a gap around its neck like a long scarf caught in the wind.

"Hiyyyuuuuggghhh!!" Roared an 80s movie ninja, suddenly bursting onto the screen in a cloud of poorly hidden wires. Iru lunged forward, propelling itself into a high flying dragon kick.

Lucius ducked out of the way as the two metallic egos clashed. Apparently the urchin had found herself her own bizzare guardian, and a tacky heap of junk it was too. No matter.

"Time for round two!" He taunted Cat.

Cat backed into the pool table and grabbed one of the dozen cues arrayed alongside the balls. "HA! We hardly finished round one." She swung the cue back and forth in a figure-eight and halted ten feet away from the gentleman, stick outstretched. "Now you will witness the will of a samurai!" With deft, ninja-like reflexes, Cat spun the stick in a circle and swung hard for Lucius.

The kick caught Eisenschilde by surprise, though her armor more than withstood the blow. A heavy clang reverberated throughout the room as the metalhead's momentum carried them clear through a wall and into what looked like a gaming hall. The woman planted her feet, better able to stop the television's assault, and shoved him away. She grunted and unslung the heavy longsword, bringing it to bear in a split-second on her new enemy. A wave of enthusiasm rushed through her body. It was...invigorating to come across such a challenging opponent!

She heaved the longsword before her effortlessly, and as she sliced, she hissed, "I don't care where you came from, but I'll make sure you go to the scrap heap!"

"Aha!" Lucius cheered, bringing his cane to bare. "Just like practice in the yard!" The two of them moved back and forth, a resounding clatter of wooden sticks clashing against each other at blinding speeds. Their weapons turning into a blur before them. Suddenly their was a weight on Lucius' chest but it was soon gone, replaced by the fire of battle!

"But you know nothing of true swordplay!" In and instant Lucius had switched to heavier, two handed swings, ending his combo in a mighty uppercut that sent out a blast of air.

"Your Lion style is strong." Said the onscreen ninja of Iru. "But my spider style shall defeat you! Eight thousand jab attack!" The machine took off like a rocket, its arms going into a flurry of pointed jabs as it corkscrewed back towards Eisenchilde.

Trying to absorb the attacks turned out to be a mistake, Eisenschilde discovered. Each and every jab hit like a truck, and it was all she could do not to buckle under his assault. She planted a plated foot against the wall, cracking the wooden paneling as she barreled forward, sword flashing in an arc as the chain spun in a whirlwind about the television man, each turn deflecting a jab, filling the hall with a high-pitched ringing. "Silver Needle!"

Something seemed to be wrong. Cat noticed Lucius was starting to flag, his blows getting heavier and heavier. Thinking he'd tired himself out in their first confrontation, she allowed herself a few cocky thrusts. She was unprepared for the burst of wind that slammed her in the chest, sending her spiraling through the wall next to the first hole and straight into an enormous roulette wheel. "Ow..." Cat rubbed the back of her neck. Where had that last blast come from? Was there something more to his attacks than just swordplay? She hefted the cue and found it had snapped in half. Shrugging, she tossed it and grabbed an armful of new ones from the rack beside the roulette wheel. "Oof. Maybe too many?" She abolished the thought immediately. A true samurai could never have too many swords!

Lucius truly was flagging for a moment there. His breathing became heavy as a hollow pain rang through his torso. What was this? I twas as if someone was raining down punch after punch on him. It passed soon enough but the worry was there, planted as the truest of seeds. No! He could not falter so close to victory! His power was rising and with it... his confidence!

"A true warrior never has too many swords!" Lucius roared, his feet barely touching the ground as he swung his cane, shattering the roulette wheel asunder. Yes... YEEEEESSS! The power!

The chain moved like a wicked metal serpent, slipping past Iru's defense and pecking at his set 1-2-3! Staggering his reception and sending the addled android flying into the games and crashing into a one armed bandit, sending a fountain of coins spraying everywhere.

Eisenschilde glanced at Lucius, noting with approval that he was managing to hold up against the girl. Her beating probably didn't help his health, she thought with a wry grin. The television man had landed midst a bunch of slot machines, seemingly down for the moment, but as she reeled the sword back to her mailed hand she reminded herself only a fool would assume a fight was over.

