06-30-2017, 07:12 AM
As the headache, courtesy of that big monster’s last hit, dissipated Malon reoriented herself. Then she saw the Sage coming under attack by it. The monster was just casually knocking his cane aside. Without a plan she leapt forward and jump-kicked the monster’s burnt arm. It did little to injure it but being hit where it was injured made it growl with pain and lash out at her with both arms. She retreated and the monster followed, dribbling slobber from the corners of its maw.
Then it stopped and sniffed the air. Its lips, as far as one could call them such, curled into a grin. “Why, fancy seein’ you again luv, and here of all places”, it said. Malon’s eyes widened. The hat should’ve tipped her off, but that accent and the way it called her “luv”, it was unmistakably...
“Y-you’re that... vampire?!” Her voice was squeaky high. The horrors she had witnessed at the Nexus Fountain, his murder of two innocents before her eyes, it all came back to her in an instant, and her face showed it. But how could he tell that she was...
The were-vampire tipped his snout as he came closer. “Whatever ye did to disguise yaself, you can’t mask the smell.” He chuckled. “There’s a good girl. Hold still and it won’t hurt.” Malon, petrified, did not react when he took another step. Shortly he’d be able to reach for her.
But as Malon had saved the Sage, so did he. His Bola hit Harlan’s back without wrapping around him. “Snap out of it!” he yelled. “RUN!”
And she ran. First she backpedaled mechanically, then she turned around and broke into a mad dash away from the vampire, towards one of the exits. The Sage’s order resonated in her ears. Run. Her surroundings were blurred and a blood-red color tinted the edges of her vision. She did not feel the pain of her strained body. She only knew that she had to run away from him.
Harlan dropped to all fours and engaged in the pursuit after shooting a glance at the Sage. I’ll be coming for you next, it said. To him they were prey, stuck in the arena with him. Nothing but morsels to drink dry and maybe eviscerate a little. Though slower than Malon, he too was soon in the gallery through which the spectator ranks could be accessed, hard on her tail.
Of course, the Sage was not ready to give up. With his cane, he brought himself to his feet and grabbed the thrown Bola. Then he eyed the man in black armor. “I have to go after those two”, he said. “Don’t get in my way.”
“What if I do?” Batman asked. He himself had picked two Batarangs back up and now faced the Sage, holding the projectile between his fingers.
“Then we’ll see if your armor is fireproof.” He took off to the same entrance as Harlan, leaving Batman alone in an eerily silent arena.
“Charging in without a plan... how’d he make it this far?” he asked himself as he took out his Grappling gun and fired it at the railing surrounding the Colosseum’s spectator ranks. If he cut them off instead of chasing after them, he could maybe hit the were-creature. The girl was injured and in panic, not a threat... and the old man was not as dangerous.
Meanwhile within the Colosseum Malon stopped at a corner to catch her breath. She was sweating and it wasn’t just the effort. Cold drops of fear ran down her neck. She could hear the vampire’s footsteps resonating through the corridors. He would find her. She could not escape... she was scared. Tearen... help...
Tearen is not here. Assassin’s words were as calm and cold as ever. He won’t help you.
“What am I supposed to do?!” Malon yelled at the figment.
Face your fear.
“But how? He’s... big, strong, powerful...”
You can shapeshift, can’t you?
But Snake, Illidan and Tearen weren’t big and she had no other forms. What was she supposed to do?
Stop using those catalysts. Weave your form from imagination.
For a bit, Malon drew a blank... then it occured to her. Big, strong, powerful. She ran up a staircase into the spectator ranks.
What the DA spectators saw emerging though, wasn’t a scared girl, nor a purple elf or crow. It was a tall man with spiky blonde hair, wearing a gray cassock, pants and boots as well as glasses and a chain with a silver cross. “I apologize for borrowing your form... please lend me your courage for a bit.” Her voice shifted to his as she spoke. The fear... was gone.
Alexander Anderson’s lookalike reared her head and laughed loudly with his voice. Never mind the very confused-looking Batman.
Then it stopped and sniffed the air. Its lips, as far as one could call them such, curled into a grin. “Why, fancy seein’ you again luv, and here of all places”, it said. Malon’s eyes widened. The hat should’ve tipped her off, but that accent and the way it called her “luv”, it was unmistakably...
