[4-12] The Mines

[Karl Jak]

Face to Face
Okor, Fiara, Marcus Wright vs The Ascended

War.

The war around Marcus, Okor, and Fiara was on that—counter to the old saying—continually changed.  Manifestations of the many ‘souls’ that comprised the living mass rose and fell in various deformed shapes and sizes around the trio.  Fireballs and atomic bursts roared through the underground chamber as the two primes and their secondary companion rallied against what should have otherwise been overwhelming odds.  

Humanoid shrieks bombarded the group as they cut down everything in their paths.  Separated by the size of the chamber, the Dean of Security, his diseased flesh burned away by fires of his own creation, slaughtered anything and all things that rose to confront him.  

None could stand against the vengeful revenant.

On the other side of the chamber, Fiara and Marcus found themselves fighting for their lives.  The Terminator swung a heavy iron pickax as if it weighed nothing in his mechanically-augmented fists.  A few yards away, the phoenix used her agility to her advantage as she punished the monstrosity that sought to devour them.  Anytime she had an opening, she would lash out with her hands and tear apart whatever she could close her ichor-drenched fingers around.  

Unfortunately for Fiara, a glancing blow struck her in the side of the head as she turned to bring her blasters to bear on a fleshy construct rising out from the nearest wall.  The impact shattered her equilibrium and sent her stumbling sideways.  She could feel something wet on the side of her head as she dropped to her knees on the moist, sweaty flesh that comprised the cave’s floor.  The phoenix’s vision was out of focus, but when she lifted her head, she could see a hulking mass of flesh, teeth, and claws skittering toward her from the darkness.  She tried to force herself to stand or lift an arm, but her head was ringing too much to let her focus.

“I’m sorry, Amaterasu…”

Fiara’s head sagged down as she anticipated the embrace of claws or teeth, but instead, she heard an abominable shriek and felt warm blood splash against her face and chest.  Lifting her head, she saw that her would-be killer had a pickaxe through the side of its chest and a second hand clamped its neck.  Before she could cause for celebration, Fiara lowered her gaze and saw that the creature’s barbed tail had tore clear through the Terminator’s ribcage and out through the base of his spine.

“Garbage,” Marcus rasped as he dropped the corpse and tore its tail from his chest.

The Terminator, bloody pickaxe still in hand, took a step toward rejoining the fight near Okor when the strength of his mechanical body failed.  His legs caved, and he lost his grip on the pickax, which silently struck the flesh ground moments before the machine’s knees.

Although he didn’t acknowledge it, Marcus knew he had saved the life of his new acquaintance.

As the light faded from his eyes, he died knowing that he was good for something more than killing.

End of Round 8

Marcus Wright is dead and will respawn at the Nexus in 7 days.

Fiara takes 2 points of Accumulated Damage and suffered a (5 point) serious injury (fractured skull)
Okor takes 2 points of Accumulated Damage

Okor – Kill this thing in glorious, burning Okor fashion.  Feel free to milk the violence for as long as you want (within reason XD)  Tell me once you do so I can update your pair with a prize.

Okor+Fiara -> You know where the exit is (unless for some reason one of you feels compelled to head back to the plane wreckage).