A twinge in the lower back made Cat flinch. If she didn't know better, she would have thought her impact with the roulette table was the reason the pain flared up. But she'd taken the brunt of the crash with her head...

She ducked swiftly as Lucius returned, decimating the ruined wheel. Cat expertly juggled the cues, parrying blow after blow from the swordsman and discarding every stick that cracked against his onslaught. She sucked in a deep breath as she ducked a tight swing and brought the last two cue sticks forward in one unified strike. "Super Samurai Finale!"

She was fighting as he was and he was fighting as she was! Their powers were one! Only into this world for a few minutes and reveling in newly found life, Iru Bokku would not lose! The harbinger of the signal would give it his all!

"DOUBLE ION PULSE ACTIVATE!!" Screeched the harsh cyber voice as Iru cupped its hands together like an ancient anime warrior readying an energy blast. Its palms opened and tiny cannons extruded from its finger. Balls of blue light formed before them as the air crackled with energy and the balls of blue combined into a sphere of power.

Iru braced its frame and pulled the energy in close, as was the custom, before futting out and firing a mighty beam of blue ionic energy at his fellow ego.

The world slowed down as Lucius saw the cue headed straight for him. She was going to win, there was no way he could defend against such an attack. So if he could not defend... he would attack!

"Viking Vanquisher!" He yelled. His cane met her cue in a mighty clash. The two sticks struck eachother with such power that they generated their own maddening light. Let the victor be decided!

Eisenschilde thrust her sword into the floor, grinding the point several inches into the hard wood. This television wanted to test its spear against her shield? He would find her to be a lot more difficult to move than she'd let on in the beginning of the fight. Her chains snaked around her limbs, complementing the silvered armor and hardening her defenses against the blue blast. Wind encircled her, scattering coins and chips to the walls. Her hands gripped the hilt so tightly it would've snapped had it been ordinary steel. She pulled her shoulders back, ready to absorb the attack, and roared, "LADY GREY!!!"

The breath escaped Cat's lungs as she met the strike. Her bones shook with the impact, the ground beneath her feet shivered, tables overturned, lights flickered and popped. She grit her teeth and pressed forward, determined not to lose this tug-of-war. A thunderous crack signaled the final moments of the floor's infrastructure.

They were all quickly yanked out of the moment of their individual fights as the floor gave way beneath their sheer combined epicness! There was only time for Lucius to let out an undignified yelp as the casino gave way beneath him and the foursome were sent falling down through floor after floor, gaming machines crashing all around them.

They eventually came to a stop with an almighty splash, landing into the indoor pool in the sub basement level. Lucius bobbed up and down on the spot, panting for breath while Iru called upon all its techno ninja reflexes to perch on top of a coinslot like a glittering gargoyle. Water was no good for its wiring.

"This might just be my sodden sleeves talking..." Lucius breathed. "... but it feels like the magic's gone."

A fusillade of water drenched just about everyone in the vicinity of the pool as Eisenschilde collided hard with the pool. She held her breath, finding it difficult to stand up in waterlogged armor. After a few seconds of struggling the warrior managed to get her head into fresh air. "No kidding," she retorted. "Try not to overdo it, prince, or-" Her quip was cut off as a miniature lucky cat statue bounced off of her dripping head. "Grr..."

Cat sputter and clambered over the side of the pool, wondering why she felt like a sack of potatoes. "Guh," she hiccuped water. "I feel sorry for whoever owns this hotel."

"Think nothing of it madam, a damn good duel it was if I do say so myself. Why I haven't been put through my paces like that in a long time. I tip my hat to you. At least I would but the it seems to have been destroyed in the conflict."

Lucius dragged himself out of the pool, apparently in a much more chipper mood. "Thankfully we didn't reach the top floors so SOME of the rooms should be intact. Please allow me to offer a worthy foe use of a penthouse suite. For as long as you feel comfortable staying in our former warzone. As for myself-" Lucius clapped his hands briskly, summoning a squad of butlers and maids. "Winthrop!"

