Nexus Battle Royale — Threat Elimination Protocol (PvP)

[Strazio Rockwell]

One step too far forward was all that was needed to deliver a wicked blow upon the avatar. In his arrogance he pressed forward and allowed, no invited , retaliation. Okor's blade pulsed with malevolence, its rusted edge dripped with wicked toxins. The juggernaut lurched forward, displaying a startling quickness in his strike. A primal howl filled the battlefield as the verdigris encrusted shank ripped across his flesh. Searing fire sliced across the avatar's chest and forced tainted blood to stain the pristine Nexus floor. His heart fluttered as the poisons constricted the beating muscle. The avatar's power fluttered, the crackling energy that enveloped his body dissipated.

"Get back!" Strazio screamed desperately.

Okor chuckled heartily, "it seems that your... misbegotten power has... failed you."

A virulent cocktail of venoms and toxins pulsed through Strazio's failing veins. His lungs heaved and shuddered with every burning breath. Necrosis chewed across his tainted flesh and he stumbled backwards from the looming Okor. Strazio's muscles twitched violently as he tried to move, every inch was torture. With a desperation usually only afforded to dying dogs Strazio lashed out. He reached into his wounds and coated his palms with blood, the macabre fuel for his magicks. The sound of raindrops upon tin marked the delivery of his attack, a Jackson Pollock painting of blood splattered across the plague marine's shell. Within moments the droplets of blood erupted like hundreds of firecrackers, each snapping with a burst of light followed by smoldering smoke. 

The fevered defender stumbled away from the explosion. Each step wracked his mortal form with pain, but every rib-cracking breath reminded him of his painful stubbornness. Lacerations and fractures were nothing but another notch of pain upon his belt, but sickness was something different. Nauseating malaise gripped the defender tightly, sapping his strength and clouding his mind. His gut churned and he fell to one knee, his intestines threatened to bare themselves to the world. Strazio heaved violently, wretching the breakfast that his friend Rumford painstakingly cooked for him onto the ivory floor. Okor's wound brought a debilitating sickness that would welcome death.
Carefully Strazio stood, his legs wobbled like a fresh-born deer learning to walk. Using the tattered remains of his cloak's sleeve he wiped the salty puke from the corner of his mouth. Strained muscles tore at his ruined garment, tearing it to ribbons along the already present puncture wounds. Underneath his scarred flesh was revealed as he tore into his shirt as well, casting it aside. His wounds sizzled violently, as he worked to cauterize each wound, staunching the blood loss, but making the final recovery arduous. 

"I'm not done," Strazio growled.

"Is that so?" Harbinger's voice taunted.

With unrepentant speed the skeletal behemoth dashed through the smoke and broadsided the injured avatar. The spartan's shield collided with Strazio's skull, removing him from consciousness. Harbinger's new-found ragdoll skipped across the Nexus, crashing into the center spire of the fountain. Submerged and dying the shattered Strazio sank like a rock in a well. Life ebbed from his tortured form as an angel statue spewed water into his grave. Reality slowly came back in delirious strokes. Shafts of light pierced the shallow water as Strazio's brain gasped for life-giving air. The pale grey flesh of death himself reached into the water, beckoning the avatar to join the afterlife. With a delirious smirk he grabbed the tangible arm and was hefted from his grave. The rush of fresh air slammed into his body and revitalized him as his lungs instinctively gasped for life.

"You, uh, okay bro?" his savior asked.

Strazio turned towards the troll boy, taking a moment before responding, "you - you're the kid from the Colloseum, Gamzee right?"

"You know it dude," Gamzee smiled, "and you're Strawso yeah?"

"Strazio," he hacked out water, "why did you save me?"

"S'doesn't seem right to watch some motherfucker drown like that," Gamzee helped Strazio to his feet, "sides, looks like you motherfuckers needed some help."

"Yeah, thanks I appreciate it."

Strazio tried to step forward, but his body nearly collapsed. Gamzee braced him and pulled him back slightly, "dude, you've got like one and a half feet in the grave. You can't fight those motherfuckers like that."

The defender sighed and tried to move forward again, but fell to a knee. Blood loss and sickness had taken his toll, and no matter how determined his spirit was he could not press forward. Vicious eyes turned towards the chillaxing clown.

"I can't lose," he growled, "not again, not with what's at stake."

Gamzee shrugged, "uhm, I guess I could help you bros out, that skelton bro oozes bad vibes, killing mothefuckers senselessly like that."

"Listen," Strazio spoke in between strained breaths, "I... I don't know if we can even beat them, not when they're fused like that."

"Don't mean we can't try," Gamzee took a step forward, but was halted by Strazio's grip.

"What I mean is we need an ace in the hole," Strazio stood weakly, "I can give you my power, you'll be stronger than you've ever been."

"Shouldn't you at least buy me dinner first?" Gamzee joked.

"Damn it Gamzee! I can't lose," Strazio growled and offered his hand, "I... I need your help, together we'd be unstoppable. Please... please Gamzee I made a promise, and I just can't break it like this."

The clown paused and turned back to the pleading Strazio. It seemed strangely out of character that the furious rage-fille man would grovel. A certain sincerity plagued his voice and tugged at the chill troll's heartstrings. With a slight amount of hesitation he grabbed Strazio's hand and nodded.

"Aight motherfucker, let's do this."

"Thank you," Strazio smiled, "I will warn you, my rage is intoxicating so be careful."

With a burst of light the defender broke down into a thousand motes of light. The burning cinders kissed Gamzee's skin with small burns. He watched in amazement as the sparking flies danced around him and merged with his body. Veins pulsed with energy and he gasped sharply as the remaining sparks entered his flesh. The troll's hair paled and turned white as snow as ink invaded the whites of his eyes. Sharp yellow orbs burned with fury in the center of the dark ink. His normally relaxed muscles tensed with anticipation and he stretched carefully.

"Oh motherfucker, this feels motherfucking fantastic," the merged souls spoke as one being.

Gamzio "Motherfucking" Rockara.

Okor's seeping form once more stepped into frame. His bolter was leveled at the new threat, ready to release a withering burst of bolter fire upon Gamzio. The rage-filled troll sprinted towards the challenger. He performed a series of stunning acrobatics to avoid the deadly spray of bolter fire, his rage-filled body moving at an unprecedented speed. With devastating force his collided with the plague marine, smashing a juggling bat into his foe's ribcage. The forceful impact staggered the stalwart marine, forcing him to stumble slightly.

"Sup motherfucker?" Gamzio taunted, ducking under the retaliatory swing, "you gonna keep getting in my way you slow stupid bastard?"

Strazio Rockwell and Gamzee Makara have fused for a round. We'll each spend 1 SP to do so.
-1 SP Strazio 1/4 SP left
-1 SP Gamzee 3/4 SP left
Word Count is under 1200 according to my tablet's shitty word processor