The beginning of the End (Artefact Battle) (PvP)

[Albert Wesker]

A few monotone words from the Red Hood, and the battle was off to its start. A quick movement, and a pair of grenades, one in either hand, thrown among their number. Colonel narrowed his eyes as the flash of the first went off, staggering back as an automated response shut down vision receptors in his eyes, warding off the worst of the blinding but leaving him sightless all the same. A brief warning sounded about 'foreign contaminants' just as Red Hood launched into his explanation about what the concoction was. Mildly worrying. His vision flickering back on, the first thing to meet him was the leering form of Dr. Wily, a PET in hand displaying a familiar navi emblem. Colonel's expression darkened, and had he been human the shaking in deep unease would have been visible. The data that had been taken from him, turning him into the heartless soldier that he was now. What else could that madman take from him? Nothing. Not one more damn thing. He charged forward with his saber raised, intent on striking the smug scientist down. But he never could reach him, Wily's sneering visage always hovering just out of his reach.

Why?!

A moment later, the grinning form of the mad doctor flickered, and then vanished altogether. "Hallucination..." the soldier navi muttered, a touch of irritation in his otherwise neutral tone. In his brief time distracted by that, the real battle had gotten started without him.

He stopped, surveying the scene, watching the brief scuffle between the pale youth that had identified the Sword of Kusanagi by name, and the woman who just seemed very...irritated. His eyes flickered briefly, a spark lighting in them as he memorized the means with which they fought, taking careful note of their techniques, weapons and the almost miraculous dodging ability that the woman put forth. Analyze. Memorize. Duplicate. But there would be time for that later; his real target here was the Red Hood, and the cybernetic warrior rounded on him with a cold look on his face, and with a low whirring noise launched himself at the issuer of this increasingly-complicated challenge. His initial launch shot him forward in a blur, closing the distance between them in a flash, and the vigilante scarcely had time to even register the approaching foe and turn from the bother of Joline and Mitsuki in time to react to the attack. A desperate defense with his knives, crossing them in an X formation, met the strike of the much heavier blade. He avoided being dealt a blow, but the sheer momentum behind the blow nonetheless threw him several feet through the air, skidding roughly backwards as he touched back down again.

"I wasn't sure you survived the battle back at Death Mountain," he commented, twirling the knives in either hand before readying to spring back into the fray. "Surprised you showed up."

"I didn't survive," came Colonel's curt response, his sword rising to a neutral posture, suited to attack or defend, his free arm dropping to hang by his belt, the hand curled into a loose fist. "But it seems death is somewhat less than permanent for us."

Further talk was forestalled by Red leaping forward, feinting first one way, then another, his knives gleaming as they struck. One was knocked well wide of its mark, the much more robust blade of the navi's saber easily overpowering the strike, while the other clearly found its mark, scraping against armor plating and digging into a seam below the shoulder, eliciting a loud, metallic whine as it carved a jagged tear through the armor. It didn't seem to impede Colonel at all, as he struck back, a sizzling flash of green marking his saber's track as it cut clean across the vigilante's torso, leaving a clean gash, but not scoring a solid enough blow to seriously hamper him. Scampering back from immediate reach, Red just puffed out a deep breath. "You're tougher than I expected...but guess I should have known better, huh? Robots are durable."

Colonel's response was to merely flick one arm out, throwing something at his target. Behind the mask, Red's eyes narrowed, trying to focus on what it was, before they widened in surprise, and then he recoiled, backpedaling furiously and trying to cover his eyes as the blinding flash went off right in his face. "Gah!"

The brief opening was all Colonel needed, once more launching forward, hurtling into range and winding up for his signature technique to deliver a decisive blow and finish this immediately...had some bizarre twist of fate not chosen precisely then to intervene. A swift WARNING! lit up across his HUD, and he reacted instinctively, planting one heavy boot on the ground and whirling about, the new addition of a buckler flashing to life on his left forearm as he backhanded a sharp implement out of the air, catching it on the diminutive shield. The glare in his eyes as he settled his sight on the bizarre youth, his arm still outstretched from throwing the knife-like weapon.

"As I have said to another, I cannot let you harm this man!" Mitsuki announced, quite boldly as he drew another of the implements out, clearly readying to attack again. "The sword in his possession must be returned to its rightful owner!"

Colonel just lowered his stance slightly. "...so be it." The grim proclamation was all he said in warning before he struck, the crackle of emerald lightning scything across Mitsuki's position. "Screen Divide!" The young shinobi avoided the worst of it, reacting on instinct and diving backward, but now sporting a heavy injury on his chest.

"Neat trick!" came a voice from behind the soldier machine, and he didn't even have time to whirl around before he felt a pair of blade hit, and shatter, on his shoulders, staggering him.

1000 words exactly (SORCERY :psy: ), excluding this quote, of course

Moves/Powers used:
Mimic: Burst Movement (Joline)
Colonel Saber
Red Hood used: Dual Combat Knives
Survival (shrugging off wounds for daaaaaays)
Mimic: Flash Bangs (Red Hood)
Mimic: Foresight (Joline)
Mimic: Beskyttende (Joline)
Mitsuki used: Kunai
Screen Divide
Joline used: Kanshou and Bakuya