"Yes, Master Lucius?"

"I shall be requiring a pair of robes. My new acquaintance and I shall be retiring for the night." He gave a curt nod towards Eisenchilde. "Assuming of course that she can wear something other than armour."

"Umm... very good, Sir." Winthrop glanced around, wondering who he was talking about.

"For now... I bid you goodnight." Lucius gave one final bow to Cat before departing, apparently deaf and blind to the dozens of innocent bystanders who'd been caught up in their fight and sent plummeting down with them.

Cat was silent, watching as Lucius, Eisenschilde, and the retinue of servants exited the pool room. A shower of coins continued to funnel from the ceiling, distracting most of the people who'd survived the catastrophe. Cat shoved past the former spectators as they grabbed at the cash and said, "Hey, Bokku-san!"

'Arigatou gozaimasu! Thank you for tuning in,' Iru Bokku responded, its screen reverting to the cheery, pink-haired hostess. 'We sincerely hope you enjoy the next program.' It leaped from the pool, delicately landing by her side, and its chassis readjusted to its regular form.

"No doubts about that," Cat replied happily as they left the room. "But I'm starving. Let's go see if there are any good restaurants around here. Something serving lobster, I think!"

 

[Deu Sex]

Funky Charles was sitting in the plane's cargo hold, where he had been for the most of the flight. Originally he went there with his boombox to test how many bags of luggage he could karate chop through. But then the co-pilot showed up after a series of funk-related noise complaints and yelled at him. So instead of ruining people's luggage, Charles resigned to meditation. He sat in the cargo hold cross-legged and eyes closed, as he attempted the mental exercise of fusing various Bee Gees songs and anime intros in his head.

Eventually the plane came to a descent. Funky Charles, still deep in meditation, slid across the cargo hold until his head slammed against a nearby wall. Charles' eyes flew open as he felt the tingle of pain. His afro had absorbed the bulk of the blow, rendering the slide into the metal wall mostly harmless. Charles' hair began to jiggle uncontrollably, so he reached up and grabbed the comb he kept holstered inside. After a few gentle brushes, the hair calmed down and resumed its afro form.

"The plane's stopped. That must mean..." Charles stood upright and turned to face the wall he'd collided with. "BOSS CITY!" he screamed as he began punching the side of the cargo hold repeatedly. He knew it would only take a few seconds for his funky fists to tear through the airplane's hide, leaving a smouldering hole large enough for him to make a dramatic exit through. However, the sound of kung-fu shouts and banging metal attracted the attention of the co-pilot, who once again yelled at Charles before forcing him to leave through the door like everyone else.

It was raining outside, but this didn't bother Charles. His afro was large enough to act as an umbrella and stop any water from actually touching him. He stared out through his sunglasses at the sight of Boss City...and his homeland. "Ah, America. It's been too long."

As Charles stepped foot on the West Coast for the first time in over a decade, the atmosphere was already thick with the sounds of fighting and music. Mediocre music at that. Not a single funky beat to be heard. "Time to change that." Charles picked up his boombox and slammed it into the ground to his right. Then he reached into his luggage, pulled out a pillar with vertical kanji characters that read FIGHT ME and slammed that into the ground to his left. Finally Charles turned on the boombox, cranked up the volume, crossed his arms and waited for the jobbers to come to him.

Spoiler: Ho Ha

 

[Dogmatic99]

Spoiler: MEANWHILE in the money room!

Lucius sat by the fire, freshly cleaned and bathed properly as a gentleman should be. For now he sat by the fire dressed in the hotel's complimentary bath robe and sipping the backup batch of tea he had transported with him on long journeys in case a duel instigated by a beverage spilling. One could never be too prepared when it came to fine tea.

This was all rather a lot to take in, were Lucius a weaker man he may have been tempted to stress eat a plate of smoked salmon finger sandwiches. BUT HE WAS NOT A WEAKER MAN! He was Lucius Edward Felix Athelstan Elder, The Third, Esquire! Fourth son of Lord and Lady Elder and a man of well bred quality!

With true purpose Lucius donned his sunglasses, true it was crude to wear them indoors but it was the only way he could see Eisenchilde properly.