“Y-you’re that... vampire?!” Her voice was squeaky high. The horrors she had witnessed at the Nexus Fountain, his murder of two innocents before her eyes, it all came back to her in an instant, and her face showed it. But how could he tell that she was...
The were-vampire tipped his snout as he came closer. “Whatever ye did to disguise yaself, you can’t mask the smell.” He chuckled. “There’s a good girl. Hold still and it won’t hurt.” Malon, petrified, did not react when he took another step. Shortly he’d be able to reach for her.
But as Malon had saved the Sage, so did he. His Bola hit Harlan’s back without wrapping around him. “Snap out of it!” he yelled. “RUN!”
And she ran. First she backpedaled mechanically, then she turned around and broke into a mad dash away from the vampire, towards one of the exits. The Sage’s order resonated in her ears. Run. Her surroundings were blurred and a blood-red color tinted the edges of her vision. She did not feel the pain of her strained body. She only knew that she had to run away from him.
Harlan dropped to all fours and engaged in the pursuit after shooting a glance at the Sage. I’ll be coming for you next, it said. To him they were prey, stuck in the arena with him. Nothing but morsels to drink dry and maybe eviscerate a little. Though slower than Malon, he too was soon in the gallery through which the spectator ranks could be accessed, hard on her tail.
Of course, the Sage was not ready to give up. With his cane, he brought himself to his feet and grabbed the thrown Bola. Then he eyed the man in black armor. “I have to go after those two”, he said. “Don’t get in my way.”
“What if I do?” Batman asked. He himself had picked two Batarangs back up and now faced the Sage, holding the projectile between his fingers.
“Then we’ll see if your armor is fireproof.” He took off to the same entrance as Harlan, leaving Batman alone in an eerily silent arena.
“Charging in without a plan... how’d he make it this far?” he asked himself as he took out his Grappling gun and fired it at the railing surrounding the Colosseum’s spectator ranks. If he cut them off instead of chasing after them, he could maybe hit the were-creature. The girl was injured and in panic, not a threat... and the old man was not as dangerous.
Meanwhile within the Colosseum Malon stopped at a corner to catch her breath. She was sweating and it wasn’t just the effort. Cold drops of fear ran down her neck. She could hear the vampire’s footsteps resonating through the corridors. He would find her. She could not escape... she was scared. Tearen... help...
Tearen is not here. Assassin’s words were as calm and cold as ever. He won’t help you.
“What am I supposed to do?!” Malon yelled at the figment.
Face your fear.
“But how? He’s... big, strong, powerful...”
You can shapeshift, can’t you?
But Snake, Illidan and Tearen weren’t big and she had no other forms. What was she supposed to do?
Stop using those catalysts. Weave your form from imagination.
For a bit, Malon drew a blank... then it occured to her. Big, strong, powerful. She ran up a staircase into the spectator ranks.
What the DA spectators saw emerging though, wasn’t a scared girl, nor a purple elf or crow. It was a tall man with spiky blonde hair, wearing a gray cassock, pants and boots as well as glasses and a chain with a silver cross. “I apologize for borrowing your form... please lend me your courage for a bit.” Her voice shifted to his as she spoke. The fear... was gone.
Alexander Anderson’s lookalike reared her head and laughed loudly with his voice. Never mind the very confused-looking Batman.
Quote:800 words exactly!
Were-Harlan (hereafter called Harlan for simplicity) blocks Sage's cane and prepares to bite him. Malon does some jump-kick thing (no move), distracting him.
Harlan takes a few swipes then, thanks to his enhanced sense of smell (I understand that his artefact gives him Enhanced Senses?) sees through Malon's disguise.
Malon recognizes Harlan and is triggered (if you're curious as to why, read this thread). She's paralyzed with the shock and PTSD.
Sage uses Bola Shot against Harlan to draw his attention. His words let Malon snap out of the paralysis and she runs into the Colosseum gallery. Harlan pursues her.
Sage recovers his bola. Batman recovers two of his three previously thrown Batarangs. Sage pursues Harlan.
Batman uses Grappling Gun to pull himself to the spectator ranks, where Malon & co will soon emerge.
Malon uses Shapeshifting from memory to take Alexander Anderson's appearance, as a means of regaining her courage.
Batman is confused to see some stranger laughing crazily.
Also, to avoid the hassle of constantly looking up each other’s Rosters for Powers/Moves, here’s a list:
Batman
Harlan
Malon
Sage