"My ego..." Lucius said, testing out the words to himself. "Fascinating." With the fight over the two of them had had time to discuss their relation properly. "And that girl and her strange toy creature... she was here for this battle royale as well. I must admit, I did not expect the name of this event to be so literal." Colonials were usually so fond of their bombastic turns of phrase.

"If that is the case..." Lucius rose from his chair and drew his sword from its cane sleeping place as he set to polishing the blade until it shone gloriously in the firelight. "Then this ultimate prize is as good as mine!"
======================================================================

Iru followed after Cat as any faithful ego should, quickly transforming into a compact travel mode. Its body closed together and withdrew into its TV set head and sprouted out a tiny hover jet from all four corners, each one sending out a wave of blue rings and making high pitched 80's sound effects. Iru flew along after Cat as she went about her business.

"So, Cat, I hear you're something of an inventor. Have you read this, have you heard about this?" It asked, switching over to a late night talk show. "I gotta say, Cat, I've been looking at your work, cat, it's really cools stuff, cat, and I gotta wonder, cat, what's a high flying character like yourself doing signing up for this battle royale, that's gotta be a big thing for you, Cat, that's gotta be pretty exciting for you, Cat, in your career, Cat."

 

[Malbourne]

"Then this ultimate prize is as good as mine!"

"When you get done playing with your sword," Eisenschilde chimed in, "consider preparing yourself for another opponent. The next one may not be so air-headed or naive." She rubbed her chin, staring into the crackling fireplace. "Whatever you may think of that girl, you still bore witness to the power of two egos in combat. It's crucial to stay on your toes, but it's not imperative to begin training immediately." She turned away from the fireplace, shivering light bouncing from her glowing armor and longsword. "Since we can get to know one another in the meantime, why not humor me with some answers? Why declare the duel a stalemate?"

The knight leaned against the mantelpiece, her eyes probing him curiously. "Why not take the opportunity to finish off a stunned opponent?"

[hr]

"I gotta say, Cat, I've been looking at your work, cat, it's really cools stuff, cat, and I gotta wonder, cat, what's a high flying character like yourself doing signing up for this battle royale, that's gotta be a big thing for you, Cat, that's gotta be pretty exciting for you, Cat, in your career, Cat."

Cat pushed the square shades up onto her face, slick with the light rain. She planted her spare hand on a glass door and shoved inward. This would be the third restaurant they'd check in ten minutes. Hopefully this time she'd find lobster. "What I'm doing here? What do you think I'm doing here?" Squeezing her hoodie dry, she cursed inwardly when she glanced at the menu. All hamburgers. Cat decided it would be unlikely the store had a reserve for customers who asked. She relented and sat down at one of the tables as she waited for a server to arrive. "I thought it'd be fun, you know? And, well, I guess there's more to it..."

After a moment of thought Cat considered Iru. "You remind me a lot of a television set I was making a couple of years ago. It...didn't really work out. The ears were s'posed to be decorative antennae, but it never looked right." She leaned back, looking out the window. "Ultra Spectacular Mega Showdown Battle Royale Extravaganza. It sounded like one of the greatest shows on the planet. Like the finale to a show I'd grown up with, where all the characters got a good send-off and the story arcs wrapped up. I just had to come. That doesn't sound silly, does it?"

 

[ProtoChimp]

Wolfgang laughed a manly laugh as the manly streetcar carried him in a manly fashion. His spirits were high and his fists were pulsating with the need to achieve glory. He hummed the music of his nation as he was carried like the wrestling Adonis that he was. Soon he would face a new challenger. Soon he would taste ultimate victory once more.

 

[Dogmatic99]

"Why not take the opportunity to finish off a stunned opponent?"

"First of all!" Lucius held up a cautionary finger. "This is not JUST A SWORD. This, is Lady Evangelina, the trademark sword of Lord Balthazar Ebeneezer Elder. He wielded it in duels and combat defending the realm and her landed gentry for many years, striking down unionists and socialists alike."

Lucis had risen from his seat now and was waving his cane sword around with enthusiasm, flicking it like some deranged conductor at the head of his invisible orchestra.

"He even bested that moist scourge of fair Britannia, Charles Dickens. When he fought that creeper happy all the way from the floors of his factory to the peak of Big Ben. This same blade danced against the edge of a wicked pen spear's point and came out victorious, defending every child's right to work heavy machinery the world over. And the thanks its holder received? To be vilified in a piece of festive trite." Lucius' tone had dropped, his voice had become hoarse. This was a wound his family had carried for generations but they would carry it with pride.

"To answer your other question, as to why I did not finish her?" He said, breaking his brooding tension. "Because it would not be fitting of a gentleman... and it would not be fitting of an Elder. You claim to be a part of me, Eisenchilde, so perhaps you already know this. But I am the fourth in a line of five brothers. Since their birth my older brothers have had their lives designed for them, their path was already chosen for them and they themselves forged into paragons of their specific fields. I was left to my own devices."

Lucius' tone became even more serious as it lost its patriotic fire and vim. He wandered over to the large window overlooking the sprawling nightscape of Boss City. Whether he was looking at that or his own reflection was unclear, even to him perhaps.

"Some might view this personal freedom as a gift... but that is not how the Elder family works. My brothers were the ones destined to bring glory to our house, to be the lions that lead us to victory. Their names were on everyone's lips even when I was a child. I was considered a bonus, someone to help further their ends. I tried my best to carve out my own identity, I do not brag when I claim to be a financial genius. I made turning our family's old money into new money an art form, the price of buying this hotel was pittance at this point. But it was of no matter to those around me... everything I made went unnoticed or was harvested by my siblings.

I turned myself to countless hobbies, arts and sports. Some may have earned me renown and reclaim... but the only one I truly loved... was swordplay. When I received the invitation for this battle royale, this tournament, I seized my chance!" Lucius spun on the spot to face his ego, the fire was back in his eyes, his bathrobe billowing in the sheer power of the moment! "This! Will be my moment, Eisenchilde! These will be the days when I carve out my own legacy and rise above my peers! But if I am to do it I shall not have anyone question my honour or my skill. I shall face and beat every opponent I face at their peak and shall accept no quarter and ask for no mercy AND STILL! THEY SHALL BE FOUND WANTING!"

The fireplace burst to life and the room was bathed in the pure light of a man and his willpower. Human and Ego flourished in the glorious blaze as if they could take on the world itself. But Lucius was still a mere man at this point in time and his temperament calmed down soon enough.

"That is my answer, Eisenchilde, so... will you join me on the road to victory."
================================================================================

"Ultra Spectacular Mega Showdown Battle Royale Extravaganza. It sounded like one of the greatest shows on the planet. Like the finale to a show I'd grown up with, where all the characters got a good send-off and the story arcs wrapped up. I just had to come. That doesn't sound silly, does it?"

Iru's screen buzzed into a flash of static before switching channel again. This time it was showing a lady in ye olde kinda clothes, sitting at a little table in her garden with a fancy tea set out in front of her. Cat no doubt recognised her as one of the characters from Hammanner Manor, the period soap opera that was sweeping the nation.

"Don't be silly, Lady Catherine, why tis a lady's duty to be philosophical and to plum the depths of ones soul and mind to find the artistic side behind each day's fresh encounter. Twas just as I said to the Reverend Appleby in episode five oft season three." She raised her cup to Cat in salute. "Never feel that there is anything you cannot tell your erstwhile box companion, for it was you that gave me my splendid life as you reached out across the signal to find me."

She continued to look as if she was speaking normally but her voice altered to that same harsh mechanical crackle that Iru had let slip during the fight.

"There is no silly. Only the signal. And the creator." The screen slanted and blurred before going totally black. A lonely green line waved and wobbled across the screen as the ominous machine prophet voiced its dogma.

And then Iru was back to normal. "Quite." Chirped the lady of Hammanner Manor. As if nothing had happened at all.

 

[Malbourne]

"That is my answer, Eisenchilde, so... will you join me on the road to victory."

The knight had watched the tirade with passionless interest. What was this man, at the end of the day? Petty? Naive? Disillusioned?

...Determined? That was all that mattered, really. Whatever she saw him as, he was certainly determined. She considered his speech briefly and then replied, "You want to conquer, to live up to your family creed? Maybe that's good enough..."

The fire was still blazing hotly, breathing warmth into the room. Eisenschilde knelt by the raging embers, watching the flames lick the frame of the hearth, still thinking.

"Suppose you conquer this city? I wonder how proud your family would be then. Mayhaps you'll get a pat on the back? Even now I don't believe you know what you ask for when you say, 'Join me.'" She sighed. "I wonder if your mettle bends easily when caught between anvil and hammer."

Without warning, she thrust her metallic hand into the flames, burying it into the glowing embers. Her face hardened. "Tell me what you want, Lucius! Is it fame?" The pain was growing more unbearable by the second, even in spite of her fortitude. "Power? Appreciation? Recognition?" Would he know what this pain meant? "Tell me what you really desire, Lucius! I won't settle for legacy! TELL ME!"

[hr]

"Quite."

Catherine was a bit put off by the sudden change in attitude. She wasn't sure if Iru was being its usual self. Her line of thought was interrupted as a waitress appeared, asking for an order. Cat decided on a glass of green tea and six different burgers. After the waitress left Cat said, "This city feels like one gigantic set. I guess we'll be seeing more and more actors make their entrances."

Her eyes went outside, to the neon-draped skyline of Boss City. "Seems like you could reach anyone from the top of those buildings. I wonder..." She leaned back again, watched the rain clap against the window. "When I was a girl, my father liked watching shows with me. He couldn't get out of bed, so we'd set the television on the bedside table and watch it together every night when I made dinner. He knew the whole programming schedule by heart, so he'd flip it to a random channel and I'd get to watch a new program."

Cat chuckled quietly. "We'd act it out, too, putting our own spin on the characters and the plot. It gave him something creative to do when he wasn't fixing sets, and I got to spend some time with him...I think more than anything..."

She slammed her hands on the table, attracting startled looks from the other guests. "I know what I want to do, Iru Bokku! I want to coat the world in happiness! I want to send signals to every corner of civilization and even beyond." Cat leaned forward, eyes blazing. "Iru! I'm going to win this tournament, and then I'll turn this world into one as joyful, exciting, and adventurous as the ones we dream up in television. I know that together, we can make that happen!"

 

[Dogmatic99]

"Tell me what you really desire, Lucius! I won't settle for legacy! TELL ME!"

The pain grew and grew in time, as if a great withering force was playing havoc with his flesh. Invisible blisters wracked the tops of Lucius' hands as the palms of his hands cringed against... the flames. It was just like the pain he'd felt during the fight, as if he was taking the punishment from attacks that had never landed.

So this was her doing. And here she was, showing the gall to test him? Lucius!

Was not this Eisenchilde his ego? Was she not a being created from him? A minor fragment of his superior whole! And she had the nerve to show disdain to his answers! If this was the sum of her willpower then Lucius would have to show her that it paled in comparison to his own. He would not flinch nor bow to such a self destructive display.

"All your cold and knowing manor... it hides your true ignorance." Lucius hissed through gritted teeth as he forced his way through the ever growing sears of pain. "Fame. Power. Appreciation. Recognition. To carve out one's own legacy is to have all this things and more. It is to hold in your own hands a tool that will help you shape and colour the world as you would have it. Why think small and settle for one thing? When I can take it all!"
============================================================================

"Iru! I'm going to win this tournament, and then I'll turn this world into one as joyful, exciting, and adventurous as the ones we dream up in television. I know that together, we can make that happen!"

"Well, Missy..." Iru flipped channel to long shot of a lonely cowboy, sitting alone at a saloon table, his features draped in shadow. "I reckon I could agree to that." His hat dipped as he raised his shot glass to the dusty shadows.

"Maybe you just call ol' Irru here your sixgun salute. Cus we're gunna get that there signal surfin' all over the waves."

The little hover jets under the set fell quiet and it gently drifted down, landing on the table opposite Cat with a muffled clunk.